Chapter 11: Confronting a looter

Mc's POV

At the old woman's house, I sat in 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 pleasure to meet you." She introduced herself and offered a handshake which took. "Now may you please tell me why you were injured like that yesterday?" She asked and I didn't see no harm in telling her.

"I was ambushed buy 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 regular 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 am pretty sure we aren't that high in 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 respected fields and when they died it went to shit. The doc said that a royal family was also in charge I wonder how their 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 countries situation and hoped those new horsemen are elected faster. I did wonder what the requirements were reach that status.

"Anyway Mrs. Shiruku I came to give you something as a way of thanking you of helping me the other day." I stated reaching out for my sack.

 "Oh, come on deary 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 in here to get me 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 come by during lunch and told me that a woman she made an incredibly complex mixed fabric cloth for come 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 like to know where the shop is to also exchange come 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.

"There is so what type of magic would you like to learn from their?"

"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 am a little of 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.

"Re-quip magic." I answered.

"Hm well Re-quip is a common magic type so am sure they must have records of it." That's good to hear. "We're here." She announced and I so a medium sized building which had the words labeled 'Equivalent exchange' on it.

When we went inside and 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 guess her was our guy. I was on high alert when we moved closer to him watching every nick of my surroundings carefully.

"Its'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 Shupiwa I boy I met yesterday." She replied

"Sup." I gave a peace sign,

"Hello Shupiwa-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 getting 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 how much money he would give us. After he was done, he gave Mr. Shiruku here sum up of crowns and then gave me mine. The total sum could last me a couple of months if a budget properly, I hope.

We said our goodbyes to the Clerk Mark and was about to exit the two women come right through the door. The first was had 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 hair 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 am 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 than 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 accusation. "Look kid I don't know what you're talking about maybe you have confused with 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 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 old lady I know it was you I recognize your scent." I saw tick mark appear on her head and her eye twitch a little by my deduction and the mother daughter duo just watched from the sidelines.

"I won't lie I found them its not like they were actually yours words on the street was that they belonged to a creature called the grootslaang which makes you 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 the mother and daughter, we're watching the whole scene still trying to process what was going on.

 "Look lets 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 back off each and I did a 'am watching you gesture' which she just stuck playfully her tongue out me.

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 am getting at Shupiwa-san here was the one who buried the diamonds and gems you found 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 know they were underground I covered those spots pretty good." He asked her.

 "Secret." She answered acting all mysterious.

"All right please settle down 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 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 bet if you can take this little sack containing some of the gems, I hadn't cashed in yet it's all your." She said grinning.

"Morrigan-san come on his just a kid just gives him of 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, am just bored and want to fine some entertainment." Morrigan shrugged getting the three to sweatdrop.

'Okay I've seen this from somewhere I older more experienced characters trolls the younger one into fighting em and then completely demolishes 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 walking 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 I mean she did see any reason for her to make such a bet with a child.

While the two we're walking to the forest Morrigan just looked at Salem at the side of her eye and smirked.

'Let's see if your like that demon punk girl I met in Fiore.'