From Trash to Lord of Thunder: The Rise of the Cursed Extra-Chapter 71: The Bank

Charles and Kaira trudged across a grassy plain, the sun beating down on their heads.

Sweat dripped down their foreheads, and their tunics clung uncomfortably to their skin, damp and sticky.

Around them stretched green patches dotted with scattered trees, but not a single building was in sight.

The silence was almost total, broken only by the crunch-crunch of their footsteps and the occasional chirp of a bird—tweet-tweet.

Charles, exhausted, wiped sweat from his face with his sleeve and shot Kaira a look.

"Kaira," he said, half-joking, "is this some new kind of kidnapping? ’Cause I haven’t seen a building or a person in forever."

Kaira, panting slightly from the effort, glanced at him and let out a short laugh.

"No, you dork. This isn’t a prank," she replied between breaths. "The bank’s far. Really far."

Charles rolled his eyes, stopping to catch his breath.

"Far?" he said, gesturing at the empty landscape. "What, is this bank in another dimension? ’Cause, seriously, this feels like the edge of the world."

Kaira laughed, resting her hands on her knees.

"Well..." she said, hesitating. "There’s actually an official clan bank closer to where we live. But I moved all my money to this one."

Charles raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Come again?" he asked, crossing his arms. "Why move your money to a place this far out?"

Kaira straightened, wiping sweat from her brow.

"Lira recommended it," she explained. "This bank’s tied to the clan, but they supposedly make investments that grow your money. It’s more... exclusive, let’s say."

Charles sighed, too tired to dig into the details of a bank that sounded more like a scam than a smart investment.

"Fine," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "At this point, is it smarter to turn back or keep dragging ourselves to this damn bank?"

Kaira squinted at the horizon.

"We should be close," she said, her tone brightening. "Trust me."

Charles groaned, adjusting his tunic.

"This place better have water," he said sarcastically. "And a decent chair to collapse in, ’cause I’m about to keel over."

Kaira laughed, giving him a gentle nudge with her elbow.

"You’ll like it," she said, a mysterious smile playing on her lips. "You’ll see."

They kept walking, the sun scorching their skin and exhaustion weighing down their legs.

After what felt like an eternity, the landscape shifted.

Trees grew sparser, and buildings appeared in the distance.

But these weren’t the clan’s rustic stone structures—they were sleeker, with smooth walls and large windows.

The area was nearly deserted, though.

Only a few people strolled the paths, all wearing vibrant tunics—blue, red, gray, or brown.

As Charles and Kaira passed, several shot them disdainful looks, especially at Charles.

"What’s their deal?" Charles muttered, leaning toward Kaira. "They live here or what?"

Kaira nodded, keeping her voice low.

"When you hit Master rank, you can move to areas like this," she explained. "They’re less developed parts of the clan, but more... exclusive. People here are usually high-ranks."

Charles frowned, spotting a house with an air conditioner humming loudly—bzzzzz—cutting through the quiet.

"Exclusive?" he said, clicking his tongue. "These snobs are just flexing to keep me out, aren’t they?"

Kaira giggled, covering her mouth.

"Don’t take it personally," she said. "They’re like that with anyone who’s not from here."

They reached the bank a few minutes later.

It was a small but modern building with white walls and a glass door that glinted in the sunlight.

As they stepped inside, a blast of cold air hit them—whoosh—and Charles let out a relieved sigh.

"Finally," he muttered, closing his eyes for a second. "This is paradise."

Kaira seemed to enjoy the air conditioning too, though she tried to play it cool by adjusting her tunic.

A young woman in a green tunic with a silver badge on her chest greeted them with a professional smile.

"Welcome," she said, bowing her head slightly. "How can I assist you? Your names, please?"

Kaira stepped forward.

"Kaira," she said firmly. "I’m here to check my account balance."

The woman nodded, jotting something on a tablet.

"One moment, please," she said, vanishing through a side door.

Charles looked around, impressed.

The bank’s interior was an odd mix of modern and traditional.

There were desks with computers, but they were clunky, old models with bulky monitors and worn keyboards—tap-tap-tap as someone typed.

Some workers wore formal suits that looked straight out of an office from his world, while others had green tunics like the receptionist’s.

"Who are those guys?" Charles asked, nodding at the green-tunic workers. "What rank are they?"

Kaira leaned in, keeping her voice low.

"They’re not exactly a rank," she explained. "They work directly for the Grand Master who oversees the clan’s finances. They run the bank and handle money-related stuff... I don’t know much about it."

Charles nodded, thoughtful.

’So the clan’s got accountants,’ he thought. ’But why do they need such a fancy bank? This doesn’t add up.’

Before he could dwell on it, the receptionist returned with a smile, holding a parchment.

"Miss Kaira," she said, "your current balance is 964 gold coins."

Charles’s jaw dropped, unable to hide his shock.

’964 coins?’ he thought, floored. ’Kaira’s loaded!’

But Kaira, instead of beaming, let out a disappointed sigh.

"Only that?" she said, crossing her arms. "Well, keep working hard to grow my money."

The receptionist nodded, her smile unwavering.

"We’ll do our best," she said. Then her eyes flicked to Charles, and for a split second, her expression hardened before snapping back to polite.

Charles caught the look and frowned.

’What now?’ he thought, annoyed. ’What’s wrong with me?’

He decided to seize the moment.

"Hey," he said to the receptionist. "Can you check my account? Name’s Rian Cole."

The woman looked surprised but nodded.

"Of course," she said, scribbling his name. "One moment."

She disappeared again, and Charles turned to Kaira.

"964 coins..." he said under his breath. "You’re a millionaire, you know that?"

Kaira rolled her eyes, but a smile crept onto her face.

"It’s not that much," she said. "Lira’s got way more, and a couple of market trips burn through it fast."

Charles laughed, shaking his head.

"Yeah, ’cause you drop fifty coins on a whim," he said, pulling the watch from his pocket. "Still doesn’t work, by the way."

Kaira shrugged, unbothered.

"You’ll figure it out," she said casually.

The receptionist returned, her expression neutral.

"Mr. Rian," she said, glancing at her parchment. "We have no account registered under your name at this bank."

Charles sighed, not exactly shocked.

"Great," he muttered, turning to Kaira and nodding at the door. "Let’s bounce. I’ve seen enough."

Kaira raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"Already?" she said, adjusting her tunic. "I thought you’d wanna soak up the cold air longer."

Charles shook his head, heading for the exit.

"Nah, I’m good," he said. "I’d rather deal with the heat than keep getting stared at like I’m a thief."

Kaira laughed, following him. As they stepped outside—swish—Charles tossed her a question.

"Hey, what do you even do with all that money?" he asked. "Besides buying pricey watches for guys like me?"

Kaira smiled, thoughtful.

"Mostly furniture," she said. "My room needed a personal touch. Tables, chairs, curtains. That kinda stuff."

Charles was about to reply when a sleek, shiny black car pulled up in front of the bank—vroom.

The door swung open, and three young women in green tunics stepped out.

All wore gold earrings, sparkling rings, and carried black briefcases that looked wildly out of place in the clan.

They laughed among themselves, completely ignoring Charles and Kaira.

Charles stood frozen, his jaw slightly open.

’A car?’ he thought, stunned. ’Why the hell do they get to ride in a car while we’re stuck hiking for miles?’

Kaira noticed his expression and giggled, nudging him.

"Don’t get mad," she said. "They’re the finance folks. They’ve got... privileges."