Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 354: Drinking Tea

Although it sounded a bit far-fetched, it was Makarov who said it, so Lahar had no choice but to have someone record the statement.

The core idea was simple: everything was Phantom Lord's fault, and Fairy Tail had acted purely in self-defense.

Once all the subjective language was stripped away, the general sequence of events could be confirmed by the testimony of other guild members.

Either way, it was clear that Phantom Lord initiated the attack. While some of Fairy Tail's retaliation seemed excessive at first, once Makarov was ambushed and collapsed, their counterattack became fully justified.

Given the terrifying war machines Phantom Lord brought to the battle, combined with the pressure of facing one of the Ten Wizard Saints, striking back with full force was entirely understandable.

After Makarov finished his dramatic account, it was Erza and Mira's turn.

They didn't need Rhodes to step in or explain anything for them. They each spoke for themselves.

Their words focused on the heartbreak and fury of returning home only to find their beloved guild in ruins, and the crushing despair of being threatened by a Wizard Saint.

Next came Lucy's statement. Lahar brought up her father hiring Phantom Lord to retrieve her.

Lucy firmly stated that she was already an adult. If she chose to leave home and join Fairy Tail, that was her decision and hers alone.

Trying to force her back against her will was wrong. Therefore, Phantom Lord's mission was essentially a criminal act, kidnapping plain and simple.

Even if her words would cause trouble for her father, Lucy didn't care. She couldn't pretend that what he did was justified, nor that her friends were in the wrong for stepping in.

After Lucy gave her statement, she was done for the day.

By then, it was getting late, and dinner preparations began.

Rhodes sat down with Warm and Natsu, who looked especially sheepish every time he saw someone from the Council, joining the same table as everyone who had been questioned earlier.

"How was it? Did they rough anyone up with a little Council-style justice?" Rhodes asked with a teasing grin.

"Of course not! We're not criminals, you know," Makarov replied, still riding the high of his speech. "You should've heard me today. It was magnificent!"

"Haha," Rhodes chuckled inwardly. How could I not know?

Mira smiled and held up a finger. "Master was so amazing, I'll reward you with a bottle of wine when we get home. I brought it all the way from Cait Shelter."

"That's wonderful!" Makarov beamed. "But Mira, why are you dressed like Erza? It's a bit... uncanny."

"Really?" Mira tilted her head, looking amused.

She was wearing a sleeveless top borrowed from Erza, paired with a blue bowtie and a pleated skirt of the same hue. To complete the look, she'd let her bangs down and styled her hair just like Erza's.

She looked like a silver-haired version of the Titania herself.

"I think it suits her," Erza said, who had changed out of her armor and into an outfit identical to Mira's. "It's fun to swap styles with a friend now and then."

Rhodes didn't hold back his admiration. "I think Mira looks stunning either way."

"Really?" Mira lit up at the praise and turned to Erza. "Then how about we swap for real? I'll give you one of my favorite outfits in return."

"Swapping styles? That actually sounds fun," Erza said thoughtfully. "Maybe I'll try doing my hair like yours next time."

Lucy muttered under her breath, "I think Mr. Rhodes would say Mira looks great no matter what she's wearing."

Rhodes didn't deny it. After all, it was the truth.

Just then, Erza pulled out another set of the same outfit and held it out to Lucy. "Want to try it on too, Lucy?"

"What is this, some kind of 'Dress Like Erza Day'?" Lucy stared at the outfit and grimaced. "This really doesn't suit my style."

"It wouldn't hurt to try it on," Erza said with a smirk.

"In that case," Natsu chimed in with a mischievous grin, "would that make you Lucy Erza or Erza Lucy?"

He started laughing, clearly imagining Lucy wearing full Titania-style armor and throwing her usual dramatic complaints.

"Aye! We can help Lucy take off her clothes!" Happy added way too cheerfully.

Lucy immediately covered her chest and scrambled backward. "You're harassing me!"

"I can help too," Gray said casually as he tossed off his shirt like it was second nature.

Lucy looked absolutely mortified. "Why are you stripping first?! You're even more of a pervert than Happy!"

The group burst into chaotic laughter. What was supposed to be a serious moment quickly devolved into the usual Fairy Tail-style commotion.

Even now, with the Council around and tensions still lingering, their trademark noise and chaos couldn't be stifled. Not even a formal investigation could dampen their guild spirit.

The only thing missing was alcohol. Natsu, in particular, seemed restless without something to blow up or a festival to crash. The energy wasn't quite up to Fairy Tail's usual standard, but it was close.

Still, the guards assigned to monitor them exchanged puzzled glances. Are these people really under investigation? They acted more like rowdy tourists than detained suspects.

In contrast, the Phantom Lord members remained eerily quiet. Then again, most of them were still unconscious.

As night fell, the living conditions turned out to be rough, more suited to soldiers than civilians. After all, the site was a temporary Council field camp, built for function, not comfort.

The basic amenities were tolerable, but the sleeping arrangements? Less so.

Sharing a tent with a bunch of Fairy Tail guys meant snoring, sleep-talking, teeth grinding, and all kinds of noise throughout the night. Getting a good night's rest was almost impossible.

Rhodes gritted his teeth and tried to endure. But when it got too much, he'd throw a punch at the nearest offender, wake them up, and then knock them out again before they could even complain.

As crude as it sounded, the tactic was surprisingly effective.

Besides, he thought, we're all guildmates. No need to be too gentle.

Once he settled on that method, he managed to catch a few solid hours of sleep.

The next morning, Rhodes was the first one called up.

Behind him, the rest of the tent slowly stirred, groaning and stretching. Some of them started whispering about weird dreams they had, dreams of being punched in the face, and how their bodies were sore for some reason.

A surprising number of people said they had the same dream.

After a brief discussion, they all agreed on the cause: it had to be Phantom Lord's fault.

Clearly, the lingering pain from injuries sustained during the battle had carried over into their dreams, making them feel like they were being beaten again. That was the only logical explanation.

...

The Council's information desk was set up inside a small side tent. Lahar sat across from Rhodes, with one clerk behind him taking notes and a Rune Knight standing guard at the entrance.

Despite the modest setting, the entire scene felt quite formal.

There was even a cup of tea placed in front of Rhodes.

He found that oddly touching. Back when he used to share good-looking pictures in the chat, he'd often joke that one day the "group owner" would invite him for tea.

Now, here he was, actually drinking tea under official investigation.

Rhodes took a sip out of curiosity. It really just tasted like... tea leaves.

Lahar pulled out a report and began reading aloud in a clear, businesslike tone. "Mr. Rhodes. Nineteen years old. Skilled in Summoning Magic and Take Over Magic. Joined Fairy Tail last July, originally registered as a waiter."

Rhodes nodded. That much was just basic guild registration data.

Lahar glanced up at him, then continued, "Roughly two months after joining, began accepting standard job requests. Later went on to complete numerous high-difficulty missions and provided assistance to the Council on several occasions. Since the beginning of this year, his task completion rate has increased dramatically, with very few failures recorded.

"What's especially commendable is his willingness to handle even low-paying or repetitive assignments with care and reliability. He is held in high regard by the citizens of Magnolia.

"Although still technically listed as a waiter, he has recently taken on responsibilities closer to those of the guild master's assistant. In short, he is a very commendable wizard."

Rhodes scratched the back of his head, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Most of those "dramatic increases" in completed missions came from his and Mira's "work dates." They'd go out together, take on several overdue guild jobs, and knock them all out while having fun.

Even the tedious, low-paying ones weren't so bad when you were spending time with someone you liked. It was like doing a story quest together, and getting paid for it. Who would complain?

Still...

"You even found out those little details?" Rhodes asked.

Lahar replied without missing a beat. "Master Makarov gave us permission to access Fairy Tail's mission logs. We also conducted in-person interviews around Magnolia."

"Impressive," Rhodes admitted. He had to give Lahar credit. The guy was thorough.

"I'm simply doing my job," Lahar said calmly. "Now, what I've just read was only the background portion. Let's move to the main issue.

"As commander-in-chief during the final confrontation, how do you respond to the allegation that Fairy Tail violated the Treaty of Non-Aggression by engaging in open battle with Phantom Lord?"

'So they even knew about the commander-in-chief title...' Rhodes sighed internally. That must have come from Makarov bragging about him again.

Still, he'd already prepared his response.

He sat up and began with confidence, "First of all, our Fairy Tail guild—"

"Apologies for interrupting," Lahar said as he adjusted his glasses. "Master Makarov already gave a similar official response. And it sounds too 'scripted.' We'd prefer something more... practical."

Rhodes: "..."