I Couldn’t Afford to Buy Mana, so I Started Streaming

---

In my past life, there were demon beasts, and accordingly, guilds were established to exterminate those monsters.

However, in the present life, even though there are no demon beasts, guilds still exist.

Under the names of cartels or gangs.

What does this imply?

Guilds weren’t established because of the demon beasts.

It’s the human desire to control, dominate, and stand at the pinnacle of wealth and fame.

Even if the enemies disappear, human instincts never fade away.

And I happened to be quite skilled at dealing with these gangster groups.

“Let’s stop the jokes here. Nice to meet you, El Rizo. I’m NoName.”

“NoName? Who’s that? Wait a second. Are you really NoName…?”

“Would this help you recognize me?”

I parted the hair that clung to my nape into two pigtails.

El Rizo dropped the cigar he was smoking on the floor.

He bent down to check my face.

I stood on my tiptoes and extended my hand.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Yeah. Nice to meet you…”

I let my pigtails down and shook my hair.

Surely, the image stuck in the public’s mind is a scary thing.

I didn’t even need disguise magic for this.

El Rizo still looked doubtful.

I lightly pressed my palms together and brought my index finger to my lips.

“Not a very good reaction… I thought I was a well-known broadcaster and magic duel contestant in the world. But it seems, Mr. El Rizo prefers sexy ladies instead?”

“NoName Wizard, how can you say something so disrespectful to the boss…!”

“Isn’t that true?”

*Hmph*—I smirked mischievously.

Do you know why those involved with the cartel show off their wealth?

Because they are anxious, not knowing when they might lose their status.

That’s why they spend every penny they earn, but humans are quite cunning; material consumption quickly becomes boring.

What they often seek after that is to invite celebrities to private events.

Models, singers, actors, and even their favorite sports stars.

It’s called buying “experiences” with money.

Just like how the art pieces featured in textbooks around the world fetch higher prices.

I dared to ask.

‘Are you someone who can’t recognize the world-class artworks before your eyes and only likes tacky commercial art?’

In my past life, this strategy worked perfectly thanks to my status as a princess, but now I’m not so sure.

El Rizo soon gave a dismissive chuckle.

“Ha. NoName, I really respect you. It surprised me to see you here all of a sudden. But isn’t the National Exchange Tournament coming up soon?”

“I just happened to stop by while traveling. And I know exactly what this place is for. You don’t plan to be petty about not reporting me, right? After all, we’re just trying to make a living, and my aunt treated me to some delicious chicken quesadillas.”

“Chicken quesadilla?”

“I heard a NoName wizard passing by saying they were hungry, so I let them in and shared a bit of dinner…”

“Good job. You really did well. The weather’s humid, should we head inside and talk?”

“Why not?”

Fortunately, the boss of Los Calchona took a liking to me.

“Haha! I can’t believe it! Wow, how is the NoName Wizard… this is such a curious thing. You know this person, right? The Dream Capsule was made by the NoName Wizard.”

“Is that true? Not VaRia?”

“VaRia just sells capsules. All the core technology is owned by her. Tsk, tsk, the world news is so gloomy.”

“I just found out today.”

I was so excited to speak to a fellow practitioner that I couldn’t help it.

As we entered the building, the members rushed out to greet us.

At the boss’s command, they efficiently set up seats in the parlor.

Luxury sofas from who-knows-where and record players that evoke strong retro vibes.

“Kids probably hate the smell of cigarettes, right? Hand me a piece of bubble gum.”

Saying that, El Rizo chewed on the gum.

“I feel like I haven’t been here in three years. Every time I come, it’s like there’s nothing. What am I going to do for a precious guest like you? NoName, you don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs, right?”

“I don’t do cigarettes or drugs.”

“What about alcohol?”

“…I don’t drink either.”

“Well, you’re eleven, after all. I remember your birthday news from not long ago. Quite enviable, isn’t it?”

“Haha.”

I bit my lip tightly, barely managing to respond.

I hoped my dad would realize that I was this conscientious.

After that, we exchanged comfortable small talk.

The always hot topic of the National Exchange Tournament with America, Adella born from the Akashic Records, the profits from Janjeol, and so on.

*Hmph*, when you mentioned America, they looked quite startled.

“Has the organization ever done well while entangled with America? They’re not even worth considering for a national level of gangsterism. Those guys have no respect for borders whatsoever.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

“Huh? Hehehe! Why is this situation so funny? The more I see you, the more fascinating you are. This is my first time facing a High Wizard peacefully. Are you as strong as the others?”

“Want to try holding this wand?”

I placed a Roundie on the table.

“Ten seconds.”

El Rizo held the Roundie.

“It’s 15 seconds now. If you have a personal barrier, multiply that by two. I’m giving you quite the compliment since I don’t know your skill well.”

“What’s that?”

I took back the Roundie.

“I’m talking about how long it would take me to sever your neck here.”

*Click!*

The atmosphere instantly turned dark.

The members who were laughing suddenly began to envelop themselves in their auras.

Some pulled out knives, guns, and wands.

“Wow, weren’t we friends, guys?”

“?”

I tilted my head and looked boredly at the members, then spoke to El Rizo.

“Seriously, these guys have no sense of humor at all. Sigh, can’t even make a joke.”

The boss, looking slightly flustered, quickly yelled.

“Ha…! Hahaha! What are you all doing? Put the guns down this instant!”

“Yes, boss!”

“This is really boring. You all ruined the mood. Just let those people out. It’s too intense to even start a conversation.”

I put down the wand I had and tossed away the barrier crystal sphere I had on my chest.

Indeed, El Rizo wasn’t completely oblivious.

“I’ll apologize on their behalf. Everyone, go out.”

“Is that okay?”

“He’s American. After all, he can’t touch us.”

“Understood. We’ll wait outside.”

The large group scrambled out of the parlor.

The boss cracked his neck.

“Need soundproof magic?”

“Would be nice, but it’s okay if not. I’ve already shared the basic details with my friends.”

[Cast: Cancellation Interference]

“Now I can finally hear the detailed inside story. What’s your intention, Wizard? If you’re coming under orders from America, you better be prepared.”

“What? Prepared for what?”

“Interrogation or kidnapping.”

“Ooh, kidnapping sounds good!”

“What?”

I snapped my fingers and pointed at the boss.

“I’m looking for an organization to kidnap me. Do you know a group called Los Calchona?”

Los Calchona is a rising cartel organization belonging to Sinaloa.

Recently, it has been rapidly expanding its power, showcasing brutality.

“They probably didn’t know it was the factory of Janjeol. Who’d be crazy enough to mess with America?”

“Should we nail a huge Janjeol sign at the front gate? Like a scarecrow chasing birds.”

“Better than nothing. Los Calchona’s organization is a mess right now, and their boss is completely erratic.”

“I’ve searched for wanted notices at the police station. Oddly enough, the boss is a young woman who isn’t even thirty. What’s this about? A front? Is there a real power behind her?”

“Not at all. She was a killer moving back and forth between Colombia and Mexico. Right now, she’s the girlfriend of the right-hand man of Sinaloa. A freaking parachute.”

“Is it okay to say that to me? Sounds suspicious…”

“Just a little digging, and you’ll find all this info. Back in the day, there were even sex tapes of her floating around on Pornhub.”

“Ah, but if the killer is her boyfriend, that’s scary. What if she suddenly stabs me from behind?”

“…”

El Rizo suddenly went silent.

He lifted his shirt and briefly showed me his side.

A disgusting, brownish scar spread across it.

“Guess I have to deal with it.”

“Oh my.”

He was indeed experienced.

“NoName Wizard.”

“I’m NoName!”

El Rizo stared at me intently.

“You’re quite the tempting talent. How do you come up with such brilliant ideas?”

There was a sudden connection that made me get closer with El Rizo.

“Well, I wouldn’t know.”

I played dumb.

“Not a war on drugs, but a war on drug dealers, please. That’s what we want.”

“It’s almost amazing that nobody has even thought of this until now.”

“You mean we could eliminate synthetic drugs with just marijuana?”

“Exactly. That’s your specialty, right?”

A war on drug dealers.

This was a blueprint I had been envisioning for a long time.

In modern times, many medications for drug dependency have been invented, but numerous synthetic drugs are still rampant.

What’s the point if medications are invented?

Ultimately, the addicts refuse treatment.

Given their position, a huge cartel like Sinaloa must watch out for America and thus banned the distribution and sale of substances like fentanyl.

But they’re struggling to prevent the odd deviations.

“I have a dog named Nureongi.”

“A dog?”

“Nureongi is old, so I have to make sure he takes his antioxidant meds, which taste awful, so he spits them out all the time. That’s why I hide the medication in peanut butter and feed it to him—it works surprisingly well, *hmph*.”

Nobody starts with fentanyl.

If a regular person accidentally ingests it, they’d rush to the hospital.

However, those who start with marijuana gradually increase the potency of their drugs and refuse treatment, demanding bigger rewards.

What’s a method to block this in advance?

The answer is simple.

Make them feel averse to drugs stronger than marijuana.

“In Korea, marijuana is illegal. So, I couldn’t exactly do much. But at least I can cultivate without worries in Mexico. America would probably welcome it, right?”

America welcomes it.

In other words, it means legal.

For cartels to truly make substantial profits, they must inevitably enter the paradoxical realm of legitimate businesses, and I saw right through that.

“How exactly will you develop the strains?”

“I gathered plenty of data while operating Dreaming Mode. Do you really need to know? Just target each other as you please.”

I let out a faint smile.

In the future, cartels will start competing against each other to eliminate their rivals through strain improvements.