Kleio and Nebo called a carriage for hire and passed over a bridge to the west side of Tempus River.
When Kleio encouraged him a bit in the carriage, Nebo told him how to call a carriage for hire, how to ride a shared carriage, etc.
'You can't know these kinds of small everyday life tips if you only look at the manuscript. Shouldn't I figure the world out a bit while I'm in school, so that my slacker life will be good?'
Having soon gotten the hang of it, Kleio told the driver their exact destination.
When he asked to go to Planta Bank's closest branch, the driver let Kleio off at a small stone building.
And then 5 minutes later,
Planta Bank Royal Circus Branch's branch manager Henry Pist wiped the sweat off the shiny top of his head.
"What? Asel? Father, son? Which one came in?"
The branch manager's secretary replied calmly.
"It is the son."
"Didn't he accompany the Zentrum fleet?"
"It is not the eldest son, but the second one. Branch manager."
"There was a second son in the household?"
"There is, and he is asking to check his account."
"Is he the real person?"
"He indeed is the student enrolled in the Royal Capital Defense Corps School, Kleio Asel."
"Why did he ask to check his account?"
"He says he wants to withdraw money."
"How much?"
"He spoke vaguely. He has a total of 400 thousand dinar in his account. If he happens to withdraw all of it in cash, this site is lacking in funds. The central site…"
"I'll readily go out. I'll find out why he purposely visited the branch site."
The reason was merely because it was close to the school, but the branch manager couldn't know that.
.
.
.
Planta Bank Royal Circus Branch's reception room was fancy and pleasant.
With a comfy sofa and cigar cases and brandy bottles place next to it, it seemed similar to a gentlemen's club from movies.
Kleio was in the middle of enjoying that comfortableness, sunk into the sofa.
'Of course, it doesn't seem like a reception room intended for seventeen-year-old customers. Would it look weird if I ask for a glass of this alcohol?'
Kleio didn't receive reception room treatment from the start just because it was him. It had happened the moment he handed over a check at the counter and signed.
Because he didn't know the worth of the money, he asked a couple questions before writing an amount on the check. When he did, the counter employee started to get flustered.
Kleio was also inwardly taken aback.
'And they suddenly called me inside, too. I'd thought I was caught for forging the signature.'
Of course, it wasn't that problem.
Kleio's account connected to the check contained 400 thousand dinar. It seemed the bank was anxious in case he would withdraw his entire balance.
Kleio, who had been smacking his lips at the brandy, saw the branch manager come in and hurriedly put on a business smile.
"Hello, I am Kleio Asel. There was no need for you to personally come out, branch manager, but thank you regardless."
"It is no trouble. Thank you for frequenting our Planta Bank for a long period of time, starting from your father's time. I have heard of the matter. How much money do you wish to withdraw?"
"I was thinking of withdrawing a little to use, but it seems the affair has escalated. I merely need enough for living expenses."
The branch manager became noticeably relieved.
"Then, would about 1000 dinar suffice?"
"Yes, please do so."
'Exactly how much is 400 thousand dinar that there's this fuss? Anyways, it seems like it's not a small amount of money.'
"It seems our employee had a misunderstanding and needlessly took up your time."
"It is not so, but since it has already happened, may I have a glass of brandy?"
"Of course. It is a beverage provided for our customers."
The branch manager replied readily, and poured him a hefty glass.
"Then I will bring the money over here."
"Yes, please take your time."
It wasn't a way of speaking that suited the voice of a boy just past puberty, but with his attention caught by the brandy, Kleio didn't take care.
Soon the glass full of brandy entered his grasp.
Holding the glass, the boy's expression seemed like he had everything in the world. The burn sliding down his throat and the scent brushing past his nose. It was really great.
'It's better that that twenty-five-year-old Armagnac.'
When he was at the company, authors coming back from overseas conferences had sometimes brought alcohol as a present to the company.
It was annoying listening to the company head's complaining when they drank, but expensive alcohol had enough worth to endure the complaints.
Having reached his 30s, Jungjin's love wasn't a woman or books, but alcohol.
On top of that, this alcohol was free, without a boss's shittiness.
'I've hit jackpot.'
Kleio slowly emptied the brandy.
While he was enjoying the afternote remaining in his nose, the branch manager brought the bills to the reception room. Kleio smiled with his whole face as he put the thick envelope away into his chest.
"Next time, you do not need to visit personally, and can call over a bank attendant. Thank you for doing business with us. Please convey our regards to your father as well."
"I will do so. Thank you."
'A branch manager's greetings is something only people like landlords receive, even if it's a neighborhood branch, but I'm getting all sorts of experiences after coming here. So this is what a silver spoon is like."
Nebo, who had been waiting in the lobby, widened his eyes when he saw Kleio come out with adults around him.
"Huh, so you really were the son of important household."
"Hm, I didn't know either. Then, let's go now."
Still with bulging eyes, Nebo glanced at the bald head of the branch manager politely saying goodbye.
Kleio, leisurely, and Nebo, glancing around at the surroundings, left the lobby. Henry, who had been sending them off, quickly called the secretary.
"Gather some information on what Kleio Asel is going to do in the capital. Seeing how the second son who hadn't been active up to now is stepping forward, he must have something in mind."
"I understand."
"An Asel is an Asel. He's frail and young, but inside, he's completely an old person. There's nothing bad about being cautious."
If he had known that this was said just because he took and drank one glass of alcohol, Kleio would have wanted to spit it back out, but the bank owner's words didn't reach his ears.
***
'Seeing how Isiel didn't come find me again, the magic formula incident has been resolved. As expected, holding out saying that I didn't know, that I'm sick, no matter what, was the answer.'
Kleio was lying on his bed while eating a snack.
He also tried thinking about 'Editor's Authority' and the author's goal more or less, but seeing how there was no message afterwards, he lacked the components needed to make a guess about their intentions.
'They asked me for help revising the manuscript, but there's no word on what parts of the manuscript they didn't like, what they want to do with it, and this place is neglected…'
Then he had no choice but to pursue his future in his own way.
After dropping by the bank, he ate and slept and lounged around the entire weekend. When he got bored of lounging around, he petted the cat.
After that, he carefully read the school rules written in the school notebook.
The first was dropping out of school. This was only possible with a guardian's approval.
'There's no reason the father who used incredible amounts of donations would agree to dropping out. Seeing how I haven't heard about a mother, it seems there isn't one?'
The second was flunking and expulsion.
If you failed 2 tests in a row, then you were held back, and if you were held back twice or possibly had more than 2 thirds of missed attendances per term, then you were expelled.
'Good, let's keep this momentum.'
Finally, he also scanned through the textbook once.
As he did, he realized something important.
'Even though I have 'Promise', I can only read books at my original pace when I'm reading them for the first time!'
It was the same even when he tried it out several more times.
'Promise''s 「Memory」 only applied to books that he had already read properly once. For books he hadn't read, he had to use his head to familiarize himself with the contents, like in his original world.
'Why should I do that? Ehhh.'
Tossing the textbook away, Kleio flopped onto the bed again. Seeing that, the cat sprawled out and picked a fight.
"Idiot, do you finally have the will to pick up a book?"
"No. I'm an idiot so I can't do things like study."
"Tsk tsk. Pathetic guy. You failed the last test, and if you keep on being like that, you'll be sent away from the school."
"Ah, that's exactly what I want."
That was how the Sunday evening ended.
***
Then Monday arrived.
He leisurely went to the Year 1 lecture hall. There wasn't much that changed about his life now that he was going to classes.
Maybe the rumor about his suicide attempt had already spread, because the teachers and students treated Kleio like an inflated boil.
In other words, even if he slept in the back of the lecture room, he didn't even received warnings. Kleio, who had slept throughout class, stretched along with the lunch bell.
'My back does ache a bit, sleeping hunched over for the first time in a while. Starting tomorrow, I shouldn't even come to class.'
The school's regular classes were Monday to Friday, and all were 3 hours in the morning. Starting from the afternoon, apparently the students did research or training according to their personal path, but was there any need for him to do that?
'Let's just eat.'
He had found out the location of the lecture hall cafeteria by asking an attendant. He had moved so slowly that there was nobody in the cafeteria.
'Oh, the lunch menu is also 3 courses.'
There was a handwritten menu next to the cafeteria entrance. Soup, butter fried fish, berry compote and cream.
Stopping and reading the small lettering underneath, you could also request for wine, despite it being a school cafeteria.
'I guess minors can drink alcohol here?! No wonder the bank readily gave me alcohol.'
Kleio's drooping eyes opened wide for the first time. Among the things that happened after coming here, this was the happiest thing after checking his bank account.
'I had worried, thinking that I'd have to refrain from drinking for several years.'
While he had been working at that publishing company that was probably already shut down, there was exactly just one good point.
Academic book writers were mostly professors, and professors had all sorts of expensive and good alcohol.
Normally, a company entertained the authors, but for the company that was run via the company head's connections, the authors felt a little sorry for the company head.
As a result of that, the company had always received presents of alcohol.
It was alcohol that Jungjin wouldn't even be able to think about with his monthly salary, but after frequently drinking the alcohol because they were presents or holiday greetings, at some point, he had gotten used to it.
'This is similar to the Alsace wine that Professor No Youngshin used to bring over in boxes. There's less of a sour taste and it's not sweet and there's a mineral taste. Ah, the weather is nice and it's great to drink alcohol.'
While eating the meal on the tray, he had requested for one glass, two glasses and drank them. It was the day after sleeping to his heart's content and the weather was nice, so he didn't feel intoxicated.
His body was frail, so he had worried that his alcohol tolerance would have changed, but he took alcohol well, maybe because he was a young man so his liver was clean.
After devouring the desert as well, Kleio actually got a glass bottle of alcohol from the cafeteria lady.
The time was May.
The budding summer roses along the thin fences outside the window were beautiful, the wind was cool, there was nothing he had to do, and the wine was delicious.
Sip.
'This is what it's like to live.'
Just then, the ringing voice in the cafeteria woke Kleio from his break.
"Ah, ahjumma[1], I know that there is remaining alcohol, so why are you lying? There is always alcohol remaining in the Year 1 lecture hall cafeteria."
"Get lost, you rascal. That's for one glass each to accompany the food! It's not given out for you to get drunk!"
[1] Word used to address/refer to middle-aged women one is familiar with