Red Loan Sharks!!

"Now, come at me!" Adrian said as he enveloped the stick with his aura.

The three brothers attacked Adrian with wooden swords from the left, right, and center. Their timing was perfect, as their attacks were to land at the same time, but before it could happen, Adrian swung the stick horizontally in front of him. The brothers were flustered a bit as they changed their stance from offensive to defensive.

The stick struck Lowlogh, who was on the left first. He tried to block it, but their aura potency had a high difference between them. Lowlogh was swept along with the stick as they both collided with Midlogh, who was ready to defend but it didn't change the outcome as he was also swept away.

Highlogh wanted to dodge, but everything happened too fast, and Adrian had let them come close so that they couldn't get out of the stick's attacking range. Therefore, with his two brothers, Highlogh flew out of the ring.

The match ended with one attack from Adrian. The knights had their jaws dropped in shock. They had never expected this outcome of the match. They could say that Adrian got lucky with his attack, but no one could deny the power difference between them as Adrian easily overpowered the three of them with his aura alone.

"Sir Captain, let's finish what you were talking about now."

Adrian exited the ring calmly without paying any heed to the shocked expressions everyone had. The captain had a disappointed look on his face as he wanted to see Adrian go all out. But as he heard Adrian call him, he rushed to him.

"Sir Adrian, as a vice-captain, you don't have to do much. Just train the soldiers when there is no mission. As for the salary, it is 8 gold per month usually, but I will make it 10 gold for you."

Tauras explained Adrian's work and payment as he left the training grounds with Adrian.

"Oh, 10 gold is good, but is there any other way to earn some extra money?"

Adrian inquired, as he had to pay for the bident as well as send some money to his home.

"Sure, there are many illegal businesses running in Antinia. You can make them close down and take some percent of the treasure they have. Of course, you would have to submit the remaining treasure to Antinia city.

But it will be quite difficult; many have tried and failed. Those bastards are too good at hiding from us.

There is another way too; you can hunt criminals who have a bounty on their head. But I will suggest the first method as it provides a reward, and the criminals involved in the businesses have a bounty on their head. Therefore, you can earn extra money by taking them down."

Tauras answered to the best of his abilities. He thought that Adrian could take down at least one business with his skills; therefore, he was looking forward to the results.

"I also think the first method is more optimal and efficient. So could you also suggest the business I should take down?"

Adrian asked the question which came to his mind. He was planning to spend the remaining time while earning money to solve his financial crisis. He didn't want to babysit some knights, as he didn't like interacting that much.

"Hmm, taking the risk and profit into account, I would suggest you go after the Red Loan Sharks' business.

They are well known for giving loans at a high rate. They usually go after poor farmers and workers who don't have a choice but to take a loan from them, as any bank would decline to give a loan without any collateral.

But that isn't where they are wrong; it is the way they do business. They try to make it impossible for the client to return the loan to make them work for them at low wages or sell them as slaves.

Like if a farmer gets a good yield in their field, then they would ruin the crops or burn it so that the farmer can't return their money, and according to the contract, they would have to work for them until they pay their loan or sell them as slaves in the slave market."

The captain explained as his expression changed many times to anger and disgust. He really felt his blood boil when he heard of such criminals. He tried many times to take care of them, but alas, what can he do alone, and if he tried to take the knight order with him, then the criminals would hide for the time being, making it impossible to catch them.

"They really are the scum of society that needs to be removed. Ok then, I will take care of them. I will leave for the time being to acquire some information about them and return at night to my room."

Adrian was also angered after learning about such trash. He had seen such types of criminals many times in his previous life. Although he was doing this to relieve himself from his financial crisis, he had already made up his mind to remove this trash from the planet.

Adrian already had a location in mind to acquire the information about these illegal Red Loan Sharks. After a few minutes, he was in front of the door of a bar. Its title plate read "Antinia City Bar."

This bar was a common place where criminals gathered in the city to enjoy some booze. Adrian hoped to acquire some useful information about the location of their base, as he really wanted to get rid of their leader as soon as possible.

Adrian pushed open the bar's creaky door, its wooden frame groaning in reluctant surrender. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of cheap ale and the hushed conversations of shady deals. He slipped into a shadowy corner booth, his aura bident resting against his side like a loyal companion. He had his face covered with a hood.

The bartender, a grizzled man with a scar running across his cheek, approached Adrian with a knowing grin. "What can I get ya, stranger?"

Adrian's eyes met the bartender's, and in that unspoken moment, a dangerous understanding passed between them. "Information," Adrian replied, his voice low and steady. "I'm looking for anything on the Red Loan Shark in this city."

The bartender's eyes darted around the room, assessing the crowd's reactions. His lips curved into a wry smile. "You're treading dangerous waters, friend. But I've heard of them doing business in the city frequently as of late."

Adrian nodded his thanks and slid a few coins across the bar. He turned to leave, but before he could take a step, the bartender's smile turned sinister. With a flick of his fingers, he signaled his fellow conspirators who were scattered throughout the bar. In an instant, a group of henchmen surrounded Adrian.

"You should've kept your nose out of our business," the bartender sneered.

Adrian's response was swift and graceful, like a deadly dance. His aura bident became an extension of himself, whirling through the air as he countered every attack. The henchmen, ill-prepared for the wrath of an Aura knight, fell like leaves in a tempest.

As the last of his attackers crumpled to the floor, Adrian turned his attention back to the bartender, who was now trembling with fear. He grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him to an empty room at the back of the bar.

Adrian slammed the door shut, his eyes locked on the trembling bartender. "Your loyalty to the Red Loan Sharks runs deep, doesn't it?"

The bartender kept silent, defiance etched on his scarred face.

Adrian reached for a knife, his fingers caressing its blade menacingly. With a swift motion, he sliced two of the bartender's fingers. Blood oozed from the wounds, but the man refused to cry out.

"Stubborn," Adrian mused, wiping the blade on a rag. "I respect that. But I wonder if you'll be just as resolute when it comes to your family."

The bartender's eyes widened in terror. "What do you want?"

Adrian leaned in close, his voice dripping with menace. "I want the location of that base, every detail of it. And if you don't talk, I'll make sure your son and wife suffer mercilessly before I end them."

The bartender's resolve crumbled like a fragile wall in a storm. He stammered out the details, his voice quivering with desperation. "The underground hall... inside of Antinia Casino... it's heavily guarded... you'll need every ounce of your strength."

Adrian released the bartender, who collapsed to the floor, clutching his maimed hand. "Remember," Adrian whispered, his words laced with ice, "if you ever cross my path again, it won't end so mercifully."

As he left the room, the bartender's cries of pain echoed in his ears.

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