Chapter 19: The Debtor (1)
In his reckless youth, Damian Haxen had wronged his family in countless ways.
He’d been thrown out of taverns for causing trouble, turning his family into a laughingstock.
He’d tangled with the young lord of a marquisate, forcing his sister Louise to bear the consequences.
Yet, despite everything, his family never abandoned him. They shielded him, simply because he was family.
But there was one incident that finally tested their patience to its limits.
Damian had borrowed money from a duke’s loan company, using the family’s land as collateral.
“Damian, you scoundrel!”
Baron Haxen’s voice thundered with rage, his face flushed as if it were on fire.
“I should have known better! I was a fool to hope you might have changed! Today, I’ll end you and then take my own life! We’ll go to the afterlife together and confess our sins to our ancestors!”
The baron grabbed a decorative axe from the wall and charged at Damian.
“Honey, please, calm down!”
“Are you really planning to kill Damian?”
“Father, put down the axe and let’s talk!”
His mother, sister, and even his younger brother Abel tried to restrain their father.
Agnes, sensing it wasn’t her place, quietly slipped outside.
“Let me go! This ends today!”
Despite the family’s efforts, they couldn’t calm the baron.
Damian watched his furious father with a heavy heart.
“Damian! Are you not going to offer your neck?”
Before he could resolve the situation, he needed to calm his father.
Damian slowly knelt on the floor. The eyes of the baron and the family widened in surprise.
“Father, I’m sorry for disappointing you again.”
Damian spoke in a low voice.
“This is a mistake that even death cannot atone for. But shouldn’t we first focus on fixing this mess?”
When he had returned to this life, Damian had made a vow.
He wouldn’t live as he had in his past life.
He would make his family happy, no matter what.
“Please, trust me one more time. I will take responsibility and resolve this.”
Damian spoke with sincerity.
The baron’s face showed a flicker of hesitation.
”…Can you really fix this?”
“Yes, Father.”
After a moment of contemplation, the baron lowered the axe.
”…Given what you’ve shown so far, I’ll trust you one last time.”
Damian bowed his head in gratitude.
Then, he immediately headed to the drawing room where the duke’s representative was waiting.
As he entered, the first thing he noticed was a man in a sharp suit.
The man wasn’t alone. He was accompanied by three bodyguards.
“Ah, Mr. Damian, good day.”
The man stood up, his hair slicked back with pomade, gleaming in the light.
“I’m Orlan Dremis, the Western Branch Manager of Dash & Cash.”
The man spoke with a friendly smile, though he didn’t bow.
Orlan Dremis.
Damian couldn’t immediately recall this man.
In reality, it had been only a few months, but for Damian, it was an event buried decades in the past.
He had long since tucked away memories of this man.
“It’s the first time we’ve met since you took out the loan.”
But as soon as Orlan spoke, forgotten memories began to resurface.
-Where did you say you were from? Ah, the eldest son of the Haxen family. No wonder you carry yourself with such dignity.
-I’m Orlan Dremis, in charge of the western branch of Dash & Cash. Unlike you, I’m of humble birth, so there’s no need to remember my name.
-It’ll take some time to bring the documents. Would you like some tea? We also have alcohol.
-Why not use the family land as collateral? That way, we can lend you more money.
-The interest is too high, you say? It’s just a formality. We can’t just give you the money.
-There’s no need to worry about the family land. How could someone like me take a noble’s collateral?
This was the man who had coaxed Damian into using the family land as collateral.
“The repayment date you promised is today, so I’m here to collect. You need to repay 30 gold, including interest, on the 20 gold you borrowed.”
30 gold.
The bounty for Agito had been 100 gold, so if he’d received that, it would have been easy to repay.
But that 100 gold had long since been converted into a religious offering.
‘There’s no way I can use the offering.’
It was a gift from the church, not something to be disposed of lightly.
“As you know, if you don’t repay by today, the land you used as collateral will become the property of Dash & Cash.”
“You said it was just a formality.”
Damian asked, following the thread of his past memories.
Orlan Dremis smirked slightly.
“Of course. How could someone like me take a noble’s collateral? But what can I do? The Goldpixie Duke insists on collecting debts, regardless of noble or commoner.”
Orlan emphasized the name Goldpixie Duke.
Dash & Cash, the loan company Damian had borrowed from, was operated by the Goldpixie Duke’s family.
The Goldpixie family had long built their wealth and reputation through business.
They owned numerous enterprises besides Dash & Cash.
“If you understand, please bring the money. Or perhaps… you don’t have the means to repay?”
Orlan Dremis grinned like a sly fox. Damian crossed his arms, deep in thought.
‘In my past life… we lost the land, and the whole family was nearly out on the streets.’
Fortunately, his sister Louise had borrowed money from Erwin Lionbloom, saving the land and estate.
But in return, Louise was bound to Erwin Lionbloom for life.
‘I can’t let my sister go through that again.’
However, even Damian had no immediate way to come up with 30 gold.
He needed to find a way to delay the repayment or eliminate the debt altogether.
’…Wait, I remember a duel between the Goldpixie Duke’s family and the Lionbloom Marquisate.’
Suddenly, it came to him.
A knightly duel over the ownership of a gold mine between the two families.
The Goldpixie family lost the duel, forfeiting the mine and their honor.
‘The Lionbloom Marquisate grew immensely powerful after winning that duel.’
Currently, the Haxen family was on the Lionbloom Marquisate’s bad side.
There was nothing to gain from the Lionbloom Marquisate’s growing influence.
“I haven’t managed to secure the funds.”
Orlan’s smirk widened, as if he’d expected this all along.
“Then you shouldn’t have borrowed the money in the first place.”
Orlan slumped back into his chair, crossing his legs and looking down at Damian.
“A noble who can’t even grasp basic common sense? Or have you forgotten, living as a wastrel?”
The moment Orlan realized Damian couldn’t repay, his demeanor shifted dramatically.
But Damian wasn’t surprised; he’d seen this play out in his past life.
“Instead, I’ll repay the debt another way.”
“Oh, that’s fortunate. But how do you plan to repay such a large sum as 30 gold?”
“Aren’t the Goldpixie Duke’s family and the Lionbloom Marquisate about to duel over the gold mine?”
“Has word spread that far already?”
“I hear the duke’s family is recruiting skilled knights.”
Orlan’s expression asked what that had to do with Damian.
“Recommend me to the duke’s family. In exchange for clearing my debt, I’ll secure victory for the Goldpixie Duke’s family.”
“Ha ha ha!”
Laughter erupted.
Orlan Dremis forgot his composure and laughed heartily.
“What did you just say? You’ll secure victory for the duke’s family?”
He laughed so hard his stomach hurt, but he couldn’t stop.
“Pfft.”
“Ha.”
Even the bodyguards behind him couldn’t hold back their snickers.
“Ha ha ha, what confidence! As expected of the knight who defeated the second son of the Lionbloom Marquisate and drove out the gangs from Landwalk City.”
Orlan Dremis had heard the rumors about Damian Haxen.
It was impossible not to, as everyone was talking about it.
“But did you think such lies would work on me? That makes me a bit angry.”
However, Orlan Dremis wasn’t fooled by such rumors.
He knew exactly what kind of person Damian Haxen was. He’d seen it with his own eyes.
A fool with nothing but his noble title.
An idiot with nothing to show but misplaced pride.
A brat who didn’t know his place.
That was Damian Haxen.
“You must have poisoned the Lionbloom Marquisate’s second son to win, and the church must have dealt with the gangs in Landwalk, with you just taking the credit.”
Orlan Dremis wiped away tears of laughter and continued.
“Don’t try to deceive me like that. If you don’t have the money, just come and beg. Ah, just begging won’t be enough.”
Orlan licked his lips as he spoke.
“Come to think of it, your eldest sister is quite the beauty. No, she’s beyond that. She opened my eyes.”
Orlan clapped his hands together with a smirk.
“How about it? Lend her to me for a week, and I’ll extend the repayment period by two months.”
Orlan gestured to the bodyguards standing behind him.
“Just so you know, I’m not doing this alone. See those guys behind me? They’re in on it too. Things might get messy, so think carefully before you decide…”
A sudden clanging sound interrupted Orlan D’Mishi’s words.
Before he knew it, Damian Haxen had drawn his longsword.
Orlan D’Mishi loved his job.
Dash & Cash.
Working for a duchy business meant he could walk with his head held high and shoulders back wherever he went. The pay was excellent, of course.
But the real reason Orlan D’Mishi cherished his job was something else entirely.
“Pl-please, forgive me! Just give me one more month! I swear I’ll repay the money!”
He relished watching the once-proud nobles grovel in desperation.
“I beg you! At least spare the mansion…!”
Born a commoner, he had always looked up to the nobility.
Whenever a noble passed by, he had to bow his head.
He couldn’t even step on a noble’s shadow.
Now, seeing those same nobles practically licking his boots was quite a sight.
“My daughter? Isn’t there another way? No, no, it’s not that I refuse!”
“My body? Wait a moment! I’m a married woman!”
Orlan D’Mishi occasionally indulged his secret desires.
Yet the nobles offered no resistance. Orlan D’Mishi held the power, and they were at his mercy.
If it were an ordinary moneylending business, he wouldn’t have such luxuries. He’d be lucky if the nobles didn’t cheat him out of his money.
But Dash & Cash was a duchy enterprise.
Minor nobles on the outskirts had no choice but to bow to the authority of the duchy.
That’s why Orlan D’Mishi loved his job.
“You might want to reconsider.”
Orlan D’Mishi had to stifle a laugh.
A cornered noble trying to bite back. It was the scenario Orlan D’Mishi relished most.
“The guys behind me aren’t your average muscle.”
Orlan D’Mishi always traveled with bodyguards.
Not the ones provided by the duchy, but handpicked by Orlan D’Mishi himself.
Each was at least of knightly skill, making them reliable.
“Let’s see…”
Damian Haxen pointed at Orlan D’Mishi and his guards with his finger.
“Kill the three of them, but just cut off your right arm. I need a guide to the duchy.”
Orlan D’Mishi and his guards exchanged glances and chuckled.
What nonsense was this fool spouting?
“Consider yourself lucky that you’re of some use to me.”
Damian’s eyes glowed a chilling blue.
They were like the eyes of a predator lurking in the shadows.
“I don’t usually let bastards who insult my family live.”