Chapter 249: New Ride
By the time they stepped off the tram, the sun was already climbing high in the sky, the day slowly moving from morning to noon.
Lukas looked up at the familiar Faustian Bank branch, taking in the view. Several people moved up and down the wide steps, moving between the pillars as they went about their business.
He nodded to the two guards by the door, leading the way inside.
After attracting the attention of an attendant, they were led through the main floor to the private offices at the back, where their account manager was already waiting by the time they arrived, a polite smile on his face and a ledger open on the desk.
"Mr. Valentine. Mrs. Valentines." The man gestured to the seats across from him. "Please, sit."
They settled in, and Lukas got straight to the point.
"We’re looking to make a deposit. A large one, split three ways into our personal accounts."
The account manager’s pen was already moving. "Of course. How much in total?"
"One hundred million gold coins," Lukas said.
The pen slowed for just a fraction of a second before continuing. "Divided equally, that would be approximately thirty three million, three hundred and thirty three thousand coins per account."
He looked up. "Shall I proceed on those terms?"
"Yes," Lukas said.
The process moved quickly after that, the transfer logged and confirmed for all three accounts within a few minutes.
Melody watched the number appear on her account statement and exhaled quietly. Then she leaned forward slightly. "There’s something else I want to ask about."
The account manager looked at her. "Of course."
"If one of us were incapacitated," Melody said, "is there a way to register our bank cards so that the other two can access each other’s funds? In case of an emergency."
The account manager folded his hands on the desk. "Registering another person’s blood and magical signature directly onto a card isn’t something we’re able to do. The card is bound exclusively to the account holder."
Melody’s expression fell slightly. "So there’s no way around it?"
"There is an alternative," he said. "Rather than the card itself, we can register the other parties here at the bank as executioners on each account."
"In the event that the account holder is incapacitated, the registered executioners can come to any branch in person and act on the holder’s behalf."
Lukas looked at Melody, then at Akira. Both of them gave a small nod.
"That works," Lukas said. "Let’s do all three accounts."
"Very good." The account manager rose, gesturing to a side room. "If you’ll follow me."
The side room held a single device on a small table.
One by one, each of them pressed their hand to it, the device drawing a faint trace of blood and reading their magical signature in a process that lasted no more than a few seconds per person.
When all three were done, the account manager handed each of them a confirmation slip.
"You’re all registered across each other’s accounts," he said. "Is there anything else I can help with today?"
"No," Lukas said, standing and extending his hand. "That’s everything. Thank you."
The man shook it firmly.
Then the three of them left the office, heading outside the bank.
Melody didn’t even wait for them to walk down the bank steps before she dashed across the street to the dealership opposite, a wide smile on her face.
Lukas and Akira followed behind her, sharing a grin without needing to say anything.
The dealership was bright inside, with the vehicles lined up in neat rows, their surfaces catching the light.
Melody walked straight in and immediately began moving between them, trailing her fingers along the doors and hoods, pausing to lean in close and study details that probably didn’t need that level of scrutiny.
Then she stopped beside a silver colored model, wrapped both arms around the side mirror, and pressed her cheek against the door.
"I missed you all," she said.
Akira turned to Lukas and he shrugged.
"We both knew she’s always been like this," he said.
Footsteps approached from deeper in the showroom, and the salesperson who’d met them on their first visit appeared with a wide grin already on his face.
"Well," the man said, spreading his hands, "look who it is. Back again so soon?"
Melody spun around, her eyes lighting up. "You!"
She crossed the distance and grabbed the man’s hand with both of hers, shaking it with great enthusiasm. "It feels like it’s been years."
"I’m sure it’s been less than three weeks," he said, laughing.
"Years," Melody repeated firmly.
The salesman recovered with a smile, turning slightly to include all three of them. "So. Would you like another look at the sedan from last time, or are we expanding our search today?"
Melody let go of his hand and turned back to the floor. "Show me everything."
He moved through the dealership with the ease of someone who’d done this hundreds of times, introducing each sedan with a word or two about what set it apart.
Melody walked alongside him, asking questions, opening doors to check the interiors, and occasionally making small sounds of approval or disappointment that seemed to carry genuine feeling behind them.
Then she stopped.
Parked near the far end of the row was a dark blue sedan, wide and roomy, its paint deep enough to shift slightly to black in the light depending on the angle.
Melody stood in front of it for a few seconds.
"This one," she said.
"Excellent taste," the salesman said. "That model seats five comfortably, and comes with a reinforced frame, and smooth handling for driving even in dungeons."
"How much?"
"Fifteen million gold coins."
Lukas’s head turned sharply. Beside him, Akira made a short sound that wasn’t quite a word.
"Fifteen million," Lukas repeated.
The salesman smiled, moving to the driver’s side door and pulling it open. "Let me show you one of the features that comes with it."
He reached inside and activated something on the dashboard. A holographic image bloomed above it, mapping the streets outside the dealership in glowing lines.
"Interactive navigation," the salesman said. "You can search for any destination in the city and the route appears here. You can follow it as you drive, and it’ll update in real time."
Lukas leaned in, studying the display. He could clearly see the streets, intersections, and even labeled buildings. He had to admit it was practical.
"That’s quite useful," he said.
"Shall we take it out?" the salesman asked, looking at Melody. "A test drive would tell you more than I can."
"Yes," Melody said immediately.
The salesman nodded, extending a hand. "Wonderful. May I see your driving certification?"
All three of them looked at him, then at each other, then back at him.
"What," Melody said slowly, "is a driving certification?"
