Egru was a famous pushover.

So much so that everyone in the slums mocked him for being overly gentle without ever gaining anything substantial for himself.

It was literal.

Even if he was spat on while walking alone, he would just wipe it off and ignore it. The number of times he had paid full price for even the cheapest items could be counted on one hand, and even when his wages were delayed for half a year, he couldn’t bring himself to stage a protest.

But if there was one redeeming quality, it was that Egru was diligent. That alone was enough to compensate for his timid personality and allow him to get by.

However, disasters tend to strike suddenly.

At the mere age of sixteen, Egru incurred a massive debt. It was the misstep of a lifetime. He had dabbled in a transportation business he knew nothing about, introduced by his only friend. Investments shouldn’t be made based on flimsy connections. But no one had ever shared life wisdom with Egru, who had lived his entire life doing menial labor.

Enticed by sweet talk of making a fortune in one go, he took out a loan from a large guild for money he didn’t even have. Egru had a wish he desperately wanted to fulfill. He wanted to build a comfortable life and pave the way for his precious younger brother’s future.

The result of this hasty investment was, of course, failure.

The interest snowballed in an instant. As the debt, far exceeding the principal, piled up day by day, Egru worked even harder than before, with barely a moment to breathe.

Cleaning carriage droppings, removing beehives from granaries, repairing the outer walls, cleaning inn stables.

These were mostly jobs that people avoided. But Egru didn’t refuse any work as long as he was asked. He was even grateful for his small stature that allowed him to move more nimbly than others. When cleaning narrow chimneys, he could navigate them more easily than anyone else.

Though he grew tired from the work intensity incomparable to before, he couldn’t blame anyone. After all, wasn’t it a disaster he had brought upon himself?

Around this time, Egru sent his younger brother away, no longer able to care for him. Loneliness and guilt pierced him. Though they weren’t related by blood, he was a child Egru wanted to call family. Egru worked during the day and cried at night.

Still, there were occasional sunny days. His “friend,” who had been the source of funding for the failed investment, showed great regret through his actions. He would repay small amounts of the principal, bring warm meals late at night, and when Egru finally succumbed to fatigue and fell asleep, he would massage his limbs all night long.

‘Ever since he had me take some kind of trait test, he’s been bringing medicine every month…’

He even added that it was precious medicine and shouldn’t be skipped even for a day.

‘But…’

Why did he need to take medicine? Though depressed thinking he might have fallen ill from the hard labor, he was grateful. Expensive treatment from a priest was just a pie in the sky. When he opened his eyes at dawn and saw his friend’s face sleeping soundly beside him, he felt oddly reassured. After all, he was the only person Egru, an orphan without any ties, could rely on.

“Tsk, tsk, showing how uneducated he is.”

However, the neighbors in the slums called Egru a dimwitted dwarf. They clicked their tongues, wondering how stupid he must be to still be close to that con artist. But while they pointed fingers behind his back, no one stepped forward to offer advice or help.

It had been that way for a long time. No one approached Egru.

Egru decided to keep his one and only friend by his side. At least he didn’t want to be a lonely dwarf.

Six years passed like that.

Egru turned twenty-two, and still hadn’t repaid his debt.

“I heard your brother became a knight Commander.”

At the vice guildmaster’s words, Egru suddenly raised his head.

How did he know? Egru’s heart started racing. He had never mentioned anything related to his brother at the guild. Regrettably, except for one person who was currently absent.

‘Levian wouldn’t have said anything…’

Egru couldn’t hide his confusion.

“A holy knight, was it? I heard the square is in chaos preparing for the inauguration festival. Wow, he must be making a killing, huh?”

Seeing Egru’s obvious agitation, the vice guildmaster smiled, showing his yellowed teeth. He scratched his chin, thick with fat. Black dead skin fell onto the desk.

“Why don’t you go and borrow some? Let’s benefit from your talented brother too, eh?”

“Don’t, don’t drag him into this.”

Egru managed to open his mouth.

“He has no connection to me anymore. I told you I’d find a way to get the money somehow.”

“What are you saying? You beggar orphan. Where else can you borrow from besides here?”

Annoyed by the clear retort, the vice guildmaster furrowed his brow.

“Don’t make me repeat myself. We’re not digging money out of the ground either. The economy’s been bad lately, you know.”

“If, if it’s not possible, you can even take my house.”

“Ha, how much could that slum hovel be worth?”

The vice guildmaster smiled with obvious mockery. Egru’s face turned red. His entire life savings were nothing but a laughing matter.

“It’s been four months since your repayment period expired.”

The vice guildmaster said, resting his arms on the table.

“Do you know how much the Milfia Guild has been accommodating your circumstances? If it weren’t for the guildmaster’s words, a goblin bastard like you would have long been auctioned off…”

“…I’m an orc half-breed.”

At being treated like a harmful magical beast, Egru’s expression hardened for the first time. Goblins and orcs were clearly different beings.

Goblins were magical beasts[1]. Orcs were magical races[2].

The former were merely ignorant monsters, but the latter were no different from ordinary humans.

Like elves, dwarves, and beastkin, orcs were one of the non-human races that had developed their own unique culture.

“Short as you are, what orc? There’s no difference between corpse-eating goblins and trash-eating you.”

“……”

“Oh, glaring at me now? What are you going to do?”

The vice guildmaster just snorted. Egru unconsciously relaxed the fist he had clenched. The man was right. He couldn’t do anything. From time immemorial until now, Egru had been consistently powerless. Egru’s amber gaze turned to the damp floor.

“I’ll tell you one last time. Listen carefully.”

“……”

“300,000 gold coins. If you can’t bring it by midnight today, your body will be sold off. Do you understand?”