They were taking the magic four-wheeled vehicle that Mira had brought to go to the town.
But this time, it wasn't Mira driving; it was Kana.
Since there was no urgency, and there were injured passengers in the carriage, Kana drove slowly.
With Rhode around, Natsu refused to take the vehicle and continued to study the black flame on the back of the River Crab.
Since the original branch had burned out, Natsu even brought a bundle of kindling as a backup.
If he couldn't figure it out today, he'd probably think of other ways to preserve the flame and take it home for further research.
To prevent Natsu from accidentally setting the nearby woods on fire, Erza accompanied him and Hapi on the River Crab.
So now, there were only four people in the carriage, with the still-unconscious Vina occupying a row of seats, and Rhode, Mira, and Elfman squeezed onto the row opposite her.
"I'm sorry, Mira." Rhode finally decided to apologize, "I didn't expect this to happen..."
"Why apologize?" Mira said gently, "It's the nature of a mage's work; you always encounter all sorts of unexpected events."
"But..."
"I know." Mira understood what he was worried about, "Elfman is also a mage capable of standing on his own; he doesn't need your protection all the time."
"Though I don't know what kind of strange understanding you two have reached, Rhode..." Elfman flexed his muscles and shouted, "Don't underestimate me, I'm a man!"
"Keep it down, don't disturb Miss Vina."
Mira slightly scolded her brother, then her gaze softened, "The most important thing now is that you're all safe."
Rhode suddenly fell asleep.
Maybe it was because he had finally set aside all his worries.
Today had been a day of battles, injuries, escape, and various worries, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted.
Magic power and injuries can recover, but this kind of fatigue cannot be eliminated.
Rhode leaned back in his seat, his head resting against the window, snoring softly.
Mira glanced at him with a bit of heartache and gently pulled him over to rest on her shoulder.
"Sister," Elfman whispered, "we really owe it to Rhode today."
Mira was a little surprised; it was rare for Elfman to praise Rhode in front of her.
"Whether it was the Magic Book, the Magic Crystals, or even the way we made our getaway... If he hadn't thought everything through..."
Elfman thought that if Zankuro hadn't been a Godslayer, those two falling Magic Crystals might have already solved the problem.
"Is that so?" Mira's eyes curved, as if she herself had been praised.
Her right hand lifted and then fell, wanting to secretly stroke Rhode's hair but feeling it inappropriate to move.
"How about you take a nap too?"
Elfman shook his head, "I'm not as tired as he is, and my injuries have healed a lot, so I can rest later."
"Not tired, huh..." Mira beamed, "That's good."
"By the way, sister," Elfman's voice rose a bit, then lowered again under Mira's gaze, "today I..."
He hesitated but spoke up anyway, "Today I used the full body takeover... Beast King's Soul."
Mira's body visibly trembled, "You..."
"I'm sorry, sister. You didn't want me to turn into that form, right? It's because I couldn't control it that Lisana..."
"It's never been your fault, Elfman." Mira held Elfman's hand, "Back then, you were just risking everything to protect us."
"It was because I couldn't protect you that Lisana died."
"Didn't you protect me well? This time you also protected Mar and Vina."
Mira was very pleased that Elfman could move out of the shadows and could successfully control the Beast King's Soul, signifying acceptance of himself.
As his sister, she would in no way want him to live on carrying guilt that was never his to bear.
"Elfman, walk boldly forward and live on, carrying Lisana's portion too, okay? Together with us."
"Mm." Elfman nodded, then burst into tears, "Waaaa... I'm so glad you're okay! It's so good to see you again! Aahh..."
"Don't suddenly start crying." There were tears in the corners of Mira's eyes as well.
...
The magic four-wheeled vehicle came to a steady stop in front of the inn in the small town.
Kana jumped off the vehicle, complaining, "So noisy on the way, what were you guys talking about just now?"
Mira winked at her, "That's a secret."
"Keep giving Rhode that expression, it'll make him so happy." Kana teased, pulling a small flask out of her bag.
Seeing Rhode sleeping soundly, she couldn't help but remark, "Elfman was so noisy, and yet he can sleep through it all."
Elfman carried Rhode on his back, "That's what it means to be a man!"
"What's that got to do with being a man..."
"Be gentle." Mira reminded, "And don't shout in his ear."
Erza and Natsu had arrived earlier and booked the rooms, and everyone settled down temporarily.
Rhode slept until dinner time before waking up, his stomach growling.
Sitting by the bed, Mira laughed, "You woke up just in time for dinner."
"Okay." Seeing her as soon as he woke up, Rhode's mood instantly lifted, and he sat up, asking, "By the way, with you here, who's taking care of Miss Vina? What about Elfman?"
"Oh~~~ As soon as you wake up, you're worrying about Miss Vina." Mira tapped her chin with her finger, contemplating, "Well, Miss Vina is indeed a rare beauty."
"I'm not, I didn't!" Rhode's brain hadn't fully woken up; how did this immediately become a life-threatening question upon waking?
Mira covered her mouth and laughed, so you can panic too.
"You know..." Rhode organized his words, "I'm actually still on a mission, just like how a bodyguard needs to frequently check on the cargo."
"Yes, yes, now let's go eat." Mira stood up, "Don't worry, Kana is in charge over there, and Erza has already confiscated her flask."
"Ah? I wasn't worried about her; I mainly wanted to ask about Elfman's situation. Important things are asked last."
Rhode felt he was getting a bit incoherent, but he couldn't give up trying, "For example, I should be asking you now, after driving all this way, are you tired?"
Mira found this side of Rhode amusing, but hearing his stomach protesting, she couldn't bear to tease him any longer.
"Elfman and Natsu have already gone over, if we wait any longer, they'll eat all the good food."
"Okay." Rhode was about to throw off the covers but suddenly stopped, "Let me ask first, I'm still wearing clothes, right?"