Back to the Start(nalu)

37- Weakness

"Good morning!"

My teeth flash at the old lady sweeping the sidewalk in front of her shop.

She smiles at me and I wave with my free hand as I walk by.

I continue smiling as I look away but groan internally.

I'm dressed in a white blouse, shorts and a pair of sandals.

I'm just like any other normal girl here who has never left this town...but deep down you know they've always wanted to.

My smile doesn't falter.

It's what I'm good at...fake smiling.

I can get almost anyone to let their guard down around me. With most I just have to be the friendly town girl who's a little bit clumsily and aloof. With others it's a little more difficult and I have to play the damsel in distress. If they think I can't protect myself then they don't have a reason to have their guards up.

People are easy to fool.

The town's inn appears up ahead only a short distance down the street.

I grab hold of the stack of books in my grasp with both hands and juggle them to where they are dangerously close to falling.

Eleven o'clock.

I'm not a minute early and not a minute late.

And neither is the person that walks out the door of the inn.

They turn and walk down the sidewalk in the direction I'm coming from. Just a moment before they pass by me I let the top book slip off the stack and when I reach to grab it I bump into the person's shoulder.

The objects in my hands all fly up and fall to the ground in disarray. I quickly kneel to the ground and start to gather the books.

"Oh my I'm so sorry!"

I push out a reply, my face looking disheveled and unorganized.

The person I knocked into kneels down alongside me and starts gathering the objects leaving me to smile smugly to myself.

I shake my head and fumble with some of the books, a concerned look spreading across my face with ease.

"I'm so sorry, really! I wasn't watching where I was going."

The person smiles and shakes their head.

"Don't be. It was as much my fault as yours."

She hands me the stack and I grab them, smiling sheepishly before standing up.

"I've never seen you around here before. Are you a visitor?"

She smiles and nods.

"Yes. I'm here on a job."

My mouth opens and my eyes sparkle in awe.

"Oh my...are you a mage?"

She nods and I cast a glance over my shoulder.

"I was just about to grab lunch at the tavern over there. Would you like to join me? It would be my apologies for bumping into you."

She follows my gaze but hesitation flashes in her eyes.

"I probably shouldn't. I'm actually working right now."

C'mon just say yes...

"You're here to catch those nasty mages who have been bullying the town right?"

All of my words are picked on purpose in order to manipulate her.

She nods with ease, no distrust towards me.

"I saw those criminals break into my grammy's shop a week ago. They ran off into the trees like animals."

Her interest spikes.

"Did you get a good look at them? Their magic and where they went?"

Gotcha.

"I did see quite a bit. I could tell you all about what I saw over lunch?"

The hesitation from before completely melts away.

"Yes. It is about time I got some food anyway."

I smile wide and motion for her to follow me.

"The tavern's just across the street. You'll love the food."

She follows beside me and I smirk to myself.

It's easy to fool people.

Almost everybody has one big weakness.

Their empathy.

Their human nature is to relate to other people and that makes them weak.

Those of us that have learned to turn that part of our brain off and use everyone else's against them are the ones who will survive.

Erza may be strong but that part of her brain is still on.

"My name's Laila."

The redhead smiles, her armor glinting in the sun.

"Erza."

A smile slides across my lips smoothly.

"Nice to meet you, Erza."

Your empathy will be the death of you, oh great Titania.