“Good morning!”
I shouted cheerfully as I came down to the first floor, but Ellie’s reaction was less than enthusiastic.
“Guuuur….”
Slumped over the counter, Ellie looked like she was half-melting. Was she really struggling, or was it just an act? Her once perked-up ears now drooped, and her slowly swaying tail was hanging limply.
“Did Ellie die…?”
“Ugh….”
Even when I poked her shoulder, all I got back was her zombie-like voice. Concerned it might be serious, I leaned in closer.
“Ugh! Smells like alcohol… how much did you drink?!”
“…….”
In response, Ellie extended two fingers toward me.
“Huh? You drank 2 bottles and ended up like this? You must be surprisingly weak to alcohol.”
“No….”
With a voice that sounded like it crawled out from hell, she corrected my assumption.
“Ah? So you drank for 2 more hours after that! Well… drinking non-stop for 2 hours can do that to you. Thinking back, you smoked quite a bit yesterday too. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“That’s not it… and no, I’m not okay….”
Ellie’s complexion had turned pale. So then, what did those fingers mean?
I tilted my head for a moment, but it didn’t take long to figure out the source of my discomfort.
There should have been bottles of alcohol densely packed behind the counter, but it was completely empty. Only two expensive-looking bottles remained.
Wait, does that mean she drank everything except those two? That’s a bit scary.
“Ellie… what happens if a tavern owner drinks all the alcohol?”
“Jonah, you’ll understand when you become an adult… there are moments you just want to get drunk…”
As if I wouldn’t know. I might be in this body now, but I was a proper adult back on Earth.
Still, I shrugged my shoulders and played along with Ellie.
“Ugh. This is what adults do! Why do you even drink?”
“Because there are things I want to forget?”
“What are you trying to forget?”
“Right? What was it? I forgot…”
Despite dying from a hangover, Ellie grinned. Seeing her, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You’re such a fool, being an adult.”
“A fool, you say? Being an adult, huh.”
Though she said that, it must have been an important matter for Ellie. I had never seen that grim expression on her before.
I didn’t know what it was, but I too had given up various things to survive on the Pan Continent. Writing was one of them.
In my past life, I acted as if I’d die if I didn’t write, but after dying once, I found myself willingly turning my back on it to survive.
Well, when you’re busy trying to make a living, who has the time to write leisurely?
However, every time I stumbled across the settings I had envisioned for the Pan Continent, I couldn’t help but miss Earth desperately.
Even knowing I could never return, I found myself pondering it in a situation where I could do neither this nor that.
Honestly, I just want to get completely drunk. Forget everything—my past life, everything— and sleep soundly.
It’s not like we’re in a world slated for destruction, so those thoughts become more frequent.
Though I rambled on, the gist was that excessive emotions can lead to burnout. Perhaps Ellie felt something similar?
Whether it was due to her hangover or not, Ellie pulled out a Mana Herb cigarette as soon as she got up. She paused for a moment, rummaging through her pockets.
“Hmm? Where’s my lighter? Has anyone seen my lighter?”
“…I don’t know about the lighter, but I’ve got Ellie covered!”
I dashed over and lit her cigarette with a weak flame.
Look at how responsible I am!
With a dazed expression, Ellie took a drag from her cigarette, but soon started to relax. It must’ve been the pain-relieving effects of the Mana Herb kicking in.
Only after confirming that Ellie had eased up did I speak.
“I’m thinking of going to the business district for a bit, so I’ll have lunch separately.”
“…When did I say I’d prepare lunch for you?”
“Well, if I’m hovering right in front of you, you’ll make it for me, right?”
“…….”
Without saying a word, Ellie just kept puffing on her cigarette. I couldn’t help but grin at her as I made my way out.
Just as I was halfway out, I heard her quiet voice behind me.
“I’ve decided to trust you, Jonah.”
“Huh? What’s with the sudden declaration? You mean you haven’t trusted me until now…?”
“It’s just how it is. If you’re going, go fast. I have a headache, so don’t talk to me.”
What a forced way of saying she trusts me. I sighed deeply and waved my hand.
“I’ll be back.”
“Okay.”
All alone in the vast Pan Continent. But now it felt like I had a place to return to, making me feel all fuzzy inside.
*
The reason I decided to take a day off, even though I didn’t push myself too hard yesterday, was simple.
It was my first time going into a Labyrinth. It was a chance to reflect on what I lacked and what was good while resting.
I also had to prepare anything I might need.
So, think of it as a time to regroup.
As for me, I planned to entrust the Mana Herbs and Recovery Herbs I had just drawn to a suitable alchemist for refining into Elixirs.
…Though all that money went straight into gacha pulls.
That’s why I borrowed Ellie’s rather expensive-looking magical lighter without her knowing. I figured I could sell it for a good amount, enough to cover the commission fees.
However, I too possess a human heart.
It felt like Ellie had gone through some change without me noticing. Just ten minutes ago, she told me she trusted me. How could I just turn around and sell her lighter without a second thought?
“So let’s just pawn it.”
I could always come back to retrieve it later. Look at me, the considerate and warm-hearted guy!
Humming a tune, I entered a small pawn shop in a corner of Pangrave Square.
I quite liked how the elf running the shop acted as if it didn’t matter who I was or what I brought in, handling everything in a business-like manner.
“5 silver. But if you promise to only use this pawn shop in the future, I’ll give you an extra 50 copper.”
“Sounds good!”
No matter how fancy the magical device was, it was just a low-grade item that only lit a fire. And in this Labyrinth City, mages lay around everywhere.
Even though I wasn’t selling it, borrowing money against it for collateral at 5 silver was pretty generous. But to throw in an extra 50 copper?
I knew it was a loan I’d have to pay back later, but I had no reason to refuse money coming in right now, so I nodded eagerly.
In reality, the reason this elf was offering such favorable terms was simple.
If they lend out more, more people will come, and winning out against the competition with other pawn shops means that in 100 years, they’d monopolize the place. So, of course, they offer generous loans.
Even in the worst case, they would surely be able to sell the lighter magical device for at least 5 silver and 50 copper.
Pawn shops in this Labyrinth City, where adventurers drop like flies, are known for never losing money in their trade.
“This is why elves are great business partners.”
I knew there was some scheme behind it, but their laid-back attitude only benefited me. I’m sure elves think similarly, though.
A grin crept onto my face as I felt the weight of my newly plumped wallet. My steps felt light as I headed toward the alchemist shop I had scouted beforehand.
After losing the World Tree during the Demon God War, the elves suffered from extreme mental emptiness for quite some time.
The World Tree was an undeniable divine existence, but its realm differed slightly from those of other gods.
It was the very first tree to take root on this land, the oldest living being, simply existing as a marvel.
While impressive, it had no particular role. It was just a big tree. The elves gave life and color to that World Tree, living around it.
Why? It’s like primitive animism, worshiping remarkable natural things as gods.
The elves regarded the World Tree as divine and revered it deeply, making it so that even though it was just an ordinary tree, its spirit and divinity embedded within it due to the elves’ respect and care.
Because of this deep-rooted relationship, an inseparable spiritual connection formed between the World Tree and the elves. Based on this bond, they slowly but surely developed. But…
At the end of the Demon God War, the World Tree sacrificed itself for the elves and this land.
Thus, their connection was severed. Without their spiritual pillar, the elves wandered in hardship for a long time.
However, wandering eventually comes to an end. Seeing the speed with which the Pan Continent was being rebuilt with the power of the Labyrinth, the elves, who had been sitting idle, began to rise one by one.
The moment they decided to adapt and live in a world without the World Tree, the elves realized something.
They already had a new spiritual pillar. And the name of the new god, suited for a new age, was…
‘Capitalism.’
Humanity, which almost met its doom through a fierce war, learned from the horrors of war. Thanks to that, large-scale disputes or discrimination based on race mostly disappeared.
Even with the Labyrinth around, brute force remained a valuable power, yet wealth began to hold undeniable value as well.
Money! Only money can restore the elves’ greatness!
Realizing this, the elves started engaging in various businesses, as permitted by law.
They’d leverage their beautiful appearances and long lifespans to repeatedly engage in arranged marriages and widowhood, accumulating land and wealth.
They even recognized that by waiting, they’d profit when prices naturally rose over time, even pulling off 300-year-long investments.
On top of that, they’d gather the capital they amassed and, though they might initially incur losses, win price competitions to monopolize surrounding commerce.
Little by little, they started grabbing hold of the economic power in the Pan Continent, and regardless of the current situation, they would one day become the most corrupt race on the continent.
“Hmm….”
Though my thoughts had trailed on for a bit, it wasn’t like I suddenly pulled out the elf’s backstory just because I borrowed a bit of money from the pawn shop.
The point is, the elves are serious about money, yet they pursue legal methods because they know they’ll benefit in the long run.
Thus, elven criminals are exceedingly rare. If there are any, they’d likely be high-level figures in the dark underworld?
A race that can easily ask themselves if there’s a significant benefit in engaging in crime, so it’s only natural.
Thanks to that, even in the bustling crowd, I could recognize them right away. The distinctive beauty of the elves mixed with a hint of roughness from those behind.
“Is that them from back then?”
Before I even understood the gacha system, I had encountered a couple of elven thugs while they were begging around.
I had followed them, enchanted by their pretty faces, only to have all the money I worked hard to beg taken from me.
That day, I pledged. I would repay this humiliation someday.
“Finally, an opportunity has come.”
Concentrating, I raised my heels just slightly. To the naked eye, it wouldn’t be noticeable, but I made sure to lessen my footfalls.
Using my small stature, I weaved between the people. To an onlooker, I’d look just like a child desperately trying to escape the crowd.
Slowly but surely, I approached, finally landing right behind my target.
Up close, I could see. Those two were the most heinous thugs that had snatched away the 8 copper I earned by begging all day.
That much could buy a cheap loaf of bread just before going moldy!
Repaying kindness twofold and hatred tenfold—it’s just a family saying, but who cares about that? For this moment, call me the “Takeback Jonah.”
Holding my breath at the closest distance I could get, I surrendered my body to the flow around me.
My presence melted into thin air. I felt as if I became a part of the background, hovering above everything.
Then, as if possessed, my hand moved instinctively.
Swish.
Faster than the eye can follow, my hand darted into the pockets of the two elven girls. The final destination? My pocket, of course.
…Easy.
I blended in so perfectly that no one noticed. Patting myself on the back mentally, I slipped away. In the end, it looked like I got nudged out to the side of the crowd.
Watching the backs of the elf thugs, now empty of their wallets, I smiled contentedly.
This is true education; this is moral guidance…
Feeling elated and ready to move on my way, at that moment, someone suddenly grabbed my shoulder from behind.
“Jonah. Take your hand out of your pocket.”
“Whaaaaaat?!”
Lydia?! Why is Lydia here?!
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