I Refused to Be the Chosen Hero

Chapter 9: Arthur on the Brink of Death

The mist outside the convenience store shifted faster than usual as The Ledger's young courier burst inside, pale-faced with his jacket caked in monster dust.

Fabian, who was weighing the remaining mana batteries at the staff desk, merely raised his eyes. Marcus was already standing up from the cashier stool, pen in hand over the notebook.

"Report from Russell Square," the courier panted out. "Arthur Pendleton forced his Hero Party into an old building that serves as a mid-tier monster nest. Without the latest map. Without enough backup potions. They're trapped on the second floor. Four people are already down and unmoving. You can still hear spells being fired, but it's getting sparser."

Fabian closed the battery box. "Estimated remaining members?"

"Out of the twelve who went in, roughly seven or eight are still holding out. Arthur himself has a shoulder wound. He keeps claiming a hero's conviction will prevail, but his people are already panicking."

Marcus let out a long sigh. "Crazy. Mid-tier monsters. They just suffered losses at the station dungeon yesterday, and now he's pushing it again."

"Because he feels chosen," Fabian replied calmly. He opened the Ledger notebook to the emergency pricing page. "Assemble a rescue package: three medium healing potion bottles, two mana batteries, and a map showing the fastest exit route from that building based on earlier courier data. Total price: 1,200 pounds. Payment upfront. No bargaining."

The courier's eyes widened. "1,200? That's nearly double the regular price!"

"Delivery risk into an active mid-tier monster zone," Fabian said. "Plus today's stock scarcity. If they decline, leave them be. The numbers say their odds of survival without this package are under 30 percent."

Marcus was already packing the bottles into a heavy canvas bag. "I'll go along with your math. But what if Arthur flies into a rage later?"

"Anger doesn't fill empty bottles," Fabian answered. "You," he looked at the courier, "take two more people as long-range guards. Don't go in too deep. Toss the package if necessary. Take payment first. If they attack, run. Inventory is worth more than the lives of people who force their way in without data."

The courier nodded quickly, took the bag, and headed back outside alongside two other couriers who were waiting near the door.

Fabian turned back to the wall map, marking the old building with a large red dot.

Less than forty minutes later, one of the couriers returned out of breath, carrying a heavy pouch in his hand. "They paid. Arthur threw the mana stones and jewelry out of the second-floor window himself. His face... he was furious. But he took the package. They drank the potions immediately and started moving toward the exit route marked on the map."

Fabian accepted the pouch and poured its contents onto the table. Mana stones, two rings, and a few old coins. He weighed them. "Sufficient. An extra 50 pounds over. Return the change next time or log it as a deposit."

The courier was still trembling. "Arthur was screaming from inside. Saying The Ledger was taking advantage of him. Claiming he's a true hero and you're just a hoarder waiting for dying people. But the rest of his group quietly thanked us while taking the batteries."

Marcus jotted it down in the ledger. "Rescued. But his grudge is growing."

"A grudge is a flower that needs no watering," Fabian said. "He will buy from us again. People who feel superior still need inventory after nearly dying."

The System screen suddenly materialized in front of Fabian, glowing bright red.

[Critical Warning]

[Arthur Pendleton's group was on the verge of total collapse prior to The Ledger's intervention]

[Fabian Hart's Intelligence stat is again assessed as optimal for quest takeover]

[Emergency Main Quest Offered: "Take command of the Hero Party and complete the mid-tier monster clearance"]

[Reward: Rank-A Skill + complete expungement of all previous rejection logs]

[Refusal will trigger a temporary 24-hour stamina regeneration debuff]

Marcus, who caught sight of the screen, immediately went rigid. "Fabian! There's a debuff this time! The System isn't joking!"

Fabian stared at the text while pulling up the rules panel he had studied. His fingers moved quickly through the air. "There's still a loophole. Species efficiency clause, Article 7, Section 3. If a non-primary individual has successfully stabilized the situation via logistic supply, command takeover becomes optional, not mandatory. The debuff only applies if rejection occurs without an alternative contribution."

He pressed confirm. The screen flickered.

[The Ledger's logistical contribution recognized as a valid intervention]

[Emergency Quest redirected back to Arthur Pendleton as the surviving primary target]

[Debuff Canceled]

[Observation of Fabian Hart Escalated to Level 3]

Marcus sank back down onto his stool. "You... pulled it off again. Even with a debuff threat."

"The System is stubborn, but its rules are written down," Fabian answered. "As long as I log contributions in the form of sales figures and data, the loophole remains open."

The second courier returned shortly after with a complete report. "Arthur and the remaining seven made it out. Four severe injuries were stabilized with potions. Arthur claims this is proof that true heroes always find a way. He didn't mention that the way was purchased from The Ledger. But several of his members quietly asked for a permanent address for future purchases."

Fabian nodded. "Log the request. Prices for the Hero Party group will be increased by an additional 15 percent starting now due to reputational risk."

Marcus wrote rapidly. "He was saved. His grudge runs deeper. His superiority complex is even thicker. And the System failed to force your hand once more."

"Everything is according to model," Fabian said, closing the Ledger notebook. He stared at the red dot on the map, which had now been replaced by a faint green dot. "Arthur was on the brink of death today. He chose belief over calculation. The Ledger chose numbers. The results speak for themselves."

Outside, the mist began to darken into night. In a messy corner of Russell Square, Arthur Pendleton stood in the middle of his remaining Hero Party, a torn cloth bandage wrapped around his shoulder, his eyes still burning with forced conviction. He raised his hand and declared that today's trial only solidified his destiny as the Chosen. He didn't mention the 1,200 pounds he had just paid. He didn't mention the name Fabian Hart.

But inside his jacket pocket, the remnant of The Ledger's map remained tucked away, its corners creased from being clutched too hard. And inside the underground convenience store, Fabian Hart added a new line to his ledger: "Arthur Pendleton – emergency package 1,200 pounds – paid in full – status: high-priority spite customer."

Numbers never lie. And The Ledger never forgets.