Vincenzo’s Gang
This gang, which dominates the streets of Easton, collects protection money from various businesses.
The amount they demand ranges from as low as 10% to as high as 30%.
Of course, they are aware enough not to target relatively strong entities like adventurer guilds, training grounds, or knight academies.
They go after businesses that seem weak and likely to succumb to force.
Hector, the leader of Vincenzo’s gang, was walking with his subordinates.
Collecting money equates to performance.
He knew which businesses were ripe for squeezing the maximum amount of protection money.
Businesses with female owners or those run by parents with children were considered good sources of revenue.
— Clank!
An elegant carriage caught his eye.
Although it was distant and not clearly visible, it was clearly a carriage fit for the wealthy.
Moreover, a rather attractive woman stepped out of it.
“Did you see that?”
“Yes, boss. Heh heh.”
Their eyes gleamed with anticipation.
The building the woman entered was a recently purchased old guild building.
Seeing someone buy such a property clearly indicated a lack of financial sense.
It was bound to be a great source of money.
Hector approached the building with his subordinates.
“If we handle this well, we won’t need to collect money for a month.”
His subordinate, Karl, licked his lips and muttered.
Hector smacked Karl on the back of his head.
“Ouch! Why did you hit me?”
“Already thinking of resting when you’re just an underling? Haven’t you heard? These days, the boss is dealing with a very large merchant company.”
“… A deal, you say?”
“Stop pretending you don’t know, you fool.”
Hector whispered quietly as he glanced around.
“This month, the highest-performing teams will get to sell drugs. This is how we make money…”
Ssshh.
He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together.
Karl, watching this, swallowed hard.
“C-Can we make a lot of money?”
“Heh. How useless are you that you need this explained? Have you ever seen gangsters like us getting paid monthly?”
“D-Doesn’t it? Only a little, just like everyone else.”
“There’s no extra pay! We risk our lives and work like we’re going to prison. We won’t last ten years doing this. We need to make as much as possible.”
“I see.”
“The answer is drugs. There’s plenty of money to be made by skimming off the top, and just taking 20% of what the organization gives us will make ten times our salary.”
“T-Ten times!”
“So, get your act together and work. This month, collect money from every possible place. Fill it up to the brim.”
“Yes!”
Karl responded with enthusiasm.
The two motivated gang members then knocked on the guild’s door.
But there was no response.
“Isn’t there anyone in there?”
“We saw her go in earlier. Knock harder.”
“But if we break the door.”
“Are you still a gang member if you worry about that? Huh?”
“Alright, I get it!”
Bang! Bang!
As Karl slammed the door with force, two people finally emerged from inside.
One was a young girl who looked utterly clueless about the ways of the world.
The other was a frail-looking boy, likely a servant.
‘A good catch.’
The woman, dressed in elegant clothing, seemed to have considerable wealth. Her attractive appearance suggested that, with the right handling, she could be sold off to another place.
Of course, human trafficking carried high risks and was complex from the seller’s perspective.
‘We can extort money under the pretense of protection fees and get them into debt. There’s nothing we can’t do.’
Let’s see what they’re worth before selling them off.
Hector silently celebrated his good fortune.
“What are you doing? Why are you trying to break into someone else’s research lab?”
At the woman’s question, Karl glanced back briefly.
Hector nodded at him.
‘Get 30%.’
30% of their revenue.
In a place with such weak individuals, this level of protection money could be extracted.
After all, it’s called ‘protection money.’
The weaker they are, the more they should pay.
These people looked weak at first glance, so they should be able to pay a little more.
– Kwaang!
Karl struck the wall roughly, causing visible cracks in the wooden structure.
“You! How dare you! Do you know who I am?”
Even the way she expressed her anger seemed weak.
Karl grinned.
“Does it matter who we are? Are you some high-ranking noble or something?”
“T-This is…”
“I’ve never seen a noble with such a scrawny servant. Isn’t that right, Hector?”
Hector shrugged.
Shiver.
The woman’s hands trembled.
She must be scared.
Hector grinned.
“Anyway, if you want to operate here, you need our permission. You need protection, after all, in this tough world.”
Karl pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.
[Protection Service Contract]
It was a contract where they would sign over 30% of their revenue as protection money.
Hector took a menacing step forward.
At that moment.
“Let me speak with them for a moment. Lady Yulia, please stay back.”
The boy stepped between them and the woman.
From behind him, the girl’s eyes glowed with a blue light.
‘What is that?’
Before Hector could fully react, Karl was already confronting the boy.
“Oh, are you so scared you might wet yourself? Does blocking our way mean anything?”
Karl grinned menacingly and took a step forward.
Hector furrowed his brows.
The boy did not back down.
‘Does he have something to rely on?’
Sometimes, those who look weak turn out to be outstanding knights or martial artists.
Hector quickly assessed the boy’s hands.
Thin, long fingers.
They seemed like the hands of an insignificant servant.
‘Just a type with guts, I suppose.’
Hector grinned.
Sometimes, such types appeared.
Those whose mental strength surpasses their physical.
They can be quite formidable, but…
‘They’ll break after a few hits.’
Hector nodded to Karl.
Karl immediately threatened the boy.
“Did you not hear me? Move aside, now!”
Rustle.
Karl rolled up his sleeve, revealing intimidating tattoos on his forearm.
However, Hector was surprised when he looked at the boy’s expression.
‘… Maintaining composure?’
This went beyond ordinary courage.
Hector, who was observing, felt an unusual sense of unease.
But he clearly didn’t have the ability to do that?
If he had any real power, it would be evident in his hands or arms.
Does he have something else to rely on?
What could it be?
The unease was growing on their side.
Given Hector’s experience, his sense of unease meant Karl felt it even more.
And of course.
Those who are anxious tend to overact.
“This b*stard!”
Whoosh!
Karl swung his fist.
‘Damn it.’
Hector quickly scanned the area outside.
If the patrol squad happened to find them, it would become a real headache.
Thankfully, no one was around.
‘I didn’t want to deal blood today.’
It would be best to just beat them up enough and get them to leave a stamp of approval.
With this thought, Hector turned around again.
And he froze.
Karl was wriggling on the ground.
“… What?”
What on earth was going on?
Did the boy subdue Karl?
How on earth?
And that’s not all.
‘Without making a sound.’
At least there should have been some noise.
But there was no sound or even a sign of movement.
The boy was calmly looking at Hector in the same position as before.
“…”
Hector, flustered, fumbled for words.
Gulp.
He involuntarily swallowed his saliva.
Cold sweat was dripping down, soaking his upper body.
“What exactly did you do?”
He struggled to speak.
He tried to sound as composed as possible, but his voice was trembling.
The boy surely must have noticed that.
The boy nonchalantly shrugged.
“He just lay down on his own, you know?”
“Seriously?”
“Really. I guess the wooden floor was comfortable.”
Hector cursed inwardly.
‘… F*ck.’
This kid is insane.
Now that he looked closely, even his eyes were abnormal.
He thought the boy wasn’t scared, but there was a strange excitement flickering in his eyes.
There was even a subtle red aura.
It’s dangerous.
He didn’t know what had happened, but that made it even more dangerous.
The most dangerous situations are the ones the mind doesn’t consciously recognize.
“W-Wait.”
Hector raised his hands. Then he slowly took a few steps back.
But.
– Creak.
The woman had closed the door.
Thud, Hector’s back was halted by the wooden door.
“Uh, we apologize for the rudeness. I will make sure to educate this fellow properly. Please use the contract and costs without charge. Our organization will ensure justice and follow through. We truly uphold our promises, no matter how much money we collect, we really do.”
Hector mumbled, begging.
But.
The boy slowly took a step forward.
Hector hurriedly searched for the door handle.
But the handle that had been there moments ago was mysteriously gone.
The boy, who had stopped right in front of Hector, shook the door handle and smiled.
“You can come in as you like, but it’s not the same when leaving.”
