Until they left that bizarre underground world, Rick's mind remained in a daze.
"Are we actually rich now?" This was the twentieth time Rick had asked, staring blankly.
"Of course. Ever seen a poor bastard with over 600 million Silver Beetle Coins in his pocket?" Shust smacked the back of Rick's head.
"But..." Rick pulled out the check embossed with the guild's "Millipede" emblem, studying it—he felt nothing like a rich man. In his mind, wealth meant endless gold coins spilling from pockets, not this flimsy paper that could blow away in the wind.
Seeing Rick's clueless expression, Shust sighed. "Fine. Let's withdraw 10,000 Golden Beetles from the guild so you can see what real money looks like, country bumpkin."
The four headed to the guild's Ison City headquarters. In this era, guilds not only facilitated trade but also currency circulation—functionally a hybrid of merchant house and bank. Hence, the spired headquarters had two doors: the front for goods, the back for cash withdrawals.
It was Rick's first time in such a place, so he felt awkward before the polite clerk. Masked, he sneaked up to her, glancing around and whispering, "Heard you give out money here?"
The clerk's eyes widened as if he were a monster—masked, furtive, and acting like a country bumpkin robbing a bank. Though thinking this, she trained her left hand on the alarm under the counter, maintaining a smile. "If you have a guild deposit slip, yes, you may withdraw funds."
"Is this it?" Rick flashed the check briefly before stuffing it back, as if fearing the wind would snatch it. The clerk barely caught a glimpse.
"Could you show me the check properly?" She began to think he was mocking her, her smile stiffening.
"I... I heard not to flaunt wealth..." Rick hugged his pocket, looking like a farmer guarding his life savings.
"Damn it, you make withdrawing money look like a spy operation. Move aside!" Unable to stand it anymore, Shust slapped Rick away, snatched the check from his pocket, and slammed it on the counter. "Withdraw money! Give me 10,000 gold coins first."
"Ten thousand?" The clerk was clearly stunned by the sudden shift, taking a moment to process.
"What? Look down on us?!" Shust habitually narrowed his eyes, the edge in his gaze making the clerk go pale in an instant.
She instinctively picked up the check and nearly fainted at the sight. "Six... six and a half million..." Even for a clerk used to large sums, this was astronomical. She hurriedly verified the anti-counterfeit marks—genuine.
"Deepest apologies for my earlier rudeness, esteemed guests. Please wait while I retrieve the cash." The clerk regained her professionalism swiftly.
"Hold on." Shust stopped her, pulling Rick over. "Why not convert the check into deposit slips and divide the money now?"
"No problem." Rick, already excited at the thought of cash, nodded eagerly.
"Good. Split the funds into three: two slips of 2.1 million Golden Beetles, one slip of 2.29 million—all private encrypted deposits. Withdraw 10,000 Golden Beetles as 100 cash coins, and convert the remaining 9,900 into 100-unit small-denomination universal slips."
"Yes, please wait a moment."
The clerk jotted down Shust's instructions. After a flurry of procedures, three large private deposit slips with their thumbprints were placed in their hands. Since Anna had contributed the most to the sale—and Lausanne's extra 240,000 was due to her—her slip was over 100,000 more than Rick's and Shust's. The withdrawn 10,000 was divided among them, with cash-loving Rick getting ten extra gold coins.
Carrying a pouch of Golden Beetle Coins and a pocketful of 100-unit universal slips, Rick strode out of the guild under the clerk's respectful gaze. With money in his pockets, he finally felt rich. While the clerk processed the procedures, he'd learned about different guild deposit slips.
His private slip with over 2 million—even if lost, no one could cash it without his thumbprint. The 100-unit universal slips, however, were cash-equivalent, usable by anyone and accepted across cities with minimal fees—ideal for business.
"Where to now?" Shust lit a cigarette at the guild entrance.
"Not sure, but I made a promise to Lav. I'll stay in Ison City for a while, then decide when to go to the Almanz Wasteland." Rick said proudly. Now he saw insect hunting as a great career—if he made such deals monthly, he could throw tens of billions at old Nanze to marry his granddaughter.
Of course, this was pure wishful thinking.
"Then we should part for a while. I need to stretch my legs too." Shust crushed his cigarette, clapping Balzac—who'd been trailing him like a lackey—on the shoulder. "Interested in trying my kind of life?"
Balzac shrugged. "I have no money, power, or allies. Guess I'm stuck with you."
"Hahaha... Smart man. Let's find a place to drink." Shust slung an arm over Balzac's shoulder, dragging him toward an alley where streetwalkers lingered.
Rick called after them: "How will I find you when we leave?"
Shust tossed back a refined dagger without turning. "Flash this in any bar—I'll appear."
Laughing and jostling, the pair vanished around the corner.
"Ah... Just the two of us now."
"Yep. What do you want to do with me?" Anna smiled coquettishly.
"Not sure. Wanna get bug oil cakes?"
"The cheap ones for a silver coin each?" Anna gaped.
Rick scratched his head. "What's wrong with that?"
"You're hopeless! Since when do billionaires take dates for bug oil cakes!" Anna circled Rick, hands on hips, nodding. "This country bumpkin needs a crash course in enjoying life."
Rick shivered under her gaze. "What are you planning?"
"Come on—let's live like rich people for a day." Anna linked arms with him boldly, hailed an insect-drawn taxi, and headed for Ison City's most bustling district.
Ison City, the oldest of the Three Cities in the Forest Domain, was also known as the Noble City, a name that reflected the deep-rooted aristocratic traditions cherished by its inhabitants. Though its commercial district lacked the raucous energy of Kester City, the bountiful shops still left Rick and Anna dazzled.
"So many places... where do we start?" Rick asked blankly after paying the insect taxi.
"One by one!" Anna's eyes sparkled with excitement as she dragged him into a clothing store.
As a bug hunter, Rick usually favored leather jackets with numerous pockets. But this store held no such practical garments. Instead, it displayed what Rick thought were unbearably cumbersome outfits: a handwoven formal dress made from fine insect silk that looked too restrictive, another with slits but weighed down by useless gemstone trimmings that would jingle noisily when moving.
Rick frowned at the impractical designs, but Anna was engrossed, ditching him to try on clothes nonstop. Shopping for women was a time-consuming affair—Rick had nodded off in a chair while she cycled through outfit after outfit as if determined to wear them all.
The door chime suddenly rang. Rick blinked awake to see a middle-aged man in a black tuxedo enter. The man nodded to him politely before stepping behind the counter. This elegant man, likely the storeowner, was treated with deference by the staff. Their nervous expressions as he checked the day's sales suggested poor performance.
"No wonder business is bad with such crappy clothes," Rick muttered inwardly before dozing off again. Perhaps noticing his disdain, the refined middle-aged man approached with a warm smile.
"Welcome to our store, sir." He wore a professional grin.
"Oh, hello." Rick forced his eyes open out of courtesy.
"Is that beautiful lady your companion?" The man gestured to Anna.
Rick nodded. "Hmm, I suppose."
"You must have waited long. Shopping with a companion can be tiring, especially for gentlemen lacking patience." The man's tone was witty, as if he'd come over just to chat, rambling with Rick about random topics.
Soon they learned the basics about each other. The man, named Gria, worked for the Guild's Northwest Branch and owned this clothing store. He joked that as a child, he'd dreamed not of being a successful merchant but a bumbling adventurer, exploring the world with mighty companions.
As for why a "bumbling" adventurer, Gria joked it was because he feared death. His logic resonated with Rick, who'd seen plenty of adventures, but on reflection, Rick couldn't help laughing.
"You should be glad you didn't pursue that childhood dream. Bumbling adventurers die fastest in any situation."
"May I ask why?" Gria asked earnestly.
"Because no one wants a useless companion, so..." Rick spread his hands, leaving the rest unsaid.
"Heh... I actually turned to business after constant setbacks. And you, sir—you look like an adventurer with rich experiences." Gria flattered him subtly, a tactic that pleased Rick, who indeed thought his adventures more thrilling than most insect hunters'.
Seeing satisfaction in Rick's eyes, Gria exclaimed exaggeratedly: "Are you truly an adventurer who's braved countless forbidden zones? Forgive my rudeness—what is your name?"
"Rick. Not countless, but I've braved one or two forbidden zones." Rick was puffing up under the flattery.
"Oh my! Your experiences will become legend! What a lucky day—sitting with a mighty adventurer!" Suddenly changing tone, Gria beckoned a waiting attendant. "Fetch the suit we've kept in storage."
"A suit?" Rick blinked, waving his hands. "Sorry, but your clothes aren't really my style."
"Of course—these are for commoners. But that suit is different. As I wanted to be an adventurer, I had it made for myself, but since that's no longer possible, I'd like to gift this treasure to you."
"Ah? But—"
Before Rick could protest, the attendant presented the suit. Exquisitely tailored and minimalist, it indeed suited an insect hunter's needs.
Gria first showed the black inner lining, stretching the seemingly small garment to an exaggerated length. "Excellent elasticity, great insulation—keeps your body warm. The tight fit enhances explosive power, and the design even defends against bladed weapons."
Rick gaped at the demonstration, nodding repeatedly. Gria then showed the outer jacket and leather pants, pouring water on them and holding them to a flame. "Waterproof, fireproof, highly stretchable, and color-changing in light—perfect for any adventure."
He took the black jacket outside into the sun. Its color gradually lightened to silver-gray, a shade with excellent heat insulation.
"Incredible!" Rick was mesmerized, his longing obvious to even a fool.
"Don't you want to try it on?" Gria asked with a smile.
"Okay."
Rick eagerly took the clothes from the attendant and entered the fitting room. Moments later, he emerged fully dressed. The black, minimalist design somehow softened his insect hunter's ruggedness, lending him an air of elegance and valor.
"It's as if it were designed for you. You're the perfect person to entrust my dream to," Gria praised, beaming.
"Really? Hahaha... I do love this suit," Rick said, examining himself from all angles before scratching his head and laughing. "How much is it? I'll take it."
"I intended to gift it to you," Gria said earnestly.
"That's too kind. The materials must be expensive—I can't accept it for free."
"Well..." Gria hesitated, then spoke slowly. "Truth be told, this suit is called Silver Trace. The materials are extremely rare, costing around 80 Golden Beetle Coins alone. Plus, it was meticulously designed by the renowned master designer, Nar..."
"Eighty...?" Rick's jaw dropped. Eighty Golden Beetles equaled 8,000 Silver Beetles—nearly three months' living expenses for an ordinary family, or half a year's worth for the frugal Rick.
It was exorbitantly expensive. Rick desperately wanted to refuse, but Gria's sincere smile held him back. Besides, he'd insisted on paying—who else was to blame?
Gritting his teeth, Rick took out a 100-unit universal deposit slip to buy the suit.
Just as Rick finished the purchase, Anna finally finished trying on all the clothes—without buying a single one. Meanwhile, Rick had unwittingly splurged on a named suit. As they left, Gria handed him a business card.
But once they were out the door, Gria's warm smile vanished, and he coldly lectured the staff. "See? Wasting effort on women. From her behavior, this was their first store. Women never buy clothes at the first stop—their male companions are the prime targets."
The clerks were now in awe of their boss. One hesitated to ask, "But that suit was—"
"Master Nar loves designing oddities. I grabbed this from him ages ago. Who knew making up a story and a name would fetch such a price? Hahaha!" Gria chortled, stroking his mustache.
The clerks marveled at his sleight of hand—100 Golden Beetles for nothing. If Rick had heard this, would he have raced back to fight this hypocritical swindler?