【Novgorodian】

【Category: System Skill】

【Proficiency: Unlock the [Proficiency] subsystem of [Combat Power Assessment] to view】

【Note: Language is a very practical skill. But how could a skeleton like you know these obscure characters?】

“Hmm...”

I wandered down a street with a distinctly medieval European feel, staring blankly at the reading and writing skill I’d learned last night.

Eileen walked beside me, looking left and right nonstop. Every now and then, she let out a quiet gasp of wonder.

“Saileda...”

Before we came, Linda had told me how this fortress city came to be.

Saileda, the border city, stood on the kingdom’s northeastern frontier. The royal family began paying attention to it after the Second Invasion of the Evil God. They’d planned to pour a fortune into turning it into a fortress city, but the demons and Evil Gods never came to cause trouble. Little by little, the city lost the purpose it had been given and became a trade city instead.

Over the more than two hundred years since the Alliance was founded, the forests around Saileda had gradually become a haven for monsters and a gathering place for cultists. So the Alliance’s Adventurers' Guild established a Silvermoon-rank branch here—the second-highest rank. Many foreign merchant caravans also passed through the city. In time, Saileda had grown into a metropolis with a vast territory and a thriving economy.

I walked barefoot, my bones clacking against the ground with a “clack-clack” sound.

Stone slabs paved the streets, and carriages came and went. Vendors called out without pause, while rows of shops catering to travelers lined the road.

It really did feel like a trade city.

“I heard this city was built on top of ruins from more than two hundred years ago.”

Eileen leaned closer. Delight shone in her ruby-red eyes.

“Ruins?”

“Mm. Two hundred years ago, the Evil God invaded and drove an evil dragon to turn all the land and cities around here into scorched earth.”

“After the kingdom’s army defeated the Evil God and its army of monsters, they built this sturdy fortress city on the ruins to fend off any future invasion or war.”

“Oh... I see. By the way, Eileen, have you been here before?”

The girl gave a helpless smile, a hint of sadness crossing her delicate face.

“I used to wander from city to city. I’d always heard things about different places, but I never had a chance to visit them.”

I patted her little head and sighed.

Poor kid.

We continued walking through the city, taking in the sights and getting to know this sprawling place. The street food stalls left us dazzled.

The aroma of fat dripping from sizzling meat mingled with the sweet scent of ripe fruit.

From familiar foods you could find anywhere to all kinds of exotic dishes we’d never seen before, there was an incredible variety.

People streamed along the streets, and plenty of street performers and vendors had set up shop by the roadside. The place buzzed with noise.

Every now and then, I spotted people carrying weapons and wearing all kinds of armor and protective gear. They were probably adventurers from this country.

There were plenty of female adventurers among them, too. Their outfits blended the romance and sensuality of medieval Central Europe. They looked stylish, with a youthful, girlish charm.

Eileen glanced at the fine clothes worn by the women passing by, then looked down at her own plain dress and lowered her head, a little embarrassed.

I noticed and took a closer look at Eileen’s clothes.

“Hmm...”

Linda, that siscon maniac, had given it a thorough wash and patched it up before, but the wrinkles and damage from adventuring and getting rained on made the dress—which hadn’t been anything fancy to begin with—look rather drab.

“Once we’re settled in, I’ll take Eileen to buy a few new outfits.”

After saying that, I looked at myself.

“...”

I should order a few outfits for myself, too—something that can hide who I am.

I took the letter from my pack and checked the address written on it.

Come to think of it, when we entered the city, the guards had only checked the signature on the letter before letting us through.

It looked like the person Mr. Drew had told us to find was highly respected in this city.

So we strolled through the city as if sightseeing, looking for the address written in the letter.

Some people gave us strange looks along the way, but that was about it.

After all, in a city like this, it wouldn’t be strange to see all kinds of people.

Half an hour later.

“Is... this the place?”

“Looks like it...”

I stood in front of the building known as the White Night Bank, watching the people coming and going. Eileen huddled behind me, nervously watching our surroundings.

Hmm... Most of them looked like ordinary people, though there were a few successful-looking folks dressed in fancy clothes...

Looks like this is a national bank open to the general public...

“Eileen, let’s go in.”

I led Eileen, who was still looking around nonstop, into the building. We sat down at an empty window.

“Hello, how can I...”

The woman serving us was a young girl wearing black-rimmed glasses who looked quite intellectual. But when she saw my height and outfit, the service smile on her face visibly twitched. She quickly covered her awkwardness with two small coughs, while Eileen nervously clutched the hem of my clothes, looking a little frightened.

“Ahem, hello. What can I help you with?”

While I took a moment to think, the teller composed herself and smiled at us again.

“I’d like to exchange these two gold coins for silver coins.”

I pushed over the gold coins I’d found in the chest earlier.

“Of course. Just a moment... Huh? What country are these coins from?”

I knew it... These coins were far better made, and more finely crafted, than the currency used in this country.

These definitely weren’t ordinary gold coins.

I tilted my head slightly and casually made up a lie in a firm, commanding tone.

“We’re travelers. We just arrived in this country and want to exchange some money. Is there a problem?”

“No, no! It’s just... I’ve never seen coins like these before. Please... please wait a moment. I’ll go get a magic appraisal device!”

With that, the teller pushed up her black-rimmed glasses and hurried off to the back.

And I’d just learned something new.

A magic device...? What was that supposed to be?

Just how advanced was this country’s technology...

“Thank you for waiting. We’ve tested the gold content of your coins.”

The teller soon returned. She was twice as respectful as before and didn’t dare keep us waiting.

Looks like the two gold coins I’d found were pretty high quality.

“Your coins are 98.5% gold. They can be sold as pure gold.”

Huh? This is my lucky day!

“So, how much can I exchange them for?”

“Well... at the current price of gold... it comes to 50 gold coins in total. Please confirm.”

With that, the teller put on a broad smile, placed the coins in a pouch, and handed it over.

I didn’t take it right away. I looked around and saw the people nearby staring in shock, as if they’d seen a ghost.

Judging by their reactions, 50 gold coins... must be quite a lot.

“Could you exchange 20 of them for silver coins and deposit the rest with your bank?”

“Certainly! Um... could you please show us some identification? We’ll need it to...”

“I don’t have any.”

I answered her without hesitation.

“Huh...?”

“I don’t have any.”

“But, sir... in that case...”

“But could you check whether this will do?”

“Huh?”

I handed over the letter of introduction Mr. Drew had written for us. The teller adjusted her glasses and read it thoughtfully.

“I see... Mr. Drew referred you to the old man, then. That’ll be fine.”

“That’s all it takes?”

That was much easier than I’d expected.

“But there’s a three-gold-coin service fee. Since you’re opening an account without identification, we’ll need to prepare all the necessary documents for you first.”

“Sure, no problem. By the way...”

I looked toward the entrance and scratched my helmet.

“Hm? What would you like to ask?”

“Are there any decent, reliable inns nearby that won’t cost too much?”