Chapter 5: First Revenge

“Oh, our dear customer. Why haven’t you paid on time, huh?”

A thug, his face menacing, brandished a sharp dagger, licking his lips.

The frightened man fell to the ground, tears streaming down his face.

He rubbed his palms together like a fly and begged.

“P-please! Please just wait a little longer! I-I will! I will definitely pay it back! No matter what, by next month…!”

“Damn it, you’re full of it. You say next month every time. How much have you fallen behind? Do you think we’re running a charity here?”

The thug, his eyes flashing, growled.

He was a thug working for Shylock, the most notorious loan shark in the capital.

His main job was to collect money from the ‘customers’ who had taken out high-interest loans.

However, sometimes he had to resort to violent means when collections were late.

Just like dragging this pathetic man to the workshop today and questioning him.

“B-but the interest is absurd! How can it be normal to increase by 10% every month?”

“Really, I’m at a loss. You signed the contract yourself, so why do you have so much to say? Did you not know the interest rate when you borrowed the money? Did we deliberately hide information? You signed it with full knowledge, huh?”

“That’s… so that’s…”

“There’s no need to say more. Guys.”

The thug sighed and called out to the lackeys waiting in the back.

“The customer can’t pay the debt. Then you have to pay with your body. Right?”

“B-body?”

The thug glared at the trembling man and ordered.

“Take out his organs, but not enough to kill him, and sell him to the coal mine when he recovers. He’ll be working there until he pays off his debt.”

“No, no! Please no! Save me! Just one more chance!”

The man screamed in terror and struggled, but the lackeys were faster.

They struck him in the abdomen to subdue him and dragged the unfortunate man to where the organs would be extracted.

Meanwhile, the thug chuckled and lit a cheap cigarette.

He was a man with high job satisfaction.

He felt a great thrill whenever he saw the people at the bottom of life groveling in front of him.

“Hmm, come to think of it, it’s about time to collect from that necromancer guy, too.”

He blew out the smoke, and the thug sneered.

“I let it slide because his circumstances were dire, but now it’s time to set an example. As always, we’re not making money by digging in the dirt, are we? Don’t you think so?”

“That’s good.”

A slender, gentle voice, heard for the first time, replied to the thug’s joke.

“There’s no need to show any mercy anymore.”

“Huh?”

The thug frowned at the sudden voice.

A slender woman was walking towards him from the other side.

A beautiful woman with long, flowing silver hair and jewel-like eyes.

“Whoosh! What? A pretty girl comes to a place like this?”

He whistled and gave a lecherous smile.

“Are you here to borrow money? But the timing is bad. We and Mr. Shylock are a bit busy right now. Come back later…”

“Blah, blah, blah. As always, it’s really noisy.”

“What?”

He frowned, wondering if he had misheard, when the woman raised her right arm.

“Come to think of it, your nagging was the most annoying thing about you.”

Then, she lashed out in a voice as cold as ice.

“So, I’ll kill you really painfully.”

And the next moment.

Black energy surged and enveloped the area.

“Ha! What nonsense!”

The old man, sitting in the middle of his office bathed in the afternoon sun, tore up the letter.

The piece of paper he had just shredded was a letter from a ruined nobleman who had borrowed money.

It contained an earnest plea to delay the payment of interest for a little while.

“If you can’t pay, don’t borrow! You dare to try to take my money for free? Absolutely not, I say!”

Shylock, the usurer, scattered the fragments of paper irritably and put an expensive cigarette in his mouth.

It was far more expensive than the ones his henchmen smoked.

“This won’t do. Lately, I’ve been letting things slide, and it seems everyone thinks I’m a joke? It’s about time I showed them what’s what, ahem!”

Shylock was a man who had believed in the value of money his entire life.

He lived by selling his liver and guts for money without any hesitation.

Because of that, he had lost his social reputation and his relationship with his family, but he had no regrets.

When their pockets were empty, they would all come to him and grovel.

As long as the money bag was in his hands, he would always be the ultimate winner.

The power to overcome the charm of money? There was absolutely no such thing in the world.

But it took only a second for that sweet illusion to be shattered.

“Argh?! What, what!”

The office door, completely broken.

Shocked, Shylock jumped out of his chair.

And the moment he saw the scene behind the broken door, shock turned into horror and terror, consuming his mind.

“Long time no see, Mr. Shylock.”

The woman with silver hair entered the office, brushing her hair.

Dark energy swirled around her like the tentacles of a sea creature.

While he was lost in admiration of the remarkable scene, the woman, with yellow eyes, sneered.

“It’s no use asking if you remember me… because you won’t be able to recognize me, anyway.”

“You, you! Who are you, you bitch! What are you doing! Do you know who I am, how dare you…!”

Shylock trembled and raised his voice.

The woman twisted her lips in annoyance and scratched her bangs, muttering.

“I’ve felt this for a long time, those who’ve handled a little money always say those things. Do you know who I am, how dare you… It’s like they’re all cut from the same mold.”

“Mmm, what did you say?”

“Of course, it doesn’t matter what you say.”

The woman, with cold eyes, finished her sentence.

“Since I grew up poor, hearing similar things makes me feel twisted.”

“Ugh…ugh…”

“So, shall we do it like this?”

Snap! The woman snapped her fingers and gave a mischievous smile.

Then, familiar faces appeared behind her.

The ignorant thugs who did the job of collecting money for him.

The thugs, with a dazed expression, stumbled and stood there.

“First, you will be killed by the subordinates who coveted the money in the warehouse.”

The woman glared at him with a wry smile.

“And those subordinates will fight over the distribution of the money and start a fight with swords. In the end, they’ll all die together, which is my script. Then someone who survives will steal all your assets and disappear.”

“Uh…uh…”

“How is it? It’s not bad considering I just came up with it on the spot, right?”

“Ugh! What are you babbling about! You guys! Capture that woman! Quick! Catch her now!”

He shouted in anger, but there was no response from the thugs.

They just stood there blankly, swaying, like puppets whose souls had left.

The color drained from Shylock’s face at the bizarre sight.

“It’s no use trying, Mr. Shylock. They only listen to my orders now. They’re all dead.”

“O-orders? Dead? What in the world…”

“Never mind that. Just stay still without resisting while the swords come out.”

The woman, staring at the pale old man, said with a laugh.

“Because I’ll make it less painful for you at least.”

“Do, do you think you’ll get away with this! The guard! The guard will come to investigate! When the investigators visit the scene, you…”

“Don’t worry. You’ll never be caught.”

The woman pointed at Shylock with her right hand, sneering.

“No one in the world can do this except me.”

Guaaa-!!

At the same time, the thugs, foaming at the mouth, drew their swords.

Then, they rushed at Shylock.

Soon, the usurer was surrounded by the thugs and stabbed madly.

‘Surprisingly quiet?’

Is it because it’s too painful? Or because of his old body?

Shylock didn’t even scream very loudly.

He just groaned and was slashed.

It was good that I took revenge, but it felt like something was missing because the reaction was so bland.

“…You should have lived a little kinder, Scrooge Shylock.”

I muttered, looking at his bloodied, convulsive body.

At least, if he hadn’t taken the price of his brother’s medicine as interest.

If he had let that child live a little longer.

Then I would have shown some mercy.

“Anyway, the financial problem is solved.”

Clank. I picked up the brass safe key on the desk and said.

Shylock was a miserly old man known for his ruthless debt collection.

I’ll be able to hold out for a while just by taking the funds he had accumulated.

I’ll also be able to buy daily necessities and other necessary items without any difficulty.

Thinking it over, I reached for the expensive cigarette that Shylock loved.

It’s a different brand from the one I smoke, but I’m not in a position to care, right?

“…”

I silently lit the cigarette and closed my eyes.

Then, the moment I inhaled,

“Gah! Keh-lukh-keh-lukh!”

I burst into tears and threw away the cigarette that wasn’t even fully burned.

“Geez… did I purify even the inside?”

It feels like I’ve gone back to the prime of my life, when I first tried a cigarette.

It feels like my lungs are screaming and rejecting the cigarette, and it’s tingling all over my body.

I think it would be better to stop smoking cigarettes at this point.

‘But it’s still empty.’

Is it because I’ve smoked for so long? I can’t feel stable unless I have something in my mouth.

Muttering that, as I wiped my eyelids, I saw something else.

A small bowl that was placed unusually on the old man’s desk.

It was a small bundle of lollipops inside.

Pfft.

I chose a green lollipop and unwrapped it.

Then, I lightly put it between my molars.

“…Delicious.”

It seems my body, having become a woman, craves lollipops more than cigarettes.

Since cigarettes are so expensive these days, I decided to just suck on lollipops from now on.

It would also be much better in terms of appearance if I were to enter the academy.

‘First, let’s buy some clothes.’

I decided on the next step, holding the lollipop stick.

In order to carry out the plan I set, I can’t be in this shabby outfit.

I must exude an atmosphere that could induce the admiration and respect of others, and also make everyone recognize me as a magician.

They say clothes make the man, so that part will be solved if I wear something suitable.

And after improving my appearance, the next step is…

‘Investigator Vellam.’

The imperial investigator and the only person who was kind to me in this damn capital.

I had to go meet her.

For me to have a direct ‘contact’ with Investigator Vellam.

That will be the first step to start all the plans.