Thankfully, the interviewer's coming tomorrow, not today, so we still have time to tidy up.
Following the rule of "you break it, you fix it," the President took the lead in getting to work.
Meanwhile, Rhode was busily writing at the counter, handling paperwork.
A few minutes later, he looked up at the old man who was getting more cheerful the more he worked and couldn't help but suspect the President was up to something.
Later, Rhode went to the store to pick up some clothes and changed, officially becoming the manager.
But everyone preferred calling him the bartender.
Rhode didn't mind taking a cocktail shaker just to play along.
Besides, who doesn't know how to mix soda with vodka?
A half glass of 300J liquor mixed with a half glass of 200J soda, shaken and sold for 10,000J, that'll teach them.
That evening, Rhode was wearing a sharp suit, swaying with a wine glass for half an hour, yet only Mira complimented him, which was both pleasing and disappointing.
With the collective efforts of a bunch of troublemakers, the Guild was finally tidied up.
On the day of the interview, however, it was still as lively as ever.
Some residents with a lack of a sense of security seemed to fall in love with this place, as long as it wasn't a matter of principle, they could shout and mess around freely.
At most, they'd get a beating.
But since they could hit back whenever they wanted, there was no worry about others using magic to bully them.
Thus, the already bustling pub became even rowdier than it was before the Guild was rebuilt.
Of course, the President had his share of responsibility, because he called everyone without a mission back to rally numbers.
Natsu was no exception; after all, the Fire Dragon had a loud reputation.
Of course, the mayhem was chaotic. At this moment, Natsu was dancing a strange dance on the table, occasionally spitting small flames.
Bigda leaped onto another table to face off with Natsu, surrounded by Elfman, Wolian, Nabu, and others clapping and cheering.
"President..." Rhode wanted to offer some comfort but didn't know what to say.
Today, he saw with his own eyes the President eagerly coming to the Guild, even wearing his coat with the Ten Wizard Saints emblem in the sweltering heat.
Everything was explained clearly yesterday, yet what awaited him was still a messy Guild.
The old man fell into a deep thought, and after a long time, he sighed: "Well, this is Fairy Tail."
Mira chuckled beside him: "That's what makes it fun."
Makarov looked at her: "Is that why you don't manage them?"
"Well, well, well..." Mira tried to play cute and slip by.
"Remember to perform a number later to try and make up for it."
"How can I perform on such short notice? I haven't prepared anything."
"I don't care; you have to perform." Makarov threw a childish tantrum.
Mira pondered and then asked Rhode: "What should I perform?"
Rhode blurted out: "Chest-crushing stones? Strength-shattering skulls?"
Makarov almost coughed up blood; would anyone actually suggest their girlfriend perform such things?
Rhode thought it was normal because Mira could really do it.
Seeing the President's expression, Mira laughed and said: "You lie under the stones as a cushion, and I'll smash."
"Fine by me." Rhode declared, as he's got some extraordinary skills; taking a few hits wouldn't be a problem.
Seeing the President turning to ash, Mira picked up her conscience: "Alright, tell me what you'd like to see instead."
"The things I want to see, I don't want to show them." Rhode muttered and suggested, "How about singing a song? It feels like it's been ages since I heard you sing."
Mira nodded: "Alright, I'll ask Xiao Bi to help set up a band."
There were still quite a few people in the Guild who played music, forming two or three small bands wouldn't be a problem.
"Didn't they say there was an interview? Why is it still so chaotic today!"
Finally, there was someone in the Guild who cared about the interview.
"Lucy, you seem a bit late today... Did you dress up?"
It was noticeable that Lucy's hair was well-groomed, her clothes were different than usual, and she even wore a necklace and bracelets.
If it were Mira dressed like this, Rhode would've complimented her, hugged her, and kissed her three times, but with Lucy, he chose to politely ask.
"Yes, because I have to prepare well and then announce my existence to the entire continent!" Lucy was full of enthusiasm but then quickly felt deflated, "It seems like I'm the only one who cares."
"Look on the bright side, since no one else cares, as long as you perform well, you'll stand out more easily."
"Exactly!"
It's easy to cheer up an optimistic girl.
Rhode answered Lucy's questions about interview experiences, his gaze drifting towards Mira.
All the necessary preparations were completed yesterday, making today somewhat idle. If not for the President insisting he wait here for the reporter, he'd probably be at the library now.
"Looking quite spirited, Lucy."
Erza also arrived a bit late today, not in her waitress outfit, but donning armor instead.
"Erza, not playing waitress today?"
Lucy asked, and Erza grew sullen too: "The uniform got ruined yesterday, and it couldn't be perfectly mended, so I switched back to armor."
Lucy hurriedly comforted her: "Umm...could you ask Miss Mira to replace it with a new one? I remember there being extras."
"No, it's just not the same."
Lucy racked her brain for a solution and had a brainwave: "Ah! Speaking of which, Erza, your armor seems a bit different from before."
Talking about this made Erza happy: "Yes! This is a new model from Heart-shaped Cross that I asked for. I've been waiting for a long time, how is it?"
"Awesome!"
Lucy praised herself for her cleverness, and Rhode gave her a thumbs-up.
Being able to identify this shows Lucy was becoming quite familiar with Erza, and she indeed cared about her companions.
"Cool, Cool—COOL~~~~"
A stranger suddenly shouted a strange slogan, sliding on his knees across the hall.
Who knows what material his knees were made of, being able to slide all the way from the Guild's entrance to the counter.
This person had yellow hair styled into a cone on top, wearing sunglasses perched on his forehead, a camera slung around his neck, with a face full of excitement.
"That's the ace reporter from Sosala?" Rhode tried to recall, thinking he had seen him last year but hadn't talked. The hairstyle, however, was unforgettable.
Jason snapped a few photos of Erza: "Fairy Queen! It's really Erza! So cool—it's just indescribably cool!"
"Hello." Erza greeted politely, "I'm not well-prepared; excuse me."
"No problem! What we want is the most natural performance!" Jason clicked another photo and pulled out his notepad, "If you don't mind, can I ask you a few questions?"
"Sure."
Lucy blinked her big eyes, trying to catch the camera: "Hello, I'm Lucy, a friend of Erza, and I just joined the Guild this year—"
However, Jason's focus remained solely on Erza, oblivious to anyone else speaking: "May I ask how many different sets of armor you can equip?"
"Over a hundred sets; I don't even know the exact number myself."
"Cool!!! So, may I ask which one is your favorite?"
"It's the bunny suit."
"Bunny, bunny...COOL! May I ask..."
Lucy tried to interject but couldn't find an opening.
To make matters worse, Jason led Erza to sit down while continuing his questions.
After finally getting him to finish his questions and turn back to her, Lucy displayed the sweetest smile.
"Cool! Aren't you the Fairy Tail Strategist?!" Jason snapped photos rapidly, "May I interview you?"
Lucy stared wide-eyed at Jason's ignorance of her, dashed over to Rhode.
Rhode chuckled, pouring him a drink: "No problem, but make sure to interview our newcomer too later."
"Mr. Rhode~" Lucy was moved; such a considerate person, no wonder he managed to win Miss Mirajane over.
"No problem!" Jason agreed enthusiastically, "May I ask, is there any truth to the rumors about you and Miss Mirajane's romance?"
"Yes, we've been dating for almost five months now." Denying it would mean getting his head bashed in.
"Cool! So, may I ask..."