Raizel sat with Mirajane on small folding stools by the lake, both gazing quietly at the water's surface.
Mirajane remained silent for a long while, perhaps gathering her thoughts, so Raizel didn't disturb her.
"Got any booze?"
Mirajane's sudden question nearly made Raizel tumble off his stool.
"Yeah, wait a moment." Raizel nodded helplessly.
He used Teleportation Magic to pop back home for some beer before returning in an instant.
After opening a bottle, Raizel handed it to Mirajane—her grip was still weak—then opened one for himself.
Mirajane thanked him, clinked her bottle against his, and began drinking in sullen silence.
She'd been wanting a drink for days, but Porlyusica had forbidden it, and Lisanna had been watching her like a hawk to prevent it.
Raizel raised an eyebrow but decided not to press the issue.
Since she didn't seem ready to talk, he stayed silent, simply drinking along with her.
Mirajane downed four bottles in succession.
She rarely drank, but recently, her heart felt heavy.
Without the alcohol, she couldn't find relief or the words to express herself.
Sometimes, human emotions truly resemble a little monster rampaging inside one's heart. When happy, it's obedient; when unhappy, it refuses to listen no matter what.
That was how Mirajane had been lately—utterly unable to pull herself together.
The lake's surface rippled in the gentle breeze as Mirajane finally set down her empty bottle.
"Thank you for everything. I haven't had a chance to properly thank you until now." Mirajane tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then covered her flushed face with her hand.
Even without a mirror, she knew her cheeks must be bright red.
Raizel played the role of listener perfectly, waiting for her to continue.
In this situation, he felt hearing her out was the best approach.
Mirajane turned to look into Raizel's eyes, her gaze carrying both relief and lingering unease.
"We're lucky you following us back then. I shudder to imagine the consequences otherwise—would I have lost Lisanna? Or Elfman? I can't bear to think about life without either of them. Thank you. Truly, thank you."
She paused, taking a breath.
"Also... I might not take on any more Extermination Quests. This mission seems to have drained all my motivation. I'm actually quite interested in working as a waitress at the guild hall. Aside from some simple tasks, I think I'll focus on that."
"Oh, and I still haven't repaid your medical expenses. How much was it? I'll return the money soon."
"Wait, did you lose your magic and cant use it?" Raizel interrupted, his thick eyebrows furrowing tightly as his mind raced.
Could her inability to use magic in the original timeline because she witnessed Lisanna "die" before her?
But Lisanna is fine now... Why does she doesnt want to take any extermination quest anymore? Was the trauma from that quest really that severe this time?.
"No, I can use it. Why do you ask?" Mirajane looked at Raizel, bewildered.
Her eyes showed genuine surprise and confusion.
Why would he suddenly assume she couldn't use magic?
Worried Raizel might not believe her, Mirajane immediately performed a Partial Take Over: Satan Soul to demonstrate.
Raizel breathed a sigh of relief, calming his emotions.
He'd genuinely thought Mirajane had lost her magic!
"Because you said you don't plan to take Extermination Quests anymore, I thought it was something serious."
Mirajane nodded thoughtfully. "I can still use it; I just don't want to anymore. You can think of me as... tired. Perhaps after I can fully control Satan Soul, I might regain the motivation to take on missions again."
Raizel shook his head. "Gramps said he'd cover the medical expenses. Besides, I was also deceived by the Beast King, which led to you getting hurt. I feel really bad about it, so let's not worry about this small amount of money. As for you wanting to be a waitress or a poster girl, that's your personal choice. As long as you're happy, that's enough for me. I won't interfere."
He paused, looking at her seriously.
"But I hope you won't give up your training. The 'Demon' Mirajane is quite impressive, isn't she?"
Mirajane blinked, a smile returning to her face. "I won't give up training. I just don't really want to take on missions anymore."
"Is this a decision you made after rational consideration?" Raizel asked, looking deep into her eyes.
"Yes," Mirajane replied firmly, meeting his gaze.
Seeing the determination in her eyes, Raizel felt relieved.
Though Mirajane was drunk, this decision was clearly made after careful thought.
People often made impulsive decisions under the influence of atmosphere or emotion—decisions that weren't rational.
Raizel had been worried this was just the alcohol talking.
Since it wasn't, and she had clearly thought it through, he accepted it.
"That's enough, then." Raizel nodded indifferently.
Mirajane looked slightly surprised. "I thought you would try to persuade me not to give up taking missions."
Raizel looked somewhat puzzled. "Why would you think that?"
Mirajane pressed her lips together, gently biting her lower lip, her index finger continuously tapping her chin.
Then she gave Raizel an exasperated look.
"Because you were the one who kept telling me how powerful Satan Soul is, urging me not to give up. You took me to Galuna Island, encouraged me, helped me train. After all that, I was actually troubled about how to tell you this."
Raizel suppressed a laugh. "First of all, your power belong to yourself. I did want you to accept the power of Satan Soul, and I made some efforts toward that goal."
"But you know what? Even if you still couldn't accept it after Galuna Island, I would have understood."
"Because everyone has their own thoughts. If you couldn't accept it, I couldn't force you. Since this is a decision you made after rational consideration, I support your choice."
"There are plenty of people in the Guild taking missions now, so it's not a big problem if you don't. I don't take many missions myself these days, do I?"
He grinned. "Besides, having another poster girl in the Guild isn't bad, right? At least it's pleasing to the eye."
"But there is one more thing: you can't keep protecting Elfman like that. How he trains and whether he takes missions should be his own decisions now. The reasoning is the same as above."
Mirajane stared at Raizel, lightly punching his arm while muttering a rebuttal.
"I know. It's just that I've been taking care of Elfman and Lisanna since childhood, so it's become a habit..."
Even though she was arguing back, her earnest tone gave off an inexplicably adorable vibe.
Of course, she agreed with Raizel's view.
Ever since Elfman firmly stood in front of her, she knew—Elfman had grown up and truly become a man.
Seeing this expression on Mirajane's face, Raizel's lips naturally curled upward again.
"You've been acting as the head of the family for so long. From now on, think more about yourself. Do whatever you want to do."
Mirajane reached out and punched him again, yet the corners of her mouth couldn't help but lift into a genuine smile.
In truth, this side of Mirajane had never appeared before anyone else.
Not even before Elfman and Lisanna.