Mc's POV
At the old woman's house, I sat on the couch looking at the cup of green tea I held, I never had green tea before so I was a bit hesitant but you know what they say don't nark till you try it. So, I took a sip and I got to say it was really good.
"So young one since you already introduced yourself it would be rude if I didn't do the same. My name is Matilda Shiruku. Pleased to meet you." She introduced herself and offered a handshake. "Now may you please tell me why you were injured like that yesterday?" She asked and I didn't see any harm in telling her.
"I was ambushed by a couple of guys after I was given directions to a fake store." I summarized and he looked really annoyed and angry.
"It happened again huh. Those damn hooligans." She cursed under her breath.
"How often does this happen around here?" I asked.
"Well, we never used to get much trouble but after the death of the four horsemen we've been getting trouble from bandits recently and the group you described regularly comes here to harass and steal from the people here." She sighed as she took a sip of tea.
"Why don't you call the Pegasus Knights or send a guild request or something?" I finished my tea and placed down my cup.
"Well one of the four horsemen was in charge of military affairs so things will be a bit disorganized in that section plus we're a small town and I'm pretty sure we aren't that high on their radar. As for a guild request, I don't know, maybe the mayor sent a request." She also finished her cup. "Refill young one?" I accepted ad she poured tea in my cup.
Guess all four of those horsemen each had a responsibility in their respective fields and when they died it went to shit. The doc said that a royal family was also in charge. I wonder how they're dealing with all this.
"How did they all die?"
"I don't know the specifics but all I know is that a powerful dark wizard was about to destroy the country with a powerful forbidden dark magic spell and the four horsemen sacrificed themselves to save all of us." She explained sadly. But why the hell did the wizard want to destroy a whole country? What would he/she have to gain from that?
We had finished our second fill of tea as she finished explaining the country's situation and hoped those new horsemen would be elected faster. I did wonder what the requirements were to reach that status.
"Anyway Mrs. Shiruku I came to give you something as a way of thanking you for helping me the other day." I stated reaching out for my sack.
"Oh, come on, that won't be necessary, I was just doing what was…" I just put two diamonds in her hand, getting her eyes to widen. "Oh, my word!" She was flabbergasted. "I-I don't know what to say."
"Just take it. I have enough here to get me to buy for a few months." I shrugged.
"What a blessed day for this to happen to my family twice." Her voice filled with joy but.
"Wait what twice!" I asked.
"Yes, this my daughter came by during lunch and told me that a woman she made an incredibly complex mixed fabric cloth came by and gave her a gem much like this one as a special thank you." She narrated and the gears were turning in my head. "I can't wait to cash this in at Equivalent Exchange thank you very much young man."
"Hey, can I come with you? I'd like to know where the shop is to also exchange gems for cash." I asked her which luckily, she agreed to it easily.
After some minutes we were back in the market section of town. Despite what Mrs. Shiruku said about there being bandit trouble the place was still peaceful and it wasn't really that busy. I also saw a small magic store so I think I'll go over to it at some point.
"Hey Mrs. Shiruku, is there a library around here?" I asked her.
"So what type of magic would you like to learn from them?"
"Wait, you can tell that I can use magic?" I never told her that I could use magic.
"Yes, I can sense your magical energy as I am a mage myself. I dabble in Thread magic." She told me and I really need to pick up on my sensory abilities. "So, what type of magic do you want to learn from there?" She asked again.
"Requip magic." I answered.
"Hm well Requip is a common magic type so I am sure they must have records of it." That's good to hear. "We're here." She announced and I bought a medium sized building which had the words 'Equivalent exchange' on it.
When we went inside it looked a little like a bank which made me wonder if there are even banks in Earthland, but back to it there was a man behind a glass barrier and guessed she was our guy. I was on high alert when we moved closer to him watching every nick of my surroundings carefully.
"It's a pleasure to see you again Mrs. Shiruku and who's that next to you?" He greeted her.
"Nice to see you too. Mark , this is Salem Shupiwe, the boy I met yesterday." She replied
"Sup." I gave a peace sign,
"Hello Shupiwe-san." He greeted me. "So, what can I do for you today ma'am?"
"Well, I like to trade these for some crowns and Shupiwa-chan would like to make a trade too." She said presenting the diamonds got the clerks' eyes to widen.
"Wow they're like the ones your daughter brought this morning." He mumbled.
After he was given the material, he began to inspect them carefully and he nodded. After that he began to make some calculations on how much money he would give us. After he was done, he gave Mrs. Shiruku her sum of crowns and then gave me mine. The total sum could last me a couple of months if I budget properly, I hope.
We said our goodbyes to the Clerk Mark and was about to exit the two women came right through the door. The first was a woman with grey eyes, long brown hair tied to a bun wearing a kimono, the second one was a dark-skinned woman with short black hair, green eyes, black leather jacket over a red long-sleeved shirt, black pants and heels. Me and the dark-skinned woman just stared at each other.
"Mom why are you here you know you were supposed to rest today." The brown-haired woman asked Mrs. Shiruku.
"Relax dear daughter, I was just cashing the diamond Shupiwa-chan gifted me." Wait if she's her daughter than that means.
"Kid I know are beautiful and all but your staring is kind of creeping me out." The dark-skinned woman teased me and my eyes narrowed at her slightly.
I transformed into my werecheetah form surprising the mother daughter duo while the woman remained calm and just had her eyebrow raised at my sudden action. I then sniffed the air and confirmed my slight suspicion and changed back.
"Found you fucking thief!" I raised my finger at her getting a confused face from her.
"What the hell are you talking about kid." She asked me.
"Morrigan-san do you know this boy, is he a relative of yours?" The younger Shiruku asked.
"What no Annie, I don't even know this brat!" She denied the other woman's accusation. "Look kid, I don't know what you're talking about, maybe you have confused someone else." She said but I just glared at her.
"Um Shupiwa-chan do you know my daughter's friend?" The Elder Shiruku asked.
"No but she did steal something from me." I crossed my arms.
"Oh~ and would that be a little man~." She seemed to be amused by the situation, also crossing her arms.
"You took some diamonds from a cave in the blood forest and don't try to lie to the old lady. I know it was you. I recognize your scent." I saw tick marks appear on her head and her eyes twitch a little by my deduction and the mother daughter duo just watched from the sidelines.
"I won't lie, I found them, it's not like they were actually your words on the street. They belonged to an elephant-snake creature which makes you as much of a thief as me brat." She smirked bent down got in my face which I didn't back off from despite how sexy she was.
As this was going on the mother and daughter, we're watching the whole scene still trying to process what was going on.
"Look, let's just calm down and talk about this reasonably." The elder Shiruku pleaded with us. "Maybe its best to sit down and discuss this in a civil matter please." We backed off and I did a 'am watching you gesture' which she just playfully stuck her tongue out to me and I returned by flipping her off.
At the Shiruku household
Third person POV
The three women and young boy were currently in the living room of Shiruku household and Salem was still glaring daggers at Morrigan who was just sipping some green tea.
"So, from what I am getting at Shupiwa-san here was the one who buried the diamonds and gems you found in Morrigan-san." Annie summarized the situation after Salem gave a brief rundown of his and she already knew Morrigan's.
"That sums it up so old lady, how are we going to settle this?" Salem said, getting Morrigan's eyes to twitch again.
"You got jokes huh kid but there's nothing to settle here all fair in the treasure hunting business you should have taken the whole loot with you where you left it is basically begging someone to steal them." She spoke.
"Wait, now they are underground. I covered those spots pretty well." He asked her.
"Secret." She answered, acting all mysterious.
"All right, please settle down with you two. Morrigan-san I know it isn't my place to say this but can you at least give some of Shupiwa-chan's diamonds back when he is till a child and I think he was going to use those diamonds as potential income to get by." Matilda asked the woman.
"Hm all right I woke up in a good mood today so I'll offer you a deal, kid." She told him.
"What sort of deal?"
"I noticed that you're a takeover mage so let's make a little bit if you can take this little sack containing some of the gems, I hadn't cashed in yet it's all yours." She said grinning.
"Morrigan-san come on his just a kid just give him the gems in your bag and not complicate things further." Annie said not really seeing the point to her friend's little game.
"Wait just like that, what do you have to gain from that?" Now the deal presented just seemed out of context.
"Oh, I am just bored and want to find some entertainment myself." Morrigan shrugged, getting the three to sweatdrop.
'Okay I've seen this from somewhere. I older more experienced characters troll the younger one into fighting me and then completely demolish the younger character and basically humbles them or something.' Salem thought while giving her a deadpan stare. 'Honestly I could just let all this go. I mean I currently have enough money to me some weeks to month but I still need to prepare for my anomaly hunting job and if she is an experienced mage, it will be a good gauge on where I stuck up.' He then nodded.
"Alright old lady you got yourself a deal." He accepted much to the two women's shock and Morrigan's delight.
"Good let's head to the forest for this." She said and walked out the door which Salem followed.
"Why is she always like this?" Annie sighed frustrated as she had known Morrigan for two years now and her friend was vey how can she put it unorthodox but she did see any reason for her to make such a bet with a child.
While the two were walking to the forest Morrigan just looked at Salem at the side of her eye and smirked.
'Let's see if you're like that demon punk girl I met in Fiore.'
Third person POV
Morrigan and Salem got to a clearing in the green zone of the blood feather forest getting ready to commence their little bet. Salem narrowed his eyes at her and she looked way too calm and just played with the sac containing the remaining diamonds. She just stood there waiting for him to make the first move.
'Yep, she's definitely somewhat an experienced mage but the question is what class B, A or S.' Salem thought. He knew it was a bad idea to take the deal but he needed to know at least where he stood.
"Well kid i'm waiting~." She sang with a haughty look on her face. He then dashed towards her at full speed getting her to whistle. 'Nice speed there.'. She easily avoided his attempt to grab the sac. "But not fast enough." She said as she dodged him again and again.
Salem then attempted to trip her by making a hard swipe on her leg but she just lifted it and avoided the attack, he twisted his body to kick the sack out of her hand but she grabbed his leg and threw him hard towards a big tree leaving a crack on it. He got up and circled her a bit then ran towards her again getting an eye row from her as he flung kick to her face but was easily dodged . He attempted to strike elbow to but she got behind him with speeds he couldn't track and chopped his head hard sending him crushing across the ground.
'Okay I know my strength and speed still suck.' He thought to himself as he got up holding his head as that chop really gave a slight concussion. He then loosened his right shoe which didn't go unnoticed by Morrigan.
He then proceeded to attempt to kick which she yet again dodged but his right shoe came off and was flung to the hand which held the goods at high speed and pressure knocked them off her hand, which stumped her a little. The sack flew in the air and Salem decided to attack at the slight second Morrigan was baffled.
'Beast soul: Werecheetah!' He transformed into his werecheetah form and with a massive boost in speed he launched to the sack and was about to grab it when it was grabbed by a flesh like tendril.
"What the fuck?" Why blurted out and saw Morrigan's right arm became a tendril.
"Not bad junior but it's still not good enough." She said transforming her arm back to normal.
'So, she has some sort of body magic to go to now.' Salem thought as he got in a running position and dashed for Morrigan. He proceeded to perform a series of strikes but she dodged and blocked them all but unlike in his normal form she was actually trying more now but steal anticipated his attacks with some ease.
Salem was about to claw her the moment his claws reached her skin they couldn't even scratch her like her body hardened. He was shocked at this but in his shock Morrigan connected a powerful left hook straight to his jaw sending him flying into the forest.
"Oh, maybe I overdid it a bit." She said as she went after him.
Salem had regained his bearings and landed on all fours before he hit the ground. He was touching his jaw and flinched at the pain of her blow.
"Fuck that could have taken my jaw off this lady sure is something." He said to himself but suddenly his whiskers twitched and he saw her coming his way. When she reached him, he jumped into the trees, disappearing into them.
'Even if you disguise yourself as a junior, I still know exactly where you are.' She thought as she looked at one of the trees. Salem began moving rapidly among the trees and began launching the air pressured air fits for all directions.
She turned her arm into an extra hardened tendril and began whipping away all the incoming air attacks. Dodging was not much of an option since the attacks were coming from multiple directions and if she tried to show off too much some of them might have gotten a lucky hit. After she was done, she noticed that the boy wasn't in the forest in trees anymore.
Suddenly Salem burst through the ground in his rabbit form surprising her and throw mud in her face blinding her and quickly reach for the sack but a small magic circle appeared on her arm in the that nanosecond and eye bow appeared and flashed a bright light returning the favor in blinding him as Morrigan's leg connected a strong kick to his stomach making him cough blood and get launched in the air.
"Animal soul: Owl." He was in his owl form keeping in the skies and coughing violently. "Fuck I thing she really screwed up my stomach and got some ribs too." He flinched but he could handle lit.
"A werecheetah, an adorable rabbit now an owl huh. That's some interesting Takeover list you got there." Morrigan said as she looked up at the boy. "How about we make things more interesting." She said as she grew bat-like wings from her back.
"Dude what?" Salem questioned and Morrigan just smirked as she threw the sack up and down.
"Am I guessing what my magic is by now?" And he have an idea of what it was.
'So, like Muzan's blood demon art or Mahito's Idle transfiguration.' He thought. 'The problem is her only magic ability or does she have more.' Salem was a little too in his thoughts that he almost did catch the woman basically flash step in front of him before he could react and punch him hard on the head making him send him downwards, but he still managed to keep in the air but now had a bump on his comical head.
"WHAT THE HELL!" He yelled at her.
"Keep your head out of your ass junior if I was an enemy out for blood you would have been dead!" She lectured him.
He then shot his sharp feathers at her but she easily dodged. The two then began maneuvering around in but Morrigan was faster than Salem. He tried blowing strong winds at her but it barely did much as she counted with her own, when he shot his feathers, she dodged or swatted them away. Things weren't looking good for him plus close combat was completely out of the question, the best bet was to get some distance and come up with another plan of attack.
"HUH"!?" He looked down and saw her tendril attached to his talon and she smirked and wiggled her eyebrow a bit. "Don't you dare!" He was ignored as she began swinging him around like a ragdoll and pulled him towards her and she threw the sack very high in the air.
'SHIT!' He panicked as he was going to transform again but he was too slow as she connected a solid punch to cheek and he was sure he felt his cheek bone crack. She wasn't done. She kicked him hard with her leg causing to rotate deliver a three-piece combo and elbow his back sending him crushing down hard making a small crater and out of his owl form then she caught the sack.
"I-I thought this was only supposed to be me trying to get that sack from you, not a straight up fight." He said as he wiped blood from his mouth and nose.
"I never said I won't kick your little ass as I am defending it." She said as he dove for him and was about to land a kick to his face but he transformed into his ant form to block the attack but he was sent sliding across the ground. "Oh, an ant now huh." She said with interest.
Salem looked at his hands as they were still shaking from the impact. Even though this form multiplies his physical strength and durability by ten it won't be any help here. Maybe if he was stronger and was better in hand-to-hand knowledge like some martial arts. Her wings then flung some bone projectiles at him which he escaped by transforming into his rabbit form and diving underground. He came out a little further away from the area of attack.
"Aw you know you should stay like that you look adorable." She cooed at his appearance despite how beat up he looked now.
"YOU HAG ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!!" He yelled at her flipping the bird. This woman was crazy as hell.
"Oh, relax they shatter on impact they would have just bruised you up more at best but not critically harm you." She shrugged and descended from the sky and her wings went back in her body. Salem then just raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright that's enough I lose you crazy hag keep the damn diamonds." He spoke as got out of his hole and laid on his back while his transformation disappeared and he breathed heavily.
Morrigan just came by and sat by him and placed two small sized diamonds on his chest and before he could ask, she said he at least deserved them. He didn't know whether she was congratulating him or pitying him at that point.
"Hey kid, can I ask you something?" Morrigan asked Salem and he just nodded.
"Do you know a girl named Mirajane Strauss?" She asked and he raised an eyebrow at that question.
'So, she's met Mirajane before huh.' He thought. "No, who's that anyway and why do you ask?" He played dumb.
"She was some punk girl I met when I was in Fiore, she had white hair and could use take-over magic like yourself but I was but she had a different category so I thought you were family of sorts." She told me and I could see her point.
"So that was the point of this ass whopping session. You got beef with this chick and were taking it out on me hag." He sounded annoyed.
"Stop calling me hag, I'm only a 20-year-old junior." She flicked his forehead slightly. "And no, I really don't care about her. You I just got pissed you called me old hag so I wanted to give you a little spanking." She joked.
"Seriously?" He gave her a deadpan stare.
"Of course not." She chuckled.
"So, what was the reason then!"
"That's for me to know and you to find out."
"Well congratulations you just beat up an eleven-year-old kid for no reason. Feel proud of yourself for doing that?" His voice was full of sarcasm.
"Oh, stop complaining, I can tell you're no mere eleven-year-old just by the way you talk." She got up, picked him up and gave him a piggyback ride.
"HEY!!" He protested.
"Stop complaining and tell me where you're sleeping so I can drop you off junior." She said and he grumbled but told her where he was staying.
"Wait at least take me to the clinic first to get some of these injuries checked out!"