I Refused to Be the Chosen Hero

Chapter 3: Arthur Pendleton & The Ledger

"Who locked the doors to this store? Open up right now!"

The arrogant voice barked from behind the chained glass doors. Fabian, who was organizing a box of batteries in the staff room, turned his head. Marcus immediately stood rigid near the cash register.

"Don't open it," Marcus whispered. "It could be a monster."

Fabian walked over to the door. Through the glass fogged up by the mist, he saw a young man in his early twenties standing there in an expensive suit that was dirty around the hem. His blond hair was neatly styled despite the mist swirling around him. Behind him stood two sharply dressed men who looked like bodyguards.

"I am Arthur Pendleton," the young man said clearly. "Of the Pendleton family. I'm a prospective Chosen Hero. Open this door. I need supplies before heading to the next pillar."

Fabian stared at him for a moment, then unchained the door just enough for a shoulder-width gap. "Enter one by one. Leave your weapons outside."

Arthur scoffed. "You dare give me orders? You're just a shopkeeper."

"I control the inventory inside," Fabian said flatly. "If you want to buy, follow the rules. If not, feel free to look elsewhere."

Arthur walked in with an arrogant stride, followed by his two bodyguards. His eyes scanned the nearly bare shelves, then landed on the box of Earl Grey tea and the batteries that had been set aside. "You're hoarding. This ought to be reported."

Marcus swallowed hard. Fabian simply pulled the door shut again and locked the chain. "Go ahead and report it. In the meantime, tell me what you need."

Before Arthur could answer, a System screen appeared in front of Fabian as well as in front of Arthur.

[Joint Main Quest Detected at Location]

[Quest: "Secure the Tottenham logistics point and establish it as a Chosen Hero base"]

[Offered to: Fabian Hart (Intelligence Stat 98.7) and Arthur Pendleton (Charisma Stat 91.2)]

[Reward: Joint Title + System Warehouse Access]

Arthur grinned widely. "See? The System recognizes me. We take this quest together. I lead, you handle the supplies."

Fabian stared at the screen, then tapped a few buttons on his pocket calculator. Numbers scrolled by. "This quest carries a hidden death rate of 67 percent if taken by two individuals with conflicting specializations. My stats are too high for a supporting role. The System will force me to the front lines."

"So what then?" Arthur asked, annoyed. "Are you going to decline again?"

"I'm going to shift the quest's focus." Fabian swiped his finger through the air, pulling up a statistical data panel visible only to those with extreme stats. He keyed in parameters: location, mist density, monster estimates, and Arthur's charisma rating. "If the main prompt is redirected to the individual with the highest charisma within a 50-meter radius, the System will shift the primary target. You take it. I'm just a supplier."

The screen in front of Arthur flickered. The quest text changed.

[Primary Target Updated: Arthur Pendleton]

[Fabian Hart Designated as Non-Mandatory Logistics Support]

Arthur froze. "You... shifted the quest to me?"

"I just took advantage of a statistical loophole," Fabian replied calmly. "The System prioritizes efficiency. Your charisma is better suited for rallying people. My intelligence is better suited for managing inventory. The quest is yours now."

Arthur gave an arrogant laugh. "How generous. I deserve to be the lead anyway. You can stay in the back where you belong."

At that exact moment, someone knocked on the glass door again. A woman in a dark purple robe stood outside, her face covered in scratches and full of irritation. In her hand was a carved wooden staff.

"Open up!" she snapped. "I am Lady Seraphine of the Northern Sorcerers' Circle. I need stamina potions and mana batteries right now!"

Fabian unchained the door once more. The woman swept inside with hurried steps, then halted abruptly when she saw the empty shelves. "You're hoarding goods while people are dying outside? Cowards!"

Marcus wanted to say something, but Fabian spoke first. "Limited stock. Prices adjust for risk."

Lady Seraphine pointed to the emergency potion container Fabian had just brought out from the back storage room. "How much?"

Fabian opened his notepad. "Small stamina potion. Normal retail was 15 pounds. Now it's 150 pounds per bottle. Medium mana battery, 200 pounds per unit."

Lady Seraphine's face flushed crimson. "Are you out of your mind? A 1,000 percent markup? I could destroy this shop with a single spell!"

"Feel free," Fabian replied flatly. "But once the store is destroyed, you won't get any potions. And according to System data, your current tier of spells requires 40 percent extra mana for a full cast. You're running low on power. That's why you're here."

Lady Seraphine fell silent. Her staff trembled. Arthur, standing off to the side, chuckled. "Haha! Even an elite mage has to bow to a shopkeeper."

"Shut your mouth, arrogant noble," Lady Seraphine snapped. Then she glared at Fabian again. "I'll pay. But I won't forget this."

Fabian nodded. "Upfront payment. Cash or equivalent valuables. After that, the potions and batteries are yours."

Lady Seraphine pulled out a small pouch filled with gold coins and a few raw mana stones. Fabian weighed them quickly, then handed over two potion bottles and one mana battery. "Transaction complete."

While Lady Seraphine walked out looking humiliated, Fabian wrote in his notebook. "First transaction recorded. Network name: The Ledger. Core rule: stock leaves only at prices reflecting scarcity. No credit for people who insult the store."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "The Ledger? You're starting a merchant organization in the middle of an apocalypse?"

"Yes," Fabian replied. "While you and the others chase pillars and quests, I will control the flow of goods. Earl Grey tea, batteries, potions, safe route information. Everything passes through here."

Arthur laughed again, louder this time. "You really are a coward who's good at math. Fine. I'll take the main quest. You stay in the back selling scraps. Just don't let me catch you getting in the way of real heroes."

"I won't get in your way," Fabian said. "I'll simply sell you what you need at a fair price."

Arthur and his two bodyguards left. The door was locked once more. Marcus let out a long breath and sat down on the cashier stool. "You just pissed off an elite mage and dumped a quest onto a crazy nobleman. Aren't you afraid?"

"I'm afraid of bad numbers," Fabian replied while closing his notepad. "Not the words of people who need my stock. The Ledger is officially launched today. Tomorrow, more people will come. Prices remain firm."

The System screen appeared once more before Fabian, the text slightly forced.

[Observation Continuing. Individuals successfully diverted the Main Quest. Coercion protocol temporarily suspended]

[Warning: Resource monopolization may trigger future intervention]

Fabian dismissed the notification with a flick of his wrist. "Let it intervene later. For now, I have inventory, my first transaction, and a name."

Marcus shook his head, though a subtle hint of admiration flickered in his eyes. Outside, the mist was still thick. Faint screams of people running toward the pillars could still be heard. Inside the underground convenience store that had now become the headquarters of The Ledger, Fabian neatly arranged the boxes of Earl Grey tea once more. The premise was already clear. He wasn't going to be a hero. He was going to be the man who sold heroes what they needed, at whatever price he set himself.