Spy Criminal Watch! [Solo Private mission]

Elric nodded intently as the Gentleman explained the situation; "So you see my money keeps being stolen as I go to the market, can I explain how? I don't know but there is always the same man stood behind me!" He sighed as he mopped his brow with a hankerchief. The man was obviously extremely well off with servants, maids, butlers, it was irritating seeing someone like this whinge about a few jewel but a job was a job and Elric had answered the ad.

The gentleman stopped talking and sat there sighing to himself, Elric took one final nod before getting to his feet; "I'll find out who's taking the money, don't worry about it. I'll report back with my findings..." This made him feel a little uneasy for some reason and he didn't know why? He stepped out the room and was guided out of the house before taking a deep breath; "I don't like that guy, he's too clingy with his money!" Luna huffed and puffed as she grumbled within the duo's resonance. "I know what you mean, the guy is a creep but hey it's a job Luna so don't whinge okay?" Elric spoke irritably before stepping onto the street and headed towards the market ahead of him.

He headed towards the town center where the markets were often held, he knew the area quite well with the people around always being helpful and friendly to everyone it was not hard to see why Oak Town was a pleasant place to be and certainly it was a place full of knowledge! He blended with the crowd and moved causually towards the market area; "Hey when I get my body back I wanna come here to shope okay Elric?" Luna piped up with a small giggle as Elric smiled to himself.

He began to near the entranceway to the market and so he would require a more stealthy movement once in the area and to keep his eyes open for the suspect man; "He wears all black and is looking suspicious all the time, you'll know when you see him!" Elric remembered the gentleman saying during the small briefing he had been given. He stepped through a large stone archway as the Sun shone brightly into his eyes he was then met with the sight of the market place, which was truly a sight to behold with everything that it had to offer! Elric opened his mouth in surprise before smiling brightly to himself.

The market area was large, pentagonal in shape upon two structured layers of the central building in which all the stalls and market areas resided. The bottom floor was filled with stalls, each had its own unique item selection; "This place sure is big! No wonder the guy lost money here... Look at everything!" Elric gasped for a moment muttering to himself. There were stalls with fine jewellery mixed from gold to silver, rubies to saphires, all wonderous and expensive to buy! Fine clothes were also on sale with gowns and common dresses all for sale, the variety in the stalls was phenomenal and Elric could hear Luna going nuts to just be able to touch some of the pretty jewellery and clothes; "OOOOO.... ELRIC I WANTS IT!" She cried with stars shining in her eyes. The requip mage sniggered; "Not yet Luna... We're working." He muttered as he headed up a steep stair case to the upper level where more stalls were located but more around household pieces and food stalls. He wandered around peering down into the center of the lower market area where stood a beautiful water feature, a small anger firing a bow of water than spashed gently into the pool beneath it.

Elric looked around taking in each person looking for any defining signs of the individual wearing black. Everyone appeared to just be minding their own business enjoying the variety of options and stalls that filled the large building. That was when Elric caught sight of a tall man in a dark overcoat and black hat, there was nothing overly menacing about his presence except for the black clothing, he seemed for the most part like someone who was a bit of an oddball rather than a thief.

Elric kept to the shadows as he hid on the higer level behind pillars looking past to keep an eye on him. He saw how the man bumped into several well dressed and clearly rich individuals before looking round more and more twitchy to the noises around him. The tall figure headed out of the complex as Elric slipped down the stairs to go in pursuit, the thief had clearly made a good few jewels at the market with some skills that even Elric had to commend consider he too followed a stealth method of being and using his magic. He began to follow the solitary figure down the crowded streets and onto a large park area.

The park was full of people, families out enjoying a picnic or frolicking in the sunlight, overall it was a nice day out so why shouldn't they enjoy it? Elric on the other hand had a thief to monitor. He kept to what few shadows there were, staying behind trees mostly as the individual, now out of the complex seemed much more relaxed and less likely to try anything stupid at this point or to flee so long as no Rune Knights or police came along!

He watched carefully as the man appeared to be heading towards an ice cream vender. Elric could only cock an eyebrow at this strange behavoir; "So the guys steals then buys a damn Ice Cream?" He murmured to himself. "I've not had Ice Cream in so long El... Can I put it on the list?" Luna seemed quite downhearted abotu the idea of not being able to have any which in turn made Elric feel bad; "Sure... Put it on the list." He tried to sound upbeat but it was a crushing thing to witness someone who cared for deeply not being able to enjoy the slightest thing. Elric's attention was pulled back suddenly as the man appeared to be moving off, off into the slum areas of the city.

The man maneouvered between the streets clearly knowing his route and to Elric's surprise he didn't seem edgy or out of sorts, he felt like he could even go talk to the guy! The man seemed to aknowledge certain people with a small wave or a nod to which they kindly and happily smiled back; "So they know this guy too huh?" Elric's suspision were growing about the purity of this endeavour and it was not long before he came face to face with the issue in hand.

The dark figure removed his coat to show himself as a young male, a little older than Elric but still young, he was dark haired and scruffy looking but he had a kind face! Children started to pour out of the adjacent homes all laughing and cheering as the boy pulled forth the purses of Jewels he had just stolen... Yet he began handing them out, giveing them out evenly! Elric could not help but smile at the gesture; "This guy is just helping the needy... Good guy... Crap what am I gonna do..." The Fairy Tail mage scratched his head as he sighed, still keeping well hidden but enough to see the proceedings still going on.

Money. Such a fickle and destructive thing, it can turn good men into monsters and take a childs life without its use to buy food... It was a heartbreaking thing to witness, that this boy could be taken for a criminal for no other fault than trying to feed the less fortunate. Elric stood, watching on from the shadows deciding what would be the best course of action from here on out. He had after all furfilled his part of the contract by finding out the thief's intentions and in Elric's eyes, they were pure. He did not do it for his own gain, it was not for profit not indecent reasoning, it was to help feed and clothe the children of this run down area.

The Fairy Tail mage kept his head down as he turned and headed back towards the Gentleman's home feeling content but also unhappy, unhappy because he did not know if this boy would suffer for the choices he had made. He walked back and had a thousand thoughts running through his head as he approached the huge house that the Gentleman owned. He knocked on the door as a butler opened Elric cleared his voice; "I'm here to see your master, I have news on his money."

The butler ushered Elric into a parlour area with finely furnished seats in which he took a seat as the butler opened a door and led the Gentleman in; "So! You found the fiend who's been stealing my money eh? So who was it? Some low life degenrate who chose a life of crime for their own selfish needs, feeding from my pocket!" The fat gentleman seemed almost annoyed at Elric's return but seemed to calm as the chair squeaked from his fat ass being plonked into it, he could hear Luna giggling in his head and he even had to stop himself from a snigger or two.

"I found the guy who you described, he was in the area much like you said... But a thief for his own gain he is not." Elric gave powerful eyes to the man sitting opposite him as the gentleman sat back in his chair; "Go on..." Elric took a small sigh before focusing on the man and wondering if he should tell him the truth or just fight the boy's case for him. It was a difficult decision but being in Fairy Tail meant you did the right thing, sometimes the consequences could go to hell... This was one of those times.

"The person who stole from you did not do it out of spite, malice, self gain or for the pointless other reasons that may be applicable. He stole from you because you are clearly a man of wealth who can spare a few jewel to assist in a greater cause than some fine furniture... He was helping some children in the lower end of town. All of whom have little or no money, to the point most of them look like they've had a hard life and at that age that just isn't right...." Elric shuffled in his seat uncomfortable with the way this conversation may or may not go.

"He was stealing from only rich members of the town to assist in the feeding and clothing of those less fortunate. He himself was not in a much better state than those other kids and although it is an unfavourable method of getting money it was none the less needed... You have two options in my eyes, you can either report this to the authorities in which case you would be deemed a tyrant or perhaps even a cruel overlord to the lower ends of town, or you can help those with less than yourself to give them a future they could not achieve in their current state."

"So you're saying I can let this happen or be attacked by thugs... You Fairy Tail mages thing that you're all so above the law..." The gentleman grunted as Elric's eyes shot wide, bouncing up from his seat; "You take that back! Fairy Tail does not think itself better than anyone! We simply think if someone is suffering and you can do something about it then you should god damn do something about it!" Elric's shouted as he panted.

The gentleman sat back with a smile on his face; "well... You have some guts kid, no one else around here seems to be willing to say anything about it and of course if people wanted my help then they should ask... Stealing does not help! If this boy wishes me to help then I will consider it." Elric felt sick to his stomach just looking at this man, he detested the rich and righteous, so pompous and foolish. "That's your choice, I was just hired to find the guy and report back... But I would urge you to do the right thing... Not legally... But morally." The gentleman nodded once before Elric stood up and took a small bow, heading out the door and back to his home where everything seemed to be correct and not so slimy.