Chapter 29: The Mithril Vault
When Gawain inadvertently spoke aloud, the mysterious veiled woman blinked in slight surprise, a hint of confusion flickering in her eyes. “My name is Melita Pernia. I suppose it does sound a bit unusual compared to the common names up north…”
Gawain quickly steered his wandering thoughts back on track. “Oh, sorry, don’t mind me—it’s probably my pronunciation that’s off.”
He cleared his throat twice, trying to sound more serious (and maybe lighten the mood a bit). “So, Miss Agent from the Mithril Vault, what brings you here at this late hour—especially climbing in through the window?”
Melita gracefully dropped down from the windowsill and stood before him. “Coming through the window was a last resort. You never know how many eyes might be watching, and the things you have stored in the Mithril Vault are classified as ‘Top Secret.’ According to the old agreement, whether depositing or withdrawing, the process must be kept strictly confidential.”
As she spoke, her eyes shimmered faintly with a soft purple glow in the night. Though her face was hidden behind the veil, the sharp, assessing gaze was unmistakable.
Gawain’s mind raced.
He knew of the Mithril Vault—or rather, his memories contained records related to it.
The Mithril Vault wasn’t some shadowy secret society. In fact, most intelligent beings in this world knew of its existence. Yet, no one truly understood what the Vault was beneath the surface.
On the outside, it was a comprehensive treasury. They stored wealth, safeguarded treasures—anyone who paid the fees could entrust their valuables with confidence. At least, that was the Vault’s official claim, and to this day, no one had ever reported a loss of items entrusted to them. They also offered loans, with countless agents and branches scattered across the world. Anyone meeting their credit standards could easily find them and borrow money or other resources—though two things mattered: first, how much you could borrow depended entirely on the Vault’s secret rating system, which they never disclosed; second, you had to pay it back.
The Mithril Vault made sure every copper coin lent out was returned with interest.
Just as no one had ever lost an item stored there, no one had ever escaped their debts. Legend told of a cunning fire elemental lord who once tried to defy this rule. Elementals didn’t need money, but this rebellious lord borrowed a huge sum from the Vault, then retreated to the elemental realm, expecting to mock the mortal world. Yet, in the end, it repaid every last coin.
On the third day after the repayment deadline, the elemental lord’s core and elemental shards appeared at an auction in the North. The proceeds exactly covered the debt plus late fees.
This showed the Vault dealt not only with humans but with all intelligent races. Any being with financial needs was a potential client—even the mystical elves of the South and the stubborn dwarves of the West were no exception. Rumor had it the Vault even had outposts in the kobold warrens. No one knew if the organization was founded by humans, elves, or some other race—it simply had always existed. Not even the magical cataclysm seven centuries ago had disrupted its operations. In fact, the founding of the Ansuz Kingdom was partly funded by a loan from the Vault—though King Charles I eventually repaid it.
Melita’s curious gaze remained fixed on Gawain, who calmly sorted through the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind. He realized this unexpected visitor’s arrival tonight was tied to a transaction from seven centuries ago. The Gawain Cecil of that era had clearly been a client of the Mithril Vault. But the fatal problem was…
He had no memory of it!
Gawain had no idea what his ancestor had stored in the Vault all those years ago.
His mind raced for an excuse to cover this gap in his memory, but just as the words were about to leave his mouth, he caught the sharp look in Melita’s eyes. Something told him to hold back. This woman was mysterious, and until he knew more about her, it was best to minimize risks. Lying could be dangerous—some races had innate abilities to detect falsehoods.
He took a deep breath and met Melita’s gaze. “What did I store back then?”
“You don’t remember?” Melita’s eyes curved slightly, as if smiling. “Could it be because you’ve been asleep for so long?”
“I did sleep for seven hundred years, so I probably forgot some things,” Gawain tapped his head. “But tell me, even if the client passes away, do you still keep their entrusted items?”
“Usually, a client’s death ends the contract. After that, there are two ways to handle the items: if there’s a legitimate heir, we hand the items over; if not, the Vault claims ownership.” Melita smiled gently and raised her hand. A delicate little storage box materialized out of thin air. “But what you stored was special—you purchased an indefinite storage service. That means as long as the Mithril Vault exists, your item will be kept forever, and only you can retrieve it.”
She added, “You paid a hefty price for that service. When news of your death reached us, we thought it would become a troublesome bad debt. But now, it seems nothing is set in stone.”
Gawain frowned, realizing the situation was more complicated than he’d first imagined.
But now wasn’t the time to dig into that. First, he needed to get his hands on the item before making any further judgments.
“Can I get my item back?”
“Not remembering the original contract does complicate things, but rest assured, the Mithril Vault has faced all kinds of problems. We have plenty of experience handling unexpected situations.” Melita held out the box. “Memory is a minor issue. Please place your hand on this rune. The ancient magic will verify your identity.”
Gawain hesitated for two seconds, activating his Knight’s “Danger Sense” talent. He detected no threatening aura from the box, and the rune showed no signs of curses or poison. Satisfied, he placed his hand on the claw-shaped rune.
A faint warmth spread through his skin. With a soft click, the box’s lid popped open a crack.
“That’s all it takes?” Gawain asked, surprised.
Melita smiled. “Making things convenient for clients is the Vault’s principle. It helps clients settle their bills more easily—though in your case, your bill was paid seven centuries ago.”
She opened the box fully and handed it to Gawain. He looked inside and found only a dull, lifeless crystal.
Wait—that crystal looked oddly familiar.
Suppressing his curiosity for the moment, Gawain looked up at Melita. “Why did you choose to come now? Was this part of the original agreement?”
“No, not really,” Melita shook her head gently. “We needed time to verify your resurrection. I had planned to meet you on your way to the capital, but your route was… unpredictable. I wasn’t sure what plans you had, so I decided to wait here in the capital. By the way, I’ve been waiting a long time. Rice prices here are high, and rent isn’t cheap—but since you’re a VIP client, I won’t charge you for that.”
Gawain: “…”
Yeah, thanks for the ‘by the way.’
He turned his head and said dryly, “Rice prices in the capital are indeed high. The guard I’m feeding has a big appetite, and now that you injured him, the medical bills will be hefty. Don’t expect me to charge you for that.”
Melita: “…”
The My Little Pony lady forced a couple of stiff smiles. Wearing a veil, no one could tell. Finally, she shook her head and held out something. “Mr. Gawain Cecil, this transaction is complete. As a VIP client of the Mithril Vault, you are entitled to a gift.”
Curious, Gawain took it and found a silver-white ring.
“What’s this?”
“The Mithril Ring. Every VIP client receives one after their first transaction. It lets you contact your personal agent—the VIP specialist—at any time. If you ever face financial trouble or need to store treasures again, just reach out to me. For smaller services, you can also visit the nearest Vault agent with this ring to enjoy many benefits.”
With that, she turned and headed back toward the window.
Gawain raised the ring. “I hope I never have to borrow money from you.”
Melita paused on the windowsill, glanced back with a smile. “Believe me, Mr. Gawain, everyone can face financial hardship. The Mithril Vault’s doors are always open to clients in need.”
Hearing this sales pitch straight out of a credit card commercial from his past life, Gawain waved a hand. “Alright, alright, My Little Pony lady, you’d better get going. Rice prices in the capital are really high.”
Melita slipped—whether from the rice prices or the nickname, no one knew—but she didn’t look back this time. Instead, she vanished into thin air.
Moments later, her figure appeared in a small attic on the top floor of the manor.
It was a place rarely disturbed, usually used for storing odds and ends. Now, it held bedding, pillows, pots, pans, and other household items.
Melita hadn’t lied—she really had been waiting here for a long time.
Packing her things, the agent shook her head. “Good thing all the food was your family’s rice.”
(End of chapter)