3 Claiming one’s own wealth

After Daniel went about his business, Murphy quickly finished eating all of the grilled meat in the bag and returned to his humble shack.

Behind the door of his shack, a person in a brown robe, covered from head to toe, sat on the floor, caressing the cardboard box bed that Daniel had been using. The hand beneath the black leather gloves touched and gently stroked the cardboard box bed as if it were a treasure.

Without seeing the person's face, Murphy could sense a longing emanating from them.

"If you want that cardboard box, I can give it to you," Murphy deliberately said, trying to divert their attention.

"There's no need," replied the person in the brown robe, their voice artificially altered, making it impossible to discern their gender.

They slowly rose to their feet and turned towards Murphy.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Here's a token of my appreciation for your discretion." The owner of the artificial voice handed Murphy a stack of 1,000 Tessia coin banknotes, equivalent to 10,000 Tessia coins.

"Thanks, but this is enough." Murphy took one banknote from the stack and added, "Having too much wealth without the ability to protect it will only bring trouble to my doorstep. Besides..." Murphy smiled and tucked a banknote into his pants pocket.

"It's been a long time since I did something right. It felt good. Don't worry too much about it," said Murphy, stepping aside to let the person in the brown robe easily exit his shack.

The person in the brown robe nodded without revealing their face, as the shadow from the hood unnaturally concealed it, and walked towards the door.

"Also..." Murphy's sudden voice caused the person in the brown robe to pause and turn their head towards him.

"I don't know who you are, what you want, or what your story is, but..." Murphy gazed into the hood where the eyes should be and continued.

"That lad was one of the few good ones left in this damn country. I could sense it in his eyes. I hope you're not one of those who enjoy oppressing others like most of the people in power here," Murphy said.

"Don't worry, I don't enjoy oppressing the oppressed," replied the person in the brown robe before walking out of the shack and vanishing into thin air.

Murphy, the average hobo, watched the scene without even a frown, as it was exactly what he had anticipated.

"What do the people from the Curtained world want with that lad?" Murphy muttered to himself.

—

– 15 Minutes pass –

Fifteen minutes away from Murphy's shack, With a bus, Daniel arrived at the population management center branch in the current city he was in.

With anticipation, he walked towards the five-story high white office building situated by the side of the road.

As per the law of the Tessia Kingdom, if a person were to go missing and be declared dead without anyone to inherit their wealth, all of their assets would be redistributed to the kingdom's funds. However, if that person were to reappear with solid proof of their identity, they could regain 70% of their total wealth. The remaining 30% would be given to the kingdom as a deterrent against fraudulent attempts to fake death and avoid paying taxes, as the deceased were exempt from taxation.

Daniel entered the office with a smile and greeted the employee inside before stating his business. The employee then led him to a nearby booth where he was provided with paper forms to fill out his information and specify his purpose.

After completing the forms, Daniel handed them to the employee and was instructed to wait on a bench while they were processed.

As he waited for an hour, Daniel grew bored. However, he took out his prototype card from his shirt pocket and began reading it, scrutinizing the details he may have missed during his initial inspection. With nothing better to do, he noticed a few things.

First, he believed that this prototype card was the only one he had printed in haste, intending to test it with the publisher's tester after signing the contract. It should be ordinary paper, not high-quality material that could revert to its original state even if crumpled or folded.

Second, the card shouldn't have the pattern at the back, and apart from lacking an image, it was identical to a finished product or perhaps even better. The finished product didn't utilize the paper material capable of self-reformation like this.

Third, when he touched the card, he sensed a slight metallic touch, and it oddly felt satisfying. It seemed to stimulate an indescribable energy within him, leaving him feeling refreshed. However, he dismissed it as mere delusion.

After an hour, an employee approached him.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Daniel Blake?" the employee asked, glancing between Daniel and the digital picture on her tablet, comparing the two for resemblance.

"Yes, I'm Daniel Blake. How can I assist you?" he replied, promptly tucking the prototype card back into his pocket.

"Our District Chief Officer would like to speak with you, sir. Please follow me," the employee informed Daniel, leading him deeper into the office.

Outside the personal office, there was a metal nameplate on the door indicating the District Chief Officer's name as Kevin Sun.

"Hello, Mr. Blake," greeted the middle-aged man with neatly combed hair and East Asian features, gesturing for Daniel to sit in the chair opposite him.

"Thank you, Mr. Sun," Daniel replied with a smile, taking a seat as Kevin had suggested.

Kevin shifted his attention to his computer, typing commands on the keyboard while asking, "Alright, you're Mr. Blake, from the original Blake family who arrived here in the mid-1600s, correct?"

"Yes, sir. That's correct," Daniel confirmed.

Given that the Tessia Kingdom was a multicultural country where various ethnic groups coexisted, it was not surprising to see individuals with diverse features and names coming together and enjoying their time. This also led to issues of name duplication.

Therefore, when investigating cases of individuals declared dead without anyone inheriting their wealth, and later reappearing, it was necessary to trace their family's original lineage for verification.

Kevin continued his checks until his eyes squinted, leaning closer to the monitor to ensure he wasn't imagining things.

"Is there a problem, sir?" Daniel asked, sensing that something was amiss and fearing that he wouldn't like the answer.

Kevin turned towards Daniel, his expression serious as he locked eyes with him.

"Please tell me the truth, Mr. Blake. Do you... perhaps... have any... misunderstandings with the royal family?" Kevin cautiously posed the question, trying not to portray the royal family in a negative light.

"Misunderstandings?" Daniel repeated, feeling anger welling up inside him as he recalled the night that had changed his life.

Seeing the anger in Daniel's eyes, Kevin's face immediately became complex. He was well aware of the domineering behavior and arbitrary acts of the Tessia Kingdom's royal family, particularly Crown Prince Victor Justius, who was notorious for his cruelty and philandering ways.

Anyone familiar with him knew of his ruthless and lascivious nature. If he took an interest in a woman, he would directly order his henchmen to bring her to him, regardless of who she was. If the woman happened to be a citizen of the Tessia Kingdom, she couldn't escape the clutches of the crown prince's lust.

If any of the women dared to refuse him, he would bring ruin upon their entire family and loved ones. Even if a woman became his, if she so much as displeased him in the slightest way, such as with a haircut he disliked, he would punish her with lashes or imprison her in his secretive personal prison...

Apart from his thirst for power and upholding his vanity, the crown prince cared for nothing and no one. The only person who could somewhat restrain him was the late King Pious Justius, the father of Crown Prince Victor.

Despite his cruel behavior and numerous scandals, the crown prince managed to maintain a minimal public image, just enough to avoid massive protests or uprisings, while simultaneously ensuring his cruelty and ruthlessness prevented anyone from questioning or speaking ill of him.

This was an open secret in the Tessia Kingdom. Almost everyone knew about it, but no one dared to speak out. Those who did speak out had already disappeared, never to be found again. Occasionally, unlucky fishermen would discover rotten corpses with their bellies filled with concrete in the main river of Tessia Kingdom.

Kevin remained silent, letting out a long sigh. With this reaction, he had a fair idea of what had transpired.

"Listen to me, Mr. Blake. All of your wealth and assets have been designated as donations to the personal funds of the royal family. Even if this was somehow the result of someone bullying you or an unfortunate event beyond anyone's control, I can't assist you," Kevin tried to explain, softening the blow towards the royal family as much as he could.

Anger surged through Daniel, but he attempted to maintain his composure.

"But the law clearly states that..." Daniel began to refute, but Kevin immediately interrupted.

"Mr. Blake, I am well aware of what the law states. I graduated from law school, but there's a saying in our country's law schools: the unwritten rule concerning the royal family always takes precedence over written law. Please understand, Mr. Blake."

After hearing the harsh truth from Kevin, Daniel's fists clenched tighter and tighter, causing red blood to seep from his closed palm. He struggled to control his anger, though it did not diminish in the slightest. Instead, it burned fiercely in his cold eyes.

"I understand, Mr. Sun. Thank you for informing me," Daniel replied, his voice growing colder. He bowed to Kevin and rose from his seat, preparing to leave the office. However, Kevin's voice stopped him from immediately exiting.

"Mr. Blake, I sympathize with your situation. Although I can't assist you with your current problem, I can offer help with matters unrelated to the royal family. Furthermore, this time, I will keep your case off the records. No one will find out about your attempt to reclaim your wealth," Kevin offered with a sympathetic smile, genuinely understanding Daniel's predicament.

Daniel slowly turned his head towards Kevin and weakly smiled.

"Thank you, Mr. Sun. I will remember this favor," Daniel said before walking out of Kevin's office, his once vibrant optimism and aspirations for the future now shattered.