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"I'm really all better now."
"Still, let's double-check just in case."
Ethan, looking worried, tidied up my appearance. Behind us, the rest of the Caelum crew were chatting about various things.
After everything had been sorted out, the entire Caelum pirate crew settled in Terminus Castle.
Because it had taken quite some time for me to fully recover and for the ship to be prepared to sail again, Ekati had suggested that everyone just stay at the castle.
Ekati did say she’d build a medical room for me on the ship.
From the way she spoke, it seemed she had even considered ordering an entirely new ship from the shipwright island, Navirbarco. But building one from scratch would take an absurd amount of time, so she and Nereus had apparently agreed to just modify the existing ship to include a medical room.
It wasn't just any modification, it was a custom order.
“So she said she’d start by ordering the materials first.”
In a few years, I might just end up with the best ship on the continent. No. Honestly, it's practically guaranteed.
"Alright, Lala. Let’s go."
"Okay."
And today.
Nereus and I headed to a town within the territory neighboring Tenus. Although the territory of Tenus was fairly large, there was one issue.
'There’s no bank here.'
Even if Tenus had developed well under its own system, banks were another matter entirely. The banking network was managed by one of the six great houses—Forwal.
Forwal was obsessed with money, and so they refused to establish banks in regions they considered unstable.
Given that the Tenus territory bordered the frontier, their decision made sense.
I think that’s also why, before the regression, they rushed here when Tenus began falling into darkness.
If the darkness had spread to where the bank buildings were, it would have been a huge problem.
Anyway, although we had several reasons for visiting the nearby town, the real purpose was to go to the bank. I fidgeted with the bank’s metal tag hidden in my pocket.
It had been made with the help of Terminus. Until now, the royalties under the name 'Etware' hadn’t been deposited—Steve, acting as my guardian, had only confirmed them but not withdrawn them. But finally, with the help of the Lord of Terminus, I could access them.
It wasn’t under the name 'Polaris,' but it was still mine. It even had a magic imprint, so I wouldn’t have any issues proving ownership later on.
'Let’s see how much I’ve earned.'
I had registered the recipe rights for the Kacho Leaf Catalyst, and I also set a 15% commission on the sale of by-products from the Kacho trees during the rescue of Odlo Island.
It’s only been a few months, so I probably haven’t earned that much yet.
Still, checking my account was always a thrilling moment.
'And while I’m at it, I should get a gift for Hyperion too.'
Though I occasionally sent him health supplements, I wouldn’t exactly call those gifts.
Back when we became friends, Hyperion once bought me a present with his paycheck. It was the first time he had ever spent money on someone else, and he had smiled shyly while telling me so.
'Now that it’s my turn, I want to return the gesture.'
He had given me a beautiful yellow topaz necklace back then. It was a kind of repayment—a jewel gift I’d never even received from my father, and it had made me so happy.
Even if I’m the only one who still remembers it now.
"Sweetheart, I heard the Lord of Terminus opened a bank account for you?"
"Yeah! I'm planning to save everything Dad gave me in here."
"Wow, such financial responsibility! Who did you inherit this from to be so clever~?"
"Definitely not from you."
"You little—!"
Nereus knew I had created a bank account under an alias through Terminus. Of course, he didn’t know the real reason behind it.
From now on, all the income from the manufacturing recipes would be deposited into that account. That didn’t mean I was going to abandon the second account Steve had created for me—it would remain in reserve for other purposes.
"After I’m done, I’ll buy gifts for the family too."
"Really?"
"Yeah! It’s the first money I’ve ever earned."
Back when I went by the name Mare, I had once used my first paycheck to buy a gift for my father. But my father, Dandel, had scolded me, saying not to waste money on unnecessary luxuries.
'So honestly… I feel a little conflicted about buying gifts for the Caelum family.'
But unlike my father, they were pirates—wouldn’t they be happy about it? That thought made me want to try, just once. And Nereus, especially, liked me more than I expected, so at the very least, he would accept it.
"Alright, let’s go to the bank first!"
"Yep!"
I wasn’t exactly sure how much was in the account, but I had a rough idea. It should be enough to buy a few nice things.
The bank in the city was quite grand. Inside, nobles and commoners alike were mingling without strict division.
'Even so, the quality of service and the rooms used probably vary by status.'
As we looked around, a banker approached us.
"Welcome! How can I assist you?"
"Ah, I’d like to set up an account and make a transfer. It looks a bit crowded, will that be a problem?"
"In that case, I’ll guide you to a private room rather than the counters. And the young miss with you…?"
"I want to look around here!"
"Huh?"
Nereus blinked and looked at me. I gave him my most innocent expression.
"When our little girl makes that face, it always means something tricky..."
"I’m just staying inside the building anyway, so it’ll be fine, right?"
"Really?"
"Yeah, since I’m here, I’ll just check the balance real quick."
What kind of adult lets a six-year-old check a bank account balance? Probably none.
"Hmm, okay. Just that, then come back and wait, alright?"
"Of course~"
And yet, Nereus allowed it. The man truly has no sense of danger—yet that’s also what makes him such a reliable presence in moments like this.
Left alone, I waited my turn.
“Why aren’t they calling me?”
No matter how long I waited, my turn never came. In fact, I watched people who came in after me head to the counters.
'…Wow.'
I crossed my arms and started observing how they operated. It was laughable. Nobles were served faster, and among commoners, wealthy-looking merchants were prioritized.
'In short, I’m not even considered a customer.'
If I had a guardian with me, maybe they’d pay attention. But here I was—a six-year-old, unaccompanied. When I looked blankly at a bank clerk, they just handed me a lollipop.
With an apple cream lollipop in my mouth, I tilted my head.
'What should I do about this?'
Alright, I had a plan. I deliberately dropped the lollipop onto the floor.
"Waaaahhhh!!"
Then I burst into a loud, dramatic cry. I wasn’t actually crying, but who cares? In these kinds of situations, the loudest person wins. I lowered my head and cried out as pitifully as possible.
"What’s going on?!"
"Oh my, the child dropped her candy."
"Is that what happened? Where are her parents? Her parents!"
People here weren’t the type to treat children harshly, unlike thugs in back alleys. When I wailed, some of the staff hurried over and started offering me all kinds of candy.
"L-little one~ look here? See? Yummy candy!"
"There, there, it’s okay now…"
I could hear the panic in their voices. But none of it worked on me—I saw the annoyance in their faces through the cracks of my hands.
"I—I came here on an errand… But no one’s calling me… It’s my first errand…"
I mimicked a six-year-old sent on their first bank errand. Is it normal for a six-year-old to run errands at a bank? No clue.
But adults, by instinct, tend to think, “If this kid’s on an errand, their guardian must be nearby watching.”
Even if it's a bit self-congratulatory, no responsible adult would actually send such a small child alone.
'Especially not to a place like this.'
Sniffling for effect, I pulled out the metal tag.
"T-this was made for me… I was told to just check the balance today…"
At that, the clerk’s eyes lit up. Checking a balance takes almost no time at all. Better to get it over with quickly and avoid any attention from the 'guardian.'
“Oh dear, our little miss must’ve been hard to notice because she’s so small. Let me help you. This way, please.”
They were the ones who ignored me, yet even now they made it sound like it was somehow my fault.
Pretending I knew nothing, I followed them to the counter they directed me to—the most secluded, out-of-sight one.
As I was guided over, I could feel the attention I had drawn just moments ago completely fade as everyone went back to their business.
From this point on, it didn’t matter if anyone was watching me or not. The bank was run by Forwal, a house known for its obsessive fixation on money, and that obsession trickled down to its employees as well.
There was a simple way to gain their respect, prove you had money.
“Shall I check this account?”
“Yes, please.”
‘Not my favorite method, but whatever.’
Would it kill them to show a little respect upfront? The taste in my mouth turned bitter.
‘It hasn’t been that long… Maybe around 6 million Wettens?’
For a six-year-old who wasn’t even nobility, having 6 million would probably be enough to surprise them.
Clunk!
But when the banker checked the account, they stood up so abruptly, their face pale as a sheet.
"Huh?"
“M-my sincerest apologies for being rude earlier!”
A stark contrast from their earlier attitude, their bow was nearly groveling. I blinked at them in confusion, then looked toward the magical banking device displaying the account balance.
My jaw dropped.
‘How many zeroes is that?’
Fifty million.
In just a few months, I had somehow already made 50 million Wettens in revenue.
I was completely speechless.
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