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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: You Want to Deposit Money?
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"You want to deposit money at the Imperial Bank?"
It was a reaction like he'd heard something completely unexpected. Well, it wasn't the kind of thing an eight-year-old would typically say.
"What exactly do you mean by that? How do you want to go about it?"
The middle-aged merchant leaned in with an intrigued expression, listening closely to my proposal.
"I want to set up a vault."
The Imperial Bank offered two main ways to store money.
The first was opening an account.
This was much like a modern bank account. Nobles or officials who needed records and settlements for public purposes mainly used accounts to store and spend their money.
The second was creating a personal vault.
A vault was designed to seal and imprint the owner's biometric information using mana, so only they could open it.
It cost a fair amount to set up initially, but it boasted unmatched security above all else.
For a kid like me, there was no better way to keep money safe.
However, as an orphan, I couldn't even enter the capital without the Director's permission. And above all, there was no way she'd allow me to deposit my money in a bank.
"So, you want to store the money you've saved up in an Imperial vault. And you'd like me to handle that for you."
"...I haven't said I'm entrusting it to you yet."
To my suspicion, the merchant just smiled instead.
"That's a good sense of caution. Trust is a merchant's most valuable asset, after all."
I couldn't just blindly trust a merchant I'd only just met today.
But at the same time, I had no choice but to borrow his help. If we went through with a contract, it would be too much for me to handle alone.
"Yeah, I think using a vault would be the smart choice."
The merchant nodded slowly at my words and rummaged inside his coat.
He carefully pulled out an old leather box with his fingertips and showed it to me.
With a click, the box opened to reveal a brooch with a green gem embedded in the center. It was an exquisite, ornate jewel that gave off a soft glow.
"This is a stone called Sabright."
"Sabright...?"
"It means 'star of the forest.' It's a very rare ore that only grows in the elves' forests. It's excellent as a material for magic tools and used as an expensive engagement gift too."
He gently placed the box in my hands. I stared blankly down at the suddenly heavy gem in my grasp.
"This should be more than enough as collateral. Keep it safe until the vault is officially sealed and the certificate is issued."
"How much is this worth?"
"Hmm. If we put it up for auction, it'd easily fetch around twenty runes."
I just widened my eyes and quietly felt the weight of the gem in my hand.
Twenty runes. This tiny stone in my hand was worth an entire year at the academy.
"Why... why are you going this far for me...?"
"Didn't I tell you? Any merchant would be eager to help a kid your age who's out on the streets making a living."
I cradled the small leather box preciously in both hands. There was no way the gem could feel warm, so why did it feel so toasty?
"Th-thank you..."
"No, thank you."
He pulled a small needle and a glass vial from the backpack on his back.
"Then, may I take a sample of your hair and blood? It's for the biometric info needed to lock the vault."
"Ah, um... blood too?"
"Yes, blood is the most important."
The thought of a needle made my body shudder, but I squeezed my eyes shut and extended my arm since I needed the vault.
Poke.
"Eek."
"All done."
A sharp sting came with the prick, and red blood filled the tube. The merchant gave a faint smile as he tucked my hair and blood back into his pack.
"Well done, Bella. Looks like someone finally recognizes your hard work."
Uncle Hans patted my head fondly with a pleased expression.
Maybe because my heart was racing with excitement without me realizing it. I nodded, wearing a defenseless smile I wouldn't usually show.
"Hehe, thank you."
"...Now you finally look a bit like a kid."
His warm, pleased gaze made me feel a little embarrassed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A quiet mountainside thick with damp scents.
After walking a ways over the moist earth, a spot hidden between rocks and bushes where sunlight doesn't reach comes into view.
"Heh heh, you hid your money here? Buried in the ground, no less."
A dug-up patch of earth revealed leather pouches on top. The merchant stroked his beard as he gazed at my precious savings lying in the dirt.
"...Only I come here. It's safe."
I brushed the dirt off the pouch I was sitting on and handed it to the merchant.
He carefully untied the knot and peered inside.
Copper and silver coins, along with worn ones that had lost their shine, clinked softly against each other inside.
"You've been through a lot, in every way."
The merchant's expression twisted oddly. It wasn't quite a smile or pity, as he tied the pouch to his waist.
"I'll set up the vault including the amount here."
"Thank you. I'm lucky."
"Lucky?"
The merchant looked at me with puzzled eyes.
"I met you, Merchant Uncle. I had so many worries... but thanks to you, it all seems sorted out."
I couldn't have withstood the Director's pressure alone.
If I hadn't met him now, even this hard-earned money might have been taken from me someday.
But meeting him solved all the worries plaguing my mind in one go.
It was a bit frustrating that I couldn't resolve anything without someone's help...
But the overwhelming feeling was relief that I could safely store this money.
"Heh heh, saying you're lucky just from meeting one merchant— that's going too far."
"Huh?"
"Anyone who knew the herb's effects would have come running. If anything, I'm the lucky one for finding it first."
Having gathered all the money pouches, he brushed the dirt from his knees and stood.
"I heard you've been selling goods on the streets every day?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm here because of your diligence, not luck."
His unexpected words left me blinking blankly.
For the first time since birth—aside from Uncle Hans—someone's sincere recognition.
For some reason, I felt like crying a little.
But I swallowed the surging emotions and forced a calm expression. I couldn't cry over something like this.
I'm not a child, after all.
"And you'll find out soon enough. The one who got lucky from this contract... was me."
Merchant Uncle looked at me with a somewhat meaningful gaze.
"Now, shall we draw up the contract?"
And so, I made the first contract of my life.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A month had passed.
Mornings still began with hunger.
Mold still grew on the bedding, and the damp blanket reeked mustily.
But even so, no shadow fell over my face anymore.
Everything had changed after the contract with Merchant Uncle.
He had kept his promise.
The single document bearing my name and picture stated that I was the official owner of the vault, stamped boldly with the Imperial seal.
No more digging in the forest to hide money. And no more worrying about someone stealing it.
My own vault. Just thinking about it brought a smile to my lips.
Seeing the vault balance grow day by day washed away all fatigue and pain from my body.
I forcibly pressed down my grinning mouth with my fingers and pulled out the small leather box I'd hidden in my bosom, opening it.
Inside gleamed an amulet with a green gem.
'You'd better hold onto this.'
Merchant Uncle had left the gem with me. As a sign of entrusting the deal to the end, he'd said.
I vowed in my heart to cherish it and return it to him when the deal was done.
Life at the orphanage wasn't bad either. For some reason, the Director no longer tormented me like before.
I still had to do all the hallway cleaning, but once that was done, there was no more interference.
I didn't know why... but I just hoped it stayed that way.
"Bella!"
A bright, mature woman's voice rang out. A freckled woman approached me.
"Isabel senior."
"Call me sis."
She smiled softly and handed me some herb ingredients. I stuffed the herbs into my inner pocket and gave her the payment in return.
"Here you go, senior."
"Keep it up today, Bella. I'm rooting for you."
"Thank you."
As I gave a faint smile, Isabel senior stared at me blankly for a moment.
Then suddenly, she raised her hand and reached for my head.
Flinch.
My body trembled involuntarily at her approaching hand.
Noticing my reaction, Isabel senior froze for an instant and quickly lowered her hand.
"Sorry. You were so cute, I just wanted to pat your head without thinking."
"..."
I calmed my pounding heart with effort, turned my head slightly, and grumbled irritably.
"I'm not cute at all."