Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Elmer Vault
Walking to the city after leaving the guardhouse, I took in the sprawling expanse of Lumonara, the capital. The city was a marvel of architecture, divided into distinct districts.
The central area, known as the City Center, housed the Royal Palace, government buildings, and the main marketplace, bustling with activity. North of the City Center lay the Lumosar Academy.
The southern district was residential, quieter with well-kept houses and gardens. The western part was the industrial quarter, filled with workshops and factories, while the eastern section was known for its entertainment facilities, coming alive at night with theaters, inns, and taverns.
Lumonara stretched for several miles in each direction, a testament to its status as the capital.
And—
"Oh, here we are," I muttered as I almost walked past the building. This is my destination.
Elmer Vault, said the board that hung a bit tilted.
In front of me stood a two-story building made from smooth greyish stone. The entrance was an arched, heavy wooden door with brass handles, and I could see people going in and out.
This is where most people keep their money—it's the most secure facility aside from the Royal Treasury to store valuables.
I had gone back home and collected money, property documents, and a few other items I wanted to deposit.
I've never been inside this building in any loop. I don't know why, but I was never interested.
I stepped inside through the door and entered the main hall. The atmosphere was very quiet, with folks roaming around.
There were multiple counters lined up at the end of the hall with a few people queuing up.
TAP*
"How can I help you, sir?"
I turned around when someone tapped on my shoulder but saw no one there.
Tug*
"?" I felt a tug on my pants and looked down.
"How can I help you?"
"Oh, sorry, I just..." I apologized immediately. In front—no, down below—stood a three-foot-tall, gnarly-looking guy. His torso was bigger than his arms, and his legs were short. It's a Trow.
Trows are creatures that live alongside dwarves, but unlike dwarves, Trows are friendlier towards humans.
"No worries! It happens. You seem new here," the Trow exclaimed. "I'm Qenclormor. You may call me Mor." He introduced himself. He seems nice.
"I just wanted to deposit my money," I said.
The Trow nodded to himself. "May I ask you how much it is?"
"Hmm, about half a clump," I replied. He jumped immediately, as if he had seen something scary. "Oh, you should've said that earlier! Come here!" He grabbed my wrist and dragged me with him.
One clump is a thousand gold coins, and even half of it is a lot of money.
We passed various staff as he pulled me to a corner of the hall where a single door with the word "Backroom" was written.
Mor pushed open the door, revealing a staircase that led down. "You'd have to wait like three hours if you had stayed in line; we don't want our BIG customers waiting that long with the other SMALL customers," he emphasized, leading me down the damp-smelling staircase.
As we descended, Mor asked about my name and other details, continuing to chatter about the process and hinting that he expected a tip for expediting it.
After walking down about a hundred and fifty steps, we reached a small room illuminated only by a lamp hanging above a chair against the wall.
"Have a seat," Mor said. I looked around, noticing there wasn't much else in the small room besides a hole in the wall.
"Why do I need to sit?" I asked, feeling a bit uneasy.
"Oh, this here is a Druskmere! It will take your blood sample, spit it on a paper, and carve a rune out of it. This identity rune can be used in transactions all over the Megla Empire," Mor explained, tapping the wall. A hand emerged, blue, scaly, thin, with three very long fingers and long curved nails. The hand gave me a thumbs-up as if to reassure me that everything would be fine.
A Druskmere, huh? I've heard of them; they're rare due to their low birth rates.
I sat in the chair. Mor stood beside me, took my arm, rolled up the sleeve, and offered it to the Druskmere.
Stab*
I flinched as the Druskmere's nails dug into my wrist, right where my pulse was.
"Oh, don't worry, it'll be fine," Mor tried to reassure me. It didn't hurt much; I was just startled.
The Druskmere's arm became almost translucent, and I could see my blood flowing from its nails up its arm. After a few seconds, it withdrew its arm, leaving me feeling only a slight discomfort.
After the Druskmere withdrew its arm, Mor handed it a piece of paper. "Now, spit on the paper," he instructed.
I hesitated, unsure how literal he was being. Mor chuckled. "Just a little bit, not all over it."
I complied, spitting a small amount onto the paper.
Mor took the paper and examined it. "Perfect," he said with a satisfied nod. "We'll mail you the rune to your house by tomorrow once it's done. That will serve as your identification in our system. Now, let's move on to your deposit."
He led me out of the small room and down a narrow corridor to another door labeled "Deposit Room." Inside, the room was filled with shelves and vaults, each one secured with heavy locks. Several Trows were bustling about, carrying ledgers and counting coins.
Mor approached a large vault with an ornate lock and began the process of entering a series of numbers and symbols into the combination lock. With a heavy click, the door swung open, revealing a spacious interior filled with stacks of gold coins and piles of jewelry.
"Whoa," I couldn't help but mutter, impressed by the sight.
Mor smiled proudly. "Welcome to the Elmer Vault. This is where we keep the belongings of our esteemed clients, like yourself."
He gestured for me to step forward. "Please, deposit your money and any other valuables you have."
I stepped into the vault, placing my bag of gold coins and documents on a nearby table, including my mother's diary, which I didn't want tampered with.
Mor took them and carefully placed them into a secure compartment, locking it with a key that he handed to me.
"This key is yours," he said, handing me a small, intricately carved key. "Keep it safe; it's the only way to access your belongings. Well, we can make a new one if you lose it, but that'll cost a fortune, so make sure you don't."
I nodded, feeling a sense of relief now that my valuables were securely stored. "I appreciate your help," I said sincerely.
Mor nodded back, a friendly gleam in his eye. "You're welcome, Sir. If you ever need anything else, don't hesitate to ask."
I thanked Mor again and left the vault, feeling secure knowing my belongings were in good hands.
[Half an hour later]
"....What the fuck."
I looked around the house and saw that everything was turned upside down. Who did this?
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