Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 141: What Did You Think Of?

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The bandits charging with swords were quickly taken down by Alzack, who rained down a barrage of specialized magic bullets before they could even get close.

It may have looked like an ordinary pistol, but in Alzack's hands—infused with his bullet magic—it fired with the ferocity and precision of a magical machine gun.

When archers and gun-wielding bandits tried to line up a shot, Alzack had already ducked behind a Krug summoned by Rhodes.

Arrows clinked harmlessly off its tough carapace, and the bandits' normal firearms barely made a scratch. Before they could even line up a second volley, Bisca had already picked off their marksmen one by one from a distance with flawless aim.

"Nice shooting, Bisca!" Alzack called out, even though she was too far away to hear him.

Then he rolled out from behind cover, swiftly taking down any melee attackers who tried to charge while the gunfire was distracted.

The Krug moved when ordered, stopped when told, and stood firm as a rock. Most importantly, it followed Rhodes' core command: if Alzack was injured, grab him and retreat underground.

"A wizard?!"

"There's a sniper—on that mountain!"

"At this distance? Are you kidding?!"

"She's too strong!"

"What the heck is that moving stone creature?!"

The bandits had never encountered opponents like this before. One moment they were standing watch, and the next their comrades were collapsing in the blink of an eye.

They had the advantage in numbers—until a single volley dropped a dozen of them. And just when they thought they had suppressed the threat, another round of gunmen was struck down by an unseen sniper.

Attempting a counterattack only led to more casualties. Another dozen fell before even reaching the enemy lines.

Two elite wizards and a summoned monster they couldn't even identify... the bandits were starting to lose heart.

Just then, a burly man stormed out of the central wooden lodge with a staff in hand and kicked a fleeing bandit aside.

"Cowards! It's just a couple of wizards! Fight back!" the bandit boss roared. "I'll handle the monster! You lot take down that guy!"

"Boss, wait! They have—"

BANG!

The bandit leader hit the ground hard, his staff clattering from his hands. The stunned lackey finished his sentence blankly:

"...they have a sniper."

...

The rest of the bandits immediately dropped their weapons and surrendered.

Rhodes, who had been circling to cut off escape routes, arrived just in time to see the aftermath.

Alzack had his gun drawn as he watched the defeated bandits begin tying each other up voluntarily.

"That was fast."

Rhodes' sudden appearance startled the captives. The sight of a third powerful mage joining the fray made them tremble.

Clearly, this was no ordinary trio.

"I-I'll confess! There was another squad—ten of us—sent down the mountain to ambush travelers!"

"Y-Yeah! The ambush point is—"

"They've already been taken out," Alzack interrupted. "Is there anyone else?"

The bandits wilted. Some looked both bitter and amazed.

They had been taken down systematically.

What were these people—soldiers?! Wizards?! Demons?!

After a few moments, Bisca arrived, sniper still in hand, surveying the camp.

The bandits were all bound and seated. Rhodes was checking the ropes, making sure none of them were trying anything sneaky.

The defeated men looked up at him in despair. Do you really think we'd try anything after all this? You're being too cautious!

Bisca blinked in confusion. "Why do they all look so... crushed?"

"Maybe they've completely lost the will to fight," Alzack suggested. Then, hesitantly, he turned to her. "That last shot... it was incredible."

"O-oh, th-thank you," Bisca stammered, clearly flustered by the compliment. "Your quick reload and rapid-fire shots were amazing too."

Alzack turned beet red. "Ah—it's nothing! Just... years of training, y'know?"

The two of them fell silent, awkwardly glancing in opposite directions.

Rhodes watched the exchange with a small sigh. Only someone who really understands the craft can give praise like that.

He'd witnessed both their sharpshooting performances up close—and all he could manage was a simple: "That was awesome."

But it didn't really matter. Rhodes might not have the most poetic vocabulary, but he knew how to compliment magic and combat training when it counted.

He clapped his hands. "Alright, while there's still daylight, let's escort the ones who can walk back down the mountain. Hopefully we'll make it back to town before dark."

When Alzack and Bisca were fighting earlier, aside from the explosion that blew open the gate, the rest of their magic bullets were deliberately non-lethal.

The bullets delivered effects like full-body paralysis or instant unconsciousness. Painful, yes—but not deadly.

Some of the bandits were unfortunately injured due to their own recklessness or poor timing, but no one had suffered any serious wounds.

There were still quite a few incapacitated bandits who couldn't walk, so they were left restrained in the base. The local town guard would be notified to return and collect them the next morning.

Just to be safe, Rhodes had Alzack give each of them one more tranquilizer round for good measure.

The bandits who hadn't been shot yet were terrified, thinking this was some sort of execution. They began frantically confessing every secret they could think of.

There wasn't much useful intel among the babbling—though they did learn that the base held some leftover stolen goods and food the bandits hadn't had time to spend or eat.

Rhodes and the others didn't touch any of it.

Mages from official guilds like Fairy Tail were bound by certain rules. Accepting rewards outside of official commissions was strictly prohibited.

Any valuables or stolen items found during a mission like this were turned over to the client or local authorities. The goods would then be returned to the victims whenever possible, and the food and money redistributed to nearby towns as compensation.

This policy also applied to treasure-hunting missions: if there wasn't a prior agreement stating how to split the rewards, any treasure discovered belonged to the client—not the wizard.

Fairy Tail wizards might have a reputation for being wild and rowdy, but they were unusually strict about these kinds of rules. Far more than most other guilds.

As they made their way back down the mountain, Rhodes dismantled the traps left along the paths. He didn't want the town guard to accidentally stumble into one and leave a bad review on the mission report.

By the time they turned over the captured bandits, the sun had already dipped below the horizon. The town guards decided they'd return to the mountain in the morning to collect the rest of the captives.

Still, since the bandit leader had already been apprehended, they declared the mission complete on the spot.

Rhodes, Alzack, and Bisca successfully received their reward—along with a heap of gratitude and praise—before heading back to the inn to finally rest.

After a long day, Rhodes hit the shower first. When he came out, towel over his shoulders, Alzack was sitting at the edge of the bed, carefully cleaning his pistol.

"Your turn."

"Got it." Alzack put the gun down, then looked up, his voice sincere. "Thanks a lot, Rhodes. Really."

"For the mission, or for helping you invite Bisca to join the team?"

Alzack's ears turned red the moment he heard her name. "Uh—both. Definitely both."

"Oooh~" Rhodes dragged out the sound teasingly. Seeing Alzack's expression tense like a deer caught in the headlights, he smirked.

"Hey, don't tell me you were actually hoping to share a room with Bisca tonight?"

"No! Of course not!" Alzack nearly short-circuited. "I mean—it's our first mission together! I wouldn't even dream of something that serious!"

He paused—then scrambled to change the subject, "Wait! When you went to the capital with Mira... did you two stay in the same room?"

Rhodes answered with complete composure. "Yep."

"WHAT?!"

Alzack's eyes went wide, and his mind raced in panic. "Y-you mean... you guys already...?!"

"We stayed in a suite," Rhodes clarified with a sly grin. "Different rooms."

He leaned in with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Why? What were you imagining? Planning to room with Bisca next time?"

"Nothing!!" Alzack turned bright red, practically steam rising from his head.

...

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