She knew it.

She fucking knew it and still happened right under her nose. She should have had more clout. Sure, one thing is to expect the worst from people, but a complete other is for it to actually happen. The old hag was really stealing her design? Now that she had taught Nina how to do it, she could hardly call it something only she could do.

She knew the elf could easily stab her, but she at least expected it to be right in front of her, instead of behind her back.

Maybe Opal already knew too how to do the scarves. She didn’t know all the skills the elf had, but she had said it herself after all. Seamstresses focus on making new stuff, did that count scarves too? Possibly.

Was she going to get kicked out?

Wait.

No. Not now. Ruby still had to see Opal actually do any work, so chances were that she was leaving everything to Nina and herself. Not only did the woman forced her to clean the damn place from head to toe, but was also now taking credit for her own creations?

Despite not wanting to, Ruby was staring daggers at the other teen devil, but decided to keep quiet. Nina, on the other hand, looked like a deer in the headlights, expecting her imminent death eternally.

Noticing the tense atmosphere, Ruby stopped fuming for a second and laid back on her chair, heavy and loud sigh escaping her lips as she stared nowhere in particular for a while.

It took her a while to say something, but the least she could say was “Thank you for telling me… I didn’t know.” There was no reason to be angry at Nina, she had done her a service actually.

After a few minutes mulling about it and now just a tad little bit less angry, she continued knitting. She was, however, not going to let this get hidden under the rug.

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It was the end of their ‘weekly class’, where the old elf just taught Nina mostly. Though, it’s not like Ruby hadn’t learned anything, since this time she got to learn how to use the bendy wooden rules, which were apparently called ‘measurers’.

There were different kinds of measurers, each used for different parts of the body and, in some places, there were some fancy ones used according to race. Each measurer had a determined standard length for whatever they were supposed to measure, and you would know immediately how much fabric you had to add or remove when tailoring a garment, with the help of skills that is.

“Oh boy, your waist measures ‘a bit’ more than the waist measurer? Easy fix, it’s just ‘a bit’. I know exactly how much it is.” Ruby kept playing what she had heard just moments ago in her mind, trying to avoid eye-rolling, though mostly because she didn’t want to make the woman mad before she had to.

She didn’t know whether she should have to marvel at the usefulness of skills and magic that a Class provided, or if she should just throw that away down the window and find her way to a measuring tape. Maybe Nina could help her get one? Wait, no. “I’ve been through this path before. No more teaching stuff you were not told to teach.” She didn’t want history to repeat itself and make herself a target for more gossip.

Once the class was over, Opal finally addressed them regarding the scarves, which had increased to a more substantial number. Nina had finished three, which was amazing, but still needed Ruby’s guidance when making them and it took her some time. None, however, had turned into an ‘item’. They were simple Christmas scarves of various colors. The design was the same though, cute golden stars surrounding white falling snowflakes.

“So, it is time I start selling the scarves you have made. I have already checked them and I think they will make nice coin. I’m planning to have a few of my friends tomorrow so that they can see them. I have trust in that they will be the talk of this side of town once we make our first sales. Reason for which, girl, I expect you to hurry along and make more, make sure to teach Nina well, so that once she has her Class, she has no trouble making them.”

“I- I- I-I’ll do my best Mrs. Opal!”

Ruby just stared, something igniting inside of her

“Yes, of course. As per our agreement, I’ll keep on making them. I really hope they sell well.”

“Good. I shall take my leaving then-”

“But.” Ruby started, cutting her off. “I just want to make sure everything is in actual order. Have you been telling your friends that I am the one who is making them?”

In a flash, Mrs. Opal’s face turned from stoic to a vivid frown.

“You want me to what, girl?”

“I want you to make sure that your friends know that I am the one who makes them. Nina helps, of course, but these are of my own design!”

“I listened to you already, girl! Who do you take me for? Some novice? FIVE HUNDRED-”

“Oh stop it already, you’re not making a fool out of me, not for this. They are my design, Opal. You’re a business woman, so you should know how hard it is for someone like yourself when someone else steals your idea.”

“Girl, there’s so much arrogance I’m willing to withstand!”

“Arrogance? We made a bargain!”

“Listen, girl, the matter is simple enough and I will have no more of this. These you see here?” She grabbed some of the scarves that were on the table. “These are going to be sold in MY store. Sold by ME. Did I make myself clear? That’s the only thing that matters, you know why? Because if I am selling them, it means you’re not. You really expect anyone to come buy things from a Future Breaker? Think again, girl.”

Now it was time for Ruby to really get angry at this, tired of the moniker people didn’t seem to let go of.

“I am more than capable of selling my own creations! Dude, all I’m asking is that you give credit where credit is due, is that actually that hard!?”

“Yes! Yes if what I’m selling comes from the likes of you! It’s different when I make them and you just follow orders than saying that you make them and sell them in my store. Does that fit in your little human brain, girl?”

“But-”

“ENOUGH! I’ll have no more of this, girl. You want to argue? Argue with the snow, the door is open for you to leave. This is my store and these are my rules. Yes?”

Ruby’s nose was still flaring, but she didn’t know what to say to make it actually count. The woman’s point was valid, but it just felt so fucking unfair it was difficult for the human to stay calm. Since nothing came to her mind to argue, she could only roll her fists, look down to the floor and plop down back in her chair.

No sooner she did this, Opal just gave her a stare and slammed the door behind her, leaving the two girls to their own devices again.

“I-I am sorry for what happened Ruby, but Mrs. Opal has a point though, my mom keeps pestering me about making sure I do all my homework and attend all my study sessions with Mrs. Opal so I don’t go astray…”

“Your what now?”

“My study sessions? The ones you said you didn’t want to join, so I just have them at my house with Mrs. Opal.”

“Excuse me, I said WHAT!?”

----------------------------------------

“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. I’m thankful for where I am right now.” It was a mantra that Ruby had to keep on telling herself, as she slowly started to fall into a solid routine.

Days turned into weeks and soon, she was already in the middle of the winter. On a good day, the whole town would be covered in snow only to be used to repair quickly-made igloos or to add some flare to the boring edifices. While many Ice Controllers and of similar classes focused on the ice and snow from the outside, there were many also quite busy by making sure the buildings didn’t end up with any water damage from the inside. It was quite the sight to see so many skills and magic working, but that didn’t mean Ruby was enjoying it.

Most of the magic had been gone once she noticed how Opal started to sell her scarves like hot cakes. Sure, she was thankful she had a job and something to do, but it just pained her to her core knowing that it was her own invention and she wasn’t taking the credit for it. The worst punch to her gut had come once she realized that the woman was actually right.

People were in love with her design, but not with her. Sure, Opal had hired the acclaimed ‘Future Breaker’ of these parts, but people were still buying her stuff because apparently she had ‘railed her in’.

“What am I? Layla on her awakening day?” She wasn’t some gorilla who couldn’t receive orders and carry them through, but it really bothered her that that was everything the people saw.

Now, her routine was to wake up, freeze to death on her way to the workshop, warm up and make scarves all day, then freeze to death on her way home. Rinse and repeat.

She tried to convince herself by saying that this was just for a year and that was it, but… what was she supposed to do once she got her Class? Would she be actually hired by Opal and start earning some wage? From Ruby’s perspective, it looked like the old elf who had now worked for thousands of years as a Seamstress just wanted to kick her out.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The scarves were selling and she was still faster than Nina, not only because she started learning just a couple of months ago, but also because she was the one who got all the rest of the work, so it was up to her to fulfill demand. At least she could say that Nina’s skill had improved after all this time, not needing as much attention than before.

There’s also the fact that she didn’t get paid for working there, just the experience being supposed to be enough payment. At first she truly believed that the experience was enough, but after doing this for a while, she couldn’t help but think about it again.

Sure, there was the possibility of just quitting, but then every single woman in town would start talking about her again. “The one who broke her own future.” Those were the words that people were going to write in her tombstone if that ever came to happen. She had to shake the thought away. She couldn’t quit.

Ruby really tried to think of something positive, but then her mind went back to the issue that Nina had, basically, private lessons from Mrs. Opal this whole time and she had only learned about it weeks later.

She thought of talking to the woman once she found out, but then decided not to. Clearly there was some weird favoritism going on and she was just tired of fighting for something that would hardly actually have any value. Sure, she still learned from Mrs. Opal once a week, if she could call her winding monotone conversations an actual lesson, but it was rarely something she didn’t know and knew she could do, without having magic or being supported by her Class’ skills. Well… maybe not everything, since there were many things she wasn’t sure she actually even had the tools for, but her point was the same.

She was just… frustrated with the current situation. At least she wasn’t the talk of the town anymore. Not completely.

With the design of her scarf becoming slowly popular among the female population, the Gilded Mirror started to get some form of popularity and the scarves were selling as soon as the crates were restocked. Considering she was making whole-scarves, Mrs. Opal would usually put them up for sale after every four to five days, just to make sure she at least had a sizable stock. The winter was raging hard and strong, so there was never a lack of clientele, though that didn’t seem to satisfy Mrs. Opal completely.

The woman not only wanted more scarves from her, but also kept on pestering about making more items instead of just objects. Which basically translated to the fact that she wanted more scarves with stats and properties, like the one she was wearing. Sadly, she didn’t know if there was a trick to it or not, but she hadn’t had luck with it. She was sure Opal knew that too, but didn’t seem to hesitate to pressure her into it anyway.

Then, trouble came knocking on her door one day when an interesting person visited the shop.

It wasn’t Theo, because while she had seen him a couple of times from afar while he was on patrol, they had barely exchanged a few glances. He didn’t seem hurt anymore, but she could tell there was still friction between them.

No, the person who had visited the store was probably the one person she had never expected to see around these parts of the city. She didn’t belong here after all, making her probably a guilder of some kind.

The one who came to the store was none other than the devil woman she had seen by the plaza the very same day she started to look for a mentorship.

She never forgot her appearance, as she just had this vibe about her, like she was important. Even while she was still in the workshop, not being able to fully see who walked into the store, the second the bell rang, her eyes went up. Nina stopped in her tracks as well, as if she had been frozen solid right there and then.

Through the cracks of the wood that divided the shop from the workshop, she saw the woman. The devil seemed to be almost floating inside the store, suddenly finding itself empty of any other customers. Despite the cold, she was wearing another wine-colored dress, though this one had long sleeves made out of thick chains of all things.

“L-l-l-l-lady Delphine! What an honor to have you in my s-store!” Said Mrs. Opal, quickly falling to her knees. Nina, right next to Ruby said nothing and quickly dropped everything and fell as well, never daring to look up. The human, however, just looked at her devil friend from her stool, not knowing what to do, her eyes still looking through the tiny gap she had right in front of her.

“I am ever thankful for the courtesy, but you mustn’t put yourself in pain for my delight, Opal Amakir, Seamstress of the Gilded Mirror.” The devil’s voice was eerie, giving a ghostly vibe but that could be deemed as firm and stern at the same time.

Opal slowly rose to her chair, sitting back again, but her eyes were glued to the floor, just like that of Nina’s.

The chains of Lady Delphine’s arms clanked and racketed as she moved slowly along the store, her hidden feet under her dress never making a sound over the old wooden boards.

“I understand that you’ve been selling quite the unique piece of garment in this… store. Couldn’t help but pay attention to it when I saw a Housewife of all things wearing one. Say, Opal Amakir, am I correct when I assume these are the so-popular new scarves the cold winds are speaking of?”

She asked with delicate movements, her thin finger moving to point at the just restocked crate full of scarves.

Opal showed no hesitation when nodding, though no word came out of her lips.

“Fascinating. Hard to believe the Coven took notice of this, but it is amusing. Cute I would say even. For I shall assume these are of your own design? Unexpected from a level 14 Seamstress if I say so myself, but do not mistake, as I do not intend to insult your talent.”

Her hands were busy handling the garment, focused on the complicated knitting pattern that had been used to make the snowflake. As if trying to understand the whole production method out of a pure look, her fingers traced the wool. She had seemed happy for a second, but then Opal nodded at her question.

The old elf still had to lift her eyes from the ground, so she probably had no idea what the devil woman was actually doing, but Ruby saw how this ‘Lady Delphine’ just lifted an eyebrow at the response.

Then, icy blue eyes connected with her own green, as if the woman could actually see Ruby even behind the wooden wall. Ruby froze in shock, but Lady Delphine suddenly seemed to just lose interest and dropped the scarf. Her face showed the same boredom as anyone would have after being in a queue for over an hour.

“So I see. Consider my curiosity satiated then. I see potential here at least.” She said those words with a smirk, looking directly at Ruby as she gracefully moved back to the entrance.

“And Opal?”

“Y-yes milady?”

“May The Renegade hide your stray paths.”

And then, just as she had suddenly appeared, she was suddenly gone as well.

----------------------------------------

“2 Silvers she uses a new method tonight.”

“I’ll take you up on that.” Said the man with long rabbit ears still drinking his beer.

“Scrappy as she is, don’t you boys think it’s time for her to go back to an older plan? She has already done so before.”

“Too much talking Lina, are you betting or not?”

The pink haired elf just stared for a second, trying to come up with something witty to say but nothing came to mind. Not willing to lose a chance to make some money, she took a couple of coins out.

“Fine,” She gave a heavy sigh. “Hopefully she has learned a thing or two by now.”

“Guys, seriously? Betting again?”

“You can’t blame us Rain! You’re the one who hasn’t made a decision.”

“Yeah, and you know why!”

“Shouldn’t she at least know though?” Lina interjected again.

“So she gives up halfway through? Besides, no one is going to take her at this time of the year. If any guild already decided they were open to take any strays, they would be full by now. She has to wait for a decision from us.”

“Just don’t forget her hope is a fragile thing.”

“But her pride isn’t. Enough of us this, I’m heading out. I’ll talk with the Green Hearts in my way, we need to start stocking on potions now that the prices are low.”

“You’re saying it as if that little one isn’t waiting outside this place with a plan.”

“Is she back?” Rain looked at the Blue Wing’s official Hunter, sitting by his lonesome in the dark corner. The man had kept quiet so far and remained like so, but nodded at the question after a few seconds with his eyes closed.

“Damn, I’ll make it short today then.” He said, going for the door without more preamble.

Roxys, the Hunter, didn’t add anything else but just smirked.

When Rain opened the door, he froze completely.

“Is that…”

Right outside their small house they used as a base, there was a clear net on the ground, poorly hidden with leaves and fresh soil. Adding salt to injury, right in the center of the net, there was a little mountain of bird food.

“BHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” The guys exploded in laughter, while Lina was a bit more respectful and just did her best to hide her laughter behind her sleeves.

Rain’s eye twitched for a second, not knowing if he should be baffled or annoyed first.

Then, before Rain could decide on what to do about it and to the surprise and amusement of all the guild members, right from the same shadowy corner where Roxys had been sitting, Aurelia came out from the darkness, rushing silently at the other beastkin.

She had lost count of how many bouts she had had with Rain at this point, but since the very first she had always been prepared for it to be the last. This was not the exception and gave it her all.

Aurelia went for his legs first, starting with a leg sweep. Surprised, Rain didn’t take notice of the attack until the dog humanoid had already made contact with his own feet. His balance broke and started to fall, but whether he wanted or not, his Class skills kicked in and in an instant he was already twisting to fall into his hands in a perfect hand-stand.

However, just as his hands started to touch the floor and Aurelia had finished her kick, he saw her face and noticed she was smiling.

Without hesitation lest the plan is ruined, she immediately took the chance and grabbed the small rug they used to clean their shoes off and pulled.

Wide-eyed, Rain started to roll outside their base without being able to stop. Then, just as he regained his balance once more due to his Combat Acrobat skills, his foot touched the poorly hidden rope of the net. Not having enough speed to react, the trap quickly activated and his foot got entangled in the rope, pulling him up and overhead.

“AHHH!” He exclaimed in utter surprise, his brain still trying to catch up with what had happened.

“Crap, I’m not gonna hear the end of this.” He thought, rolling his eyes once he understood the whole situation.

The place exploded in laughter once more, Aurelia quickly going outside to look at the bird man slowly swinging upside down with his arms crossed.

“YES! WE DID IT!” She was jumping in excitement as the rest of the guild members of the Blue Wings came out to look at the results of their short bout.

Everyone came out and started laughing their asses off, with the last one to come out being Roxys.

“This doesn’t count, you cheated.” The leader of the guild argued, a raised eyebrow on his face as he looked at the Hunter.

His argument did not take any mirth from Aurelia though. “I did not cheat. It was all part of my battle plan. I just realized that if I can’t handle a task on my own, might as well ask my guildies to help out.”

“BHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

“She has a point boss, haha”

“Oi, you lot, pay up hahaha!”

Roxys said nothing, but he had a clear smile on his face. Then, without his usual hate for physical contact, he extended his palm a little looking up. Aurelia, still high on her victory, quickly responded and high-fived him.

The group started to talk and fired questions at Aurelia and Roxys. The former being happy to oblige and talk about how she came up with the plan or how thankful she was for the help. Then, Ruen, the rabbit guy with a machete in a scabbard, came up with the idea to go have some drinks at the bar. Not saying no, the group slowly started to walk away.

…

…

“OI!”

Everyone froze.

“Right, sorry Boss.”

“I’m sorry Rain, it was just teasing.”

“I’ll get you down!”

“…”

“Please don’t reject me, please don’t reject me, please don’t reject me!”

Rain gave a heavy sigh as he was being slowly lowered back to the ground. He said nothing for a second, taking the dirt out of his clothes.

“Fine, but we gotta talk. I need a drink after this fiesta.”

“BHAHAHAHA YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN YOUR-” Ruen started to laugh again, but after a quick glance from Rain, he stopped short with a “Sorry boss.” in a tiny voice.

Aurelia said nothing, not wanting to stir the pot more than what she had already done so, but nothing could take away the smile she had now.