Volume 2 Chapter 10 Toxy's Debt
The next day's gathering felt more like a wake than yesterday's party.
We gathered in a private room at the inn, trying to avoid prying eyes and ears. While everyone found their seats, Toxy stood with her back against the door, alone.
"Haha... Sorry for dragging you all into this mess."
Toxy said with a dejected expression, scratching her cheek. Though she tried to smile, her usual carefree demeanor from yesterday was nowhere to be found.
Now, I spoke up, saying,
"It's troublesome indeed, but you didn't drag us into anything. So, honestly, don't worry about it from my perspective."
"Yeah... you're right. Just like Wade said... My debt is mine alone."
"But..."
I leaned forward, changing my posture to continue.
"I'm fine with being dragged into this. If Toxy wants to earn more to pay off the debt, I'm willing to help."
Toxy widened her eyes. I chuckled.
"I won't lend you money for our future, but if you're willing to seek bigger risks and returns with me, then count me in."
Right? I asked for their agreement, and both Ice and Clay laughed.
"I just going to follow Wade-kun, no matter what."
"I still want to become stronger. If this is the shortcut, then it's like a dream come true."
"Everyone...!"
Toxy choked up and started crying. Ice stood up and comforted Toxy.
"I... I thought we finally formed a good party, but now it feels like it's falling apart again. Thank you, Wade, everyone."
Toxy said amidst tears. With tears streaming down Toxy's face, Ice wiped them away.
"Anyway... why did you end up with such a huge debt?"
"...It's because of magic, Wade. My poison magic is considered dirty magic. We were deceived by a scammer while trying to deal with it."
I narrowed my eyes at those words. Dealing with magic? And a scammer?
"Can you tell me more about it?"
I prompted, and Toxy, gradually calming down, began to speak.
"Until six months ago, I was also a trainee. That's when I discovered I had poison magic. But my parents couldn't accept it."
"Parents...?"
"They're priests. One of them was a bishop. We were kind of like minor nobles. But that's what messed everything up."
Toxy said with a weak smile before continuing.
"You see, becoming a magic evangelist is quite a prestigious position, reserved for nobles with blue blood and priests above a certain rank. And normally, they can't just grant a magic to others."
"..."
"But my father couldn't accept that. His daughter, me, having dirty poison magic... So he kept asking acquaintances who were magic evangelists, but they all refused to help... It was a repeating cycle."
"It would have been fine if it ended there," Toxy said.
"But because of constantly seeking help, we ended up being fooled by a scammer who appeared out of nowhere. It cost us the equivalent of 5 big gold coins."
"...5 big gold coins?"
"Yeah, that's like 50 gold coins."
So, the debt Toxy currently has is about 1 big gold coin. It's impressive that her family managed to cover 4 big gold coins on their own. They must have been quite well-off, being a priest and all.
"And as a result, you see what happened. My magic didn't change, and my despairing father got so angry he kicked the bucket."
"Thanks to that, my family fell apart. Now I'm just a regular adventurer," Toxy added.
"...That's rough."
Clay remarked quietly. Even though Clay was a noble, he attended a free training school, which hinted at some underlying circumstances, but for now, I didn't know.
"So, I ended up in debt. And not from a reputable source either. The scammer told me to borrow the rest from here, pointing to a loan shark. It's been tough."
Toxy said casually, though the situation was dire. It was practically a mugging, or rather, a scam. I crossed my arms.
"Hey, mind if I speak my mind?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Why can't we expose their crimes? Surely the scammers are connected to loan sharks, so we could hit them where it hurts and clear your debt."
"...Do you think that's possible? With the city guards?"
"Honestly, I have no idea about that stuff." I say honestly, and Ice widened her eyes in surprise. "Oh, really?" she exclaimed.
"Well, you see, the guards only bother with the noble district and the areas around the big merchant houses. They hardly pay attention to commoners who don't have money..."
"Ah, I understand, Wade. So basically, we're better off assuming there are no guards."
"Well, they're just a bunch of corrupt officials anyway. That's why bribery works."
Clay added, his words adding a grim reality to the situation. But I see his point. Then how about this?
"So, how about this? We find the scammer ourselves, make them spill the beans about their connection to the loan shark, and then take back not just the debt but all the money she has paid."
Everyone's eyes widened at my proposal. While Toxy looked shaken, the rest of us, including myself, were filled with excitement.
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