The intelligence sent from Gear City mentioned that banker Mr. Marshall is a workaholic who takes pride in working at the Imperial Capital United Reserve Bank. At least, his work attitude is impeccable. The morning after he was cured of the laughing disorder, he went to the bank to work.
When Ave and Ethan entered, Marshall, dressed in a suit, was already seated at his desk, and the desk was piled high with documents.
Miss Keroy stayed under the tree outside the bank waiting for them because the staff at the Imperial Reserve emphasized that pets were not allowed inside.
Marshall glanced up at the two, and when he saw Ethan holding a hard bread in his arms, his eyebrows furrowed tightly.
This was Ethan's breakfast.
On the way, he had explained to Ave the many benefits of hard bread. It is cheap, very filling, and can even be used as a weapon at critical moments.
In a game, it would surely be an epic-level equipment.
Ethan, knowing his place, remained at the door. He not only noticed the way Marshall looked at him but also saw the color of his tongue when he drank water.
Still black, as if he was about to die from poison.
"Luoxang's death has hidden motives."
Ave started explaining the case. Before they came to the Imperial Reserve, they had asked Captain Hagrid for the death list from Riverside Town. According to Ave's replication ability, on the third page, she found Luoxang's wife and daughter's names. Their cause of death was the same as other Riverside Town residents; they drank the cursed water source unguardedly.
The knowledge imparted to her by the Astrology Association was still insufficient to break a witch's curse.
"His wife and daughter died in Riverside Town, which directly led him to end his own life."
However, there was one thing Ave and Ethan couldn't figure out.
Why did Luoxang's ledger have curses on it? And why did Marshall specifically take his ledger and hide this crucial information in his plea for help to Gear City.
"Is it? Is that so..."
Marshall stared at the death list for a long time, then lowered his head and clenched his fists.
His reaction surprised Ethan. He didn't expect someone like Marshall to be sad about Luoxang's death. But upon closer thought, it made sense, as Mr. Luoxang once brought joy to many people in Ximu Town, perhaps even to Marshall.
Marshall's next words stopped Ethan's thoughts abruptly. Initially, he spoke in a low whisper, which gradually grew louder, and his reaction seemed no longer sad but angry, as his clenched fist slammed onto the table, shaking the items on it.
"Useless thing, the dregs of the lowest layer of society, shameless mangy dogs! Don't they know how much effort I put into them?"
When Ethan heard Marshall using such words to describe Luoxang, his mind went blank for a moment. He even thought he was hallucinating because he couldn't imagine someone would say such vicious words after knowing the truth of the case.
But Marshall's incessant ranting made it impossible for him to treat it as an illusion.
His incredulous gaze swept across Marshall's fat body, pausing deeply for a few seconds, then...
Take a deep breath and close his eyes.
In his mind, he envisioned the cup on the table, with water splashing everywhere from the impact.
Drinking water in the office is indeed very dangerous, and it could pose a threat to personal safety.
The latest investigation report from the Reception Bureau shows that water is the world's most toxic substance; every deceased person drank water before they died.
Ave quietly waited for Marshall to finish venting before she spoke, "The information sent by the Reception Bureau mentioned that you actively requested to be transferred to the Ximu Town branch."
Marshall's loss of composure exactly confirmed her speculation.
Why would a noble young man from a prestigious family actively make such a request?
There obviously were many opportunities for him to live comfortably.
"Is it because the people in Ximu Town are nice? They don't like reading, have narrow knowledge, and whenever they face a problem they can't solve, they easily believe others, treating anyone willing to lend a hand as a lifesaver... Such a group of ignorant, shallow fools, even if they accidentally obtained treasures, they wouldn't be able to recognize it, right?"
Upon hearing this, Marshall was stunned.
Ave, coming from the same environment as him, knew how much the nobles were willing to spend on a gifted young Transcendent. They invite these young people to their homes, treating them as guests, and as long as they're willing, those wealthy families are willing to cover their tuition unconditionally.
This is the rule by which the world has always operated.
Hence, the power of Transcendents often lies in the hands of the influential, and those Transcendents are creations built upon wealth.
However, Marshall discovered a more economical approach.
During the Transcendents' growth process, he burdened them with huge debts and then sold them to the empire's nobles by leveraging those debts.
Why can't Transcendents be treated as commodities?
When Marshall sent his idea to the head office, there was an almost immediate response. The head office greatly supported his plan and offered him a chance to realize it.
"If Luoxang's ledger were transported back to Gear City's branch as a cursed item, the research department would study it, and during that process, they would certainly check every debt recorded in the ledger."
Ave said her speculation, "Training magicians indeed require a large sum of money, but exactly how much? Could it be so much that a future Transcendent would have to sell themselves to repay it?"
Actually, Luoxang had no concept of this money and had no idea how the interest would balloon in the future.
More importantly, he didn't know that once the debt had soared to an unrepayable level, it would transfer to his daughter.
But the people in the Reception Bureau could see it.
Furthermore, they could identify several entirely unnecessary loans from the numerous accounts.
From Marshall's angry reaction, it wasn't hard to discern he believed Luoxang's daughter would fetch a good price in the future, serving as his stepping stone into the Imperial Union Reserve Bank.
Ave looked at the scattered documents on the table, where there was a debt transfer agreement.
The agreement had a familiar name written
It was Luoxang's daughter's name.
The debt doesn't disappear with death; this rule was established by the Imperial Reserve, and the living would inherit all the deceased's obligations.
"As an investigator of the Reception Bureau, you're overstepping your bounds."
Marshall glared at Ave fiercely, "I don't need to explain the bank's specific business to you."
"Retrieving cursed items is my duty."
Marshall impatiently waved his hand, "You are no longer needed, thank you for your hard work, and Gear City's letter should be arriving soon, right."
Before he finished speaking, a falcon screeched outside the window.
A red falcon landed outside the office window.
It brought the order from Gear City's Reception Bureau.