"You pay back what you owe. That’s just basic common sense, ain’t it!? Well!?"
"H-hyuh... B-but, borrowing that much... it’s just..."
"There’s this little thing called interest! Common sense! If I’d used the money I lent your father for something else, I could’ve made a killing! I did you a favor by lending it, so paying interest is only natural! We aren’t running a charity here, you get me? Do you? Huh!?"
"H-hyuhh..."
In a certain debt collection office, a girl stood trembling, surrounded by three large, rough-looking men of Poor character.
They were terrifying. With scars on their faces, they were likely former adventurers—the kind of people who didn't hesitate to use violence. She was scared.
She wanted them to stop shouting. Her mind was going blank. It was terrifying. So terrifying.
She wished they would stop glaring at her. It felt like they were going to snap at her. Spit was flying from their mouths. They were scary. They smelled. Terrifying.
"Now, now, calm down, Merchant Association President."
"Hah!? But this girl’s old man skipped town without paying back a single cent!"
"Even so, screaming at the girl isn’t going to make money sprout from the floor."
"Hmph. I suppose so. Then how’s she going to settle the score?"
"We'll have her work it off."
"Work—ah, yes, I like the sound of that!"
"Well now, young lady. This might be a bit demanding, but how about you do the job we’ve prepared for you? ...Young lady? Hello? Are you listening? My, she’s completely zoned out."
Scary, scary, scary.
They were saying something. She wanted to run. Right now. She wanted to go home.
But she couldn't. She didn't have a home; she'd been kicked out for unpaid rent. There was nowhere to go back to. She wanted to go home. They were going to hit her. She was terrified.
Her father, who used to get drunk and beat her, was gone. Her mother had vanished long ago. She didn't even have a house anymore. Just as she’d tried to run away, she’d been caught and ended up here.
Terrified. She wanted to go home. Scary. So scary.
『—Will you sacrifice it all?』
"...Huh?"
『Will you sacrifice everything to the Spirit?』
A voice reached her ears. Unlike the men’s shouting, it was gentle.
So, without thinking, she answered, "Yes." The word just slipped out.
『I want to get this show on the road, so I guess the default settings will do.』
In an instant, a gale of wind roared through the room.
"What the—!? Huh? Th-this girl... her look just changed...?"
"Idiot! Wait. Don’t touch her, back off. Get behind me. Don’t surround her; that’s a bad move."
"Y-yes sir. Got it."
"Listen, don’t say a word. I’ll handle the talking..."
The men assessed the situation with cold precision, their eyes fixed on the Halo manifesting above her head.
The merchant was well-connected. Naturally, he knew exactly what that was.
A Spirit-possessed. Creatures you stayed far away from if you valued your life. Their motives and values were fundamentally different from those of humans; they were monsters in human skin.
However, as much as a Spirit-possessed possessed terrifying power, they were also gold mines if handled correctly.
The merchant made his decision instantly.
He mentally calculated the odds. A mistake meant total loss, or death. Letting her go meant losing the value of one man's debt. But playing his cards right meant a fortune.
First, he would test the waters. The girl opened her eyes. ...He sensed no bloodlust. No hostility. At least, not yet.
Survival was the priority. Even if the debt was written off, it wasn't worth his life.
He would treat her like a high-profile client—and a temperamental one at that. He adjusted his tone accordingly.
"Ah, er. I know I said some threatening things earlier, but I’d like to take a moment to clear the air. Is that alright with you?"
"Mm, ah, yeah. Sounds like a plan."
The girl sat down quietly. It seemed she was at least stable enough to hold a conversation.
Perfect, the merchant thought, settling in.
"Your father skipped town, leaving behind a Massive Debt. The total comes to about ten Gold Coins—ten million Zeny."
"Ten million!? Whoa, that sounds like a crazy amount!"
The girl sounded almost excited. The merchant frowned, wondering if she actually understood the situation.
Or perhaps she just lacked any common sense.
"Under the laws of this country, that debt has been passed on to you. You were listed as collateral for multiple loans. Do you follow me so far?"
"Ooh... so that’s how it works. I’d love to pass on that, but if it’s the law, I guess there’s no choice. My old man’s a total piece of work."
"Indeed. I quite agree."
Bingo, the merchant thought, his eyes glinting.
This Spirit-possessed seemed to have enough common sense to abide by the law.
He could work with this. However, just because she was willing to talk didn't mean things would go his way.
"A girl like you could pay that off in ten years of work in the red-light district. If a wealthy merchant or noble takes a liking to you, it could be even sooner."
"Gross stuff!? You mean pervy stuff!? Whoa, hold on, I didn't sign up for that!"
"Ah, no, of course not! That would be cruel for a young lady, wouldn't it? My heart breaks for your situation, it really does! That’s why I’m going to give you a bit of a break!"
Seeing the girl’s reaction, the merchant scrambled to pivot.
He had to show he was on her side. Not an enemy. Hearing this, the girl—who had been about to bolt—sat back down and listened.
"I’ll waive the interest and the small change. And you can pay it back in installments."
"Oh. So I just have to pay back exactly ten million? Nice!"
"Yes, yes. You can just pay the money to us directly. Let’s see... for the first week, why don't you try to pay one Silver Coin—ten thousand Zeny? If it looks like you can earn more, we’ll increase the payments, but let’s just see how things go for now. Sound fair?"
"Hmm, but how am I supposed to earn that?"
"Y-yes, quite! That is the question. We’ll be betting on your talent here, but... how about trying some gathering in the forest? If you find anything we can use, we’ll buy it from you. We can buy pretty much anything. In fact, we’ll even accept the goods themselves as repayment."
They said a Spirit-possessed held immense power. If that was true, she could probably make ten thousand Zeny easily just by foraging in the deep forest.
He would give it a week. If she could earn, great. If she failed because she didn't know the value of things, he could teach her. If she died out there, so be it. At least he would be alive. He couldn't afford to be too greedy.
First, he just needed to see if she could survive a week in the forest.
"Got it! I'm down!"
"Then please put on this anklet. It’ll let us track your location so I can send my men to pick up the goods."
"Feels a bit like I’m being watched."
"...You’re sharp. This is indeed a Debtor Monitoring Anklet. But once you pay the debt in full, we’ll take it right off."
"Hmm, well, whatever. I am a debtor, after all."
The girl quietly put the anklet on. The merchant’s choice to be honest had clearly been the right one.
He let out a long breath of relief.
"So, where is this forest?"
"Ah. We’ll take you there. You, prepare a carriage and guide her."
"Y-yes sir."
"I'll be in your care!"
And so, the merchant established a connection with a Spirit-possessed.
When he later heard from the scouts who had watched her from a distance, they reported that she had cleared a section of the forest and built a house in the blink of an eye...
The merchant felt his strength leave him, sinking into his chair with the profound relief that his decision to stay friendly had been the right one.