The Void Nest Insect's ability to produce offspring has a significant advantage: it doesn't require Rhode to bear any extra Magic Power consumption.
All the actions of the Void Worms after hatching consume their own energy; they keep fighting until they're killed or exhausted, and then they disappear.
As for how long each Void Worm can last, Rhode watched them gnaw down on three massive stone pillars without showing any signs of fatigue.
It's just too bad Rhode can't think of a scenario where this ability would be useful for now. Surely, he can't just break down the guild out of boredom, can he?
As for swarm tactics… he's not going to war, and there are no wars in the entire Fiore Kingdom, right?
In any case, he'll take his time exploring it. At the very least, he'll have some backup members in case he runs into wild beasts and runs out of options.
When faced with the president's request, Rhode immediately promised that he would absolutely not mess around in the guild. He truly has no interest in dismantling the guild.
Makarov nodded in satisfaction; Rhode is still trustworthy in this regard.
Up until now, his biggest achievement was only knocking a hole in the backyard wall, which is quite reassuring compared to others.
...
Time passed as Rhode maintained his regular routine of work, training, and living, until it was finally the day before he was to accompany the president to a meeting.
Troy had managed to take good care of Rhode's three "sons."
The succulent plants have full leaves and bright colors, and the two pots of orchids not only had their soil changed but were also put into more suitable pots.
It's clear that they were cared for attentively.
Upon returning them, Troy also informed Rhode of usual things to watch out for to prevent any more problems.
Unfortunately, there still hasn't been much progress in his relationship aspect.
Rhode has already told Troy about the possible ideal type Reby had, based on Mira's investigation.
But Troy confidently thought, "Isn't that just me?" and continued to compete with Jet for her attention.
There's nothing Rhode can do about it—if he doesn't say anything, Troy asks him; if he tells him, Troy doesn't listen. Whatever, let him be.
Your friend has his own things to worry about.
"For that routine meeting, do I need to prepare anything?"
Of course, you'd ask seasoned Mage Miss Mirajane for such matters.
Mira said, "There's no special preparation needed, just treat it like a vacation. It's three to five days, so just prepare for the trip."
"Three to five days…" Rhode thought for a moment, "Won't my newly taken care of 'sons' get ruined again?"
Still using this kind of bizarre term, Mira helplessly said, "It won't be a big problem for just a few days, right? Or you could ask Troy to look after them for a few more days?"
"It's really not nice to keep troubling others…" Rhode slipped something into Mira's hand, "Here, take this."
"What is it?" Mira opened her hand to find a key with a peace talisman attached.
"It's the key to my house," Rhode said with a cheeky grin, "During my absence, I'd like to ask you to check on the 'sons' when you have time. Um… I'll bring you some local specialties when I get back."
Some people look cheerful on the outside but are actually nervous on the inside. Acting on impulse, if he gets rejected, it would sting for a few days.
"What? Sons!" Laki was startled, "You even have sons… What?!"
"Laki, don't say nonsense!" Mira quickly covered her mouth, her cheeks slightly flushed.
However, half of the guild heard it, and there was a moment of brief silence in the tavern near the counter, followed by waves of clamoring against Rhode.
"Come on, use your heads. I've only been here for more than half a year; how could I have sons that quickly?"
"It's a bonsai, a potted plant. Troy can vouch for that."
It makes sense, but nobody wants to listen.
Anyway, they've been annoyed with Rhode for a long time, so they seize the opportunity to jab him a bit.
Mira only blushed at first and quickly returned to normal, even sitting down with her chin in hand, watching the excitement with a smile.
After seeing so much gossip about others, having a bit of gossip about herself feels rather fun.
Rhode's flustered explanations were also entertaining.
She lifted the key Rhode gave her to her eyes and carefully put it in her bag.
Thinking for a moment, Mira opened her hand again, removed the peace talisman from the key, and placed it back into Rhode's hand.
Rhode felt his hand being held, and when he looked down, Mira had already withdrawn her hand, giving him a smiling glance.
He couldn't help but feel Mira's smile was prettier than usual.
Feeling the talisman in his palm, Rhode suddenly didn't feel like arguing with those people anymore.
Just wait, one day I'll truly have three sons to show you all.
-----------------
The Local Guild Alliance should technically be considered an unofficial organization.
Because the Advisory Council's jurisdiction covers the entire Ishujal Continent, there will inevitably be places beyond its reach.
Therefore, the presidents of the legitimate guilds in a certain area will spontaneously form an alliance and regularly hold meetings to discuss various recent affairs.
Moreover, these regular meetings are also places for guild presidents to network; occasionally, guilds will send outstanding mages to cooperate on particularly challenging tasks.
Of course, old friends occasionally boast about their outstanding mages to each other.
Rhode is the kid who might get bragged about by Makarov this time.
Currently, Rhode was sitting on the train with the president, crossing the bridge over the Kroba Grand Canyon, heading to Kroba City.
The meeting place isn't in the city center but in a large villa in the suburbs.
The president said it wasn't far, so Rhode didn't bother to rent a carriage and instead directly summoned the Gorge Swift Crab.
Traveling by River Crab was fast and steady; the downside was that it was hot in summer and cold in winter. Once it starts running, the wind rushes by, and those who've ridden motorcycles in winter would understand.
Thankfully, Rhode had enough warm clothing, and his physique was much stronger than before.
The president didn't seem to be afraid of the cold, but out of care, Rhode summoned Warm to block the wind in front of the president.
The fully automated smart heating device Warm, which consumes one serving of Poro Delicacies per hundred kilometers… even ten or twenty extra servings wouldn't be turned down.
Since it's winter, the scenery in the outskirts often seems desolate after seeing too much, and the sudden appearance of orderly buildings can be a pleasant surprise to those unfamiliar with the area.
"Wow…" Rhode hadn't seen much of the world, and it was his first close-up encounter with such a villa, giving him a special sense of anticipation.
However, following the president inside, he wasn't as thrilled.
The inside gave him a mediocre feeling, not as good as the big hotel they stayed in the last time at the Royal Capital.
It might be understated luxury, but Rhode didn't really get it.
"It seems we're early." As they passed the conference hall, Makarov glanced inside casually and didn't see the most familiar group of people, "Let's go, put the luggage in the room."
For the next few days, all the participants would basically eat and live here, with the costs jointly covered by each guild.