White flowers bloomed among the weeds, and the public cemetery in the old city was quiet in the morning. The damp air made the stone path buried in the grass feel a bit damp, and the tombstones representing the deceased, along with the vibrant daisies of spring, formed a pure land for the dead to rest in.
Someone had come to sweep the graves very early.
The grave sweeper was of medium build and in the prime of his life, with a black woolen coat collar turned up. Embroidered on the inside of the inconspicuous collar was a small crow-shaped emblem.
The cuffs of his sleek, pale purple trousers were tucked into his tall riding boots, with metal plates obviously nailed to the soles to prevent wear and tear. The man seemed afraid of disturbing the deceased's slumber and deliberately slowed down his pace.
After turning onto a small path, he came to a corner on the left side, where three somewhat new tombstones were lined up.
"When life ends, eternity begins." The man stood in front of the black and white marble tombstone, placing the bouquet of flowers in his hand on the ground. He gently recited the epitaph, took out his handkerchief, and solemnly wiped away the dirt and dust from the tombstone and pedestal, as if performing a sacred ritual.
"For the deceased, it is true that they are living in an eternal paradise, never tired, never in pain." He muttered, "But for the living, even for the undead who have died and come back to life, they still have to continue to experience the sadness and desire brought on by emotions."
The morning mist gradually dissipated, and the noisy voices of people broke the silence of the cemetery. The man covered the bouquet with his handkerchief and turned to leave.
"Since destruction and persecution began with Flondeck, I'll start with the sinners who are still in this city." He thought, "Let the trial begin."
The annual carnival is coming again. Two years ago the Flondeck people didn't have the chance to enjoy the festive atmosphere due to the city's lockdown order from the church. And last year, Flondeck, still struggling to recover economically, didn't have the energy to invest much in the carnival.
So, compared to the past two years, this year's carnival was so grand that it could tell everyone: the prosperity of the Nightless City had returned.
A carriage rolled out onto the street from the patrol station, slowly weaving through the crowds who were celebrating the festival in advance. The journey, which normally took only fifteen minutes, dragged on for over an hour. It wasn't until the carriage turned onto Fragrant Tree Street that the coachman finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"There are so many people now. When the carnival comes in two days, we definitely won't be able to do business." The coachman complained.
In the atmosphere of the carnival, the only place that can maintain peace and quiet, aside from the Square of the First Court and the Cathedral, is the Fragrant Tree Street, also known as the Golden Road of Flondeck.
This was Flondeck's financial center, where almost all bankers gathered to establish their own offices. This was also a symbol of status. If a financial figure could not get a room on Fragrant Tree Street and hang a sign with his name on it, at least half of his credibility would be lost in the eyes of his customers.
"That's just a bunch of incompetent guys." the bankers of Flondeck always look down on those who open credit offices outside the Golden Road.
The only lifeline that can maintain Flondeck's trade activities is the Fragrant Tree Street.
Millions of funds flow through here every day. To ensure security, the police station has specially arranged a patrol team to patrol day and night. The guards of each office and warehouse have been tested and proven to be absolutely loyal.
No one can get a penny through robbery from the heavily guarded Fragrant Tree Street, and the bankers are all extremely shrewd. Many fraudsters who tried to find loopholes are quickly identified by them and sent to a free single room in the police station.
There are many upscale coffee shops located between the offices, and during lunchtime, they are always crowded with various finance masters. They enjoyed excellent steaks while casually discussing investment opportunities and market news with a nonchalant tone.
Someone boasted with pride, "Last month, the Horn Ship Company wanted to borrow a loan of 100,000 gold coins from me, but even the most obtuse person knows that this company is going bankrupt. Of course, I refused. Luckily, I had foresight and had already collected the previous loan."
The listener politely complimented the speaker before turning to brag to other colleagues, "Being well-informed is the key to making big money. The Horn Ship Company is about to turn around. Its last ship obtained the finest spices from the Far East and is currently returning safely. It's estimated to arrive at the Flondeck port in two days. I just lent the company two hundred thousand gold coins with 10% interest."
In the Golden Road, the most prestigious business firm is the Double Eagle Bank's branch in Flondeck, which is the top-tier bank in all of Byron. Its financial network spreads throughout the country, and even the most cautious merchants wouldn't doubt its issued checks.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Double Eagle Bank's Flondeck branch, and the attendant at the door respectfully opened the carriage door. Then, a young man got out and casually handed the attendant a note.
The attendant respectfully expressed his thanks and couldn't help but gasp after glancing at the note in his hand. It was a five-gold-coin gold certificate.
The bank's staff in the hall looked at the elegantly dressed man who had just walked in. Many female employees were secretly cheering, "My goodness, which country's prince is this? Even if he isn't, he must be a son of some duke's family. Only such a status can match his handsome face."
" I need storage service," the man smiled and said to a female teller behind the counter. His smile immediately made the teller's face blush and become dizzy.
"Um... of course, I'll immediately...," the female teller stuttered a bit, but she immediately remembered the bank's regulations. "Sorry, could you tell me what kind of item you want to store and what type of service you need?"
"I need the highest-level safe deposit box for a painting," the man said, lifting a rectangular frame wrapped in oilcloth.
"The highest-level? Please wait, I'll inform Bank Manager Seth," the female teller realized that this was a big transaction, "I knew it. Looking at his appearance, he's not someone us small teller can receive," she thought.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
According to the bank's services, safe deposit boxes were divided into three levels. The highest level is equivalent to renting a small vault guarded by a specialized person, with a daily rent of up to three hundred gold coins. It usually stores precious artworks and treasures that wealthy people don't feel safe keeping at home.
Bank Manager Seth walked out of his office and personally received the young wealthy man.
The rental fee was nothing for the bank, but only the wealthiest figures would choose this service. If they could satisfy them, maybe the next time they would deposit a large sum of money.
In the office, the man elegantly picked up the coffee, took a small sip, and didn't seem satisfied with the taste. He put down the cup and looked at the bank manager, waiting for something.
Seth immediately realized that this was a common arrogance among noble and wealthy people. They never like to introduce themselves first when dealing with strangers.
"I am Mei Seth, the manager of this bank," he said with a friendly smile.
"Van Gray," the man nodded and replied. He spoke Byron language clearly but with a slight accent.
This was not a very common name, and Bank Manager Seth had never heard of a wealthy man with this name. It was likely a fake name. However, the man's unmistakable noble demeanor revealed some insider information. "Van" was a word that only nobles in the Western Portu Kingdom could add to their names.
Some nobles liked to hide their identities, making it easier for them to act without fear of retaliation, seducing some young girls who were beautiful but from poor backgrounds. After they left, those girls whose bodies had been violated would have no way to find any clues.
But just based on these, the manager Seth couldn't be sure if his thoughts were correct. He scrutinized the man before him: elegant in bearing, well-educated, and physically robust, but not the terrifying muscle-bound type of man, indicating that he often engaged in noble sports such as fencing and hunting.
The dark-colored clothes he wore were not flashy at all, even somewhat ordinary. Only those who frequently mingled in high society circles could recognize its worth. From the quality of the fabric and workmanship, as well as the pair of buttons on the cuffs, Seth knew that this outfit was worth at least six hundred gold coins.
Only the plain ring on his finger, the manager couldn't see anything special about it, but someone who dressed like this couldn't possibly not wear valuable accessories. Seth could only admit that his own knowledge was lacking.
As a man, Seth also had to concede that this young man was really handsome, especially with his black eyes and light brown hair that gave him an exotic and mysterious air. He always seemed to have a slightly sarcastic smile on his lips, the perfect embodiment of a nobleman born into a wealthy family.
"This guy, he doesn't even need to spend money. Just by hooking his little finger, he can make girls throw themselves at him," Seth thought, feeling jealous.
"I just bought a painting, but I can't leave it in the hotel, I need to rent..." The man who called himself Gray lightly tapped the armrest of the chair with his finger. "For ten days, until I return to my country."
"A painting? Please forgive my presumption, but if it's just a painting, it doesn't seem worth using the highest grade..." The manager was interrupted by Gray's mocking gaze before he finished speaking. He proudly said, "It's a work by Dachi."
Seth had nothing to say. Dachi, the most famous master painter in history, his renowned works could drive every art collector crazy.
But the paintings that the master was known for were usually housed in royal palaces or national galleries. Suddenly, Seth understood. This was a black market item. The master had had many of his paintings stolen, and those thieves could only sell them in the underground market.
Presumably, what this gentleman had purchased was also one of those stolen goods.
But Seth wasn't going to offend a potential big client over such a small matter. He wisely chose not to ask any further.
"This painting cost me 150,000. Actually, I don't understand painting at all. I just bought it to compete with others at the auction," said Gray, as if that 150,000 was nothing to him.
150,000! These idle rich descendants, who depended on their ancestors' achievements to live a life of debauchery, could spend 150,000 just to compete and show off! Seth became even more jealous. As a bank manager, his annual salary was only 20,000.
Although every banker he met on Gold Road greeted him respectfully, he knew that he was just an employee.. The profits of the bank all belonged to the main branch of Castain.
Millions of gold coins flowed in and out of his hands, but aside from his salary, not a penny belonged to him.
Of course, Seth didn't show any signs of his dark thoughts, he just respectfully said, "I will immediately arrange the best vault for it."
Gray nodded and placed the painting on his desk. "This is the painting to be deposited."
" Please wait a moment, I will have the bank's senior appraiser come over. Please forgive me, this is regulation and not a reflection of any distrust towards you, sir," Seth said, still being cautious. According to the regulations, if any damage occurred to the deposited item, the bank had to compensate for the original price. If this man intentionally deposited a fake painting and accused the bank of switching it out when he came to retrieve it in ten days, the bank would lose a lot of money.
"Of course," Gray didn't mind, "Rigorous rules actually make me trust your bank even more."
The appraiser carefully opened the outer layer of oilcloth, and inside the exquisite frame was a half-finished sketch with only half of the colors filled in.
He took a long time to appraise the painting, "Oh, sir, this is an early work by Master Dachi. At that time, his painting skills were not yet mature, so it should only be a practice piece. Moreover, it's still a half-finished work. In the market, it's worth at most 10,000."
"10,000?" Gray stood up from his chair in surprise. "But this is a work by Dachi! I paid 150,000 for it!"
"Yes, sir, actually I even included the value of the painting frame," the appraiser replied. "Measuring a master's painting by money is a downright insult to art, but it doesn't mean that even the master's sketches are worth that price. If it wasn't for Dachi 's signature on the canvas, this half-finished work would be worthless."
Gray was furious, "Damn it, I fell for it." he said.
Seth gloated to himself, "This spendthrift who knows nothing, and loves to waste money, deserves to be cheated. "
Gray seemed to realize he had lost his composure. He sat back down and said, "It's just 150,000. It's not a big deal. I'll still choose the highest level of storage service." He pretended not to care, but Seth knew that Gray was just trying to save face.
Only a rich kid like Gray would be foolish enough to spend 3,000 to store something worth only 10,000.
"But we can only provide you with a 10,000 insurance claim contract."
"Oh, okay then."
Taking the storage receipt given to him by the bank, Gray folded it and put it in his pocket. He pushed open the office door and walked out.
Seth was happy to see that Gray's stride was not as elegant and composed as when he came in.
A loss of 140,000 was probably a big sum of money to him.
"Ah, nobles, always placing more importance on face than anything else," Seth picked up the painting. According to the regulations, only the bank manager could enter the highest level vault.
In the vault, Seth felt that the frame of the painting was a bit loose. He had just put the painting on the table when a small screw on the frame fell off.
"Ha-ha, even the frame is a fake," Seth picked up the screw and wanted to reinstall it, but he discovered something strange. A corner of another painting was faintly visible under the unfinished sketch.
There is another painting inside the frame! Seth wanted to open it and see what was inside, but the two paintings were stuck together tightly. He was afraid of damaging them, so he carefully tried for a long time but couldn't open them.
"Sir, a customer has arrived at the front desk regarding a loan matter," the guard outside the vault notified.
Seth regretfully stopped, but even as he walked into the bank hall, he was still thinking about what the hidden painting could be.
On the street, Gray paid the carriage fee and walked through the crowded crowd alone.
"He's the first one," the handsome young man thought. Over a year ago, it was the manager of this bank who in violation of the morals that financial institutions should possess, became an accomplice to the destruction of his life by using a false account.
He touched his ring, and the time limit restricted by magic was almost up. He had to go back.
He had to go back and act as another identity with a different appearance.