Trino Royal Bank

Little George was still in a daze after leaving the church.

He lowered his head, feeling a little dejected. "Great Lord, thank goodness for your protection. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had the slightest idea what was happening."

"Heh. The bishop of the Church of Divine Grace was at least a Tier 3 Beyonder. You only became a Beyonder recently, so it's perfectly normal that you had no way to fight back." Seeing Little George lost in self-reproach, Ivan promptly offered the believer some encouragement.

"Tier 3? Does that refer to the staircase in my Spirituality?"

Hearing Little George's words, Ivan realized that the strength of a Beyonder's abilities really was represented by an actual staircase.

"That's right."

"Great Lord, how can I climb to the next step? I want to become stronger so I can better protect the Holy Spirit Society..." Little George clenched his fists. Realizing the difference between his strength and the bishop's had left him deeply uneasy.

"Remain faithful, hone your Spirituality, and you'll naturally be able to step up to the next level."

Ivan made up an answer based on his own guesswork. He still hadn't found a chance to test whether he could help Little George improve his abilities through a Gift.

Seeing how uneasy Little George looked, he added:

"Don't worry. This misfortune has turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and I've made some worthwhile discoveries.

"But be more discreet next time. Don't hand out those leaflets and promote the Holy Spirit Society so openly."

Honestly, I'm such a diligent god. I even have to look after my believers' mental and physical well-being.

"I understand, Great Lord. I'll be careful and discreet as I continue spreading your name!"

Young people's moods changed so quickly. In no time, Little George had cheered up and pulled himself together. He set off toward the East District.

Ivan drifted along absentmindedly, pondering the information revealed by the bishop's words.

"The Church of Divine Grace in the Rhine Kingdom worships the eyes and blood of a god.

"The bishop knew there were people who worshipped other parts of that god. Those must be believers from other countries.

"Was he trying to find those people hiding in Trino City?"

He scratched his head, feeling that something didn't add up.

If the other parts had given rise to religions like the Church of Divine Grace, it was hard to imagine which part's believers would use blood sacrifices to gain followers.

Before he knew it, he had flown up to an elegant building and come to a stop.

The thick walls, made of polished dark-gray granite, displayed a fine texture in the sunlight.

Several sturdy columns stood before the entrance, their vertical grooves supporting a triangular pediment.

In the center of the pediment, the words "Trino Royal Bank" stood out in gilded lettering, proclaiming the building's purpose.

The broad stone steps before the entrance bustled with people coming and going.

Men in dark tailcoats or brown waistcoats gathered in small groups, speaking in low voices. They leaned on walking sticks and occasionally raised their hands to check their elegant pocket watches.

Several young ladies in gorgeous, elaborate gowns descended the steps with gentlemen on their arms. Their skirts swayed gently as they walked, the sunlight tracing graceful arcs along their hoops.

"Uh... I was just wandering around. Could my Spirituality be telling me that today's a good day to rob a bank?"

Looking at the building before him, Ivan couldn't help seriously considering the possibility.

He flew in just beneath the pediment. Before him lay an enormous lobby, its floor paved with dark marble squares arranged in a beautiful geometric pattern.

A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, which rose dozens of meters overhead. Its light spilled across the stone pillars and flashed brilliantly in their polished surfaces.

An elegant row of wooden teller windows stood in the center of the hall, with bank employees in uniform behind them. Brass grilles protected the counters, with small sliding drawers set into them to pass documents and cash back and forth.

Each employee had an inkwell, a thick ledger, and a scale precise to the gram in front of them.

"Impressive... But why aren't any workers here depositing their money? Do they not welcome poor people, or are the workers busy working during business hours?"

As Ivan's thoughts wandered, he suddenly sensed a faint thread of faith coming from the left side of the lobby.

"So I have a believer here, too."

Curious, he looked to the left. It seemed to be a row of private rooms for receiving guests. Golden numbers were carved into the heavy redwood doors. The faint signal of faith was coming from a room in the corner on the second floor, marked "001."

Ivan flew toward the room. Just then, the door opened from the inside. The reception room had a dark red carpet and walls covered in deep green wallpaper.

A middle-aged man with impeccably neat hair and a velvet suit stepped out, accompanied by a young woman.

Ivan recognized him as Mayor Gustav, whom he had seen in the newspaper.

The young woman beside him had golden curls, gathered at the ends with a jeweled bow. The hairstyle framed her flawless face.

She wore an ivory satin gown, its collar and cuffs trimmed with delicate lace and its skirt layered with embroidered patterns.

A sapphire pendant rested against her swanlike white neck, harmonizing with her sky-blue eyes.

The sprinkling of freckles beneath her eyes lent her elegance a touch of warmth.

The young woman seemed a little distracted, her gaze continually wandering elsewhere.

Mayor Gustav was laughing as he said goodbye to the two people across from him.

"Oh, my dear Baron Victor, your son is truly witty. Thank you for your gracious hospitality."

"Hahaha, Mr. Mayor, it's our pleasure to have afternoon tea with the most beautiful little angel in all of Trino City."

The middle-aged man opposite him laughed in reply. He was Baron Victor, the director of the Trino Royal Bank. He wore a finely tailored dark gray suit, with the corner of a white handkerchief peeking out of his breast pocket.

The young man beside Victor stepped forward. Tall and slender, he wore a light-colored waistcoat and striped trousers. He bowed gracefully, his voice warm yet confident.

"Miss Diana, would you do me the honor of having dinner with me?"

The young woman named Diana was interrupted. Her pretty, pale-gold eyebrows knitted slightly. "No. Call me Gustav. We're not that close."

"Hahaha, Miss Gustav is as charming as ever," Baron Victor said, smoothly intervening.

Diana bowed slightly alongside her father, then headed downstairs.

Ivan had found the source of the thread. It was the beautiful young woman, and he could indeed sense a faint trace of faith coming from her.

"Now that's strange. Why would the mayor's daughter have even the slightest trace of faith in me? I've never seen her at the Holy Spirit Society."

"Could she have heard my name somewhere and secretly prayed to me?"

The thought had barely occurred to him before he found it hard to believe himself.

"But what could be troubling her? Why wouldn't she turn to the Church of Divine Grace and instead seek out an 'unknown entity' like me?"

The more Ivan thought about it, the stranger it seemed. For the mayor's daughter to bypass the official church, she must have some unusual secret—or perhaps she had lost faith in the Church of Divine Grace.

He grew intensely curious about Diana and decided to follow her and see what he could find out.

When they reached an elegant villa in the West District, Mr. Gustav finally sighed helplessly and couldn't resist speaking to Diana.

"My dear little Diana, you were even less of a lady than usual today."

After they entered the house, the young woman gazed up at him with wide, watery eyes and tugged at her father's arm. "Daddy, I don't want to marry anyone yet. I'm still in university!"

Gustav smiled and shook his head, seeming to have no idea what to do with his daughter. "My little Diana, your mother was already head over heels in love with me when she was your age."

"But since you've told me how you feel, Daddy won't force you anymore. I'll turn down Baron Victor's invitations from now on."

"Yay! Thank you, Daddy. I'm going to my room to read!" Diana scampered upstairs like a cheerful little lark.

Only then did Ivan think that perhaps the young woman had simply prayed to him on a whim because she didn't want to fall in love. He watched her enter her bedroom, then prepared to turn and fly out of the villa.

Just then, he heard a prayer coming from the second floor.

"Great Lord of All Spirits..."

"Please let your power descend upon us..."