Greedy

Three days later, they returned to the Logos family.

Yohane handed the receptionist thirteen gold coins, as promised.

"Payment confirmed. Now then…"

"Hold on. I'm not a new customer anymore. I want to borrow more."

When Yohane said this, the receptionist paused mid-motion as she was putting the coins away and turned a suspicious look his way.

He let the look slide off him and tapped the desk three times with his right index finger.

"Or are you going to turn away someone who wants to borrow?"

"That's not it, but… Very well. I can lend you fifty gold coins. Please bring sixty-five back in three days. If you fail to do so, we will send collectors."

"Fine by me."

Fifty gold coins of the Kingdom were placed before Yohane. He counted every one, then put them in a pouch.

He signed the contract and stood.

Fifty coins had noticeable heft to them.

Azu seemed to be racking her brain trying to figure out what Yohane was up to, but she hadn't arrived at an answer.

"See you in three days."

With that, Yohane headed back to the shop.

The three days weren't spent idle. They helped with simple extermination requests and stocking shelves at the shop.

They gathered herbs in the nearby fields since they couldn't take on anything major so close to town.

Azu's cooking improved especially, given how much more practice she was getting.

The investigation into the thieves' guild was put on hold until the Logos situation was resolved.

Kanaha, the employee who'd vanished, was still a concern, but with not even a single sighting to go on, searching blindly would get them nowhere.

Where could she have gone…

Three days later, they were back at the Logos family.

Yohane sat down in the same noisy fashion as the first time and set sixty-five gold coins on the desk.

"Sixty-five coins confirmed. Now then…"

"Look, going back and forth over small amounts is a pain. Lend me more."

"… I can lend you one hundred gold coins."

A large pouch packed with gold coins.

An unlicensed lender couldn't issue promissory notes.

That meant all transactions were done in physical currency.

Yohane had Azu carry the pouch and stood.

"Three days, then. One hundred thirty."

As they left the Logos family's shop, Azu adjusted her grip on the bag.

"Heavy?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Good. Two or three more times ought to do it."

"Aren't you just losing money, Master?"

"I am. Paying thirty percent extra every time, after all."

Azu looked utterly bewildered.

"I think I might have figured it out."

"I believe I see where this is going…"

"Wait, am I the only one who doesn't get it?"

"This is part of your education. Try to work it out."

Three more days passed.

They arrived with one hundred thirty gold coins.

"Here's what I owe."

The receptionist hurriedly verified the amount.

Compared to the first visit, she'd clearly lost some of her composure.

"Now then…"

"I can lend up to three hundred."

"Do it."

She practically pounced before Yohane had even finished speaking.

Her usual customers were most likely people who'd fallen on hard times.

Lend a few gold coins, then bleed them dry.

Cast a wide net, keep the take modest per person. It wouldn't make anyone rich overnight, but judging by appearances, the returns were decent enough.

A customer like Yohane, who borrowed large sums and repaid with interest, was a rare breed.

In other words, he was an extremely profitable client for them.

The receptionist's excitement likely meant she was getting a cut.

The more they lent, the more they earned. Of course they wanted to lend.

And that desire was exactly the opening to exploit.

Three hundred gold coins were difficult to carry.

It took Alexia and Elza both to manage them.

During the repayment intervals, they also dug into the Logos family's background.

With no shortage of bad rumors to follow, the full picture came together quickly.

They used money to recruit thugs, sent those thugs to collect debts, then used the collected money to fund more lending. A cycle they'd repeated to expand their reach.

Straightforward enough. That made things easy.

Three days later.

Three hundred ninety gold coins.

Even for Yohane, this was becoming a serious sum.

He set three pouches on the desk, filling it completely.

"Payment confirmed. Would you like to borrow again?"

"Of course."

"Anything beyond this amount exceeds my authority. Please, come this way."

The receptionist stood and led Yohane and the others deeper inside.

Down a hallway and into a large room.

When the receptionist opened the door, a heavyset man was waiting.

He was easily a head taller than Yohane.

He approached and looked down at them.

"Well, well. So you're the Yohane who's been borrowing so frequently."

"That's me."

"Ah, where are my manners. I'm Logos. Pleasure."

"Likewise."

Logos extended a hand, but Yohane ignored it.

"Not one for handshakes? And the women behind you… well now, slaves? I keep slaves myself. Seems we have something in common."

Apparently, some people could tell.

Come to think of it, Finn had also noticed Azu was a slave.

"Hey, bring drinks."

When Logos bellowed, a girl emerged timidly from the back.

Her appearance was kept neat enough, but she wore a slave bracelet on her left arm and a collar around her neck with a lead attached.

There were also visible signs of having been struck.

Bad taste, Yohane thought.

She clearly wasn't being treated like a human being.

The girl's hands trembled as she carried the drinks.

Just as she was about to set a cup on the desk, her grip slipped and it fell.

Yohane caught it.

Logos had been about to raise his fist toward the girl, but apparently remembered there was a customer present and lowered it.

"I-I'm terribly sorry."

The slave girl retreated as though fleeing.

"She's hopelessly dull. Can't even handle simple chores."

Yohane drank in silence.

It looked like tea, but only in color. The flavor was thin.

"Now then, Yohane. You've borrowed several times in quick succession and returned every coin with interest. You're a trustworthy client. Normally I don't lend large amounts, but I'll make an exception: five hundred gold coins."

"Appreciate it."

"I am curious what you're using it for, though. Some sort of business venture?"

"Just cash flow problems."

Logos looked faintly skeptical.

He was probably wondering whether someone with cash flow problems would repay so reliably.

But he'd lend. A man running an unlicensed moneylending operation was nothing if not greedy.

"Very well. I'll need six hundred fifty back in three days."

"Fine."

Logos opened a safe and began pulling out gold coins in bulk.

"Honestly, the bulk is such a nuisance. Don't you think?"

"Sure."

That's why I'll be taking it off your hands, Yohane thought as he accepted the gold.

He rose from his seat and turned his back on Logos.

"Those who have betrayed me have always received a punishment befitting their crimes."

In response, Yohane glanced back and murmured a single line.

"What goes around comes around."

With that, he left.

Three days later, Yohane stood before Logos empty-handed.

With Azu and the others at his side.

"… What is the meaning of this?"

"What it looks like. I spent it all. The money's gone."

"You won't repay?"

"I didn't say that. I just need a bit more time."

"Denied. Pay up. Now."

"Can't give what I don't have."

Yohane said it without a shred of remorse.

A split second later, Logos brought his fist crashing down on the desk, obliterating it.

He had the brawn to match his size, it seemed.

"Sell those slaves if you have to. Get the money."

"No."

Logos's face flushed with rage.