67
At first, I thought they had just counted wrong. But no, it really was fifty million.
The staff may have seen such a large amount before, but probably not in the account of a six-year-old child.
And it’s not like I’m listed in the noble registry either.
Cases like this? Practically unheard of.
'Even I’m shocked. I can’t imagine how stunned they must be…'
That amount likely wasn’t entirely from profits off the Kacho leaf catalyst.
Since Ekati said she’d compensate me, she must’ve deposited additional money when the account was created.
Still, those people don’t know a thing.
I quickly wiped the surprise off my face and pretended to be just a clueless kid.
“Hmm~ Not as much money as I thought~”
To be precise, I acted like a clueless, bratty kid.
“I’d like to withdraw about 6 million. I want to buy gifts for my family~”
Truthfully, I didn’t even need to withdraw that much.
I had a metal tag, after all. If I authenticated it at a shop’s magic communicator, the exact amount needed would be automatically withdrawn from my bank account.
But since things had come to this, I figured pulling out some cash couldn’t hurt.
Not every store had a magic communicator, after all.
'And honestly, I kind of want to see their reactions too.'
That was a big part of it.
“Ah, yes. Then, regarding the banknotes…”
I could feel their flustered gazes as they hurriedly brought over the forms.
It must’ve been a lot for them to process.
Normally, with this kind of balance, they'd be eager to suggest investment opportunities.
But with a client this young, they couldn’t just say anything carelessly.
'Besides, they know exactly what they did just a moment ago.'
They ignored me until I started crying, and only then did they reluctantly lead me to a secluded counter.
What could they possibly say now?
Their eyes darted about nervously, if they had any shame, they’d keep their mouths shut.
“Um, excuse me, customer…”
Of course, not everyone has shame.
'Not that I expected them to.'
But this kind of situation has an easy fix.
Just ignore them. Wait it out.
And sure enough, before long, the voice I’d been waiting for rang out.
“Hey, Lala. There you are! I just finished up and couldn’t find you, I was looking all over!”
“Daddy.”
He looked unusually sharp today but because we were in a dim, tucked-away corner, shadows fell across his face.
In this kind of setting, dressing neatly only made him seem more intimidating.
'Humans really do have vivid imaginations.'
When Nereus dressed sharply, people often mistook him for some big shot from the underworld.
The burn scar covering one side of his face played a big part in that impression.
“Mhm, I just finished too.”
“Huh? Just now? You were gone for ages!”
“Looks like it was pretty crowded.”
Yeah, right. There weren’t that many people when we arrived.
Nereus instantly realized how I’d been treated and his gaze darkened ominously.
“Ah?”
“……”
As his blood-red eyes took on a dangerous glint, all the bank employees clammed up and lowered their eyes.
“Want me to pull all the money out?”
Aside from the banks run by Forwal, the underworld had their own network of banks.
And lately, even some banks from the Eastern Continent were starting to expand their influence.
Still, the reason so many people stuck with Forwal’s banks was simple.
With Forwal’s divine authority, their money was absolutely safe.
Not only that, but the bank offered investment and loan services.
Forwal didn’t care if someone was a criminal, if you could open an account, your money would be treated fairly.
Naturally, people trusted them.
‘And yet, threatening to pull all the money out? That’s basically a declaration of war.’
Nereus likely had significant capital.
If he said he’d withdraw everything, he meant it and if he did, it could seriously shake the bank’s stability.
That confidence? Kinda impressive.
“Daddy, that’s not necessary.”
I feigned surprise and quickly moved to calm him down.
Then I turned toward the bank staff who looked visibly relieved and spoke sweetly.
“I’m sure they all realized what they did wrong. They’ll make it right.”
“……”
“They’ll take care of things in a way that matches how upset we were, right?”
Stuck my tongue out.
***
‘Jackpot.’
For the next 10 years no fees, zero commissions.
They even gave me a premium high-interest savings bond item.
Probably a benefit they created just to line their own pockets, but when they offered to 'recommend bank perks,'I snatched up everything they had.
In addition, I got several meal vouchers for high-end restaurants in the city, and even a VIP mark on my metal tag.
All things considered, not a bad deal at all.
“Yay~ So sweet~!”
‘That’s exactly how I feel.’
Nereus basically voiced my thoughts out loud.
It’s not like I caused them huge losses, and all they care about is keeping the money secure anyway.
Even if they did try some petty revenge later, I wasn’t particularly worried.
“Daddy, let’s go to that shop first!”
“My daughter has good taste. Let’s go, let’s go.”
I was pointing at a magic item shop.
When it comes to gifts, enchanted goods are definitely a great option.
“So, what kind of gift are you going to get? Hmm?”
“Hmm…”
The shop was filled with all sorts of magical items.
One item in particular caught my eye, a necklace that reduced physical impact.
‘Sure, it’d probably break under a really strong blow…’
But if it could withstand even one or two hits, it could be very useful.
“How many of these do you have?”
“Ah, about twenty-something, I think…”
“I’ll take all of them.”
There was no need to ask about the price.
These kinds of magic items were well within my budget.
‘And the number’s just right.’
Nereus peeked over my shoulder from beside me.
“Looks like we’re one short?”
“Yeah, that’s because there isn’t one for you, Daddy.”
“Why not?”
“You already have a necklace.”
Both items were similar in style, pendant-type accessories.
I glanced at the locket around Nereus’s neck.
It was the same one he had used to carry poison herbs in my previous life.
“So I thought I’d get you something different.”
Actually, I’d spotted something the moment we walked into the shop, a pair of cufflinks.
They were enchanted to send a signal when broken, essentially, an emergency beacon.
Nereus seemed confused, as if he couldn’t understand why I’d want to give him something like that.
But I remembered everything from my previous life vividly.
I never wanted to see him dying like that again.
‘If I can just find him the moment something truly dangerous happens. I could save him.’
“And also…”
While browsing for something to get Hyperion, I came across an item that made my eyes widen.
‘This is…’
Yes. this would be perfect.
I added it to the purchase.
Considering the navy’s internal logistics system, I should be able to send it to him by tonight.
A magic courier could easily handle a package of this size.
“My little girl went on a smart shopping spree, huh?”
Nereus whistled after checking over my receipt.
“But did you get anything for yourself?”
“I don’t need anything for myself, so I’m good.”
I handed Nereus the enchanted cufflinks and stepped outside.
“Hmm?”
In front of us stood a now-familiar carriage, Terminus’s carriage.
Inside, Wetten opened the door.
“I figured you’d be around here~ Get in. You’re headed straight to the ship now, right? I’ll take you.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. I should be the one thanking you.”
It was her way of saying she hoped we’d maintain a good relationship going forward.
For Terminus, staying on good terms with me came with great benefits.
And since I had no reason to refuse, I climbed right in.
“Oh, by the way we found this while cleaning up the underground. Might be useful?”
Selene pulled an Eternal Compass from her pocket.
'“Cleaning up” the underground? So they killed everyone down there.'
And this compass, it must’ve been one of their belongings.
“If you’re offering, I’ll gladly accept.”
That compass might lead to their base. Still, there was no need to beg for it.
It was important to keep things clear: we weren’t receiving favors.
They were the ones requesting our help.
‘I can’t enter Amid Academy yet anyway.’
Whether it’s actually feasible or not because of the difficulty of the test is a separate matter—technically, you're eligible to enter the Academy starting at age eight.
There were still two years left, so doing other things in the meantime wasn’t a bad idea.
Besides, in the future I know, never mind two years—no one except Caelum managed to reach the end of the sea even after twenty.
“You don’t know where it’s pointing to, right?”
“Not really. All the people we could interrogate are long gone~”
Still, that Eternal Compass they had should be useful.
It’s either a treasure island or a base. Whichever it is, it’ll bring significant benefits to Caelum.
‘And if there’s any profit to be made, it’ll all be ours.’
From the looks of it, Nereus was thinking the same thing.
‘Guess our next destination is decided.’
Though, I still had no idea where exactly that thing was pointing. Just then, Selene spoke.
“Oh, and we’ve prepared a special gift on the ship for our little lady.”
“Huh? The money you gave me in advance was already more than enough.”
At my words, Selene looked genuinely confused.
“But I only gave you a thousand…”
“...Sorry, what?”
So does that mean I earned the remaining forty million myself?
***
Hyperion saw the letter that evening, after returning to his lodgings. There was only one person who would secretly send him a letter like this. Polaris.
He had just finished another grueling day of training and was about to collapse into bed when his eyes lit up at the sight of the letter.
Polaris regularly checked in on Hyperion, asking if he was hurt, if there was anything he wanted to eat, or if he was having a hard time.
Somehow, she seemed to understand the inner workings of the Navy better than anyone, always giving him tips on where to rest in secret or how to manage relationships with minimal effort.
'Lala really is amazing.'
Hyperion had already made a name for himself. The other naval cadets looked up to him with respect, whispering, “As expected of a Pharus.”
But to Hyperion, Polaris was far more impressive.
With his heart pounding, he opened the envelope. A small metallic object dropped to the floor with a soft ting.
He knew what it was the moment he saw it.
[To Rion.
It’s nothing much, just a small gift.
Maybe it would’ve been safer to send this through Steve, but I wanted to give it to you myself.
I know jewelry’s technically banned in the Navy, but this one’s tiny—no one will notice.]
Inside the small gem was a compass needle.
[It’s a magical compass that points the way when you’re lost.
It’s not as powerful as a Compass Stone, but I thought it might come in handy if you ever find yourself lost and alone.]
The gem was pink.
Hyperion stared at it for a long while. Maybe to a naval cadet, this kind of gift seemed pointless.
But to Hyperion, it was the most precious thing he could’ve received.
He had always felt like a lost child, ever since he was born. No one had ever needed him, or loved him. Because of that, he didn’t know what pain was or what unhappiness looked like.
But everything changed when he met that girl. Even if their encounter had been brief.
Ironically, it was through knowing pain that he came to understand happiness.
Maybe it was because he’d found happiness that he could now recognize sorrow for what it was.
His birthday was coming up soon. A day so faded even he barely remembered it but somehow, Polaris always did.
The gift had arrived at just the right time, as if by coincidence. Hyperion hadn’t noticed yet, but it was the kind of coincidence that warmed the heart.
He clutched the gem tightly in his hand.
All he felt was relief. Relief that in this vast, drifting sea of life, he was not alone.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
0 Comments