The Price of Trust

No matter how much was included for security, it was still twice as expensive as the usual rate.

More than anything, what worried them was whether these people would truly serve as proper guides.

Having no official affiliation meant there was no guarantee. If they took the money and ran, the group would be left completely scammed.

Amy narrowed her eyes.

'Look at these guys...'

People who lurked in the shadows of society always thought the same way, no matter where they were.

Why had she forgotten? To shake off scum like them, you had to break their spirit from the very beginning.

Shirone hesitated.

"Five gold is a bit too much..."

"What's with you? Acting like it's your first time traveling. This is a world-famous tourist spot. Of course, it's more expensive than other places. In the end, it's all the same. Don't be so stingy."

Despite Gis' provocation, Shirone didn't give in.

"Sorry, but this isn't going to work. We'll either find another guide or manage on our own."

Gis dropped his luggage with a thud. Now that things had come this far, he had no choice but to play tough.

"You can't just back out like this. Do you know how much time we've wasted on you? Look around. All the other customers have left! This is really troublesome."

As Gis pulled out his trump card, his friends put on their most threatening expressions.

But standing before nobles, they couldn't completely hide their nervousness.

"So what now? How are you going to compensate us for the time we've lost? Are you trying to pick a fight, or what?"

"Even if you say that..."

Shirone tried to defuse the situation, but Amy cut in.

"Forget it."

She strode up to Gis, pulled five gold coins from her pouch, and held them out.

"We don't need a guide. Take the money and get lost."

Gis' face turned bright red.

"..."

"What are you waiting for? Take it. It's over now, right? So stop bothering us and leave."

Gis' friends, their eyes wide with surprise, eagerly reached out their hands as if they had struck gold.

"Whoa! We can really take this? Thank you!"

But Gis didn't move.

If anyone else had handed over the money, he might have reacted the same way as his friends. But when he saw Amy's face, humiliation burned inside him.

'Damn it! Damn it!'

He had never been on good terms with women from outside the port, but even if nothing ever came of it, he had always carried a dream or a fantasy in his heart.

Yet, Amy's look of utter disdain shattered that illusion so vividly.

It made him painfully aware of who he was, where he lived, and what kind of life he led.

Gis gritted his teeth.

"...Do I look like a beggar to you?"

"No. But weren't you the one demanding money? We don't need a guide, so just leave."

"Damn it! Who do you think you are to look down on me?!"

"Look down on you? Stop talking nonsense. You're the one trying to scam and extort us! Do you really want to get beaten up?!"

As Amy prepared to fight, Shirone quickly held her back.

Gis' friends were just as taken aback.

"G-Gis! What's wrong with you all of a sudden? We got the money, let's just go before they change their minds."

"Move! Hey, fine, hit me! Go on, hit me all you want!"

Amy, who had been stepping back with Shirone, snapped and lunged forward again.

"That bastard...!"

"Amy! There's no need to fight!"

Even as Shirone tried to stop her, Amy shot back.

"Let them come at me. What can they even do? They're just con artists. If we followed them, they'd keep squeezing more money out of us. They're irredeemable trash."

Gis' friends flinched. That was exactly what they had planned.

"Amy, that's enough."

Shirone's voice dropped slightly.

"Why should I stop? If we keep letting them push us around, they'll think we're scared. We should teach them a lesson—"

"Even so, just stop."

Amy turned to Shirone.

Seeing the firm expression on his face, she realized her mistake.

Of course, she didn't think she was wrong to call such scum trash. But knowing Shirone's personality, she could predict exactly how he felt about this. And that annoyed her the most.

"Hmph! You don't understand. You have no idea what kind of people they are."

Amy shook off Shirone's grip and walked away, clearly done with the situation.

"..."

Shirone couldn't stop her.

With that, the situation seemed to settle down, and Gis' friends hurriedly whispered among themselves.

"Gis, let's just go."

"Give it to me."

"Huh? Give you what?"

"The gold. Hand it over. Do you want to live with this humiliation? Do you have no pride as a man of the port?"

Gis pried open his friends' hands and snatched the gold coins.

The weight of them felt exhilarating. He clenched his fists, trying to suppress his greed.

"Hah! Arrogant nobles, throwing around five gold like it's nothing. Must be nice. I can't even imagine what that feels like."

He deliberately tossed the coins at Shirone and the others' feet.

The gold coins rolled on the ground, making a clear, ringing sound.

"Ah, so this is what that feels like. Amazing. Let's go, guys."

With that, Gis led his friends into an alley.

Amy was seething at their audacity but forced herself to calm down. If she reacted now, she really would be acting like an arrogant noble.

"Ugh, did you see that, Shirone? People like that need to be put in their place."

"I know. But ignoring them is enough. There's no need to fight."

"You say that, but you know what kind of people they are. You went through it yourself as a kid."

"..."

Shirone bit his lip.

Amy had a point.

But no matter how despicable those people were, he didn't want to see her demeaning someone else's dignity.

"..."

"Forget it. Let's just go and find a carriage."

For Amy, turning her back first was a clear sign—she didn't want to argue with Shirone.

And that was proof that she was truly upset.

Watching this unfold, Tess scratched his head, feeling awkward.

"Well, this is getting complicated."