-I understand that all these instructions were given by Draco's father.- Bleist also wanted to find out something and at the same time help his apprentice figure out what was actually going on.
-As far as those related to inheritance are concerned, yes.- Erth flipped through a few pages.- The decisions to cash in all the inherited property that can be linked to the young master's family and to keep the family data secret were made by your grandfather and uncle, respectively. Both of these decisions were made after the death of the young master's parents.- He read the entry on the next page.- Unfortunately, I must inform the young master that all of his father's relatives are deceased. My condolences.- The Hunter closed the documents for a moment and bowed.
-Thank you,- the dragon replied instinctively. It seemed that he did not even know when and why he had reacted. Darius remembered how he himself had felt when he learned of his father's death, so he could not even imagine how his disciple must have felt. However, when he looked at the dragon, he only saw him staring blankly at his clasped hands. Draco seemed to be struggling with his thoughts, but Bleist did not notice any despair or deep grief in him, it seemed that the boy was simply sad. - My aunt said that after my parents died, she had no contact with my father's family.- The dragon began quietly.- She once told me that my parents had some problems, and that it was very likely related to my father's family.
-Thirteen years ago, the third war between the Tsardom and Mortis was still going on, so it was quite turbulent.- Darius put his hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed it tightly. In this way, he tried to cheer Draco up a little.- Many families disappeared overnight. By leaving you with your aunt, your parents must have expected some kind of conflict.- The dragon only nodded. After a moment, he took a deep breath and straightened up. The sadness on his face was gone, replaced by composure.
-We can continue.- Draco's tone was somewhat empty but determined.
-As you wish, young master.- Erth bowed again and opened the thick book once more. This time, he quickly leafed through it and opened it at the end. -Ultimately, your fortune consists of three parts. The first is an account for the young master's needs, that is, for all everyday expenses. This money is available immediately and can be withdrawn by the young master or used with Central Bank receipts honoured in most places around the world. Five hundred Crystal Crowns have been placed in this account.- Darius refrained from reacting with surprise. The amount in the regular account was truly staggering. If this was for simple expenses, how much did Draco's family leave him in total?- The second part of the fortune consists of investment accounts, which, in accordance with our regulations, are intended as investment funds for merchant expeditions, new and profitable ventures, and the like. The funds in these accounts can be released, that is, withdrawn, but this takes a long time and entails losses. For this reason, they are usually closed or changed after the end of a given investment. Currently, there are several such accounts opened in the young master's name, totalling 82,376 Crystal Crowns.- This time, Bleist couldn't keep a straight face and whistled through his teeth. The amount the Hunter had quoted was considerable. The entire Ed'heere estate was worth about 20,000 Crowns, so Draco's current fortune was enormous. Many aristocrats who were considered rich and influential did not even have half of what the young dragon had. Suddenly, Darius felt that a new problem had arisen. He knew all too well that money corrupts, especially large sums of money. He began to wonder how this sudden revelation would affect his student.- The third and final part of the inheritance is the family treasury and the valuable items stored in it. Unfortunately, we are unable to give an exact estimate of the value of the items stored there. The treasury contains unique artefacts and magic books containing records in a forgotten or secret language. A rough estimate suggests that everything stored in the treasury should be worth between fifty and two hundred and thirty thousand Crystal Crowns.- Erth read something else at the end of the page and looked at his clients sitting in front of him in astonishment. Bleist looked first at his apprentice and then at the banker and took a deep breath.
-Are you sure about these estimates?- The mage managed to ask only this one question at that moment.
-As I said earlier, due to the nature and uniqueness of most of the items collected, we are not certain about their estimated value. However, taking into account only their age and collectible value, we have determined their approximate worth.- The Hunter was the epitome of calm and professionalism. Now there was nothing that could shake him.- Of course, it is possible that the value of the artefacts is many times greater. In this regard, I am not going to try to be an expert.
-Yes, of course.- Darius nodded and looked at his student again. Draco sat staring at the Hunter in disbelief.
-Now for the most important question,- Erth began, fixing his gaze on the dragon.- The instructions regarding all accounts now belonging to young master Ignis were only valid until the end of the inheritance process, which has just concluded. Therefore, I would like to ask the young master for new instructions regarding the future of the assets.
Darius had no idea what to do now. On the one hand, he did not want to impose a decision on his student, but on the other, he was a little concerned about what the dragon would want to do. Bleist had already met various people with different approaches to wealth. He knew those who lived beyond their means, constantly pretending to be insanely rich, when they had long since squandered their last Crown. He was also familiar with people who greedily hoarded every Cust from their enormous fortunes. He himself moved among merchants and investors, whose savings worked to multiply their wealth. In fact, Darius himself wanted to belong to the latter group.
-Ummm... - Draco rubbed his hands uncertainly again. - That's a lot. - He said unconvincingly. - I don't know... ummm... what to do with it. - He rubbed his hands together again and looked around. - If it's worked so far, then maybe... Well, so that it works the same way. - It was clear that the dragon couldn't find the right words. - The same instructions, investments and so on. To be honest, I don't know much about this and I don't know what I would do with such a huge amount of money myself.
-If young master Ignis so desires, we can of course take care of further investing your assets.- Erth took a document out of his desk, wrote something on it and put it aside. - If I may ask, what does the young master intend to do with the open account and the family treasury?
-Basically, I just wanted to...- Draco reached out and placed the two Crowns he had received from Matheo on the counter. -I just wanted to deposit...
-Of course. - The Hunter pulled out another page of the document, made a few corrections, signed it, and put it back on top of the previous one. -And the treasury?
Draco opened his mouth and then closed it after a moment. He looked at the Hunter for a moment, then looked at Darius for help.
-I think you should keep both the vault and its contents. - Bleist smiled slightly. - Additionally, it would be good to go down and look at the vault. Not because of the contents themselves, but because of the opportunity to go down into the basement of the Central Bank.
Draco nodded in agreement. He seemed to breathe a little easier.
-To be honest, that's the best solution,- Erth admitted, stepping out of his professional role for a moment. For the third time, he reached into his desk and pulled out the written page.- I must admit that I expected a similar reaction and took the liberty of preparing the appropriate documents. Due to the fact that young master Ignis is a minor, in addition to your signature, the signature of your guardian, the honourable earl present here, is also required.- The Hunter handed the documents to Draco first. The dragon carefully read all three pages and handed them to his master. Darius knew more or less what was in the documents, but he read them thoroughly nonetheless. The first concerned the management of investment funds and, unsurprisingly, Bleist found it to be the safest but least profitable option, subject to numerous safeguards and most beneficial to the Hunters themselves, who, by investing in so-called safe ventures, received a high percentage of the profits. The second document was a simple confirmation of deposit for two Crowns. The third was a confirmation of acceptance of the entire inheritance. Darius saw nothing disturbing in any of the documents, so he simply nodded and handed them to his apprentices.
Meanwhile, Erth took a beautiful crystal pen and inkwell from his desk and placed them in front of his clients. Draco took the pen and quickly signed three times. Then, with a quick movement, he gently cut his thumb and pressed it against each signature. When he was done, he handed the documents to Darius, who also signed them and then magically sealed them with his family signet ring.
-In that case, all the formalities have been finalised,- said Erth, taking the signed documents. -On behalf of the Central Bank, I would like to thank you for your trust and I hope for further fruitful cooperation.- A standard polite phrase accompanied the filing of the documents in the folder. Then the Hunter unscrewed the cylindrical container again, this time at the bottom, and pulled out a necklace with a ring hanging from it.- Here is the key to the vault of young master Ignis.
The dragon took the necklace from the older man and looked at the signet ring. Darius stretched his neck slightly to see what was engraved on the ring. To his surprise, Bleist found that the engraving on the signet ring depicted a torch flame and the dragon maxim Igni fallie illui'the Geheenus, which could be translated as Familial Fire Illuminating Darkness.
-In accordance with all previous instructions and current heraldry, the young master inherited his mother's coat of arms.- Erth placed a small rosewood box in front of Draco and gently opened it. Inside, there were three compartments. One contained bearer bank notes for transactions amounting to less than a Crystal Crown. The second compartment contained small rectangular cards with a space for writing on one side and a magic circle incorporated into a decorative mosaic on the other. The cards were a form of communication between customers and the Central Bank for larger transactions. After writing down the purpose of the purchase and the amount allocated for it, a small amount of mana had to be transferred to the circle on the other side to activate it. Upon receiving the message, the banker sent an intermediary to his customer, who represented the Hunters' institution and was the guarantor of the contract's validity. The third compartment was lined with blue fabric and contained a small, delicate and richly decorated magic pen. The object was made entirely of crystals formed into a single creation by magic. The pen Draco received had three colours: a golden nib, a blue casing and a red alchemical crystal. The whole thing was covered with a delicate flame pattern. The pen did not use ink, but mana stored in the alchemical crystal. Erth explained to the young dragon how to use the receipts and what the individual elements of the set were for. After the explanations, Draco hid the box in the inside pocket of his coat, which was essentially intended for that purpose.
-So now we have to visit the treasury? – asked Bleist, glancing at the clock.
-Yes. With the signed documents and the signet ring, we can safely go downstairs.- Erth struggled to get up from behind his desk and gasped as if it had caused him trouble. -Eh, the years are taking their toll on me.- He muttered and, with obvious dissatisfaction, began to search for something near the cabinet. After a moment, he pulled out a delicate, forest-themed walking stick and leaned heavily on it. - Follow me. - He said with a slightly forced smile and headed for the door. Darius stood up and looked at his student. Draco rose from his seat and thoughtfully hung the chain with the signet ring around his neck, then hid it under his clothes. The magician waited for the boy to move, and together they went out into the corridor. The older man closed the door behind them and pointed his cane into the passageway opposite the lift they had arrived in. The banker moved first. Bleist noticed that the man was clearly limping, which meant that he must have recently suffered some kind of injury.
-I guess it's not just your age that's getting the better of you,- said the mage, wanting to break the silence disturbed only by the Hunter's panting and the heavy footsteps of the pensive dragon.
-Oh, it's nothing,- Erth said, pulling a large white handkerchief covered with green embroidery out of his pocket and wiping his forehead. -At my age, I should take care of myself and not act like a youngster. Although my mind tells me that I am not as fit as I used to be, my heart still yearns as it did in the past.
-You have to be young at heart.- The mage stopped next to the Hunter. Erth tapped his cane on the wall next to the lift, and the entire passage lit up with green light.
-But you also have to be careful.- The man smiled a little more cheerfully. -A wise man is one who knows his limits perfectly and can assess his abilities well.
-It's a shame that life so often forces us to cross them.
-It happens, it happens.- They got into the lift behind Erth and started heading down. Darius's stomach reminded him again that he didn't like lifts at all.
-Excuse me,- Draco said, looking at the Hunter.- If it's not a secret, could you tell me if the vault...- The dragon instinctively reached for the chain hanging around his neck.- Is it the same... Well... Is it the same one that belonged to my father? Or was the original one located in another branch of the Central Bank?
-Oh, but of course it's the same one, young master,- Erth perked up and began to speak more energetically. -However, as for its location, it seems that you are unaware of it. Allow me to quote the official position of the Central Bank: All vaults belonging to persons who are contractors of the Central Bank are located in a space accessible from every active branch of that institution. In other words, it is located here and in every other branch of our bank at the same time. - Draco stared at the smiling Hunter for a moment, then looked at his master, obviously seeking a simpler explanation.
-When I asked about this in the past, I got exactly the same answer, so what I'm about to say is mainly my guess. - The dragon's eyes sparkled with curiosity, so now there was no turning back and he had to share his own observations and opinions he had heard. - Generally, all documents indicate that it is impossible to determine when the vaults were built. It seems as if they have always been there, just like the Hunters themselves. - He nodded to Erth, who only smiled more broadly. - To be honest, it is impossible to determine whether the vaults themselves exist on our plane, are a magical creation, a huge artefact, or were built in a separate dimension or a very specific enclave. There are many theories on this subject, but I'm afraid we'll never know the truth. It's one of those secrets that the Hunters won't reveal. As for access to the underground, it is possible through a kind of gate located in each Central Bank facility. I admit that I have no idea how the gate itself works, nor how to navigate inside. - When he finished speaking, the lift stopped.
- We're at the bottom. - Erth began to limp through the corridor lined with soldiers. - Follow me.
Bleist had been here many times before, visiting his own treasury, so he knew both the way and the entire procedure well. However, Draco was here for the first time, and it was clear that despite the sad news, he was very curious and excited. The corridor they were walking through was deep underground, or at least below the foundation on which the Emerald Pagoda was built. The walls of the stone corridor were covered with paper screens bearing the coat of arms of the Central Bank. When they left the corridor, they found themselves in a large square chamber. Opposite the passageway was a green Tori gate, behind which were three tunnels that looked like natural caves. On both sides of the structure stood sorceresses dressed in white robes with emerald decorations resembling the ceremonial robes of Japanese priestesses.
When they approached, the women bowed, and two of them gestured towards the passage on the right. The Huntresses approached the passage and placed their hands on the rock. They both whispered something in melodious voices, and the interior of the cave lit up with green light. The women bowed again, and Erth briskly moved forward. Darius and Draco followed the man. As soon as they passed the entrance, the mage shuddered, feeling a prick of unnatural cold. He had never liked this passage because of the conditions inside. With each step, it grew colder. In addition, the entrance to the cave seemed to remain in the same place. At one point, the green light behind them dimmed, but at the same time, an exit glowing with an emerald light appeared in front of them. When they crossed the exit, the unnatural cold disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. Now they stood on a platform open to a bottomless abyss surrounded by entrances to treasure chambers.