Once I bought the promised ice cream, the chat began begging me to eat it, even going so far as to offer dozens in donations for it, but I flatly refused.
Although I wasn't wearing the smiley mask that covered my entire face because I wouldn't be able to wear it inside the bank, I still wore a medical face mask for a reason, after all, and it certainly wasn't for fashion.
So, I somehow ended up sitting on a bench wondering what to do with the ice cream I couldn't eat.
It was definitely a bizarre dilemma, and if I don't get rid of it soon, it will soon begin to melt.
Of course, there was the option of throwing it away, but rather than not wanting to disappoint my viewers, I was more concerned that they might throw a fit and stop watching.
Fortunately, the solution to that problem came to me on its own in the form of a little girl―a girl whose mother I had just witnessed enter the bank I was about to rob as she snuck away.
I caught her eyeing up the ice cream in my hand from a distance and when she confronted me about wasting it, I decided to give it to her with the condition that she wait outside.
It was a condition I added solely for the fact she was a child.
If I have a choice, then I do not involve children below a certain age in "games". To be precise, any child below the age of 6 years old.
Not because of some virtuous reason like they are innocent, but because that is the age I was when I first started playing "games".
Now that I think about it, I don't remember why I started playing those games, but well...
If they happened to get caught in the crossfire then it would be a pity, but that's all―Wrong place, wrong time; that's just how it is.
Although it shouldn't matter since I never intended for anyone to die today, I wanted to make sure this girl wouldn't be present in the event of something going awry, just as a precaution.
When I had successfully disposed of the frosty treat, I thought it was high time to get a move on and stop dawdling.
Rising to my feet, I made my way to the bank.
Spotting quite the crowd inside as I casually strolled in, I first put the camera in my coat pocket. After all, it was illegal to record inside a bank, and I didn't want to get kicked out before collecting my money.
It's for the same reason that I wore this medical face mask today.
Other than that, the high number of people was to be expected.
Originally, I wanted to use an inhalational general anaesthetic to incapacitate everyone here quickly and without resistance, but because of the bank's exceptional ventilation, that whole idea went quite literally out the window.
There were similar alternatives, such as leaking carbon monoxide which has the possibility of working even within a well-ventilated area, but that would also be pointless because of the CO detectors. The room is also a bit large, so it might have taken too long to affect anyone anyway.
Ultimately, I gave up with the notion and decided to just do it like this.
Though it increases the difficulty when everyone is conscious, there really isn't a whole lot to worry about.
Next, after finding the one most suitable, I waited patiently in line before reaching the bank teller; a neat-looking young man who looked to be in his early-mid twenties.
"Good afternoon, how can I help you?"
Greeting him with a friendly smile, "Hello. I'd like to exchange this." As I slyly handed him a folded note through the open tray in the teller window, he opened it without thinking.
"!"
Immediately upon opening the note and laying eyes on its contents, he froze like a deer in headlights.
[This is a robbery. Act naturally and do as I say and no one gets harmed.]
Flashing the gun hidden in my coat so that he knew what exactly was at stake here, I nevertheless continued without hesitation, as if nothing had even happened.
"I'd also like to withdraw some cash."
Filled with trepidation, his wary, trembling eyes moved up to meet my face.
"A-and, how much will you be w-withdrawing today, sir...?"
Although there were a couple of stutters, I must admit, he did well putting up a front when under this much stress.
Very professional; a good job.
"Oh. Everything in my savings account. I believe it's about two million?"
The teller's eyes widened.
I had already confirmed the amount of money this branch held in cash at this time―by having someone connected to Minami contact the bank in advance and notify them they wanted to make a large withdrawal, I waited a few days until the bank stockpiled enough on-hand so that I could just come in and take it.
After this, Minami's contact would come in and try to make the withdrawal, but for obvious reasons it wouldn't work.
Widening his eyes, the teller replied.
"A-ah, you contacted us before, yes? Of course... P-please, sign here and I'll confirm the details..."
The man struggled to halt his nervous shaking as he handed me a couple of documents, but he performed his duties and acted as if I were an ordinary customer without fail.
Pretending to sign some stuff on the paper, I sent them back over and he fiddled around on the computer beside him for a minute, letting me view his screen which showed that, in reality, he wasn't doing anything.
Thereafter, he spoke to me. "All right, sir, it's been confirmed. Please wait here whilst I collect your money."
"Of course, thank you. Take your time."
He was holding himself well for a young guy experiencing his first stick-up, but the instant he walked round back to where the cash was all stored, I bet he collapsed to his knees in a breathless panic.
Well, he was following my orders quite decently, though. Like a well-trained dog.
Incidentally, the whole reason that his was the station I picked to hand the note to was because he was the youngest and least experienced member of staff here, and thus the most susceptible to an event like this.
Of course, there's no guarantee he wouldn't sound the alarm to let the authorities know what's going on here. It's just that, if he did, I already warned him of what the consequences of such an action would be.
It wouldn't be his life that was in danger, but rather all the dozens of civilians here.
Perhaps that makes it that much scarier.
As my note mentioned, no one will be harmed so long as he does as I say.
The responsibility of all these innocent peoples' lives is on him.
If he gets cold feet and chooses to alert others about the robbery, then everything from that point on is a result of his selfish decision.
'Is it right to ring the alarm and tell them we're being robbed?'
'Is it right to just do what he says so that nobody gets hurt?'
'What should I do?'
Such questions are running through his mind as he frantically searches for an answer, but the reality is, there is no "right answer".
An illusion of choice.
There is no complicated decision he has to make, nor two risky options to choose between.
There is only one "correct" action.
Not just morally and ethically, but legally too―it is correct in all cases.
One option to choose from.
One choice to make.
One outcome.
That is, delivering the money to me with no offered resistance.
And eventually.
"Here you are, sir..."
The teller soon handed me a case that undoubtedly contained numerous thick wads of cash.
"Thank you very much."
I confirmed that all the money was there and that it was authentic with Truth.
Twenty stacks.
It may not seem like a lot at a glance, but each stack consisted of 1,000 notes and every note here was equal to $100, equalling a total of two million just as I had requested.
Good.
"You've saved 34 lives today, Mr. Hern. You can be proud of yourself."
Whispering to him a final congratulations, I departed from the teller's station and walked out of the bank.
Incidentally, that guy wouldn't make it home today―the note I handed him at the start was contaminated with a microdose of homebrew poison. Naturally, it was the slow-acting but lethal kind.
I was fine because I was wearing gloves and I had a vial of the antidote in my pocket just in case, but that bank teller would clock out a few hours later, for the last time.
"We're all done, guys. How was it? Boring, right?"
[Mr Truth has tricked us...]
[I thought a bank robbery would be exciting but he's just standing there talking to the guy]
[ -- You have received a donation of $5! -- ]
[ -- Should I get a cat or a dog? -- ]
[He did it?!]
[Dono get a bird]
[Stop capping bro all you did was withdraw some money aint no way u robbed anyone]
[^^ did you forget it's Mr Truth? You think he wouldn't do it?]
[^^ wait before you speak, punk]
"Hm? Oh, I did it alright. Why, you don't believe me? I'll show you in a minute, so be patient."
At the end of the day, I exited the bank with a profit of exactly $2,000,000 cash in hand and no one any the wiser.
'Zero casualties' was an added bonus, I suppose.