Chapter 52 : Chapter 52
Chapter 52. To the Iron Bank (2)
"State your name and the purpose of your visit here!"
A dwarf guard with a long beard blocked the way and asked me.
"I am Baron Blanc Cadmus of the Felix Kingdom. I have come here to open a transaction with the Iron Bank."
I showed my family's signet ring along with the recommendation letter I had brought. The guard looked through the register of nobles he was holding and compared the signet ring with the symbol of the Felix royal family stamped as a seal on the recommendation letter. Then, he lifted a special magic wand and brought it to my signet ring.
"It has been confirmed. Baron Blanc Cadmus! Welcome to the Iron Bank."
I did not know what the principle was, but it seemed that the magic wand the guard was holding and the signet ring just now proved my identity. I stood before the two massive statues forming the entrance of the canyon and looked up at them.
"Who are these people?"
They were two dwarf statues made in a size similar to the golden statue of Wilhelm I.
"The one on the left is the first tribal chief, Mathias Streich, who first unified the tribes."
As if he had been waiting for my question, the guard began to recite the achievements of the first tribal chief. Even though it was an explanation that started abruptly, I listened to the guard's words carefully without any sign of boredom. I wanted to know. I wanted to know if he was the same first tribal chief I knew from my previous life, and if his achievements had remained unchanged like the golden statue. After listening to the explanation about the first tribal chief, I naturally asked about the figure in the statue on the right as well.
"Then who is this person?"
"That person is Joachim Christen, the first founder of the Iron Bank!"
Joachim Christen. He was a figure I had never heard of. If he was a figure for whom such a massive statue was built, there was no way I would not have known him in my previous life.
"Could you explain about this person as well?"
The guard had never met a visitor who listened to his explanation in such detail before. So, he told me the knowledge he knew with the utmost sincerity.
Hmm... After hearing the guard's words, I fell into thought. The first tribal chief had left behind achievements that were not much different from my previous life. However, the first bank manager on the right was indeed a figure who did not exist in the history I knew. The guard explained the achievements of the first manager of the Iron Bank while spitting, but to me, it was just an unfamiliar story.
"Thank you for being so polite, guard. You are different from the guards I know."
After shaking hands lightly with the guards who had explained the statues to me so enthusiastically, I walked toward the entrance of the Iron Bank located beyond the canyon entrance.
***
"The scale is extraordinary."
"I suppose it is a structure made by carving an entire mountain range."
The group entered the beginning of the Iron Bank. They could not stop their heads from naturally tilting upward. Not a single person among the Cadmus Knight Corps had ever been to the Iron Bank. Because of that, they were busy marvelling at the sight unfolding before their eyes like newcomers who had just arrived in the capital from the countryside.
"The level of the murals carved around is extraordinary."
"It truly deserves to be called a natural fortress. It would be difficult even to break through the canyon, but if one had to crawl up the mountain range..."
"B-but it seems like we have to go almost to the top of the mountain to enter that entrance over there. Do we have to walk up by any chance..."
While Hansen and Simon were marvelling at the Iron Bank for a while, they squinted their eyes to find the entrance leading to the iron gate far away at Rakshar's point. Indeed, as Rakshar said, the entrance in the middle of the mountain was visible.
"Hmph. It looks quite high."
"It will take half a day just to walk up."
The horses they had ridden so far had to be left at the stable at the beginning of the Iron Bank. In other words, to enter the interior of the Iron Bank, they had to walk to the place visible far away. It was exactly as Simon said.
"Puff... Puff..."
"Damn Iron Bank..."
The group was walking up to the middle of the mountain where the Iron Bank was for half a day.
"Sir Hansen, are you alright?"
"I have not yet died as a knight."
It was as Hansen said. Even though time had passed, he was a person who still maintained his capability as a knight. However, no matter how hard one tried, the flow of time was something that could not be stopped. Although he might be maintaining his capability itself, his body was in a state where his endurance, which always maintained sharp skills, had dropped a lot.
"Puff... Puff..."
The clanking sound coming from Hansen's armor sounded sad for some reason.
"The entrance is visible over there. Everyone, hang in there a bit more."
I encouraged the group who had climbed to the middle of the mountain while wearing armor. Thus, we reached the entrance leading to the interior of the Iron Bank. What was waiting for the group there were dwarf guards who were once again inspecting people in front of the entrance.
The security is thorough. As the dwarf guards came into view, Hansen and Simon straightened their backs and looked forward composedly as if they had never been panting. They were the knights of Cadmus. They knew well that their actions and behavior directly affected the evaluation of the lord they served.
Sir Hansen has trained them well. Hansen, with his rich experience, probably taught them these small details. I approached the dwarf guards and handed them the signet ring and the recommendation letter once again, just like at the canyon entrance earlier.
"It has been confirmed! Baron Blanc Cadmus! From now on, please follow us."
However, this time, unlike at the canyon entrance, three or four dwarf guards joined us and moved together while escorting the group.
"What is the reason for people joining us like this?"
I asked the guards who followed us.
"This Neyanpalgar Mountain Range is a place where numerous passages made by our ancestors are intertwined."
It meant that their guidance was necessary to avoid getting lost. Indeed, in the middle of the passages, there were signs warning that this is what happens if you lose your way.
"This is the end of the foolish ones who tried to rob our Iron Bank."
The Iron Bank had not only made mummies out of the thieves' corpses but even hung signs around their necks.
-The most foolish people in the world.
"For your information, we did not capture and kill them. They simply got lost and wandered around until they starved to death."
"Hmm..."
Hearing those words, the group moved a step closer to the guards without realizing it. Following the guards' guidance, we walked through the complex maze for about an hour until an entrance appeared far away. From that entrance, a brilliant golden light was pouring out.
"Wooooow..."
The group finally arrived at the heart of the Iron Bank. Rakshar could not help but be filled with admiration at the sight reflected in his eyes. He had lived in the mansion of the Tolome family, which boasted power in the Felix Kingdom, and had visited the Neudorf mansion, but the sight currently reflected in his eyes was so overwhelming that those two family mansions did not even come to mind.
The high ceiling was made of golden waves, and countless lights surrounded them, shining more brightly than day, making them forget whether this place was inside a mountain. And in every place his gaze reached, many dwarves were dressed in matching clothes and moving busily. In one area, there were dwarves counting gold that was piled up, and in another, dwarves were seen talking with well-dressed nobles across thin glass walls.
"Is it correct that you have come to open a new account? Baron Blanc."
"There is that, but I also want to find out if there is an account under the name of the Cadmus family."
"Understood. I will guide you."
The dwarf guards found an information desk suitable for me and guided me.
"Welcome! Welcome to the Iron Bank!"
At the place we finally reached, a female dwarf with her hair braided into two strands was welcoming me. Welcoming me across a thin glass plate, she was about the height of a human child and was blinking her large, round eyes. Seeing her, I thought that if Iselin's head became bigger in her current state, she would look like that.
"Baron Blanc Cadmus, what business brings you here?"
"I have come for two things. First, I want to know if there is an account created under the name of the Cadmus family."
I handed her my family's signet ring along with the identity certificate Bartomyu had written for me. The only person in this world who could guarantee that I inherited the blood of Cadmus was Bartomyu. If the certificate he wrote did not work, I would not be able to open the Cadmus family account even if it existed.
"Understood! Please wait a moment, Baron."
The dwarf receptionist rolled her large eyes and busily moved her fingers while looking at the signet ring and certificate I had handed over. From what I guessed, it seemed she was using some kind of system made with magic.
"Baron, there is indeed an account created under the name of the Cadmus family. The most recent account holder is recorded as Baron Pallard Cadmus."
"It exists!"
I had not expected much regarding the Cadmus family account. Although the Cadmus family was not a family that was completely unable to open a transaction with the Iron Bank, it was still something that required quite a bit of effort. I was excited. From now on, it was uncharted territory. The Iron Bank was an organization that did not exist in my previous life. Even I could not dare to guess what might be in the Cadmus family account.
"However, with my authority, I cannot transfer this account to Baron Blanc Cadmus. It seems you will have to meet someone with higher authority than me."
"I see. Understood."
I succeeded in finding the Cadmus family account that might have existed. I did not know if I would be able to successfully take it over, but I was satisfied just by confirming its existence. As the receptionist just said, this matter would have to be discussed with someone who had the authority.
"Then please tell me if there is an account opened under the name of Ulrich Tiedemann. I know the password he passed on."
From now on, it was time to follow the guidance Ulrich Tiedemann had left.
"Understood. Please wait a moment."
The dwarf receptionist was again tapping her fingers, looking for the account created by a person named Ulrich Tiedemann. Every time the dwarf receptionist's fingers moved, I felt my hands becoming cold.
I have finally come, Lord Ulrich. I recalled when I saw Ulrich's message written on the golden statue of Wilhelm I in Baltimere. How many hardships and crises did I have to overcome because he, who was supposed to regress with me, was gone?
But now it will be different. Even if he regressed to 190 years ago, Ulrich would have done his best to stop the Void in his own way using his extraordinary abilities. I could tell just by seeing that he left a message engraved on the golden statue. Once I opened his account, I would no longer be lonely. I would be able to feel the breath left by a regressor who had the same purpose as me.
"Baron Blanc."
"Is it there?"
As I showed a look of great expectation, the dwarf receptionist showed a sorry expression even though it was not her fault.
"I am sorry. Baron Blanc. There is no account created under the name of Ulrich Tiedemann."
It's not there? Hearing the receptionist's words, I was enveloped in the greatest shock since I regressed. Ulrich Tiedemann's message was one of the giant pillars that had been supporting me until now. I came all the way here to confirm his message. And I spent two years. But it wasn't there. I was flustered, unable to hide my pale complexion.
"T-then under my name... please find out if an account has been opened under the name Blanc Cadmus."
"Understood, Baron."
Feeling that my condition had become serious, the dwarf receptionist moved her fingers at a speed incomparable to before. I could not hide my anxiety, clenching and unclenching my hands without realizing it.
If it's neither Lord Ulrich nor my name, how am I supposed to find traces of him? However, the worst-case scenario I imagined did not happen. After moving her fingers for a while, the receptionist tilted her head as if it were strange.
"Baron Blanc. There is an account opened under your name..."
"Is there?"
As expected of Ulrich Tiedemann. No matter how much he had fallen into the past 190 years ago, he was a hero who held a large axis of the Liberation Front. There was no way he would not have prepared an arrangement for me. I was excited, incomparable to when I found the Cadmus family account earlier. If the dwarf receptionist had not been in front of me, I might have shed tears.
It was that lonely and painful of a regression. However, I just confirmed the traces of another regressor named Ulrich Tiedemann. I was not alone. However, while I was overcome with emotion, I did not notice. I did not notice that the complexion of the dwarf receptionist who was checking the account was turning pale. And that she had glanced at me and secretly reached under the desk to press something.
"Baron Blanc."
"What is it?"
Not long after the receptionist secretly pressed a button under the desk, the guards who had guided me earlier approached.
"Could you please follow us for a moment?"
Seeing their changed atmosphere, I noticed that things were going wrong.
"We ask of you. The Bank Manager wishes to see you, Baron."
They maintained a polite posture and said it was a request, but based on their momentum, it seemed they would drag me away by force if necessary. With my skills, I could easily overpower them, but there was nothing to be gained from causing a disturbance here. Moreover, I had not yet been able to check the account Ulrich had passed on and the Cadmus family account.
"It seems there is some misunderstanding."
"That is correct. To clear that misunderstanding, the Bank Manager told us to bring you, Baron."
"Fine. Lead the way."
I decided to do as they asked without wasting energy. In any case, I would eventually have to meet a high official of the Iron Bank to open the accounts.
"I ask for a polite guidance."
"Of course, Baron."
***
The Iron Bank, where brilliant golden light flowed everywhere the eyes touched. However, the place I was guided to was so quiet that I could not believe it was where the leader of this place was. This place was a room made of dark brown wood instead of gold. If people who came in for the first time saw it, they would think it was a space used by an elf rather than a dwarf. There were only colorful patterns engraved on one wall.
"Welcome. Baron Blanc."
Not long after I waited, one dwarf man opened the door and walked in. He was a man with dark blue hair and a beard. I looked at him with a slightly curious gaze. Because, while the dwarves I had seen so far grew their beards long and braided them, the Bank Manager before my eyes had trimmed his short instead. Perhaps because of that, he was a man whose cool impression preceded the boisterous impression usually held by dwarves. He requested a handshake from me and introduced himself.
"I am Perlman Acehover, the Manager of the Iron Bank."
I shook his hand and immediately threw a sharp jab.
"I see the Iron Bank welcomes its guests in this way, Mr. Perlman."
I set a sharp needle at the end of my words and poked Perlman, but as expected, the person in charge of the Iron Bank was different.
"It seems I have committed an impoliteness because my desire to see you as soon as possible was too great. Please forgive me."
He was the manager of the Iron Bank, where all the wealth in this world gathered. No matter how much of a rising star I was now, I was only a firefly under the moonlight compared to the influence he possessed. However, he treated me with strict courtesy. To him, things like being a baron or a noble had no meaning. Only whether the person before him was a customer of the Iron Bank was important.
"What is the reason for calling me here?"
Perlman slowly poured tea into my cup and sat across from me.
"I brought you here because I had something to ask you, Baron."
"What are you curious about? Please ask."
I faced Perlman with a dignified posture. It was a bold attitude that made it hard to believe I was fifteen years old. Seeing my momentum, Perlman's eyes sparkled for a moment.
"Understood... I will explain the reason for bringing you here."
Perlman spoke while taking off his glasses, wiping them with a cloth from his pocket, and putting them back on.
"Our Iron Bank has served many customers since it was founded. Among them were noble ones, wealthy ones, and even wicked ones whose names were hard to reveal."
I looked at Perlman with an expression that asked what he was talking about.
"We have served customers from such diverse backgrounds, and we have encountered various forms of problems and threats."
Looking at Perlman's face, I could feel it. He was smiling with his face now, but he was not actually smiling.
"However, the Iron Bank, and the managers who held the seat of the Iron Bank, resolved the situation without being flustered no matter what sudden situation occurred due to the customers. In a solid manner like the Neyanpalgar Mountain Range surrounding us."
I could notice it. The gaze of Perlman looking at me was becoming increasingly sharp.
"However, the situation I am currently facing makes me quite flustered."
Perlman looked at me with his hands clasped under his chin.
"There was a person who recently opened an account at our bank. We assign a number to each account to manage our customers smoothly, and the rule by which those numbers are assigned is the order in which the accounts were created."
Perlman took out a piece of paper and began writing numbers with a pencil. In the quiet space, only the scratching sound of Perlman's pencil was heard.
"Look. This number is the most recently created account."
Perlman held out the note he had written on the desk and showed it to me.
-102,359
"What does it mean?"
"It means this person is the 102,359th customer of our Iron Bank. But do you know what the account number of Baron Blanc Cadmus, which our receptionist just discovered, is?"
Perlman again wrote a number on the paper to show me. That time was incomparably shorter than just now. I did not pick up the paper but only lowered my gaze to look at the paper Perlman had written on. The number written there was.
-001
... After confirming the number, I lifted my gaze to look at Perlman.
"It has been 119 years since our bank was founded, Baron."
Perlman adjusted his glasses by touching them with his hand.
"And now, before me sits the owner of the very first account created by the Iron Bank 119 years ago, having jumped over a long time."
The glasses perched on the bridge of his nose were shining white.
"Baron Blanc Cadmus, who are you?"