By the end of the day, Zane’s wrists and the rest of his body throb with pain. His hands feel numb as he swings the sword one final time and finally takes a break.
He slumps back onto the ground, hands on his knees. His chest heaves from exhaustion, sweat glistening all over his body as he feels a sudden urge to take a nap right here.
He didn’t expect that he would keep training for hours non-stop. Though, whether it was because of his motivation for the sword, or to relieve his mind from the tension of the future, he cannot tell exactly.
The sun has started setting over the horizon, covering the land in a faint orange and red hue.
Taking a long exhale, he pushes himself to stand and glances toward the exit.
"This is not a bad job, though..."
Since awakening in this world, he had forced his particular confusion about the nature of this job inside. Yesterday, he couldn’t understand much about this job due to the incident with Kael and Bram.
But today, as he kept training with his sword, nobody stopped or asked him to do any work of any kind. That’s when he realized something important.
"The people here also just train and train. What is the work, then? Do we get money for just gaining strength for ourselves?"
He pushes the door open and steps into the hallway. The path is less crowded than it was in the morning. As he reaches the entrance, the guard he met in the morning has been replaced with someone else for the evening shift.
After stepping out, he stops for a moment, arms crossed over his chest as he looks between the path toward his house and the path opposite to it. His gaze sharpens in focus.
I spent too much time here. If I keep going like this, then when will I get the time to investigate the debt and academy?
The thought of Clara makes him hesitate for a moment, but thinking better of it, he pushes the thought aside and takes the different path from his house.
It will not take too long. I will finish my tasks first. Otherwise, I will not be able to sleep peacefully tonight.
...
Navigating through the mental map in his mind, he reaches the supposed Financial Institution that Seth had informed him about.
"It’s really quite close," he murmurs while looking at the building.
Aegis Credit House. The building gives a sense of professionalism and financial dread just by looking at it. Several people pass through the entrance gate continuously, keeping silent and stern looks on their faces.
Zane smiles wryly while watching the scene. A familiar feeling stirs within him as he takes a step forward.
I don’t like these financial institutions... no matter what world I am in.
The moment he enters through the entrance, the sheer scale of the interior hits him directly in his throbbing nerves. His eyes widen as he stares.
The interior makes it clear that this is not your usual bank from Earth. The high ceilings, marbles splayed over the floor, decorated walls with what looks like swords, and paintings of people. Everything screams expensive and otherworldly!
He watches with his eyes agape, the pressure suddenly increasing over him as he breathes.
"The interest... the interest would definitely be high in this place."
As he scans the rooms, stairs, and people for information, his gaze lands on a particular scene in the distance.
Near the pillars, several wooden desks are set in a column close to the wall, with several middle-aged men sitting on the chairs near them.
A small line of people stands in front of each desk, as if waiting for their turn. The line clears fast and fills just as quickly.
"They might give me some information..."
When Zane reaches the perimeter near those desks, a hand suddenly stops him. He turns his head in surprise.
A man standing in armor, with the symbol of the Aegis Credit House, stops him in his tracks.
Guard...?
The guard’s gaze scans over Zane once before he opens his palm and stares silently, waiting.
"What...?" Zane tries to speak, but the words get caught on his tongue. He looks between the open palm and the guard’s face.
What does he want? Should I give a handshake? Or is it some ritual?
Then, he finally remembers. His hand fumbles inside his pocket before he takes out his identity badge but hesitates.
I have only this, though...
Before he could think anything else, the guard’s hand moves, snatching the badge in a single, swift motion and taking a look at it. Then, he passes the badge back and steps behind while gesturing toward the desks area.
"The Crucible. You are from that place, there must be some debt issue, it seems. Join the first desk’s line."
Zane grips the badge tightly for a moment, glancing between him and the badge. The badge does hold the name ’The Crucible’, and he had already predicted that this was his workplace’s name.
But, how can he tell I have a debt issue?
Shaking his head, he moves forward and takes his position in the line. Soon, the line clears, and his stomach hits the edge of the desk.
The man sitting on the chair glances up once with a weary gaze. Then, without looking at the papers or even asking anything, he sighs and waves his hand dismissively.
"Jack. You took a loan of 500,000 rin for three years. One and a half years have passed. Your current debt is 525,000 rin, including interest. Make sure to pay the interest on time this month; otherwise, it will increase further."
Silence stretches as the man waves his hand again.
"You wanted to inquire about this, right? It’s finished. Go and let the line move forward."
Zane snaps out of his daze and quickly leans forward.
"W... Wait! Just for a moment!" His voice comes out shaky as he thinks, the math passing over his head at the absurd amount that he just heard.
Why is it still 525k? And how much interest should I pay anyway!?
The man’s jaw tightens as he taps the wood impatiently.
"Be quick. I don’t have time for fools."
Finally finishing his thoughts, he nods once and asks, "Can I get some details on my debt? I might have forgotten something..."
"Huh?" The man’s eyebrow shoots up before he snatches a blank paper in a loud huff. He scribbles something too quickly on the paper with his quill and flicks the paper toward him.
"Irresponsible people. Keep this safe. You will not get another copy if you lose this."
...
When Zane comes out, the sky has darkened even further. His shoulders drop as he lets out a tired sigh and groans.
"I might drop dead right here..."
The single paper in his hand feels too heavy. He doesn’t look at it right now, knowing that he might get really stressed if he looked at it.
Tucking the paper inside his pocket, he starts making his way toward his house.
Though... how did that man remember my details so clearly, and he even wrote so many details without hesitating once. Super memory?
He just exhales and stops thinking for a moment.
...
The door to his house comes into view. His eyes are half-lidded now as he presses his hand against the door. The ache in his arms and legs is intense, the side effects of his hours-long sword training finally landing upon him.
"I... want to sleep..."
His forehead hits the wood, and he closes his eyes. His hands slip down the door as he loses himself to the exhaustion.
The last thing he hears is not the stern voice of that man talking about his debt, but instead, it’s the sound of footsteps.
A moment later, the door creaks open. He stumbles forward weakly, his face hitting something soft and incredibly comfortable. The scent, intoxicating and familiar, suddenly fills the air around him.
The only things he remembers after this are the sensation of his body being held gently and getting lifted off the ground. Seconds later, his back hits what feels like the mattress, and then the same fragrance covers him again, followed by a quiet whisper against his ear.
"Sleep well... darling."
[Notification]
[Synchronization rate: 40%(+5)]
[Host has discovered an important part of Jack’s life.]
[The current world’s description can be opened soon.]