Chapter 8: New Beginnings 8

Elania followed Elara through the bank, Yolani at her side.

The Appraisal Division was located in a different part of the building. As they approached, the guard Elania had noticed earlier stepped into their path. His eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Elara frowned, clearly recognizing the guard. “Thaddeus. What’s wrong?”

Thaddeus shifted his gaze between Elania and Yolani, his posture tense. “They’re potential risks. I think they need a closer watch.”

Elara’s frown deepened. “They’re very polite young ladies,” she said firmly.

But Thaddeus wasn’t swayed. He pointed at Elania, his eyes hard. “One of them is a demi-divine,” he said. “She’s armed.”

Elara’s eyes widened as she turned to stare at Elania. Had the elf really not known?

Thaddeus’s gaze fell on Eziel, and his eyes narrowed further. “Weapons are banned,” he said sharply.

Elania straightened, her hand instinctively moving to rest on Eziel’s hilt. “My sword isn’t a ‘weapon,’” she said calmly but firmly. “It’s the Arch-Seraph Eziel, who is taking a nap at the moment.”

Thaddeus’s eyes glazed over. Elara looked between them, uncertain.

“My sword won’t cause any trouble,” she said steadily. “We’re just here to exchange some mana shards and crystals for currency.”

Yolani coughed into her fist, drawing Thaddeus’s attention. “Arlois and Ember welcomed us. We aren’t any danger to the bank or its patrons.”

He crossed his arms, his expression stern. “Fine, but it isn’t proper to bring enchanted weapons into the bank. I’m going to keep an eye on you.”

Elania felt a flicker of annoyance but kept her expression neutral. “You’re welcome to do so,” she said. “But you can do it at a distance without interrupting our business.”

Elara looked between them apologetically. “I’m so sorry about this,” she said. “Please, follow me to the Appraisal Division.”

She led them deeper into the bank, Thaddeus trailing behind at a medium distance. Elania ignored him, focusing instead on the task at hand. It almost felt like a joke. Why would he announce that he was watching them? And calling Eziel an ‘enchanted’ weapon? The way his eyes had glazed over when she had mentioned that seemed odd, at the very least.

Maybe he was worried they’d try something, and by putting them on alert, he hoped they wouldn’t attempt whatever he thought they were planning. The mental gymnastics weren’t worth it; she decided to ignore the man unless he caused further trouble.

The Appraisal Division was filled with various booths and desks scattered throughout. Elara guided them to a small, sectioned area, where a gentleman sat behind a desk, bars blocking access except at the counter, where items could be passed back and forth.

“Gallen,” Elara greeted him warmly. “This is Elania and Yolani. They have some shards and crystals to exchange.”

Gallen looked up. He nodded to Elania and Yolani, his eyes flickering briefly to Thaddeus, who had taken a seat nearby.

“Thank you, Elara,” Gallen said calmly. “I’ll take care of them from here.”

Elara nodded, giving Elania and Yolani a reassuring smile before stepping away. Gallen turned his attention to them.

“What do you have for me today?” he asked.

Yolani rummaged through her pack and retrieved a small bag. She reached inside, her fingers emerging with a handful of mana shards—half a dozen in total—and placed them on the counter. Next, she pulled out a fistful of shock-crystals and set them beside the shards.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Gallen’s eyes widened as he took in the pile of shimmering objects before him. His mouth opened and closed. “Quite a sizable collection. Do you want all of this converted to scrit and crit?” he asked.

Yolani nodded, a polite smile on her face. “Yes, please.”

Gallen cleared his throat, regaining his composure. “Please place the cards you wish credited on the counter.”

Elania watched intently as Yolani retrieved their cards and laid them on the counter.

They observed as Gallen worked, appreciating the transparency of the process. He took one shard at a time, placing it under a machine that lit up and displayed a number.

He then took a card from the machine and placed the shard in a deposit box before touching the card to their crit. The number on the card updated with each transaction.

Gallen repeated the process for all the shards, handling each with meticulous care.

“What’s your home like, Gallen?” Elania asked.

Gallen’s brow furrowed, surprise flickering in his eyes. “My home?” he repeated.

Elania nodded, her expression open and friendly. “Yes, your home. Where do you live?”

Gallen hesitated for a moment before answering. “I live in a modest apartment with my wife and children,” he said cautiously.

Elania’s interest piqued. “Do you own or rent?” she asked, her head tilting slightly to the side.

Gallen’s confusion deepened, and he shook his head. “Individuals can’t hold ownership of property on the island,” he explained. “Only establishments and registered businesses approved by the city can own property. I, like everyone else, rent my apartment.”

Elania turned this information over in her mind. “How much does it cost per month?”

“One crit,” Gallen replied. His attention went back to the counting.

Elania felt a mix of emotions at that. On the one hand, one crit per month seemed easily doable. But on the other hand, if she multiplied that by the number of her followers, there was just no way they’d have enough.

Gallen moved on to the smaller shock-crystals, processing ten at a time. When he finished, Elania and Yolani had accumulated six crit and sixty scrit.

“Congratulations on such a large deposit,” Gallen said.

Elania and Yolani exchanged a look, their eyes meeting briefly before glancing at their bags, which remained quite full.

Yolani glanced at her, a questioning look in her eyes. Elania met her gaze and nodded. Yolani reached for her three bags and set them on the counter.

Gallen’s eyes widened as he peered into the bags, his hands trembling slightly as he processed the sheer volume of mana shards and crystals. He took a step back, face paling. “I’m not authorized to issue so much crit at once. You’ll need to wait a moment.”

Elania and Yolani exchanged a look.

“If it’s a problem, we can come back later and do it in batches,” Elania offered.

But Gallen shook his head, his expression torn. “It shouldn’t be an issue, but I must inform management.”

He hurried away, leaving Elania and Yolani to wait anxiously. Minutes ticked by awkwardly as other business in the bank moved on. Finally, Gallen returned, accompanied by a stern-looking dwarf with a neatly trimmed beard and sharp, calculating eyes.

“This is Mr. Gresham, the head banker of the Bank of Contia,” Gallen said.

Gresham stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over Elania and Yolani before settling on the bags of mana shards and crystals. “I understand you have a significant deposit to make.”

Elania nodded, her posture straightening under the dwarf’s scrutiny. “Yes, we do.”

“I need to ask how you acquired such a sum. It’s a required question, as amounts like this can be illicit. You’ll need to confirm your answers under oath,” Gresham said.

Elania felt a flicker of unease but met the banker’s gaze steadily. She knew their acquisition of the mana shards and crystals was legitimate, but the question still worried her. Was the bank going to try to rob them?

“That’s fine,” she said.

Gallen placed a glowing white orb on the counter and tapped it with a wand. “Anything spoken now will be judged by the truthstone,” he explained solemnly. “Any falsehoods spoken knowingly by anyone in its presence will cause the light to wink out.”

The tension in her shoulders relaxed slightly. Yolani gave her a small nod.

Gresham cleared his throat, his posture straightening. “I am one of the Four Towers,” he said.

Immediately, the light stone dimmed, casting shadows across the counter. Gallen tapped the truthstone with the wand again, and it flared back to life.

“I am Gresham, the head banker of this bank,” Gresham said.

The truthstone stayed lit, its glow steady and unwavering.

Well, that was simple enough.

“My name is Yolani,” Elania said.

The truthstone went out, plunging the counter into darkness. Gallen tapped the truthstone again, and it lit back up, illuminating Elania’s face.

“I am Elania, from Earth, and a demi-divine,” she said.

The truthstone stayed lit, its glow steady and bright.

Gresham nodded, his expression serious. “Please explain for the record the source of the shards and their provenance,” he asked firmly.

Elania took a deep breath. She glanced at Yolani, who gave her an encouraging nod, her eyes filled with trust and support.

“The shards and crystals were acquired during our time in Neftasu,” Elania began. The explanation lasted for thirty minutes, as she decided not to leave anything to doubt.

The truthstone stayed lit, unwavering.