The Heroines Are After My Fortune

20 – I’ve Recruited the Best Slave – 2

“Living the good life, huh? Got the money ready while you’re off romancing?”

Even with the lender’s impatient prodding, demanding his money, Luke didn’t have any large sums of cash he could offer right now.

So, the only thing he could do at this moment was,

“I am so sorry———!!!”

Fall to the ground and beg. A dogeza performed with the soul of a master craftsman.

Luke, flat on the ground, stuck to the floor, began his entreaty with a booming voice.

“I don’t have any money right now…! But——!! This man, Luke, I will definitely create something huge within five years, no, three years and pay back every single penny so please, just one more chance——!!!”

“Three years? What a load of crap. You’ll just run again in the meantime.”

“I, I absolutely will not run away——!!”

He’d tossed away his pride, hoping Sasha wouldn’t suffer, but reality was far from lenient. Shaking his head as if he had zero faith, the lender walked towards Sasha, his tongue darting out as he leered greedily.

“Tsk, tsk, your girlfriend. Pretty cute. I could get a good sum selling her.”

“Wha—…!!”

At that loan shark’s words, the mercenaries behind him snickered.

Sasha, watching it all quietly, was truly speechless.

‘…Should I just wipe them all out?’

*Jing jing jing!*

She could slaughter them all, silencing them before they could even open their mouths.

But she had to hold back. To stick to the plan, Sasha needed to remain, to all eyes, a ‘fragile girl’ in this operation.

‘Hah, hold back. Hold it back…’

Sighing, Sasha began to tremble like a fledgling bird.

“D-do you really think I’m that easy to take down…!”

Her appearance, the very image of a ‘terrified girl’, was undeniable as she drew her sword. No matter how weak she seemed, the mercenaries took her seriously enough that one of their swordsmen stepped forward, and the situation was quickly resolved.

*Chaeng!*

“Kyaaah—!”

“Sasha——!!!”

No sooner had their blades clashed than Sasha shrieked, dropping her sword and being instantly seized by the mercenaries.

Luke, who desperately hoped she wouldn’t get caught up in this, was overcome with despair.

“Please, please I beg you——!! She’s just a guest of mine, has nothing to do with me! Take me, just please let her go…!!”

He pleaded with all his might, but the loan shark, who clearly intended to take them both, didn’t even lend an ear to his words. It wouldn’t have mattered if it was only him getting dragged away, but the thought that she might be taken because of his debt was unbearable.

Tears, hot and heavy, flowed from the eyes of Luke, who had bravely endured every hardship.

‘What have I done so wrong that I must face such trials…!!’

The ‘benefactor’ Sasha spoke of, he did not exist.

Thinking so, ready to surrender everything, when-

“…With those filthy hands, who do you think you’re grabbing?”

*Fwip!*

The mercenary holding Sasha’s arm was severed clean off.

“KREEEaaaKKKH–!!”

A swordsmanship so swift, no one had seen it.

From the moment the unidentified man appeared, to the flash of his blade, it all happened outside the grasp of anyone’s sight.

Everyone there felt it instinctively. He was a force beyond measure.

While Caesar held the reins of the situation, the sound of someone walking from outside began to reach them.

*Toc, toc, toc,* the rhythmic sound of boots, ending with the arrival of a man with black hair, tall, wearing expensive clothes—Aiden Roen.

“…Quite the mess you’ve made.”

That was his conclusion, after giving the surroundings a quick sweep.

“H-h-honestly, might I ask for your name?”

The loan shark, instinct telling him this man was the highest authority, swallowed hard before asking.

“Pleased to meet you, I’m Aiden Roen.”

“………………!!”

Aiden Roen, the direct heir to the Roen Trading Company—one of the mega-corporations holding the empire in its grasp.

No one involved in the money game would be ignorant of that name. The loan shark’s attitude shifted, turning polite in a way that was incomparable to before.

“Ah, Baron Aiden Roen, it is you…! Might I ask, are you perhaps acquainted with this scoundrel Luke?”

“No, I don’t know him well. My business is with a different child.”

“Ah, is that so…!”

A glint sparked in the loan shark’s eyes.

If that girl could be returned safely, it was as good as saying that the rat-like Luke, who was so good at running away, could be captured without any problem.

“It seems there was a slight misunderstanding. I sincerely apologize for the somewhat rude behavior of this mercenary fellow. However, that mercenary also lost his right arm, as precious to a warrior as life itself, as a consequence. Our business is solely with that man, so please take the girl and forgive us.”

“…Very well. Let’s go, Sasha. My schedule’s been delayed too much looking for you.”

Aiden nodded at the loan shark’s words and extended a hand to Sasha, but she shook her head and looked at Luke.

“Aiden, can’t you save Luke too?”

““…………!!””

At her words, the loan shark and the mercenary group were stunned. They had come to collect a debt and could end up getting wiped out. But fortunately, Aiden expressed a firm refusal of Sasha’s request.

“Sasha, a contract is meant to be kept. Especially debt relations.”

“But………”

“That friend’s debt is a problem he has to resolve himself. It’s not your business, and it’s not my business either. Let’s go back quickly, Sasha.”

Sasha’s face twisted into a pout at the relentlessly cold refusal. But Luke smiled at her, relieved.

‘As long as Sasha is safe.’

He couldn’t escape the fate of being captured, but Sasha was safe. That was enough. Just as he tried to accept it and let go, Sasha didn’t give up on saving him.

“I’ll vouch for him. Luke is talented!”

“Sa, Sasha…!?”

“…Talented, is it.”

Aiden’s brow furrowed, whether he was displeased by Sasha’s sudden stubbornness, and he slowly walked towards Luke.

“Mister Luke, speak. What reason is there for me to spend a fortune to take you in?”

“…………….”

*gulp*

Luke swallowed hard, tension knotting in his gut. The man before him was the infamous heir of the Roen family. This, he knew, was his first and perhaps last chance to pull himself out of the mire. An opportunity Sasha had barely managed to scrape together; he absolutely could not let it slip.

“If it’s about magi-engineering, I’m more confident than anyone…! Whether it’s machinery or magi-tools, if you entrust them to me, I’ll dedicate my whole being to making whatever you desire——!!!”

Luke slammed his forehead against the ground, desperately showcasing his sincerity. Sadly, he didn’t see it.

The pure greed blooming across Aiden’s face as he looked down at him.

“This boy, Luke, how much debt does he carry?”

“…With interest, it’s about 4000 gold.”

Roughly the equivalent of 4 billion won in our money, a considerable debt for a single individual.

The debt collector was taken aback, wondering if he’d actually repay the full amount. But so long as he got the money, it didn’t matter to him much. However, the man before him wasn’t some pushover.

“Are you certain?”

“Yes? What do you mean…”

“I’m suspecting the exact amount. 4000 gold, is that truly correct?”

*Shling-!*

The sound of a blade partially drawn from its sheath. A warning bell rang in everyone’s minds. Depending on how the debt collector moved his mouth, all of them could live or die.

‘This is insane, a blatant threat…!’

Of course, it was true he’d inflated the interest more than it should have been, but he thought it would be fine because the boy was a simpleton who knew nothing but magi-engineering. But if he lost his life over trying to squeeze a little more money out of this situation, everything would be for naught. He first offered a slightly reduced sum.

“Hahaha…! It seems I was a bit confused. Ah, right, it feels like it was around 3500 gold or so….”

*Shling-*!

“Agh, my head’s all over the place…! I mistook you for another customer. It was 3,000 gold, 3,000 gold—!”

*Shhhiing—!!*

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…! This time, no lies, I really need to get 2,700 gold. Please, you have to believe me on this——!!”

As Caesar’s blade was slowly drawn, the debt collector’s attitude shifted moment by moment. Aiden, realizing that this was probably the real amount, pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket, scribbled on it quickly, and handed it to the debt collector.

“Take it, if you give this check to the Roen Merchant Guild, you’ll be able to get the money.”

“Y-yes, yes…! Understood!”

The debt collector, scrambling to grab the check, pulled out a debt certificate from his robes and gave it to Aiden before vanishing faster than a shooting star.

‘…Did my debt really just disappear?’

Luke couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Thank you…! Thank you so much…! I’ll do anything for you—!!”

Even though it had been reduced somewhat, 2,700 gold was still an enormous sum, one he might never earn enough to pay back in his lifetime. Luke, who had been rescued from his hellish reality, expressed his gratitude once more to the man before him. Aiden, who had been listening to the thanks with a blank expression, gave a wry smile.

“I’ve heard that the average annual salary of a magic engineer is around 90 gold.”

“Ah, yes. It’s probably around that much!”

“Then, I guess I’ve bought 30 years of your life, Mr. Luke?”

“Y-ye…yes.”

Sweat trickled down Luke’s face. He was prepared for this too. It was unthinkable to be saved without a price. Still, he was trying to reassure himself that working for the noble family where Sasha was would be better than constantly running away. But just then, Aiden gave him a bright smile and patted him on the shoulder.

“You know what? I much prefer a short, thick 3 years to a long, thin 30.”

“W-what does that mean…!?”

“I believe in your talent, as Sasha said. Prove your worth under me, Luke. Every time you achieve something, I’ll shorten your term of service, and give you a raise too.”

“Tears, Aiden-nim……!”

Luke, moved it seemed, began to weep copious tears.

“I swear my loyaltyyyyyy—————!!!”

He banged his head on the ground again, a display of gratitude that brought a smile to Aiden’s face. A smile born, of course, from the joy of acquiring a useful slave.

‘…Welcome, slave. Until the end, you’ll have no days off.’

From the moment he arrived here, Luke’s fate had been sealed. A fate of 100-hour workweeks in the terrifying lab known as the Loen family. Oblivious to his true situation, Luke simply beamed, happily packing his things.

####

That night, on the rooftop of Schmir’s finest hotel.

A suspicious pair, a man and a woman, cautiously met, glancing about. The man produced something from a bag he’d brought and gave it to the girl.

“Good work, Sasha. Here’s what we agreed on.”

“Hehehe, I love it.”

It was Aiden and Sasha.

Sasha’s eyes widened at the sight of the two gold bars, payment for her flawless execution of the operation. She had quite an affinity for money.

And secretly accumulating a little spending money on the side, away from her father’s gaze, to conquer all the famous dessert shops in the capital had become Sasha’s current hobby. With the two hefty gold bars snug in her arms, Sasha turned to head back to her room, but Aiden stopped her.

“Oh, that’s right. Sasha, Luke seems to be quite fond of you. What do you think?”

He asked, half-expecting that if Sasha was interested, he’d try to help them out. Two subordinates growing close would be good for keeping them under his thumb. But Sasha shook her head firmly.

“Ehh, Luke is just a friend! I just don’t see overly innocent guys as men!”

“Ah, really…?”

With that, she went down, humming a tune. It seemed that Luke’s romantic prospects were facing considerable hardship.

‘Not like I’m in a position to be helping other people with their love lives.’

The truth was, he was barely keeping his own head above water.

Survival was the first order; love and romance could wait. He pictured the beautiful woman who shared his fate in his mind.

‘…Can’t wait to see you, Rene.’

A golden opportunity to legally, wickedly, and mercilessly torment the young lady playing the villain, fresh into the role.

A devil-may-care, expert-led acting lesson was about to begin.