Chapter 534 - Busyness
Ssshhk.
The air split sharply with a string of sounds. Following it, a light cloud of dust rose in the rear courtyard of the Arein fortress.
A light weight.
A single, distinct killing intent.
An independent swordsmanship focused solely on cutting down the object before one's eyes, without a shred of distraction.
From afar, the movements seemed slow enough to see clearly, but once approached, nine out of ten would not realize their neck had been severed until too late.
Adrian was controlling his speed.
"…Hoo."
He exhaled, calming the qi dwelling in his body. Returning [Silendar] into its sheath, he loosened the overheated muscles of his body.
It felt refreshing.
This was the morning routine of a swordsman, not a Mage, who had nothing particular to do in the stable Great Hall of Black Hour, and had instead come to the Ownerless Land.
Next would be intense combat training… drawing upon the memory of having single-handedly purged the first two members of Black Hour not long ago, he would sink into deep meditation.
Just as he was about to close his eyes in focus.
"Hey, executioner!"
Keirel, descending the ramparts with agile movements, intruded. She held a brown basket aloft.
"I brought breakfast."
"It's not time to eat yet."
"Since when did you keep meal times so strictly? You always used to eat whenever you felt like it. Eat early today."
He caught the sandwich thrown his way.
Between thin layers of vegetables lay thick, high-quality meat covered with cheese and sauce. Not just one, but two of them.
It was such a violent combination that it could only have been made by Keirel herself.
"Hmph."
Watching Adrian stop his training and bite into the sandwich, Keirel plopped the basket down with a thud.
Her tail flicked quickly, subtly. The eyes of the beast lowered, then she cautiously tested the waters with another question.
"Adrian, that new sword at your hip. They say that ill-tempered old dwarf made it himself, right? Can I have a look…?"
It had been quite some time since Adrian received [Silendar] from Gharun, yet very few had seen it properly. Almost none, in fact.
Adrian had devoted himself to training, waiting for the day when Verden and Dahit Wethroel, two Transcendents, would clash…
The Black Hour usurpation plan had been kept in strict secrecy, known only to members of the Society.
Still, the sharp Keirel sensed something unusual, and had carefully refrained from disturbing Adrian.
Until recently.
It had been a while since the two shared such a leisurely, casual conversation.
"Handle it carefully."
"Hee, why so cautious? As if I'd hurt myself just looking at a sword."
With his permission, Keirel quickly approached and slowly drew [Silendar] from its sheath. A chilling metallic note cut through her sharp hearing.
"…Wow."
The single-edged blade, tinted a deep sky-blue, reflected the sunlight.
A Light Sword.
Sharper than any weapon she had ever laid eyes on.
Gulp.
The instant she swung it lightly, a shiver of dread ran down her fingers. At the same time, her beastly instincts flared in alarm.
The mere thought that if her body even brushed the edge by mistake, it would be cleanly severed, crossed her mind.
"This is the sword made from a dragon's spine…"
As Keirel admired [Silendar] in a daze, Adrian spoke.
"Keirel."
"…Huh? What, why call me so suddenly? Want your sword back?"
"It was the Bohemirn Magic Tower that killed my master."
The abrupt revelation pressed down heavily, like a crushing weight. In an instant, her eyes flashed with a storm of emotions.
"What, did you just say…"
Shock, horror, fury, murderous intent, and finally confusion. All these led to a single question.
"Why would the Bohemirn Magic Tower…?"
"Human experimentation."
While finishing off the sandwich as though in casual conversation, Adrian calmly spoke of the past he had never shared.
The sudden raid by the tower master of Bohemirn.
Years of repeated torture and experiments.
The cruel tragedy of rushing to rescue his master, only to be forced to end his life with his own sword.
Mental domination through magic circles…
"That day, had I not met my lord, I would have died in the Midros Dominion."
Recalling the time, Adrian finished his meal and dusted off his hands lightly. The feline beastkin's gaze fixed on him, unblinking.
"..."
Keirel listened silently, her entire body stiff as if frozen. Words would not leave her lips.
What could one possibly say?
To learn that the long-lost friend, with whom all contact had been cut off, had in truth been trapped in a laboratory, suffering as a disposable subject.
That he had pierced through the body of Uncle Raymon, his teacher and father figure, with the very sword in his hands.
Crack.
Unconsciously, her grip tightened.
Her tangled, chaotic thoughts suddenly began to fall into order. Her peculiar way of thinking rose to the surface.
Yes.
What was needed now was not shallow comfort.
Blood for blood.
Even if the enemy was a transcendent being, even if she had no idea how to exact vengeance upon the Bohemirn Magic Tower, as a beastkin true to her instincts, the only words to say were—
"You'll kill them, won't you? All of them."
Eyes gleaming with vertical pupils, Keirel handed the sword back. Taking [Silendar], Adrian answered with certainty.
"Every last one."
About five months remained.
***
After activating
"A city built by a bank, huh…"
From his vantage point in the sky, a small city filled with concentrated technology came into view.
The main headquarters of 'Anonium Bank', one of the world's three great banks alongside Magnus Bank and Dyna Bank.
Unusually, it had no branches, focusing instead on protecting clients' wealth like an impregnable fortress, in exchange for high maintenance fees.
Even anonymity was guaranteed.
In other words, as long as one could regularly pay the fees, it was the perfect place to hide assets that were not exactly legal.
"Judging by the level of security, using
Verden had no intention of revealing Alpha's existence publicly.
Not yet.
Naturally, the one-eyed creature understood what he meant, and its single eye glowed.
[Command confirmed. Functions ceasing.]
Verden retrieved the magic power charged within the mini golem. Soon, with its power source emptied, Alpha came to a halt.
Thus, with the body that had reverted from life to mere object stored in subspace, Verden cloaked its appearance with [Ainber]'s
There was no need to reveal its true identity.
Descending to the ground, Verden reached the city gates through the main road.
One of the Anonium Bank headquarters guards, a 5th-rank Mage, halted him with strict posture, speaking each word clearly.
"If you are not a new client, please present your identification."
The identification in question was not an ordinary one. It referred to Anonium Bank's unique key.
"Thank you."
Receiving from Verden a metal rod engraved with a specific magical array, the Mage examined its internal structure through various meticulous means.
It was confirmed genuine about ten minutes later.
Kuuuuung───
At the Mage's signal, the city gate began to open slowly. Beyond the boundary separating inside and out, a complex street was revealed.
The Mage spoke.
"Clients using vault 3 - 28 - 134 have the right to use the facilities of Anonium Bank headquarters by paying an additional fee. Will you use them?"
In other words, as long as one had money, one could live under the city's protection and security. Interesting, but no more than that.
"I will go straight to the vault."
"Understood. Then I will escort you directly to vault 3 - 28 - 134. Please follow me within fifteen steps."
The Mage led the way.
Verden entered the bank city.
***
The central streets were rather quiet, though not devoid of people.
Like Verden, some clients were guided by bank staff to their vaults, while others spent leisure time with their families within the city facilities.
Common among them all was distance from poverty.
'A paradise of the wealthy.'
Understandable enough.
Though the city was not large, its underlying technology was highly advanced, and above all, safety was guaranteed.
From what Verden had quietly discerned while passing through, among those maintaining order here were even 6th-rank national-class forces. That said enough.
Following the Mage, he entered a neat building marked with Anonium Bank's insignia.
"This way, please."
Passing between those diligently attending to their clerical duties, they entered a high-speed magical elevator that was already prepared.
Whoosh.
With great speed yet steady motion, it descended far below ground. All sides were sealed, revealing nothing of the outside.
Once the elevator stopped, the Mage added further operations. After repeated irregular horizontal and vertical movements, at last the door opened.
"We have arrived. This is vault 3 - 28 - 134."
Outside the elevator lay a suitable space in the form of a regular octahedron.
At its center stood a single pillar, about waist-high, with a small hole bored into it.
Clack.
The Mage inserted the metal rod into the pillar, and magic power reacted. Anonium Bank's unique vault was activating.
Kugugugugu…
With a slight tremor, four walls withdrew, save for the elevator and the floor. The space expanded, revealing the items hidden behind.
Bundles of cash.
Jewels.
Highest-grade magic stones.
Land deeds.
...
All of it, slush funds accumulated by the Nellonian Supreme Councilor of the Beldirn Republic.
But he was already dead, and Jack had handed over the vault key. Thus, the pitiful hidden fortune now belonged to Verden.
'More assets in kind than cash.'
A rough estimate suggested it came close to expectations.
Of course, it could not compare to the wealth of Grond he had obtained in Roafra.
It was only natural that the head of the East Continent's greatest underworld amassed far more than one of the Republic's many leaders.
Still, this could at least partially cover the cost of creating Isabella's [Elderron] and Adrian's [Silendar].
At that moment, the Mage asked.
"Will you be making a deposit, or a withdrawal?"
"I'll take it all. But if I have nothing left to store, will I no longer be able to use the vault?"
"As long as you pay the monthly maintenance fee, you may always use vault 3 - 28 - 134. As long as you possess the key."
A maintenance fee.
'Jack said he prepaid one year's fee. That means several months remain until the vault's usage period expires.'
He thought about it briefly, but decided it best to maintain it.
To save money by discarding Anonium Bank's unique anonymous storage service and the right to use the bank city facilities would be foolish.
'Someday, it might prove very useful.'
In the end, the more available means one had, the better.
***
After transferring all the slush funds from the vault into [Raindia]'s subspace, Verden departed Anonium Bank headquarters.
[Alpha. Revival.]
With magic power flooding into its core, the mini golem's single eye flashed, and it stretched both arms upward.
[Slush funds. Were there many?]
"They had gathered a fair amount."
Lifting the freshly awakened Alpha onto his shoulder, Verden sought a secluded place. Cutting off prying eyes, he inscribed a spatial magic circle.
Whooong.
Once the framework was set, he activated the Great Hall's First Authority. The circle filled on its own and reached completion.
Coordinates of the Great Hall space confirmed.
Standing upon it, Verden's whole body was wrapped in violet waves. The light faded, and the scenery of the Great Hall, not of nature, appeared.
Thus, the Authority carried within it a simple method to return to the Great Hall using the framework of spatial circles.
'At least for returning to the Great Hall, not having to simply wait for
Time efficiency was always important.
At any rate.
Through Ignacia's anticipation, he had secured up to half a year, and at the same time had completed both the golden remains commission and the recovery of slush funds.
However, before beginning personal preparations for the extermination of the Bohemirn Magic Tower, much construction still awaited, busyness yet remained.
One such matter was the news delivered upon returning to Arein.
"Transcendent, we have finally found it."
The broker had discovered a natural golem to be used in repairing the Demon King's second golem, Beta.
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