Chapter 119

Thanks to Rod and Rize, opening my account wasn’t too tricky.

The poor bank manager who hurried over at their appearance was a bit of a sorry sight, but I really had no alternative.

However, I couldn’t increase Kara’s account limit. It could be politically sensitive, making things awkward for everyone involved.

This was something others understood as well, and since Kara accepted it, we managed to get through without any fuss.

“There’s nothing we can do. Our people have done a lot, after all. We only introduced banks recently, so it’s better to take it slow.”

“Want to use mine?”

If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to share? I don’t think Kara would do anything shady with my account.

Actually, if we keep it safe, we’ll be just fine; there’s no way we’ll lose out.

“This is… probably against the regulations. Right?”

“Yes. You can’t use someone else’s account unless proper procedures are followed. The reason you get two passbooks is to check any transactions you might not know about.”

Financial laws are undeniably complicated. It seems there’s no way around this.

As I lamented inwardly, the bank employee gave a nervous glance elsewhere.

After all the account openings, Rod and Rize were off in a corner chatting. The banker’s gaze was locked on them.

Clearing his throat, he slowly began to explain.

“However, if you can prove you’re family, you’ll be able to use it. In the special case where Rize and Rod are involved, you can utilize Sivar’s account.”

“Family…?”

Kara muttered that uncertainly, as if the word struck a chord. I had no interest in that at all.

It seems Rize and Rod are perceived as parental figures to me. And honestly, it’s not entirely wrong, so I didn’t deny it.

“Do you perhaps need something?”

“You mentioned family, but does that mean…?”

“You must be family in legal terms.”

“…Understood.”

So it seems a lack of paperwork is a problem. I’m in a rather peculiar situation.

Ultimately, I decided to handle my bank book myself. Kara insisted she wouldn’t help out due to legal limitations.

Was it because she thinks my spending would be minimal, or simply because she’s meticulous about money?

Or maybe managing it herself would just feel meaningless.

“Wouldn’t it be better for a Saint to hold one of the accounts? You’ll be living together anyway.”

“That does sound reasonable.”

So, I decided to entrust one account to Rize. Just like Kara, I can trust her completely.

I found it interesting that Rize hadn’t opened a separate account.

Having lived as a wanderer all her life and then finally settling down, it turns out her spending habits were unexpectedly extravagant. The same goes for Rod.

“So, Chancellor, where do you keep your salary? Please don’t say you stash it all in cash?”

“More like donations than a salary. I receive a check for about 1 million silver every month.”

“Why so much… or is it cheap?”

1 million silver is a steal for a ‘Sword Saint’ gracing the Academy.

Even with a mob of people coming at the Sword Saint, victory isn’t guaranteed.

As the last bastion and a deterrent, receiving 1 million silver every month is, in fact, quite reasonable.

“Saint… wait. Asking such questions makes me sound foolish. Anyway, we’ll be off now.”

“You mentioned auctioning off Usuk byproducts? That should rake in a fair amount of cash.”

Upon hearing that, the banker’s expression shifted dramatically.

But perhaps due to Rod and Rize’s presence, he seemed unable to speak up easily.

After all, I would need to visit later for savings, so I can discuss it then.

‘As long as Santiago is still chugging along just fine.’

The financial hub starts in the scientific city of Santiago, which naturally revolves around it.

You could compare it to the United States on Earth, not due to its status as a superpower but because of its minting technology.

In the past, people would scrape and grind the surface of silver coins or carve them to diminish their value by all sorts of methods.

But in this world, silver coins are different. Unlike Earth’s coins, their surfaces are rugged, making such common tricks impractical.

This naturally led to the flourishing of Santiago’s banking sector. The production of silver coins actually starts from Santiago itself.

“Once the auction’s over, head back to the bank… oh, right! Sivar.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll give you some cash when you get back. Go buy some snacks with it.”

I was on my way to the auction when Kara piped up with that.

Since it was my money, I nodded without issue. Time to treat myself to something tasty.

Kara seemed to find me endearing and playfully pinched my cheek. But she didn’t forget to add a warning.

“Just don’t spend too much, okay? The prices here are relatively cheap, but if you go overboard, you’ll run out fast.”

“Okay.”

“Great. Oh, and don’t just hand out money to strangers who come up to you. And also…”

Her concern was truly heartfelt. I listened closely to her advice while heading to the auction house.

‘What if I actually get scammed or something?’

Maybe I should try getting scammed on purpose someday.

*****

Surprisingly, the Usuk auction didn’t wrap up quickly. Many people from all over the world came upon hearing the rumors.

Even without the blade fangs, the tough hide of Usuk boasted a substantial value.

Moreover, the insides were used for alchemy and potion ingredients, which prolonged the auction a bit.

“Fangs starting at 2.8 million, 2.9 million. 3 million, 3.5 million. 3.5 million. Any more bids?”

The fangs fetched a whopping 350,000 silver, 50,000 more than Kara had anticipated.

After deducting the auction house’s fees, that would be around 337,000. An enormous sum now in Sivar’s hands.

“Please write down your account number now.”

“Do I need to write down the password too?”

“No, that’s unnecessary.”

As soon as I opened the account, nearly 340,000 silver went in. That translates to an incredible 340 million won.

Kara couldn’t help but gawk at the amount, while Sivar appeared somewhat unfazed. He seemed to not really grasp the value of money just yet.

“Sivar, do you know how much this is?”

“Kind of?”

“If you had cake every day for life, you still couldn’t spend it all.”

“Oh.”

Upon hearing such a metaphor, Sivar seemed to register it with an ‘ah-ha’ moment. Kara couldn’t help but smile at how cute he looked.

Just to be safe, I decided to check the amount again with the bank afterwards. It was the same banker from earlier.

“Would you like to open a savings or deposit account?”

“Please explain in more detail. He knows nothing.”

“Understood. To clarify savings and deposits…”

The banker thoroughly explained how savings and deposits work.

Things like interest rates and the special benefits available now. Simply put, saving means making money grow.

Sivar remained quiet throughout the explanation, but his face was still blank. It was obvious he had zero interest in the topic.

Once he finished listening, his response was exceedingly brief.

“Maybe later.”

“That seems to be the case.”

“Understood.”

Both the banker and Kara shared the same thought upon hearing that response: he clearly needed time to think over the complex matters.

Yet Sivar was elsewhere. His interests had shifted long ago.

While he hadn’t voiced it yet, he planned to invest when the right opportunity presented itself.

“Goodbye.”

After receiving quite the warm service from the banker, I stepped back outside. As soon as Kara got out, she checked the time.

Perhaps due to the auction running longer than expected, the timing felt off. But it was certainly enough for Sivar’s snack time.

“Sivar, feeling a bit peckish?”

“Yeah, something sweet.”

“Here, I’ll give you some money. It’s 10,000 silver; that should be enough. Buy something delicious.”

Kara handed Sivar 10,000 silver. He rolled his eyes around, glancing just a bit.

It seemed he had a rough idea of how significant 10,000 silver was. Maybe it was just because Kara gave it to him.

In any case, Kara felt a sense of satisfaction. Then she gently patted Sivar on the back, encouraging him.

“You need to learn how to spend money too. Go buy something tasty. You can spend it all.”

“Really?”

“Yep, really.”

Charmed by Kara’s affirmation, Sivar’s mouth twitched upward a little. He seemed excited at the thought of enjoying something delicious.

However, Kara began to feel uneasy watching him. The Academy draws all sorts of people.

Currently, it was fine since rumors hadn’t circulated, but as time passed, scammers could come creeping in.

They might approach even today. Just for that reason, she was letting him go alone.

“I’m off.”

“Okay. If any strange person approaches, just ignore them!”

As Sivar set off to get some tasty food, Kara quietly watched his back.

Instead of heading back to the dormitory… she didn’t. Once he got far enough away, she began to follow him at a distance.

Keeping an eye on his spending and checking for any suspicious individuals. She couldn’t help but worry.

‘I just hope he sticks to eating delicious stuff and doesn’t get into trouble.’

As Kara trailed behind Sivar, she scanned the area, wary of any odd characters.

Fortunately, the rumors hadn’t spread widely, and no one approached Sivar.

He indulged himself with candy and ice cream, buying and eating his treats like a champ.

‘Was I worrying for nothing?’

Thank goodness no one was trying to take advantage of Sivar’s kind-heartedness.

Suddenly, Kara found herself questioning if she was perceiving the world too harshly.

“Hey? Sivar? What are you doing alone?”

“Huh?”

Until the moment she unexpectedly spotted Eli, Kara’s expression hardened as soon as she saw Sivar with Eli.

She wasn’t sure why. Just seeing Eli triggered an intense feeling of unease.

Of course, Eli was merely browsing herbs when she happened to run into Sivar.

“Something delicious.”

“So you were enjoying something tasty? Alone?”

“Yep. Got some money.”

“Money? Ah, right! You mentioned the auction today, right? How much did you get?”

Eli naturally stuck to Sivar’s side. With that, Kara’s mood plummeted.

That alone was enough to set her off, but what happened next was even worse.

“That looks delicious. Where did you buy that?”

“Want me to buy you one?”

“Really? Is that okay?”

“Yep. I still have plenty of money.”

Sivar buying ice cream for Eli was the kicker. Eli beamed, thrilled by Sivar’s generosity.

In stark contrast, Kara’s spirit sank like a stone. She thought about stepping in at any moment, but…

‘…Why does it feel so ugly?’

She felt ashamed of herself just watching from afar. It felt like she was stuck in an embarrassing situation.

To put it another way, it was like something from an Eastern proverb— pouring soup for a dog only to have it snatched away. She intended to give this to Sivar, yet Eli just accepted it eagerly.

‘What a waste, spending someone else’s money like that.’

In reality, that wasn’t the case. Each time Sivar offered, Eli had refused.

But Sivar persisted in inviting her. He even mentioned a previous time he had treated her to candy.

For Eli, it was an offer she couldn’t refuse, and that resulted in a scene that felt overly warm.

‘Sigh… I need to stick closer next time.’

Kara sighed inwardly and made up her mind. Still, she wouldn’t forget to keep track of their movements.

Her heart longed to turn away and leave, yet her feet wouldn’t budge.

Given her usually straightforward personality, such behavior was truly out of character.

Regardless of any of that, Sivar munched happily on ice cream, worry for diabetes nowhere on his mind.

[Faith is rising!]

“Huh?”

For reasons unknown, it was an extraordinarily sweet day in various ways.

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