There was a large marble receptionist desk with a middle-aged woman manning it alongside someone who looked to be her daughter.
A young girl in her teenage years, no older than 17, possessed a striking appearance.
Bright yellow eyes illuminated her countenance, which featured sand-toned skin that seemed to capture the essence of desert hues. Her pitch-black hair cascaded elegantly, neatly secured by a silver rod. Black glasses adorned her face, adding a touch of scholarly charm to her presence.
Her mother bore a striking resemblance to her daughter, their features almost eerily identical. The mother's yellow eyes, though reminiscent of her daughter's, held a slightly lighter shade. With shoulder-length onyx hair framed her face, a contrast to her daughter's longer locks.
The elder woman was helping out the customer in front of Adonis while simultaneously scolding her daughter for being clumsy with the magic orb.
"Naomi, don't drop the finance ball!"
When it was Adonis' turn in line, the girl's mother raised her eyebrows slightly in confusion.
"Sorry, but this place isn't for childre-"
Her teenage daughter, Naomi interjected as she peeked at the boy from the elevated desk.
"Are you lost, little guy?"
A flicker of irritation momentarily tugged at the corners of Adonis's mouth before he composed himself into a polite, yet firmly serious smile.
"Good morning, I'm here to collect money out of an A. Account."
***
After tons of convincing and giving all the appropriate details. The boy received the money from the anonymous Hermes fund, after doing so he also managed to create his bank account and was given the appropriate tools to use it: a golden necklace with a bright gem and a seal of authenticity.
On his way towards the entrance in which he entered, the guard with short black hair was leaning on the large desk while speaking to Naomi, the young girl at the receptionist's desk.
Her mother wasn't near them for some reason and the two of them were alone.
Naomi looked extremely uncomfortable and agitated at how close the guard was to her.
Although Adonis couldn't hear what the guard was saying, but it was clear that he was hitting on her.
As he walked closer to the receptionist's table, he could make out what the two were saying.
"C'mon Naomi, you come from a commoner family. Just think about what marrying a noble could do for you." The guard's tone was extremely entitled and forceful, instead of the sweet approach one would normally take.
"S-sorry Sir Quin, but I haven't spoken to my parents yet... A-and I don't think I'm ready for marriage." Her voice was shaky as she tried to respectfully reject the man.
"You're sixteen, you're of age. Why do you need to ask your parents!" The man was getting visibly more irritated the more his advances were rejected.
Adonis stopped a few meters away from the two as he listened unwillingly.
"It's none of my business..." He said as he slowly walked closer and closer to the reception desk. Despite his inner struggle, his fists clenched and teeth gritted, he steadfastly resisted the urge to intervene.
As he was right next to the desk about to brush shoulders with Quin, Adonis heard a faintly familiar voice call out to him.
"Ozzy my love, don't tell me you're going to ignore a girl in need..." Pan's voice echoed through Adonis' head causing him to stop in his tracks.
"But Mama... What can I do?" The boy's voice came out in a whisper, the colour draining from his doll-like face in an instant.
"I raised you better than this." Pan's voice underwent a subtle transformation, deepening and becoming slightly distorted. The once warm tones now took on a cold and disappointed quality.
The purple-haired boy began sweating profusely as his nails dug into his palms, causing blood to drip onto the marble mural on the floor.
' I'm sorry mama... ' Tears welled up in the boy's luminous silver eyes as he raised his head ever so slightly.
"I'll change your life. C'mon, a commoner like you could never get a better husband than me! " Quin's demeanour grew increasingly aggressive, his actions escalating as he forcefully seized the teenage girl's arm.
Adonis continued to look at the mural on the floor as he contemplated his next move.
{...}
"No!" Naomi tried to pull her arm back, but the man increased the strength he exerted, causing her arms to turn slightly red.
As the girl's yelp reached his ears, a prominent vein in Adonis's forehead bulged in response.
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"Hey... Leave her alone." Adonis uttered his words, in a soft, hoarse voice tinged with fear.
"Naomi... I won't ask you again!" Sir Quin didn't even acknowledge the words of the boy next to him as he erupted in frustration. Instead increased his grip, causing the girl's arm to make a loud snapping noise.
"OWWW!" Naomi screamed in pain as she tried to release her arm from the knight's clutches, but it was helpless.
A civilian trying to escape a knight's grip was impossible, she was completely at his mercy.
{Don't do anything dumb Adonis... You aren't even tier 10 yet. Kukuku... just enjoy the show.}
Despite the deity's words echoing in his head, Adonis defied him. With an explosive leap, he soared five feet into the air, his intent directed at delivering a kick to the guard's arm with all his might.
WHOOSH
While Quin's combat experience was limited, his status as a Novice knight granted him superhuman abilities.
Swiftly shifting his attention to the sudden threat, he relinquished his grip on the girl, causing her to crumple in agony. He deftly employed the arm that had been targeted by Adonis, effortlessly intercepting the boy's attack.
THUD
The knight's countenance transformed, into a whirlwind of rage, confusion, and amazement.
Quin's astonishment stemmed from the unexpected strength that surged from the young assailant.
Though the power wasn't a genuine threat to him, it stirred an unsettling unease. A recognition of a prodigy, an untamed talent that, if cultivated, could become an invaluable asset for the Empire.
But amidst these realizations, a cocktail of emotions churned within Quin. Rejection's sting still smarted fresh, this youth impeding his pursuit of the woman he sought.
A complete disregard for social class inflamed his wrath—how dared this commoner touch him? Though the promise of discovering rare talent should have incited excitement, the context here altered the sentiment.
First of all, he had just been rejected by the woman he had been pursuing for multiple months, secondly, this kid was trying to stop him from securing the woman and, thirdly and most importantly he was a filthy commoner who dared to touch him.
Quin's reaction was swift. The hand not engaged in defence became an instrument of action, his palm targeting Adonis's solar plexus.
BAM
The impact propelled the ten-year-old through the air, sending him hurtling several meters away.
Upon landing, Adonis found himself breathless, thirteen feet away from the intensively scrutinizing guard.
In those charged moments, the air hung heavy, the air molecules bending involuntarily to the tension.
"How dare a plebian touch me!" Quin spat at the young boy.
"..." Adonis got up a few seconds later, trying to act nonchalant about the assault.
However, his pretence of peak health was short-lived.
Within mere seconds, the façade crumbled. Struggling to maintain composure, he hastily covered his mouth, but it was futile.
SPLATTER
A violent fit of coughing seized him, crimson droplets splattering the exquisite marble floor and staining his trembling hand.
"I suggest you stay down commoner..." Quin released his menacing aura, causing the boy to fall back onto his knees.
The aura from Quin was pretty weak in the grand scheme of things, but when used against opponents of Adonis' calibre it was enough to win him the fight without even lifting a finger.
Remaining on his knees, Adonis's gaze fixated on the blood staining the floor.
His eyes seemed to mimic the flickering of a torch caught in the wind, an intensity building within them.
Raising a trembling hand towards his face, he observed the blood in his palm.
Yet, this simple act unravelled a cascade of profound experiences.
As his eyes met the blood, a torrent of images surged through his mind.
Scenes, emotions, and fragments of memories intertwined like threads weaving a tapestry.
Amid this internal storm, a specific sequence unfolded vividly—the tragic events of the Hermes massacre. Among these memories, a particular scene took prominence: the moment when Eurodos' forceful push sent him sprawling, propelling him out into the garden.
The sensations, the emotions, all surged back with an intensity that was almost overwhelming.
{Kukuku... Now it's getting fun!}
As Adonis's internal turmoil escalated, the atmosphere surrounding him seemed to shift. The temperature dropped by a few degrees, an unseen breeze rustling through the indoor space. Even the marble floor beneath him quivered slightly as if resonating with his inner turmoil.
DUMMMM
DEM?
In this crescendo of emotion, a physical transformation took hold.
His abnormally elongated canines underwent a further shift, lengthening and sharpening until they bit into his lip.
SPLURT
The familiar metallic taste of blood began to pool within his mouth, and the deep crimson liquid trickled down his chin, painting his visage with an eerie and unsettling veneer.
At this moment, he appeared almost feral, a creature driven to the brink.
"B-Bu, Bur, Bur..." The boy began whispering softly as he struggled to get up under the knight's pressure.
"Hm?" Quin felt something was wrong and all the hair on his neck instantly stood up and he stepped back.
Why was he scared of a mere commoner boy who didn't even have a tier yet?
Quin listened intently to the boy's whispers as he raised his eyebrow in confusion.
"BUR-" The boy screamed as he stood up shakily, withstanding Quin's aura.
"Oizys Hermes, CALM DOWN!"
The resounding, deep timbre of Eurodos Hermes's voice reverberated within his mind like a soothing balm.
Instantly, a sense of tranquillity enveloped him, quelling the tempest within.
The searing heat that had consumed his chest began to recede, its intensity waning with each passing heartbeat.
And as if responding to the gentle command, the unsettling Wicked Aura that had surrounded him faded away, leaving him in a state of serenity once more.
Extra Information:
100 bronze coins= 1 silver coins
100 silver coins= 1 gold coin
1 silver coin can buy a kilogram of apples
The Finance Necklace is a spatial magic item designed to safeguard one's wealth. By using this necklace, individuals can conveniently store their riches within a designated space. When making payments, they place the gem on a finance ball, facilitating a direct transfer of coins.
The necklace has limitations: it exclusively holds bronze, silver, or gold, and only the rightful owner can utilize it. Additionally, the bank possesses restricted access to this spatial dimension. This access allows them to withdraw annual or monthly fees and add interest to the stored wealth, but it is carefully regulated to prevent misuse.