The King reached into his mahogany drawer and pulled out a single sheet of high-quality parchment paper. He slid it across the desk toward me.
I stepped closer, my eyes scanning the document.
It wasn't a decree or a contract of service or some responsibility evading contract like i thought. It was... a bank application form?
"Sign it," he said, while offering me a sleek, obsidian-colored pen.
This is a form to open a personal account in the bank.
Yes, you read it right. Bank.
Time for some infodump education, folks!
Yes, this world has banking system. In the Kingdom of Regulus, the financial system operated with a surprising similarity to Earth's system. There was only one central institution, the Royal Bank of Regulus (RBR), with branches scattered across every major province and even some minor ones.
The fun fact is that it has been only a few years since this bank system started in the human nation. And the people who came up with this idea were apparently the king, prime minister and the finance minister.
when i was a player, I could think of it as the creativity of game devs. But now that this is my real world i am doubting if one of these people is someone like myself, A reincarnater.
The form was already meticulously filled out with my details: Tyler Von Regulus, Third Prince, Arbutus Palace, Blah Blah Blah etc. Only the signature line remained a void.
The pen he handed me was a Magic-Signature Stylus, filled with mana ink.
Since there is no way of evaluating finger print or eye retina in this world, Instead of those, this ink is used. This ink can absorb a bit of mana from the penholder and trap the holder's unique mana frequency in itself.
Then that signature is later used to verify the account holder's identity. Very Efficient, if i might say.
"Why though ?" I asked him. I was actually planning to make one by myself once I became an adventurer.
"You might be planning on opening an account after you register as an adventurer" He said
His guess was spot on.
"As an adventurer, your life will depend a lot on your gear, your information, and your mobility and many other things. All of those things cost gold. I will deposit a monthly allowance into this account. It will be yours to use as you see fit." he said
Seriously?
I stared at the King, I am starting to see this man in a whole new light. To think my perception can be changed-no Bought this easily with money.
Sign... looks like I am still at heart, the same money-hungry corporate slave. I really need to work on my noble dignity.
But then again, why the hell would I refuse free money?
"Understood, Thank you" I wasted no time and signed the form and returned it quickly, As if i was afraid of him changing his mind at any second, "Here, Done."
The King took the form back, looking at me, momentarily speechless. He seemed surprised—perhaps even a little amused—at how quickly my suspicious attitude had transformed into absolute trust the moment he mentioned the word 'deposit.'
"Then I shall take my leave," I said, bowing with much more enthusiasm than I had when I entered. "I shouldn't be late for my training."
I turned on my heel and practically marched out of the office, Mike falling into step behind me.
"You're in a good mood, Your Highness," Mike noted.
"Let's just say the future looks a little more 'golden' today, Mike."
We reached the Thirteenth Field, where Boran and Vivi were already waiting.
"You're here, kid," Boran called out, tossing me a wooden sword, as soon as i came. "Let's see if your has lunch given you enough energy to keep your head on your shoulders today."
Can't i get a freaking break ?
And so, the real work began. For the next five hours, the field was a Mess of sweat, clashing wood, and magic spells. Boran pushed my body until I felt like I was made of glass, while Vivi forced my mind to make increasingly complex spells between the spars.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, I was a complete mess of bruises and exhaustion. But unfortunately for me, the day just wasn't over yet.
I returned to the Arbutus Palace, took a ten-minute 'recovery' bath, and sat down in the small library of arbutus palace. My Royal Tutor, Vilas La Wisse, arrived precisely at 7:00 PM. For the next two hours.
my hand that was swinging Sword was now replaced with the Pen. History, law, geography, etiquette and the intricate web of Imperial politics were taught to me in gentle manner which is unlike anything the Brute Boran can ever do.
By 9:00 PM, My lessons were over and I would eat a quiet dinner with Mother, perform my final water-magic bucket practice to improve my control and mana pool, and collapse into a sweet dreamless sleep.
And Just like that, for the next two years, this was the life of Tyler Von Regulus, the transmigrated third prince of Human Nation. A monotonous, brutal, and yet a perfect routine.
****
"Workers earn it,Spendthrifts burn it,Bankers lend it,Women spend it,Forgers fake it,Taxes take it,Dying leave it,Heirs receive it,Thrifty save it,Misers crave it,Robbers seize it,Rich increase it,Gamblers lose it...I could use it!"
— Anonymous