Makina's Loan Application
The next morning, I hopped into a taxi headed for 8508 Queen Nutirius Street, where the Dimensional Credit Vault headquarters stood. I'd been to Linden on business trips a few times since transferring to the Kikiwai branch, but stepping into the HQ building felt like it had been ages. What was the word for it? Bittersweet nostalgia, maybe.
"Haa."
The streets of Linden visible through the window were as stunning as ever. This city, once reduced to rubble by magical bombardments during the Great War, had risen in just a few decades to become the financial hub of the multiverse. Towering skyscrapers lined the avenues, the streets buzzed with energy, and pedestrians of every imaginable race hurried by. Working at Kikiwai was rewarding, sure, but Linden was the dream city for any Dimensional Credit Vault teller.
From the elegant clock tower and historic buildings to the most sophisticated lifestyle in Dimension 6-2—it had it all. When you're doing the same job anyway, why not aim for the top? Kikiwai was a beautiful resort outpost, the perfect frontline for gaining experience with clients from across dimensions. But the real reason I'd requested the Kikiwai Multidimensional Branch was because it was a strategic post, an elite fast-track to promotions.
"……."
I wanted to climb higher. Before coming to this world, I'd never imagined myself doing anything but drawing caricatures. But now I knew: banking was my true calling. I wasn't claiming to be the best at it. It was just that helping people in need secure the right loan amount gave me an indescribable sense of fulfillment. A few months ago, I couldn't have pictured myself contributing to society in any other way than with my sketches. Now, every loan I processed—even exaggerating a bit—made me feel truly alive.
If I got promoted with more authority, I could help even more people. So the Kikiwai Multidimensional Branch was just a stepping stone. My real goal was the Goddess Examination department at HQ. That didn't mean slacking off at the branch now, of course. You don't climb without giving your all to every task. Besides, I actually liked Kikiwai. I'd have to leave eventually, but I had no complaints for now. Except maybe for how suspiciously often I brushed up against life-threatening crises for a banker.
"We're here."
The taxi driver's voice snapped me out of my reverie. Stepping out, I gazed up at the majestic orange building piercing the sky: Dimensional Credit Vault, Linden HQ. Time to see what kind of potential Oatanocha's creation possessed.
At the same time, in the HQ HR department.
Assistant Manager Mira Levrier sat sipping coffee with her mentor, Polomi. Dark circles shadowed their eyes, and their hands trembled around their cups without respite.
"Uh, sis. You think we can wrap this up on time?"
"Who knows... Honestly, I'm not confident."
The reason for the HR department's young duo looking more exhausted than ever was simple. For the past few days, they'd been buried under a workload unlike anything since joining the bank. Endless reports poured in: mistakes, embezzlement, and illegal acts by tellers from every branch. Sins that branches had swept under the rug or hidden away were now exposed, anonymously dumped into the HR database.
Trapped by the deluge, the two were suffering.
"The tipster's a lifesaver, but damn, I just wanna punch 'em once."
"Shouldn't an HR teller say that..."
Mira responded to Polomi's gripe with a dazed look.
"...But honestly, I thought the same thing."
She had no choice but to admit her feelings weren't much different.
"Whoever it is, they're impressive. Having data from every branch is shocking enough, but original unedited files and CCTV footage too? Must be forensics, but restoring this much data so quickly? Did they prep for years?"
"Maybe."
Polomi started sorting data on embezzlement by non-tellers first—ones with no reason for leniency. Best to report those to the higher-ups efficiently.
"At least we don't have to suspect the other seniors."
She smiled calmly amid the shocking names popping up. As she said, no current HR tellers appeared on the list. The audit department was clean too. That the bank's two most conscientious departments remained uncorrupted was a huge relief and a source of pride.
"Sis, isn't it kinda weird, though?"
"How so?"
"If info like this reached HR, probably the audit department too..."
-BAM!
No sooner had Mira finished than the door flew open. In strode a teller from another department: Abimelda, mentor to Irool Hinea, who was on suspension over the Dimension 16 incident. Like other audit tellers, this angel-born woman had wildly dilated pupils. Mira could guess why.
"What's up, Abi?"
Just as Mira and Irool were from the same class, Polomi and Abimelda had joined together too—the difference being public recruitment vs. special hires.
"You got 'that info' too, right?"
"Ah, so audit got contacted."
As Mira predicted. The anonymous tipster had sent embezzler lists to both HR and audit. Audit tellers were suffering the same chaos. HR had kept it quiet externally, planning to hand over sorted evidence later. But if audit already had the data, they could investigate independently.
"At first I thought it was from you guys, but that didn't add up."
"Yeah. If it was our investigation, why send anonymously?"
"Then who...?"
The three fell silent, pondering.
"No major incidents lately..."
"Nah, there was something suspicious."
Audit Assistant Manager Abimelda muttered. But even she lacked conviction.
"Hasn't the IT system been acting weird lately?"
"Now that you mention it, it's faster. We barely fended off the IT Management folks demanding inspections..."
"Board called an emergency meeting out of nowhere. Maintenance contractors showed up at HQ too."
As Mira and Polomi replied, Abimelda continued grimly.
"Makes me think our entire server got hacked."
"...Hacked?"
"Suspicious, right? UI changed suddenly, overall performance boosted."
"Only insiders could do that. Amid all this chaos, someone infiltrates purely for the bank's good—exposes all embezzlers and fixes issues on the side? Why?"
With skills to hack undetected, restore hidden evidence, they could rake in fortunes elsewhere. If hacked, the motive was baffling.
"Doesn't make sense."
A hacker devoid of greed. Annoying workload aside, they were a boon to the bank.
"Time will tell. Maybe a secret task force under the president."
"Think that's real?"
"How should I know?"
"If HR doesn't know, audit sure doesn't. Hey, mind if I snag some coffee too?"
"I'll brew it!"
After a brief respite from overtime hell, the three assistants returned to their posts. None foresaw what lunch hour would bring.
8:30 a.m. Arriving at HQ thirty minutes early, I had time to leisurely wander the building. Restricted areas and busy tellers limited me to the cafeteria and the 12th-floor terrace garden, but it was motivating all the same.
"HQ's the best."
I strolled the aerial garden overlooking Linden's skyline, alone. Most tellers were swamped right now—I could guess why. Yesterday at lunch, only Oatanocha showed; Mira didn't. Irool was messaging steadily despite light suspension, but Mira should've made it.
Her absence tied to Oatanocha's AI IT management solution, I figured. "Efficiency" included cutting wasteful costs. I recalled public recruits from my cohort fired for embezzlement. The AI likely learned all data, uncovering hidden teller corruption.
With no hiring season, HR buried in work? Had to be it.
"Hope they're okay."
Storms brewing inside and out the bank. Fingers crossed Kikiwai stayed clear.
-Bzzzzt!
My pocket smartphone buzzed wildly.
"This is Kim Jian."
A summons to the boardroom. I joined the IT Management team and headed straight to the 21st floor.
"...Hey."
"You're here."
I exchanged greetings with Oatanocha but stayed mum—had to hide the AI was his work. The elevator opened to the boardroom, nicknamed the wolf's den. Seeing the terrified IT tellers, I took the lead, deep breaths, and flung open the door.
What awaited me there—
Artificial Intelligence Makina
wishes to apply for a loan
from the Dimensional Credit Vault.
—was the sight of a cutting-edge AI avatar on the massive monitor, pleading with the board members for money.