The guards opened the gates, allowing Leonara's carriage and her knights to enter the fortress. As they passed through, Leonara handed Rain a leather pouch.
"Here's the promised money," she said, her tone casual.
Rain eagerly took it, inspecting the contents. Inside, he found gold coins, each adorned with a sword and shield design.
He smiled. "Thanks, but isn't this a bit much?" Though Rain didn't know the exact value of gold in this world, his knowledge of fantasy stories gave him an idea of its worth.
Leonara chuckled. "No, it's an appropriate reward for fending off a pack of two-star wolves and saving me from danger."
Suddenly, as the carriage crossed fully into the fortress, Rain shivered. A surge of mana enveloped the carriage, causing him to react instinctively. He blocked the mana, letting it pass by without affecting him.
"Did you feel something?" he asked, looking at Leonara. But when he saw the indifferent expressions on her face and the maid's, he realized they hadn't noticed anything unusual.
"Never mind," Rain said, dismissing his concern. "Thanks again for letting me join the journey, but I'll be leaving here." With that, he opened the carriage door and bolted toward the tunnel inside the fortress's thick walls.
As Rain ran, the uneasy sensation of being watched gnawed at him. He pulled his hood lower over his face, trying to remain unnoticed. After a few seconds, the strange feeling disappeared, and as he emerged from the tunnel, the sight of the city inside the fortress greeted him.
'The buildings here are incredible,' Rain thought, his eyes wide as he marveled at the white structures, each adorned with intricate carvings. He felt like a country bumpkin taking in the grandeur of the city.
While he wandered, a girl tapped him on the shoulder.
"Do you need a tour guide? I'll show you around for just 50 silver coins," she offered, flashing a smile that was sure to attract attention from any man.
Rain looked her up and down, noticing other girls wearing similar outfits. His gaze flickered to them before returning to the girl beside him.
"Sure," he said, his tone nonchalant. "But first, take me to a bank. I need to exchange some money."
As they walked, Rain thought to himself, 'I better not be tricked. Just in case, I'll plant a tracking spell on her.' His eyes briefly glowed as he discreetly cast the magic.
Listening to the chatter around him, Rain gathered information about the city. This fortress, Elshire, meant "Sharing with the Elves." The leaders were Duke Orwin, a human, and O'est, an elf. Observing the people around him, Rain noted the significant population difference—a ratio of about 1 elf for every 50 humans.
After a 30-minute walk, they arrived at the bank. A female staff member greeted them warmly. "Hello, sir. How can we assist you today? Would you like to deposit money, take out a loan, exchange currency, or perhaps apply for a job?"
"I'm here to exchange some money," Rain replied. The staff member guided him to the counter.
The receptionist, a strikingly beautiful woman, greeted him, though Rain wasn't particularly impressed. Compared to the elven beauties he'd seen earlier, she didn't stand out as much.
Behind her, he noticed a display listing the exchange rates:
100 copper coins = 1 silver coin
100 silver coins = 1 gold coin
100 gold coins = 1 imperial gold coin
Rain's eyes widened slightly as he realized that the coins Princess Nara had given him were imperial gold coins. He exchanged one of them for 80 gold coins and 1,000 silver coins. He also purchased a storage ring that could hold up to 25 kilograms of items for 10 gold.
'I'll stash my gold in my inventory and use the storage ring as a decoy. No one will question where I keep my things,' Rain thought, his plan forming as he examined the ring.
He paid the tour guide her 50 silver coins and tossed her a gold coin as a tip. The girl, overjoyed, hugged him tightly, pressing his arm between her breasts.
[ ● Money: 79 gold, 950 silver coins ]
After creating a bank account and depositing two imperial coins, Rain couldn't help but be amazed. The level of technology in this world was almost as advanced as Earth, but here, magic was used instead of science. Even his bank card was made of mythril, a metal known for its high compatibility with magic.
"Our business here is done," Rain said, turning to the guide. "Take me to a clothing store, then a restaurant, and finally, find me a decent place to stay."
As they left the bank and walked toward the clothing store, Rain's attention was caught by a group of knights in ornate armor rushing past them.
"What's with them?" Rain asked, curious about their overly decorative gear.
The tour guide smiled. "They're rushing to greet an important guest. It seems someone entered the Elven border unannounced, and they're going to investigate."
As the knights passed, Rain overheard them shouting, "Find the Grand Mage who entered through the Elven border gate! We must ensure they come in peace!"
"A Grand Mage... that's someone with seven magic circles or more," the tour guide muttered, her voice a mix of awe and worry.
Rain frowned. "Why are they in such a hurry? What if the mage just came for a stroll?"
"You must be joking," the guide giggled. "A Grand Mage could destroy a country in a day if they wanted to. A seventh-circle spell is that powerful."
Rain's eyes narrowed as a realization hit him. 'Maybe they sensed my mana circles when I entered the gate. That strange feeling was probably some kind of scanning magic. Good thing I blocked it in time.'
"Let's pick up the pace," Rain said, urging the guide. "I want to get to the clothing store quickly so we can eat. If the food's good and cheap, I might even treat you to dinner."
'I need to rush out here before they notice that the one they're finding is me'