The introduction of the Avalon Ducat into the Jura market acted like a chemical catalyst in a saturated solution. In Tempest, the news that the Marble City now possessed a physical gold currency—imbued with magicules and visually flawless—spread faster than any of Rimuru's decrees. The Slime soon realized that his barter-based system, rooted in cooperation and informal credits, was under threat: his own subjects, especially the dwarven merchants and elite Goblins, began to crave the luster and stability of Sirzechs' gold.
Rimuru decided it was time for an urgent technical visit to the Bank of Avalon. He arrived accompanied by Rigurd and Kaijin, the latter already familiar with the local rigidity but still impressed by the new banking structure. Upon crossing the Bank's threshold, they were greeted by the rhythmic sound of coins being counted and the rustle of accounting parchments. Valerius, with his unshakeable posture, led them to Grayfia's private conference room, where stacks of gold coins shimmered under crystal lights.
"Grayfia-san, Sirzechs-san... we need to talk about exchange rate parity," Rimuru said, shifting from his slime form to his human one, his expression a mix of exhaustion and admiration. "My blacksmiths and builders are starting to price their labor in Ducats. If this continues, Tempest's economy will be swallowed by yours before we even have a bank of our own!"
Grayfia, showing not a hint of emotion in the face of Rimuru's logistical despair, adjusted her glasses and slid a comparative inflation chart across the marble table.
"The problem, Rimuru-sama, is that Tempest operates on a system of 'goodwill.' Avalon operates on a system of intrinsic value and legal certainty. To establish parity, Tempest would need to adopt our Monetary Transaction Codex, which includes the registration of every cent spent on infrastructure and the external auditing of your warehouses."
Rimuru stared at the twenty pages of requirements Grayfia presented as a mere "introduction to the protocol." Rigurd, standing beside him, began to break into a cold sweat upon reading about "taxes on the circulation of magical goods." For the freedom-loving inhabitants of Tempest, Avalon's bureaucracy was a form of intellectual torture. However, the hunger for gold was real; Kaijin explained that the Ducat was so pure it could be used as a component in high-level alchemy, increasing its value far beyond commerce.
Sirzechs, observing his peer's frustration, intervened with a conciliatory smile.
"We don't wish to destabilize Tempest, Rimuru-kun. But for our economies to merge, order must be the standard. I propose the creation of the Jura Clearing House. Avalon will provide the currency and banking support, while Tempest will guarantee the backing in natural resources and specialized labor."
The negotiation lasted hours, punctuated by the constant clinking of coins being counted by Homo-Hollow auditors in the main hall. In the end, Rimuru left the bank with a financial cooperation agreement but with his head spinning from Grayfia's demands. He realized that while Tempest was the heart of the forest, Avalon was the brain—a brain that counted every coin and accepted not a single millimeter of error in the final balance.
The brilliance of Avalon's gold did not just attract honest merchants; it cast a shadow of greed that crossed the forest borders. In the Kingdom of Falmuth, rumors of gold coins containing the very essence of magic reached the ears of a group of high-level adventurers specialized in impossible infiltrations. Under the cloak of a moonless night, five shadows, equipped with magicule-concealing artifacts, approached the marble walls.
They did not count on Valerius's vigilance. The Royal Butler, on his nightly inspection routine, felt a minute fluctuation in the air near the Bank's east wing. While the thieves used silence spells to disable the magical locks of the crystal windows, Valerius walked calmly through the corridors, adjusting his white gloves. The first intruder, a veteran rogue, managed to penetrate the main hall, but upon touching the marble floor, he felt a crushing pressure.
"Avalon etiquette requires that visits after business hours be properly announced," Valerius's voice echoed softly from an armchair in the shadows.
The invaders, panicked, attacked simultaneously. What followed was not a fight, but a demonstration of lethal elegance. Valerius moved with the precision of a clock hand, parrying daggers and magical arrows with minimal shifts of his body. With open-palm strikes, he hit the thieves' pressure points, disarming them without so much as wrinkling the silk of his vest. The leader tried to activate a teleportation scroll, but the bone plates on Valerius's hands glowed, and with a firm touch to the man's wrist, the magic was dissipated by sheer physical impact.
"Trespassing, attempted theft of royal property, and most gravely, entering with dirty boots on polished ground," Valerius declared, as Dietrich and a unit of the Praetorian Guard surrounded the scene seconds later, alerted by the silent alarm system.
The next morning, Sirzechs and Grayfia descended to the Bank. The five prisoners were kneeling, perfectly immobilized and, at Valerius's insistence, properly washed before being presented to the Sovereign. Grayfia already held the new Avalon Penal Code.
"Lord Sirzechs, this incident proves our gold is a temptation for the human nations," she said, while the Auditors confirmed that not a single Ducat was missing from the vaults. "I suggest the punishment be not just imprisonment, but forced labor in the expansion of the walls. They will serve as an example that Avalon's hospitality ends where greed begins."
Sirzechs looked at the Falmuth adventurers, who trembled before his aura.
"Dietrich, reinforce the external patrols. Valerius, excellent work. It seems we will need more than just common guards to protect the heart of our economy."
The "First Heist" became an urban legend among Jura's merchants. The story that Lord Gremory's butler could defeat an elite group without breaking a sweat, and that Grayfia's bureaucracy could process a prison sentence in under ten minutes, served as the greatest deterrent Avalon ever had. From that day on, everyone understood that in Avalon, even crime required a license that no one would ever be able to obtain.
Author's Note:
Valerius vs. Falmuth: This is the first time humans from the outside world have tried to mess with Avalon. They learned the hard way that "Battle Butler" isn't just a title.
The Economy: By linking Tempest's resources to the Avalon Ducat, Sirzechs has effectively become the "Banker of the Forest."