Rhodes said sympathetically, "We're still doing well. Lucy's birthday was a few days ago, but the preliminaries started at midnight that day, and the official competition began at dawn. She probably already forgot about it."
"Oh my," Mira smiled at Rhodes. "You remember Lucy's birthday very clearly, my dear."
Rhodes was completely unfazed. "Because Mr. Jude gave Lucy and Future Lucy each a belated birthday gift yesterday, along with a personal 'Happy Birthday.' I just happened to pass by and saw it."
At that time, Future Lucy cried terribly, but also smiled very happily.
"Is that so?" Mira felt another pang of sympathy for Future Lucy.
Rhodes didn't want her to dwell on it, so he quickly said, "At least it made up for some of her regrets. And if we resolve things smoothly here, the timeline on her side might also change. According to spacetime magic interference theory, this is entirely possible."
Mira thought seriously for a moment, then finally recovered a faint smile. "That's true. But what if…"
Rhodes answered immediately. "If it doesn't change over there, then we'll activate the Eclipse Gate again to help her change it. No matter which Fairy Tail it is, they shouldn't be immersed in sadness."
As for things not being resolved smoothly, there was no such possibility. The promised Fairy Tail was a happy ending, and his roomate Tatsuya, shouldn't lie to him.
Probably.
Thinking about his past experiences of being tricked into watching depressing shows, Rhodes felt a flicker of doubt, but he decided not to fall for it a second time.
He also didn't know how those people were doing now. If they had transmigrated to another world like him, he hoped they could find happiness just as he had.
Recalling his own near-death experiences, Rhodes sneered inwardly.
"Heh. It's best to experience more hardships, more life-and-death crises, but without actually dying or losing limbs, and then find happiness."
Mira sensed Rhodes' mood dip slightly and guessed that he didn't like such heavy topics.
So she suggested gently, "Will you come shopping for clothes with me?"
Rhodes nodded. "Sure. Autumn or winter clothes?"
Mira touched her belly, her expression both happy and slightly troubled. "Maternity clothes."
Rhodes paused, then smiled. "We definitely need to prepare those."
Mira had already discussed this with Bisca. The clothes needed to be comfortable, breathable, loose, and warm.
Aesthetics had to come second, but Bisca had still recommended several outfits that looked quite nice.
The couple entered one clothing store after another, enthusiastically selecting items.
"This color isn't good. This one…" Mira somehow picked up an extra-large size.
"This one's too loose," Rhodes commented. "I feel like even Elfman could wear it if he were pregnant."
"Nonsense!" Mira slapped Rhodes lightly, but the image of a pregnant Elfman flashed vividly through her mind, and she burst out laughing.
Her imagination was hard to rein in.
The stranger the image, the clearer it became.
Rhodes smiled and pointed to a piece of clothing on the rack. "That one isn't bad. Hmm?"
Mira noticed Rhodes suddenly turn his head and followed his gaze in confusion. "What's wrong?"
Rhodes glanced left and right. "I feel like someone's staring at me."
Mira looked around at the crowd. Quite a few people were indeed turning their heads to look at the two of them, but nothing seemed unusual. "Maybe fans?"
Even setting aside his past identity, based solely on his performance in the Grand Magic Games, Rhodes was already a nationally recognized star. It was only natural for people to be curious about him.
Rhodes himself knew this, but this time the gaze was different; it felt as if there was malice.
And in that instant, there was a strange magical power fluctuation, but unfortunately, it seemed to be hidden by some means, making it impossible to pinpoint its location or sense its attribute.
Rhodes waved his hand to activate Void Vision. Faces of passersby flashed into his mind. A quick scan showed mostly strangers.
"That person..." Rhodes noticed a woman-like figure hurrying away. "Isn't that the one who skated from Dragon's Treasure?"
"Miss Viya?" Mira still remembered the person who had competed with her; her most prominent feature was that her chest was smaller than Mira's.
Rhodes said, "I feel like you're thinking something rather nasty."
"No, really. Is she embarrassed to see us because her guild lost to us?" Mira guessed. "She shouldn't go out of her way to avoid us, right?"
Rhodes looked at Mira. "Perhaps someone's blow to her in the competition was too severe?"
Mira nodded thoughtfully. "I see. It was during the water battle, Lucy's fault."
"My wife is a master at playing dumb," Rhodes thought, not exposing her. "It's a little strange. Let's discreetly keep an eye on her. Dragon's Treasure… it sounds like it might be related to dragons."
He said that, but Rhodes wasn't too serious.
After all, there was no guild called Dragon's Treasure in Future Lucy's timeline.
It was just a slight confirmation, just in case.
Rhodes and Mira casually paid and left the clothing store, quickly blending into the crowd.
Then, using illusion magic, they quietly changed their appearance and followed Viya from a distance.
Following a beautiful woman was quite exciting, especially with his wife.
"She seems to be acting stealthily. Is there really a problem?" Mira found it strange. "Didn't they say the people from Dragon's Treasure used to be mercenaries? Even if they wanted to avoid us, they shouldn't be this flustered."
"Hm," Rhodes nodded. "Which means she might genuinely not want to see us. This behavior is a genuine expression of emotion."
"Oh my," Mira touched her cheek. "Should I find an opportunity to apologize to Miss Viya?"
"As you wish," Rhodes thought. If you actually went, would that be an apology or twisting the knife?
Judging from Mira's expression… probably both.
No further unusual situations occurred until Viya returned to the hotel where the Dragon's Treasure contestants were staying.
Rhodes and Mira observed for a while, then quietly left.
Meanwhile, in a distant corner, a shadow transformed into a young man with half-black, half-white hair, muttering to himself with lingering fear:
"I should have concealed that aura… As expected of a Ten Wizard Saint, even more perceptive than I imagined."
As he spoke, he turned his head in a certain direction.
"The Poison Dragon is also a tricky fellow. It wouldn't be good if he heard my thoughts."
"The Council is a bunch of useless fools, allowing someone like him to escape from prison."
In a flash, the young man transformed into a mass of shadow again, sinking into the ground and rapidly moving away.
Moments later, Erik climbed over a wall and jumped into the alley, slamming his fist onto the ground.
The stone paving cracked, and a reddish-brown poison stained a small patch of soil.
"Damn it! I clearly heard him here just now, that stinking rat!"