Emergency Loaning

**And this, my friends, is called gluttony…**

"What was I thinking?" he said before burping.

"I feel a minor discomfort in the stomach, but excluding that, this was a pleasant experience."

"Yeah, let's just call it that, grurhp…"

"Hey." A new customer occupied the table next to them and called him aloud. "Are my eyes deceiving me, or…"

"It's a bug. I'll try to fix it once I travel to Londorus. Have a nice day!"

After putting away the last plate, the waitress strolled towards them, eternally grinning. "Did you enjoy your meal, sir, miss?"

"Yes, it was quite pleasant," Ashley replied, nodding for the first time since she had logged in.

**Quick learner... Grurhp… Oh, god…**

"I'm glad to hear that. Thanks for coming to the Dragon's Belly. Here's your bill."

While feeling heartburns, Alan squinted hard at the waitress, finally recognizing her. "Miss! Did you use to work at the Town Hall?"

The NPC did not remove the grin off her face. "That is correct, sir. Until a year ago when the new Mayor rescinded my services. Fortunately, Lord Reed has given me work here. Anything else I can do for you?" She pushed the floating window toward him, still smiling.

**I don't see a glimpse of resentment in her. As expected from a basic AI.**

He looked at the window, a circle waiting for him to put his thumb on it. **I don't know why, but it sounded like she was sold to the owner of this place. All of them.** He quickly glanced at the rest of the waitress and the hostess and wondered if the chefs were NPCs too. He pushed his thumb against the virtual bill to pay it.

A message popped up.

++NO FUNDS++

"Huh?"

"Sorry to bother you, sir, but could you try again?"

He did, finding the same results.

"What is happening, Alan?" Ashley asked, quietly.

"I… I don't understand…" He muttered while opening his Status tab. "I should have the money to pay for everything we…" He opened his eyes wide at the sight of his money balance. "30 gold… I only have 30 gold left…"

He glanced at the silent waitress, who was putting a finger on the side of her head where she had something her left metallic fox ear.

**She's contacting someone!**

"Are you shitting me?!" A slender young man cried from the second floor. "Where is he?!"

The waitress remained silent, finger on her communicator, as the man jumped down easily despite his fragile physique.

"Wait!" Alan pleaded at the waitress who walked away without gazing back.

"Is this some sort of prank, kid?" The man rushed to pull Alan from the collar of his clothes, lifting him off the ground. Alan could see he had golden teeth.

"What? No!"

"Wanting to gain subscribers by making stupid pranks at hard workers like me?! Where is your stupid camera?!"

"N-no, sir! I'm not trying to trick you or to be funny, I swear! I don't even know how to tell a good joke! Like, why did the engineer backstab his coworkers? Because he was sus—!"

"Shut the f—!" The man stopped mid-sentence after looking at the number above Alan's head. "Wait a minute. Are you level 5? Why?"

**Oh, crap.** Alan also glanced at the man's level. 33?! What?! Double crap!**

"Your orders, Alan," Ashley said while putting a hand on the hilt of her dagger.

The man quickly sneered. "Don't try anything stupid."

"He's right," another voice was heard from the table next to them where a warrior rested, casually sipping coffee and holding a spear over his right shoulder. "He's not alone."

Alan could not see that man's level. **Which only means one thing!**

"Ashley, put your weapons down. Please, just let me explain! Before entering your fine establishment, I had 100,000 gold on my account, I swear!"

"A level 5 with that kind of money, yeah, right!"

"It's true! Let us pay you in another way then! My partner has a set of silver armor that…"

"I don't want your shitty gear, kid! I want my—!"

"I'll pay his bill," a woman said aloud, from the second floor. Alan glanced at her, wearing purple robes and smoking from a sleek cigarette holder. "On the condition that he tells me that story of his. Come, young man." The woman turned around and walked back to her table.

The owner of the restaurant let Alan go, but blocked his path to the exit. "You heard Lady Monique," he grunted. "Hurry up and go upstairs."

"Alan?" Ashley called while not taking her eyes off the armed User at her side.

"Let's do as she says for the moment," Alan said, walking up the stairs. On the second floor was a more modest number of tables, and at the farthest corner, Lady Monique was waiting.

A slim young woman wearing glasses, a business suit, and a braid stood by her side.

"T-thanks, Lady Monique," Alan said, too nervous to get close, but the woman gestured for them to sit down.

Monique looked in her late twenties, with straight platinum hair and caramel skin. "Don't mistake this as an act of charity, young man. That would ruin my reputation." She took a bite of her steak while scrutinizing their clothes. "A level 5 alleging to have a considerable amount of money, and yet, wearing such ragged clothes?"

Alan could feel Ashley's cautious gaze.

**Yes, I know. I'll be discreet.**

"I'm not lying, ma'am, I had that gold before entering the town. Maybe I got pickpocketed on my way here."

"Who would waste their time searching the contents of a Low-leveler?" Monique's bodyguard said, glaring at him. "And why does a noob like you still exist, anyway?"

"Don't be like that, Risette, I believe in his words."

"You do?" Alan said, astonished.

"Sure, why not? I've heard crazier things during my time here. Tell me something first, is 'five' really your level, or is it a system's error?"

"An error. Definitely."

"Are you in a guild?" she asked, making him purse his lips. "Oh, don't worry. I just need to know where to look for you to retrieve this debt of yours. Because I'm just lending you the money until you can pay me back."

He nodded. "S-Shooting Stars."

"What?" Risette squinted. "If this is a joke…"

"It's not," he said, making his voice deeper.

Risette shrugged. "I don't really care, but if one of the real Shooting Stars catches you saying that, I don't think you would have the chance to lie ever again."

"And what is that supposed to mean?!" Alan cried, rising from his place and making the table move. "You make them sound like a bunch of criminals!"

"If the shoe fits…"

"Sit. We aren't done talking yet," Monique said without raising her voice, but Alan could sense a threatening tone. "And don't interrupt us again, Risette. I'm the one talking here."

The bodyguard clicked her teeth and folded her arms.

Monique mildly grinned at him. "Instead of arguing like children, there is a way of proving you're right. Mister…"

"Alan… Warden."

"Yes, Mister Alan." She sipped on wine. "Add me to your friend list and send me a message stating that you owe me... How much was it? Risette, go ask."

"Fine," she muttered, walking towards the table where the owner could be seen, still glaring at Alan.

**If she doesn't ask me anything else regarding my level, I suppose this is an excellent way to get out of this.**

He watched as the woman started typing something in her User Interface until he got a friend request.

------------------

++NEW FRIEND REQUEST!!!++

Add Monique Ascencio to your contacts?

SURE ! - NOPE !

---------------

Risette strolled back towards their table. "The bill is for 4800 gold, ma'am."

"Very well, Alan Warden. Write that you owe me 10,000 gold. Consider the extra amount as interest."

Alan reluctantly wrote the amount on the private message. "I promise to pay you as soon as I can."

"I'll be waiting," she said softly as she glanced at her right, receiving a notification. She tapped on it and read the message thoroughly. "This will do. You can go now."

Alan did not need to hear it twice. "Thank you, ma'am... I... We'll be in contact. Good night." He quickly stood up and walked away, followed by Ashley, while ignoring a glare from Risette.

"Good night to you too," Monique said quietly as the couple took the stairs down, followed by the restaurant's owner's gaze. "Very interesting," Monique said to her bodyguard, who took a seat.

"Was that clown telling the truth, ma'am?"

Monique stared at her system window, where Alan's chat remained open.

---------------------------------

PRIVATE MESSAGES

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From: Alan Warden

Shooting Star's Co-Leader

I, Alan Warden, owe Monique Ascencio, 10,000 gold.

Thanks for helping me, you wonderful, nice lady! - xoxo

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"We could use this info," Monique said, puffing from her cigarette and releasing smoke in her window's direction.