Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 315: Which is stronger, Lucy’s luck or Natsu’s destructive power?

Chapter 315 - Which is stronger, Lucy's luck or Natsu's destructive power?

"The second mission is a strange jewelry theft case," Rhodes explained.

"In a small town nearby, numerous pieces of jewelry have gone missing. But there were no signs of forced entry, no broken locks, no open windows, nothing. The locals suspect the culprit must be a wizard. If you manage to catch the thief, the reward is... 150,000 J."

"150,000 J?!" Lucy's eyes sparkled like treasure. That amount would cover almost all her rent in one go!

And the mystery behind it was just begging to be turned into material for her novel.

"I want that one!" Lucy declared eagerly.

"Don't rush," Rhodes said with a small smile. "You can actually take both missions at once. The village where the livestock is being attacked isn't far from the town with the thefts. In fact..." He leaned forward slightly. "If my hunch is correct, the thief might even be hiding in the same forest where the beast is roaming."

Lucy's excitement grew. "Natsu, what do you think?"

Natsu clenched his fists, full of energy. He'd clearly been waiting for Lucy to pick something for a while now.

"No problem! Let's complete both missions in one go, then you won't have to worry about rent anymore!"

"Aye! We'll have money for fish again! And as long as Lucy pays her rent, we can keep messing up her place," Happy cheered.

"Why is my house the only place you guys hang out?!" Lucy grabbed Happy by the cheeks. "And did you just say 'mess up'?!"

"So it's settled then," Mira smiled. "You're going to hunt the beast and track down the jewel thief. If you're sure, go ahead and grab the job requests."

Technically, it wasn't standard practice to juggle two jobs at once, especially for a new team, but in this case, both missions were relatively low-risk, and the trio was clearly strapped for cash. Mira felt it was fine to bend the rules a little.

Lucy rushed over to the request board and quickly spotted both jobs. Like a seasoned pro, she followed the usual procedure: locate the mission slip, grab the cloth string attached, and tear it off cleanly, efficient and quick.

Mira took the requests and stamped them for approval. Meanwhile, Rhodes was scribbling something rapidly behind the counter.

"Wait for me just a few more minutes," he said.

Natsu leaned over and whispered, "I think he's writing one of those long-winded guides again. We don't have to wait for that, right? Let's go!"

"Huh? But it looks important," Lucy said, watching Rhodes intently.

Happy raised his paw. "Aye, I think we should wait. This kind of stuff usually helps!"

Minority rule lost, Natsu had to sit tight while the other two insisted.

A moment later, Rhodes handed Lucy several folded documents.

"These are the basics for both missions, maps, names, and possible clues. Read them on the way," he explained. "And this..." He tapped a smaller booklet. "This is the Mission Strategy Guide. Happy knows how to use it."

"Aye!" Happy declared proudly. "Lucy, even if you lose your skirt, don't lose this!"

"Why would I lose my skirt?!" Lucy huffed. "And what even is this guide?"

"In short," Rhodes explained, "if you're the kind of person who enjoys the thrill of adventure and wants to complete the mission independently, then just review the basic info sheets. But if you want to finish efficiently and aim for the highest reward possible, then you'll want to read what I wrote carefully."

He had refined his support strategy leaving it up to the team to decide not only whether they'd listen to his advice, but whether they even wanted to know it in the first place.

"Too much chatter! Just burn it all! Obviously, we're doing this mission by ourselves!" Natsu exclaimed, flames flaring in his hands.

"No way!" Lucy quickly hugged the documents close to her chest like a precious treasure.

Mr. Rhodes had taken the time to write this all out, and if even Happy said it was important, there was no way she was tossing it aside just because of Natsu.

Without missing a beat, she began organizing their next steps: "Let's all head home and grab our things, we leave in thirty minutes!"

Natsu groaned in defeat. "Rhodes, let me borrow the crab."

Rhodes blinked, playing dumb. "What crab?"

"You know! That big summon beast of yours, the one shaped like a crab! I don't want to ride in a carriage!"

"Oh?" Rhodes raised a brow. "But didn't you just say you were going to complete the mission all on your own? And I'm just some guy who talks too much. Wouldn't asking for help from me be cheating?"

"R-Revenge!" Natsu shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him... and immediately froze, mouth open in stunned silence.

"Pfft..." Happy quickly turned away, paws over his mouth to stifle his giggles.

Mira chuckled softly, clearly enjoying the scene as much as Happy.

As Natsu stumbled away, visibly sulking, Mira glanced toward Rhodes and asked with a smile, "Do you think Lucy will be able to earn the full reward this time?"

Rhodes watched the departing trio and answered with a soft smile, "She just might. Lucy's got surprisingly good luck."

He wasn't exaggerating. He'd only just learned today that Lucy was lucky enough to find a golden key on her very first mission after joining Fairy Tail.

Even though she didn't get any money from that job, obtaining a zodiac key, something that couldn't be bought even with a mountain of jewels was an extraordinary reward in itself.

The key to Virgo, had originally belonged to Duke Everlue. But after Lucy and Natsu helped expose his crimes and gather enough evidence, the corrupt noble was arrested, and Virgo was released from his contract.

According to the rules of Celestial Spirit contracts, Virgo's previous agreement was nullified when her contractor, Duke Everlue was arrested.

Afterward, she sought out Lucy on her own and signed a new contract with her.

As Mira had once explained, Virgo had actually played a pivotal role in the incident involving Lullaby.

Seriously, who else joins the guild and immediately ends up with one of the twelve rare Golden Zodiac Keys as a reward on their first mission?

Still, Lucy's absurd luck once made Rhodes seriously question: between her and Natsu, who was the real protagonist of their story?

But about this new mission...

"I'll make a bet," Rhodes said with a sly grin. "I'm guessing Lucy will only be able to earn at most half the reward."

"What are we betting?" Mira asked with interest.

"I haven't decided yet," he admitted. "Let's say... the winner gets to make one reasonable request."

"Alright," Mira nodded, clasping her hand in his. "If Lucy earns more than half, I win."

Clap!

They sealed the deal with a slap of their palms.

Afterward, Mira teased him with a smile. "You made such a detailed plan for Lucy. Don't you have any confidence she'll pull it off?"

"I have complete confidence in Natsu's destructive tendencies," Rhodes replied wryly. "That's the problem."

Even if Natsu had learned to hold back a little these days, Lucy keeping him under control was still a miracle every time.

Just then, Laki called out from the guild entrance, "Mira! The wine delivery you ordered yesterday is here. Come give me a hand!"

She added with a huff, "And the lazy guy hanging around Mira—yeah, you too!"

"I'm coming!" Mira called back, then gave Rhodes a playful pat on the shoulder. "Let's go, slacker."

"Slander!" Rhodes cried. "When have I ever slacked off during work?"

Laki raised an eyebrow. "Last week, there were clearly two tables to clean, and you insisted on wiping the same one as Mira."

"Two weeks ago, you helped with inventory and just echoed Mira's count like a parrot."

"And last month—"

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Rhodes waved his hands in surrender, cutting her off.

He narrowed his eyes. "How do you remember all this? Do you write down my every mistake in your diary and review them before bed?"

"Who would do something so creepy?" Laki snapped. "That kind of obsession only comes from two types of people—people holding grudges or people in love!"

She crossed her arms. "And for the record, I don't keep a diary!"

...

Bonus @1200 PS

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