ASS 3

~Part 1~

Makarov had never asked for a favor from one of the guild members, so Erza was surprised when he did just that. The Master requested her to teach someone in an 'unofficial' job that has already been paid by the client. Makarov stressed that the payment was a big favor to the guild. Though what it was, he didn't specify.

Erza was happy to accept. Fairy Tail treated kindness with kindness. If the client did them a favor, it was only right to repay him back. She wouldn't be getting paid for the job, but that wouldn't hurt her that much.

Sure, Erza spent a lot of money on purchasing equipment for herself. She also bought herself a dress or two from time to time. Her armor was what she felt most comfortable in, but she was a woman in the end and liked to feel like one at times.

"You just have to tutor him a couple of times. Make sure he understands what he's doing, but don't overdo it," the Master told her with a wave of his hand.

"I understand," Erza replied with a slight bow. "I'll make sure he is a capable Requip user!"

"That's... not what I said..." Makarov mumbled under his breath, but Erza was already walking away. He shouldn't have expected anything less, considering how serious she took everything she did.

The guilds often received commissions from nobles that requested their children to be taught magic. Those varied in difficulty, going from the toughest to the simplest. At least that's what Erza heard.

Although some of the noble kids were born with magic power, that didn't immediately make them into wizards. They still had to study and learn. Unless they were born with an innate type of magic, which was a rare occurrence. That's why the difficulty varied so much.

If the kid was born with an innate type of magic, they only needed to be taught how to control their magic power. However, if they were born without one... well, Erza heard from Levy that instructing a spoiled noble brat was just as tough as fighting against an S-ranked threat.

Erza prepared herself for the worst. This would be a hard battle, but she would prevail. Though she did need the proper attire for that. Thankfully, she knew the right person that could help her.

Mirajane and Erza used to be rivals that butted heads all the time until the once known Demon of Fairy Tail mellowed down. Losing her sister a year ago hurt Mirajane more than she showed. She still blamed herself for bringing Lisanna with her on that mission.

That incident brought the two closer to each other since they had both suffered losses in their lives. They became... friendlier. At least Erza thought so since they stopped starting a fight with one another upon sight.

Mirajane kept a wide grin during their small shopping trip. Erza thought it was a bit suspicious, but she trusted her, even if she didn't feel that confident in the clothes Mirajane picked. In a way, they looked like one of the outfits from the books Erza usually read.

That line of thought also brought other ideas of what might happen during the teaching, but those were quickly squashed. This wasn't one of Erza's sm... love novels. She was here to do a job and nothing more.

Prepared for battle, Erza arrived at the address given to her by the Master. That was the moment she realized she didn't know the name of the client. Thankfully, the sign on the building helped with that.

"William's World of Wonder" was obviously a shop, though it had a peculiar name.

After knocking, Erza didn't have to wait for long before the door was opened. She wasn't sure if he met her expectations of a noble or not upon seeing the client.

William, she assumed that was his name, had dark brown eyes and short, curly hair even a darker shade. His features were more delicate compared to the ones she was used to seeing among her guild members, probably due to the different lifestyles they lived.

The looks were something that met Erza's expectations, but the clothes did not. They were too basic, she believed. Nothing like the fancy dresses she read about in her books.

"Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail," she introduced herself, hesitating for a second before deciding on a slight bow instead of a handshake. "I'm here as your Requip instructor."

"William," he returned the bow, so maybe she made the correct choice.

"You caught me by surprise, to be honest. I wasn't expecting you to come so soon since I heard you were already on a job," William said with a nervous chuckle.

"I returned earlier today," Erza said.

"Oh, then, may I make an alternative offer for today?" William asked, to which she nodded. As the client, that was something he could request.

"You see, I still lack furniture, and you just returned from a mission, so how about we cancel today's session?" Erza would've preferred to get started right away, but this was also fine.

"Instead, how about we use this time to get to know each other? And so you can also relax instead of jumping right into another job," Erza was a little bit touched by his consideration. She didn't necessarily need the rest, but she wouldn't say no to that.

"We can maybe go to a nice coffee or sweet shop. I'm still new to Magnolia, so if you know any good ones..."

"I know just the right place," the words left her mouth so fast Erza didn't even realize she had said them. The only thing on her mind at that point was the sweet, sweet strawberry cake that was served at her favorite sweet shop.

"An impressive display of Requip. It's good to know that my teacher is so skilled," William praised her as Erza switched her attire to her armor on instinct after agreeing to his request.

"It is the magic I'm most skilled with," Erza admitted. She was able to switch her gear within an instant with Requip. An impressive feat, considering others had a considerate delay while doing the same.

"The magic you are most skilled with? I'm assuming you have more under your belt then?" William asked as Erza led the way to their destination.

"Correct. Requip is my specialty, but I'm also skilled with Sword Magic and Telekinesis."

"That's a very good combination of magics."

"You think so?" Erza stopped and looked at him. Most people didn't see it that way since her magic wasn't as flashy as others. It was fairly simple and even relied on her having good equipment.

"Of course. It's a very versatile combination with a lot of potential," now that caught Erza's attention. Not many thought that way.

"Care to share your thoughts?" Erza might not hear anything new, but she still might get an idea that inspires her. She hadn't become an S-class wizard by not exploring the capabilities of her magics.

"Well, the first thing that comes to my mind is to use Sword Magic combined with Telekinesis. Essentially, using it from a distance by controlling the weapons with your mind."

"Hard to pull off in a heated fight, but feasible. Also, it's something I've already tried," Erza easily replied.

"I figured," William said. "The second thing depends on the limitations of Requip, and as someone as skilled as you, you should have an idea if it's possible or not."

William sounded eager, and Erza listened with rapt attention.

"How far away from you can you summon your equipment? And can they only be taken out in a stationary position, or can you perhaps fire them out as projectiles of your pocket space?"

Erza narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. Whenever she switched equipment, it was always the armor on her or the weapons in her hands. She never had the need to summon one of her equipment a distance away from her. And shooting her weapons as projectiles hadn't even crossed her mind.

"I will have to test it out, but my weapons would be more effective in my hands than used as projectiles."

William looked disappointed at her response, but he continued with another question, "But what if you had something that, let's say, paralyzed someone upon contact?"

"Then I would strongly consider it. Do you have something in mind?" Taking down and capturing members of Dark Guilds would become much easier with something like that.

"I do," William grinned at her. "You see, my shop currently specializes in selling potions..."

And Erza got to learn of the various consumable items available to be purchased at William's World of Wonder. She already made her mind that the shop was a place she would frequent in the future as it would allow her to prepare for almost any situation. As long as the potions sold there were as effective as William described, that is.

They arrived at Cake Flux during William's explanations. Whatever he said after was lost to Erza as her attention was solely on the strawberry cake, err, cakes she ordered. She could never focus on anything else when she had the delicious pastry in front of her.

"That was enjoyable. I wouldn't mind coming here again, especially if I have your pleasant company," William chuckled, and Erza felt embarrassed. She wasn't sure if her company was pleasant, but she lost all control when faced with a strawberry cake.

"I apologize for ignoring you! I will make it up to you," Erza stood up and bowed.

"No, no, that's fine," William waved his hands and continued before she could reply. "Though if you do insist on making it up, we can always go out on another date."

"A... another date?" Erza asked with a slight tremble in her voice. This had been a date? It was just the two of them - a man and a woman - eating together. This really had been a date!

"As long as you don't mind," William scratched his head nervously.

Erza found him pleasant. William had a couple interesting ideas, and his shop was something she would end up frequenting in the future. Going... on another date didn't sound so bad.

"I wouldn't mind," Erza agreed. Though it would probably be just that, another date, despite what her dirty mind thought. She still had trouble connecting with others, even her own guildmates included.

"Glad to hear that," William smiled at her.

"But now that you are paying attention," he continued, making her feel embarrassed once more. "I want to get back on topic."

William sounded eager when he talked about firing her weapons as projectiles, but now he seemed downright excited.

"Telekinesis! In my opinion, that's by far your strongest magic and also my favorite."

"Why do you think so?" Erza considered her Sword Magic to be the most powerful, while Telekinesis was more of a support magic.

"Well, with Telekinesis, you can control and manipulate objects, but how much can you push the limits of it? Can you, for example, control an energy like fire or even wind with it?"

Erza hadn't actually tried nor considered that as an option. Water, earth, she had tried and succeeded, but fire and wind? She wasn't sure.

"And if you can, can you push it even further?" William looked so excited and animated that Erza couldn't help but feel the same. "Can you go as far as to control atoms, the building blocks of reality?"

"Atoms? I've never heard of that term."

"Well," William rubbed his head sheepishly. "I didn't pay that much attention while being taught about that, but I will try to explain it to you."

While trying to explain what atoms were to Erza, William had only one thought running through his mind, 'I've read comics, and I know what Telekinesis is capable of at the highest of levels. Erza might not have a godlike being in her mind, but she is a sexy redhead and can move things with her mind. It is my duty to help her.'

~Part 2~

The doors to the guild swung open as Erza entered. Her eyes quickly scanned the place, and she nodded to herself when she found everything was in order.

Nab was hanging around the job board, still unable to make a decision on what to pick. Wakaba and Macao were already having a drink despite the hour, but it was the weekend, so they could be forgiven. Cana had joined them, but she wasn't drinking straight from the barrel, which was a surprise, but a welcomed one.

Loke, a newer member of their guild, was nowhere in sight, probably out with another girl. He was a womanizer, but the guild hadn't received too many complaints about him.

Shadow Gear and Elfman were also missing, but Erza heard they were on a mission to find ingredients. They were looking for some herbs, which they shouldn't have a problem finding with Levy and Droy on the team. Elfman was also there to support them if they needed some muscle.

Natsu and Gray were side to side, cheek to cheek, and with an arm over the shoulder of the other. They were staring at Erza as if she didn't know something. That was, of course, not the truth.

Erza was aware of the duo's handsy relationship. She didn't know how deep their relationship was, but they hadn't done anything when she arranged for them to bathe together. Maybe they were just shy, though.

Makarov was at the bar being served by Mirajane, who had a gentle smile on her face. Her blue eyes, however, were just as sad as a year ago. As much as Erza wanted to help her, there was nothing she could really do. Mira needed time to get over the loss of Lisanna, but even that might not help. Erza knew that very well since she still hurt despite half a decade passing.

"Welcome back, Erza," Mira greeted her with a mischievous smile. "How did the tutoring go? Did you get the chance to punish your student for misbehavior? Or maybe you rewarded him in a special way for his good behavior?"

Erza froze mid step for a second before continuing on. Several different scenarios played out in her mind, but she kept her face neutral as the Master also turned in her direction.

"There was no tutoring as William requested we postpone it after hearing I just returned from a job," Erza answered as she sat down.

"Really now? How noble of him," Mira still had a mischievous look. "But I do remember that you went out to meet him a few hours ago. I wonder what you did until now. Were you perhaps with him the whole time?"

"Yes," Erza replied straightfaced. "He requested we get to know each other better, and we visited a sweet shop."

"Ah, poor thing. William invited you to a date, but knowing you, you didn't even pay attention to him," Mira giggled, knowing what had happened even if she hadn't been there.

"Strawberry cake is a food that should be treasured and savored!" Erza declared proudly by slamming her hands on the bar, though her cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

"Ah, yes, of course," Mira chuckled. "But even with your love for strawberry cake, I don't believe you spent hours just eating it."

"We discussed magic afterward. William was surprisingly knowledgeable, and I not only learned a thing or two from him, but he also inspired me to work on my Telekinesis more."

Makarov had been listening to their conversation with one ear until now, but Erza's words caught his attention.

"What did you learn from him?" Makarov asked after taking a swig from his beer.

"For starters, William told me about atoms, something he referred to as the building blocks of reality."

Makarov's expression became serious. Atoms were something he had never heard of, but he wasn't all-knowing. William's book even surprised Porlyusica, so the young man obviously knew a lot of information others didn't. The question was, where did he obtain that knowledge?

"He said he hadn't paid too much attention when being taught about them, but he described them as very small participles that are invisible to the naked eye. According to him, everything in existence is composed of atoms."

To Makarov, it sounded as if someone tried to decipher The One Magic and came up with some scientific explanation for it.

"And most surprisingly, those atoms are apparently made out of even smaller particles."

Makarov was now sure there was someone backing William, or at the very least, he had a teacher or a master. But who could that be? His teacher should be pretty famous with skills like that, but why had Makarov never heard of someone like that?

Unless he wasn't from Ishgar. Especially if William was from the Alvarez Empire, the nation that had conquered an entire continent. That could also explain why the book had information on herbs Porlyusica had never heard of.

It would be very problematic if William was actually from the Alvarez Empire. Two years ago, the nation had attempted to invade Ishgar, but it was halted by the mighty magic weapons controlled by the Magic Council.

This year, the Empire had severed all communication with Ishgar, and the Council had warned the various guilds to be on the lookout for potential spies. William looked like one now, but Makarov wasn't in a rush to accuse him of being a spy.

Not only did he need the help of the young man if he wanted Gildarts to fully recover, but William also didn't seem to be doing a great job of being a spy if he was one. Opening a shop and drawing so much attention to him with those products of his was counterproductive in Makarov's opinion.

And even if William was from the Alvarez Empire, that didn't mean he was a spy. There were plenty of people that have immigrated from there, including members of Fairy Tail as well.

"That's great and all, but how does that help or inspire you?" Mira asked.

"William believes that if I have enough power and control, I could manipulate atoms with my Telekinesis, essentially allowing me to manipulate reality to my whims," silence followed after Erza's words.

"Of course, I will need a tremendous amount of power and control, but that is a goal for me to work towards," Erza continued as if she hadn't noticed. "I don't believe I would reach such a level, but as William said it, shoot for the stars, so even if I don't succeed, I would still end up landing on the moon."

"That is the end goal, but William also gave me other ideas to work with until I reach that level. Like, using my Telekinesis on myself to increase my strength, or to try to use it on something like fire and wind, which reminds me," Erza turned towards the duo in the awkward relationship.

"Natsu," upon hearing his name, the salmon-haired Dragon Slayer, who was dressed in a very revealing waistcoat, immediately latched onto the black-haired Ice-Make wizard, who was only in his underwear.

"We are not doing anything!" Natsu quickly said.

"Yep, we are two best friends just hanging around!" Grey added.

Who those two were trying to fool, Erza didn't know, but it definitely wasn't her.

"I need a sparring partner to test a few things," Erza just walked up to Natsu, grabbed him by the arm, and started pulling him away. He could spend time with Grey later.

"Uh-oh, you are in trouble, Natsu," a blue-furred cat chirped from the side while eating a fish. Happy, Natsu's partner, gulped his meal in one go before sprouting a pair of wings from his back, and he flew after the Dragon Slayer while giggling at his misfortune.

"So, what do you think about this?" Makarov asked Mira.

"Erza spoke fondly of him, which is a surprise. He also sounds very knowledgeable, and I've heard a few people talk about his potions in town. But besides that, I can't say more without meeting him first," Mira replied while cleaning a few cups.

"I guess I have to go speak with him again," Makarov grunted. As long as William wasn't an Alvarez spy, he didn't care where the young man came from. Though, Makarov wouldn't mind meeting with his teacher and making a few requests from him.

"But that's for tomorrow!" Makarov chugged down his beer and slammed the mug on the bar. "Another one!"

"As you wish," Mira served him with a giggle.

~Part 3~

William began his day by setting up signs he had purchased after his 'date' with Erza. The first one was left outside his shop, simply informing everyone about the new stock. That one was necessary to draw in customers.

The other two signs were placed inside the shop. Those ones William could live without, but he would rather not. They would hopefully relieve him from answering some of the questions he would no doubt be receiving. One of the two had a simple list of the prices for all potions, while the other had instructions on what they did and how to not misuse them.

William plopped on his chair and yawned as he stared at the empty space. A pang of disappointment flicked in his eyes, but he knew the shop would soon be furnished. The potions lined on the shelves behind him would make sure of that.

William had brewed so many in the past three days, he couldn't even have them all on display and had to keep the rest in the building's storage room. That was a good sign, though he couldn't make that many every day if he was also sitting behind the counter. An employee to relieve him of that duty was something he would have to look into.

However, William wasn't sure how that would work with his system. Would it accept it as something sold by him, or would it screw him over? He hoped the system would be kind to him since he would have a hard time making a substantial profit.

William didn't get to think about it any longer since his first customers arrived. He wasn't surprised to see Banaboster and one other member of Twilight Ogre. The Vice-Guildmaster had asked him to send them a message in advance before the new stock, and he had promised to do so.

Banaboster looked sleepy, but his eyes sharpened the moment he spotted the signs in front of the counter and read through them.

"The Physical Resistance and Strengthening Potions will heavily drain the stamina of the consumer?" Banaboster asked.

"When used together, yes. Otherwise, you will feel slightly drained if you drink only a single one," William explained.

"And the Weak Antidote?" Banaboster continued questioning.

"Cures common poisons and diseases as explained on the sign."

"Those aren't covered by the Healing Potions?"

"No, those deal with physical injuries. The Health Regen Potions might help with that as they speed up the recovery when consumed, but Weak Antidotes would cure poisons and diseases in a snap."

"I'm assuming there would be better potions in the future then since this one is named Weak Antidote?"

"Of course! Newer, different potions, and improved versions of the currently available," William happily exclaimed, causing the Vice-Guildmaster's eyes to shine.

"Have you considered forming an exclusive contract with one of the guilds? Twilight Ogre will be happy to make one with you. We can provide you with whatever you need and also pay you."

"As good as that sounds, I would have to refuse your kind offer," William replied with a 'regretful' smile.

"I have to be impartial when dealing with the magic guilds of Magnolia Town to make sure to be fair to all," William spouted bullshit without batting an eyelid. After all, he was already treating one of the guilds with preferential treatment. Banaboster didn't need to know that, though.

"However, I wouldn't be against forming a contract with your guild, just not an exclusive one. Though I can't do that at the moment due to the limited stock of my potions. I will make sure to inform you as soon as I'm capable of providing you with something like that."

William didn't mind throwing them a bone since wizards would make him the most profit. He wanted them to be as happy and addicted to his products as possible.

"We would appreciate that. Your Health Potions proved to be helpful in the missions some of our members took during the weekend," Banaboster smiled with pride. They took more dangerous jobs and came back with barely any injuries.

"Glad to hear that! Just make sure to stay safe and keep in mind that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer," William warned them. They can't keep buying his stock if they were dead, after all.

"A wise saying," Banaboster said, seemingly impressed by the quote William blatantly plagiarized without him knowing.

"I think so too, but enough about that, you aren't here to listen to my advice, but to buy my potions. So, what would it be?"

William just wanted to see his credits jump up in number and earn enough Jewels to start decorating. The only reason he talked so much with Banaboster was that the man could probably turn his shop upside down if he displeased him too much. The Vice-Guildmaster took a look at the sign with the prices deep in thought, looking as if he was mentally calculating how much he could buy.

"I'll take 25 Health Potions and 10 Mana, Strengthening, and Resistance Potions."

William had to keep his mouth shut to not drool in front of the two wizards. Quickly, before they changed their mind, he started taking the potions from the shelves and lining them on the counter.

"25 Health and 10 Mana Potions are 262 500 Jewels and 10 Strengthening and Resistance Potions 100 000. The total price is 362 500 Jewels."

The two new potions were priced at 5 000 Jewels since they only lasted for 15 minutes. William thought that wasn't a bad price for them, especially when he didn't even need to waste his credits to buy the ingredients to make them.

His happy thoughts quickly evaporated when he realized that Banaboster and the other wizard couldn't carry all the potions since they didn't have any bags. And despite them being wizards, that didn't mean they knew Requip and had a pocket space.

"That... I hadn't prepared for such big purchases," William said with an embarrassed laugh.

"I can keep them aside for you, and you can send some of your guild members to pick them up?" William asked, hopeful that they would accept. He could've offered them a small discount for the inconvenience, but he wasn't willing to do that. Not unless it was absolutely necessary.

"That would do, but you should think of something in the future," Banaboster accepted, which greatly pleased William. "They should arrive in an hour or two at most."

They left with just a bunch of the potions they purchased, and William let out a sigh of relief. Giving them a discount would've reduced the credits he would've gained. Now, when they returned for the rest of the potions, he could always pay them a bit of the money back, but he would've already earned his credits by that point.

Customers slowly started trickling, and as expected, they ignored the very obvious signs in front of them. Question after question was fired at William, who answered them with practiced ease. He kept a smile on his face, even despite the annoyance he was starting to feel. The Jewels and credits he was gaining helped with that.

"I want 10 Health Potions!" An unusual request from someone who didn't look to be part of a guild, but Jewels were Jewels.

"That would be 75 000," William said, already having learned his lesson.

"I don't think so," the arrogant tone that was said with was all he needed to know what would follow.

"Then leave. The exit is right behind you," too bad William wasn't feeling like dealing with that.

"Do you know who my father is?"

Willaim looked at the young man. He had blue eyes and styled blonde hair.

"Malfoy?" He blurted out, chuckling at his own joke.

"Mal- No! My father works for the city government!" The blonde ponce proudly declared.

'So Malfoy,' William thought in amusement.

"Good for you. That still doesn't change anything. Either pay or leave," William wasn't giving out freebies even to the guilds. No way he would hand out free potions to someone just because their parents worked for the government. Unless it was a beautiful woman he felt he had a chance with, but that was neither here nor there.

The face of the blonde ponce was priceless as he just stared at William like a gaping fish, not able to comprehend that someone would ever refuse his demand.

"I can have your store closed by the end of today!"

William couldn't lie that he didn't feel a small amount of fear at that statement. But then he thought about it. If he sold all of his stock today, William would earn enough Jewels to move his store to a different city. It might be time-consuming and annoying, but he could do it.

And that's a big 'if.' Would the government really try to kick him out just because of the ponce? William sold unique products that no one else had. Fairy Tail also owed him a favor, and Makarov needed him nearby if he wanted to get the potion for Gildarts. Not to mention that William was building a friendly relation with Twilight Ogre, and speaking of the devil, he just saw Dird walking in with his boys.

"Well, you heard it people. You gotta buy my products while you can since I won't be here tomorrow!" William called out loudly with a smirk.

"Bro!" Dird yelled as he speed-walked up to the counter. "You're leaving? Why?!"

"I was told by this young man here that my store would be closed by the end of today since I refused to give my potions away for free," William told him with a sweet and kind tone.

The blonde ponce looked like a deer caught in headlights as the Twilight Ogre wizard turned towards him. Dird might not be the brightest one out there, but he sure as hell was intimidating. The man was built like a brick and towered over the blonde.

"You're gonna do what now?" Dird growled as the blonde started sweating buckets.

"I-umm-I was just joking. I didn't actually mean what I said."

William just smiled as he watched the blonde try to get out of this situation. He couldn't express how glad he was that Dird was addicted to, err, invested into his drugs, um, potions.

"Good! Now, fuck off!" The ponce was out of there before Dird even finished his sentence.

"Thanks for that, Dird," William said.

"No problem, bro! Can't have those paper workers push you out of town. Me and the boys beat a group of twelve Vulcans and came back without injuries due to your potions," Dird shot him a thumbs up.

'Vulcans? Didn't one of the weaker Fairy Tail members beat almost 20 on his own at the start of the cannon?' The strength disparity between the two guilds was obvious. Dird didn't even look like a weak dude, but Fairy Tail was Fairy Tail in the end.

"Glad to hear that! Just make sure to stay safe, okay?" William said as he handed Dird the potions he owed Twilight Ogre.

"Here, give this to Banobaster as a discount for making you come back to collect them," Willaim gave him 15 000 Jewels. He didn't mind it that much since he already received his credits, and that was a negligible amount compared to how much he already earned.

"And this is for you for being a bro. Go grab a drink with your friends on my behalf, okay?" William handed Dird another 5 000 while he considered hiring Twilight Ogre as a protection service, which he obviously needed already.

"Bro! You're awesome!" Dird patted him on the shoulder, and William could've sworn he heard a crunching sound. Now, he regretted giving Dird Jewels since he probably needed a potion to heal his shoulder.

After the ponce ran away, there weren't any more people that tried causing trouble. Though William was sure that it wasn't the end of it. The blonde might very well try to cause trouble in the future. At least he had two guilds on his side, so it wasn't that bad. And hiring Twilight Ogre just became an even better option for him in the future.

William also considered sending a request to Fairy Tail, but he remembered how much damage they usually caused. Yeah, he might as well go bankrupt if he hired those guys.

Customers kept coming in, and William spotted someone he had expected to see. However, he was surprised to see her companion.

"Erza, nice to see you," William greeted the redhead and turned to the other. "And you must be Mirajane. I must say, you look much more beautiful in person."

It was so much easier to compliment others - particularly women - when behind the counter. It helped that there was a lesser chance of them turning into Karens if they felt pleased.

The two's beauty was truly something else. The entire shop felt brighter with them inside. Erza had the more regal kind of beauty, especially with her armor on. Mira, on the other hand, looked like an ethereal fairy. Long white hair, sapphire orbs, and a body to die for; a large bust, wide hips, and a lithe figure.

"Compliments will get you nowhere," Mira sweetly giggled. "But don't stop."

"Whatever I say, the two of you have probably heard it a thousand times over," that was closer to the truth than he imagined.

"Why do you think so?" Mira asked, cutely tilting her head to the side.

"You work as a model, which is a shame, despite how good you look in your shoots. And Erza? Even the armor she wears can't hide how beautiful she looks."

Erza had a blank look on her face, and nobody knew what she was thinking at that moment. Mira giggled after peeking at her companion before asking, "Why would working as a model be a shame?"

"Because of how strong of a wizard you are. One of the best on the continent, if I'm not mistaken," Mira bit her lips and looked down.

It hurt William seeing such a beautiful woman looking so sad. So, he decided to give her a small hint and leaned forward. "Ask Makarov about Edolas, okay?"

Mira looked confused but nodded nonetheless.

"Anyway, I do believe you didn't come here to chat, so what would it be?" That was enough to snap Erza out of her thoughts. She then bought at least one from all of his potions while Mira picked a few Health and Mana ones.

"Thanks for the purchase," William told them with a smile and focused on Erza. "I'll see you later today for a lesson, right?"

"Of course!" Erza nodded.

"Good, then how about around six? How does that sound?"

"That's acceptable. We will have at least four hours to work on Requip. I will see you later," Erza quickly turned around and walked away, leaving William with wide eyes.

'At least four hours? At least?' It would be time spent with Erza, so maybe it wouldn't be that bad. Right?

~Part 4~

Even though he closed the store around noon again, William still made a substantial amount of profit. More than half a million Jewels, to be exact, alongside 34 credits.

There were still potions left in stock, but William didn't mind calling it a day. Because if he didn't, he wouldn't have any time to brew more for tomorrow with his upcoming lesson in the evening. William also had tasks to take care of and buy furniture for both his shop and home. Erza probably wouldn't mind that much, but he wanted both of them to be comfortable.

So, William walked around for a bit, ordering everything he could currently afford. He even visited a wood crafter to commission wooden crates, similar to the Coca-Cola ones from Earth, to avoid the problem he encountered earlier.

Damn, how much William missed the carbonated drink and was itching for some soda. A similar beverage existed here on Earthland, but he hadn't tested it out yet. If it wasn't to his liking, maybe he could look into recreating his favorite drink in the future.

Ingredients were another thing William had to buy, so he spent half an hour just looking around the market. He bought whatever he recognized and passed a bakery on the way home. The gears in his head spun like crazy before William confidently entered inside. Having a trump card or a dozen sounded like a good idea for the evening.

The last stop before returning to his building was Geel's Glasswork. William had promised he would sign a contract with them, and he would run out of glass bottles soon. It seemed like the perfect time to form that contact. Also, he could use this opportunity to change up the bottles a bit by adding his brand to them. That way, people won't be able to scam others by selling fake products of his.

"Mrs. Geel," William greeted the old lady.

"William, good to see you," she replied in kind. "Here for the contract we talked about last time?"

"Yep," he nodded with a smile.

"Great! I will be right back. Just need to grab my husband. He's been eager to meet you," Mrs. Geel entered the room behind her with a spring in her steps.

Shortly, she came back with an older gentleman, who was dressed in simple clothes. His hair was already turning grey, and he had a kind face with green eyes.

"Ay, you must be the lad that's been selling those potions I heard about," Mr. Geel walked over and offered him his hand.

"That's me, please to meet you," William shook the offered hand.

"Thought so. Recognized my work when I saw it," Mr. Geel said. "I heard one of your potions is supposed to restore magic power. That correct?"

"It is," William replied with a nod. "I'm assuming you are interested in it?"

"Ay, would be useful for my craft," Mr. Geel confirmed.

"Oh," William uttered, realizing the older man was a wizard.

"Did you assume I made everything by hand?" Mr. Geel laughed when he saw his face. "Hah, I wouldn't be able to make so many on my lonesome if I did. Magic is a useful tool. It's hard to be a successful crafter in this town without it."

"With how this conversation is going, you would probably want to add it to the contract?" William might not be a business tycoon, but he wasn't that stupid not to figure it out.

"I would, yes," Mr. Geel nodded.

"That particular potion is one of my most expensive products, and the ingredients for it can't be obtained by normal means. I don't think I could easily add it to our deal," William said, and Mr. Geel's lips thinned to a slight frown.

"However, I do have another one in stock that I'm willing to add. Instead of instantly restoring magic power, it boosts the amount you regenerate for a time. It's also less expensive, and it would allow me to pay you more for your services."

William thought that was a better deal for both of them. If he added a few Mana Potions, Mr. Geel might not make any profit from forming this contract. That potion was just too expensive.

"That so?" Mr. Geel looked interested.

"Yes, I can promise you all of my products work as intended," William assured him before going straight to business. "Besides signing the contract between us, I also wanted to see if we could change the bottle a bit. Just adding a simple brand, nothing too much."

"We can do that. Let's have a seat while we talk it over."

And the two started haggling; for the price, for the number of bottles, and potions. They came to a satisfying contract surprisingly quick, and both were pleased with it. They shook hands on it with smiles carved on their faces.

"Before I go, Mr. Geel." William started.

"Yes, lad?"

"You said you used magic to make the bottles. If it's not too personal, may I know what type of magic?" William asked.

"Just a simple Fire Magic, why?" Mr. Geel replied.

"Well, I was wondering if you would be willing to give me a lesson or two in the future on it? For a price, of course. I'm more than willing to pay for your teaching," William asked.

He might not have any intention of making his own bottles with it since it would be too time-consuming, but knowing Fire Magic could be helpful to him. Concocting potions did require him to boil water, and this could save him some time. Plus, William might need it for other crafting skills in the future.

"I... would have to think about that, lad," Mr. Geel replied.

"Please do. I won't ask you of this anytime soon since I have my hands full, but when I have some free time to spare, I will come by," William said.

Mr. Geel smiled at him and offered his hand. "Thanks, lad. It was a pleasure doing business with you."

"Pleasure doing business with you as well, Mr. Geel," William shook his hand and left the workshop, finally done with all side projects for the day.

Now, it was time to brew some potions. Or so William thought as he found someone swooping around the front of his store, his head moving around back and forward like a dog trying to catch a scent. The person was covered in bandages and had salmon-colored hair. He was also accompanied by a blue-furred cat.

Dread filled William as he recognized the person, Natsu Dragneel. He was one of the main cast and considered as the main character of Fairy Tail. Natsu's one of the good guys, but he was a safety hazard, and destruction followed in his path.

Depending on how their encounter went, William might very well lose his shop. So, he made the safe choice of backing away and avoiding the meeting. Unfortunately, that wasn't meant to be as Natsu turned to him with narrowed eyes.

"It's you!" The wizard yelled and pointed at him.

"Can I help you?" William asked as he slowly backed away.

"You're the one that gave Erza those ideas!" Natsu stomped in his direction.

"Look, man. I just shared with Erza a few things that I thought about. Nothing much, really," William kept backing away while Natsu continued walking towards him.

"You must be strong! Let's fight!" Natsu slammed his fist into his palm as a fire lit up in his eyes. Literally.

"No, no, no, no fighting," William wildly flung his hands in an 'x.' "I'm definitely not strong. Just an ordinary man, a simple shopkeeper, that's all."

"Oh, man, I'm all fired up!" After saying his catchphrase, flames burst around Natsu's body.

For a moment, William just stared at him in a daze. 'How the fuck aren't his bandages or even clothes burning? That doesn't make any sense!'

Natsu didn't care about William's thoughts and just jumped in his direction.

'Oh, shit!' Fight or flight instincts kicked in, and as much as William wished to run away, he knew he couldn't flee from the fired-up Dragon Slayer. He was just physically weaker than Natsu. So, he had to fight back somehow.

William's hand shot inside the pocket of his hoodie. Oh, how thankful he was at that moment that it was one of those hoodies without a zipper and a big front pocket. He grabbed one of the potions he kept in there and just threw it at Natsu.

Seeing the incoming projectile, the Dragon Slayer just punched it with his flaming fist. That was the wrong move, as yellow liquid spewed out and covered him.

"Wha-" Natsu loudly gagged as the liquid not only had the color of one of the main ingredients for yellow snow, but it smelled just as bad, maybe even worse.

"Wha- kind of ma- is this?" With his enhanced senses from being a Dragon Slayer, Natsu had a hard time speaking without gagging at the smell.

'How is he still standing and moving?' The paralysis poison was more effective when consumed directly, but it should've at least frozen someone who was just covered by it from head to toe.

Well, if one didn't do the job, two might do it, so William threw another one at Natsu. This time, the Dragon Slayer wobbled and even fell on his knees. The gagging continued, and he even threw up a bit, but again, Natsu was still moving. He was struggling on the ground to get up, but he wasn't paralyzed.

'Stupid Dragon Slayers and their bullshit magic,' William didn't have any more paralysis poisons, but he had a couple other in his pocket.

The next one he grabbed was a light blue color and pretty much odorless. The sleep-inducing poison was thrown at the downed Natsu, and William waited with a bated breath.

"I- won't- lose," the Dragon Slayer, however, wasn't willing to go down, despite being covered in poison and the disgusting smell he was assaulted with.

"How many more do I need to throw at you?" William flung his last sleep poison and held his breath. Natsu struggled for a bit more, and finally, he dropped in his own vomit as he fell asleep.

'Two sleep-inducing and two paralysis poisons just to make him fall asleep. A regular human could've died from that, and Natsu already looked injured!' William shook his head and turned to the cat staring at him with a tilt of its head. The moment William eyed Happy, he started trembling as if he was afraid of William, which was obviously an act.

"I will pay you a fish if you get him away from here," in an instant, a smile blossomed on Happy's face as he shot William a thumbs up.

"Aye, sir, you can count on me!"

"And I will pay you a fish for every day you keep him away from me and my store," it seemed making deals was his way of handling things.

"Two fish!" Happy haggled.

"Fine, two fish," William agreed since it wouldn't cost him that much and would keep Natsu away from him. That right there was priceless.

"Three fish!" Happy continued haggling, however.

"It seems I would have to find someone else to give my two fish then," William was having none of that.

"Noooo! Two fish, two fish! I will make sure to keep him away for two fish! Please don't give them away!" Happy now begged with tears in his eyes.

"You have a deal. Every day you keep him away, you get two fish. You can come to pick them up in the evening."

"Aye, aye!" Happy happily exclaimed as he picked up Natsu. A pair of wings sprung from his back, and the small cat just took off with the Dragon Slayer.

'Cats are cool, but this just proved why a dog is man's best friend. It would've never betrayed the owner for just a pair of fish.'

William entered his store feeling like he needed a drink. The encounter had been way too close for comfort.

In the anime, many people were shown to take a tremendous amount of damage and live through it. William, however, wasn't sure that those anime rules applied here, and especially to him.

If Natsu had hit him once with his flames, his skin wouldn't have simply turned black and fall off shortly after, replaced by new one. Chances were, William would've died due to third-degree burns. A Fire Dragon Slayer's flames were no joke, after all.

'I need more enhancing potions. And poisons, a lot of poisons.' William walked into his alchemy room and started brewing. He had a lot of work on his hands and just a few hours before Erza arrived.

The knocking came from his front door at exactly six. His teacher for the day was as punctual as he thought she would be. Before he went to open the door, he grabbed his trump card and only then answered the door.

"Erza," William happily greeted her.

"I heard you-" Erza took an audible gulp as her eyes zeroed down on the strawberry cake in his hand.

"I heard you beat Natsu," she continued in a moment after composing herself.

"Well, umm, you see-" William started with an uncertain tone.

"I'm impressed," Erza praised him with a smile.

"Natsu? Yeah, no big deal, really. Just a simple nuisance," William's tone changed in a second into a confident one.

"Oh, and this is for you," he presented her with the strawberry cake. She carefully took it off his hands as if it was the most precious thing on the planet.

William then led her upstairs to his designed living room. It only had a coffee table and a single couch for the moment, but that was by design. This way, he could make sure to sit right next to Erza during the lessons.

After Erza devoured the cake in a cute manner, it was time to begin his teaching. William, however, stopped her before they could start.

"Can I offer a way for you to teach me?" He asked.

"I'm listening," Erza replied.

"From where I come from, students are punished for doing bad and rewarded when doing good. It's like that, so they are enticed to always try their best. How about we add a reward and punishment to our lessons?" William offered.

"That seems like a good idea," Erza nodded.

"Great, I was thinking that if I do bad, I would have to treat you to strawberry cakes as a punishment," Erza audibly gulped as her mouth watered from hearing that.

'Good, this will make the next part easier' William thought, seeing her expression.

"As for the reward, I was thinking, oh I don't know, maybe a kiss?" He said before quickly adding. "Just on the cheek, of course. I would ask for one on the lips, but I don't want to make it too uncomfortable for you."

Erza just stared at him with a blank look, and William fidgeted under her gaze. Did he ask for too much? Maybe he pushed too far and should've waited for a few days? But William didn't know how many lessons he would get from her. Such thoughts passed through his mind.

"On the lips?" Erza asked, a blank look still on her face.

"No, no, just on the-"

"I don't think I would mind that," she continued, causing William's eyes to open wide as he froze in place.

"You wouldn't?" She wouldn't?!

Erza just lightly shook her head, "A better reward is supposed to entice you to do well, right?"

William made his mind right there and then. He would become a Requip master no matter what he had to do. Erza will be impressed, and he will make sure of that!

~Part 5~

"One Weak Antidote and one Health Regeneration Potion a day should do the work. Make sure she takes both in the morning for a weak straight while also feeding her plenty of food, so her body could sustain the healing process," William placed fourteen bottles on the counter. He might not be a certified doctor, but that specific combination could cure almost all diseases and sicknesses. At least that's what it said in his alchemy book.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" the middle-aged lady bowed her head with tears in her eyes. Her hands trembled as she took the potions as if they were the most fragile thing on the planet and carefully stored them in a bag.

"You don't know how much this means to me. The doctors... they said there's nothing they could do for her." The woman's face was filled with gratitude as tears continued streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm just happy to help, ma'am," William replied with a kind smile.

This honestly made him feel good. William wasn't just making a profit, but he was also helping others in need. Sure, there were a few inspiring Karens he had to deal with, but this... the expression of gratitude, the tears of happiness, it made up for all that.

"I-I can't express how thankful I am that I heard about your store. You are my last chance," the woman looked ready to jump him in a bone-crushing hug, and he wouldn't have minded it that much.

"I just hope your daughter makes a speedy recovery," William's word invoked more tears, and the woman couldn't take it anymore.

The mother reached out from above the counter and pulled him in a one-armed hug, whispering how thankful she was in his ear while sobbing. He didn't push her away or complain, allowing her to have this moment, and even placed a hand on her back, rubbing it gently. The mother finally released him, and with a teary goodbye, left the store.

"This seems like a good time to call it a day," William muttered to himself. There were no more customers in the shop, and he wanted to end on a good note. The interaction with the mother had made him truly happy, almost bringing him to tears as well. Her grateful look would be engraved in his mind for a very long time.

After locking the place, William made his way over to a building that resembled a pub and had a flag with an ogre head on it. Twilight Ogre's guild building wasn't as impressive as he assumed it would be.

William was here to see if he could hire them as guards for his store during his business hours. Since he was already on good terms with the wizards from Twilight Ogre, he thought they were the best choice for that job.

At the moment, William's store wasn't that big of a deal. He was selling unique products, but they were more helpful to the wizards of the smaller guilds. Dark guilds might take note of him, though it won't be any of the big shots. He wasn't worth their attention yet.

Currently, William would have to deal with unruly customers and maybe a wizard or two who decided they could bully him. A couple of Twilight Ogre members would be enough to scare those away.

William did make a deal with Makarov that Fairy Tail would have his back if he got in over his head, but frankly, he preferred if most of their members came nowhere near his store. Twilight Ogre would do a much better job of protecting his shop than them.

However, if there was one group that William would entrust his life to in this world, it would be Fairy Tail, though more than likely, it would be at the cost of everything he owned. He was sure that as long as he was alive, they would save him since they were backed by the heart of the cards. Err, wrong anime, this world was run by the power of friendship.

Before William could enter the building, the doors burst open, and Dird came out with one of his friends. Oxi, that one was named, if William remembered correctly.

"Bro!" Dird happily greeted him. The man was built like a brick, but he honestly acted like a giant puppy at times. Though as William saw the previous day, Dird could bark and bite when he needed to.

"Thanks for the Jewels, man!" Dird patted him on the shoulder, and William saw a screen that said "-7500 Jewels" float in front of his face.

"I went drinkin' with ma' pals in the evening, and you won't believe what happened!" Dird grinned from ear to ear, just remembering the previous night.

"I hooked up with this chick that had the biggest jugs you've ever seen!" Dird made sure to show exactly how big they were by extending his arms forward.

"That's... nice to hear," William was happy for the big guy, but he felt a tear in his eye as he remembered how his night went. The golden carrot was dangled in his face, and despite his immense desire to impress his sexy teacher, he had failed. His system didn't make him a magical genius, and he had to struggle to learn magic like a regular person.

And Requip was hard to learn. It was one of the simplest types of magic since it had only a single function, but it was still a type of space magic. The magic circle that he had to create and visualize was weird as heck as it was in 4d.

Requip was obviously hard to learn, unless, of course, you were a genius. Like Erza, for example. She told William that Makarov had briefly explained it to her and just given her the book to learn on her own. She had it done in just a few days, while William was nowhere even close to achieving the first step in creating his pocket space.

Erza was a cruel, cruel mistress, William thought. She was probably aware he wouldn't be able to perform up to her standards, which was why she accepted his reward/punishment offer so easily. William was practically handing her free strawberry cakes. And as cute as Erza was while eating them, he wanted his reward!

"Hahaha," Oxi laughed with a hand over his stomach. He was laughing so hard, it sounded like wheezing.

"You forgot to mention she was as big as an Ironback Ox, but you were too drunk to even realize that!" Oxi was already running before he finished his sentence since he knew what would happen next.

"You little bitch!" Dird chased after him. Despite cursing his friend, he sounded more playful than anything else.

William snorted as he watched them go before he entered the guild building. The inside was just as he expected it to be and looked like a pub. He looked around and spotted Banaboster, or so he assumed, but when he neared the man, it became clear that wasn't the case.

Although he resembled the Vice-Guildmaster, the man was older and looked like a mafia boss. The man wore a fancy suit and had a glass of whiskey on the table in front of him. A cigar dangled from his mouth as he held a newspaper in his hands.

"Hello, are you perhaps the Guildmaster of Twilight Ogre?" William greeted the man as he got closer.

"Yeah? What you want?" The Guildmaster barely spared him a glance as he continued reading his newspaper.

"I was wondering if I can hire your guild members as guards for my shop?" William presented his request.

"Which shop?" The Guildmaster looked at him, a bit of interest flashing in his eyes. "You're not perhaps the one selling the potions, are you?"

"That would be," the moment those words left William's mouth, the Guildmaster's attitude changed in a second.

"Please take a seat and let us discuss this," the Guildmaster threw the newspaper away and pointed at the chair in front of him. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Thank you," William sat down. "I'd rather not since I still have a lot to do today."

"That's fine, that's fine, no worries," there was even a hint of respect in the Guildmaster's voice, and damn, if that didn't make William feel good. A leader of a wizard guild was trying to butter him up! It was a small and not very important guild, but a guild nonetheless!

"Not to be rude, but why have you come to us, and not Fairy Tail? I heard you've been seen walking around with one of their S-class wizards," The Guildmaster asked as he entangled his fingers under his massive chin.

"I trust you will protect my building better than them. Fairy Tail is known to be quite destructive during their jobs," William honestly replied with a chuckle.

"Ha! You could say that again!" The Guildmaster slapped the table and looked very pleased that their guild was considered over Fairy Tail.

"Honestly, those guys are just a danger to the city! The incident two weeks ago proved that, but the mayor refuses to chase them away!" He complained loudly with a frown.

"Incident? What incident?" William asked as he hadn't heard of it. Two weeks ago, he was focused on reading the alchemy book and rarely even left his building.

"One of their members practically bullied Phobic Embers out of town!" That was the name of one of the four guilds in the city.

"From what I heard, he flashed the girlfriends of a few of their members. The guys obviously took offense to that and attacked him. One thing led to another, and Phobic Embers' guild building ended up being turned into an ice sculpture. They tried complaining to the mayor, but it fell on deaf ears," the Guildmaster took a sip from his whiskey to water his mouth.

'I wonder if it's too late to relocate to a different city?' William thought while the Guildmaster looked pretty angry as he continued on.

"I heard from Metalbeards' Guildmaster that they are considering moving to a different city. I considered the same, but recently something changed my mind," the Guildmaster flashed him a grin, and William had a feeling that something was his store.

'Maybe that's why no other guild was mentioned as being in Magnolia in the anime. Fairy Tail had just bullied all others out of the city before the start of canon! They are supposed to be the good guys, but I'm really starting to doubt that,' William frowned.

'But Erza and Mira and all the other girls, ahh!' William felt like he had an epiphany. 'It's the males that are the problem! The girls are just angels... most of them... a few of them... okay, just a couple...'

'At least they will end up saving the world...'

"But enough talking about those bandits! You are here for a different reason, now tell me about this job request you have for us," the Guildmaster got down to business with a very pleased look plastered on his face.

"Well, it would be a temporary one, but only due to my current working hours, which are from 8 in the morning until 1 o'clock. I need one or two of your members to sit in the store and look intimidating, so none of the customers think of any funny business."

Just their presence alone was enough to scare away most people that would come to cause trouble. A wizard was much stronger than a regular human, after all.

Though they all obviously weren't equal. A Twilight Ogre wizard was like a powerful beast compared to a normal civilian, but he would be like a harmless puppy when faced with most Fairy Tail members. Some people were just built differently.

~Part 6~

"Erza!" William greeted his sexy teacher at the door. She was as punctual as ever, arriving precisely at six o'clock. And as always, he welcomed her with a strawberry cake in hand.

William was aware that he was more than likely giving Erza another one for his 'punishment' later, but he had more than enough in his fridge. He was prepared to always welcome her in his home with her favorite snack.

"You are spoiling me," Erza said, but despite her words, she accepted the pastry with a smile that reached her eyes.

"You deserve to be spoiled," William replied with a chuckle as she entered inside. There were plenty of people in this world that had tragic backstories and deserved some love and to be spoiled. Erza was definitely one of those people.

"I do?" Erza glanced at him with a tilt of her head, looking as if that very thought was foreign to her. "Why?"

William hesitated. He could've answered that it was due to her past, but he thought otherwise. Erza just didn't seem like a girl that wanted to be pitied, so that didn't seem like the right answer. They've known each other for almost a week, so he figured he could use this to his advantage and push things further.

"You do know that I'm interested in you, right?" William asked, feeling less confident with each word. "And that I'm flirting with you."

Erza was hard to read at times, and William thought she might appreciate him being straightforward with her. Or maybe she won't. He wasn't entirely sure.

At the very least, William didn't think Erza was someone that would start avoiding him just because he admitted that. She just didn't have that kind of personality. And if Erza shot him down... well, it would hurt, and William would be disappointed for sure, but he would move on.

"I thought as much," Erza slowly replied, nodding to herself. "I just wasn't sure."

"You weren't sure? Has no one tried flirting with you before?" William asked in bewilderment. Erza was truly stunning, with few that could even compare to her. She could be intimidating at times, sure, but he expected some men to still try their hands.

"They have," Erza replied and shook her head. "Just not like this."

"Ichiya told me I was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and expressed his desire to marry me on our first meeting," Erza explained, seeing his expression, and William could hear the disgust in her voice. If he remembered correctly, that was the short and ugly dude from Blue Pegasus.

"I was barely fifteen when that happened, and he was twice my age at that point," Erza continued, her voice growing more venomous with each word, her hands tightly balled into fists.

'Fairy Tail looked a lot more comedic when watched as a show... But damn, if I'm not dousing that midget in all of my poisons when I see him! I don't care if there are different laws here; I'm still cooking that guy in a pot of poisons!'

"He then went on trying to touch me or steal a kiss despite me refusing him and us being on a dangerous mission," Erza continued.

'I don't mind if I have to buy them with credits... okay, I care a little bit, but I'm gonna get the most potent poisons I can. Especially so if I lost my chance with Erza because of Ichiya's past actions.'

"The Trimens have also 'flirted' with me, but their attempts were so similar to Ichiya's, I had no other choice than to turn them down," Erza let out a tired sigh as she looked into the distance before turning to William.

"Sounds like you haven't had the best experience," Willaim said, nervously scratching his head and playing with his hair. "If you don't like it, you cou-"

"I haven't told you to stop, have I?" Erza asked with a playful smirk as she interrupted him before her expression turned serious in a heartbeat.

"But now is not the time for that. I'm here as your teacher, and we already wasted enough time. Come now," Erza turned around, leading him upstairs in his very own house.

William followed after her with a skip in his step, and he wasn't sure if she was doing it on purpose, but he could've sworn he saw her swing her hips more than usual. He didn't mind that sight at all.

Erza's skirt hugged her shapely behind quite nicely while showing off her long and toned legs. She also walked just a few steps ahead of him, almost but not really revealing what was underneath.

If Erza telling him she didn't mind the flirting didn't, then this sight motivated him even further to do his best in the following session. William just needed to impress her, and he would get the reward he worked so hard for.

Good thing he started 'cheating' recently by cooking cocaine, err, brewing Stamina Potions. That was another potion that William couldn't find the ingredients for in the market, so he was forced to buy them from the system store. Comparing Stamina Potions to cocaine was fairly accurate, considering how strong they were. The burst of energy felt as if someone doped a bunch of coffee beans with steroids. It was invigorating, to say the least.

William wasn't sure if he would release the Stamina Potions to the public and sell them. He was still considering it, but for the time being, he kept them for himself.

They were very useful for his current situation, and in a way, William was almost forced to use them if he wanted to continue selling as many potions per day. There was just no way he could brew as many potions as he did over the weekend with his current alchemy table. Especially when he had about four to five hours a day to do so.

So for the past few days, William kept abusing the Stamina Potions and brewed over the night. Also used that added time to his day to work on his Requip magic circle to try to impress Erza in their following session.

Though Stamina Potions couldn't replace sleep, despite the boost of energy each one provided him. He felt like shit every time the effect wore off, and a small part of him worried that he might get addicted to them. A night to rest would do him good. He could brew over the weekend now that the week had come to an end.

Despite William abusing Stamina Potions to have more time to study, he still didn't succeed in forming his initial pocket dimension. His magic power just wasn't very impressive to be able to try over and over again. Though it had grown a bit ever since he started practicing. He came close, very close, but not close enough.

Erza watched him leave the living room with a conflicted look on her face. On the one hand, she was happy she would get to eat another strawberry cake. On the other, she wanted him to succeed... for multiple reasons.

A teacher would always be happy to see their student succeed. Erza would as well, though a small part of her looked forward to giving him the reward they agreed on.

William was a breath of fresh air compared to the regular men Erza dealt with on a daily basis. He wasn't a hothead that constantly caused trouble, and he didn't perv on her in a disgusting way.

Instead, William acted cordially with her and made her feel like a woman. A desirable woman at that. Erza might not be head over heels over him, but she was attracted to him. That much she could admit, despite how foreign it felt.

William returned shortly after, and Erza's eyes zeroed in on the cake in his hands. Though her gaze flickered over his face, noticing yet again the dark circles under his eyes. He had obviously been pushing himself, but she wasn't sure how to address if he was getting enough sleep or not.

Erza almost missed the large smile plastered on his face. He practically hopped over to her as he presented her the cake.

"I did it! I actually did it!" William was jumping in joy as a purple magic circle formed above his hand. Slowly, much more than when she used Requip, a small bottle came out of it.

"But you just ran out of magic power," Erza muttered, though she still smiled.

"I drank a potion and tried one last time," William explained as he brought back the potion to his pocket space. He then dropped on the couch next to her, and before she knew it, he wrapped his arms around her.

Erza knew what he would do next and could've stopped it if she wanted to. Instead, she hugged him back and moved her head slightly into a better position before closing her eyes. Their lips met, and she just melted into his embrace.

It felt better than what she had imagined before, and Erza had to fight back the moan urging to escape her mouth. It wouldn't do well to embarrass herself on her first kiss with a man - Cana had stolen her real first kiss in one of her drunken stupors.

The kiss started off as a chaste one. Just a simple lip to lip contact as Erza tried to mimic his more experienced movements. William's hands shortly dropped to her waist and pulled her closer while her own went over to his curly hair, entangling her fingers in his locks. The moment was heating up, and Erza couldn't resist it anymore, a small moan escaping her mouth.

That was all William apparently needed as he slipped his tongue between her opened lips. Erza froze at first, not knowing how to react. His tongue caressed her own, touching it here and there, and gently pulling on it.

To Erza, it almost felt like a game, like a fight, and that was something she was good at. Plus, losing wasn't something she did. Her tongue lashed out against his, pulling, tugging, and shoving. To get better leverage, Erza pushed him down on the couch as her body melted against his.

How long they stayed like that, neither of them knew, but William's hands may or may not have dropped past her waist at some point. Erza nestled her head in his chest, hiding her expression since she felt embarrassed. The kiss, she had expected, anticipated even, but it got a bit too far as the situation heated up. She was even an instigator as she refused to lose in their tug of war.

"You know," Erza was the first to break the silence. "Even though you succeeded, it took you almost a week, and I wouldn't call that a good performance deserving of a reward. Average at best. Not sure if it deserved a reward."

William, who was already feeling the drain from abusing Stamina Potions, suddenly felt very much awake. Erza just smirked after seeing his bewildered expression. She was hugged tighter in response, and she snuggled in his embrace, feeling... safe. A feeling Erza hadn't experienced without having her armor on. It was novel and very enjoyable, she thought.

"Tomorrow," William whispered in her ear with a tired voice. "Let's go on a date."

"A date?" Erza tasted the words.

"Yeah," William yawned. "Just you and me. I'm gonna take you somewhere nice."

"I would like that," Erza smiled. What they were, she wasn't sure, but she wanted to see where this might lead to.

"But I have to go now," Erza pushed herself up and immediately regretted it. It felt so nice to be hugged in such a tender way.

"Mhm," William followed after her to the front door, where he pulled her for another gentle and chaste kiss, which of course, she didn't resist.

"Tomorrow, I will come get you around seven. Sounds okay?" Erza just nodded meekly. She then left with a multitude of emotions boiling inside her, from fear to confusion to happiness. Sleeping wouldn't come easy to her tonight, but she had a lot to think of.