Chapter 8: The Working Shadow Legion, the Shadow Gear Squad!
["First Bucket of Gold!" Completed. Please claim your mission reward!]
Out of the originally listed three missions, two had already dimmed, leaving only one S-class mission uncompleted.
But what puzzled Roland was:
"How did I complete this mission?"
He hadn't even accepted it yet—he'd only crushed Laxus.
Just as he was wondering, a Shadowkhan ninja silently appeared beside him, kneeling on one knee and respectfully offering a small pouch of gold coins.
"This is…"
Taking the pouch, Roland wore a bewildered expression.
It couldn't be stolen, could it?
But he hadn't given any orders to steal anything.
"I gave it to them as payment. After all, your Shadow Magic was a great help," Mirajane said, placing a glass of orange juice in front of him with a smile.
"And they need to rest properly or have something to eat, right? In a way, it's similar to Celestial Spirit Magic."
No, it's completely different…
Though he wanted to say that the Shadowkhan could work nonstop for a hundred years without food or drink and never die, seeing the gentle smile on Mira's face, he held back.
Saying something like that would just make him sound like a monster deserving to be hung from a streetlamp!
Quietly pocketing the gold coins, Roland picked up the chilled orange juice and took a sip. The cool, sweet-and-sour flavor burst in his mouth.
"By the way, Mira, is the guild still hiring servers?" Roland asked thoughtfully, watching the Shadowkhan bustling about in the guild.
After all, he could summon plenty of Shadowkhan, and with no distance restrictions, leaving two or three to work part-time for extra income seemed like a good idea.
"Eh, Roland, are you planning to work here?" Mirajane clearly hadn't expected such a question and blinked in surprise.
Putting aside everything else, just based on the strength he'd displayed earlier, he could easily take on S-class missions.
Keep in mind that the lowest reward for an S-class mission was seven to eight million J, equivalent to an ordinary person's annual salary.
"Currently, there are only Laki and I working as servers. During holidays or when we hold banquets, it does get a bit overwhelming," Mirajane replied seriously, though she was still puzzled inside.
"It's just a part-time job. My magic is somewhat suited for this kind of work," Roland said with a light laugh.
"That's true…" Mirajane glanced at the diligently working Shadowkhan and, after a moment's thought, raised a finger to kindly remind him, "But the pay for this job is very low—only 200,000 Jewels."
After paying rent, that amount would barely cover daily expenses. As for buying Magic Items… well, it was better not to even think about it.
"No problem. Also, could I get an advance on a month's salary?"
"That's possible, but… are you short on money?"
"Because yesterday morning, someone swindled all his money," Levy, who had been quietly sipping her orange juice nearby, murmured softly.
"You ran into a scammer?" Mirajane's eyes widened in surprise. Then, as if remembering something, she couldn't help but ask, "So, where did Roland stay last night…?"
"Ahem—"
Before she could finish, Levy, who knew exactly what she was about to ask, visibly panicked. In her fluster, she choked on her drink, covering her mouth as she coughed uncontrollably.
Noticing her exaggerated reaction, Mirajane suddenly had an outrageous guess. She looked at the two with a subtle gaze, her lips parting slightly but unable to find words.
In the end, she could only respond to Levy with a smile.
Who would have thought that usually timid Levy would be so bold in such matters!
Directly bringing a man she'd known for less than a day to her room, and in the girls' dormitory no less.
What's with that smile of yours!?
"Mira-nee!"
Levy's face flushed bright red as she glared at Mirajane, who was covering her mouth with a light laugh, both embarrassed and angry.
"Alright, alright, I'll go advance little Roland this month's salary."
Seeing the blue-haired girl's flushed face, Mirajane didn't continue teasing. Leaving these words behind, she headed toward the counter.
With the waitress's departure, Levy slumped over the table as if her life had lost all meaning. Overwhelmed by maidenly shame, she instinctively buried her face in her arms.
Seeing such adorable behavior, Roland couldn't help but chuckle.
"..."
Hearing the laughter beside her, Levy slightly turned her head, her moist eyes stealing a glance.
"Want to eat some Dumplings? My treat," Roland said with a smile.
"Dumplings?" A flicker of confusion passed through Levy's eyes as she couldn't resist asking, "What's that?"
"It's a staple food from my hometown. If I had to compare it, it's somewhat similar to stuffed bread here."
"Do we have to make it ourselves?!" Levy blinked and asked.
"No, it's a Magic Item I obtained during my travels that can generate various delicious foods indefinitely," Roland shook his head.
Hearing about such a miraculous item, Levy's curiosity was immediately piqued.
Under her expectant gaze, Roland pulled out a pure white cloth with symmetrical patterns printed on it from thin air, unhurriedly spreading it over the dining table.
"Just say whatever you want to eat to this Gourmet Table Cloth."
"Then I want strawberry cake!"
Hearing this, Levy tentatively called out.
The next moment, to her astonished gaze, a huge strawberry cake suddenly appeared on the table.
"No way..." Levy murmured in disbelief.
Yet this sense of absurdity completely vanished after she tasted a mouthful of cream.
"Delicious! Compared to the strawberry cakes sold in bakeries, there's no difference at all in both texture and flavor!"
Putting a strawberry in her mouth, Levy unconsciously praised.
"If Erza finds out you have such an item, she'd probably ask you for cake every day."
Erza... that Fairy Queen.
Roland rested his chin on one hand.
"Hey Levy, we found a good quest! Want to come?"
Just then, a cheerful voice sounded from not far away.
Roland looked up to see a man wearing a cowboy hat with orange hair and a coat walking over, followed by an equally tall and thin figure.
"They're Jet and Droy, my teammates from the same squad," Levy quickly explained while wiping cream from the corner of her mouth.
Her nervous demeanor seemed afraid he might misunderstand something.