Dual Realm Exchange System

With the matter of Damian’s adventuring future settled, Roland’s work was finally complete.

The Guildmaster had personally explained Valoria’s power system, overseen Damian’s Character Sheet awakening, guided him through his Class selection, arranged his Pantheon benefits and even accompanied him through registration.

For someone Roland had met only a few hours ago, he had already done far more than Damian could reasonably expect.

There was, however, one rather important problem remaining.

Damian... was completely broke!

"Before you go, Guildmaster, there’s something I should probably ask. How am I supposed to pay for food, accommodation and basic supplies before I complete any work?" Damian asked with furrowed brows.

Roland paused, then grinned widely. "Hoho, there it is!"

Damian’s eyebrows rose. "There what is?"

"The point where every Otherworlder realizes divine generosity has limits," Roland replied with a booming laugh.

Apparently, the Holy Pantheon’s support package ended after identification, Class advancement, basic equipment and the other benefits Damian had already received.

There was no complimentary sack of coins waiting for him, no free house, no unlimited meal voucher, and no mysterious princess assigned to financially support the displaced Otherworlder until he became powerful enough to save the kingdom.

Damian smiled wryly, understanding how greedy and entitled he had become to expect everything to be handed over.

They’d given him superpowers, knowledge, and even free gear. If he wanted money, he could go out and make a strong amount before nightfall, so what more did he expect?

Forget being a hero who defeated the Demon Lord, if Valoria were to dump money onto Otherworlders who freshly arrived, it was more likely they would just lay flat and continue their lazy NEET lives.

"Don’t worry, all hope is not lost. Once you complete your mandatory F-rank Copper mission and leave probation, the Guild will provide you with a one-Silver-Coin starter subsidy, which is enough to handle basic necessities if you spend sensibly," Roland explained.

"One Silver Coin for free?" Damian asked with surprise.

Roland immediately shook his head.

"Nothing involving money is ever truly free, young man. The Adventurer’s Guild deducts ten percent from Guild quest earnings. That is one of the primary ways we finance administration, communications, rescue infrastructure, information gathering and all those convenient services Alexander Smith was so fond of creating," Roland answered.

Damian nodded almost immediately, feeling that ten percent was hardly outrageous.

The Guild located clients, verified assignments, standardized rewards, maintained maps, operated communications infrastructure, regulated Adventurers and apparently organized rescue assistance when situations went wrong.

On Earth, platforms had charged far more for doing considerably less.

"So the subsidy is basically an advance on becoming a productive member of the Guild?" Damian summarized.

"More or less," Roland agreed.

Fair enough, Damian could work with that.

His immediate problem was simply reaching that first payment without starving, though Eunice and the others had already covered his recovery and lodging for the time he spent unconscious.

However, with the lines now drawn between them, he did not intend to continue living on their generosity.

That thought raised another matter.

"Does Rosewood have a bank, money house or anything similar?" Damian asked with folded arms.

That’s right, it was time to do what every American did and get into debt!

Eunice looked surprised by the question.

"Of course. There is a Caurelian Bank branch near the central market," she answered.

Damian caught the unfamiliar name. "Caurelian?"

"The banks established under Caurelia, the Coinmaiden. She is the Goddess of Wealth, Commerce, Contracts, Roads, Negotiation and Prosperity. Her temples and banking houses operate throughout most of the continent and considerably farther beyond," Eunice clarified.

Damian became interested immediately.

A literal Goddess of Wealth operating an international banking network?

That sounded extremely relevant to a Dual-Realm Exchange Specialist.

"How advanced are they?" Damian inquired with interest.

Janet snickered. "Heh! You’ll see soon, Mr. High-tech Otherworlder!"

...Somehow, that answer worried him more than a proper explanation.

Roland glanced toward the clock embedded into one of the Guild walls before patting Damian’s shoulder with considerably more restraint than before.

"Then this is where I leave you. I have neglected enough paperwork for one morning, and Little Agnes becomes frightening whenever the neglected pile reaches a certain height," Roland announced.

Across the hall, Agnes looked up from her counter. "I heard that!"

Roland laughed shamelessly.

Damian extended his hand.

"Thank you, Guildmaster. Seriously. I arrived here knowing absolutely nothing, and you’ve gone much further than you needed to," Damian said sincerely.

Roland looked at the offered hand before clasping it within one enormous palm.

"Make something worthwhile out of the opportunity, young man. That will be thanks enough," Roland replied warmly.

There was more weight behind those words than his usual laughter suggested.

Damian nodded as Roland released him, gave the four Valkyries a final reminder not to cause too much trouble, and disappeared toward the staircase.

Damian watched him leave before turning toward the Guild entrance.

"I suppose I should go find this bank," he muttered to himself, wondering if his Guild Card could lead him there.

Did it have something akin to GPS? Like magic GPS?

"We’ll take you," Eunice offered immediately.

Damian blinked in surprise, then smiled and shook his head. "You’ve already spent most of the day dragging me around, especially since you went out to do a quest before you found me."

"That hardly matters," Eunice replied seriously.

Paulina nodded firmly. "We brought you into town. We can at least show you where important places are."

Julia folded her arms. "You would probably walk into the wrong district and somehow end up outside the walls."

Damian snorted at that. "That seems slightly unfair, does it? I’m not hapless, just unaccustomed to a new environment."

Julia did not seem impressed. "Hmph, you only awakened today! What could you possibly know about the local area that could prevent getting lost, robbed or kidnapped?"

Damian paused for a moment to ponder that before nodding. "Alright, that makes more sense."

Janet slapped Damian’s arm. "Come on! Besides, we need to make sure our freshly hatched Mage doesn’t get robbed before he even earns his first Copper!"

Looking at their anxious and determined expressions, as if they would not rest until they guided him to his destination, Damian couldn’t help but smile.

He understood what was happening.

The awkwardness from Roland’s earlier question had passed, but the four women still felt slightly guilty about their reluctance to invite him into the Valkyries.

Apparently, this was their way of compensating, so Damian saw no reason to reject the offer.

The five left the Adventurer’s Guild and stepped back into Rosewood’s streets.

For the first time since arriving, Damian could properly observe the town without worrying about registration, awakening or whether he had accidentally fallen into some elaborate hallucination.

Rosewood Town was larger than its name suggested.

The central district possessed broad stone streets bordered by brick-and-timber buildings, many reaching three or four floors. Wooden balconies overlooked storefronts, colorful cloth awnings shaded pedestrians and narrow drainage channels ran beside the roads.

And yet, the technology made the entire scene difficult to classify.

A horse-drawn carriage rolled past them while a farmer guided a stubborn donkey pulling a wooden wagon filled with vegetables.

Neither sight would have looked unusual several centuries ago on Earth, and did not really look unusual here either.

But then a sleek rectangular vehicle floated past the carriage, which stunned Damian so much that he stopped walking.

The machine, or perhaps magical device, hovered half a meter above the road without wheels. Its dark wooden body had been reinforced with polished metal and engraved with glowing blue runes, giving it the general shape of an expensive carriage that someone had taught to fly.

A well-dressed merchant lounged inside while the vehicle silently drifted around the donkey cart.

Damian stared after it with slightly lowered jaws. "What the heck was that?"

"A levitation carriage, typically used by nobles and high-ranking merchants. It’s very, very expensive," Julia answered with folded arms.

"Oh yes, it is very, very, VERY expensive," Janet emphasized with a deep nod and a greedy glint in her eye as she looked after it.

A street vendor beside them opened a metal cabinet, releasing a burst of cold air before removing several chilled bottles.

Damian stared at that too.

Isn’t that a damned fridge? But created through magitech rather than a motor and a condenser?

Farther down the street, magical lamps were mounted along the roadside despite the afternoon sunlight.

A bakery used what appeared to be an enchanted heating chamber, while a nearby blacksmith still hammered metal manually over a traditional forge.

Damian slowly understood the problem.

Valoria was not technologically primitive... it was, in fact, technologically skewed.

Magitech had solved problems according to magical knowledge, available resources and the needs of local society rather than following Earth’s progression through steam, electricity, combustion engines and electronics.

Refrigeration, street lighting, and even floating vehicles existed, yet horses, candles, wooden carts and hand tools remained completely normal.

Damian found the combination fascinating.

"You keep making that face," Janet observed as she walked beside him.

"What face?" Damian asked with a hint of embarrassment at being watched.

Janet’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. "The one where your eyes gleam and you start looking at everything like you intend to sell it somewhere else later."

Damian nearly stumbled, causing the halfling to laugh.

"Relax! I’m joking! You’re an Otherworlder Mage, not some crass merchant after all," Janet laughed freely while waving a hand to calm Damian down.

Despite her saying that, Damian gave her a suspicious look.

After all, that ’joke’ had landed far too close to the truth!

Their journey continued through the central district, and casual conversation gradually replaced the morning’s endless explanations.

Damian eventually glanced toward Eunice.

"There’s actually something I wondered about earlier. When I was deciding between Mage and Cleric, why didn’t you recommend your own church? If Otherworlders are considered important, wouldn’t converting one be good for the Holy Light Church?"

Eunice was quiet for a moment.

"That would certainly be considered a fortunate outcome. Our doctrine encourages us to spread the Holy Light and invite others toward faith, but I do not believe faith gained through pressure has much value," the gentle Cleric admitted with a shake of her head.

Damian looked at her deeply, to which Eunice smiled gently in response.

"You had just awakened in another world, Damian. You were injured, confused and likely worried about your loved ones. Using that vulnerability to place my beliefs above your needs would have been improper. If you ever become interested in the Holy Light, I will gladly teach you, but the choice should belong to you," Eunice stated softly, but firmly.

Damian’s impression of her rose another level.

So, she was indeed genuinely devout, just not obnoxiously so.

"That’s surprisingly reasonable for a priestess. All you fellows are so prudish and boring, I feel like you all must have cobwebs down there!" Janet commented while wrinkling her nose.

Eunice looked at her. "Janet."

Janet, feeling something was wrong, answered cautiously. "...Yes?"

Eunice’s kind eyes narrowed, her soft smile becoming dangerous. "Your next injury may require a donation."

Janet shrank her neck and immediately moved behind Paulina for support.

Damian chuckled at the sight. "Why do I feel like this happens often?"

"Well, we’ve traveled together for a few months. It’s normal for us to have a strong bond as a pack!" Paulina answered proudly.

"We are not a pack, we are comrades in arms," Julia muttered, but couldn’t help the small smile on her lips.

Janet peeked around Paulina’s waist. "Yes, yes! We know a lot about each other! For example, we know Eunice has never had a boyfriend!"

Eunice’s footsteps faltered. "Janet! You!!"

Damian raised his eyebrows and tried to hide his internal feeling of relief as that revelation answered a question he had admittedly wondered about.

He may have decided against joining their party, but he was still a normal twenty-six-year-old man traveling through town with four attractive women.

Curiosity was hardly a crime, was it?

"I actually swore an oath of celibacy when I formally entered the priesthood. It is not mandatory for every member of the Holy Light Church, but it is part of the path I chose," Eunice clarified, recovering her dignity.

There was no hesitation nor doubt in her voice when saying that at all.

Damian nodded with respect. "That sounds difficult."

"Sometimes... But important choices usually are," Eunice admitted in a soft whisper.

Interesting...

Janet immediately pointed toward Paulina. "Our proud wolf warrior technically has someone!"

The wolfgirl nearly tripped, and her ears flattened against her head.

"Janet," she growled in a low, annoyed tone.

Janet tsked. "It’s something called a ’promised mate’ back in her clan! How romantic and fateful, I say!"

Paulina’s claws emerged as her gaze became dangerous. "Janet!"

Damian noticed the sharp change in Paulina immediately.

Her usual loud confidence disappeared, replaced by genuine discomfort.

Damian wisely decided not to pursue the matter Janet opened.

Janet, for all her mischief, noticed as well and wisely retreated to safety before the wolfgirl introduced her face to a nearby wall.

"About that... it is... complicated," Paulina muttered eventually, feeling the strange need to explain herself to Damian, though it shouldn’t matter to her.

"That’s all you need to say," Damian replied gently.

Paulina glanced at him and saw him giving her a reassuring smile, and the wolfgirl visibly relaxed as some of the tension left her shoulders.

Julia, unfortunately, had made the mistake of smiling at Paulina’s predicament, and as expected, the evil Janet saw an opening to attack!

"Well, well, what about our esteemed elven beauty?" Janet asked, circling around Julia with a predatory look.

Julia’s smile vanished. "Not interested!"

Janet paused, seemingly intrigued. "Not interested in men?"

Julia rolled her eyes. "Not interested in romance!"

Hmm, the way Julia said it was a bit rushed and lacking confidence, which was something that the entire group noticed.

Janet passed Julia’s waist, which was hidden behind her cloak, sighing with lament. "What a waste of such godly birthing hips! I don’t think there is any male in Grayfen or even Rosewood who hasn’t dreamed of this booty when going to bed at night!"

Janet’s grin became dangerous as she reached out her grimy hands to give Julia’s plentiful glutes a big squeeze, but Julia’s green-gold eyes narrowed.

"Touch me with your wicked fingers and I will throw you into that fountain!"

Janet looked toward the nearby stone fountain and wisely reconsidered her actions.

Damian did not know what Julia was hiding, but it clearly was not simple disinterest in romance.

Could it be heartbreak? Or perhaps some elven cultural complication?

Well, it could also be something else entirely.

In the end, Damian filed it away as none of his business.

That left Janet herself, and Damian directly glanced down at the shameless halfling.

Seeing his pointed look, she immediately understood and pointed at herself.

"Me? Pffft, of course I’m a lonely old spinster! Who would want a pint-sized woman like me? All you men want are Ophelia’s type!" Janet exclaimed with grievance.

Damian coughed, Eunice flushed at the memory, and Paulina laughed openly.

Even Julia’s lips twitched.

"That is an impressive avoidance of the question," Damian remarked with a knowing smile.

"I have absolutely no idea what you mean," Janet replied innocently.

Which meant there was almost certainly something there too.

Damian found himself smiling as they walked.

The four Valkyries had seemed straightforward when he first met them.

There was the kind priestess, the self-proclaimed proud wolf warrior, the cold, distrustful elf, and the mischievous, perverted halfling.

Yet even a few hours were enough to reveal cracks beneath those simple facades.

Eunice’s kindness seemed to be restrained by deliberate principles and something else.

Paulina possessed obligations she clearly did not enjoy discussing despite proudly talking about her clan whenever she could.

Julia’s coldness concealed something she refused to name, and her instant distrust of young, handsome human men like him was interesting to note.

Janet turned nearly everything into a joke, including herself. Her perversion was weird and exaggerated, something many Earthlings were familiar with as a deflection tactic by those hiding great insecurities.

There was more to all of them, but Damian supposed that was obvious.

Years in the blue-collar workplace had shown him that people were rarely as simple as their first impression.

"We’re here," Eunice announced.

Damian looked forward, then stopped with a stunned look.

A massive white-stone structure occupied the corner ahead, its tall columns supporting a triangular roof carved with images of coins, roads and clasped hands.

Gold-veined marble covered the exterior, while broad steps led toward enormous bronze doors beneath the symbol of a woman’s profile surrounded by an open circular coin.

It greatly resembled something he had seen before in a popular video game on Earth he played as a child, one about an Italian Assassin or something.

[Caurelian Continental Bank: Rosewood Branch!]

Damian stared at the sign with a bevy of words stuck in his gut, and Janet grinned knowingly.

"Hehe, wait until you get inside!"

Saying this, she pulled him up the steps to the bronze doors that opened automatically.

And when Damian entered, his footsteps came to a slow stop.

Before him, rows of service counters stretched across an enormous polished hall. Customers stood within organized queues separated by retractable enchanted barriers. Floating numbers appeared above each counter while glowing signs directed visitors toward Deposits, Withdrawals, Accounts, Loans, Currency Exchange, Merchant Services and Contract Authentication.

Uniformed employees sat behind desks while several customers filled out forms at writing stations.

A magical board displayed current commodity prices and exchange rates.

Somewhere in the distance, a pleasant chime sounded as a money-counting machine was done tallying a deposit.

Damian stared blankly.

It was... well, it was a bank.

It was not something similar to a bank, nor was it a medieval moneylender wearing a fancy robe.

This was a proper, organized, unmistakably modern banking hall housed inside a temple to the Goddess of Wealth.

Damian slowly turned toward the four ladies, only to see Janet was already chuckling with malevolent glee.

Damian was starting to feel that this magical world called Valoria was honestly quite ridiculous.

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