Chapter 201

Chapter 202. The Public Enemy (1)

The branch manager of Infinite Bank is already in a meeting with someone else.

At those words, Daat’s face stiffened.

‘In Ruquer, the only VIP members of Infinite Bank are either Brother or the Grand Duke…’

Is the Grand Duke, who was said to have disappeared, meeting with the branch manager of Infinite Bank?

‘That can’t be. It must be the Grand Duke’s proxy.’

If the Grand Duke had moved, it would have caused ripples around him, even if he tried not to show it.

Like the sun. Even if you don’t look up at the sky, everyone knows the sun is there. The Grand Duke’s presence is just as overwhelming.

Even though he knew the Grand Duke wasn’t there, Daat’s expression remained tense. After all, he had just met Walt and refused the Grand Duke’s proposal.

‘One mountain after another.’

Even if he didn’t know what the Grand Duke’s proxy was discussing with the branch manager, it was clear that it wouldn’t benefit Keter.

Joyray gave Keter a look. It was a gesture asking what they should do. Keter shrugged and spoke to the deputy branch manager.

“I can’t wait. Request to join the meeting.”

“I will ask the branch manager.”

The deputy branch manager wasn’t rigid. He soon entered the reception room where the branch manager was.

“It seems it won’t be easy to leave Ruquer quietly, Keter.”

At Joyray’s muttering, Keter twitched his ear.

“If they let us go quietly, that would be disappointing in its own way.”

Ruquer is a place where people can’t stand to see others succeed. Even if it means suffering losses and becoming unhappy, the people of Ruquer will block others’ happiness and gains.

Naturally, there are hardly any negotiations where both sides benefit. One side must lose everything for them to be satisfied.

Even if the location is Infinite Bank and the opponent is the Grand Duke’s proxy, nothing changes.

The wait wasn’t long. As soon as a word was exchanged, the reception room door opened, and the deputy branch manager came out. And he wasn’t alone.

“Keter!”

A woman who rushed out before the deputy branch manager pounced on Keter.

Keter, who had a flashback of being pounced on by Elije in Sephira. However, unlike Elije, the woman who came out of the reception room was mature, and her voice dripped with honey. It was like the voice of a wife welcoming her husband back from war.

But as soon as Keter heard that voice, he frowned as if he had eaten bitter medicine and stopped her charge by blocking her forehead with his hand.

“Ah, I love it when you touch my head!”

“After Walt, it’s you, Stella.”

“Keter said my name! I’m so happy!”

The woman with lavender hair and a gray coat, Stella, twisted her body like a love-struck girl, despite her fierce eyes.

Keter found Stella uncomfortable.

She was the Grand Duke’s daughter.

At the same time, she was the woman who had proposed to him and been rejected!

“Keter. I really like you. Will you marry me?”

Stella took out a ring with an orange gem from her pocket and offered it to Keter.

Seeing this, Daat shook his head.

“Brother, congratulations. You’ve received a proposal from the Empress 100 times.”

“Maknun. Don’t remember that. It makes me nauseous. And Stella, whether it’s 100 or 1,000 times, my answer is the same. No.”

“Another rejection. But it’s okay. My father said, ‘A tree won’t fall unless you chop it ten times.'”

“If you chop it 100 times and it doesn’t even get a scratch, just give up.”

“No. You’re my destined one.”

If someone saw this scene of proposal and rejection for the first time, they wouldn’t understand.

The Grand Duke’s daughter.

A mysteriously beautiful appearance.

Moreover, the title of Empress isn’t just because she’s the Grand Duke’s daughter, but because she’s a 6-star Grandmaster.

So why is Keter rejecting Stella, the Grand Duke’s daughter? There’s no part of it that makes sense.

But if you observe Stella carefully, you can’t help but understand the reason.

Inside the open reception room. The table, chairs, various furnishings, and the seated branch manager… It’s a normal scene.

But if you exclude these, you’ll notice the ‘suspicious flower bed’ decorating the background of the reception room.

It’s not because the flower bed is beautiful and full of life. It’s a scene that makes you think, ‘Why on earth are they just leaving that there?’

Crunch.

The withered plants, which look like they’ve been neglected for decades, turn to dust and scatter even in the slightest breeze.

Is the branch manager of Infinite Bank an eccentric? Is he an eccentric who decorates the reception room with a withered flower bed?

No.

Just an hour ago, the flower bed was green and fresh. It was showing off its beauty and vitality as flowers. But now it has lost all its vitality.

The reason was clear. The flowers in the flower bed in the reception room corridor were also suddenly losing their vitality. Coincidentally, they were the flowers on either side of Stella.

That’s right. Stella has a unique constitution. A cursed constitution that absorbs the life force around her.

But Keter doesn’t dislike her just because of that constitution.

“So, if you’re done with your meeting, can you leave?”

“It’s not over. I just came out to greet you. Simultaneous meetings, I allowed it.”

“Sigh…”

Keter pressed his temples and pondered.

‘Wait until Stella leaves?’

Both were things Keter disliked.

Waiting and Stella.

But since waiting was slightly more disliked, Keter told Maknun and Six Hundred.

“Only the captain and I will go. You guys wait and eat some snacks.”

Maknun nodded as if it were obvious.

Just being near the Empress drains your life force. And being in the same space? Only strong ones like Keter or Joyray could endure it. For Maknun, it was impossible.

* * *

The branch manager of Infinite Bank was fully armed. It seemed to be a precaution against Stella’s life force absorption.

There were no gaps to even see skin color, making it impossible to guess gender, appearance, or anything else-

“Welcome, Solver Keter.”

But there was room to guess his age. Just by his voice, the branch manager inside the armor seemed to be a middle-aged man in his 50s.

“No, now you’re the branch manager of the Mercenary Guild. Or should I call you the Southern Palace?”

The branch manager added. It was an attitude that showed he was well-informed about the outside world even while being in Ruquer.

To this, Keter sat across from him and replied.

“You can decide that. I came to propose cooperation. I’ll help revive Ruquer’s economy, so support the Mercenary Guild.”

“The fact that the councilor came with you means he agrees with the branch manager’s opinion.”

Joyray, who had come with him, nodded slightly. Then the branch manager laughed heartily.

“Hahaha, what a coincidence. The Empress made the opposite proposal.”

Stella, who received the branch manager’s gaze, sat on her bone chair, crossed her legs, and smiled slyly.

“Keter. I really like you, but I love my father as much as I like you. It seems hard to compromise this time.”

“What did you propose to the branch manager?”

“I’ll tell you. The Empress offered to help withdraw Infinite Bank from Ruquer.”

Infinite Bank withdrawing from Ruquer. Keter’s brow furrowed. The intention was too clear.

“Are you trying to turn Ruquer into a beast’s den?”

Ruquer is clearly a place full of crazy psychopaths. But the reason it’s called the ‘City of Madmen’ is that there’s at least some order and economic system.

The minimum system for humans to remain human. Destroying even that system is no different from turning it into a beast’s den.

“Why now? After maintaining Ruquer’s order for hundreds of years, are you trying to destroy it?”

This was closer to a soliloquy, but Stella answered anyway.

“My father said it’s the best option.”

“The best option? For what?”

“I don’t know either. Really.”

Keter had no idea either and was frustrated, but there was only one conclusion.

“So, what does the branch manager plan to do?”

It depends on Infinite Bank’s choice. Whether to leave Ruquer or try to restore the economy. Keter alone, or anyone else, can’t restore or maintain the economy without a bank.

The branch manager inside the armor pondered with his chin resting on his hand.

“Hmm, it’s not an easy part to answer. As you know, Infinite Bank’s purpose is solely money. Whether it’s beneficial to withdraw from Ruquer, where only destruction and chaos remain, or to take the risk of failure and attempt economic restoration… It’s a dilemma.”

Taking the branch manager’s words at face value, it could be interpreted as ‘I need some time.’

But that’s not the real meaning. The hidden true meaning in the branch manager’s words isn’t ‘give me time.’

-Persuade me with a basis.

The branch manager is asking Stella and Keter to do this.

Stella made the first move. But she didn’t try to persuade the branch manager.

“Branch manager. Our request for you to withdraw was purely out of goodwill. At least we won’t stop or interfere with your departure. But if you stay in Ruquer as Keter suggests, it’s no different from refusing and ignoring our goodwill.”

Not persuasion, but a threat. No curses or threats to kill. Just calmly stating the facts.

It’s a threat from none other than the ‘Grand Duke.’ But the branch manager wasn’t scared or angry. He just nodded as if to say ‘I see,’ and looked at Keter.

Keter also calmly stated his intention.

“If Infinite Bank leaves Ruquer, I’ll make the Mercenary Guild act as a bank. Otherwise, we can’t restore Ruquer’s order.”

“Hmm.”

It’s not a threat, nor an offer to do something. From the branch manager’s perspective, it was a statement that made him think, ‘These guys?’

The branch manager first spoke to Stella.

“I understand the Grand Duke’s intention to interfere with Infinite Bank’s withdrawal. It’s regrettable.”

Next was Keter.

“We at Infinite Bank don’t allow the establishment of other banks… But if we withdraw from Ruquer, we can’t interfere. However, staying in Ruquer without performing the bank’s role to prevent the Mercenary Guild from becoming a bank would be a huge loss for us.”

Just as the branch manager was pondering.

Keter and Joyray turned their heads toward the window. The next moment, Keter smiled, and Joyray sighed. Something had happened outside.

Stella was busy staring at Keter’s face.

“Ah, your smiling face is so lovely…”

Knock knock.

“Branch manager. There’s a problem.”

The deputy branch manager entered the reception room. Despite saying there was a problem, his expression didn’t look serious.

“Is it a problem I need to get up for?”

“It might be… A large group has surrounded the Infinite Bank area. The number is at least a thousand and is increasing in real-time.”