บท 129: Chapter 129: Never Drinking So Much Again

"This is the same feather headdress as Cait Shelter's Master Robinlu's. With this on, you'll be our Fairy Tail's great chief."

After putting away the dangerous items, Rhodes opened up his large suitcase.

"Is it supposed to be worn like this?" Makarov excitedly put on the headdress, trying out several serious expressions.

But a few seconds later, he couldn't hold back his laughter. He twisted left and right, showing off the gift to everyone.

"Hahaha! What's that, Master?!"

"A clown show?"

The guild master, who was already small in stature, now had a headpiece bigger than his body. And his carefree twisting movements quickly had the entire guild laughing.

"Rhodes, do I get one too?" Laki asked expectantly. "Did Cait Shelter have anything special...?"

"Don't even think about it. I got you a gift, but it's definitely not a torture device." Rhodes pulled out a carved wooden mask, complete with sharp fangs, looking like an oni (demon). It was the scariest thing he could find in the entire village.

"Wow, the details are incredible." As a wood magic user, Laki immediately noticed the craftsmanship of the mask.

Even though it wasn't a torture device, this oni mask fit the atmosphere of her room quite well, hanging on the wall without looking out of place.

Rhodes continued pulling things out of his suitcase. For Reedus, there was a set of traditional brushes; for Levy, an ancient Niru Bito parchment with their script; for Troy, seeds of plants unique to the area around Cait Shelter; for Jet, a pair of hunting boots from the Niru Bito tribe; and for Erza, a wooden ceremonial armor set—more decorative than functional, worn during festivals.

There were also a fang necklace for Elfman, face paint for Nab, alcohol for Cana, a bow and arrows for Alzack, and so on.

Anyone he was close to got a carefully chosen gift. For those he wasn't as familiar with, he had prepared smaller trinkets, like bracelets, scarves, or veils.

For Mira, of course, there was a beautiful set of clothing, complete with matching bracelets, anklets, earrings, and even hair ribbons.

Unfortunately, the outfit had a summer vibe, and it was already deep into autumn, making it less suitable to wear now.

So Rhodes had also prepared a shawl for her—not only practical for the cooler weather but also perfect to pair with the outfit if she really wanted to wear it.

Mira, smiling brightly, held the gifts in her arms, clearly delighted.

Laki watched as Rhodes handed out gifts, not even bothering anymore to comment on who was being treated specially.

She tried expressing her thoughts with her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that. I don't even know other people's clothing sizes," Rhodes retorted confidently.

But that exposed more issues.

"Yeah, right, we all know you often shop together—even knowing each other's clothing sizes." Laki teased.

Mira gently patted Laki, but also realized that her relationship with Rhodes seemed quite close.

She wasn't sure how to handle the current situation.

She even remembered saying she'd treat Rhodes to a meal during the Harvest Festival...

As she felt troubled, she also couldn't help feeling a little anticipation.

Laki had had enough gossip and noticed something strange in the box, "What are those pieces of wood?"

"Just ordinary wood, paired with flint—it's a gift for Natsu when he gets back," Rhodes replied.

Natsu wasn't at the guild at the moment; apparently, he'd been eager to run around after getting over his side effects a couple of days ago, so he'd gone on a job.

Laki was puzzled, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Think of it as bringing back fire from afar?" Rhodes explained.

Wood and flint from Cait Shelter would produce fire that could be considered "fire from Cait Shelter," right?

Hopefully, Natsu would love it.

"That fishbone decoration—is that for Happy? Is it some fish from another place?"

"It's actually a fishbone decoration, more like an art piece." Rhodes believed that as long as it came from Carla's guild, Happy would like it.

He'd wanted to ask Carla to make something specifically for Happy, but she had refused.

It didn't seem appropriate to pass on something Carla had given him to Happy, so this would have to do. Poor Happy.

"To celebrate the safe return of Rhodes and Gray, and to celebrate me being praised by the Council, let's have a party!"

"Yeah!!!"

The master's suggestion was met with immediate excitement, as most people in the guild enjoyed lively gatherings, and everyone was in high spirits.

"Another party? It feels like we've been partying constantly," Rhodes felt like the parties had become frequent.

"Because before we set off, we had the Magic Parade Celebration; then, there was Cait Shelter's welcoming banquet. Lately, it's just been non-stop parties."

Gray waved his hand dramatically, his shirt disappearing in an instant, blending into the crowd, "In any case, cheers!"

Mira handed a cup of alcohol to Rhodes, "Try to control yourself a bit this time."

Yeah, like that would work.

As soon as the atmosphere kicked in, it quickly became about one toast after another.

The master was in an excellent mood today, dragging Rhodes around to boast one moment, and then Gray the next.

Even though they were surrounded by guild members, no one really understood what he was showing off.

Either way, the minute anyone said anything, their cups were filled again.

The guild laughed, made noise, and, as expected, it lasted until late into the night.

Rhodes ended up drinking way too much again.

In his drunken haze, he vaguely remembered seeing Mira in the outfit he'd given her, asking him how she looked.

"Pretty... so pretty!"

Rhodes remembered himself saying that.

...

Sunlight shone on his face through the window, and Rhodes sat up, holding his head, "Ugh... never drinking so much again!"

"Warm milk or hot water—which would you prefer?"

"I'll take both!" Rhodes looked at the person in front of him and realized it wasn't just his imagination.

Mira really had put on the Niru Bito attire. The top was a bit revealing, so she wore the shawl over it, though her slender waist was still on display.

A slightly lavish golden necklace replaced her usual crystal pendant, and her hair was styled into a braid that matched the outfit.

The sleeves were detachable, though her shoulders and arms, which were supposed to be exposed, were partially covered by the shawl, making her appear even more elegant.

The skirt was slightly high-cut, revealing her guild emblem as she moved.

The socks she wore barely covered her heels—more like a base for the ankle bracelets—showing off half her fair feet and her toes, which were gently moving in slight discomfort.

"It's my first time wearing this kind of outfit. It feels a bit awkward." The most popular model of the year, Miss Mira, said, walking somewhat uneasily.

Rhodes felt like even his hangover seemed more manageable now, "You look beautiful, even better than the actual Niru Bito people."

"Really?" Mira gave a slight twirl, her smile soft, "Well, I should probably change out of it now."

"So soon?"

"It's not that soon—it's deep autumn, and wearing summer clothes feels a bit strange."

Plus, everyone would be waking up soon.