When I cautiously stepped into the eerily quiet room, I was immediately hit by the sudden lack of light, which forced me to pause for a bit to let my eyes adjust.

  I knew that if anyone could afford the oil, it would be Rowan, so this was most likely another one of his stupid ploys to throw visitors off balance.

  Yet, I had to admit that it was kind of working. I gulped, trying to rein in my wildly beating heart as I slowly moved toward the center of the spacious office.

  I always thought this place looked pretty weird—like a strange mix of old-world luxury and decay.

  From where I stood, I could barely see the contours of the worn-out velvety drapes hiding the cracked walls. Above, an elaborate brass chandelier that hadn’t been lit for longer than anyone remembers hung from the low ceiling.

  And, in the middle of it all stood a massive, exquisitely carved wooden table made from some rare, long-extinct type of tree, like a silent reminder of everything that had been lost during the cataclysm and the chaos that followed.

  The air was stale, with a distinct musty smell that only added to the heavy atmosphere inside, which was then further accentuated by the unnerving presence of several other people hiding in the shadows, watching my every move.

  Not deterred, I swiftly approached Rowan's opulent desk, behind which the man in question was already sitting.

  The infamous captain of the Shelter's second-largest gang and the undisputed ruler of the Outskirts regarded me with cold, calculating eyes that seemed to pierce through my very soul.

  Feeling the cold beads of sweat begin to coalesce on my forehead, I forced myself to meet his gaze, resolved to see this through no matter what.

  Yet, as I slowly raised my head, to my horror, I spotted a wickedly smiling Carson standing right behind Rowan’s chair. Oh, crap! He must have already told him.

  "Look who decided to show up. I must admit, I didn't think you had the guts." Carson smirked, his words dripping with barely concealed malice.

  Drawing a deep breath, I clenched my fists to stop my hands from shaking as I summoned every bit of courage left in me. I can still salvage this!

  "I'm here to settle my debt!" I said loudly to the still-silent Rowan while trying to ignore Carson's entire existence.

  This sudden proclamation seemed to have taken them both by surprise and finally garnered a reaction from the lordly captain.

  "Oh? And I thought you were here to beg for your life." Rowan replied, raising an eyebrow in apparent amusement.

  "Ha! Where would that rat get any money anyway?!" Carson spat out angrily before narrowing his eyes. "Or did you steal it somewhere?"

  The bastard looked ready to jump over the table and grab me by the neck once again, but Rowan’s raised hand stopped him.

  "Let our friend speak..." He said with a chuckle. "Well?"

  "O-Of course not!" I hurriedly explained. "It was an honest booty, I swear! After digging myself out of the rubble, I got lost in the tunnels. Then, I found this dead wolf-like monster buried in the debris. I carved him open, and by a stroke of fortune, there was a real monster core inside!"

  "But since you were part of the expedition, everything is split equally," Carson interjected, his greedy eyes already locked on my backpack.

  Hearing this, I struggled to keep a calm face. So first, you leave me down there to die, and now you want a cut?

  "That may be true, but since we got separated and you declared me dead, this provision no longer applies..."

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  "Hahaha! The kid has a point; you shouldn't have left him down there for the rats!" Rowan burst out laughing. "And by the Reavers' tenets, what one finds in the wastelands is his to keep. So how much you got?"

  Exhaling in relief, I reached into my coat and pulled out the veritable pile of tokens I’d previously haggled out from the old geezer, the metal clinking softly as I placed it on the polished surface of Rowan’s desk. "Five hundred tokens. Enough to cover what I owe and then some."

  Carson showed an ugly grimace but kept his silence. Knowing I was in the right, the only thing he could now do was stare daggers at me.

  Although I had originally borrowed only three hundred, with my living expenses and the abysmal interest, it quickly got out of hand.

  I was painfully aware that without this newfound fortune I had gotten my hands on, I would likely be toiling for Rowan for the rest of my short, pathetic life.

  Talk about usurious practices… I couldn’t help but grind my teeth, as after this, I would be almost completely tokenless again.

  With a sigh, I then pushed the precious notes toward the thoughtful-looking Rowan, who was observing me with a curious glint in his grey eyes.

  Well, if I think about it, the price of a grade E monster core is around 300 tokens, so he must have expected I wouldn’t be able to pay him in full.

  "Before you ask, there was more than one monster, and I also managed to collect their skins and claws." I smiled innocently as I promptly answered his silent question to avoid any misunderstanding.

  Rowan greedily took the coins away, but then a crooked grin appeared on his face, and I froze, as this face of his didn't promise anything good.

  "That should cover the initial debt, but as I'm sure you're aware, you have caused my friend over here some trouble..." he said, pointing toward the smirking Carson. "...So before I can let you go, you'll have to provide a recompense."

  This lying, thieving bastard! I grimaced, knowing this was pure extortion, but there was nothing I could do about it, so I took a deep breath and carefully asked, "How much?"

  “Debts aren’t just about money, you know…” Rowan pointed out, smiling coldly, and it was then I realized he had actually no intention of letting me go.

  I felt the trap closing in, and my chest tightened. "What do you want from me?"

  “It’s a simple job, really, even for someone like you…” He leaned back, a slow smile spreading across his face. “First, tell me what your connection to that girl who, oh so graciously, stood up for you is. What is she to you?”

  I widened my eyes, struggling to come up with a suitable answer. What the hell is even a suitable answer to such a question?

  At that moment, I finally understood that it was never about me or the money. From the very start, all they cared about was that crazy girl, Sara.

  So, what happens if I tell them the truth? That I have nothing to do with her. Would they even believe me? Or should I simply lie to buy myself some time?

  With my thoughts nothing but a jumbled mess, all I could do in the end was force out a smile and try to deflect the question, hoping it would let me off the hook for whatever this whole mess was.

  “What do you mean, Boss? I barely even know her! I have no idea what has gotten into her at the market.”

  Rowan chuckled as if he saw right through me. “So that will be your first task. I want you to warm up to her and try to gain her favor.”

  “Eh? W-What do you mean, Boss?”

  “You see, some time ago, she started frequenting the Outskirts for some reason, and we weren’t yet able to figure out what she’s up to.” He began with a scowl.

  “It stinks. She’s definitely plotting something. We can’t openly tail the girl without her noticing. But that’s where you come in... Since you both came from the same place, and she apparently has a soft spot for you, I reckon it’ll be quite easy for you to woo her.”

  I was too stunned by such an absurd order to voice any objection to it, which seemed to only reinforce Rowan's grossly misguided conception about the nature of our non-existent relationship.

  “...and then I want to know where she goes, what she’s doing, who she talks to—everything. I don’t want her sticking her fancy nose where it doesn't belong.” He finished with a dangerous glint in his eye.

  My instincts screamed at me to say no, to simply run away and never look back. But I knew better. Rowan wasn’t giving me a choice—not really. If I refused, he’d just take the money and have Carson or someone worse deal with me.

  “And that’s it? If I do this, you’ll let me leave the gang?”

  “Hmm? Why do you want to leave us that badly? Not like there’s any other place willing to take a loser like you in.” Rowan chuckled, but then he simply waved his hand dismissively. "Well, of course! I'm a man of my word, after all..."

  However, he then suddenly leaned forward, his gaze boring into mine as he added the ominous. “But remember this. If you screw this up, finding a roof over your head will be the last of your concerns.”