“Apologies, but I had no intention for spending long here. I will end the impromptu lesson, but if you think carefully, you can extend this to help in many situations,” Joe abruptly ended his lessons but the clerks seemed polite enough as they all quickly bowed with many thanks before returning to their stations. By this time, the manager had taken the tray from the office worker and held it out to Joe.

“Your coin, sir.”

Joe nodded and grabbed it from the tray before opening it up. As he pushed a finger into the rather empty pouch of coins and counted one great steel, one steel, and four steel bits. Hundred and fourteen, right?

“A hundred and fourteen steel, yes?”

The manager quickly nodded and Joe made to turn when he realized he was supposed to pay seven steel bits and steel was a pretty pricey currency. At least for the outer city. Wonder if the library has the change… better be safe than sorry. Joe turned to the manager.

“Could I ask for my steel to be converted to ten steel bits? As well as some nickel, copper brass, and iron of various kinds.”

“Ah, you wish for ten steel bits and some lesser coin?”

“Yes, please,” Joe offered politely as he took out the medium steel and handed it to the manager. The man took it and quickly turned before nodding to the same office worker that had brought the steel before. It was while the office worker was running into the back of the bank that there was a disturbance at the front of the bank.

Joe looked over and sighed deeply. The missing bank guard had returned with the city guard, the soldiers moving in quickly with intent. Joe looked to the manager and the manager blanched once again, stepping forward to head off the city guard.

“Sirs. There has been a mistake. Everything has been resolved. Please accept my apologies but there is no need for your services.”

The guards looked at the manager with narrowed eyes before the captain spoke, “So there is no thief here with hundreds of cores.”

“There is no thief here, sir.”

The captain of the guards flickered his eyes between the manager and Joe before returning his stare to the manager, “So this man does not have hundreds of cores.”

Joe grimaced at this and pulled out the matriarchs token, “Look at this if you have a problem. Or speak to the matriarch.”

Joe handed out the medallion to the captain, knowing that it was likely the only thing to end this quickly and vowing to never step foot into the inner city again without the appropriate clothing. Donno if I even want to come back at all anyway. All these bastards can suck my ass!

The captain took the medallion from Joe with a quirked eyebrow before emitting mana into it quickly. Joe raised an eyebrow at the quiet and subtle way in which the captain emitted mana, but was still somehow able to feel and easily see the emitting of mana the captain did. Such a weird… feeling. Joe didn’t really like the feeling that came back to him, but tucked it away as something wise to know.

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The captain’s reaction was much the same as the guard’s, although more reserved and much more professional. The captain immediately snapped to attention and bowed before holding out the medallion with a polite two handed fully stretched out gesture. Huh… very Asian, I guess. Two hands are polite… wonder if one hand is considered impolite? Maybe… I gotta check that. Joe’s thoughts were interrupted by the captain’s words.

“Apologies, dignified guest of the clan. Please enjoy your stay here.”

Joe simply sighed and nodded as he took back the medallion, “It’s fine, if a bit annoying. Have a good day, captain.”

The captain took that to quickly escape the bank and the silence in the bank deepened to absolute tomb like deadness. No one moved, all staring at him with wide eyes and not a little fear. Joe stifled another sigh and nodded to the manager.

“A good day to you. I’ll be taking my leave.”

The manager bowed quickly, as deeply as the captain, and offered the same salutation as the captain of the guard, “Apologies, dignified guest of the clan. Please enjoy your time in our clan. Ah… you still have need of your missing change.”

Joe blinked at the slight change then settled in for the wait while nodding to the manager, “Right. My change. I’ll wait but I want to leave rather quickly. How long will this take?”

But even as he spoke, the office worker opened the door and returned with another much fuller ornate pouch which happened to hold his change. The man came forward and quickly bowed while holding out the tray before him with two hands.

“Your change, dignified guest.”

Huh… good hearing or he was told before he came out the door? How … I don’t care. Let’s get out of here.

“Thank you. Have a good day,” Joe said as he took his seven steel bits out of the pouch and left both ornate velvet like bags behind, dropping all the change into his own coin pouch. He didn’t want to walk around with ornate velvet bags for coin or core pouches. It seemed a great way to scream I’m rich! Pickpocket me! Besides, the bags, although rather rich looking, turned out to be pretty itchy and stiff.

Joe turned and exited the bank not quite in a huff, but certainly not pleased. Kilniara quickly sidled up to him, slipping her arm into his and giggled with a bit of surprise. Her quick return surprised Joe and reverted his mood to more pleasant emotions. He glanced down at her, seeing her happiness and looked at her with a bit of a confused smile.

“You are a dignified clan guest? When did that happen?”

Joe blinked before smiling, “I didn’t know I was… I guess I am with this medallion the Matriarch gave me… but I’m not sure what it all means.”

Kilniara giggled louder at that and shook her head, “It is a pretty big deal for here.”

“I can see that, but… I’m still not sure what it means… not sure I really care, either.”

The two fell silent for a few moments before Joe restarted the conversation, “Why were you so quiet back there.”

Kilniara looked up at him with a smirk and a shrug, “It is not my place.”

Joe quickly shook his head, “No. You have every right to speak and join in. You don’t need to hide from the conversation or anything.”

Kilniara’s smirk turned bright at that before she shook her head, “It would have only made matters worse if I were to speak up.”

“Really?”

She quickly nodded but remained silent. The walked through the park in relief, feeling release from the stress that had built up in the bank. They made it about half way through the park before Joe restarted the conversation.

“So… clan guest. What’s that?”

It was Kilniara’s turn to raise her eyebrows in surprise before she replied to his question with one of her own, but rhetorical, “You don’t know what a clan guest is? Huh. It’s a visitor accepted by the clan of the area. They usually have a special residence, place, and purpose within the clan and can call on clan resources to some extent.”

“Huh… interesting,” Joe ended the conversation there, returning to companionable silence for another few streets before Kilniara interrupted the silence.

“So, when did you get that?”

“Oh. I guess last night. It seems like it’s tied to the medallion the matriarch gave to… seriously!? Again!” Joe trailed off into growling curses, anger erupting out of control.

Crowded in front of the library and the shop next door, dozens of guards scurried around like ants in a kicked ant hill.