Chapter 153: Automatic Debt Collection Initiated

They finished eating in the noisy inn, ignoring the usual bustle of the adventurers who were celebrating their small victories of the day.

Aside from the information they had obtained from that A-rank spearman about the border and the Demon King, they did not hear any more relevant rumors regarding the holy knights or the guild’s movements.

The city seemed oblivious to the storm that was approaching.

With the intention of covering more ground, the group decided to separate momentarily. Each one went out on their own to explore different commercial sectors, agreeing to meet up again in their inn room at nightfall.

Ryan walked alone through the cobblestone streets of Wind Valley. His main objective was to gather information, but upon passing in front of a stone building bearing the emblem of an anvil and a crossed sword, he came to a halt. He entered the place, pushing open the heavy wooden door.

The smell of forged iron, leather, and weapon oil flooded his senses immediately. He observed the rows of swords, shields, and armors displayed on the walls, tended by a robust merchant who was negotiating with a couple of rookies at the main counter.

’This is the first time I’ve entered an armory since I arrived in this world.’

Ryan thought, walking down the aisles with a mixture of curiosity and nostalgia.

’Normally, in any role-playing video game, checking the local weapon shop would be the very first thing I’d do upon arriving in a new city. However, my beginning in this place started at such a complex and chaotic point that I completely skipped the beginner phase.’

He inspected the attributes of a pair of C-rank daggers that were sitting on the counter.

Upon comparing them with the equipment he currently possessed or with the artifacts they had obtained from the dungeon bosses, these city weapons looked like simple, worthless toys.

Satisfied with the confirmation of his own strength and resources, he left the place without buying anything.

Time passed quickly while he walked through the city. They had arrived in Kalistia almost at noon, and now the sky was beginning to tinge with the dark hues of dusk.

The cold wind blew through the streets, announcing that it was time to reunite.

Ryan returned to the inn and climbed the wooden stairs until reaching the room they had rented.

Upon closing the door behind him, the place seemed to be completely empty and plunged into an absolute silence. Suddenly, the candlelight flickered subtly due to a movement in the air.

"Hello." A female voice greeted him from behind.

Beatrice appeared before him, dispelling her stealth skill in an instant. Her figure materialized from the shadows in the corner of the room, showing a faint smile as she took off the bothersome scarf that hid her face.

"Did you find anything useful out there?" Ryan asked, approaching one of the wooden chairs.

"I checked the bulletin boards and blended into a few taverns."

Beatrice explained calmly.

"Our wanted posters are pinned up in some places, but people simply ignore them. Nobody is talking about us. Maybe we just aren’t that relevant anymore because nothing recent has happened on the outside, or the church is purposely hiding the real information."

At that precise moment, the door to the room opened. Karol entered with a quick pace, making sure to lock it before joining the group’s conversation.

"I confirm what Beatrice is saying."

Karol announced, taking a seat on the edge of the bed with an expression of total seriousness.

"According to what I found out today in the commercial district, only the information that Ryan freed Beatrice from the prison is publicly known. For that reason, you are wanted by the authorities. But the information that S-rank holy knights died hasn’t come to light anywhere."

Karol crossed her arms, analyzing the political situation of the world with a perceptive gesture.

"In fact, it would be a total scandal if they told the kingdoms something like that. It doesn’t surprise me at all that they’re hiding it; the church is very astute when it comes to managing the masses."

Ryan intervened immediately, nodding his head.

"It’s simple power logic. If the allied nations find out that some of their precious S-rank knights died at the hands of a single man whom they are now desperately hunting down, they would lose prestige. Their influence over the kings and nobles would plummet in a matter of days."

The revelation brought a moment of calm to the room. If the church was hiding the truth, it meant they wouldn’t publicly send entire armies after them so as not to draw attention, which gave them a much larger margin to maneuver than they expected.

After discussing those final details, Ryan took off his heavy travel coat, left it on the chair, and sat comfortably on the bed next to Karol.

’None of that matters right now. The church can hide whatever it wants. Right now I have all the energy and time necessary to become much stronger.’

Ryan thought, letting a malice-laden smile escape onto his face as he looked at his companions.

"What’s with that face?" Karol asked, shrinking her shoulders a bit upon noticing the intensity of Ryan’s gaze.

"You’re scaring me, are you perhaps thinking of doing something really weird to us?" she said in a mocking tone, trying to lighten the mood.

Ryan looked directly at her, recalling the conversation they had left pending at the dining table hours ago.

"It’s true, you might not know it, because only Beatrice has experienced it so far. But we won’t be sleeping tonight." Ryan responded with total naturalness.

"Are you really craving sex that badly, Ryan?" Karol asked, opening her eyes a bit with a mixture of surprise and genuine curiosity.

Instead of giving her a direct verbal answer, Ryan raised a hand. A warm, golden light immediately enveloped the bodies of Beatrice and Karol.

He had activated his support buffing skill on them, filling the room with a comforting and stimulating energy that instantly gave the girls goosebumps.

"Something I have noticed over time is that when I don’t give direct and restrictive orders, the system’s luck bonus applies at a much higher rate, granting me double the debt points."

Ryan murmured to himself almost inaudibly, evaluating the mechanics of his own power.

"In that case, I will let whatever has to happen, happen naturally."

"What did you say?" both girls asked in unison, confused by not hearing his words clearly.

"That giving orders is also an excessive mental strain; thinking about whether an order is repetitive or not ends up being quite annoying."

Ding!

[Automatic debt collection initiated]