Rumble, the earth was shaking.
A crater with a gap emerged beneath the Mountain Sub-Dragon's feet, standing on its hind claws like a bird against the mountain wall.
The three of them stood at the edge of the crater, and with this peculiar vantage point, Rhode fleetingly thought it wasn't him who summoned the dragon, but that he had arrived at Summoner's Rift.
He now felt that his Magic Power was almost depleted, and had to lean against Mira.
"It's actually… truly a dragon." Makarov held his right arm level, shielding Rhode and Mira behind him, "To nonchalantly create a mountain… such astounding Magic Power and Earth Magic!"
He never doubted the children's words, believing in the existence of dragons, believing Natsu was indeed raised by a dragon, and believing Rhode's claim of being able to summon dragons.
But with a giant dragon so close, the visual impact and the feel of its magic still gave him a massive shock.
Legend had it that four hundred years ago, humans and dragons engaged in a great war. Was it such formidable creatures that the ancestors faced?
The Mountain Sub-Dragon seemed to glance at them, flapped its wings, and simply the gale from its wings made the few of them instinctively shield their faces with their hands.
It circled above them in the sky, then landed back in the crater.
The Mountain Sub-Dragon stretched its body, fixing its eyes on Rhode, unmoving.
The three easily saw the confused look in its eyes.
Makarov and Mira were just shocked and puzzled, but Rhode felt as if he had watched an entrance animation in first-person view.
He tentatively said, "Next time, can we skip some unnecessary parts and speed up the entrance?"
The Mountain Sub-Dragon seemingly clumsily nodded.
From Rhode's perspective, it looked like a massive stone statue was listening to him talk.
Its neck seemed less like dragon scales and more like spikes made of stone, slightly undulating with its nodding motion.
The Mountain Sub-Dragon continued staring at Rhode, as if asking why it was called out.
Rhode felt an alarming speed of Magic Power depletion within, and hurriedly said, "Could you dismantle this thing?"
He was referring to the crater in front of them.
The Mountain Sub-Dragon nodded again, and soon, cracks appeared on the surrounding mountain walls, crumbling and collapsing with a rumble.
Along with it inevitably came another bout of ground-shaking tremors.
Rhode patted Mira's hand, signaling her to release him, intending to step forward and touch the Mountain Sub-Dragon.
Mira wouldn't let go, holding him carefully as they walked forward.
If it were other wild creatures in the past, they would usually lean in when Rhode reached out to touch them.
This would allow Rhode to understand information about them.
But the Mountain Sub-Dragon was different, it squatted on the ground and inspected Rhode for a while, but didn't lower its head, instead, it swayed the tip of its tail over for him to touch.
Rhode felt somewhat rejected, and could only place his palm on the hard tail tip, which felt much like stone.
Some enlightenment dawned upon him with a few brief pieces of information, and Rhode heaved a sigh of relief; he truly couldn't hold on any longer.
The Mountain Sub-Dragon shook its head, as if shaking its mane, and the stone protrusions on its neck clattered against each other.
Its figure became ethereal, then vanished into thin air.
Rhode's body slumped, nearly all his weight pressed onto Mira.
"How are you?" Mira asked concernedly, looking at him.
"It's just that the Magic Power was too severely depleted, it's fine." Rhode felt a bit glad he'd brought Mira along, otherwise today he might have been taken back by the president using a large hand grip.
Makarov asked, "How do you feel, any sense of losing control?"
"That special connection is there, just like with other wild creatures." Rhode thought for a while, then added,
"But it felt like its intelligence level was a bit higher, seemed a bit impatient to go back? Not sure if it's just a misconception."
"Hmm…" Makarov nodded, "Let's head back first."
They came riding a River Crab, and on the way back the president transformed into a Giant, placing the young couple on his shoulder, then raced back with a thud-thud-thud.
"President, I can just rest a bit and summon the River Crab again. Is it necessary to make such a fuss?"
"I find it quite amusing actually." Mira held onto the president's collar with one hand and clutched Rhode tightly with the other to prevent him from falling due to exhaustion, seemingly enjoying the president's breeze.
"Hahaha…" Makarov let out a hearty laugh, "It's just a father giving his children a ride on his shoulders, what's so exaggerated about that?"
The word father touched Mira and Rhode.
All along, the president seemed to play such a role, standing up to the pressure from the Advisory Council and solving various problems for everyone.
To these children without any reliance, being carried around on a father's shoulders was such happiness.
If there were a father's speech in future weddings, it must be the president who gives it. (How unfortunate for Laxus!)
Mira looked at Rhode and shouted like a child, "Oh! Breezy ride!"
Rhode felt a slight bit of shame, and simply followed with a, "Oh~"
"President, go a bit faster!"
"Not too fast… I feel like I'm getting motion sickness."
"Hahaha…" Makarov laughed, carrying the two all the way into town.
Then…
"President Makarov (Sir, Your Excellency)!"
Magnolia's streets and squares were filled with quite a few people, some wrapped in blankets, some in pajamas.
Hearing a variety of calls from the crowd, Makarov asked: "Is something happening? Why are you all gathered here?"
"Aren't you out here because of the earthquake?"
Makarov was surprised, "Earthquake? What earthquake?"
"Just now, there was a slight quake, so everyone came out of their homes."
Ah, this, Rhode felt a bit guilty. Having run such a distance already, could the tremors still be felt?
Mira took the chance to pat Rhode's head, whispering, "Maybe because it's Earth Element, so this effect was a bit stronger."
"Oh…" Rhode pondered about how to apologize to everyone.
But Makarov sprang into action, stomping the ground with force, making the square's surface tremble in turn.
He chuckled as he asked, "Was it an earthquake like this?"
"Exactly!"
"Just like that feeling!"
"I think it was even…"
The crowd suddenly fell silent, and a few seconds later, everyone yelled angrily at Makarov:
"So it was you!!!"
"Too much!"
"Why do this at night!"
"Sorry, sorry, just suddenly wanted to take the kids on a walk… hahaha…"
Makarov kept apologizing as he set down Rhode and Mira, and his size returned to normal.
Although it sounded like a ridiculous excuse, the residents of Magnolia didn't doubt it one bit.
Because in their impression, in Fairy Tail from top to bottom, it wasn't surprising for anyone to pull such a stunt.
"Sorry, sorry, for disturbing everyone."
Feeling the president's care, Rhode and Mira apologized along with him.