164

Time flew by as Wayne immersed himself in learning. With Amiya's assistance, he quickly identified numerous books on herbs, potions, monsters, curses, and other witcher-related topics. Excluding those he already knew from Kaer Morhen, there were five to six hundred books in total, and he had only scratched the surface of the library's first floor.

In the Middle Ages, knowledge was precious. Coupled with imperfect printing and the secrecy surrounding it, books could cost from a dozen to hundreds of orens depending on their content. Wayne could only imagine the expense of purchasing the books he wanted.

However, being able to buy from Aretuza was an opportunity few had. He was likely the only witcher capable of acquiring this knowledge without resorting to violence or antagonizing the Brotherhood.

Thinking of this, Wayne couldn't help but sigh. Building Wayne Manor, hiring hobbits, and developing the plantation had drained his savings. In short, Wayne was broke!

Unless he opened all the treasure chests in his system now, he might gather close to 10,000 orens—but that was two years' worth of accumulated wealth. It was still August 1251, and the lucky day of the month hadn't arrived yet; he wasn't ready to risk it all.

This reminded Wayne of Vivian and the goddess of wealth she represented. Spending one's own money was the honest way, but spending the bank's money was the smart way. Perhaps it was time to seek out that charming little creature and discuss a business arrangement.

At dinnertime, guided by Amiya, Wayne arrived at Triss's residence—a luxurious room with a balcony on the middle floor of a round tower. Its exquisite decor, from the floors and walls to the various amenities, spoke of Aretuza's wealth and power. The room boasted a massive, plush bed, a private bathroom, and a kitchen.

As a courtesy, Wayne invited Amiya to stay for dinner. However, perhaps due to their differing status or her shy nature, she politely declined and left after bidding him farewell.

Wayne, noting it was still early for dinner, closed and locked the door before heading to a nearby study. He removed the black money bag from his belt, loosened its golden string, and whispered into the dark opening:

"Vivian, Vivian!" Wayne called out. Within a second, a palm-sized female elf, dressed as a secretary in a short skirt, blouse, and black-rimmed glasses, emerged from the money bag. She giggled, circled Wayne's head, and then perched on his shoulder, planting a kiss on his cheek before flitting to the table in front of him. "Wayne," she chirped, her eyes sparkling, "you summoned Vivian. What are your orders?"

As usual, Wayne placed seven or eight gold coins in front of Vivian as a tip. Then, he looked into her eager eyes and asked, "Vivian, how much money do I have in your Wealth Bank?"

Without hesitation, Vivian replied, "Wayne, your savings in our bank are approximately 532 orens or 650 hobbit gold coins. Of course, we offer interest-free currency conversion for any currency you have access to, with no fees."

Wayne nodded, acknowledging their established trust. Over the years in Middle-earth, he had frequently used Vivian's services to exchange orens for Middle-earth currency. He no longer saw her as a lure for an evil god and had developed some trust in the power of the goddess of wealth she spoke of.

"I'm not asking for money, Vivian," Wayne clarified.

"Didn't you mention that you offer loan services, like most banks? How does that work?" Wayne inquired.

Upon hearing about the loan, Vivian perked up, and with a pat of her hand, the gold coins vanished. She flapped her wings and flew to Wayne's eye level, then clapped her hands, making a contract the size of a book appear on the table before him.

"Wayne," she chirped excitedly, "all the loan details are outlined on that paper. Based on your credit rating, you're currently a silver-level customer with a loan limit of 100,000 orens and an annual interest rate of approximately 10%. However, to access our loan services, you need to sign a cooperation contract with us wealth elves, thus ending your trial period."

Wayne had anticipated this. For two years, he had used various excuses to delay signing a contract with Vivian. He was wary of binding agreements with deities, demons, or other supernatural beings, as they carried inherent risks and could entangle his fate with theirs.

However, Vivian's cross-world banking system was undeniably convenient, offering deposit, withdrawal, loan, and investment services, surpassing the features of most modern banks. Vivian had even hinted that if Wayne reached gold-level customer status, he could unlock a "loot acquisition" function.

Wayne could then sell excess or unwanted loot directly to the bank for a deposit, albeit at about half the market price as a handling fee. The Goddess of Wealth's bank could purchase anything of value, essentially offering a "kill monsters and earn money" service with no wasted loot.

Wayne carefully read the contract Vivian provided several times. After confirming there were no hidden traps or tricks, he said to the enthusiastic elf, "Alright, Vivian, let's formally sign the contract! How do we do it?"

Vivian giggled, flapped her wings, and flew to Wayne's right side. Under his gaze, she wrapped her arms around his index finger, flashing a bright smile. "Signing a contract with us wealth elves is simple. Just let us take a small bite and a bit of blood. The strength of us wealth elves is tied to our customers' deposits and the value they bring to the Goddess of Wealth."

"As your deposits grow, Wayne, my abilities will also strengthen, and I can offer you more services."

"So, are you certain you want to sign a cooperation contract with me? This is a contract without restrictions. It simply allows the Goddess of Wealth to create a protected account for you, linked to your blood and soul. It won't bind you or cause you any harm."

"The Goddess of Wealth doesn't need your faith or soul. All she desires is more wealth!"