Chapter 22: Refusal of Payment
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 22: Refusal of Payment
“Here! Please, take the seat of honor~.”
The Branch Manager fussily gestured for me to sit.
Unaccustomed to such treatment, I sat down awkwardly. The bank teller who had been assisting me earlier brought over a cup of coffee.
“Maroni, you’ll be in charge of this gentleman’s account from now on. Watch closely and make sure you attend to his every need.”
“Yes, Branch Manager!”
“Oh, goodness, look at me. I should have started with a salute! Everyone, attention—”
“It’s fine! There’s no need for that.”
I waved my hand dismissively, warding off the salute I could never get used to. The Branch Manager burst into another fit of giggles.
“My, my~ you’re far too humble. Still, we all live every day with gratitude for the peace bought by the price of your and your comrades’ blood, Lord Alto~.”
“Ah, yes, well…”
“You have such a strong, rugged face; it’s clear you didn’t become a National Merit Recipient for nothing. Isn’t that right, Maroni?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The teller, however, was stiff as a board. She seemed to be debating whether to answer energetically or softly.
“Maroni, go fetch the documents from my top drawer.”
“Yes, Branch Manager.”
Taking the documents Maroni brought, the Branch Manager pushed them toward me along with a fountain pen.
The first page contained a table detailing the brackets for war veteran compensation based on national merit.
“I have already received word from Branch Manager Karen of the Adventurer Guild.”
As we got down to business, the Branch Manager’s frivolous attitude vanished instantly. Her tone became disciplined and precise, reminiscent of a battlefield commander.
“Alto Bertrand. During the Final War, you were part of the Bertrand Unit assigned to the right wing of the human forces. Despite the right wing suffering a surprise attack from Sharuga and Vulcanus of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Bertrand Unit eliminated Sharuga, while you personally executed Vulcanus, carving a blood-soaked path so the Four Heroes could reach the Demon King.”
Maroni, listening from the side, turned pale as she stared at me.
It was old news to me, but surprisingly, most people didn’t know the specifics of my record. That was likely because I had failed to attend the first commemoration ceremony after the victory in the Final War.
The King, his pride wounded, had declared in public that my merit was second to none, but stated he would only reveal exactly what I had done when I came in person to receive my medal.
Hearing it for the first time, Maroni was clearly shocked to realize I wasn’t just any ordinary veteran.
“War veteran compensation is categorized as follows. First, upon confirmation of participation in the war: 2 billion Dalk.”
The Branch Manager pointed to the bottom of the table.
There probably wasn’t a single surviving veteran who would receive only 2 billion. The survivors of the Final War, excluding the high command, were those who had fought like demons on their respective fronts and managed to strike down the enemy against all odds.
“In the case of encountering a member of the Four Heavenly Kings and inflicting a critical wound: 4 billion Dalk.”
Had they lived, most of the Bertrand Unit would have been entitled to at least 4 billion Dalk.
“For the defeat or slaying of a member of the Four Heavenly Kings: 8 billion Dalk.”
And the one squad mate who would have stood alongside me at the 8-billion-Dalk mark was Janks Dakuren. The brother of Lady Airune and the man who was originally the rightful successor to Hus. He had pierced the brain and gouged out the heart of Sharuga the Thunder Dragon—a feat truly worthy of the eldest son of the hero Vanguardier Dakuren.
“For the slaying of the Demon King: 100 billion Dalk.”
Was the Demon King’s life worth a mere 100 billion? It was an astronomical sum, certainly, but since the heroes who would have received it were all dead, it was nothing more than a hollow gesture.
Tch, nobles.
“The merits mentioned so far are granted based on achievement, but separate from those, there is an entry for compensation regarding regular soldiers.”
Finally, the Branch Manager pressed her finger firmly on an item written off to the side, like a lonely island on the chart.
“The merit for assisting in carving the blood-soaked path to the Demon King for the Four Heroes: 10 billion Dalk.”
Gulp.
The sound came not from me, but from Maroni’s throat.
“A total of 18 billion Dalk is scheduled to be provided as your compensation.”
But it didn’t end there.
“Furthermore, a war veteran pension of 80 million Dalk will be paid annually for the rest of your life.”
“My god…”
“Maroni!”
“I-I’m sorry.”
Maroni, who had let out a gasp of disbelief, was immediately scolded by the Branch Manager.
I was just hiding it, but if I had been alone, I would have been jumping around the room shouting “Jackpot!”
Sigh… this was bought with the blood of my comrades. It feels a bit shameful to be reacting like this to cold, hard reality.
“Regrettably, the Dakuren Bank is currently unable to prepare such a large sum immediately. It will take a considerable amount of time. Would that be acceptable?”
“Yes, that’s fine. But is it the same for the pension?”
80 million Dalk a year would be about 6.66 million Dalk a month. I figured that much could be paid out right away.
“Hmm, it doesn’t divide perfectly. It would be 6,666,667 Dalk per month, but even that is difficult.”
“Why is that?”
“Because the verification that you are indeed Alto Bertrand has not been completed.”
Oh, look at this.
The atmosphere turned heavy in an instant. As I stared at the Branch Manager, she met my gaze head-on without flinching.
“Did you think you could just appear out of nowhere, check the box for National Merit Recipient, and claim to be Alto Bertrand?”
“Count Dakuus will vouch for my identity.”
“Count Dakuus might have brought in a double to orchestrate this whole situation, whether for the public good or his own private interest.”
“Can you take responsibility for those words?”
The officials in Hus certainly did their jobs more thoroughly than those in Lukart. They were so meticulous it was starting to get annoying.
“Should I present my dog tags or my discharge papers?”
“Where is the proof that those aren’t forgeries?”
“Call an appraiser and have them examined.”
“And where is the proof that you haven’t bribed the appraiser?”
She was a difficult opponent. She had already decided on her answer. Moreover, she was incredibly calm. She was the same type as the Old Geezer; if I acted out aggressively, I would only be playing into her hands.
“Branch Manager.”
But a little threat wouldn’t hurt.
I’m not calling out to you. I’m just bringing back a bit of the feeling from the days we shared.
I let out just a tiny sliver of a blood-drenched hunting dog’s predatory instinct.
As my aura shifted, the Branch Manager’s smile faltered slightly. To think she could still hold her ground—she had nerves of steel.
“What do you want?”
“This is all for your sake, Lord Alto. Even if you have appeared like this, the high and mighty people at the Royal Palace won’t acknowledge you so easily.”
“I asked what you want.”
Knowing I had no intention of actually drawing blood, the Branch Manager quickly licked her lips.
“The Victory Commemoration Ceremony for the Final War is being held this year. It’s a massive event, and the Royal Palace is putting extraordinary effort into it.”
“Yes, I heard it would be a big affair.”
“Lord Alto Bertrand. The Kingdom wishes for you to take the lead and gather all the war veterans for this ceremony.”
“How am I supposed to know all the veterans?”
“You know them, don’t you? There wasn’t a single front the Bertrand Unit didn’t visit.”
She knows this?
The Bertrand Unit was a covert mobile unit. To the Demons, we were like a guerrilla force that appeared and disappeared like ghosts across the battlefield.
“Who are you?”
“Rather than asking ‘who,’ it would be more accurate to ask ‘what’ I was.”
The Branch Manager offered a salute with a much more relaxed posture.
“Former Lieutenant Nasian Bowina of the Intelligence Unit, reporting to Lord Alto Bertrand.”
“Shouldn’t I be the one saluting first? I only finished my service as a Sergeant.”
“To a war veteran? And the one with the highest merit at that?”
As expected, she was military. If she was from the Intelligence Unit, she would have been part of the command directly under the Royal Palace and likely had close ties with the old man, Dakuus.
Which meant…
“The Old Geezer set this up, didn’t he?”
“As I said, it’s so Hus can protect you.”
“In the end, it means I have to reveal myself.”
“Hus will negotiate well regarding your appearance at the ceremony. If you simply gather the veterans, the Royal Palace will be satisfied with just announcing the appearance and deeds of Alto Bertrand. Until then, they will use every means possible to delay the payment of your compensation and pension.”
“Sigh.”
Damn nobles. I fought with my life on the line; what more do they want from me?
However, the Branch Manager’s next words blew my hesitation away in an instant.
“If you call for them, Lord Alto, there shouldn’t be any difficulty in gathering the veterans, right? Besides, the location of the ceremony is a place familiar to you.”
“Where is it?”
“Lukart.”
I didn’t need to hear any more. I stood up from my seat without a shred of lingering attachment.
“I am never going back to Lukart.”
“It’s just for a brief attendance at the ceremony—”
“I won’t say it twice.”
“Lord Alto! If you do this, it will be truly difficult to process your compensation and pension!”
The Branch Manager tried to stop me in a panic, but my mind was made up.
“Either hold the ceremony in Hus, or forget it. I will never set foot on Lukart soil again.”
“Lord Alto!”
* * *
After Alto left, Maroni finally exhaled the breath she had been holding. Caught in the psychological warfare between monsters, she had barely managed to stay in her seat, trembling uncontrollably.
“Maroni.”
“Yes…”
“What do you think~? Do you think that was really Lord Alto?”
“I’m not sure…”
She said that, but Maroni felt it in her bones. Anyone capable of releasing such a ferocious aura was undoubtedly Alto Bertrand.
“I think it’s him~. Count Dakuus isn’t the type to play foolish games, after all. And he’s a high-value client, isn’t he?”
The Branch Manager, who had been snickering, suddenly turned dead serious and gave a stern warning.
“Do not breathe a word of today’s events to anyone. If this rumor spreads, anyone who knows even a little about Lord Alto will be hauled off by royal spies for interrogation. Besides, I’ve finally hooked a big fish for you as a client; if the other girls in the bank find out, they’ll all try to steal Lord Alto away from you~.”
“I understand.”
“Anyway.”
Nasian, the Branch Manager, straightened her back and stretched.
“Now that is a man~. Gentle when he needs to be, strong when he has to be. And he seems to have a firm grasp on his finances. Do you see, Maroni? Oh! I went to the salon yesterday to collect some payments, and I saw your boyfriend had added yet another new girl to his side~.”
He had gone to the salon again?
If there was one blemish on the otherwise pleasant Dakuren, it was the salons. They were places where exceptionally beautiful women from Hus were pampered by men, acting cute and wheedling money out of them. They were the common enemy of all women in Dakuren.
“A man’s face isn’t everything. A man has to be manly to be a man~. Ugh, if I hadn’t married my money, I’d have tried to seduce him myself~ Ohohohoho~!”
The Branch Manager, about to return to her frivolous self, saw Maroni frozen in place and coldly dismissed her.
“Go back to work. You need to work hard and earn money so you can put the funds for the salon in your boyfriend’s pocket, don’t you?”
Maroni hung her head pitifully.