The Fox Who Guards the Empire's Wealth
All the continent's trade routes converge on the Eisenreich Colonial Empire. There was even a proverb to that effect, underscoring how the empire throbbed with violent energy and raw vitality. It welcomed countless races and ethnicities. And it permitted freedom of all religions. The empire's mechanisms made myriad faiths and cultures mesh like precision gears, ushering in a golden age of civilization.
"Quite different from the Theodor Holy Empire, right?"
"No matter where you go, it's bustling and lively... brimming with energy and life."
I strolled through the streets of the imperial capital alongside a stunning beauty with flowing red hair. The Red Mercenary King had graciously volunteered as my guide for this first-time visitor from the Holy Empire to the giants' city.
Elves with pointed ears and delicate features. Beastkin with fluffy ears and distinctive racial traits. Dwarves striding along on short legs while stroking their bushy beards. These were the non-humans classified as heteromorphs. I kept stealing glances at the myriad non-humans who were subjects of the Colonial Empire. In contrast, the empire's humans going about their business treated these unique beings as just part of everyday life.
They called them a race of beauties, and sure enough, it's full of handsome men and gorgeous women. Not quite on the level of Leonora or Frederica, though... Beastkin manage bipedal walking effortlessly despite those huge ears and reverse-jointed legs. Dwarves must suffer in the muggy summer heat.
It was fascinating. Utterly intriguing. I couldn't hide my amazement at the sight of so many non-humans. And who could blame me? The Holy Empire was staunchly monoethnic. It rigidly controlled not just heteromorphs but even immigration from other human ethnicities, clinging to conservative traditionalism.
"You can't gawk at every little thing already, you know? The capital's piled high with wonders."
"Frederica must be used to it by now."
"My mercenary band had plenty of beastkin members. There are even whole units made up just of beastkin. I'll introduce you sometime if the chance comes up. There's an elf-only mercenary band too."
"Thank you."
The Red Mercenary King's jaunty steps halted as she rattled off her chatty explanations. We were in front of a street vendor selling ice cream.
"Two chocolate ice creams."
"15 credits, please."
The red-haired beauty handed over the chocolate scoops in soft-serve cones. It was a stark contrast to her commanding presence barking orders at rough mercenaries—she clearly had a sweet tooth. Indeed, this was the capital of the Colonial Empire. Selling luxury desserts like ice cream from a humble street stall. 15 credits. Not cheap at all. Slaves wouldn't even dream of it.
"Better eat it quick before it melts."
"Thanks, I'll dig in."
"This is me treating you special. Don't forget it later, okay?"
"Got it."
Frederica strode ahead with purposeful steps, diligently fulfilling her guide duties. I walked side by side with her like lovers enjoying a date, expressing my gratitude for her kindness.
How long had we walked while chatting? We finally arrived at our destination alongside the Red Mercenary King.
The War Bank. A financial institution dealing in spoils of all shapes and sizes. It was one of the most heavily guarded facilities in Gigantomachia, right up there with the War Council that oversaw all the empire's legions.
We entered the War Bank's building, ringed by massive outer walls and stone columns. Stepping inside this structure reminiscent of a temple to a singular holy god, my eyes were immediately drawn to the beautifully laid marble floors and the throngs of people.
"Congratulations on your victory, Wynder Executor."
"Doing well?"
"Of course. Allow me to escort you to President Hwaryeon's office. Ah, and the gentleman beside you must be Sir Valtenstein. Lady Edelgard Executor visited yesterday and opened an account in your name."
"That ice-cold white witch of the frozen wastes... she dotes on her subordinates terribly."
A middle-aged man in a neatly fitted bowler hat welcomed Frederica warmly. He looked like someone holding a key position at the War Bank. President. That must be the title for the bank's head. The banker led the War Bank's VIPs to the president's office with utmost courtesy.
Hwaryeon? From the eastern continent, maybe. There are nobles from the southern continent too... Someone from the east could snag a top post.
The War Bank's president managed the astronomical funds fueling the Colonial Empire's brutal expansionism. She was a top-tier official rivaling the War Council's Executors.
Knock.
Knock.
The banker rapped on the office door. A sultry voice responded to the knock.
"Frederica Baltaria Wynder. And Kailun von Valtenstein. A visit from our War Bank's star VIP, who handles our unparalleled funds, and a promising future VIP. Nice to meet you, Valtenstein."
"An honor to meet the War Bank's president."
Surprisingly, the War Bank's president was a fox-person with pronounced vulpine features. Fluffy animal ears atop her head and a multitude of dandelion-like swaying tails marked her as one of the beastkin non-humans. Mystical patterns etched on her cheeks like foreign tattoos. Ivory hair neatly styled in a golden ratio. Eyes sharp as a predator's yet gleaming like emeralds. And a provocative red Eastern-style dress accentuating her voluptuous figure. A nation-toppling beauty through and through. Her nine luscious tails proclaimed her a kyubi—a nine-tailed fox treated as a rare spirit beast even among fox-people.
The War Bank's stunning kyubi let out a tinkling laugh, long pipe between her crimson lips.
"Ahaha! Don't be so formal with me. I'm no soldier of the Colonial Empire—just a fox who loves rare treasures more than anything."
"Understood."
"800,000 credits. That's from liquidating the spoils you took from the cathedral. And from auctioning off the Sword Duke's successor at the capital's auction house... after fees, it's still 7 million credits."
"7 million credits—?!"
My monthly pay back in Holy Empire service was 1,200 credits. That was 5,833 months. Nearly 487 years. I'd pocketed 7 million credits selling off Zikfried. I'd half-expected it. Expert pinnacle. A war hero representing the Holy Empire. The Sword Duke's eldest son and Kreuz family heir. What better combat slave? He'd clearly captivated the nobles at the auction.
The buyer who'd snapped up Zikfried at auction was a War Council Executor on par with the Frozen Wastes Executor and Red Mercenary King. And word was, a mad magitech scholar nicknamed "Father of Monsters," leading banned human experimentation across the continent—save the Colonial Empire.
"You've struck it rich, so you should spend freely to support the empire's small businesses. How much to withdraw? Can't empty the account, I'm afraid. Edelgard Executor made sure to warn me not to let you blow it all in a spree before she left."
"......"
I felt like a married man despite being single. Hwaryeon tapped her pipe on the desk, giggling.
"Edelgard Executor's great about repayments. She dropped by yesterday and cleared the loans we'd floated for invading the Holy Empire in one go. From the spoils on the Sanctus front, she's probably earned dozens of times the debt. Makes sense."
"Lady Leonora borrowed war funds from the War Bank?"
"Pocket change compared to what other War Council nobles borrow, but still. The frozen wastes under House Edelgard are among the empire's richest territories."
"......"
The War Bank provided war funds to War Council nobles, who repaid with interest. But if they lost? Catastrophic losses. War was an economic gamble laced with extreme risk. For every war hero like the Frozen Wastes Executor or Red Mercenary King amassing glory and riches through unbroken victories, plenty of nobles went bankrupt, unable to repay their War Bank loans.
"Does Executor Frederica borrow often too?"
"Of course not. The War Bank's a cabal of shady swindlers. They inflate the debt over time—who else pulls that crap in the Three Saints?"
Usury was despised across eras and cultures. Religions branded it "the devil's deed," banning it outright. Frederica seemed cut from that cloth. She declared in a firm voice, "Bloodsuckers who'd drain even a demon dry."
Hwaryeon, as War Bank president, replied with loaded ambiguity: "If the demon's our client, maybe?"
"I have a request."
"What would that be, esteemed Valtenstein client?"
"Lady Leonora left instructions, but... I want to withdraw everything from the War Bank account. To counter the Holy Empire's Black Lion, I need to develop a new type of unit."
"Impressive. You've whetted this fox's appetite."
I needed cavalry that could traverse any rugged terrain with ease. Swift mobility and breakthrough power—like what the Kreuz knights had shown. Watching those knights neutralized the moment they hit the mud-churned tar pit convinced me: To overcome cavalry's limits, I need hooves that can charge through any ground.
"My, how bold. If not for my late husband... I might've fallen for you on the spot. Edelgard Executor's a lucky woman."
The fox flashed a bewitching smile, licking her lips.