"Would you like to open an account?"
“Yes sir,” I said, remembering that the bank's employees needed to be shown respect. The Bank of Valdira was a very special institution. “And also I wish to pay for three cells in the vault. If possible.”
“Well, of course, dear Rosgard. Please sit down.”
The air behind my back thickened and darkened. I sat down on a tall bar stool which was behind me, and included a backrest and armrests. Convenient. A service which is not for everyone – but I am sure that the employee was already well aware of the contents of the bag. He knows the number of coins, the number of precious stones, pearls, ornaments and shells.
How did he find out about the amount before counting the money?
Magic? Skills? Aura?
I have no idea. But the fact is that no one will have to tire of counting coins in columns, they will not have to check the gold rounds for authenticity, biting them with a tooth. In an unknown way, everything has already been counted and verified.
The clerk put a neat book in a dark gray leather binding in front of him, taking it from behind the counter. In doing so, I easily read the deeply imprinted gold inscription saying “Mr. Rosgard." My personal account. A thick paper folio. Having fished out a sharpened feather from the inkwell, the bank worker began scribbling at lightning speed. The lines appeared one after another. Here, too, it is not clear - the inscription appeared on the book by itself, the coins were counted by themselves, but the lines were entered manually, are written for real…
While I was thinking, the employee filled out the whole sheet. He raised his head and said, with a slight apology in the tone of his voice:
“Unfortunately not all items can be deposited into your cash account, Mr. Rosgard. Exceptions include pearl necklaces, gold necklaces, and other jewelry made of precious metals and gems. As well as this, individual precious stones cannot be considered an official currency. The Bank of Valdira offers its regrets. But we will gladly accept ornaments and any other items for storage in our depository.”
“Alright,” I bowed politely. “That's all. I request that all types of coins be deposited into my cash account, and the rest be separated and transferred to one of my three personal cells.”
“Of course. An excellent decision, Mr. Rosgard. I ask you to give orders about some local currencies that are used in other regions of the world of Valdira. For example, the rainbow shells. Do you want to exchange them for the gold standard? On the other hand, would you prefer to keep each currency in its separate article? Often this makes sense if, for example, you want to visit a tribe of bog creatures with commercial purposes, those who do not accept anything other than shells and fish.”
“Please save all currencies in separate accounts.”
“For this, the bank will take a small additional sum,” the clerk warned me. “Additional reporting and control, as you understand.”
“Of course.”
“Please check the list.”
I ran a quick glance over the green line. The handwriting was slim, well understood. Well, you can safely say that I was very well provided for. The character of Rosgard was a real baller compared to Krashshot. The green color of the ink indicated this. The red color would be an expense. My personal ledger.
By the time when I finished studying rows of numbers, my bag was more than half-empty. Selective teleportation directly from the closed bag ... cool. If I understood correctly, the bag contained items not taken by the bank as currency. Incidentally, among the “savings" was one line that attracted my attention - about fifteen crystal bottles filled with the sapphire saliva of the “ankh the rare”. Each bottle was considered one "coin" in value, equal to two hundred and fifty gold coins.
A most interesting currency... In what country are you paying for your purchases in saliva? Do they spit right at the cashier? Or do they put it in a bottle? And how do they give change? What about a tip? A thankful spitting in the face? I cannot remember where exactly I got the bottles. Surely, among the presents from the unfortunate Krabbers.
Damn ... Krabbers ... I was pricked by regret. After all, I played a significant role in the recent tragedy. I first returned to them their God Digratsy, and then I led him to fall into divine hell. Unfortunate Krabbers, not having had time to rejoice in the return of the god-crab, immediately began to mourn him. And this was my fault...
"Is everything alright, Mr. Rosgard?"
“Alright.”
“Great. The money was already sent to a cash vault. I will be sure no one else can retrieve it.”
"I fully trust Valdira's bank in matters of ensuring the safety of my contribution,” I replied immediately.
"And we will do our best so that your confidence in us will not be shaken, Mr. Rosgard. Now, back to the items ... would you like them to be distributed evenly between the three cells? Do you want to personally place them in cells?”
"Before answering, I want to ask one question which is, for me, extremely important,” I smiled calmly. Looking at the clerk in the eye, I asked: "What about the gods?"
"I beg your pardon? Gods?”
“Yes. If, for example, a certain deity becomes angry and decides to punish me, taking all my money and things from the bank ... can this happen?”
“No,” the answer was quick and categorical. “And yes.”
"Now I have to apologize ... I did not quite understand..."
"Everything depends on who owns the rights to the object," the minister explained. "If the object is of a special kind and rightfully belongs to the deity, then the god can retrieve the item. And we cannot prevent it.”
"And if it does not belong to them?"
"I beg your pardon, sir, but as I understand it, this would be an extremely powerful object with divine power. The Bank of Valdira, in any case, would not agree to accept such a thing for safekeeping. Please understand.”
“Clearly,” I sighed a little sorrowfully. “Then I ask you to place the objects yourself from the bag into the three cells. If there is not enough room - I will rent the fourth cell. Please remove the money for the registration of the account and the rental of cells from my cash deposits.”
"From which of your cash accounts?"
“The gold standard.”
“Your wish is fulfilled, Mr. Rosgard,” the servant bowed his head, and the dark-gray book in front of him disappeared without a trace. “Can the Bank of Valdira help you somehow else?”
“No. Thank you for your help.”
"We thank you, sir. And we wish all the best.”
“Good-bye,” I said, getting up from my chair.
The golden haze and chair were gone, I turned, smiling, and went to the high double doors at the end of the spacious hall filled with people. The visitors were talking in lowered tones, behaving with restraint, and wisely hiding the purpose of their visits. However, there were enough talkative fools - I did not take more than thirty paces and, unwillingly enough, managed to hear how many coins a beautiful girl with peach hair had in her account, how many bottles of very special rum were hidden in the cell of the hasty bald gnome, and how many rubies a smiling fellow in a gray coat managed to safely deliver to the bank.
Most of my money is in the bank. This bank and my personal room were completely safe. But I was tired of stumbling over the items. I had already slipped twice on emeralds. Secondly, money can be needed in the most unusual of moments. And chaos gives rise to chaos. Damn ... I am starting to talk like my father more and more often...
Damn him!
A soft chime drew my attention to the message window as soon as I managed to get out of the bank building. A message from Kira. It was very interesting, and somewhat disturbing:
"Ros, your father was taken by guards. They want to put him in jail. I will be late - I will buy him out of it, but it will take time, we are waiting for the judge, and he is not in a hurry — he is eating lobster."
"Just great!" I wrote in response. "May I ask what for?"
"He pun
ched the head of the port. Fat Muhsia the local. The one they call a fly."
"It is not bad for his first day... What did he hit Muhsia for?"
"That bastard himself is to blame – he hit a sailor scrubbing the deck of the moored vessel who had accidentally splashed him as he was inspecting. Then your father gave Muhsia a solid punch! Jumped up and got him right in the jaw! Of course, Muhsia did not even tremble, but the outrage of the guards was terrible."
"Damn! What were you doing at the port, anyway?"
"He wanted to see the sailing ships. Do not worry. I will fix it. Just stay a little longer – I will be late by half an hour. "
"OK. Tell him at the earliest opportunity the words of the unfortunate son: "A criminal, enough to dishonor his own name!""
"I will not say that! I also wanted to punch Muhsia! He just beat me to it!"
"Of course."
"Okay, till later. Your dad is cool! Equitable!"
Daddy, daddy. He could not keep his cool even in this world. However, I was proud - my father is good, protecting ordinary people from insolent nobles. He talked with an unusual heat about how, in pre-revolutionary times, simple sailors were beaten, and often beaten for nothing - just on an officer's whim. It was boring to the officers - they were amusing themselves, beating the sailors. Not everywhere was, of course, but a lot were. While he was telling the story, the face of the older Grokhotov blushed, his eyebrows closed over the bridge of his nose, his lips clenched, and he began to pound his fist against his palm, and I, still a kid, sat on the edge of a high chair in his office, looked on at my fearsome father.
"Good day, Mr. Rosgard," the slender brown-haired woman standing behind the hotel counter smiled sweetly.
I smiled stupidly back and nodded briefly. Recently, I preferred to communicate less with the better half of humanity, whether in the real or virtual world. Otherwise, my new life companion would tear me down – the healthy jealousy of Kirea.
That and so many other things had happened in recent weeks.
I started a new life in Valdira, killing my old character. My goal was to earn some money, in order to be able to relax in the game world for another month. I thought to fulfill the contract, get money, and quietly leave for the South Coast to enjoy rest and adventures. Moreover, to enjoy them in proud solitude. I am introverted, frozen a bit, divorced...
Then everything suddenly went completely wrong...
I got a part of the legendary set, and set forth in pursuit of the Silver Legend.
I survived betrayal and found a new companion in life, Kira - an eccentric girl who was a character in both worlds.
I found new friends, all of them extremely unusual, each with their own nonsense, with their own aspirations and desires. In addition, if you remember Orbit, he is the craziest of the bunch.
I met many new personalities. Some became my companions, others were temporary companions, and others became sworn enemies.
I learned that my ex-wife, Elena in the real world, in the world Valdira played the role of a rough and somewhat loose looking witch, ready to betray me without hesitation in exchange for the Emerald Swallow set.
Oh yes, and my old friends pursued their own incomprehensible goals while I, for them, remained a bargaining chip.
Roska ... I had a daughter. She was not a real girl of flesh and blood. Only a handful of digital data. This issue quickly became greater. My daughter is all me - she grows ignorant, she prefers wolves to textbooks, prefers training from her mentor Orbit. And yes - my daughter, although completely virtual, is very much "alive". Quite an ordinary child. We must visit Tishka urgently. It is time to build for her a securely protected home.
Stopping at my door, I took hold of the brushed copper handle and turned it. I stepped into my private room. I stopped at the doorstep and ruffled my hair with a sorrowful sigh.
A mess.
Primordial chaos.
Consequence of the explosion.
A dump.
The last definition suited it best.
My Personal Room looked like a dump. What was not on the floor? What kind of object did not lie at my feet? I needed to figure it out in less than an hour. Rubies, diamonds, gold and other precious things I had already collected and taken to the bank… now I will pick up the other objects. Then I will have to hurry and get to the town of Krom...
Brrring...
I opened the messages and read a message from a certain person with the name of Akusa the Misty, from the Sleepless Clan. A short note confirming the arrival of Mrs. Black Baroness. In an hour, I was asked to be in the real world, in order to appoint a meeting place with Mrs. BB and her attendants. Signed — with deep respect, the herald of the Sleepless Clan.
R-right…
Another of my undertakings was covered.
Quickly responding, I passed on the message to Kira. We would have a change in schedule. We would have to go to the real world for negotiations. Time to sign an official agreement with the Sleepless Clan and its permanent leader, the Black Baroness.
Then I went down on my knees - not for a thanks prayer, but to shovel up the rubble. There were many of children's things here - they were lying in a bunch. Kira had given Roska gifts no more than a couple of hours ago, and all of those things had been neatly packed. Now they were scattered, as if a typhoon had swept them open. What was remarkable - Roska chose to stay in her old clothes. In the ones that were sewn for her by the Sleepless. The outfit was already cracking at the seams, as my daughter was growing by leaps and bounds, but she did not change her dress. Moreover, I noticed Roska had a new habit - she preferred to walk barefoot. When I meet Orbit – will lather his arrogant mug. The skinny elf did not instill the best habits in my daughter. I was wholeheartedly for the simplicity of dress and behavior, but to give up shoes - not the good idea.
Here are the toys. A dozen dolls of different races and looks. Short notes from the givers were attached to each - all notes and gifts from the Sleepless. Puppets were handed over today, when I was leaving the hotel – by that very sweet brown-haired woman at the reception desk. Expensive dolls. And the two of them were from the most famous puppet masters. Almost collection status. Roska did not take an interest in the gifts at all. Ignored the most excellent dolls - for which another girl would have given give her soul. However, Roska did become interested in something else!
I looked in the corner of the room. There was an ordinary bed designed for an adult. Near the small chest. Above the bed was an expensive tapestry. All this I ordered in passing, trying in a hurry to create at least some coziness for my daughter. Now the tapestry over the bed was hung with fishing tackle. Fishing rods, nets, coils of fishing line, smooth rows of floats and weights, coils and some things incomprehensible to me.
A trunk in the bed packed with the same - Fishing Tackles. Roska had robbed Kira and me without the slightest pity, taking everything from us that had the slightest relation to fishing. From me Roska got little – scales, and a pair of fins. In addition, a bunch of smoked fish. Kirea also gave her full arsenal of fishing and Roska took it with a wild delight. After that, I had to promise my daughter a self-propelled magic boat, illustrated fishing encyclopedias, and ten kilograms of striped agrolle worms. It is difficult to deny a child with eyes burning with passion. Therefore, I made a firm commitment, and then told Kira. There she laughed for a long time. The fact is that every agrolle worm costs one gold coin, and weighs six grams. M - yes ... Such a high price is an excuse – agrolle worms are considered one of the best baits for freshwater fish in Valdira. And the silver and golden fish-boxes are very well suited for the agrolle worms.
If you are to convey what is happening with Roska in a few words - my daughter went mad with fishing.
One can notice - all of our things are in chaos, but the fishing gear is lovingly hung or carefully tucked into the chest.
However, this is not the worst thing. Roska did not part with Tyrant in the past few days. And today, when I timidly tried to take the legend
ary wolf from my little daughter, I was greeted with upset. I let it go, letting my daughter go on walking with Tyrant. Damn…
From the other oddities of the growing up daughter, there was a passion for silver. Under the bed of Roska lay many silver coins. Most of it I gave to the bank, but I left some of it. And I did not touch the silver jewelry found in the hiding place of Lake Naykal.
To be honest, I knew very well that I was guilty of what was happening, because I had "prescribed" the hobbies and affections of my virtual daughter. Then they began to manifest. Including the passion for reading - Roska read voraciously. There was a pile of books by the bed. There was literature acquired from me: for example, a book about the Great Navigator. Now my daughter was learning the subtleties of my profession...
Thinking, I managed to put away the child’s things. Soon there came polite knock. I opened the door, passed over a few gold coins and, bidding farewell to the two hefty half-orc loaders, began to drag furniture into the private room.
A large chest of dark polished wood, decorated with carvings with a fishing theme. I immediately put all the clothes in them, the shoes and dolls of my daughter.
A large bookcase. This stood next to the chests, and I placed all the books on the shelves. My daughter would soon cease appearing in my room ... but anyway. The last thing was a huge carpet spread out by the bed. On it was depicted a menacing forest wolf sleeping peacefully at the edge of a forest.
In addition to these things, I bought a dozen ordinary boxes. I placed them at the opposite wall and selectively began throwing various objects into them. Old equipment and weapons immediately fell into one box. Let them lie there until I have time and desire to deal with it.
In the other box went the healing alchemy. In the next box went the alchemy affecting mana. Admiring the smooth rows of bubbles with red and blue liquids, I closed the covers and began to further rake away the debris.
And here was a very interesting collection, a dirty treasure in all its splendor. The things from the cache of Lake Naykal. Something my daughter took. That is, an inverted silver helmet filled with smaller things. I did not manage to inspect the silver helmet myself; I simply submissively promised I would not take away the "cool things" chosen by her. Inside the helmet I managed to distinguish a dozen different fishing hooks, a mysterious spoon in the form of a pike, something strange carved from what looked like a bright yellow tree, and a skeleton of an unknown fish with a ridiculous amount of teeth.
The Way of the Clan 8 Page 2
