Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master

"All done," Hibiki said, turning to Makarov.

"Master Makarov, I'll be heading back now."

"Ah, thanks for your hard work," Makarov replied. "I'll complete the commission form later and send it to Blue Pegasus along with the payment."

Rhodes quickly bowed his head. "Thank you for saving my life, and thank you, Mr. Hibiki, for your help. I am truly moved!"

Mirajane giggled behind her hand. "What's with that dramatic reaction? Is Rhodes going to start acting like Laki now? How interesting."

Makarov glanced at Hibiki, his expression questioning what was going on.

"Ah, well…" Hibiki rubbed the back of his neck. "Since the knowledge was forcefully implanted, it takes a bit of time for the brain to fully process everything."

He sighed. "So, for a while, he might occasionally say things in a weird or awkward way. You can either help correct him little by little… or, if you'd like, I can return once my magic has improved to refine the process."

"No… absolutely not! I respectfully decline!"

Rhodes shook his head quickly. He definitely didn't want to go through that splitting headache again.

Knowledge learned through experience was always more solid anyway!

…And it's definitely not because I'm afraid of pain!

Makarov chuckled and nodded. "Alright, then. The commission is complete."

Mirajane walked Hibiki to the door, and just as Rhodes was about to leave as well, Makarov called out to him.

"Rhodes, right? Has Mira explained the situation to you?"

Rhodes turned back and nodded. "Well… I only understood parts of it because of the language barrier." He paused before adding, "You saved me from the forest, right?"

Makarov shook his head. "No, to be precise, I brought you back from the forest."

Rhodes blinked, confused. "Wait… the beast that attacked me—wasn't it you who defeated it?"

Makarov didn't correct Rhodes' wording for the moment. Instead, he sat cross-legged in the chair beside the bed—despite sitting, he somehow still seemed taller than when he was standing.

Rhodes, feeling it was impolite to look down at the old man, obediently sat on the edge of the bed.

Makarov exhaled before speaking.

"The reason I was there in the first place was because of reports of a monster rampaging through the area. Sightings included strange birds, giant frogs, evil wolves… and even dragons."

Rhodes stiffened.

Makarov continued.

"The mayor was worried that if a large group of monsters had appeared in the eastern forest, it could threaten the safety of all of Magnolia. He asked me to investigate."

In reality, the main reason Makarov went himself was because Porlyusica lived in that forest, and he was concerned for her safety.

"But by the time I arrived, all I found was the corpse of a porcupine, a forest that had been heavily damaged…"

His eyes met Rhodes'.

"…And you, unconscious on the ground."

Rhodes' heart pounded as he absorbed the information.

The more he listened, the more he realized just how lucky he was to have survived.

Should he… thank the porcupine that had launched him away?

Makarov folded his arms and asked, "What do you remember about the herd?"

Rhodes shook his head. "I don't really remember much… but right before I blacked out, I did hear a lot of strange noises. The forest had been eerily silent before that."

Makarov nodded thoughtfully.

If Rhodes' memory was accurate, then the monster stampede must have occurred right before or after he lost consciousness.

Or… perhaps, Rhodes himself had done something to trigger it.

Makarov narrowed his eyes slightly. "Then, why did you enter the forest in the first place?"

"I… don't know."

Rhodes hesitated, struggling to put his experience into words.

"You might not believe me, but… one second, I was walking normally—then I tripped. And when I got back up, I was suddenly there, in the middle of the forest."

Makarov hummed in thought, stroking his beard.

'A sudden displacement'. He had heard of such cases before.

For example, Porlyusica—the very healer who had treated Rhodes—had mysteriously appeared in this world decades ago. According to her, she came from a parallel world called Edolas.

Then there was Natsu.

Six years ago, Natsu had suddenly appeared near the guild. At the time, he could speak but couldn't read.

Rhodes' situation was strikingly similar—except in his case, even the language was different.

And more than that—

When Natsu first arrived, he had been searching for dragons.

And when Rhodes appeared, the legend of a dragon had surfaced as well.

'Could there be a connection between the two?'

Makarov suspected that both Rhodes and Natsu had been displaced by powerful space magic—perhaps by a mage from another continent.

"I see… I think I have a rough understanding of the situation now."

Rhodes blinked in surprise. "You… believe me that easily?"

Makarov chuckled. "Why wouldn't I?" He met Rhodes' gaze with a wise but kind expression. "I'm pretty confident in my ability to tell when young people are lying."

Rhodes opened his mouth but hesitated.

Then, after a moment, he realized—

Oh, right. This is a world with magic.

In a place like this, his sudden appearance really wasn't that strange after all.

Makarov leaned forward slightly. "So, what do you plan to do next?"

"I… don't have anywhere to go for now," Rhodes admitted.

For the past two days, he had been thinking about his options.

And honestly?

Staying here seemed like the safest bet.

If he left now, he'd risk running into more weird pig-bear hybrids or mystery monsters, and if his luck was bad…

He might actually die next time.

Fairy Tail was a guild full of mages, and someone like Rhodes—just an ordinary person—probably didn't belong here.

But if he wanted to survive, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask.

"Can I… stay?"

"Of course."

Rhodes blinked.

That was… too casual!

He stared at Makarov, half-expecting the old man to take back his words.

"You don't even know where I come from," Rhodes pointed out.

Makarov simply shrugged. "Are you willing to tell me?"

"I…"

Rhodes hesitated.

How could he explain? Where would he even start?

Makarov, however, just smiled kindly.

"Then tell me when you're ready."

He rested his hands behind his back, looking out at the guildhall with warmth in his eyes.

"There are many children in this guild who were once homeless—some of them couldn't even explain where they came from. Back then, they felt the same uncertainty you do now."

"But that's exactly why we need companions."

Makarov turned back to him, his gaze steady and unwavering.

"And that's why guilds exist."

"Everyone here supports each other, grows stronger together, and sees one another as family. That is what a guild is. That is what Fairy Tail is."

For the first time, Rhodes truly understood what Fairy Tail stood for.

It wasn't just a mercenary guild like the ones he had seen in games and anime.

It was something more.

A place of warmth.

A place of belonging.

...

The process of joining the guild was surprisingly simple.

Makarov led Rhodes to the front desk, where Mirajane was waiting. With a smile, she recorded his name onto the list of official guild members.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"This is Magnolia City," Makarov explained as they walked. "Located in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Fiore. It has a population of about sixty thousand and has been a city where magic has flourished since ancient times."

"Fairy Tail is the only recognized guild in this city. And then, there's this…"

Since Rhodes lacked even the most basic knowledge about this world, Mirajane patiently started explaining, beginning with its geography.

When the topic turned to Fairy Tail, she pulled out a stamp-like device and smiled.

"Now, choose a color and where you want your guild emblem."

Rhodes rolled up his sleeve and pointed to his left arm.

"I'll go with blue," he decided.

Mirajane pressed the seal onto his arm, and the emblem appeared instantly—just like an ink stamp.

Rhodes ran his fingers over the spot.

It felt exactly the same as before. No roughness, no change in texture.

Another magic trick, huh?

"This… won't fade, right?" he asked.

"Of course not," Mirajane assured him as she tucked the seal away.

"This emblem represents you as a member of Fairy Tail. No matter where you go, it proves your identity as part of the guild."

"…A wizard of Fairy Tail, huh?"

Rhodes instinctively covered the mark on his arm.

"But… I don't even know magic. What if I get kicked out?" he asked nervously.

Mirajane giggled.

"How could that happen? If you want to learn magic, you can start anytime. You just need to find the right path."

She tapped a finger against her chin, thinking.

"That said… finding beginner-friendly jobs might be a bit tricky at first."

"You don't know magic?"

Makarov, who had been listening, suddenly pointed at Rhodes' chest.

"Then what's that magic item hanging around your neck?"

Rhodes blinked in confusion.

"…Huh?"

He looked down and picked up his necklace pendant. It was a capital L, set against a blue background with gold trim.

If he examined closely, faint, intricate patterns shimmered within it.

"You're telling me this is a magic artifact?"

"Of course it is," Makarov said confidently.

Rhodes frowned.

No way. That doesn't make sense.

This thing was just…

A League of Legends pendant. A birthday gift from his roommate Tatsuya.

Sure, it was well-crafted, and probably not cheap, but it was just a simple decorative piece… right?

Could it be that Tatsuya, the guy with thick eyebrows and an honest face, was actually a wizard?!

...

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