It was hard to talk outside, especially with the rain coming down steadily.
Rhodes suggested Lucy take her father upstairs so they could speak privately.
Although she wanted to know what had happened to him recently, Lucy was clearly hesitant about letting him into the guild. She whispered to Rhodes, reminding him that this man had once tried to destroy Fairy Tail.
But Rhodes didn't seem concerned. "That was in the past," he said with a shrug.
Back when the Heartfilia family was powerful, no one feared them. But now? Seeing him in such a state... what was there to be afraid of?
Regardless of past actions, he was still Lucy's father, likely her only family. It wasn't something that could just be ignored.
The father and daughter entered the guild in silence, then headed upstairs. Lucy's mood was clearly heavy.
When someone in the tavern asked who the visitor was, Rhodes casually responded.
Since Lucy had personal business to handle, her teammates naturally had to wait.
Natsu, Gray, and Happy all peeked at the staircase, their heads stacked one over the other in a line. The sight was oddly adorable.
Erza, ever the enforcer, grabbed Natsu and Gray by the collars and dragged them back. "That's rude. Sit down and wait."
Fortunately, Gray had just put his shirt on, or else she wouldn't have had anything to grab.
Grumbling, the two of them took seats at the bar.
Mira tiptoed up to Rhodes with a dry towel in hand, gently wiping the rain from his face and hair. "Who was that? A friend of Lucy's?"
Everyone nearby leaned in slightly to hear the answer.
Rhodes smiled as he relaxed under Mira's care. "That's her father. Didn't the papers mention the Heartfilia Konzern's bankruptcy a while back?"
Erza furrowed her brow, thinking. "I think I saw something about that."
"That's really her dad? He looks completely different now," Gray muttered, clearly as surprised as Rhodes had been.
"Lucy's family went bankrupt? When?" Happy blinked. He clearly didn't keep up with the news.
"What about that huge mansion she mentioned? The one the size of a small town?" Natsu asked.
Rhodes replied, "Gone, probably. The article said he mortgaged everything. I doubt he even has a place to live now."
"How tragic," Happy said sympathetically, seemingly forgetting that Jude had once been an enemy of the guild.
Mira finished drying Rhodes off, poured him a hot cup of tea, and picked up a tray. "I'll bring them something warm to drink and eat."
Rhodes removed his coat and gave it a shake, clearly uncomfortable in the wet fabric. "Natsu, dry this for me."
"Sure thing." Natsu summoned a small burst of flame from his hand.
Rhodes held the coat over the fire carefully, flipping it now and then until it was warm and dry.
Honestly, Natsu was surprisingly useful sometimes.
"I'm guessing Lucy's dad came to ask her for help," Erza observed.
"But Lucy can't even pay her rent!" Happy chimed in.
"She'll probably have money when she gets back," Natsu said hopefully.
Rhodes laughed. "More like she'll have even less when she gets back."
Suddenly, raised voices could be heard from upstairs.
"A huge amount? It's only 100,000 Jewels! I'm your father! Isn't it your duty to help me with something that small?!"
Lucy's voice came back, filled with disbelief. "Do you even realize what you're saying? Most ordinary people—"
"I said I need money! Your father is begging you, and you won't help?!"
Then Mira's voice cut in, trying to mediate. "Please, Mr. Jude, Lucy, calm down. Talk it through, okay?"
The argument was loud enough for everyone downstairs to hear. Natsu immediately bolted for the stairs.
"Lucy! What's going on?!"
Naturally, the others followed behind him.
Mira quickly stepped in to stop Natsu before he did anything reckless. "It's alright! There must be some kind of misunderstanding."
Apparently, things had started out fine. The two had even seemed close to reconciling.
But then Jude suddenly asked to borrow a large sum of money, and everything fell apart.
Lucy turned her head away and said nothing. Jude quieted down a little when he noticed so many people gathered around.
Mira stepped in with a gentle smile. "I hope I'm not overstepping, but I'd like to ask on Lucy's behalf, Mr. Jude… what exactly do you need that much money for?"
Jude, still a bit irritated, replied, "I need to get to the Agalifa Commerce Guild. It's far. Of course I need money for travel."
Mira nodded patiently. "Sure, that makes sense. And after the travel cost?"
Jude blinked, clearly confused. "After? What do you mean, after?"
Mira tilted her head. "I mean… once the travel expenses are covered, what's the rest of the money for?"
Jude looked genuinely surprised. "Wait... you mean there'll be money left over?!"
"..."
Mira was left speechless.
Lucy took a deep breath then looked at him incredulously. "You… asked me for 100,000 Jewels just to cover your travel fare?!"
Thinking they still didn't understand, Jude explained, "I've been really tired lately… If I had to walk there—"
But no one was really listening anymore. The atmosphere felt like lightning had just struck. This was the same man who used to run a major financial empire?
Lucy sighed, exasperated, and muttered, "How can you be so... detached from reality when it comes to money?"
To Jude, not giving him 100,000 J probably felt like she had refused him a glass of water at her doorstep, and that's what made him upset.
She pulled out her wallet, flipping through the few remaining bills. "Miss Mira, how much is it to travel to Agalifa?"
Truthfully, she had no idea where Agalifa even was.
Mira thought for a moment. "Well... if you rent a decent carriage and account for the rain surcharge, maybe 2,000 to 3,000 Jewels tops."
"You hear that?" Lucy held up her wallet and pointed at Jude. "Take a good look. Even if you traveled from the southernmost to the northernmost part of Fiore, you'd still have change left from 100,000."
She counted out five 1,000-Jewel bills and handed them to him. "This should cover your trip, and food too. It's all I can spare right now."
Jude stood there stunned, finally realizing how over the top his earlier demand had been. Guilt flickered across his face.
Rhodes motioned to everyone nearby. "Alright, looks like it was just a misunderstanding. Let's give them a moment. Back downstairs, everyone."
At the stairs, Happy turned and called out, "Lucy! If anything happens, just shout!"
Lucy gave him a warm smile. "I will."
Jude caught that smile, and for the first time in a long while, he was struck by something. His daughter had truly grown up. And in that moment, her expression looked just like Layla's.
They talked for a little while longer, and Lucy eventually walked him to the door. After seeing him off, she returned to the others.
"Sorry for making you all wait so long. Shall we head out now?"
Erza asked, "Is your father not staying?"
Lucy shook her head. "No. He said he wants to start over… like how it was with Mom."
Happy piped up, "Lucy seems really happy today."
Lucy smiled softly. "Because today, I found out where my name came from."
"Huh?" Happy tilted his head. "Didn't your parents just pick it randomly?"
"No... Actually—no! It turns out it wasn't random at all!" Lucy laughed, a little embarrassed.
Lucy's name had actually been decided long before she was born, back when her mother Layla was still pregnant.
It all started when a letter fell off the signboard of the business guild "Love & Lucky," changing the word Lucky to Lucy. Her parents found the mistake amusing and, struck by the coincidence, decided that if they had a daughter, they would name her Lucy.
It might have seemed random, but in truth, a lot of love and thought had gone into it. It was a bit unusual, yes, but not without meaning.
Happy, ever the mischief-maker, chimed in with a smirk, "So Lucy really was named on a whim!"
"You rotten cat!" Lucy snapped, grabbing Happy and giving him a good smack.
The four of them, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Happy, left the guild in their usual noisy fashion.
Watching them go, Rhodes commented with a soft smile, "They're always so full of life."
Mira nodded warmly. "That's why I want to team up with Lucy."
"Why's that?"
"Because it's fun. She's the kind of person who makes teasing entertaining."
"Who goes on a job just to bully their teammate?" Rhodes chuckled as he flipped through a thin stack of mission briefs. "Well, I've just about sorted through these. We can pick our next job now."
"No need to choose," Mira said with a grin as she waved a fresh commission slip. "This one was specifically addressed to the two of us."
"A designated request for just us? Someone clearly has excellent taste."
She handed the paper over, and Rhodes began reading aloud.
"Mission description: Serve as guards to ensure the Harvest Festival proceeds safely…"
It sounded simple enough.
After all, it was autumn. Many towns and cities across Fiore held harvest festivals around this time, though the big celebrations, like magical parades, usually only took place in cities with their own wizard guilds.
Take Margaret Town, for example, home of Lamia Scale. They hosted a grand Thanksgiving Festival every year that drew crowds from across the region.
In smaller towns without guilds, the festivities were simpler. But if the area had a history of poor public safety, it wasn't unusual for the locals to hire mages as security during major events.
This commission seemed to fall into that category. Rhodes scanned the payment amount.
"1.2 million Jewels… That's a hefty reward for guard duty. Sounds like someone's worried about serious trouble."
Mira pointed to the bottom of the page. "Check the name of the client."
"Ravender Village…" Rhodes blinked in surprise. "Isn't that the village that had a rat infestation last time?"
He smiled. The fact they were hosting a festival now meant the crops they rushed to plant back then had been harvested successfully, and even better, the harvest was good enough that they could afford to hire wizards.
"I wonder what kind of problem they're facing this time," he said.
"The mission starts four days from now," Mira noted. "We should be done with our current work by then. Do you want to go?"
The eagerness in her expression made it obvious she wanted to accept.
Rhodes nodded. "Sure. It's rare to get a mission that specifically names us. Let's see what's going on over there. Once we're done, we can go back to hunting fugitives and finish saving up for that goal of ours."
"Perfect!" Mira beamed.
…
Two days passed in a flash. Rhodes and Mira wrapped up their pending work and got ready to leave a day early to check in with the village ahead of the festival.
Before heading out, they reported to Makarov about their trip. Makarov didn't look too happy about letting the two of them go.
Rhodes offered a reassuring smile. "Come on, don't look so reluctant. We're just guarding a harvest festival. We'll be back in three days, tops."
"Ahh..." Makarov sighed and gave in with resignation.
It's easy to go from frugal to lavish, but going from lavish back to frugal? That's the real challenge.
At that moment, Natsu kicked open the guild's double doors with a loud crash. "We're back!"
"Back!" echoed Happy, flapping his little wings before landing with a thud.
Mira welcomed them with a bright smile. "Welcome back! How'd the mission go?"
Natsu and Gray turned their heads away in embarrassment. Happy folded his wings silently. Erza sighed deeply. Lucy looked thoroughly defeated.
Well, that answer was pretty clear.
Makarov clutched his chest with dread. "How many towns did you level this time?"
Lucy raised a hand weakly. "It's not that bad... We took down ten rooftops, smashed eight market stalls, wrecked two shops, and accidentally broke a statue in the city square. After paying for the damages, we only got 200,000 Jewels out of the original 2 million reward."
Makarov let out a sigh of relief. At least the guild wouldn't have to cover the compensation this time.
"I'm sorry, Master," Erza said apologetically. "I should have been more careful. I let them..."
Natsu whispered under his breath, "You're the one who said the guy was super dangerous and not to hold back... so I gave it everything I had."
Lucy, still recovering from the loss, spotted Mira's travel suitcase. "Wait, are you and Mr. Rhodes heading out?"
"Yep," Mira replied. "We've got a designated mission."
"Whoa, seriously? That's amazing!" Lucy's eyes sparkled with envy. "A designated request? Those only go to well-known wizards!"
Unlike normal requests, designated ones were issued to specific individuals, usually those with a strong reputation. Lucy quietly hoped she could receive one someday too.
"We kinda got this one for special reasons," Mira said, trying to soften the comparison. "Anyway, we're heading out. Good luck on your next mission!"
"Wait, wait! Mr. Rhodes, can you at least help me pick a job before you go?" Lucy pleaded, close to tears. "At this rate, I won't even be able to pay next month's rent!"
Rhodes crossed his arms and smirked. "Alright then. Why don't you take Mira's place as a waitress while she's gone?"
"But there are already five of us! You don't need that many waiters," Lucy protested, glancing suspiciously at Happy.
"Oh? Sounds like you're not too keen on the idea," Rhodes teased.
Lucy laughed awkwardly, trying to dodge the offer.
Rhodes then snapped his fingers. "How about this, don't think of it as waiting tables. Think of it as undercover work. You'll be posing as a waitress to investigate the true identity of a restaurant owner. Interested?"
"A spy mission? Really?" Lucy's eyes lit up. This sounded way more exciting.
Mira turned to Rhodes, puzzled. "Wait... I don't remember seeing a request like that."
"I just got the commission," he said smoothly. "Haven't logged it yet. Give me a sec to write it up."
Rhodes scribbled quickly on a blank sheet of paper, jotting down a time, location, and reward. He handed it to Lucy. "When you get there, just tell the chef you're applying for a job. Then wing it."
Lucy pumped her fist. "Got it! I'm on it!"
It happened to be Lucy's turn to pick the mission, and she was clearly excited about this one.
Mira peeked over at the name Rhodes had written for the restaurant—8Island.
She bit her lip to hold back her laughter and gave Rhodes a playful whack. He had totally tricked Lucy into doing the very thing she hated most: waitressing.
If their timing was right, Rhodes and Mira would return from their mission just as Lucy and the others finished their "spy" job.
Mira could hardly wait to see Lucy's reaction.
Rhodes was such a rascal.
And she adored him for it.
...
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