ASS 22

For the nth time, he touched his nose, followed by his shoulders, wrists, and every other part of his body. Everything was fine, Will was fine, all the potions he drank made sure of that. However, the phantom pains didn't disappear even if Erza tried to kiss them away, which, admittedly, did make him feel better.

Sparring... Will shuddered just thinking about that word. The number of times he was knocked out, had his joints dislocated, or even broken. It was... an experience he was definitely not a fan of. It was also an activity Erza wanted to make a regular one, and Will was to blame for that since he was the one that requested to be trained.

At the very least, he made progress, and it showed on his status screen. Will didn't have a habit of checking it—he used to in the beginning when he was scraping by and barely earning a few dozen credits a day—but he had peeked at it over a dozen times after he woke up.

[Personal Skills: Massage 8/100; Blessing of ?; Hand-To-Hand Combat 3/100]

[Crafting Skills: Alchemy 31/100; Herbology 22/100; Cooking 15/100]

[Magical Skills: Requip 18/100; Super Archive 24/100]

Store Credit: 8 523

Quite a few of his skills had made substantial progress, nothing too impressive, but they were steadily growing. Will was expecting Super Archive to experience a large boost once he got to studying all the programming books and guides he had downloaded, though that would be after he finished translating the texts from Kamar-Taj.

Hand-To-Hand Combat was the skill that appeared after yesterday's sparring with Erza, and it was already at level 3. A bit surprising, considering he only fixed his stance while getting his ass handed by her the entire time. It was still nice to know that he made some progress there.

Then there was the skill without levels, which was why he couldn't stop checking his status.

[Blessing of ?: Grants access to Bran Bwa's dimension and boosts the growth of nature-related skills.]

Herbology was affected by it, and he was sure of that. However, Alchemy also experienced a boost from what he observed, a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. Increasing the skill level didn't help him improve his crafting speed—something he desperately needed—but it furthered his understanding of plants and how to mix them together.

That was helpful, Will couldn't deny it, but he was looking into how to increase his work speed. As much as he wished to do everything on his own, that just wasn't in the books for him. At least not with his current skill set.

The obvious answer to his predicament was magic. He was even eyeing one that potentially could help resolve some of his problems and was just a couple thousand credits short of buying it. That thought, in particular, made him snort. He went from earning a couple dozen a day to making hundreds, and in just about two months.

WWW was becoming a famous shop all across the kingdom, and he was getting big contracts from established businesses. Not to mention the hundreds of customers that visited his store daily—both civilians and wizards—coming to Magnolia Town specifically to purchase his goods.

The fact that his potions worked exactly as promised helped a lot. Though he had to admit that the outlandish claims—some of which turned out to be true, well, were turning out, to be precise—by Sorcerer Weekly benefitted him as well.

Mira, his lovely employee, attracted even more attention, causing people to visit his store just to get a glimpse of her. Being the most famous model in all of Ishgar came with a lot of benefits, and he profited from that without a doubt.

And speaking of the she-devil, Will turned around as he heard the door to his alchemy room open. Mira entered, a gentle smile on her face as she walked over, her black dressing swaying as she neared him.

"Done for the day?" Will asked as he washed his hands before drying them with a towel.

"Yep," Mira cheerfully nodded as she handed him the earnings for the day. "Grue and Retsen chased the last customer away," she continued with a pleasant chuckle. "He was quite insistent on taking me on a date," she said, a smirk growing on her face. "Saying he will treat me right."

"Something I'm sure you've heard thousands of times before," Will replied with a chuckle as he quickly counted the Jewels before paying Mira her share.

He'd heard that particular talk and many more throughout the day. While before, the conversations in the other room were at most murmurs and whispers if they were loud enough, now he was able to clearly hear them all. It had been distracting at first, but just like yesterday, as soon as he started working and got into his zone, he was able to ignore most of them.

"More than that, to be honest," Mira sighed with a shrug, though she still kept her smile on. "Will you take your shot as well, hmm?" She followed with a mischievous look. "Maybe you will succeed where others failed?"

"Nah," Will shook his head and smirked at her. "I'll try a different tactic," he boldly stated as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Ohh," Mira cooed as she put an arm around him as well. "Do tell, what kind of strategy have you prepared?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," he clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I can't rightfully expose my plan to the enemy, can I?" He replied, chuckling as they started walking out of the room.

"Not unless I force it out of you," Mira said, giving him a light squeeze. Will was about to chuckle at that before he saw her very serious expression. Sweat formed on his forehead, though he still laughed it off.

'I really hope that was a joke.' He wasn't sure of that, and he didn't dare ask, deciding he was better off not knowing for the time being. Future Will could deal with that, but present Will had to pay the two Twilight Ogre wizards.

"Thanks, boss!" Both Grue and Retsen accepted their pay with grins, quite happy with their increased salary. He had to raise their wages since they were dealing with more and more customers by the day, not that Will minded paying them more. At this point, the amount of money he was earning every day was so much, he didn't even know what to spend it all on.

Investing in other businesses wasn't really a common practice on Earthland—at least he hadn't heard of such cases—but he could see himself opening up another store. But again, the problem of him being unable to supply another store came up.

"So," Mira looked up at him, her hand still around his back. "You sure you don't want to come with us?" She asked, a smirk growing on her face. "Erza seemed pretty happy after your training yesterday."

"Ahh," Will looked away. "You see, I'd love to, but I have a lot of work to do, you know? Have to make sure I finish the contracts on time and make sure the store has enough supply. There are also the new products I promised would be released soon," he started rattling off excuse after excuse. "And I gotta meet with Loke since I have a few things to discuss with him."

Training and sparring with Erza had been an ordeal as she didn't pull back her punches despite their relationship. And if he had to add Mira to the mix? Oh, boy, he didn't think he'd have a good time at all. Especially not with the she-devil's sadistic tendencies. As sweet as she looked and as gentle as her smile was, Mira still had a very scary side to her.

"Aha," Mira nodded her head, biting her lower lip and stifling her laughter. "Maybe tomorrow then?" She pushed on, giggling as she laid her head against him.

"Hah," Will laughed nervously. "Depending on my schedule... maybe?" He weakly replied, cursing himself for even considering that the two training together was a good idea.

When he returned with Erza the previous day, they met up with Mira for another short date. And since he had no desire to have another sparring session with the redhead after what had happened earlier that day, he decided to suggest the two girls train together. Mira wanted to get back into shape, and who better than Erza to assist her with that?

They both agreed, looking thrilled at the proposal. Will was happy as well since he couldn't see himself training daily with Erza. It was just too much for him to handle, so he figured Mira could relieve some of that pressure from him. Too bad the she-devil decided to turn it around, stating this might be one great bonding experience for the three if they all trained together.

"Ohh," Mira crooned. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow then."

"Yay," he uttered as they left the store, where an eager Erza was waiting outside. "I'll see you two later," he changed the topic quickly. "I'll have something nice prepared for the evening," he added, seeing the two smile in appreciation, one already anticipating her favored snack while the other wondering what other recipe he might be hiding.

"We'll try not to keep you waiting for too long," Mira patted him on the chest before lifting herself on her toes, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek.

Unlike Erza, she wasn't in a rush to jump into a relationship, especially one that's a bit more complicated. Mira wasn't as starved for attention and affection, and she obviously had prior experience, though Will didn't think she'd ever been in a polygamous relationship. He definitely hadn't asked her, but it was what he believed.

Not to be outdone, Erza marched over, grabbing his shirt and pulling him close. She smashed her lips against his, and their tongues intertwined with each other as she wrapped her arms around him. Releasing him after she had her fill, she turned to Mira, staring at her with a challenging look. Her rival just rolled her eyes in response, a low sigh escaping her mouth.

"Have fun, you two," Will waved at the two, urging them to leave as he didn't want their sparring session to start in front of his store.

A smile grew on his face as he watched them walk away, Mira grabbing onto Erza's arm as a discussion sparked between the two. The two seemed to be getting along much better than he ever thought they would, but a competitive fire still burned between them, and he wasn't sure if that would complicate or make things better.

There was also a clear attraction there, and he couldn't lie that a small part of him feared they might leave him for each other. Or at least, that Erza would since Mira wasn't officially part of their relationship. Will wasn't sure how he would react in such a case, but he hoped to never find out. Plus, he was sure Mira was attracted to him on some level, and as for Erza, well, her actions spoke louder than words.

"Back to work, I suppose," Will entered his shop with a sigh. He was being truthful when he told Mira he had a lot of work to do.

At about four in the afternoon, Will made his way over to a local pub, where a grumpy-looking Loke awaited him. The Celestial Spirit had his arms crossed, and his foot angrily tapped on the ground as he stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"Do not," Loke pointed at Will as he neared. "Do not do that again!"

"What?" Will just laughed in response.

"Don't give me that!" Loke disgruntledly retorted, pursing his lips in anger. "You have no idea what you made me go through earlier!"

Will just continued laughing as Loke balled his fists.

"It's no laughing matter!" The Celestial Spirit stomped on the ground. "You have no idea what I went through earlier!" He took a deep breath to calm himself a bit. "You really don't understand what it means when someone tells you that Erza is looking for you. Especially when you see her marching over with a determined expression moments later."

"Enlighten me," Will urged, his laugh turning into a wheezing one.

"You fucker," Loke punched him in the shoulder, now a smirk growing on his face. "You really don't get it," he shook his head before continuing. "I started praying to anyone willing to hear me out when I saw her stomping over. I felt like my days here were as good as gone, and then she just left me a message that said you wanted to meet."

Will just shrugged. "I didn't have the time to visit, and I hoped to catch you before you leave on a mission."

"Dude!" Loke just stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. "Don't do that again, please," he said with a desperate tone. "I nearly pissed myself."

"Hey, it worked, though," Will replied as he chuckled at him.

"Fuck you," Loke said as he turned around, heading towards the pub. "That wasn't cool, man!"

Will followed after him, still laughing at Celestial Spirit as they found a place to sit. They ordered their drinks, and Loke didn't say a word to him, resentfully keeping quiet while Will just stared at him with a smirk. The silence lasted only for so long before Loke finally couldn't take it.

"Being with Erza has done you some good," Loke looked him over. "Definitely didn't have that the last time we saw each other. I'd say you trained to get those, but damn, I can't even imagine handling her in bed," he shuddered at the end.

"I kind of cheated for this," Will replied before shrugging. "But yeah, I was probably gonna end up looking like this either way," he laughed as he definitely could've seen that happening.

"And with Mira now added to the mix?" Loke said with a chuckle. "I'm not sure if I should envy you or offer my prayers," he added, shaking his head as he did. "And what happened with that being a false rumor spread by the magazine?"

"Ah, well, technically, it's still just a rumor," Will replied just as their drinks arrived.

"Really now?" Loke asked, taking a swing from his beer before continuing. "Pretty sure I heard Elfman crying about his sister sleeping over at your house. There was also something about being a man and showing you what being a man really meant, but I honestly couldn't pick it up from his crying."

"Oh, please no, I don't need another idiot like Natsu badgering me," Will said, feeling the urge of slamming his head against the table.

"I don't think he will dare to try anything, to be honest," Loke quickly replied. "The majority of the guild is scared of you, with all the rumors going around," he scoffed. "Like you being Gildarts' son."

He just rolled his eyes while Loke laughed. The Celestial Spirit was one of the few that actually believed him when he told him he wasn't the son of Fairy Tail's Ace. The others thought he was trying to pave his own way without relying on his father's fame.

Will's ears suddenly perked up as a conversation caught his interest. Since he was still getting used to his enhanced senses, he picked up on things he had no desire of knowing, though this turned out to be useful in a way as it concerned him.

Quite a few people pointed at him or even mentioned him when he was walking on the streets of Magnolia as he grew more and more famous by the day. He was slowly getting accustomed to that, especially now when he tended to hear exactly what those people talked about. However, this particular conversation was a bit odder.

"Yeah, that's 'im."

"Looks kinda different from the photo."

"Still 'im, has the same face."

"Who's the one he's drinkin' with?"

"Ain't that the Fairy Tail mage popular with the girls?"

"Yeah, that 'im."

"We can grab the target after they finish drinkin' and split up."

"Hey!" Will was snapped back from his eavesdropping as Loke called out to him. "I asked, why did you want to meet up? What do you want?"

"Oh, sorry," Will focused on his companion, though he still listened to the people that walked in the pub, using his hearing to follow where they sat down. "I wanted your expertise when it came to Celestial Spirits."

"Look," Loke said with a tired sigh. "I know you mean well, but I don't-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Will interrupted him. "You don't want my help. We already established that, and I won't try to force you."

"Then what?" Loke asked with a puzzled expression.

"Well, before I tell, I need you to accept," Will replied as one of his hands went under the table.

"Accept what?" Loke inquired, dumbfounded at where this was going. "I don't..." he paused, feeling the mental connection Will tried establishing with him.

"Just need you to accept," Will winked at him as he sipped his beer.

"What's the point of this?" Loke questioned after accepting, communicating with him mentally with practiced ease.

"Don't act too suspicious, but a group of men just entered the pub," Will started keeping his eyes on Loke. "Don't look at the door! I said, don't act too suspicious."

"Okay, okay, I'm just curious!" Loke retorted with a roll of his eyes.

"Haven't you heard? Curiosity killed the cat," Will couldn't help himself, quickly replying with a smirk, causing Loke to almost spit his drink out.

"I'll have you know, I'm no cat!" The Celestial Spirit's wide eyes and expression spoke exactly how much that phrase offended him.

"Yeah, yeah, you're a lion, I know that," Will replied as his tone turned serious. "But back to the group that entered. There are five of them, I believe. They sat down at a table on the opposite side of the building. If you look, try to be discreet about it!"

"I'm gonna take a piss," Loke said out loud as he stood up. "I see only one big group there, and there's six of them," he mentally informed as he walked away from the table. "What's wrong with them?"

"Apparently, those guys are after me for some reason. Didn't mention why, but they will make a move once we split up," Will easily answered him.

"How are you sure of that?" Loke inquired.

"I heard them discuss it when they entered the pub, which is why I got distracted," Will replied, trying to figure out why those guys were after him. The Fortune Company was the first thing that came to his mind, but he wasn't entirely sure it was them, though that was his primary suspect.

"You heard them?" Loke asked, returning shortly from the bathroom.

"Yes, they discussed it after spotting us," Will answered as he sipped his beer with a thoughtful frown.

A moment of silence followed, with Loke just staring at him the entire time.

"What the fuck do you and Erza get up to?" The Celestial Spirit shortly exclaimed, his eyes rapidly blinking in confusion.

"That's not important right now!" Will retorted. "I need-"

"Yeah, it is!" Loke interrupted him. "Erza comes back, you two probably fuck like rabbits, and all of a sudden, you are buffer and have unnatural senses! How is that not important! I want to know how!"

"Look, I could share with you how after we deal with them," Will sighed. "But only after that. I need to know if they look tough or whatever."

"Look like your average thugs, to be honest," Loke answered as he sipped on his beer. "Five of them at least do - the last one looks like your average Joe. Plus, you are the one with the supportive magic! You tell me if they are strong or not."

"Hmm," Will twisted the hand he was still keeping under the table, manipulating his magic to carefully inspect them. "Five stronger than your average wizard, and the last one feels weak. Maybe he is the one that is paying them?"

Briefly, he had considered contacting Erza, but those guys seemed weak enough that he could deal with them if Loke gave him a hand. Plus, this was a chance to prove that he wasn't a weakling and that using the Heart-Shaped Herb hadn't been a waste. As much as he didn't care about having a girlfriend stronger than him, that didn't mean he wanted to stay weak forever.

"Or a third party could be using him," Loke shrugged. "Can't rule out that possibility," he pointed out before a glint flashed through his hazel eyes. "So... how are we doing this?"

"Well, simple, really," Will answered.

After drinking a couple more beers, Will and Loke left the pub and said their goodbyes before parting ways, one moving towards Fairy Tail, the other in the exact opposite direction, returning to his store.

"I can hear them," Will told him, having kept their mental connection active. "Can smell them too," he continued with a frown. "Smell worse than some of my ingredients."

"Too much information, buddy. Don't really care how they or your ingredients smell," Loke responded, trying to lighten up the situation. He'd dealt with so many humans over the years and knew Will was feeling uneasy about this.

Could be because a group was targeting him, or it could be because they were most likely going to end up in a fight. Will wasn't a fighter, he just didn't have that disposition and aura about him, at least from his perspective. He might've gotten buffed up, but that couldn't transform his character in just a few days.

After walking for a few minutes, Loke turned around, trying to discreetly follow after them from a distance. A beautiful brunette passed by him at that moment, and he couldn't resist, stopping for a brief moment and flashing her a charming smile.

"Hello there, beautiful," he stepped closer. "What might your lovely name be?" Loke asked as he took her hand, placing a chaste kiss on it. It hurt a bit that he was planning on using her as his reason to follow after Will, but he had to help his bro. Plus, he could always repay the brunette.

"Annette," she replied with a pleasant giggle as a faint blush spread on her cheeks.

"A name as graceful as you look," Loke said, still holding onto her hand as he gently rubbed it with his thumb. "I don't believe I've seen a fairy like you grace this town before. Perhaps I could show you around?"

"Oh, well, I wouldn't mind that," Annette replied, looking away as her blush grew brighter.

"It will be my pleasure, my lady," he flashed her another charming smile. "This way, please," he then added, pulling her towards Will.

"Buddy, I'm following after you, but I can only see five of those guys," Loke said as he neared Will while entertaining the girl hanging on his arm at the same time.

"Are you sure?" Will replied, sounding very confused. "I can hear six different pairs of footsteps, all walking together, though the last pair is almost impossible to hear. But I definitely smell six people as well!"

"A kid is walking near them - perhaps you are sensing him?" Loke offered an alternative after inspecting the group.

"No, the kid just neared, but the other six have been following me since I left the pub," Will replied, certain about what he was sensing. "There is definitely-" He paused midsentence as he suddenly ducked and rolled on the ground.

"Go call the Rune Knights," Loke told Annette before looking back, only to see Will swaying back and forward. A magic circle appeared above his hand, but before he could take out anything from his pocket space, he suddenly stumbled, as if something invisible had just struck him.

"Will!" Loke called out as he sprung forward.

"Move it, you useless fool!" A voice came from right beside Will, urging the group of thugs to action. "Quick, before the Rune Knights come rushing!"

All five thugs turned to Loke as a frown appeared on his face. Of all the days, it had to be this one that he grabbed just a pair of rings, thinking to himself. 'What could possibly go wrong? I'm just going out for a couple of beers.'