Chapter 57
There are countless banks across the continent.
Among them, three are known to be the largest in scale.
First — the Clan Bank, operated with funds gathered from clans all over the world.
Second — the Papal Bank, run on donations to the Church that serves the Creator God.
And finally — the Golden Bank, which, on the surface, is said to operate on the capital of merchant guilds.
Of course, that’s only what appears on paper.
In truth, the Golden Bank is backed and funded by the United Kingdoms.
Without such a powerful backing, there’s simply no way any bank could grow to that scale.
Otherwise, a single massive unpaid loan could bring about catastrophic ruin.
After all, lending money doesn’t just require trust — it requires power to destroy those who refuse to pay it back.
So it’s natural that every major bank clings to a powerful authority to watch its back.
Inside the rattling carriage, I stared out the window, lost in thought.
“Of all banks, it had to be the Golden Bank…”
My hand brushed the small box tucked carefully inside my coat.
Ian Impera — or rather, the man whose body I now occupy — had once borrowed a staggering sum from the Golden Bank.
Exactly 12,000 gold coins.
By modern Korean standards, that’d be worth hundreds of billions of won.
Drinking, gambling, drugs — you name it, he did it.
If there was a way to waste money, this bastard did it all without hesitation.
“If it were my own debt, I could at least accept it. But having to clean up this degenerate’s mess… what a nightmare.”
If it were the Papal or Clan Bank, things might’ve been easier.
At least they had no particular political stake in this.
But the Golden Bank was different.
The King of Aisother, Erengold II, desired nothing more than discord among the nobility.
Letting the Impera family fall into bankruptcy was precisely what he wanted.
That’s why he dumped all the late Count Venner’s failing businesses onto our family —
fully aware that our current finances couldn’t possibly sustain them.
We had exactly one week left before the repayment deadline.
And the family treasury held only 2,000 gold.
“What’s troubling you so deeply, my lord?”
Priana, seated across from me in the carriage, broke the silence.
“It’s nothing. Just thinking ahead of the deal — that’s all.”
“It will go well, I’m sure. If it’s a legacy left by Lord Oberon, even the Golden Bank will be interested.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
Beside her sat Islyn, hugging a chest full of gold coins tightly to her chest, lips pressed shut.
It wasn’t a small sum — no wonder she looked nervous.
“Islyn.”
“Yes, my lord?”
“You still have the 4,000 gold I entrusted you with, right?”
“O-of course… wait— what? 4,000? Isn’t it 2,000?”
“Just teasing.”
“…Please refrain from those kinds of jokes.”
“Ha! Fair enough.”
My little joke seemed to loosen the tense air inside the carriage a bit.
“Let’s just hope this ends without incident.”
We could’ve summoned someone from the Golden Bank instead,
but given the scale of this transaction, I decided to go personally.
I’d thought about bringing Isbart, but that guy could never get used to traveling by carriage,
so I left him back at the estate.
We had a private portal, sure, but the costs were outrageous —
only royalty or high nobles could afford regular use.
“Well… even if she can’t handle carriage rides, she’ll need to train with the Giant Worm.”
She’d do fine. Smart woman, even if a bit frail.
The Giant Worm had already outlived its usual lifespan,
but thanks to Oberon’s inheritance, it’d survive another five years —
and perhaps even evolve into a higher species.
With that thought, the three of us — Priana, Islyn, and I — pressed on toward the Golden Bank.
The bank’s headquarters wasn’t actually in Aisother, but in the neighboring Kingdom of Doras.
When we reached the Aisother–Doras border, the roads were crowded with soldiers conducting inspections.
Their uniforms bore the sigil of Aisother’s royal family — a black wolf, eyes fixed forward.
A fitting symbol for King Erengold, ever-hungry for prey.
Two lines of travelers stretched ahead:
one filled with barefoot commoners in shabby clothes,
and another exclusively for nobles and carriages.
Our carriage halted briefly, but the noble line moved quickly —
soon enough, it was our turn.
Priana opened the carriage window.
A soldier stepped forward, saluting politely.
“Pardon the interruption, may I ask your reason for entering Doras?”
“We have business at the Golden Bank.”
“The Golden Bank, you say…?”
The soldier peeked inside, meeting my eyes —
and immediately straightened up.
“Ah! Of course, sir. Please proceed at once.”
He recognized me as nobility and hurriedly cleared the path.
Even though Doras was a separate kingdom,
the United Kingdoms Alliance made border checks fairly light for nobles.
And so, we soon crossed into Doras without trouble.
“This is my first time in Doras,” said Priana, a spark of excitement on her face.
“Is that so?”
“Unfortunately, we won’t have time for sightseeing. We go straight to the Golden Bank.”
“Of course, my lord,” she replied dutifully, though her eyes lingered on the scenery outside.
She’d spent her life as a knight, sword in hand —
traveling abroad was clearly a rare experience for her.
Once the business was over, maybe I’d let her explore around the bank a little.
The Golden Bank was said to be large enough to rival a whole duchy,
with plenty to see.
Several hours later, the carriage came to a stop.
As expected from a wealthy region, the roads were pristine,
and even the commoners walking by looked content and well-fed.
Beyond the bustling crowd, the Golden Bank came into view.
The structure was circular in shape, divided into three districts.
At its heart stood the tall central building — surrounded by smaller ones —
together forming the Bank District.
Beyond that lay the Residential District, where bank employees lived.
And on the outermost edge sprawled the Market District,
teeming with merchants and stalls.
It was an odd setup, since markets usually sprang up along main roads,
but this was no ordinary place.
Security was the lifeblood of a bank —
so merchants weren’t allowed near the main district at all.
Only the outer market was open to the public,
which, despite its restrictions, had developed its own vibrant culture.
“If the deal goes smoothly, maybe I’ll stroll through the market later.”
Our carriage stopped near the residential area.
“I’ll open the door for you, my lord,” said Priana.
As the door swung open, I saw a crowd lined up before us.
Even though I was a debtor, I was still nobility from a neighboring kingdom —
and a debtor is still a customer to the bank.
So the Golden Bank had actually arranged a welcoming party.
A standard courtesy for visiting nobles, I presumed.
“Are you Lord Ian Impera?”
A man in a white uniform embroidered with gold stepped forward, smiling brightly.
He looked more like a polished bureaucrat than a wealthy man —
poised, composed, and sharp.
Beside him stood men in dark gray coats, each with a slim sword at the hip.
Their builds were thick — likely light armor hidden beneath.
He wasn’t just some low-ranking clerk, that was for sure.
“That’s me,” I said.
He didn’t look much older than me,
and though he was clearly a high-ranking bank official, he wasn’t noble —
so I spoke casually.
A count-level noble bowing and scraping before bankers only invited disrespect.
But he didn’t seem bothered at all. Instead, he greeted me politely.
“Welcome to the Golden Bank. I’m Rudis Igrona, branch manager of the Western Division. Please, call me Rudis.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Rudis.”
Instead of a bow, he extended a hand for a shake —
more practical than ceremonial.
“Fine by me.”
Even after all this time in this world, I still hadn’t gotten used to noble etiquette.
I clasped his smooth, slender hand.
He had no calluses — clearly not a man trained in combat or magic.
“…Your grip has quite the presence, my lord,” he said with a faint smile.
“I get that a lot.”
“Then, if you’ll follow me this way.”
We followed him quietly through the district.
As we walked, I took in the buildings around us.
As expected of one of the continent’s top banks, it spanned an area as vast as a small territory.
At the very center stood the Main Vault,
a square, towering structure said to contain unimaginable amounts of treasure beneath it —
rivaling even a royal treasury.
Around it stretched more impressive buildings,
with countless employees bustling to and fro.
Only bank workers were allowed to live in the residential district,
so there wasn’t a single beggar or vagrant in sight.
But then something unexpected caught my attention.
A low growl —
Grrrrrr…
“A monster?”
A massive humanoid reptilian creature was caged behind thick iron bars, letting out a deep rumble.
“Ah! No need to worry, my lord,” Rudis said reassuringly.
“All of them are under strict control by our tamers. The area is surrounded by multiple layers of barriers.”
He spoke as though it were perfectly ordinary.
Even passersby paid no mind, walking past as if it were nothing.
Strange sight — but fitting, for the Golden Bank.
“…So it’s already arena season?” I asked.
Rudis nodded. “Indeed. The arena opens next week.”
“I see.”
“If you have the time, you might enjoy watching a match.”
“I’ll pass,” I said — though inwardly, my pulse quickened.
The so-called arena wasn’t just a monster brawl.
Massive bets were placed on every match —
it was, in truth, a gambling ring.
“Right, I remember that from the novel — the Golden Bank’s arena.”
It made sense.
The rich came here to deposit gold —
why not tempt them to spend some while they were at it?
So alongside casinos, the Golden Bank’s biggest entertainment venture was its Arena,
where monsters from all over the continent fought for glory — and profit.
“And that’s what eventually destroys the Golden Bank…”
In the story, it would be this very enterprise that led to the bank’s downfall.
“Though that’s still a long way off.”
That evening, as the sunset dyed the sky crimson —
two shadowy figures lurked atop a roof in the bank’s residential district, keeping low.
Their red cloaks blended perfectly with the tiled roofs,
making them nearly invisible from below.
“Everything’s ready?” one whispered.
“Ha! Ready? These idiots already did all the prep for us!”
“True. Letting monsters into the residential area… what fools.”
One of them glanced down at his left hand thoughtfully.
“…Krod didn’t say anything?”
“He just went his way. Wouldn’t flinch even if you stabbed him —
you think he’d care about some backwater noble?”
“Then we move as ordered. Tonight’s the night. When the moon’s at its peak.”
“Heh. See you then.”
