Chương 18: Chapter 18: Dixie Pie with Sweet Iced Tea
Chapter 18: Dixie Pie with Sweet Iced Tea
The next day, Hastur went to Beckland University in the morning, observed court proceedings in the afternoon, and stayed home to read in the evening. Before bed, he whipped the Magic Wishing once more, marking another busy day.
The information Hastur had asked Glairent to gather was taking shape; both criminals who had jumped from the building had broken legs. One suffered the injury mysteriously while fleeing, and the other upon landing. Besides confessing to their crimes, they kept shouting about evil spirits.
Hastur was pleased with this outcome.
It seemed the Hall of Stars could indeed influence reality, allowing him, with his Sequence 9 power, to set rules that affect the real world.
However, these criminals were just ordinary people, not the extraordinary. The test's intensity needed to be increased.
On the third day, early in the morning, Glairent sent word that he had arranged for Hastur to register as a legal advisor at Bavat Bank when he had time.
To receive his first paycheck as soon as possible, Hastur dressed neatly, took up a new cane, and wore a recently unearthed gemstone-encrusted mechanical watch.
After the incident with the three criminals, he had turned his second floor upside down and found quite a few treasures.
As for the third floor, he left it untouched. If there were any valuables, they could remain hidden in the dust.
…
Bavat Bank's primary shareholder was Miss Audrey's father, Earl Hall, while the Glairent family was the fourth-largest shareholder, owning about six percent of the bank.
When Hastur arrived at Bavat Bank, it was already 9:40 AM, past the normal start of the workday.
"Being late on the first day is quite embarrassing," Hastur muttered to himself.
Entering the bank, he was drawn to the bustling crowd inside, including bank employees, nobles, and businessmen there for transactions.
Communication here was almost by shouting due to the sheer number of people.
"Are you Baron Hastur Campbell?"
Not long after he stopped to take in the scene, a middle-aged man in a white shirt and black vest, with neatly combed black hair and a smile, approached him.
"Yes, and you are?"
"I'm Harley Thomas, a manager in charge of insurance at Bavat Bank. Lord Glairent asked me to welcome you and show you around."
"Thank you, Manager Harley."
With a gentle smile, Hastur let Harley Thomas guide him through Bavat Bank.
According to Harley, the bank was divided into five levels. The ground floor dealt with deposits, withdrawals, personal loans, and other common issues.
The second floor was divided into private meeting rooms for business loans, insurance, investments, and other services, accessible only to nobles and major merchants.
The third floor housed the offices where managers like Harley rested and received VIPs, which would also be Hastur's workplace at the bank.
The fourth floor was reserved for the bank president and vice-presidents.
The fifth floor, which Hastur didn't get to see, was for shareholder meetings and was the most lavishly decorated.
After the tour, Harley led Hastur to his office, where a sign reading 'Legal Advisor' was already hung, along with Hastur's name in small letters.
The office wasn't too large, about a third the size of Hastur's home study, with a desk and a small bookshelf in the corner holding about twenty books related to banking laws.
It was clear the room had been thoughtfully arranged.
Hastur was quite satisfied with the office, especially since its window overlooked a busy commercial street, offering a view of dense shops and crowds.
"This is your business card, representing your identity at the bank."
Harley handed over a small stack of cards about three fingers wide. Hastur smiled, took them, and examined one closely.
The center of the card bore the name Bavat Bank and its corresponding seal.
Below were Hastur's basic personal details: name, age, and position, without any private information like his address.
"Lord Glairent has already made the arrangements. You can come whenever you wish, no need to report to anyone."
Harley's words implied that Hastur was merely holding a nominal position at Bavat Bank, coming in weekly to collect his salary.
Even if he didn't come to collect it, after four weeks of unclaimed salary, the bank would send someone to deliver it to Hastur's residence.
This was a privilege allowed by Glairent .
Hastur nodded and asked, "Could you find me some business cases that aren't too urgent?"
Harley's smile stiffened for a moment before he replied, "You've just started today, and we haven't prepared any business cases for you yet."
"Will tomorrow be possible?"
"I can only assure you within a week."
"Alright then," Hastur said, somewhat disappointed.
Harley inwardly sighed with relief, his face breaking into a smile again.
He didn't want this young baron to work at all; he'd rather Hastur just stay home and wait for his salary.
At least that way, there would be no mistakes.
Otherwise, if something went wrong, he would be the one to suffer.
No one would hold a baron accountable, especially not at the risk of offending Lord Glairent .
After Harley left, Hastur sat alone in his office chair, admiring the street view from the window.
After about fifteen minutes, he grew bored and picked a book from the shelf to read.
The books were basic, including some cases the bank had handled, likely meant for internal use.
The more Hastur read, the more he realized the bank's cunning. They based their business rules on Rune Law, always leaving enough leeway to avoid trapping the bank.
Even if someone thoroughly understood Rune Law and the bank's regulations, even if they were in the right, it would be difficult to win against the bank.
The bank only allowed itself to be the winner; there was no second possibility.
Especially with insurance rules, the bank had devised clever ways to avoid payouts, even if it was just a penny.
But usually, the bank wouldn't make it so obvious.
Hastur read intently until Harley knocked on his door. He glanced at his watch; it was 12:05 PM.
Bavat Bank's normal working hours: Start at 8:30 AM, break at noon, resume at 1:30 PM, and finish at 6:00 PM to go home.
An eight-hour workday, very much in the style of Emperor Roselle.
"There's a Dixie Bay pie shop nearby that's quite good, worth a try," Harley invited Hastur to lunch.
Naturally, Hastur wouldn't refuse such kindness; he was eager to taste how good Dixie pie was.
Descending to the ground floor, the crowd was still bustling. The bank clerks were split into two groups: one handling transactions, the other taking a break to eat.
Led by the respectful Harley, Hastur stood out, especially since he was quite handsome, drawing interested glances from many female bank employees.
Hastur had gradually learned to ignore such attention.
Harley joked, "It's good we're in Beckland. If this were Intis, these ladies would have already started fighting over you."
"No, they would wait patiently until dark, armed with a stick before making a move," Hastur replied with a laugh, forming a rough idea of Intis, born from Roselle's influence.
No wonder Roselle was so playful. Under the open atmosphere that spread across the northern continent of Intis, if he remained chaste, he was either impotent or a saint.
"Once I've saved enough money, I'll visit Intis to experience the local customs. I hear they quite like our Runian subtlety and restraint."
Harley's smile widened as he thought of future encounters in Intis.
Hastur smiled silently, not telling Harley that Intis' warmth extended beyond noble ladies and misses to male nobles as well.
At the restaurant, Hastur finally tasted the Dixie pie, rich in meaty flavor and lingering taste. The standout feature was the chopped apple pieces, whose slightly sour and sweet taste stimulated the taste buds, balancing the pie's greasiness. Each bite was full of flavor.
He also ordered a cup of sweet iced tea. Dixie pie with sweet iced tea, even a fool would praise it.
"In the future, when I hire chefs at home, I'll need at least three: one for desserts, one for Intis-style cuisine, and one specifically for snacks like Dixie pie. That's true enjoyment."
Hastur savored the Dixie pie, dreaming of his future life.
Once he received his first week's salary from Bavat Bank, he planned to hire a butler, chefs, and maids.
Seeing Hastur's satisfaction, Harley also relaxed, having thought that a noble used to fine dining might look down on the more common Dixie pie.
After lunch, Hastur followed Harley for a stroll on the nearby streets until it was nearly 1:30 PM, then they returned to the bank.
With nothing else to do, Hastur continued studying the book he had started in the morning, "On the Relationship Between Banks and Laws."
In the afternoon, around 3 PM, Harley sent over a dessert and a cup of Earl Grey tea.
At 6 PM, Hastur left work on time to go home.
For dinner, he chose a light vegetable salad with a small lamb rib.
He spent the evening reading, then whipped the Magic Wishing before bed.
For six consecutive days, Hastur arrived at Bavat Bank at 8:30 AM, opened his office to read, had lunch, returned to reading, and left at 6 PM to go home.
Despite his urging, Harley refused to assign him any business cases, and on the sixth day, Harley finally brought him a business case from half a year ago.
The defendant in the case had been arrested a month prior for fraud, and all subsequent proceedings had concluded.
Hastur placed the case file on his desk, rubbing his eyes. He understood Harley's predicament and didn't press further.
But he decided not to come to the bank for a while; it was simply too dull.
Missing Professor Wayne's lectures for this was not worth it, and even sitting in court to observe was more interesting than staying here.
On the seventh day, a regular day off, Hastur would receive his first weekly salary.
(End of Chapter)
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