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Chapter 08
In reality, I had no intention of borrowing money. I only needed to bring the boss out. While we were speaking, the consultant’s employee scanned Chezare with a measuring gaze.
“Who is this person? Does he really have a value of 1 billion?”
“Of course. The employee next to you would know better.”
The consultant looked to the side. The man beside him nodded, his face turning pale.
“He used to make waves in the fighting pit. He retired after just a year, but if he had stayed longer, he would’ve easily made 1 billion. He was also the one who knocked out my tooth.”
“Your tooth?”
The consultant’s eyes changed. So the man beside him must have been quite strong. The consultant stood up.
“This seems like a big matter. I’ll need to consult the boss. Please wait a moment.”
The staff left, and once we were alone, Chezare grabbed me with a tearful face.
“Master, are you trying to sell me?!”
“Of course not. I only intended to bring the boss out.”
After I explained the plan, he finally calmed down. I looked at him quietly.
“Did I look like such a terrible master who would sell his disciple for money?”
“N-not at all. I just thought I should ask just in case.”
Embarrassed, Chezare awkwardly changed the subject.
“Still… 1 billion is a lot. In emergencies, you could just sell me.”
“1 billion, huh. It is a lot of money.”
“…You’re not actually going to sell me, right?”
Soon the door opened. Along with the previous man, a man who looked to be in his late forties entered.
He wore expensive clothing. Sitting across from us, he smiled calmly.
“A big client, I hear. Chezare, long time no see.”
“What? You know me too?”
“Of course. I made quite a fortune thanks to you back in the fighting pit.”
The boss looked at Chezare with satisfaction, then turned to me.
“You said you came to borrow money? 1 billion baht, fine. Then hand over Chezare—”
“I have no intention of handing over Chezare. I only called you to speak in the first place.”
The boss looked at me quietly, still wearing a leisurely smile—mocking, even.
“You’re asking about the orphanage that used to be here. The whereabouts of its director.”
The boss took out a cigar. Striking a match, he lit it.
“A kid who hasn’t even grown his hair properly is quite bold.”
Through the thick cigarette smoke, his eyes gleamed like a snake. Despite his lean build, he carried a heavy presence.
“This is not an orphanage anymore. We are not kind to childish games.”
He snapped his fingers.
At the sound, employees rushed in.
A fight, then. I didn’t expect this to go easily. In fact, this was what I wanted.
There are two ways to move people.
One is profit. The other is fear.
If profit doesn’t work, you make them feel fear. For example, through violence.
If they strike first, legitimacy is also secured. But the employees froze.
Someone stammered in fear.
“Th-the undefeated mad dog Chezare?!”
So that’s what they call him now. My disciple, who once looked like a harmless puppy, was now a “mad dog.”
As they hesitated, the boss spoke.
“No matter how strong he is, he’s alone. You won’t be overwhelmed by numbers. And if you are… find a new job.”
At his words, their eyes changed.
The first man who had recognized Chezare exhaled angrily.
“Break his teeth again! Smash all his front teeth!”
Thud!
The toothless man swung his fist. But Chezare casually caught it.
The fist was large, but in Chezare’s grip it looked like a child’s hand.
He twisted the arm and smirked.
“Hey, I’m worth 1 billion. How much are you worth?”
Bang!
He struck the man’s jaw with his other fist. Another tooth flew out.
“Everyone, surround him!”
The moment the order was given, Chezare grabbed the man’s collar and lifted him.
A 100-kilogram body was hoisted effortlessly.
When another employee charged in, Chezare threw the man like a cannonball. Both crashed to the ground screaming.
“Ugh, not even fit for the fighting pit.”
Bang! Bang!
Each punch landed precisely on vital points.
Precision in targeting weak points, reflexes that read enemy movements—
And overwhelming strength that surpassed all of it.
There was no need for me to intervene. As Chezare’s one-sided massacre unfolded, the boss’s expression stiffened.
He tried to stand up, but I pressed his shoulder down.
Looking down at him, I spoke calmly.
“Is this how you handle violence?”
“You bastard…”
“Oh, now that I think about it, you have quite a few gold teeth, don’t you?”
His shoulder trembled under my hand.
“If you don’t tell me where the orphanage director is, I can come again tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that too. How will your customers feel if this happens every day?”
“….”
“We’re just trying to get information. Giving us one answer would be cheaper for you.”
He fell silent.
Cigar ash dropped to the floor as it burned down. After glaring at me, he finally spoke.
“…He’s at the crystal quarry. We sold him there because he couldn’t pay his debts. The location is—”
After getting the exact location, I removed my hand from his shoulder. His cigar had burned halfway down.
“That’s all. Now get out. Don’t come back.”
“Of course. As long as your information is correct.”
The boss looked at us with anger and humiliation—mixed with relief.
“Let’s go, Chezare.”
“Yes, Master.”
We left while Chezare growled at the employees.
Once outside, he grinned.
“I’m pretty good in a fight, right? You must be glad you have a 1-billion disciple.”
“1 billion, huh…”
I smiled silently. Chezare grew uneasy.
“Ah, I was joking! I know I’m not worth 1 billion!”
Is he actually lacking self-esteem? The same guy who was just beating people senseless.
“You’re definitely worth more than 1 billion.”
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
Chezare looked at me suspiciously. I didn’t elaborate. He would understand someday.
The sound of pickaxes echoed as we entered the quarry.
Tall cliffs surrounded the area, with large crystals jutting out everywhere.
A strange blue glow filled the view. Chezare looked around in awe.
“Wow, this is impressive. Pretty crystals… and also… something else.”
While the crystals shimmered beautifully in sunlight, beneath them stood workers reduced to skin and bones, swinging pickaxes.
This place was harsh. The orphanage director had been working here for ten years. I hoped he was still alive.
There was something strange about the energy coming from the crystals. Most of them were buried underground, so it wasn’t fully clear.
“It seems these are mana crystals.”
“Mana crystals? The kind used in magical tools?”
“Yes.”
Crystals have high resistance to magic. They don’t easily break even when infused with mana. These were especially strong ones.
Chezare looked at them with interest.
“If I could make a spear out of this, that would be great. My mana breaks weapons easily.”
I recalled how he could teleport to weapons infused with his mana. A useful ability, though limited.
We moved deeper into the quarry. A rough-looking supervisor approached us.
“Who are you? What brings you here?”
Chezare hesitated, then spoke awkwardly.
“The loan company boss sent us. There’s a guy here—the orphanage director. Bring him out.”
Borrowing the boss’s name worked as expected. The supervisor’s expression changed.
“And that kid?”
“He’s my underling. Any problem?”
That was Chezare’s ad-lib. I hadn’t told him to say that—but he handled it well.
The supervisor nodded and pointed into a crack in the cliff.
“He’s working inside. He’ll come out in 30 minutes for break.”
“Wait? Why don’t we just go in and get him?”
“It’s dangerous inside. There are thin floors. If the boss’s men get hurt, it’ll be trouble for me.”
He left.
Thirty minutes was manageable.
While waiting, Chezare spoke quickly.
“You know I don’t actually see you as my underling, right? It just looked right since you’re a 20-year-old kid.”
Is he mocking me?
I couldn’t tell if he was naive or teasing me. Judging by his expression, he was probably serious.
While waiting, I asked about his ability.
“Your power—can you move to places where your mana is infused into objects?”
“Yes. But anything too weak breaks immediately, so I can barely use it.”
“If used well, it could be useful. Have you tried other applications?”
He blinked.
“Not really. I just punch things, and they usually die. Using mana also makes me tired.”
So strength replaces thinking.
He had survived so far, but he would need to grow stronger. Such a good ability shouldn’t go to waste.
“Monsters also resist mana. Have you tried using it on them?”
“Huh? No. A few hits kill them anyway, so I didn’t bother.”
He had never thought about it.
It might be worth experimenting with monsters later.
“Your ability could be useful outside combat too. Like transportation.”
“I wanted to be a courier, but I can only move things within 1 km.”
While we talked, 30 minutes passed.
Some workers began exiting the tunnel.
I asked the supervisor:
“Which one is the orphanage director? What does he look like?”
“A thin blond man. But he’s not among those who came out. Strange… he should be out for break.”
We waited a bit longer, but no one else came out.
Chezare stood up, annoyed.
“Damn, we’re busy. Where the hell is he? Hey, should we go in and look?”
The supervisor hesitated but didn’t stop us.
We entered the tunnel.
The entrance was stripped bare of crystals. It was eerily quiet.
As we stepped deeper inside, Chezare suddenly flinched.
“Master… do you hear screaming?”
From deep within the tunnel came a sharp scream.
Along with the scent of blood.
It might have been the orphanage director.
