Consumer of All (Morphing reader x RWBY)

Suspicious activity

VALE and Peach were dropped off outside the village they were supposed to aid. It was a medium-sized town with stone walls surrounding it. There were dozens of houses, a marketplace, a public hot spring, a blacksmith, a clinic, an inn, and a mayor's mansion which was in the center. The group of five was allowed entrance after Peach showed her professor ID to the guards.

"Those poor watchmen must have long shifts. The locals here are terrified," Peach told her students as they walked toward the mayor's estate. "We have to save them, not just for our experience or Beacon's reputation, but for the sake of their lives."

"I agree. The situation here is too tragic..." Lydia said sadly. The people in the streets showed a clear lack of happiness. Everyone had downcast expressions or were trying to hide their emotions under a clear facade. It hurt to look at after a while.

The group of five had an audience with the mayor of this town so they knew exactly what they had to do. The mission details back at Beacon were somewhat vague, so this was imperative to their success. However, the mayor wasn't very helpful. He was a severely overweight middle-aged man with a bald head. His mansion was full of female maids who seemed discontent with their occupation here. Many of them were faunus, and those who were showed signs of abuse. Bruises, whip lashes, handprints, etc. 

It made the blood of the huntresses boil, but not as nearly as much as Y/N's. He would've killed the mayor instantly if he wasn't a noble. This meant laying hands on him would bring legal consequences. Killing him in broad daylight would be an easy death penalty. It was very unfair, but it was a result of the mayor's father being a very renowned and respected official before him. His son had legal insurance coverage. 

To make it worse, he ogled the girls of VALE without trying to hide it. Veins bulged from Y/N's body, but he managed to restrain himself thanks to Vila rubbing his back with her tail. 

"In short, get rid of all the monsters in the forest and protect my land. Any questions?" The fat mayor asked. Nobody said anything for a moment, before Peach spoke up bravely.

"I wonder, how is it that you're enjoying luxury here while the townspeople suffer...?" She glared at him coldly. "Not to mention all of your maids are female, and many of them seem to be abused... could you explain that?"

"Er..." The bald man finally noticed their gloomy expressions. Normally he wouldn't have any reason to fear a group of women, but these were huntresses. They could kill him faster than he could blink. The swole one was also a point of fear and envy. How could a kid like him be so muscular? His face was so young. The mayor finally came up with an answer, acting dumb. "The town situation is out of my control, which is why I sent a request to Beacon for an extermination group. As for my estate, well, most of my maids are former White Fang members convicted of heinous crimes. I relieved them of their penalties and hired them instead. Isn't this a kind act?"

"..." Peach wanted to retort, but there was nothing to say. If he spoke true, then they couldn't call him out on anything. The legal system of Vale was weak when it came to protecting the lower class. This, everyone in Vale knew. It was a massive motivator for young adults to become hunters and to exempt themselves from taxes and gain better living conditions. Not to mention, the ability to protect themselves. 

She led VALE out of the manor in furious silence. As they left, something caught Y/N's eye. He saw a young faunus girl with large elephant-like ears. She couldn't be older than 14, appearing even less mature than Ruby. The little faunus limped around as she swept the floor. Her face was contorted in pain and her eyes were puffy and red. She accidentally dropped her broom, and as she bent over to grab it she revealed her torn undergarments. They were obviously ripped roughly and suddenly.