ALL NOVEL Chapter 66
Knock, knock.
No matter how many times I knock…
The man with the gray hair beyond the glass wall continues to enjoy his coffee without a care in the world.
I’m pretty sure I saw a business card with the Crow Pay emblem a moment ago.
If he’s a student of the academy, there’s no way he wouldn’t have heard of Crow Pay.
It’s one of the seven most recognized large guilds in the empire, PLUS the guild master, Rezilus, is a former captain of the imperial guard.
He’s the one who should be showing interest first.
“Just a rookie… Did he think it was a joke?”
Chic.
Sara drops the half-smoked cigarette and stamps it out with her shoe.
Then she steps into the cafe and heads towards her target, the man named Lev Denec.
Plop.
Even as she sits across from him, Lev doesn’t seem to be interested in Sara at all.
Knock, knock.
“Excuse me.”
“…”
“Can you hear me?”
“…”
After tapping the table and calling out right in front of him, he finally meets her gaze.
He seemed more handsome than expected when viewed from the outside.
In the guild, you’d have to look like someone as impressive as the vice-master, Raikan, to compete.
“I’ve heard you’re quite the troublemaker.”
Of course, Sara had done her homework on this guy.
He caused quite a ruckus during the entrance exams, not to mention he isn’t held in high regard among the other students, and now he’s embroiled in some unusual incident.
Challenging Caeran to a duel is something one wouldn’t typically do with a sane mindset.
“I just gave you my business card. Did you see it?”
“Yeah.”
Sara felt a bit embarrassed by how curt his reply was.
Normally, other students would rush over with interest first.
This guy doesn’t seem too keen on it.
Well, it’s a rare pattern she’s seen.
Someone with a high self-esteem, rebuffing to up their own value.
The Denec family is known to produce decent magicians.
But this guy is currently in a state of disgrace.
Usually, they’d run to their family head, begging for forgiveness, but…
It seems he hasn’t even done that.
With that level of pride, it’s any wonder things are flowing as expected.
Sara picks up the business card with two fingers and flutters it while asking, “Are you going to take my card or not?”
Just then, she got a lengthy reply for the first time.
“Isn’t it the other way around?”
“Huh?”
“Shouldn’t it be: ‘Please take my card?’”
“…Heh.”
Sara can’t help but chuckle at his audacity.
Nobles really are something, aren’t they?
Even if he’s stepping down to be someone’s subordinate in the guild, he acts all high and mighty.
“Why would I?”
In response to Sara’s question, Lev slowly began to answer as if he expected this.
“First off, I don’t think the scout is particularly keen on me…”
“…”
“Yet you came all the way here just to put out that cigarette before coming to see me. You must be trying to separate business from pleasure, right?”
“…”
“That means someone in the upper echelon must be interested in me… am I wrong?”
“…”
For his age, he’s surprisingly perceptive.
“The captain over there seems to have quite the personality. Don’t blame me if things go south.”
“…”
Swish.
After saying that, Lev stood up from his seat.
Sara had no choice but to acknowledge it.
“Hold on a minute.”
She realized she had been a bit rude.
She didn’t quite grasp why Rezilus would take interest in such a man, and she also thought there’s no way a B-rank student would turn down an offer from Crow Pay.
‘How did I earn my trust in the first place…!’
Sara stood up as if she’d made up her mind.
“First, let me apologize for my approach…”
“Oh?”
“As you said, the upper ranks are interested in you. So, would you please take my business card?”
With her right hand holding the card and her left arm supporting her wrist, she respectfully offered it.
This was the most polite method she’d ever used in her scouting efforts.
She’d managed to pull off deals where she had nothing to lose until now.
And then came the refreshing reply.
“Not interested.”
Thud.
“Stepped in it this time…”
Leaving Sara behind in the cafe, I quicken my pace outside.
If it were up to me, I’d sprinkle some salt, just for good measure.
Although Crow Pay appears to be a prestigious association on the surface, in reality, it’s a shady villain guild.
Just like the saying goes, “Use them until they’re no longer useful and toss them aside.”
In the later half of the fanfic, as the demons ramp up their offensives, the guild’s influence grows, overshadowing even the imperial power.
Consequently, Rezilus gets involved with the demons to achieve his ambitions.
When the ugly past of trying to embroil each war hero came to light, Caeran betrays this guild and earns the Empire’s trust by eliminating them.
Ultimately, it’s thanks to that trust that we see the absurd ending in the fanfic…
In any case, even at this point in time, I know Crow Pay is involved in some pretty shady business to expand its influence.
The place I’m heading to is probably one of those operations hosted by Crow Pay.
A gambling den.
*
Crackle.
In this life, I’m not one to enjoy gambling.
There’s just too much risk involved.
However, now that Caeran has been infected by a parasite, that’s a different story.
Most of the academy students probably won’t notice the change in Caeran.
Even if they suspect something, they might just think, “Oh, he looks a bit off,” not at all considering they could lose to a C-rank.
So I definitely can’t let this golden opportunity slip away.
One downside is that the betting for matches hosted by the academy can only be done using gems that are only valid within the school, with limited amounts to wager.
This means I’d have to participate in the private bets run by mercenaries outside the academy in the old district.
“What is this place…?”
Aria, who followed me to keep an eye on things, looks at me suspiciously.
The drunken voices of some old men and the occasional high-pitched giggle mix together.
I’ve barely taken a few steps outside the academy and already the stench of the underworld fills the air.
I can even see the Magic Tower of the academy from here.
Ah, I see what they mean by “the darkest place is right under the lamp.”
The academy’s security is excellent, thanks to the empire overseeing it, but most towns were always set in a state of emergency anyway.
Tick!
Tick!
As the sun begins to set and the surroundings glow a reddish hue like it’s absorbing the sunset…
We’ve arrived at the red-light district.
Without even realizing that Aria’s gaze is starting to chill as she catches on.
I say it casually, “Aria, be my master just for today.”
“……”
Silence.
“Y… You should have warned me in advance!”
“Sorry.”
“This is the last time. I’m only following because I didn’t know! If they find out a student like me came to a place like this, I’ll get demerit points, you know?!”
“…Yeah.”
It took a fair bit of time to clear up the misunderstandings.
Aria, always one step ahead of me, still looked as red as a tomato.
‘She really has no immunity to this kind of stuff…’
In any case, the reason I temporarily declared Aria my master is simple.
The academy students can’t participate in this gambling… so I disguised her as a lady while I’m just a servant.
The rest of the troubles can be dealt with by simply stuffing money into the system like in the original game.
“Anyway, I’ll need you to act starting now.”
“I don’t really want to…”
Thus, we entered the tavern that also functions as a gambling den.
Drink up!
So, where did you place your bet this time?
Number 13!
As expected of grade competition, students watch the matches in this shady place and bet on the outcomes.
It’s a bit amusing that it feels the exact opposite of the Roman Colosseum’s gladiators.
“Ah, welcome!”
Just then, a freckled waitress greets us.
“What brings you to such a dilapidated place?”
Since Aria was dressed in a fancy blue robe with some intricate needlework, she looked quite out of place in this dreary gambling den.
Her appearance is stunning, and even if she’s a foster daughter, a noble is a noble.
Naturally, all eyes turn toward us.
That works out for me.
I quickly pull down my shabby robe from my head and step forward in front of Aria.
“My lady was curious about what venues like this felt like.”
Clink.
I pull out two gold coins.
Her eyes widen at the sight.
I then lean over to whisper in the waitress’s ear.
“Find us the quietest spot. And keep the food as refined as possible.”
“Ah… Yes…”
Silence.
The only spot separated by a curtain,
In front of us were the finest dishes the tavern had to offer while Aria sat there dumbfounded.
She probably wasn’t used to this, but she looked like a naive noble girl at first glance.
“Take this.”
As I handed the waitress, Betty, another gold coin, she caught on quickly.
“Are you planning to keep this a secret from the lady?”
“Yeah. She wouldn’t approve of it.”
If I told Aria I was gambling, she would never allow it.
Clang!
I pulled out a bag full of gold coins and presented it to her.
“Seven-day schedule. To a man named Edwin Gwynn.”
“Ah… Y-Yes??”
Betty’s eyes grew bigger as she checked the bag.
“Are you betting all of this???!!?”
“Yep, 277 gold.”
The amount I was betting was the entirety of my cut from taking down the Black Armor.
Roughly, 1 gold is valued at about 100,000 won in this world.
The cost of living in the old district is cheaper than Korea, so 1 gold is equals to about 90 pints of beer.
“What’s the payout ratio?”
“It’s at least over 8 times! But… no one has bet this much before…”
8 times isn’t as high as I’d expected.
There seems to be quite a few people looking for a major turnaround.
“That’s fine. Just go ahead with it.”
“Yes, then…!”
Betty clumsily took my bag of gold coins and headed toward a rugged-looking man on the second floor.
He’s probably an administrator with a decent rank in the guild that manages this gambling table, Crow Pay.
Just then, I caught the conversation from some mercenaries nearby.
“Ever since the new guild took over, hasn’t the fees skyrocketed?”
“Right? They’re practically robbing us.”
“They may say they aren’t, but they’re taking a huge cut.”
Seems like some behind-the-scenes gossip about Crow Pay.
It’s not illegal, but since it’s run by these folks, it’s certainly dubious.
Betty came back to me looking worried.
“I just wanted to mention… with a large amount like this… even if you win, the fees will be astronomical.”
“Really?”
“Yes, it might not be good to say this, but everyone’s been very dissatisfied with the new management guild.”
Maybe Betty just felt compelled to say something since I tipped her more than expected.
She seems quite talkative.
“There’s been a lot of chatter about the new auction rules they brought in.”
“New auction rules?”
“Yes.”
Betty explained the new scheme like so.
Raids typically involve over 20 participants in large party gameplay.
The loot obtained from these raids would be sold at imperial auctions held every quarter.
The proceeds would be distributed among the 20 participants based on their contributions.
But Crow Pay discovered and took charge of a lower-level raid, changing it to allow only the 20 participants to bid first— a method where the highest bidder gets the item.
And naturally, the final winner is someone Crow Pay had prearranged.
“Crow Pay’s subcontracted guilds have no bidding rights, and mercenaries can’t compete due to lack of funds.”
In simple terms, it’s a passion pay scheme.
Crow Pay gets the loot at rock-bottom prices by bidding just slightly above what the mercenaries have, leading to the distribution amounts being drastically lower than what is sold at the imperial auction.
And then Crow Pay maximizes their profit by selling off the plundered goods in the imperial auction… that’s how it works.
‘No wonder Caeran came back with full gear after joining Crow Pay…’
This was clearly a scheme exploiting lower-tier mercenaries while no larger guilds were paying attention to the lower-tier raids.
I muttered quietly to myself.
“I feel like a washing machine.”
“Huh? Wash— Wait, do I smell??”
“No, not that.”
Maybe it’s just because I saw something disgusting brewing.
I feel like I want to stir things up a bit…
Just then, a brilliant idea came to me.
“Wait a minute… could it be…?”
I asked Betty again, “Are there any raids hosted by Crow Pay this week?”
“Hmm? You’d have to ask the guild’s employment office, but I heard a guest mention that there’s one next week…”
That feels like I’ve pinpointed an important turning point.
[Memorize: Ring of Induction]
I remember that Rezilus said he obtained this seemingly ordinary ring at an auction happening in the empire…
If everything goes well, I might just be able to pull this off without lifting a finger!