Chapter 13 : Juvia

Ogu City, a place built on a mountain, stretched upwards with a main road leading from the base to the top. In the city center, perched high on the mountain, stood one of the branches of the wizard guild, "The Ruler of Ghosts." The guild's building was far more impressive and grand than Fairy Tail's.

As soon as Knight exited the train station, he noticed a number of street vendors selling umbrellas.

"Hey, traveler! Need an umbrella? Just 10,000 J!" a shopkeeper called out, waving an umbrella at Knight.

Knight paused, looking up at the colorful clouds of the evening sky, confused. "Umbrella?"

"Yes, trust me, you'll need it!" the shopkeeper, a middle-aged man, grinned. "First time here?"

"What are you getting at?" Knight asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Client or merchant?" the man continued, chatty as ever. "You're heading to the Phantom branch on the mountain, right?"

He pointed in the direction of the Phantom Guild with a friendly gesture, and Knight, caught up in the enthusiasm, decided to buy an umbrella.

"Fine, give me one."

The man handed him an umbrella, explaining, "The weather here is unpredictable. It might be sunny one minute and raining the next, and sometimes it rains for days!"

As if on cue, a light drizzle started falling.

Knight looked up at the sky in disbelief. "Seriously?"

The shopkeeper chuckled. "See? I wasn't lying."

"Thanks, boss," Knight replied, shaking his head with a smile. He opened the black umbrella and started walking toward the Phantom Guild, understanding the situation better now.

This must be the work of Juvia, the "Rain Woman," one of the four elemental S-class wizards, known for her water-based magic. Whenever she was in a gloomy mood, it rained.

Knight was amused by the locals' resourcefulness—setting up umbrella shops near the train station was clearly a brilliant way to make money.

"Still... 10,000 J for an umbrella is outrageous!" he thought to himself, but he let it go, too tired to haggle.

With rain steadily falling and the ground growing slick, Knight continued his trek along the main road, confident that Juvia was nearby, likely in the city. He could tell from the concentrated dark clouds overhead and the rain's limited area.

As he passed through the streets, locals grumbled about the rain, some rushing for cover while others cursed the downpour.

"Again with this rain!"

"I didn't bring an umbrella today. Let's find shelter."

"This rain is so annoying!"

"Shh! Don't say that out loud. You'll get in trouble..."

A group of children whispered as they darted off to take cover under the eaves of buildings.

Knight slowed his pace as he noticed a young woman walking ahead of him, umbrella in hand. Her soft voice barely audible, she muttered to herself as raindrops pattered down.

She had blue, curly hair, blue eyes, and wore a long blue coat. Her high-heeled rain boots clicked lightly against the wet pavement. Her graceful figure and pretty face were overshadowed by her somber expression.

As she passed by a group of men, she muttered a spell under her breath.

Water Flow Restraint!

In an instant, the men were encased in spheres of water, struggling in vain to escape the magic that bound them. Juvia didn't even glance back at them and continued walking.

It wasn't until she bumped into Knight that she finally looked up, locking eyes with him.

"Can you step aside?" she asked.

It took her a second to register that she had walked into a rather handsome man. She blinked in surprise, her mood brightening ever so slightly.

"Looking for a magical encounter?" Knight asked with a sly smile, pulling out a silver ring. "Wear this, and you'll have everything you desire."

Is this... a proposal? Juvia's eyes widened in shock.

Her mind raced, her heart pounded, and she found herself utterly flustered. A man had never given her a silver ring before, especially not like this! She shakily extended her hand and accepted the ring from Knight.

"Wait... this is so sudden... shouldn't we at least introduce ourselves first?" she stammered, barely able to meet his gaze.

Her thoughts spiraled as she struggled to process the situation—was she really getting proposed to by a stranger in the street? Her rainy day had turned into something entirely different!

"Alright, now that'll be 10,000 J," Knight said matter-of-factly.

"...What?" Juvia's voice halted. She turned her head slightly, a look of sheer confusion plastered on her face.

"This is a magic ring with special functions," Knight explained. "When you wear it, it'll grant your desires. Only 10,000 J—a real bargain."

Knight moved his fingers expectantly, waiting for payment. He'd already been scammed out of 10,000 J for an umbrella because of Juvia's rain, so it was only fair to earn it back. No one cheats him!

Juvia blinked, still trying to make sense of the situation. The man she thought was proposing to her was now charging her 10,000 J?

"What... what is happening?" she thought, still lost in her emotions.

"Do you like rainy days?" Juvia asked softly, her voice suddenly melancholic.

"Not at all," Knight thought privately, but he smiled and replied, "I love them. Now, about the money?"

Without a word, Juvia pulled out her magic bank card and offered it to Knight. "I only have two million J... here, take it all," she said.

Knight blinked in confusion. "What's wrong with this woman? I only asked for 10,000 J…"

But there was no way he was giving the money back. He took a cloth bag from his pocket, filled it with 199 silver rings, and handed it to Juvia.

"Here, take these too. You can sell them to other wizards and make a lot of money."

Juvia, still dazed, opened the bag and saw all the silver rings. Her face turned redder than ever.

"He proposed to me and gave me so many rings!" she thought, her heart racing.

"I'll never sell them. I'll keep them forever," she said softly, trembling with joy.

Knight, confused by her reaction, frowned slightly. "No, you have to sell them. The Ghost Guild has plenty of wizards who will buy them."

Juvia was still unsure why she was being asked to sell her engagement rings to her guildmates, but she nodded obediently. "I'll do it... I'll go right now."

As she turned to leave, she called back, "I don't even know your name. My name is Juvia, Juvia Rox!"

"Knight," he replied, equally puzzled by her willingness to comply.

"Juvia will remember!" she shouted as she skipped off, the rain stopping almost immediately as her mood lightened.

Knight stood there, umbrella in hand, staring at the now-clear sky. His plan had taken an unexpected turn.

"I was going to do some door-to-door sales... but I guess I just recruited a second-hand dealer?" he mused.

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