AN: Just so that everyone's on the same page, I'm not abandoning fairy tail of the shield hero. As soon as this goes live, I'll already be working on chapter 5 of that fic, and once that's done I'll jump back to Slayers: Rival chapter 2. So on and so forth. I hope that by doing things this way I won't get burnt out on either fic. Anyway let's get into this.
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It's a truly beautiful night. The moon is high in the sky, the crickets are chirping, and almost everything I own is burning in a fire.
…Wait, what?!
I race toward the inn where I'm staying. The inn that's swiftly burning to a crisp. How could this happen?! I have so much great loot in my room. There's no way I'm letting it go without a fight!
Just before I can charge into the blazing inn, however, a hand suddenly catches my arm. "Are you crazy?! You can't go in there!" The older gentleman who stopped me shouts.
"Let go you old geezer! All my money and magic items are turning to ash in there!"
The old man closes his eyes and sighs heavily, "I understand. Why, right now my precious coin collection is melting to nothing."
This guy… "Are you freaking kidding me?! My stuff's way better than a bunch of crummy coins!"
I collapse to my knees in anguish. It's too late now; I'm more than capable of getting in and out of the burning inn thanks to my magic, but I know all my valuables are barbecue by this point. It's a heartbreaking thing to watch happen. How can fate be so cruel to me?!
"Oohohohoho!"
This grating, loud, and obnoxious laugh cuts through the haze of misery surrounding me, and shifts my gaze upward. There's a woman standing on top of the burning inn! I know it sounds crazy, but I promise I'm not lying.
The crazy broad is a full head taller than me, and has long black hair. In fact, black seems to be the only color this chick knows. A black cape hangs off her shoulders, paired with black gloves and black boots. Her unfairly massive chest is covered by a low cut black crop top, and her black bikini bottoms help complete the 'a' part of 't and a'. See what I mean, though? Black! Black! Black! Is this chick seriously trying to rock the evil sorceress look in this day and age?
Moreover, what's she doing on top of a burning building? I have a bad feeling about this…
"Lina Inverse!" She declares, thrusting her finger at me.
Oh boy, here we go again.
So yeah, like the wannabe villainess just said, my name is Lina Inverse. I'm an ace sorceress and virtuoso swordswoman. I'm also brilliant, stunningly beautiful, and(unfortunately in this case)rather well renowned. See, I've got such an impressive reputation that, every once in a while, some ambitious punk tries to pick a fight with me so they can make a name for themselves. Something tells me this lady's no different.
Sure enough, the next thing she says is, "I'm the great and powerful Naga the white serpent, your most peerless rival! I've come here to defeat you and claim your title of master of all magic for myself!"
Master of all magic? Now that doesn't sound half bad. Most of my other epithets aren't too flattering. Like bandit killer, dragon spooker, or enemy of all who live…
Hey, I'm a nice person, honest! Don't look at me like that!
Anyway, I look at Naga and say, "Yeah, yeah. And let me guess, you've traveled all around the world preparing for this day?"
"Oohohohoho! I see you've been keeping tabs on me."
"As if! You rent-a-goon types are all the same. You're so predictable!" I rant. "If you wanna fight, then come on down here and let's do it!"
"With pleasure!" Naga says with a cocky grin. She looks at the smoldering inn around her, only to pause. Then, her face slowly pales.
Don't tell me…
"Aieee! Help! Somebody help me!" Naga wails, tears running down her cheeks.
Splat!
I draw myself to my feet in indignant fury. "You idiot! Flare arrow!" I enchant, launching the spell at her. Naga dodges the arrow made of flames on pure instinct. Of course, that action inevitably leaves her falling toward the sweet, hard ground.
"Ahhhh-oh?" Naga yelps, as her descent is suddenly halted. That's right, I threw my sword and snagged Naga's cape on a nearby tree, saving her life.
Sounds pretty noble of me, I know, but that's just not my style. "What kind of moron goes down in a fire they started!" I berate, smacking Naga over the head.
"Oohohohoho! You're so naive, Lina. Even a third rate sorceress knows the importance of a dramatic entr-eep!" Naga yelps, having fallen on her ass after I took back my sword.
I swat her head, then do it again for good measure. "Congratulations, your 'dramatic entrance' cost me almost everything I own! How are you planning to pay me back?"
Naga slowly turns white. Then, she thrusts a finger over my shoulder, "Look over there! A bandit gang is coming over the hills!"
I only raise an eyebrow in response, and Naga turns even paler.
And that's how I got stuck with a wannabe villainess as my debtor.
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"Your money or your life, you choose!"
"How about neither? Bram blazer!" Naga enchants, unleashing the spell. The dime-a-dozen bandit gang is blown away by her power, ending up in a heap on the ground.
I've been traveling with Naga for about two weeks now, and it's been… an exercise in patience.
On one hand, she's genuinely a really talented sorceress. She has a deep knowledge of shamanism and white magic, and her magic capacity is almost as high as mine. She's a helpful person to have around for bandit bullying.
On the other hand…
"Oohohohoho! I can't believe you waste so much of your time on fools like this, Lina."
She's the most loudmouth, obnoxious, wannabe sorceress I've met in my life! Argh, what a headache! "Yeah, yeah. Just shut up and grab their loot. Mush, doggy, mush!"
"D-doggy? Who're you calling a doggy?!" Naga asks, affronted.
"Gee, I wonder," I say with a coy grin.
"Why you-!"
"Two-million, twenty seven thousand, five-hundred sixty seven."
"Urk!" Naga immediately clamps shut at that number. It's how much she still owes me after torching all my stuff in that fire. As long as I have that hanging over her, she can't complain too loudly. Sure enough, she walks away and starts looting the bandits, grumbling all the while.
Ah, it's so refreshing to have a little peace and quiet again.
Normally, finding and grabbing the best loot off bandits is something I have to do myself, but now I can just force Naga to do it. Maybe I should try and take on more debtors in the future. With any luck, they won't be anywhere near as obnoxious as her.
"Ooooh! Lina, come check this out!" Naga calls from the back of the bandit camp. Curious, I walk over to her. She's standing next to a raised tent with a white tarp thrown overhead. I peak inside and immediately feel my eyes turn to dollar signs. Not only are there tons of expensive looking golden trinkets inside, there's also a large silver chest in the back.
"I think this is the leader's war chest. Lucky us, huh?" Naga cheers.
"More like lucky me! You're not getting a cent until you pay off your debt," I remind her.
Immediately, Naga deflates. "You're so cruel, Lina…" she whines, tugging at my shoulder pauldron.
"Don't get pouty with me. It's your own fault!" I berate. Looking at all this beautiful treasure, though, I have a hard time keeping my temper. "Still, this is a good find. It won't take too much longer before you finally clear your debt."
I mean that, too. I might be a little mercenary when it comes to reparations, but I'm not ruthless. The second Naga pays me what I'm owed, she's free to go. I'm not about to force her into service like some kind of crime lord.
That might just be cuz' she's annoying as hell, though…
"Iiiiieee~! Look at this, Lina! I bet we can make some sucker buy it for triple the market price, easy!" Naga squeals with delight, holding up a tacky gold bracelet. That's one thing I'll say in her favor. Naga's got a real nose for gold, and as the daughter of a merchant I can respect that.
"Throw everything you can in here," I say, offering a spare rucksack. "I'm gonna see if I can't crack open that chest."
"Oohohohoho! Shiny, shiny gold~!"
I can't help but match Naga's enthusiasm. This really is a great haul, and I'm curious about what this chest might hold. I kick the chest lightly to see if it's unlocked, but nothing happens. No surprise there, so I pull out a hairpin and begin to pick the lock.
Hey, I'm not a burglar alright! It's just more safe than blowing it open with magic!
I fiddle with the lock, listening to Naga's joyful humming all the while. It doesn't take me much longer to pick the lock. When it clicks open, Naga hurries to my side, rucksack full of pilfered treasures. The two of us share a look, and I feel a kind of understanding form between us over our love of hidden goodies.
I crack open the chest, but it's surprisingly barren. All except for one item in the center.
"A pendant?" Naga asks, curious. True to her words, that's what I hold in my hands. It's got a gold necklace connecting it to the green gemstone in the center. Moreover…
"It's got some kind of spell or curse on it, but I can't tell what it does."
"Oohohohoho! You can't even manage something like that? How embarrassing, Lina," Naga taunts.
"Okay, self-proclaimed rival of mine. Can you identify the curse?"
"..."
I swat her head, "Idiot." Still, a magic shop should be able to figure it out, and if the curse isn't too dangerous they'll probably buy it from us. "Looks like we've gotten all we can from these bums. Congratulations, Naga. You're that much closer to paying off your debt."
"Do you have to keep bringing that up?!"
0 0 0
Late that evening, Naga and I are having dinner at the inn of some random village. I've traveled so much that all the little towns and villages kind of blend together. The cabins are still wood, the streets are still dirt, and the market is lively from midday until sundown.
The food is still good, though. So I'm happy.
"Two more dinner portions, please!" I call to the waiter.
"You're getting me dinner? Aww, you can be surprisingly sweet, Lina."
"Who said anything about you? I got those for myself!" I snap.
Naga fixes me with a flat stare, "You know, Lina, I don't think eating all that food will make your chest any bigger."
"What was that?!"
"Oohohohoho! Touchy, Lina~ Are you maybe a little jealous?" she taunts, pushing her chest forward. Urgh, that is seriously not fair! Why does this moron get to have breasts as big as her head?! However, the depths of Naga's evil is revealed a second later, when she steals a piece of steak from my plate.
"What the hell was that?!" I cry in alarm.
"If you're not gonna buy me dinner, you should expect this much. I'm hungry after all I've done today," Naga lectures.
I chuckle darkly in response, startling her. "If that's how you feel… then turnabout is fair play!"
I snatch a chicken leg from Naga, causing her to gasp in surprise. From there, it descends into total chaos. Forks and knives fly in a frenzied duel for the other's food. Naga grabs more of my delicious morsels than I care to admit, but I give back just as good.
"Excuse me, ma'am-"
"Ah, that steak was perfectly cooked! I'm not letting you get away with that, Naga!"
"Oohohohoho! Try as you might, you can never match me-hey, I was gonna eat those carrots!"
"Listen, you two-"
"If you don't quit it I'm adding this dinner to your debt!" I shout.
"Wha-you can't do that! It's not fair!"
Slam!
"Hey!" A new voice cuts in, slamming a hand on the table. Naga and I finally end our duel and turn to face him. The man who interrupted us has short, wavy brown hair and blue eyes. He wears a suit of golden armor over white robes that look incredibly expensive. He seems rather young, likely in his early twenties, and I imagine he's someone of decent standing.
Finding someone like that in a place like this is rare as hell, as is the fact he approached us. The highest profile client I've ever worked for is a local lord, so while it's possible the nobility have heard of me, it's doubtful one of them would recognize my face. And this guy came specifically for me, I'm sure of it. How? Well, the rest of the inn goers have completely cleared out, likely intimidated by the dozen armed knights this guy brought with him.
"...Can I help you?" I ask skeptically, settling into my chair. As I do, it suddenly occurs to me that it's possible this guy wants to see Naga, but something about that thought makes me shiver.
His eye twitches, likely annoyed by our silly fight. "As I was trying to say, I've been told you raided a bandit camp earlier today. Is this true?"
"So what if it is? It's not a crime."
"I'm not here to punish you," he drawls, sounding exhausted. "You see, that bandit group happened to take something very important to my mother. When my men and I discovered their camp early this evening, we found it in a state of complete disarray."
"Oohohohoho! You can thank me and my sidekick for that," Naga boasts.
"Who's a sidekick!?"
"Ahem," the man intones. "If you're quite done. I was looking for a pendant the bandits took. It has a green gemstone and hangs from a golden chain. Is there any chance you came across it?"
Naga and I exchange a look. Immediately, both our guards have risen. In my experience, having something a nobleman wants is a recipe for trouble. "Who's asking? You still haven't introduced yourself."
"Pardon me. My name is Travis Eudora. So, do you have the pendant," he asks, all business.
Eudora, huh? Well, my guess about this schmuck being a noble is right on the money. The Eudora family are the lords of a sizable village called Sabre. It's something of a significant place. Not for its size or wealth, but the people. The citizens of Sabre are known for having an intense admiration for the Eudora family. That always seemed a little odd to me, though. The Eudora family is known for spending more time with their people than other nobles, but the citizens aren't living better than most other people. From what I can tell, the Eudora's aren't any better or worse than any other noble family.
Needless to say, this has just gotten very interesting.
I retrieve the pendant from inside my cape and let it dangle from my hand. "Well, I did find this. Is it the pendant you're looking for?"
"Yes, that's exactly it!" Travis says, reaching forward. I quickly pull the pendant from his grip however. One of the knights with him growls and puts a hand on his sword, but Travis stops him with a raised hand.
"Are you absolutely sure this is the pendant you're looking for? The one I'm holding has a powerful curse imbued in it. What would a noble family want with something like that?" I ask, raising my eyebrow.
Travis narrows his eyes, "I never heard of such a curse."
"Oh, then this must be the wrong pendant. Sorry about that," I say, moving to put it away.
"Ah, wait!"
"Hmm~" Naga and I intone, sharing smug grins.
Travis sighs exasperatedly, "I'm willing to pay to see the pendant returned, and for you to keep quiet about the curse. How does five-hundred sound?"
"Cheapskate!" I howl. "I could barely buy an iron rapier with that much! You told me this is the pendant of a noble lady. Ten million, take it or leave it."
"T-ten million?!" The surrounding knights stutter in amazement.
"Enough of this farce! I'm done playing your games!" Travis snaps, drawing his sword. It definitely looks like something a noble would use, with a gold handle embedded with gemstones. He thrusts it toward the two of us and yells, "Seize them and take the pendant!"
Naga sighs, "After all that he's just gonna attack us and take it? What an annoying brat."
"I know, right?" I snark, before immediately readying a spell.
Travis' knights make the first move, flanking our table and drawing their swords. Naga and I leap to our feet, standing on top of the table. "Freeze bullet!" Naga declares, letting loose her magic. An unfortunate trio of knights is blown away by the spell, their torsos frozen in a block of ice.
The other knights quickly realize we're not gonna go down without a fight. They begin their attack in earnest, swinging for our legs. Naga and I split in different directions, landing on the ground unharmed. "Flame arrow!" I shout, and the spell launches toward a group of knights. It swiftly tears through them and leaves them lying on the floor, unconscious.
I instantly start to chant my next spell, but I'm surprised by Travis coming in from my flank. He lashes out with his sword, and I draw my own blade in kind. I just barely manage to parry his attack and avoid being cut. He attacks again, and I duck under the horizontal swipe. Given my small build, it's a dumb idea to contest him in a contest of strength, but I'm confident in my speed.
I dart forward and thrust for Travis' hip, but he dances away. I'm a pretty competent swordswoman, but I know I'm not a master. If Travis is, it'd be a bad idea to keep this a sword fight.
Luckily for me, Naga's hardly been idle during this time. "Diem wind!" she cries, and a maelstrom of wind kicks up in the inn. It sends half a dozen knights flying and crashing to the ground. One of them lands between me and Travis, startling him.
Now's my chance!
I rush forward, going for an overhead strike. Travis blocks my sword with ease, but that's exactly what I wanted. "Come, lightning!" I call, casting a Monovolt spell through my blade. The lightning travels between our two swords before shocking Travis. I made sure to tone down the power so it won't kill him, but it still sends him flying back.
"Oohohohoho! You'll have to train another hundred years before you can beat Lina Inverse and Naga the white serpent!" Naga taunts.
"Well said! You did great, Naga," I praise earnestly.
"Good enough to forgive my debt~"
"Not a chance," I grumble, before turning my attention to the smoking Travis. He slowly pulls himself to his feet, looking dazed. "So what's it gonna be? I can keep this going all night, or you can tell me why you want the pendant so bad."
Travis grimaces, looking at the shattered remains of his men. A nasty scowl crosses his face, and he shouts, "Retreat, men!" Heading his orders, all the knights still left conscious swiftly scurry out of the inn. Travis follows after them, but not before turning to me and saying, "This won't be forgiven. As long as you have my mother's pendant, you can never expect to lead a decent life, Lina Inverse!"
After he leaves, my eyes remain fixed on the door to the inn. "Naga?"
"Yes?"
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I ask. A cursed pendant belonging to a noble woman. A town with an almost cult-like devotion to its lord. And the two of us caught in the middle through complete happenstance. We're of the same mind here, and we share our thoughts at the same time too.
""Let's pay a visit to Sabre…""