I'll Lend You Money.
"Is this the Imperial Capital?"
Zeke, who had come from a small remote territory to take the upcoming Academy entrance exam, let out a small gasp of awe.
To him, who had lived his entire life within that tiny territory, the sights of the capital were wonders at every step.
Though born a commoner, Zeke possessed a special magical talent.
His parents, veteran adventurers themselves, recognized their son's gift and taught him diligently, but Zeke's growth quickly surpassed their knowledge.
With nothing left to teach him, his parents decided to use their lifetime savings to send him to the capital's Academy.
"Phew... I really need to pass."
His parents' Academy acquaintance had assured him he had the skills to succeed, but the anxiety of this unfamiliar environment was hard to shake.
As Zeke walked the streets to steady his nerves, he witnessed a scene that made him frown.
"Hey, if you borrowed money, you gotta pay it back on time, right?"
"I-I'll definitely pay it back by next month. Please, just once more..."
A group of rough-looking men were aggressively cornering a merchant.
"Don't you know today's the due date?"
"Boss, should we just smash everything?"
The man who seemed to be the Loan Shark Leader, a dark red club slung over his shoulder, menaced the merchant in a slouched, cocky pose.
Though his gang surrounded the shop in layers, passersby ignored it as none of their business.
Even the guards responsible for public order walked past as if they saw nothing.
Fueled by a burning sense of justice, Zeke couldn't hold back and intervened.
"Hold on! How can you do something so outrageous in broad daylight? Aren't you ashamed?"
"Huh? And who the hell are you? We're just here to collect on a legit loan."
Zeke's shout drew the eyes of every passerby.
"How much did he even borrow to deserve this kind of harassment?"
The Loan Shark Leader snorted at Zeke's question.
"What, you wanna pay it off for him if you know?"
"And should we grovel like, 'Boss, please give us some money' to deadbeats who won't pay up?"
His exaggerated gestures drew raucous laughter from his underlings.
Zeke frowned and said firmly,
"Shut up and just tell me the amount."
The leader stopped laughing, eyed Zeke up and down, and spat out,
"Fine. Exactly 10 copper coins."
Zeke doubted his ears for a moment.
Not gold, not silver—just 10 coppers?
Causing all this fuss over pocket change barely enough for a loaf of bread?
Utterly dumbfounded, Zeke pulled 10 coppers from his pouch and tossed them over.
"There, I'll cover it. Satisfied?"
The merchant's face drained of color at those words, panic setting in.
"Who pays doesn't matter as long as we get the cash. Let's go!"
As the merchant opened his mouth in what seemed like a desperate cry, the Loan Shark Leader swiftly pocketed the coins and vanished.
Before leaving, the boss flashed Zeke a strange smile and tossed out a parting shot.
"Hey, kid. If you ever need quick cash, come find us."
Zeke snorted and approached the sniffling merchant.
But a doubt crept in.
Why would the owner of a thriving shop go through hell over a measly 10 coppers?
As he pondered and drew near, before Zeke could even speak, the merchant suddenly grabbed his collar.
"Who the hell are you?! Who asked you to pay off my debt?!"
"Wh-what? Why are you doing this?"
His good deed was met with resentment-laced fury.
The merchant released Zeke's collar limply and collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, without answering his questions.
A passerby approached the bewildered Zeke, clucking his tongue.
"Tsk tsk, first time in the capital, huh?"
"Y-yes... But why is he acting like that?"
The passerby pointed across the street to a building.
A long line of people queued there; those emerging mostly looked disappointed, though a few beamed like they'd conquered the world.
"What's that place?"
"Where those loan sharks from earlier work."
"What? Why line up for those thugs?"
The passerby patted Zeke's shoulder with a wry smile.
"They're loan sharks, sure, but not the kind you think."
Zeke felt his mind go blank. Just how did this city work?
It's a common tale.
One day, you stumble on a intriguing new game, finish customizing your character, and a wave of sleepiness crashes over you.
Unable to resist, you doze off—only to wake in an entirely different world.
Up to here, it sounds like the setup for a solid webnovel.
Most protagonists start with some cheat ability, boldly declaring "I can handle this" whether it's a dark fantasy or evil forces running rampant.
So why can't I just say it too?
I told you. That's only if you get a "power."
I got isekai'd, alright, but no laser eyes, no flight, no super strength.
I desperately yelled "Status window!" and "Stats!" hoping for a friendly one, but only echoes answered.
Oh, something did show up—a pack of ferocious magic beasts charging to rip me apart.
I nearly ended my isekai life on day one, but kind adventurer bros saved me instead of a status screen, letting me limp into a village.
Maybe their beast-slaying was too impressive. Somehow, I became an adventurer too.
What could a modern normie do in a fantasy world? Just roll desperately to survive.
I scraped through countless brushes with death, grinding money like mad. The first paycheck from my own strength was so precious I bawled my eyes out.
But that hard-earned cash? I lent it to a comrade I'd recently befriended during adventurer life.
He begged for it to buy some must-have gear he couldn't quite afford. Couldn't ignore a teammate getting stronger—for my sake too, eventually.
But that bastard blew it all on gambling.
"A gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years," they say. Too bad I'm no gentleman. My dictionary's revenge comes quick—ten days late and I'd die of rage.
I chased the punk sprinting to the next village, floored him with pro wrestling from modern knowledge, and ransacked his pockets.
Even after blowing my money, he'd borrowed more somewhere—his pouch was heavier than expected.
Out of conscience, I took only what he owed me. Right then—
Trait and Skills Unlocked
A translucent status window popped up with an unexpected chime. Trembling, I tapped it.
Name: Bellian
[Stats]
Strength: C- | Vitality: B | Agility: C | Intellect: B+ | Mana: D-
[Trait] -I'll Lend You Money-
[Skills] -Appraisal Eye- -Forced Collection-
Trait name: "I'll Lend You Money"? The skills reek of shady dealings—is that just my imagination?
No, can't judge by appearances, same for skills. They might hide killer features.
*Cheap loans here, step right up!!*
Gains from normal activities limited to 1/100th.
Instead, stats increase proportionally to loaned amount + interest until debtor repays.
If unpaid within 3 days past due date, stats permanently drop proportional to unpaid amount.
Max term: 1 year.
On timely repayment, permanently acquire 1/10th of stat gains.
*Check if your debtor can actually pay up*
View others' stats (may fail if stat gap too wide).
Enhanced normal vision.
Trait Exclusive 1: Confirm debtor's repayment ability.
Trait Exclusive 2: See debtor's future value.
*Debtor can pay but won't? Time for some justice*
Past due date: All stats +1 rank during debt-related actions vs. debtor.
In short, lend money, collect properly, get permanently stronger every time?
Those protagonists yelling "I can handle this"? Count me in now.
"I can do it. I will."
First, use my savings for a small office... no, a proper shop.
Then find some "diligent" folks to lend to.