Elemental Cats

Retsy was just about to continue talking and fulfill her end of the agreement. But she was interrupted by the arrival of someone outside the house. The new arrival had no intention of hiding their presence, so even Stitches sensed it. Stitches thought it was slightly familiar, but he couldn't place it. And before he could think further, the person's footsteps up the stairs could be heard right before the door burst open.

Urgent shouting accompanied the door slamming into the wall.

"Mosshead, don't say a word to that sneaky fucker!"

The new arrival turned out to be a woman, and her footsteps rang out through the house before she became visible at the end of the short hallway leading to the office. The woman was slightly shorter than average, but her imposing demeanor, coupled with her rough clothes, made her seem bigger.

The woman with vibrant green hair marched into the office and glared at Retsy with ferocity. Stitches looked like he wanted to say something, but the green-haired woman talked first.

"You zip it! I don't wanna hear anything."

The green-haired woman turned to Retsy and spoke again.

"Didn't I request you to tell me as soon as you caught wind of Mosshead's location? What the fuck do you think you're doing, sniffing around for information like a dog before telling me he's back?"

Retsy looked unperturbed at the green-haired woman's outburst as she smiled and responded.

"Then how did you find out he was here?"

"I heard some rumors about a green-haired fucker going around letting his buddy beat up the Red Hook's underlings. And that they were on their way to your base. I've got ears, y'know."

Retsy only smiled in response.

"What?"

"Who do you think spread those rumors to your favorite cafe, specifically?"

"...Fuck! I still don't appreciate you trying to trick one of the Bunglehoppers. I'm telling Cap'n about this."

"You do that. But you should know I'm not interested in Stitches. It's his friend I'm intrigued by."

Retsy's words made the green-haired woman turn to look at Toz.

"Hey, what're you doing hanging around my Mosshead?"

"Do you want me to answer that now?"

Toz asked his question while glancing in Retsy's direction.

"Fair point. Follow me. You too, Mosshead."

"Is it fine if I listen to Retsy first?"

"What? You don't trust me?"

"Is there a reason I should? I don't know you."

The green-haired woman glared at Toz for a few moments before grunting an acknowledgment and leaving the office while dragging Stitches by the collar.

Toz turned to look at Retsy.

"Seems like the security is slightly lacking around here?"

"People capable of stopping her don't work as security."

Retsy looked slightly annoyed when she answered while thinking of the green-haired woman's intrusion. But she quickly regained her calm and cunning look and turned to Toz. Since the green-haired woman waited outside for Toz, Retsy didn't dawdle and told Toz what he wanted to know. Retsy seemed quite eager to send Toz on his way to make the green-haired woman leave her property.

Retsy summarized the information in a few sentences.

The people Toz had beaten into the ground were part of the upper echelons of a pirate crew called the Sanguine Blade. The extra information Toz got was that the Sanguine Blade was a subsidiary of the Red Hook Pirate Crew. An extension of one of the big three, and possibly a small part of the Red Hook Pirate Crew itself, was after Toz. It was certainly important information.

Retsy didn't have as much to say about the Bunglehoppers. After telling Toz that the Bunglehoppers were doing more than fine and that he would find out whatever he wanted, she started shooing him out the door.

Toz closed the door behind himself at Retsy's request. Retsy leaned back in her chair and sighed while covering her eyes with a hand.

"If that's a fifth level, what has everyone else been doing with their lives."

Retsy stood up and started walking around the desk toward the door after Toz and Stitches were led away by the green-haired woman. Retsy's body slowly morphed and transformed into a tall man with deep brows. A man that one could tell had a gruff voice solely based on his appearance.

When Toz exited the house, he found Stitches with his forehead and toes against the ground, his body forming an arch, and he had his arms behind his back.

The green-haired woman stood nearby, glaring at Stitches with crossed arms. She turned to look at Toz as he came out of the house.

"Finally. Let's go. I'm not done with you yet, Mosshead. Just wait until we get to the base."

"Yes, Mossboss!"

The green-haired woman turned around and started walking rapidly away from the courtyard. Stitches scrambled to stand up and follow, not caring about his red forehead.

Toz followed behind, slightly curious about the relationship between the two pirates. Stitches had a grin on his face, even after being punished and reprimanded. And the green-haired woman used a punishment barely effective on even low level mages on someone at the seventh level. It was obvious she was upset but didn't wish to inflict actual harm on Stitches.

The green-haired woman led Stitches and Toz away from the marketplace and in the direction of the upper tier of the city. They followed a road that snaked around the outside of the city since it was the cleanest and fastest route.

Toz was curious about what it looked like within the pile of wreckage-turned-city since the road made him realize how the city was similar to a conical fortress or a dug-out mountain. But he had finally made contact with the Bunglehoppers, and until he settled that matter, exploration would have to wait. Toz was almost beginning to regret taking on all of these responsibilities. However, he wouldn't give up until he officially became Pirate King.

The green-haired woman finally stopped in front of several large villas on top of a small outcropping on the city.