“Don’t you want to Awaken, young lady?”

Middle Sector.

A place where people believe there is good security and no criminals. Here, a man was calling out to explorers.

The man’s name was Avege. He had an honest and sincere-looking face —in appearance alone.

“Awaken, you say? Hmm… but isn’t it expensive? I’m only a Star 1, so I don’t have much on me.” 

The young girl tilted her head innocently in front of the suspicious man calling out from the alleyway, not considering that it might be a scam.

This is because the people of the Middle Sector believe there are no pickpockets, burglars, robbers, or even swindlers. They believe the Middle Sector is a utopia.

Their targets are Star 1 or Star 2 explorers. These are people who think the Middle Sector is full of good people, and they are eager to improve their abilities so they can live there soon. The ideal image they have of the Middle Sector, combined with their desperation to climb the social ladder, clouds their judgment when a suspicious man approaches them.

“It’s okay to take out a loan. We even accept revolving payments. Our organization, the Explorer Support Foundation Verage, exists to support the explorers that protect the human domain.” (Avege)

He placed a hand on his chest and flashed a reassuring smile. Avege’s appearance was that of a priest at first glance. He looked clean, sincere, and kind-hearted —almost like a real priest. Well, he really was a priest once…

“Haven’t you heard of the Verage Foundation?” (Avege)

“Uh… No, I haven’t. Hey, old man, have you?”

The girl in the expensive-looking martial arts uniform-like spirit armor called out to the young man next to her.

“Hmm… Verage, huh. I feel like I’ve heard of it… Or did I?”  

The young man had a thin face, a crooked smile, and seemed eager to pretend he knew something. He stroked his chin but didn’t give a clear answer. His shifty eyes made him look like a crook, and he mumbled uncertainly.

Avege inwardly mocked him, thinking such a man is useful to have around on such occasions, while maintaining a sincere expression.

“The foundation was established in recent years. We’ve been working to support explorers who protect the human domain, and it’s only recently started gaining recogniti—.” (Avege)

“Oh, isn’t that Madson-san over there? Are you helping out new explorers again?” 

A passing explorer party called out to Avege before he could finish his sentence. They seemed to have outgrown their novice status and were beginning to walk the path of the strong. 

The aura of magic radiating from the mass-produced spirit armor they wore, worth only about one billion Eles, was far stronger than that of a typical spirit armor.

“Haha, isn’t that Takura-san? It’s been a while. How’s the power of your spirit armor after the Awakening?” (Avege)

“Oh, it’s perfect. I was stuck at Star 2, but now I’m a Star 4. It’s all thanks to you that I was able to Awaken my spirit armor.” (Takura)

Takura proudly thumped his chest, but Avege waved his hand with a smile, denying the compliment.

“It was because of your already present talent, Takura-san. The Awakening we performed was just the catalyst. It’s all thanks to your abilities. We’re only here to help uncover hidden gems.” (Avege)

“You’re still so modest. Oh, I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation with the new hidden gems. My bad. Next time we meet, let me buy you a drink.” (Takura)

“Please do. When that time comes, make sure it’s a very expensive one.” (Avege)

With that, Takura left, and Avege watched him go.

“Sorry to interrupt. Let’s get back to our conversation.” (Avege)

Avege turned back to the girl with a slightly apologetic smile.

“No, no, it’s fine. Um, who was that?”

“Oh, that was Takura-san. He has been rising through the ranks quickly lately. Haven’t you heard of him?” (Avege)

“Uh… Have you, old man?” 

“Hmm… I think I might have heard the name somewhere…or maybe not?” 

As expected, the crook next to her hesitated, while Avege kept a calm, smiling demeanor. He was used to what comes after this.

“Did that person also go through Awakening?”

“Yes, he underwent our Awakening. That was the trigger that allowed him to become a top-tier explorer. We’re thrilled to have been a part of it. It’s the most rewarding part of this job.” (Avege)

“Wow! But Awakening costs a lot, right?”

The girl leaned forward, clearly intrigued, while Avege, pleased that she was taking the bait, kept his face sincere. At this point, most people would fall for it, but he needed to be cautious.

“As I mentioned before, loans and revolving payments are acceptable. The explorers we approach are like raw gems, destined to shine like jewels in the future. That’s why they don’t have much money as of present, and most of them pay in installments.” (Avege)

He cleared his throat and paused to observe the girl’s reaction. She was nodding along, now more invested in his story. The man next to her was also listening intently.

“I’m sure you already know what Awakening is, but let me explain. The Artificial Spirit infused in your spirit armor is just energy. However, with the use of a special magic circle, it can be materialized. Once materialized, the Artificial Spirit can use support magic and assist its owner.” (Avege)

“Yes! All the top-tier explorers have Awakened spirit armor. Only those with Awakened spirit armor can be considered true elites!” 

“But Awakening requires rare materials as catalysts and high level mages to perform the ritual. You wouldn’t be able to do the Awakening without the earnings of a top-tier explorer. You need wealth for the materials and connections to gather high level mages.” 

Avege nodded inwardly as the two of them discussed the challenging requirements for Awakening, thinking that people who know more about it are easier to deceive.

“Exactly. But if we leave things as they are, explorers will never break out of their shells. Even if there’s a dragon inside, it’s meaningless if it doesn’t hatch. That’s why our Explorer Support Foundation, Verage, decided to invest our own resources to approach promising explorers! As a result, the fee we ask explorers to pay is only about one-tenth of the actual cost. And you can pay after the fact.” (Avege)

“Ooh~, that’s impressive.”

“Yeah, this is an opportunity you can’t pass up. You’re lucky, Touka. Aah, if only I had spirit armor…”

Avege was now certain that they had taken the bait, but remained cautious.

“The total cost is 10 million Ele. However, you can pay it off in ten years with monthly installments. It comes out to just 100,000 Ele per month. No down payment is required. How about it? Would you like to Awaken the spirit armor you’re wearing?” (Avege)

“Yes! Please Awaken my Flying Arrow!” (Touka)

The girl eagerly raised her hand without a second thought.

(Idiot! Even a monkey would think this through more. Her head must be full of air. This is why explorers are so easy to fool.) (Avege)

“I’m glad to hear that. Please, follow me. If other explorers overhear, they’ll all rush to ask for Awakening, so we have to keep it secret.” (Avege)

“Oh, that’s why you were calling out to people in the alley.” (Touka)

“Yes, I know it looks suspicious, but there are security cameras. Whether we’re in a main street or an alley, the security is the same, so there’s no problem.” (Avege)

Though he had disabled the alley’s security cameras, he kept up the charade and moved subtly to avoid being caught on camera. They entered a building through a back entrance.

“Oh, this building is impressive!” (Touka)

The girl looked around the interior, visibly impressed most likely because it must be far better than she imagined.

“It is, isn’t it? The number of people supporting our foundation is growing by the day. So, we’re not short on funds.” (Avege)

Although they had entered through the back, the building’s interior was clean, with carpets and paintings that gave it the appearance of a high-end hotel. It wasn’t a shabby office building, which might have raised suspicions. Instead, it was a rented space, decorated to look prestigious.

Indeed, the interior was impressive, but the truth was, it was just a rented office building. They had leased a room through several dummy companies to avoid detection, but to the uninformed, it appeared to be owned by the foundation.

“Right this way, please.” (Avege)

The success rate of a scam depends on the amount of money invested in the setup. The room they entered had a magic circle drawn on the floor, with robed figures casting a Light spell on the spirit armor placed at the center.

At first glance, the scene looked like a grand ritual performed by high-level mages.

“Sorry for all the noise. Everyone is busy with Awakening rituals. Haha.” (Avege)

“Wow, I’ve never seen Awakening magic before. Isn’t this amazing, old man?” (Touka)

“It sure is. So this will make you one of the elites now, Touka.”

“Indeed. In the future, you’ll become a hero who protects humanity. We’re looking forward to it.” (Avege)

Then, leading them past the magic circle, he guided them to the reception room. Each took a seat on the sofa, and the conversation continued.

“Now then, this is the contract. Go ahead and check it.” (Avege)

“Okay! Umm, what’s this about indistinguishable terms?” (Touka)

“Make sure you read it thoroughly. You need to carefully confirm the contents of a contract.” 

“Yeah… Umm, so it’s a ten-year payment plan with 100,000 Ele per month.” (Touka)

The man must be eager to play the role of a reliable adult, so he checked the contract. Indeed, it’s important to verify the details. The contract was written in a way that was favorable to the mark, so there were no issues.

(That would be true under normal circumstances! But it’s meaningless when the other party has no intention of honoring the contract in the first place.) (Avege)

“Yes, there are no issues. However, I’d like to add one clause. Touka’s Flying Arrow is a family heirloom, and its value is immeasurable. So, if the Awakening fails, you’ll owe us 1 trillion Ele. The ritual must be completed by the day after tomorrow. If you can’t pay, we’ll seize your assets.”

Avege laughed internally, while the man grinned wickedly like a crook. He probably thought he could make a fortune if the ritual failed. Foolish of him. Avege had no intention of honoring the contract in the first place.

“I understand. That won’t be a problem.” (Avege)

They both signed the contract, then in another room, the girl changed out of her Flying Arrow spirit armor and handed it over.

(Just as I thought! This spirit armor is incredibly valuable! It’s worth at least several billion Eles. No, it might even be worth ten times that! I can close up shop after today!) (Avege)

“Please return in three days. We’ll hand over your Awakened spirit armor.” (Avege)

“Thank you so much!” (Touka)

“Yes, really looking forward to it. See you in three days.”

Suppressing his inner joy, Avege maintained a neutral expression as he saw off the foolish explorers…

The next day, he vacated the room and disappeared without a trace.

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