For the next several minutes, Arthur thoroughly searched the two bags, coin by coin. He knew that whatever tracking device they might plant in the bag had to emit some kind of mana wave that his senses could catch.
Most of the things in that world worked with Mana as the main source of energy. It was the best form of energy there is so people used it for everything and it proved to be very versatile, outside battle. Even those who couldn’t use Mana can easily take the mana in the atmosphere and use it in machinery and everyday life.
In any case, it didn’t take long for Arthur to find what he was looking for. Hidden amongst the piles of coins was a small object that Arthur almost missed.
Picking it up, he noticed that it looked almost like some kind of a pin, coated with gold on the outside to make it blend with the coins. The pin was emitting faint amounts of mana which proved Arthur’s suspicion.
“So sneaky…” Arthur muttered with a smile before he crushed the pin to pieces and then threw it to the side. Continuing to search both bags, he found a second one in the second bag.
He double-checked to make sure he didn’t miss any more of them before closing the bags and storing them in his inventory again.
“Ok, we’re done here.” He muttered as he stood up and started walking out of the alley. “I’m afraid they might trace me till here. Sorry lads, you’re going to find nothing.”
Then, in the blink of an eye, Arthur vanished from sight as if he was never there.
“I need to go back to the headquarters now. We still have a lot of work to do. With all this money, we won’t have to worry about lacking funds for a very long time.”
The group had already received financial support from Prince Vincent in the form of building materials and a piece of land. But, they didn’t receive any actual cash from him for one reason or another.
‘Fifty thousand gold coins are probably enough for me to buy a completely new set of items.’ He mused as he dashed through the street, moving from one place to another.
Arthur was aware of his dire need for a new sword. Sanguine Blade was reaching the end of its life and the sword’s cracks were starting to grow bigger and bigger. He knew that it was going to break soon.
‘I don’t want to end up in a situation where my sword gets broken while I’m fighting. I need to get a new sword with this money. I wonder if Merry has a good sword for me.’
Arthur didn’t forget about the eccentric lady with the moving Armory who had given him his Sharded Skull Armor Set. He intended to pay her a visit again since he had to check on his old armor and also search for a new sword.
“I will visit her when we finish building the Guild Headquarters.” He muttered. “For now, we need to focus on that.”
*** Enjoy new chapters from empire
It took Arthur a few minutes to arrive at his destination as it was on the other side of the city. But, when he arrived there, he found his group still working on the building. The work had already progressed a lot during his absence and the floors were starting to rise.
The outside of the building was also starting to take shape and its appearance was already mesmerizing.
The moment he stepped inside, Arthur was met with Isla’s eyes.
“There you are.” She said. “Did something happen?”
“No, it was as swift as I expected. I stopped far away to check the coins and the trackers. I found two and got rid of them he said.”
“…” Isla closed her eyes for a second and nodded her head. Then, she opened them again. “Ar-“
“Isla, look at all of this money! Hey, you guys! Stop working and come here!” He yelled.
“Huh?”
“Arthur?”
“You’re back!”
“Did it work?!”
Immediately, his friends surrounded him as they curiously watched him pull out the two bags. “Of course, it worked! I will never think of a plan that won’t work!”
Opening the bags, they all peeked inside and their eyes widened in shock. “Wow…”
“This…”
“So many shiny coins!”
The sheer amount of gold coins they could see took them by surprise. It was a ridiculous number by every measure possible and considering their current situation, it was extremely important.
“Hahaha, we’re rich guys! We won’t ever need money again!” Arthur laughed jovially.
“Hell yeah!! I’m going to buy the best food there is to offer!” Herculia exclaimed.
“I need some new clothes for sure.” Emmy thought out loudly.
“… I need new boots,” Danny muttered.
As everyone was looking at the coins and admiring them, the only one who kept staring at Arthur was Isla. Her eyes flashed with a myriad of emotions. She heard how Arthur said ‘We’ instead of ‘I’ even though the entire idea was his and he also was the one who executed it. Isla simply tagged along to guard his back.
Yet, Arthur didn’t hesitate to attribute this money to everyone and not just himself. That fact made Isla feel something in her heart. It was a warm feeling yet also a very odd one.
‘… So strange…’ Instinctively, she touched her chest, feeling her beating heart. Then, she shook her head and looked up at Arthur.
“Thank you, Arthur.” She said. “Your idea has given us enough money to do everything we want.” Her tone was a lot softer than usual.
“Hm?” Arthur looked up at his friend. He immediately noticed the subtle emotions within her expression and he could only be stunned for a moment. Then, he laughed slightly. “It’s not that big of a deal. We all participated in it.”
“No! Isla is right! Your idea was genius!” Herculia exclaimed. “Arthur is the best.”
“Fufufufu, we’re grateful to have you here with us, Arthur.” Emmy smiled.
“Tsk, I guess I can give you that.” Danny rolled his eyes coldly.
“Wow, Arthur so amazing!” Finlay and Serko clapped happily.
Meanwhile, Sora simply smiled as she stared at Arthur with a peaceful look. Everyone complimented him one way or another, their gratitude clear in their eyes.
The boy himself was completely taken aback by the rain of praise he received. He wasn’t ready for it at all as he didn’t see this as that smart of an idea. He was certain Isla would’ve thought of it if he didn’t. But, even then, Arthur felt a deep sense of satisfaction and happiness hearing all of that.
He felt truly grateful that he had these friends who appreciated him as much as he appreciated them. They didn’t hesitate to thank him and show that he truly belonged there.
“Haha, you’re going to make me blush guys.” Arthur shook his head.
“Oh! Let me see!”
“Are your cheeks red now?!”
“It’s rare to see Arthur blushing!”
“Hey, stop! Don’t pinch my cheek!”
As Arthur fought away the hands that tried to grab his face, he was laughing happily.
‘One more thing, Grandma. I have finally found the people you told me about. Those who will accept me like their family… You were always right after all.’
A//N: Don’t forget to give the book some golden tickets for good luck! :3