Chapter 136 - Mountain of Sabres, Forest of Swords (5)

“......”

Kenzo grabbed his head.

"......!"

He slammed his head into the table. The nearby gnomes looked up at his behavior.

"Hey, young man." A large, muscular gnome approached. Contrary to his manly body, his face showed the traces of time. "I don’t know what it is, but it seems like you are worried about something.”

He placed a big beer glass in front of Kenzo. It seemed bigger in comparison to the average gnome’s size. In the hands of the muscular gnome, the beer looked even bigger.

"I’ll buy you a glass."

"...Thank you.”

This was Quantes Bar. It was located near the inns, but it was a place where men drank forlornly under the dim lighting. They both drank the beer at the same time.

"Yes, what is worrying you? Is it okay if I listen once?”

Kenzo looked at the man, studying his wrinkled face and his deep eyes. He looked like a senior in his past life.

There was a strange mood.

In reality, he had no such experiences. At most, there were salary men who got drunk and old men whispering about the past. They didn’t care of other drunk people. It was a bleak period where people became suspicious of any young person who entered a bar.

But because he watched a lot of dramas and movies, Kenzo felt like he could get something from this man. In movies, weren’t there always advisers who gave answers when protagonists lost their way? This gnome’s appearance seemed to suggest that.

"My problem...” Kenzo opened his mouth. It was just an artificial intelligence anyway. He could confess his problem without any hesitation. "I am learning under someone right now. He asked me to do one thing, but I will be in a difficult position if I do it. So, should I do this or not...?”

Kenzo was troubled.

They might be moneylenders, but they were still users. It was their play style to attack NPCs. They didn’t consider it a crime to act against NPCs. If Kenzo attacked them, he could be stigmatized as someone who attacked fellow users.

That was the source of his troubles.

"I don’t know the details, but you seem to be in a rough spot.”

“That’s right.”

The gnome touched his chin and ordered something from the bartender.

"Bartender. Please do what I asked before.”

“I understand.”

The bartender approached with something. The gnome laughed and shook the contents of the bottle.

"This is Mukarasanebo.”

"Mukarasanebo...”

It was a very precious wine in Elder Lord.

“Yes. Did your teacher make you do that while knowing your position is difficult?”

"That’s not it. He doesn’t know about my position.” He couldn’t explain to Crockta about the relationship between users.

"He doesn’t know?”

“Yes. He won’t understand.”

“I see. Huhuhu.”

The man laughed and poured Mukarasanebo into their cups. Kenzo quietly stared without drinking.

"This precious thing...”

"It’s okay. Drink.”

“Thank you.”

Kenzo and the gnome drank the Mukarasanebo. He could feel the unique aroma and taste; it was indeed worthy to be a product called the nobility of wine.

"Do you know why your teacher did it?”

"Well, that...”

Crockta hadn’t mentioned why he wanted Kenzo to get rid of the moneylenders. Maybe it was to get rid of the bad guys harming the city or there was a hidden element that Kenzo didn’t know.

The gnome laughed. “You don’t know anything about each other.”

“......”

"Then is your mentor a trustworthy person?"

Kenzo thought about it. Was Crockta trustworthy? He didn’t know much about Crockta. Unlike the image of his species, he was very gentlemanly until he turned into an unmatched warrior in battle. But Crockta had saved him from the creatures in the forest. When Kenzo asked to be taught and said that it was to help people, he nodded with a satisfied expression. It was a short time, but Kenzo could feel what he was like as a person.

Kenzo nodded. “Yes. He is.”

The gnome smiled and said, "Then trust him."

“Huh?”

"I could tell the answer just by looking at your face.” The gnome shook the Mukarasanebo. There wasn’t much left. He gave Kenzo the last cup. "It is a precious drink but you can have the last cup.”

Kenzo looked at the cup and shook his head.

The gnome said, "I’ll tell you my story. I have lived my whole life in Quantes, but I am leaving today.”

"Today?"

"As you can see from the Mukarasanebo, I had a lot of money. I was a successful businessman, but thanks to a little mistake, I’ve lost everything. All I have now is my body, so I am going to another city to work.”

The gnome’s expression was so serene that Kenzo couldn’t imagine such a story. The gnome continued speaking, “It is because of a loan.”

"......!"

Kenzo’s eyes widened.

"A friend who was my most reliable adviser told me not to trust them, but I believed I could control everything. They used a crafty method to cause me to pay a tremendous amount of money. I shouldn’t have believed in the foreigners who suddenly appeared...”

He laughed bitterly, "I lost everything.”

Kenzo couldn’t say anything. The weight of his life felt like it was pushing down on his shoulders.

"Somehow, I feel like I caused your mood to become worse.”

"Ah, no.”

"Either way, everything is your choice. But if someone you trust is giving you advice, you should listen.”

The gnome rose from his spot. Kenzo tried to catch him, but the gnome had already stepped back. "I was lonely but I’m glad I got to meet you at the end. This is the last of the Mukarasanebo, the last cup. Please enjoy it slowly.”

He handed money over to the bartender. They briefly exchanged glances. The gnome must have a long relationship with the bartender here.

"Be well.”

"You too.”

The gnome left the bar, walking in a regal manner under the moonlight.

Kenzo looked at the clear liquid in the cup. Mukarasanebo, the wine that was called nobility due to its flavor. He raised the last cup to his mouth.

It was bitter.

***

Kenzo moved through the darkness. It wasn’t difficult to find the users in Quantes. He tracked those who showed suspicious tendencies. They were careful, but he had imitated a ninja and learned tracking and stealth skills.

In the process, he learned how they tightened the noose. They lent money to people. They used tricks to increase the interest rates, harassing those who couldn’t pay it off. By the way, a lot of gnomes were deceived. The inhabitants of Elder Lord were familiar with these tricky methods, so they had no choice but to believe.

In addition, there were users who bribed the officials of Quantes. The gnomes who appealed to the officials were dismissed.

The gnome who gave Kenzo the Mukarasanebo had also been hit like this. The users were reproducing the scams of reality in the game.

"Why aren’t you giving me the money?”

“Money, I don’t have it. I just borrowed 100 silver but the interest rate...”

"It is written! Didn’t you see the contract?”

"I tried to pay it back but you weren’t there...”

"Then try to find us! It can’t just be given to you! Do whatever it takes! Am I wrong? You should be familiar with all the people here.” They were no different from the gangsters, or Yakuza, in reality. "If you don’t have the money, there is this. Your house. Sell your house. Then all the money will be paid back. Eh?”

"This house has been in my family for generations...”

"Then give us the money!”

“Hiik!”

There was a disturbance as the furniture in the house started to be smashed.

“P-Please stop!”

"The money?”

“......”

“Nothing?”

"The rate is too...we no longer...”

"Then get out of this house! Foreclosure!”

Users armed with weapons and armor entered the house and threatened the gnomes. The guards of Quantes arrived after being informed of the turmoil. The users immediately changed their attitude, showing their papers and letters.

“Ah! You worked hard! We’re a little noisy, so we’re sorry. Do you see these papers here? We are doing legitimate work. Don’t worry.”

The guards faced the users and saw that there were no problems with the documentation. They looked at each other and nodded. "Please be careful of making a lot of noise. A report was received.”

“Ah. I’m sorry. Hahaha.”

“Then.”

After the guards left, it was a repetition of the previous situation.

"Typical NPCs. Kukuk. Hey guys, shake this house. What is going to happen?”

“Brother. Is this little one yours?”

It happened when they tried to touch the family of the victim.

Kenzo felt something inside him break. A memory from his past. Whenever he was bullied, he could endure anything about himself; however, he couldn’t stand any insults to his family. However, he didn’t have the power to resist. The wounds from that period time still hadn’t healed, and felt like it had festered over with gangrene.

It was why he wanted to become like a hero in cartoons and help people.

‘Don’t be stupid.’

Kenzo revealed his body and entered the house. The people inside were bewildered at the emergence of another user and called out, "Who is it?"

Kenzo replied with his sword instead of words. He was a high-level user, and in recent days, he had gone through Pinnacle training with Crockta. The overall level of the users had increased a lot, but he could nonetheless slaughter these types of people.

His claymore slashed at the users. They turned into white particles in an instant. The only gnome NPC working with the moneylenders was trembling. Kenzo grabbed his collar and demanded.

"If you don’t want to die, tell me where all the people in your organization are.”

The gnome started thinking. Kenzo swung his greatsword. A few pieces of hair from the gnome fell down. If it was a little more angled, the gnome would’ve died instantly. The gnome shook.

"This is your last chance. One. Two...”

The gnome came clean before he finished speaking. He told Kenzo all the important points, including the number of people in their group and the position of the leader. Kenzo gained the information and brandished his sword. The gnome’s head was hit and he fainted.

The night wasn’t over yet. Kenzo began to move. The moneylenders were spread all over the place, but their core force was together. Kenzo dealt with the remnants. He repeated this work until it was daytime.

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

As the users got in contact with each other, he soon became surrounded by a lot of them.

Strong. A few were on a level similar to Kenzo. This made it more annoying. The level of the users was good enough not to bother anyone this way. Nevertheless, they gave out loans and bullied anyone who couldn’t pay.

It didn’t matter that they were committing evil against NPCs. Just...he remembered the deep eyes of the gnome who bought him the Mukarasanebo. There was also the face of the child who looked up at the users surrounding him with fear. The family begging for the child not to become hurt. The mother’s tears as she embraced her children.

All of this meant he couldn’t hold back his irritation. He couldn’t bear these feelings and wielded his blade.

"You are a user like us. What are you trying to do?” They asked him.

Kenzo ignored them and rushed in. It was an unfavorable fight. There wasn’t much difference in level and they outnumbered him. Maybe some of them were superior to Kenzo. He was alone.

However, it didn’t feel like that. He grasped his claymore and recalled the time with Crockta. Swords were flying towards him. There were many of them. A fast speed. He shouldn’t have been able to avoid them.

However, Kenzo didn’t die.

[Your assimilation rate has risen.]

[Your assimilation rate has risen.]

[Your assimilation rate has risen.]

[Your assimilation rate has risen...]

Unity with the world. The world of Elder Lord was pushing at his back.

Kenzo gripped his claymore and plunged into the encirclement.

Then.

The world slowed.

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