Chapter 116

“Something happened to Josephine?”

As I quickly unfolded the newspaper, Rose Bly muttered in a grumbling tone.

“Hmph… So I’m standing right here in front of you, and you’re more curious about another woman?”

“Then why did you bring it if you didn’t want me to read it?”

When I replied like that, Rose Bly just let out a snort.

Imperial Year XXX, June 6 Edition

– On the afternoon of the 3rd, a robbery occurred on the express train traveling from Lambart to Abellar. Over ten armed bandits attacked the train, but thanks to the courageous decision of Princess Estelle Louise T Paragon Moore Wilhelmina, who happened to be on board, and her escort knight, all passengers were safely rescued.

– Upon confirming the delay of the train’s arrival, the Railroad Bureau’s strike team departed from Abellar and reached the scene of the incident at 4 a.m. the following day. The relief train arrived and rescued Princess Estelle and the passengers by 8 a.m.

– When asked how they managed to endure the long wait until help arrived, one passenger said, “Her Highness went to the dining car and brought out a tub of ice cream stored in the refrigerator. Everyone shared it together, which helped us forget our anxiety and hold on to hope for rescue.”

– In response, Celeste, the company that supplied the ice cream to the express train, released a statement saying, “It is a tremendous honor that Her Royal Highness ate our product,” and promised to continue using only the finest ingredients in their offerings. (omitted…)

– Some speculate that this robbery may have been an assassination attempt targeting Princess Estelle. Currently, the princess is under safe protection at Abellar City Hall and will remain there as a witness until the investigation concludes.

– Meanwhile, the train that was attacked is a new model recently introduced by the Railroad Bureau, notable for its experimental use of military-grade Caraphine as a power source to reduce fuel weight and improve efficiency. The bureau announced that, in light of this incident, they will reexamine the safety of the new train model and begin assigning their own security personnel on board.

“Train robbery?”

When she last came to visit me in the hospital, Josephine mentioned she’d been assigned to guard the princess.

That must mean the escort knight mentioned in the newspaper article is Josephine.

But more than that, what caught my attention was the fact that Estelle is now stuck in a border city, being held as a witness.

“So the princess’s trip to Libron is now uncertain.”

“Hehe, is that what you’re more concerned about?”

“What did you expect from me?”

Josephine is the kind of swordswoman who could slice up a dozen petty bandits as easily as chopping ingredients on a cutting board.

If anything, it’s the bandits’ lives we should be more worried about.

As I was thinking that, the newspaper was suddenly whisked away.

Rose Bly, now fully prepared, tossed the paper aside.

“Alright, it’s time to stop thinking about other women.”

She interlaced her fingers with mine smoothly and without hesitation; her fingers slipped through mine.

And yet, I had this nagging feeling that I was forgetting something.

What was I missing?

***

The next morning.

I found myself facing something for the first time since possessing the body of Winter Winslet.

“I’m out of money.”

“Oh dear, that’s quite a problem.”

Dahlia, looking at the empty vault with me, responded in the same calm tone.

“Should we cut back on our spending? Like switching from gold-foiled tissues to silver-foiled ones, or replacing the fresh flowers every three days instead of daily?”

“…Are you serious?”

That… counts as cutting back?

Just what kind of life had Winter Winslet been living up to this point?

But Dahlia seemed to interpret my tone differently and bowed her head.

“I-I’ve been too careless, haven’t I? I’m sorry. Then maybe I could reuse the disposable silk slippers for two days instead of one, or wash and reuse handkerchiefs and towels instead of discarding them after a single use, or perhaps cut my meals in half…”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Yes, I was out of cash. But that didn’t mean the great Winter Winslet had suddenly become penniless and would be kicked out onto the street.

Until now, whenever money was needed, I’d just pull gold coins or jewels from the family vault.

Now that the vault was simply empty.

In other words, it was like my wallet ran dry. All I had to do was go to the bank and withdraw more.

Thinking back, the main reason for this situation was probably that time I recklessly overbid at the black market’s secret auction for the Montieri Collection.

“When was the last time I withdrew money from the bank?”

“It was sometime last winter. You didn’t like how slushy the roads got when it snowed, so you had a 600-meter path completely carpeted. And since the carpet had to be replaced every time it snowed, that added up quite a bit.”

“……”

Yeah… best not to say anything.

I opened the vault and pulled out the last remaining item of value inside.

An ornate, lavishly decorated medal.

It was similar in appearance to the medal I had once given to Dahlia, but the value was in an entirely different league. With this medal, I could withdraw up to 20% of Winter Winslet’s total bank deposits in a single transaction.

The reason for the 20% withdrawal cap?

Winter Winslet’s wealth was so vast that no single bank branch could physically store all of it.

“I’ll head to the bank today.”

“Have a safe trip!”

In Candela of Judgment, banks weren’t yet fully developed financial institutions. They were more like paid storage vaults for the wealthy.

Perhaps that’s why the bank building on the outskirts of Lambart looked more like a fortress or a detention center than a place of finance.

With eight guards patrolling the exterior alone, it was clear they prioritized security and reassurance over architectural beauty.

Even its location, next door to Dintalvy, the district housing the capital’s military facilities and gendarmerie headquarters, seemed a purely practical choice.

As soon as I stepped inside, a receptionist immediately recognized me.

“Thank you for visiting our branch. It’s rare for you to come in person, Baron. What brings you here today…?”

I handed over the medal.

The receptionist’s eyes went wide.

“Th-This is beyond my authority to process. Would you mind waiting a moment? I’ll bring the branch manager right away.”

Not long after the receptionist disappeared, a commotion erupted upstairs.

Thud, bang, crash.

Soon, an elderly gentleman in a formal suit came rushing down the stairs with alarming energy. So much so that I worried for his hip joints.

“Baron Winslet!”

He bowed deeply at the waist.

“I sincerely apologize. We should have escorted you to the VIP room immediately. To think we left you waiting here in the lobby… I’ll make sure to personally address this with the staff later.”

The branch manager hesitated for a moment, then cautiously continued.

“As it happens, we recently acquired something rather special… A rare tobacco leaf brought in from the South by a traveling merchant, along with a hookah said to have been excavated from an ancient royal tomb. Would you care to relax inside and enjoy the aroma for a bit?”

“No, I’m just here to withdraw some money and leave right away.”

As I said that and handed over the medal, the elderly gentleman adjusted his glasses and let out a small murmur.

“That’s a top-tier medal. If it’s not too forward of me, may I ask the purpose of the withdrawal? Was there something lacking in our services…?”

“Living expenses.”

“Ah, yes. Living expenses. But the amount you’re requesting is…?”

Back when I took over this body, the amount stored in the mansion’s vault should be more than enough, shouldn’t it?

When I told him the figure, the branch manager’s expression noticeably brightened.

“For that small an amount, there was really no need to bring your medal. Just a postcard with your seal would’ve sufficed, and we could have delivered it straight to your estate.”

To treat that sum that was by no means a small amount as “small”…

Even I, a veteran player of Candela of Judgment, feel like my sense of money is breaking.

What on earth was Winter Winslet thinking when he saved up all this money?

Was he planning to buy a kingdom or something?

“Since I’m here, I’ll take a look at my total assets before I leave.”

“Then I’ll escort you to the vault. However, this branch only holds about a quarter of your total assets. For security reasons, the rest is distributed across other cities, and a portion is currently invested in government bonds and merchant consortiums.”

As we descended the narrow staircase leading underground, what greeted me was a massive circular vault door.

Embedded deep in the front of the door was an intricately crafted brass dial, surrounded by three locking mechanisms arranged side by side.

To open the vault, three different vault managers, each holding a unique code, were required.

The elderly branch manager proudly explained that unless all three were kidnapped at the same time, there was no risk of the security being compromised.

As someone who, back when I played Candela of Judgment, had pried into the hidden assets of criminals, I couldn’t help but smirk.

That kind of talk was always a flag.

Creak. Clank.

With a heavy sound, the door swung open, and Winter Winslet’s fortune unfolded before my eyes.

Just estimating the storage costs for this much gold made me sigh without thinking.

I had originally planned to take just enough for living expenses and be done with it, but I changed my mind.

It’s not like you can take it with you when you die, so what’s the point of letting it just sit there?

Might as well use some of it.

“Pack two more bags. Mix of gold coins and jewels.”

Even that much was already quite heavy, so I decided to have most of the withdrawn amount delivered directly to the residence at the Academy.

When I returned to the bank lobby, I spotted an errand boy who had clearly sniffed out a big opportunity and was waiting nearby with sharp instincts. I flicked him a gold coin.

I asked him to send a sweet piece of chocolate with a flower basket to Rose Bly’s newspaper office, and told him he could keep the rest as a tip. The boy’s grin stretched from ear to ear.

“I’ll find the most beautiful and fragrant flower in the capital and send it!”

Money really is a wonderful thing.

Might as well take this chance to look after the people I know.

Not that Winter Winslet had many acquaintances to begin with.

I thought about picking up a piece of jewelry or a toy for Dahlia on the way home, but since I didn’t know her tastes, I decided to take her out later and let her choose for herself.

That just left Josephine.

While pondering what kind of gift would suit Josephine who was probably having a hard time in a border town right about now, I suddenly remembered that her birthday was coming up soon.

In that case, it should be something a little special.

One particular item came to mind right away… but would it be okay to give her something so personal?

Anyone who’s a long-time player of Candela of Judgment inevitably ends up becoming a ruthless min-maxer with no room for sentiment.

I decided to craft a custom, endgame-tier piece of equipment for Josephine.

Something that only becomes obtainable in the final stages of Candela of Judgment’s story.

Naturally, there was no way to find the materials for it here in the capital.

So, where would I need to source the materials?

There was no need to even ask.

I headed straight for the Adventurers’ Guild.