Chapter 535: Dragon cub
That evening, Mira, Wendy, and Laki escorted Kinana to the dormitory, while Rhodes, Lisanna, and a few of the guild’s bar staff stayed behind to handle the final cleaning duties.
Laki had initially insisted she could take Kinana by herself, but after that chaotic dinner discussion about hobbies, both Mira and Wendy felt it would be better if they all went together to help Kinana settle in properly.
Meanwhile, back in the guild...
"Why are you munching on the cutlery again?" Rhodes caught the repeat offender red-handed. "What? The stir-fried screws weren’t spicy enough? Or were the deep-fried nails not aromatic enough that you had to go and make your own ’cutlery salad’?"
Fairy Tail’s chef, Mr. Cook, truly had a unique talent. He could whip up flame-grilled dishes tailored for Natsu, and somehow also craft gourmet-grade iron platters specially for Gajeel.
Apparently, he could fry even the most ordinary nails until they were crispy and fragrant, at least, that’s what he claimed. But after Warm tried one, he immediately spat it out, completely breaking character... and Rhodes never dared to try them himself after that.
Still, Gajeel clearly enjoyed them. Even after finishing his meal, he often gnawed on the forks and spoons, or even the iron rings embedded in the wooden mugs, like a dessert course.
Panther Lily, in his small black Exceed form, crossed his arms and spoke with that overly mature tone that never quite matched his tiny body. "See? Didn’t I already warn you?"
"Shut it. I’ll pay for it," Gajeel grunted, brushing Lily off. He’d grudgingly admit: the guild chef had serious talent. It was rare to find iron that actually tasted good.
But still... old habits die hard. If he didn’t chew on some kind of iron after eating, he always felt strangely unsatisfied, like he hadn’t really eaten.
"Let it go," Rhodes said casually as he tossed a broken fork into a bin. "People in this guild are all a little weird."
Then his tone shifted: "Don’t wander off later. Come with me outside the city."