Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 73: The Old Man and the Girl (Part 2)

“I swear, I didn’t make a withdrawal.”

“Didn’t? We’ve confirmed your face, fingerprint, and signature. Are you seriously senile?”

“Oh dear!”

As Karon took an interest, the rest of the group turned to look.

At that moment, they saw the old man and Lara. The old man was being dragged out by the collar by the guards, while Lara clung to their pants, refusing to let go.

Andrew’s eyes burned red with anger.

“Let go! Let go of my grandfather!”

“Ugh, this little nuisance!”

One of the guards raised his hand, ready to hit her.

Then, in a flash—

Swish

Andrew disappeared.

“Hm.”

With a quiet sigh, Karon disappeared as well.

It all happened in an instant.

Andrew appeared beside Lara and moved to strike at the guard attempting to hit her.

But his hand stopped in mid-air.

Andrew looked down, confused at his empty hand, and then glanced sideways.

There, Karon was holding Andrew’s dagger, looking down at him.

“Huh? Who are you?”

Only then did the guards realize their presence, staring first at Andrew and then at Karon, and finally at the dagger in Karon’s hand.

“D-drop your weapons immediately! Whistle!”

The guard’s whistle echoed, and within seconds, dozens of guards rushed over, surrounding the two of them. Even knights on horseback appeared.

“Who are you?!”

“If you don’t want to die, drop your weapons!”

However, Karon and Andrew seemed unfazed.

Karon crouched slightly, placing a hand on Andrew’s shoulder, and spoke.

“You mustn’t kill people just because you’re upset.”

Andrew nodded without hesitation.

The old man and Lara, speechless, sat down on the steps, stunned.

“What, is he crazy?”

“What’s he even saying?”

The guards were even more agitated by Karon’s calm demeanor.

The real headache, however, was Shong, watching from the side.

Though, having seen similar incidents before, he didn’t take it too seriously.

“Dear me… having two people like Karon around…”

“Hmm… It’s definitely more thrilling traveling with Karon,” Hinshan remarked, eyes gleaming as he watched Karon, causing Shong to sigh, wondering why he was surrounded by so many strange people.

But his moment of despair didn’t last long, as they needed to resolve the situation.

And fortunately, there was a simple solution right next to him.

“Hinshan, this isn’t the time to be watching.”

“Oh! My apologies. I got a bit distracted,” Hinshan said, reaching for the gold eagle medallion in his coat, but before he could reveal it, someone else arrived with her entourage.

At the forefront was a young woman on horseback, her blonde hair and white uniform striking a regal appearance.

The guards instinctively stepped aside as she halted her horse in front of Karon and Andrew. She seemed to hold a high rank.

“What’s all this commotion in the sacred Imperial Bank?!”

Despite her dignified tone, there was something awkward about her presence—perhaps because she seemed so young, or the grand phrasing of “sacred Imperial Bank.”

Shong couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, Karon reached into his coat and boldly presented the pendant from the Grand Duke.

“This pendant was personally given to me by Duke Decius. We’re here to make a withdrawal, so kindly make a way. And these people are with me.”

Shong stared at Karon, mouth agape, watching him hold the pendant high.

‘Is this really Karon?’

Using something like this was completely out of character for him.

Did he really think this approach would work here?

Suddenly, it all made sense.

Clap, clap, clap!

“Oh… brilliant! You did exactly as I showed you a few days ago. That’s amazing, Karon!” Hinshan applauded, nodding approvingly.

In reality, Karon had seen Hinshan use his own eagle medallion in a similar manner, assuming that was the proper way to use such items.

Sigh…

Shong let out a long sigh.

So, it was Hinshan’s influence that led Karon to act this way.

Rather than being fooled, it was more accurate to say Karon simply trusted him.

“Hinshan, did you really think that would work—”

“We’re honored to meet someone from the Grand Duke’s family! I am Sylbella Arcanes, eldest daughter of Count Jade Run Arcanes, in charge of security at the Imperial Bank. What are you waiting for?! Make way! Please, this way.”

It worked. And spectacularly so.

“Shall we, Shong?”

Hinshan grabbed the still-stunned Shong and pulled him along, climbing the stairs to join Karon.

The guards briefly tried to stop them, but upon seeing Hinshan flash his golden eagle badge, they immediately stepped aside and let them pass.

Without Hinshan, Shong might have been left standing there alone as Karon and the others went inside.

The guards reported the sighting of the golden eagle badge to Sylbella, and she was left dizzy with shock. She hadn’t expected to encounter both the Grand Duke’s pendant and the imperial eagle insignia in a remote port city like this. Such an event was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.

With this unexpected show of respect, Karon’s group, along with the old man and his granddaughter, entered the Imperial Bank under Sylbella’s careful escort.

They passed through the lobby, across the grand central hall, and finally arrived at an opulently decorated VIP room.

The room had ample seating, and as soon as everyone was settled, attendants entered with refreshments and warm tea.

While Karon’s group exchanged introductions with Sylbella, the old man sipped the tea, finally finding some peace of mind—though his hands still shook from the incident.

After a moment, Sylbella sat across from the old man and respectfully asked, “I’m truly sorry for this unfortunate incident. Could you tell us what happened so that we can clear up any misunderstandings?”

“Yes, of course,” the old man nodded and began recounting what had happened.

In summary, he explained that he had been depositing his earnings from crop sales in the Imperial Bank for years. Today, he had attempted to withdraw a large sum to repair his house, only to discover that his account was empty. Strangely, his fingerprint and signature were found on the withdrawal records, yet he hadn’t made any withdrawal himself.

Typically, the bank would verify his identity first with a portrait and secret word, followed by his fingerprint and signature.

Thus, he had been accused of causing a scene in a fit of senility and had been dragged out by the guards.

“I’m not senile. Please believe me,” the old man pleaded.

“Of course, we believe you, sir. Don’t worry,” Hinshan reassured him warmly, trying to calm the old man.

While Shong and Sylbella pondered the situation, Karon sat quietly at the back, observing. Meanwhile, the children, seemingly unaffected by the earlier commotion, were happily nibbling on snacks—though it was mostly Lara playfully teasing Andrew.

After some contemplation, Shong spoke up.

“If the old man’s story is true, there’s no way an outsider alone could have accessed the funds. There must have been—”

“—an accomplice on the inside,” Sylbella finished, nodding.

“Exactly. Someone might be able to forge fingerprints or signatures, but bypassing both the portrait and secret code would be impossible without internal collusion.”

At this, Hinshan chimed in. “Doesn’t each transaction bear the signature of the bank official who handled it?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Sylbella confirmed.

“Then it might be best to start by questioning the bank employee responsible for the old man’s transaction. If you handle this quietly, you could prevent any damage to the bank’s reputation. After all, this could be devastating for the Imperial Bank’s image.”

Sylbella understood the implications clearly. If an employee were systematically embezzling funds, it wouldn’t just be about the money—the bank’s trustworthiness would crumble. Clients might even start panicking, demanding proof of their accounts’ safety.

“I understand. I’ll begin the investigation right away. In the meantime, would you prefer to wait here, or perhaps I could have my aide escort you to our estate for rest?”

“We’ll wait here,” Hinshan said firmly, keeping things simple.

“Thank you for understanding. I’ll return as soon as possible,” Sylbella replied, quickly leaving the room.

Clearly, the idea of a scandal in her jurisdiction had ignited her sense of duty and indignation.

With unexpected downtime, Karon’s group followed an attendant to a comfortable waiting room. Although they were still within the fortified bank building, the room was pleasantly sunlit and well-decorated, with none of the confining atmosphere one might expect.

The children quickly started exploring, looking for something to play with.

Karon, meanwhile, settled into a dim corner and began chewing on a familiar herb.

The old man glanced around, visibly awkward. “I feel bad for holding you all up like this…”

“Don’t worry, sir. We planned to stay here for a while anyway,” Hinshan reassured him.

“Thank you so much. I’m not sure how I’ll ever repay this kindness,” the old man replied, visibly touched.

“Oh, no need for that,” Hinshan replied, trying to ease the old man’s burden.

At that moment, Shong, as if recalling something, interjected with a question.

“By the way, sir, do you know much about Wattsbell? Any interesting rumors, power struggles, or unusual items that come in from overseas?”

“I’ve spent my whole life farming and making trips to Wattsbell, so even if I don’t know something myself, I can easily find out from my contacts,” the old man replied confidently.

Shong’s eyes sparkled with excitement. He grasped the old man’s hand and asked, “Ah, that’s wonderful! Could we perhaps ask for your help once this matter is settled?”

“Of course, that’d be no trouble at all!” the old man agreed readily.

Shong felt reassured. If they had tried asking around directly, they might have drawn unwanted attention, but with the old man as their informant, there would be no suspicion.

“Oh, and I have a question for you too,” the old man said, turning to Shong.

“Yes, please, go ahead.”

“What exactly are you all? I may be an old man, but in all my years, I’ve never seen anything quite like today,” he continued, turning his gaze.

“In particular, who is that young man over there?”

The old man gestured toward Karon, who sat quietly in the dark corner with a bored expression.

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