<em>Bank and Dwarf</em>


    The city didn''t exhibit a drastic increase in life after the chapel''s shackles on it were removed. I guess it could''ve been due to the people of the city losing the desire to pursue joy after being oppressed for so long. Perhaps the North, which relied on war to prosper, was at the mercy of the era. It no longer qualified as a city; it was more akin to a cemetery for the past, where those who died fighting were buried and waited for those still alive to join them. The people still lingering in the city were merely wandering souls from thest war.


    For the reason that I wasn''t familiar with the city, I needed to ask the guards at the entrance where the so-called bank was located. Apparently, they didn''t refer to the bank as a bank. After I exined that a bank was a ce where one stored money, a light bulb lit up for them, and they finally realised what ce I referred to. Here, in this world, they called it a money depository. There wasn''t just one business association. Achilles started one of them, but most businesses selling products and service model businesses under Achilles'' banner worked in the city. Thus, I need to visit two particrpanies.


    The two of us rode through the streets. I didn''t know Veirya was so familiar with the city. She knew lots of small paths. Thankfully, that made travelling efficient.


    Technically speaking, humans were also animals. All humans shared the instincts animals had, particrly avoiding harm while trying to maximise gains. Humans lean toward the side that''s more favourable to them. Not the one that would be harmful. Money was the best thing there was to humanity''s society. Wherever money could be made would be humanity''s best location. Banks, or in this case, money depositories were humanity''s most sumptuous meal. At the same time, though, it was a trap. Well-trained hunters would be able to safely escape from them, while others would need to repay their debts with their lives. Countless people flocked to banks the same way bees flocked to ces where they smelt honey. There used to be lots of businessmen in the city. Businessmen have a keen nose for money.


    The buildings in the city were incredibly robust. They were simr to the Temple of Athena Nike in a way. They were squares or rectangles and had an incredibly solemn vibe. The huge stone pirs were evidently somewhat worn out now after having existed for many years. Being ancient and worn out, however, couldn''t stop people from liking that sort of new stuff.


    The ce we were at was probably the liveliest ce in the entire city. There was a good number of people entering and exiting. I even noticed a few dwarves. Presumably, it was where the people from the ce and other races interacted. It wasn''t rare to run into dwarves or elves at the border in the North, after all.


    The two of us led our horses inside. Veirya stated. "This. Was formerly. The control centre."


    "Are you talking about during the war?"


    "Uhm. In the past. Queen Sisi. Once stayed here."


    Indeed, the building appeared to be the best building inparison to all the other buildings in the city. It, therefore, was no wonder Queen Sisi would reside in it. I nodded: "Let''s go, then, Veirya."


    "What exactly. Are we here. For?"


    "To get money."


    I answered in a very simple manner; however, I neither lied nor hid anything. I came here to get money; I just didn''t tell Veirya how I''d do it.


    Veirya followed alongside me as we headed to the building I was interested in. We waded through the crowds. We heard thenguage of money in our ears. Everyone present had their own business to attend to, and their business dictated the cirction of money.


    To put things into perspective, imagine ake. If water only ever came in and never left, it''d be dead water. The same principle applied to money in a city. A city can''t develop on its own. It requires imports. The bank is the foundation of imports. Without the abundance of money in the bank, trading would be nothing more than trading for fun.


    We entered the bank. It was a primitive bank. The first ce we arrived at upon entering was arge hall. In the hall was a long table with workers behind it counting money. There was also a specific appraiser who appraised a red gem the size of an egg that a dwarf brought in. There were also scales that weighed coins to verify they weren''t counterfeit coins.


    The bank was packed. Lots of people waited for their turn to be served. There were also a fair number of people attired in ck speaking to customers about something. The majority of people were busy with coordinating things between humans and dwarves, though, because lots of humans and dwarves couldn''tmunicate well.


    "Veirya?! Tarak?!"


    We suddenly heard a familiarly and brash voice nearby. We turned to look in the direction it came from; Veirya was first to identify the owner of the voice. She immediately looked down. His big beard was asical as I remembered. The manner in which Franics came over to us resembled a round and furry ball rolling over. He probably hadn''t drunk yet, but he still reeked of alcohol.


    "What are the chances that I''d see you two here?! My, my, I never thought I''d see the day when this woman woulde here to loan money. I thought she''d only ever take the head of her hunted prey to the adventurer guild to exchange for money."


    Veirya calmly responded, "I didn''t do that. In the past, either."


    Francis heartilyughed. He questioned, "Geez, you''re still so serious when you''ve gotten married. Doesn''t your husband find your seriousness a bore?"


    Veirya looked over to me and asked, "Do I?"


    Veirya casually epted the im that we were married and that she was my wife. That said, it could''ve been that she didn''t understand what those terms meant. I smiled: "It''s all right. I think you''re very nice."


    "Okay, okay, you two, let''s put aside your sweet couple world for a moment. Tarak, it''s been a long time since west met. Let''s have a drink again. I''m done with business; are you free?"


    "I just got here."


    "What do you need to do? Store money or loan money? If you need to loan money, you don''t need them. They always try to im you have this and that problem so that they can increase the interest they charge you. Juste see me if you need a loan. I just bought a piece ofnd here in your area."


    "From Veirya''s territory again?"


    "I guess." Francis nodded without putting too much thought into it: "When I have money, I n to go and talk to Veirya about something. I''m certain she''ll approve."


    "No. You need. To ask him." Veirya finally improved after the first time with Lucia.


    I pinched my chin to think: "Previously, nobody came here. Why have people started sellingnd now? Thend isn''t important; what''s important is what thend has."


    "Let''s go. Let''s go have a drink first," I suggested. I thought, "Whatever is going on, I need to ask and find out."