Leaving the room I instantly saw her, and as I did I was stunned. Usually I would only give a vivid description to let the readers imagine the character, but seeing her in person was absolutely jaw dropping for me to see.
Mari was beautiful, average in hight at least compared to me. Her hair is long and mixed with black an brown, her face was nothing other than glamorous as it was flawlessly symmetrical and elegant. Her body was that of solid but stretchy as she was fit but had curves an a nice figure. She cultivated a pair of C Cup breasts an a lightly plumped butt. And as she wore sportswear, I can see her compact muscles, unfit for a magic user but rather more that of some seasonal athlete.
An when seeing me, "The hells up with you this morning! You remind me of a damn dog, stop running around and yelling before I lock you in a fuckin cage you damn mut!"
She yells from across the hall, but I couldn't say a word, I was too dumbstruck, like, holy shit she was beautiful?
Yet at the same time, I wanted to kick her ass. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to fight this chick, but looking at her, besides me admiring her, I also have this stronger sense of resentment towards her in me, and it's like I want to just argue back and fight with her. . .Wait?
Are these Hiro's emotions towards her???
Aii, that dumb piece of shit is really trying to get me killed isn't he! I don't even know how to properly use magic, and I don't think I leaned how to fight before I was reborn, so you're really trying to screw me over!
Aren't you! Hiro!
Looking at her I opened my mouth, and when I did she balled her fist, she looked as I'd she wanted to hurt me now, God, why couldn't I have been born as someone else, and I mean like someone normal and not dis?
"Sori' bout that..." I said apprehensively.
Hearing my response which my body fought against me to say, she raised her eyebrow in a confused manner, as if she was expecting something else. In which she was because the Hiro before me used to bicker with her on every occasion that they'd talk, and or she'd yelled.
Hearing me apologize she took it by not bickering back, but as she was leaving to go downstairs I tried stopping her, "W-Wait Mari!" calling her name she didn't even look back at me, she ignored me and stepped downstairs.
Ugh, Are you serious!
Following her downstairs a bit annoyed because I know she was ignoring me on purpose, I started talking, why? Eeh, basic conversion is a good first step.
"Hey, Mari when you're not studying magic what do you do?"
I might not seem like it but I've played a decent amount of Hentai ga- I mean love simulator games and usually, the first process of getting someone to open up is by talking about their interest and hobbies, piquing their interest, and talking a bit about them in hopes that it works and or just as I said before, just makin' basic conversation.
And as I said that she unexpectedly glanced at me, her eyes not hateful but she still looked at me like I was an annoying bug, but at the same time she looked at me like why? Why would I ask that? So I said back.
"Everyone always praises you because you're always in your studies focusing on advancing your sorcery, but I was wondering, what do you do in your free time? You do take breaks don't you?"
Asking as we entered the hallway downstairs, she looked to the living room but then hesitated and looked over to a mysterious black door and pulled out a key.
Walking to it she stopped in front of the door and inserted the key into the keyhole, but she didn't turn it, instead, she spoke back to me, very much annoyed.
"Why the hell are you asking me these questions?"
"Can't you see I'm bout to go into my studies? Buzz off"
Making basic conversation failed, and as she closed her eyes chanting an incantation, the key turned on its own unlocking the door.
I know she told me to buzz off since she wanted to be left alone, but curiosity got the best of me as she grabbed the doorknob, Hiro never really used the magic studies in his life so it was mostly Mari's room to cultivate her skills, but I need to know more about it? That room has many functions to it and it's an effective way to cultivate inner magic strength in secret without any outer distractions.
If I hope to survive I must know more about it and magic, Mari knows how strong of a Sorcerer Hiro really is, so if I start asking questions it'll build suspicion to me. And I can't have that, I must self teach myself the basics before summer ends.
So as I look to the back of her, I'm not going anywhere... Then again, I just thought of something, something that could work in 2 ways. And if lucky, maybe even 3 too?
"Can I assist you?"
Hearing me she instantly turns around with a sour look on her face, "What?" she said as if she didn't hear what I clearly just said, "Can I assist you in your studies? I know I'm a bit rusty, but I want to aid you today," I said scratching my cheek, I don't know why, but besides the past Hiro's inner anger towards her and my timidness towards this beauty, I sounded modest in the moment.
Looking me dead in the eyes I felt my face heat up, she looked at me distrusting and yet I was getting flustered.
Something about that look sort of teased me a little.
But unlike how I felt, what she saw was Hiro just being unusual, because to her I looked troubled and then she remembered something from the top of her head, Hiro's girlfriend broke up with him the day before, and as she remembered that, she thought he must have just wanted to clear his clouded mind, that's the only reason why he was like this.
So looking at him now bitterly, she clicked her tongue, "Tut, Fine. But I work at a fast pace an if you can't keep up I'm kicking you out of the room for being useless,"
She turned right back around, opening the door and walking in the studies, which was bigger than seemed?
This wasn't a big house so as I walked into the room, I was amazed, but right before I could admire the sight some more, I then heard.
"I need you to grind those 5 herbs on the research table into powders, also if you cry while in here, I'm kicking you the fuck out"
Saying that I got straight to work, moving to the rectangular table to the far left side of the door which had a bunch of stuff on it but also the 5 herbs, I didn't get what she meant by cry as I was too busy overthinking what she needed these basic plants for?
So I didn't keep it in my head for that long as I saw a marble bowl grinder on another table to the far right of the research table and went over to it to make these into the powders Mari wanted.
. . . . .
Working under Mari for what seemed like several hours without a break, I caught onto a few things while in there. Magic wasn't really what I had imagined it to be? The structure from what I saw on one of Mari's old boards breaking down a basic magic circle formation was complex and complicated. And when I asked and questioned the things I saw, which got Mari annoyed at me for. I found out after her nagging-rant that the premises of magic and its most basic structure was similar to what I had already known.
This made things easier as I was catching on quickly, but I was also getting tired as she wasn't lying when she said she worked quickly.
However I managed, but I might have overestimated Hiro's stamina a bit too much as I thought that this was going to be a piece of cake, but in reality, he had the physique of a high school American football athlete.
Which now that I think about it, is kind of impressive considering his body doesn't look that strong either?
Hiro's body is rather lanky?
Skinny with no decent flesh for viable muscle?
Wait what was American football again? I can't remember, and when I try to think of things from my world or more importantly me, my head starts to hurt and my mind becomes fuzzy?... Aii this is troublesome.
Working with Mari for a bit longer as could feel myself getting fatigued, I needed to take a break and I've already thought about how I'm going to do that...
Actually I haven't, but I am curious to what she's working on? She's been asking me to do harsh stuff this entire time one after another so I haven't been able to peek on what she's doing at the research table.
Stepping away from the shelf just across the room from the door, I finished organizing the acidic viles and potions and dangerous objects in which literally scared me to approach; more or less touch. This woman had also asked me before this to feed the live ingredients and I almost puked and also left because I hate hate hate these weird looking bugs! ONE Even HAD A HUMAN FACE! A LITTERAL HUMAN FACE!!!
Turning back around as I damn near had a heart attack doing this, I saw her leaning against the empty wall with her arms crossed, just watching me.
"You really did it?"
"What do you mean I actually did it? You asked me to?!"
Hearing me say that she raised her brow just glaring at me. Was I not supposed to do it? Or did I do it wrong?
No No No No! Fuck that! It's her fault if I did it wrong!
I'm not doing it again! I'm not doing this again!
And as she looked to me as I was already a complete mess from doing all of this fluff, she looked behind me to what was the shelves an than over to the live insects which were all feeding on weak herbs in their jars; in which I had to carefully place in each jar. And then she looked over to around the room and to the stuff she made me do before this an then she turned back to me with a unsettling look. And said.
"You really fucked up, but... Eh, I'll do it later, lets take a break, I'm starving. Unless you want to stay here and feed the Agarafti Beetles, again?"
But as soon as she said that I started heading for the door "No thanks I'm good!" quickly Rushing out of the room and entering the hallway. I dipped really fast.
I'm not feeding another one of those weird bug!
. . . . .
*But as he did, Mari looked to the band of Hiro as he was rushing out of the room and into the hallways, an squintin her eyes at his back, she had a few thoughts*
"So he actually did all of what I asked him to do without a single complaint huh?" 'Seriously, what's up with him?'
. . . . .
Walking out into the kitchen, I couldn't really find much other then a few pounds worth of jasmine rice, an just enough ingredients in the fridge for a basic speak for the both of us, but that was all, there wasn't anything else in there, and that had me slightly worried too?
Could there be a famine going around right now?
No, I doubt that, but still, this place is dried?
"Mari, I think we need to go to the market?"
But as I said that she walked up from behind me and over to a cabinet in which she opened and it was filled to the brim with snacks... However they were all labeled, "Mari's snacks. . .Touch them and I will kill you," which was obviously labeled towards me since I'm the only other one in the house livin with her at the moment.
She grabbed one of the crisps from the cabinet and then looked over to me as she opened it, "We're out of money, I–... WE, kinda blew through the money our folks left for us. However I do have a silver piece you can use to buy us some food, but after that, you're going to have to find a way to come up wit some money for us an the house"
Huh?... What the absolute fuck she talking about!
In the story, they left 100 gold pieces for them to use for household products and groceries! What the hell does she mean they suddenly just spent it all up!
"Excuse me? Wait what do you mean it's all gone?" My voice cracked as I was struggling to comprehend how the hell this happened!
"Hm? You don't remember?" looking over to me she cocked a half-smile before it suddenly faded and she pointed to me.
"It's best you don't remember. . .Little brother" she said acting as if I had a major part in this, wait did I? Holy fuck, what the hell did you do Hiro! Are you the one who set yourself up just to escape your financial issues!
No, stop stop stop, I can't blame myself or the past Hiro for everything, well... I can and I will. But at the moment I can't, we're buried under a pile of shit and flat broke.
We need to fix that.
Putting my hands together and taking a deep breath to calm my shaking nerves, which barely did anything for me, I did it again and again, and then looked over to Mari as I tried acting Reasonably, am not a mess.
And I mean a complete fucking mess right now. . .
"Okay so from what I can understand, we're flat broke and we only have enough money for let's say 1 week's worth of food, and household assets?"
"Hm" she shrugged and ate a chip.
"We need to start looking for jobs, or else this summer is going to be really crappy for the both of us" literally.
And as I said that she put her chip bag aside and crossed her arms as she looked back over to me.
"Actually, you're going to need you to find work for the both of us because I have to focus on my studies, you do understand, don't you"
But I didn't, and I really don't fucking understand!
"I don't get it? And we don't have time for jokes either Mari, we actually need to get jobs"
"I can't"
"Why not? It's literally that or we're both going to starve to death or... Probably get dysentery... I don't know much about that one. . .?"
"This is your responsibility to do"
"BULLSHIT! You're just being fucking lazy!"
But as I said that as I was just so riddled with emotions that anger got the best of me in the moments. She suddenly got super pissed and without me even being able to react, she grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and as real fire flared off of her body, she yelled in my face.
"I CAN'T BECAUSE I HAVE TO REPRESENT OUR BRANCH IN THE TOURNAMENT THAT OUR CLAN HOLDS EVERY FUCKING YEAR" she screamed in my face but was nowhere finished as she then screamed and even more fire raged out of her body, "AND CAUSE OF YOU, A GOOD FOR NOTHING PIECE OF SHIT WHO QUIT ON ME AN MOM WITHOUT A JUSTIFIED REASON, I'VE BEEN FORCED FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS TO WORK TWICE AS HARD FOR THE BOTH OF US SO THAT OUR BRANCHE'S NAME ISN'T TARNISHED AND WE DON'T LOSE FACE WITH THE OTHER BRANCHES!!!"
She screamed again making me realize that Hiro was half to blame for why she hated him so much, she had disliked him from the start but nonetheless this was the reason for why she despised him.
And it's because when he quit sorcery to try and live a normal life a few years ago, he dumped all his responsibilities on her, and since she was the oldest and considered to be the most prestige and gifted amongst the both of them, she took on the burden of her own responsibilities along with his as a Sorcerer.
Hearing her yell that to me I didn't know how to feel about it all. Both as Hiro and as me. But what I do know is that if I were her I would have held a strong grudge against him too.
Looking at her as her phyric flames were raging all over the place and lightly heating the air around us, I moved my hand to her hand that had been gripping onto my shirt collar and I told her what I felt was most fair.
"I'm sorry sister... I know that it doesn't mean but I want you to know that I hate you. And you can go suck a fat flaccid dick!"
Voicing that to her, she balled her fist and shoved me forward while still clenching onto my shirt caller as she was about to punch me with all her angry might, but before she could I yelled to her.
"But I still love you, you crazy bitch! And I want to say I'm sorry and you won't be alone in the clan's tournament!–"
Saying that it was too late as she punched me in the face, paining my jaw and making me want to scream into a paper bag as that hurt like hell!
But as I thought she was going to hit me again, I heard the sound of her voice as it was rattled with chaotic confusion.
"The hell are you talking about?!"
Looking to her with teary eyes as that hurt more than hell, I was 100% sure that I wasn't a fighter before being reborn so I was in no way tolerable to pain like the people of this world yet. But as I looked to her with a visible face stricken in pain, I said without stutter.
"I'll say it again you crazy bitch! I'm going to join you in the tournament! And fuck you because I'm also getting a job and proving to you and mom that you're all wrong about me!"
This wasn't just about our financial issues... This was about pride, honor... And holy fuck I'm sounding more or less like a Saiyan by the second.
Baring her teeth at me as she looked incredibly pissed off, I didn't care in this moment, I wasn't a coward and I was going to say it now; And I didn't hold back! I yelled! I roared! And I told that crazy bitch here and now!
"I'm not useless and I'm not trash! And I'll show everyone who's ever looked down on me the real me!!!"
What did I just do to myself?... Fuck...