On his way through the busy city, Michael decided to stay clear of dark alleys and took a main street to get to the one the bank was on.
As Michael was walking, he stopped and looked up at a sign of a large five-story building with an attached warehouse connected to it.
“OWP? Could this be the store?” Michael headed into the store and was stopped shortly into the shop.
“Excuse me, sir, your membership card, please?” An attractive demi-bird woman asked with a service smile.
“Oh, I don’t have one.”
“If you want to sign up, the fee is 100 Tress per month or 10T Tress for an annual pass. We also have an exclusive lifetime pass if you are interested.” The woman said, maintaining her service smile.
“Oh, uh, is there a trial pass? Or maybe a day pass I could use? I just want to browse for right now, maybe purchase some items.” Michael asked. He didn’t want to sign up for membership unless he knew every type of item he could get in the shop.
The woman’s expression changed to one of annoyance, and the feathers around her neck ruffled. “I’m sorry, sir, but you can just go if that is your answer. I doubt you could afford anything here at Other World Propriety.” She tried to shoo him away.
The woman’s haughty attitude annoyed Michael. Even though he was a millionaire in truth and had around 230T Tress in his void space, he didn’t want to be wasteful on something he didn’t know would benefit him or someone he liked.
Another young demi-human woman with tan skin and entirely black eyes came up in a rush. “Senior! We cannot do that! Please, sir, yes, we have a day pass for 10 Tress.”
“Huh?” The bird woman squawked. “Why should we waste our time on him?”
“I will waste my time helping him. Please, sir.” The kind woman motioned for him to enter.
The bird woman clicked her tongue while calling the kind woman a ‘Goody-two-shoes.’
Michael followed the woman to a desk and paid the 10 Tress for the day pass.
“Thank you, sir. Is there anything, in particular, you are looking for?” She asked with a pleasant smile.
Michael thought for a moment and said he could use some toiletries. The room at the inn came with complimentary bottles of soap and shampoo, so he wanted to find some to keep with him.
The woman led Michael into the central part of the shop.
The store looked a lot like a chain store at a mall, but the first floor had displays of oversized items and things for people like mercenaries, knights, or guards.
They walked past a section with several different types of lawn care and gardening equipment. There were also posters advertising and describing larger items like a zero-turn mower.
The woman led Michael to an escalator, taking Michael up to the second floor. She led him to an area that had what he was looking for.
“Feel free to browse as much as you want. If you have any questions, please ask.” She took a few steps back as Michael began looking around.
“Do you get a commission for sales?” Michael asked the woman.
“Um, I’m not really allowed to say….” She replied sheepishly.
Michael assumed from her response that they did, but he just wanted to make sure. He looked into her eyes and put a tiny bit of mana into his Captivate skill.
“Please, I really would like to know.” He asked.
The woman blushed a bit and began checking for anyone nearby. She leaned in. “We do.” She whispered.
“And the commissions from my sale will just go to you?” He asked.
She nodded.
“Alright. Can I get your name?”
“Oh dear, I am sorry, dear customer. My name is Alice.” She replied with trained eloquence.
“Alright, Alice. I plan on buying a lot. So, stick with me.” Michael smiled, knowing it would irritate the bird woman to no end if Alice, her junior, got a large payout from the guy she thought was worth nothing.
The items were expensive, but from the toiletries department, he got a considerable number of things, like quality toilet paper, a sonic toothbrush with several packets of changeable heads, plenty of toothpaste, mouthwash, flossers, shampoo, conditioner, gel soap, towels, robes, an expensive bottle of cologne, and some excellent items to use for bathing or showering.
For every item Michael picked, Alice had a magic tool that allowed her to send it to her secure counter to ring up later. She mentioned that she had a co-worker at the counter that would tally up the costs for them.
The following department they went to was the weapon and armor shop to look around. Michael found a couple of items he would want, but the smiths would have to make most of the armor for his size. The Jager Mace he wanted was unavailable, but they said they would custom-make it. They wrote the bill and asked for a 10% down payment, which Michael paid on the spot. The person running the area asked Michael to give them a few days to prepare everything.
Alice brought Michael to the Transportation department next so he could look at various items available. He couldn’t find anything then but decided to add some tools and a couple of tires for his Magic Cycle to his shopping list.
The next area was the clothing department. Michael bought several pairs of boxers and socks and scheduled quite a few outfits to be made in his size. Some were loungewear, others were for around the city, a couple of formal attires, and some for when he goes out on jobs. The location was like the weapon and armor shop with a 10% deposit.
Overall, Michael spent nearly 120T Tress, not including the remaining amount due for final payments.
Michael and Alice arrived at her station, where a mountain of items awaited.
“O-Okay. Um…” Alice picked up the invoice. “Your total is 118,481 Tress. T-The remaining amount due f-for custom work is 90,620 Tress….” Her hands were shaking.
Michael had learned from Alice that her commission would be 10% of how much he bought, so the woman would be getting over 200T Tress, which she never expected.
Michael smiled and began piling the initial payment onto the table.
Alice and her co-worker counted everything up and verified the total was correct.
Alice’s co-worker seemed on the verge of fainting, as he would also share in a small portion of the sale.
“S-So, where would you like… all of this to be delivered?” Alice asked, trying her best to maintain her service smile.
“I’ll just take it now.” Michael used his Spatial Storage Ring to store the mountain of products away.
A demi-lizard man in a suit with features closer to a human stepped up to Michael. He was broad-shouldered and heavy-set.
“Good sir! Thank you so much for your business. My name is Allen, and I am a manager here. I understand that you only chose to use our day pass. Would you be interested in a membership?” The man asked.
“Maybe. I haven’t seen all your products yet, so I am unsure how often I will return.” Michael answered.
“Well, if you would like, I can give you this catalog for all the products we provide and these pamphlets that detail the benefits of our different membership levels.” The manager offered a few sheets of paper and what looked like an electronic pad someone would use to read books.
Michael assumed that, from what the info screen said, Crystal-Pad was a costly item not offered to anyone. He accepted the things from the manager.
“Do membership costs also apply to a worker’s commissions?” Michael asked.
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“Um.” The manager almost looked at Alice but stopped. “They do.” The manager replied.
Michael faked a chuckle. “I heard from a merchant friend about it. I just want to reward those that I like. Alice has been a great help to me, and I would like to continue to work with her if possible.”
“O-Oh! I see. Yes, we would surely appreciate your business.” The manager bought Michael’s lie about how he learned about the commissions.
“Very well. I must be on my way. I will think about the membership after I check out the catalog.” Michael informed the manager. “I look forward to working with you, Alice.” Michael waved goodbye to the stunned but happy woman.
The manager escorted Michael toward the store’s exit, but just before they entered the lobby at the front, someone called the manager’s attention. Michael told the man he could wait a minute or two at the entrance.
Michael stepped into the entrance alone, where the haughty bird woman saw him.
She scoffed, seeing him empty-handed. “Hmph. Serves that fool right.”
“I bought a few things,” Michael answered with a smile, hoping his little scheme would work out.
“Hmm? What is it that you are holding? Is that one of our premium catalogs?!” The woman squawked aloud. Michael made sure not to put the Crystal-Pad away only.
She hit a button, and security immediately showed up, surrounding Michael when she said he had stolen the catalog.
“But that was given to me.” Michael half-heartedly complained, knowing that he would get it back in a few minutes.
“Hah! You expect me to believe that!” The woman yelled. “Security, take that man away!” She ordered, but a loud voice roared out.
“NO ONE MOVE AN INCH!”
Everyone stopped and looked toward the door leading into the store area. It was the manager.
“Um, sir, this man stole a cata-.” The bird woman was looking confused.
“I GAVE THAT TO HIM!” The manager yelled, his face red and veins on his bald head bulging.
“What…” Blood drained from the woman’s face.
“THIS MAN IS A DISTINGUISHED CUSTOMER! HOW DARE YOU INSULT HIM!?” The manager roared as he stomped toward the woman.
“But, but, but, h-he’s poor. T-T-There is no way….” The woman stammered, beginning to sweat.
“POOR?!” The manager paused and took several breaths to calm down a bit. “This is not the first time this happened. I have heard several complaints about your conduct. We will discuss your punishment later.”
The security guards apologized to Michael and returned to their connected staff room.
“Sir, I am truly sorry for the actions of this fool. I hope you will not think this is common in our company.” The manager bowed his head in apology.
“Look, I understand. This is a business that deals with high-end products. But that does not excuse treating someone poorly, merely by how they look.” Michael replied, taking the catalog back and storing it in his ring, much to the continued dismay of the bird woman.
“I wholeheartedly agree, sir. I thank you for working with my friend’s daughter, Alice. Your purchase will help her and her family considerably.” The manager thanked Michael.
“I will continue to do so.” Michael smiled, said his goodbye, and headed out of the store.
Michael was feeling good. He checked the pocket watch he had bought and saw that he had spent a lot of time in the store and needed to get to the bank before it closed.
He arrived at the bank entrance and asked if Roger was available.
The man working the front called Roger’s office to see if he was available, and he was.
Michael entered the man’s office after a couple of minutes and was welcomed warmly.
“I assume you have an official ID now?” Roger asked, getting some paperwork ready.
Michael handed over his ID.
“Alright. Did they have you calibrate it to your mana?” Roger asked.
“Oh… Uh, I think he missed that part.” Michael responded.
“No problem.” Roger handed the card back. “See the box on the bottom right corner? Place your right thumb over the spot and flow some mana into the card. Once it lights up, it is calibrated to your mana permanently. Not only does this function allow only you to use it, but it also has a small summoning function. If you only lose it and it is not destroyed, you can retrieve it anytime by focusing your mana on your hand and using the command: ID. Now, just know that it won’t be retrievable using the ID command if it is in a Spatial Storage container. Your bank card will function the same as your ID.”
Michael did as instructed, causing the card to light up. He tested the summoning function while placing it on the desk, and it appeared in his hand.
Roger finished updating Michael’s information in the bank system. It looked and worked a lot like a computer with a mouse and keyboard. Only everything was done with magic circuits.
“Alright. By opening a basic account, you will only have access to the funds you have on hand. If you wish to open a line of credit, you will be required to have a long-term residence, be it an apartment or home. This does not apply to loans.”
Michael assumed Roger was talking about if Michael wanted a credit card, he would need to have a home. He then pulled out the money order from the palace and handed it to Roger.
“I would like to make a deposit, please,” Michael said.
“Understood. Let’s see… Oh… I understand. Um, are you the one I have heard about? The one who saved Hallibrush?” Roger asked after he noticed the amount and where it was from.
Michael smiled. “Yeah. They were in trouble, so I decided to help.”
Roger stood up sharply and bowed his head. “Thank you so much for helping my hometown!”
“Oh. You’re from there?” Michael asked.
Roger sat back down. “Yes. I am related to the mayor.”
“Really? Mayor Toto, huh?” Michael chuckled to himself.
“Alright. Let me deposit this, and I will finish your bank card.” Roger continued typing away on his computer.
“Does the card have any additional functions?” Michael asked.
Roger answered while continuing to work. “Yes. You can use it to transfer money from your account to another account by using the cards. Each of you will charge it with mana, state the amount you are transferring or receiving, and tap the cards together. If you want to know the balance of your account, charge with mana and say, ‘Request Balance.’ You will be hard-pressed to find anyone or any business without the ability to transfer money.”
Roger finished his work and was about to insert a polished metal card into a machine but stopped.
“Did you receive any title or peerage from the palace?” Roger asked.
Michael raised his eyebrows while remembering the Chimeran Medallion he was given. Pulling it out, he showed it to Roger.
“Ah! Good. I was about to use the incorrect card. Individuals with noble or preferred statuses are to receive a special card.” Roger put the plain metal card away and pulled out another that looked the same.
Roger inserted the card into the machine and hit a few keys on his keyboard. “Now, the difference between the cards is that this one is not only near indestructible but also has a remote deposit function… Oh, I need to adjust that on your account.”
Roger began typing away and doing several things on his computer. “O—kay. All done. You are now set up with an advanced account with a safety deposit box. Now, only small items can be sent to your box, such as documents or jewelry.” Roger handed the card over to Michael. “The five functions are as follows: Request Balance, Transfer, Deposit or Withdraw Tress followed by the amount, and the third is Deposit Box.”
Michael charged the card with his mana until it shone. “I see. So, I can send things to my box but cannot withdraw them. Neat.”
“There is a limit to how much Tress you can withdraw once. The limit is 100T Tress. The wait time between withdrawals or deposits is ten seconds. Deposits have no limits.” Roger finished his explanation.
“Thanks, Roger.” Michael made it like he was putting the cards into his pocket while sending them to his void space.
“Alright. Is there anything else you need?” Roger asked while smiling.
“Nope. I think I’m good to go.” Michael stood and extended his hand. “Thanks again, Roger.”
“It was my pleasure.” Roger’s smile widened.
Michael ended up back at the inn, eating dinner at the bar while chatting with Lucy, the innkeeper’s daughter, when someone bumped up against him to his right. Looking, he saw it was Liara from the guild.
“So, you come here often?” She gave Michael a sultry smile.
“Uh, hey,” Michael answered.
Liara ordered a drink.
Michael was unsure if this was a coincidence, but Mary welcomed Liara back like an old friend.
Michael looked away, feeling a bit guilty.
Liara nudged Michael playfully. “No worries. I would have thought the same thing.”
Michael could not help but laugh. “Sorry. After our first encounter and… a couple other things. Let’s just say I was concerned.”
“I am guessing someone told you about Martin and my story?” She asked.
Michael nodded.
“Yeah… Can you keep a secret?” She asked.
“Depends on the secret,” Michael replied.
“Eh, you seem like the type who would keep quiet.” Liara shrugged her shoulders.
Liara began to tell Michael the truth about what had happened. Martin had downplayed how much he liked the guy. It turned out that Martin was a hopeless romantic and had a terrible eye for partners. Liara had heard through her network of friends that the guy was leading Martin on. The man was not even into men. He would find needy or lonely people and lead them on, reaping benefits, Tress, and other things. Liara used her wiles to entrap the man, taking back much of the money that the man had tricked out of Martin, and worked with the Branch Head to quietly drive the man out of the city and guild. The Branch Head returned Martin’s money back as a surprise bonus for all his hard work.
Michael grimaced, knowing full well how being used and tricked by someone felt. But he could not understand why they kept it a secret for so long and asked.
Liara let out a resigned sigh after downing half her drink. “We’ve seen how bad that kind of thing tears up Martin. I can tell you now he is interested in you. But seeing how Mary and Lucy interact with you, you might not be a bad guy. So, if you’re interested in him, I’ll allow it.” She continued drinking.
“Oh… Uh…” Michael was a bit stunned.
“Oh? Don’t swing that way? That’s fine. I will find a way to make sure he finds out.” Liara ordered some food and another drink, her cheeks getting a bit red.
“Thanks,” Michael responded, offering to buy her a meal and the next drink.
“Oh! What a gentleman.” Liara smirked and hung onto his thick arm, pressing her chest against it.
The two continued their conversation for a couple of hours, mostly Liara talking about her old jobs, how she lost her leg, and giving advice on what would be helpful to take out on missions. But toward the end of the night, Liara seemed to have drunk too much and could not walk on her own.
“Aaaahhh… Thiiissss was niiice.” Liara slurred.
Mary laughed. “Not too often I see someone able to out-drink her.”
“Does she have a room here?” Michael asked, offering to help her to her room.
“Ah… I think her place is on the other side of the city. But I don’t know more than that.” Mary replied.
“How much for a regular room for the night?” Michael asked, ensuring it would be one with a connected toilet.
Mary giggled. “What a gentleman indeed.” Parroting what Liara had said earlier.
Mary said the basic room for Liara would only cost him 150 Tress.
Michael paid the amount, and Lucy led Michael, who was princess-carrying the now blacked-out Liara.
Lucy helped Michael get Liara into the bed and covered the fox woman. Leaving the room, Lucy made sure the door latched shut while leaving the room key and a note for Liara, explaining the situation inside.
Michael thanked and tipped Lucy before heading up to his own room.