That night, Mira carefully examined Rhode's body.
The conclusion was that her husband's body was fine, but his spirits were not very high.
So the couple just lay there chatting.
"Did you see something terrible in that book?"
"Sort of." Rhode sighed, "There's just too much information, I don't know what to do with it all at once."
Only two pages into the Book of END, and he'd already discovered such incredible secrets, who knows what's written in the rest.
He definitely planned to continue reading, but would try to ensure safety as much as possible.
As for Natsu possibly being the strongest demon—Rhode wasn't too worried.
No matter if he was human, demon, or turned into a dragon because of Dragon Slayer Magic, Rhode could never bring himself to kill him.
Of course, he might fight him, but certainly not to the death.
Judging by Rhode's memory, Natsu should be a main character, and having a strange background is understandable.
Just like how the navy's grandson becomes a pirate, or the Fire Shadow's son is a fox demon, these 'background settings' are just that—backdrops. What really matters is how he himself acts in the future.
…Damn, Tatsuya that bastard better not have tricked me?
Fairy Tail ends with a HE, not a BE, right?
Mira placed a hand over Rhode's lips and said half-jokingly, "No sighing, if the child hears too much sighing, they won't be happy in the future."
"Alright, alright." Rhode hugged her, then reluctantly let go, "Let's sleep, we have work tomorrow."
Not only during the day does he have to work, but he's also agreed to evening special training sessions with Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy.
Though he hardly needs to get involved, with the Purgatory Sub-Dragon or Cloud Sub-Dragon sparring with the three of them.
It's been almost two months since the Great Demon Fighting Martial Arts, and these three dragon cubs have made considerable progress.
Lisana and Elfman also participate and have gained a lot.
Seeing them grow spectacularly, Rhode often feels like a proud father.
Even though he was the one who started learning magic the latest.
...
As time passed, Rhode's life became very orderly again.
Apart from routinely taking Mira for check-ups, he worked at the Council during the day and either trained with his companions in the evenings while observing Natsu or studied the Book of END.
Even on the day of the Harvest Festival, Rhode only made a brief appearance and didn't participate in the performances.
This was mainly because Mira wasn't involved, and Rhode stayed with her the entire time.
Mira became pregnant at the end of May, and by the Magical Parade on October 7th, she was already 19 weeks in.
Her belly was getting larger, so naturally, participating in events became increasingly inconvenient.
Therefore, from the pageant to the Magical Parade, Mira only chose to be a spectator.
The most involved thing for her was voting for Lisana in the "Miss Fairy Tail" pageant.
Then... when Elfman was about to vote, she watched her brother write with a smiling face.
Elfman was sweating at that moment.
Under his sister's gaze, should he vote for his sister or his girlfriend? This was a bit of a life-or-death question for him.
Fortunately, his sister didn't want to make things difficult for him; after watching for a while, she was 'unwillingly' led away by her understanding brother-in-law.
Elfman could finally vote with peace of mind.
Mira asked, "Who do you hope will win?"
Rhode thought for a moment and replied, "Wendy?"
Mira looked at him in shock, "Really?"
"That's my dilemma," Rhode said helplessly, "Emotionally, I want Wendy to win, but rationally, I hope Magnolia isn't filled with too many creeps."
Mira chuckled, "Lisana is our sister; you actually don't support her."
"Wendy is also our sister..." Rhode said with a hint of lack of confidence.
Because recently, he discovered a big secret from the Book of END.
—There's a chance that Wendy might be their great-great-great-great-grandmother in terms of lineage.
Although what that book said seemed far-fetched, there seemed to be traces that could verify some parts...
It's headache-inducing.
Magnolia's Harvest Festival was as lively as ever, perhaps even more so because Fairy Tail restored the Magical Parade, attracting more tourists.
After watching the pageant, the couple left the guild to stroll around the Harvest Festival, just like seven or eight years ago.
Though it was the same place and the same events, the couple's mood was very different from the previous times.
From the initial ambiguous flirting to becoming an official couple, and now a loving married couple, soon to be parents...
Walking down these familiar streets, they always recalled many sweet memories.
"Ah!" Mira suddenly stopped and gave a little exclamation.
"What is it?" Rhode did not see anything nearby worth surprising.
"I think it moved."
"What?"
Mira clutched her belly and looked at Rhode, filled with a mix of surprise and joy, "The baby!"
"Really?"
Rhode instinctively wanted to put his ear closer but realized it might not be appropriate, so he placed his hand over Mira's hand.
Mira helped guide his hand to the right spot, "Just now, it was right there."
Amid the bustling crowd, with the faint murmur all around, the couple stood there by the street, quietly anticipating their unborn child's next movement.
Regrettably, this little one wasn't very cooperative, seeming to have moved once and then gone back to sleep, leaving the two of them waiting in vain.
Rhode felt a bit disappointed, "I want to go find Granny Porlyusica."
Mira laughed, "And then get kicked out by Granny?"
Rhode sighed but stopped himself.
Mostly because he went too often, wanting to rush there at the slightest stir.
During the last check-up, he was disliked, with Mira sitting inside while he got shooed out with a broom.
In fact, all the important things, Porlyusica had already mentioned more than once.
Things like fetal movement knowledge as well.
Rhode knew that at this stage, fetal movements were not regular, not obvious, and it was normal for long intervals between movements.
If he excitedly rushed over for this, he would likely end up getting broomed again.
But such good news shouldn't go unshared... let Warm take a note over there.
It wouldn't get hit, plus it might get a few apples to eat.
That evening, the Magical Parade started as scheduled.
One by one, floats emerged from Fairy Tail, with mages donning specially prepared costumes for the day, each showcasing their magic.
Mira and Rhode weren't there; replacing them in their place were Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe.
—It had been a long, long time since they participated in the Magical Parade together with their companions.
Golden lightning flashed rhythmically across the night sky, yet the sound wasn't piercing.
Laxus lifted his right hand, and the lightning formed the Fairy Tail emblem.
Fried and Biguslo somehow procured two sets of lavish guard uniforms and flanked Laxus with elegant swords drawn, guarding him.
They both smiled as they pointed their swords to the sky, the sword tips sending beams of light that joined into a golden orb.
In an instant, the light orb shattered, and Ibarglin appeared from within, like a true fairy, gracefully circumnavigating the guild emblem with a soft luminescence.
The Magical Parade reached its climax amid the cheering, with fireworks blooming, illuminating each smiling face below.
Mira stood on her balcony, arm entwined with Rhode's, gazing at the fireworks above, looking at the parade making its way toward them as she marveled,
"This is my first time seeing the Magical Parade from this angle."
"Same here." Rhode chuckled, "They're coming over!"
The couple waved enthusiastically at the approaching parade.
Elfman, Lisana, Wendy, Reby, Lucy, and others took moments from their performances to wave back at them.
Rhode exclaimed, "I think I felt it! It was weak, but it moved!"
Mira smiled sweetly, "The baby must be greeting everyone too, right?"