MEMORIES AND ABU HORMUZ

Episode 4 - Atalante Bank

Atalante Bank. Or at least that is what is said on the sign displayed on the outside of a building like a thick-walled warehouse. The letters are written on gold carvings, and the effect is sufficient

magnificent, although a little tacky. Haruhiro arrived at Atalante Bank without getting lost, and it made him feel a little more about the situation he is in. However, the only unsolved problem was her stomach which was still empty.

He would starve to death if he did not get the money immediately, then go back to Dory's shop, and devour the satiating kebabs.

The main entrance leads to the hallway, and a counter table is located above a series of stairs. Haruhiro came in a short line. Soon, his turn was called "Next!". At the table was a little girl, who looked calm and dignified. There also appeared a large number of leather chairs. Looks like he's no more than 10 years old.

Her clothes look striking in red and white, decorated by golden stripes. He wore a gold-framed Monocle* and held a golden tobacco pipe on one of his hands. His behavior is so

fits with its luxurious appearance.

[Monocle is a lens that is only worn on one eye. The monocle is clamped by the muscles around the eyeball to keep it from falling off]

"Hm," the girl pulled her pipe while observing Haruhiro.”'s appearanceI've never seen you before. First time coming here?"

"... Yes," Haruhiro replied, and he suddenly felt fear. What happened to this little girl? He cleared his throat and continued.”Yeah, I first came here."

"From your looks, it looks like you're a Red MooN trainee. I-i understand. You just arrived, right?” The girl stood on a chair and slapped her own knee.”I'm Yoru. Fourth generation. I

can perfectly memorize the first name, last name, face appearance, deposits, balances, and all transaction records of all clients of this bank. However, I also kept paper records for bank employees whose memories were not perfect like mine. Just introduce, let's open your account. Whatis yourname?

"Nm ... L'm... I'm Haruhiro."

"I get it," Yoru leaned forward, opened the account book lying on her desk, and started doodling things using a quill pen.”Done it. Now you can start doing business with Atalante.” Bank Haruhiro glanced at the book, and there was a new name: "Haruhiro". His name was written in elegant handwriting. When Haruhiro looked up again, Yoru's face was already right in front of his face. He might indeed have a small stature, but it seemed that he was not 10 years old. Perhaps, his age was even much older than 10 years.

If Haruhiro ignored the girl's height and took a closer look, then it was obvious that the girl had a very different posture. She had blue eyes as smooth as glass, and her soft pink lips were exquisite.

"What?" Yoru pursed her lips and suddenly turned her head to the side in a huff.”You don't have to look me in the face like that, you little Mr. Lacking.”

"Pardon me."

"I'll make things clear." Yoru pushed her pipe right in front of Haruhiro's nose.”Fourth generation Yoru may be young, but I am a perfect person. Take it deep in your brain, and make no mistake in belittling me. And also, Haruhiro, I will remember up to any time that you are a man who does not know manners and brashness.”

"... Can you forget about it?"

"Cannot be. We will not forget even the smallest things. If a Yoru forgets something, then he should resign, and relinquish his position to the next Yoru. It is the law that governs all Yoru.”

"It's pretty heavy..." Haruhiro glanced around the room. He is the only customer at this point. There were no other bank employees around. ”Do you happen to be the only employee at Atalante Bank?”

"It may be hard to believe, but I am the representative of this bank, the President of the bank, and the Director of the bank. The transportation of money and goods, various specialized fields, warehouse maintenance, and the like were handled by a large number of employees, workers, and apprentices working here. Do you know what kind of business we're running here?”

"Ehh, money deposits, money exchanges, and stuff like that."

"Not just money. Goods too. In the case of cash, we charge a deposit fee of 1% of the total amount. As for goods, the cost is 2% of the value of the object determined by our professional appraisers.”

"One percent..." So for every hundred bronze saved, it will be taken 1 bronze as cost.”Isn't that too expensive?"

"If you think so..." Yoru pulled the pipe, "then don't deposit your money here. I'm not forcing. But let me tell you that a reserve like you will finally understand how valuable our service is. So, Mr Less-Ajar, what kind of business brings you here today?”

"Master Less Ajar...” reset Haruhiro. Will he be called like that from now on?

He took one, no.. It is better he deposited two silver from his leather pouch.”I want to convert this into bronze.”

"Hmphs. Amazingly, we offer money exchange services for free. Two silvers is equivalent to two hundred bronzes, but do you not realize that the sum of money is very difficult to carry, O Lord

Less Ajar?”

"Ah," Haruhiro recalled the bronze coin shown to him by the potbellied Man from Kebab Dory. The money is quite small, but 200 pieces of money like that might be difficult to carry because it is quite heavy. ”I understand. Traveling around the city while carrying such a large amount of things seemed to be quite dangerous. So, that's why people pay a fee to keep their money here."

"Indeed. I can immediately calculate the amount of 1% of the amount of bronze you want to save, and 1 % that will be the cost of saving. I memorized it, and I'll be in your savings book soon. When an even number of pieces is worth 1 bronze, then your savings will automatically decrease by that amount. The smallest fee amount is 1 bronze, which means that if you deposit less than 100 bronze, then you will not be charged. However, a fee of 1 % will continue to be recorded, so do not try to act sneaky by depositing 99 bronze.”

"In other words, do not try to cheat this bank system. Okay, I'll remember." Haruhiro said it, and he placed one silver coin on the counter table. ”Can you trade this for bronze?”

"Of course." Yoru hit the bell on the table using her firing pipe.

A man wearing silver-plated clothes appeared from the door behind the room. Yorozu did not say a word, he only hinted at something with his hand. The man nodded wordlessly,

then it disappeared through the door once more. After a while, he appeared again carrying a black tray. On the tray were scattered bronze coins. He put it on the table, then just left.

"Hundred bronze. You can take it right now, Mr. Lack of Teaching."

"Can you stop calling me that name?" Haruhiro muttered as he picked up the coin, and put it in a leather bag. One bronze coin was only the size of a little finger tip, but when it numbered as much as 100 pieces, then the leather bag seemed to want to explode. ”Quite weight. These may not fit in my pocket.”

Yoru grunts. ”You can save some of your money right now if you want. You may not have manners, but our motto is to appreciate every customer.”

"No problem for now. It's uncomfortable, but I can still handle it."

"I get it," Yoru sucked her pipe.”You may come again whenever you need our services, O Lord of Less. Our working hours are from seven in the morning to seven in the evening, and are open all year round. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, fourth generation Yoru is ready to serve you at counter.” table

"When? How about a lunch break?”

"Where is. I was here from seven in the morning to seven in the evening. That is the law that governs the Yoru.”

"Then, happy work."

It was a tough job, Haruhiro thought as he left Atalante Bank. But despite his small body, he was a hard worker. Haruhiro's stomach is still rumbling. Meat. The meat kebab was waiting for him. Haruhiro rushed back to Kebab Dory in the market. He inhaled, and filled his lungs with the aroma of freshly roasted meat, before he finally bought the kebab. Unable to suppress his hunger any longer, he ripped the meat off with his teeth. The explosion of taste and freshness of the meat immediately spoiled his tongue.

"LATCHERY!"

He devoured the first kebab, then he really wanted to buy the second kebab. After a moment of confusion, he finally decided to hold back. He thought that if he returned again to this tavern, he would bring Vina and Alice, then they could eat together. Haruhiro really doesn't care about Marco.

After feeling much better, he left the market, and at that very moment he remembered something much more important.”Damnit. This is not the time to be eating kebabs. I have to see the information I can find..”.

Looking around, he saw a path that read "Kaen Road" on a curved board. A young handsome man wearing a white Surcoat* was walking under the signpost. Under the Surcoat layer, he was wearing metal armor, and there was a shield hanging on his back. There was also a kind of sword attached to his belt. However, he doesn't look like a guard in my Ten Tower. In fact, he might already be a member of Red MooN.

[Surcoat is a kind of suit or robe that is worn to wrap armor.]

Haruhiro put his hands on his chest and exhaled. He gathered his courage, then shouted, "Excuse me!"

The man stopped and turned to face Haruhiro.”Yea?"

"I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but are you a member of Red MooN?"

"Yes, but ..." The man blinked once or twice, then smiled widely. ”I understand. I'm guessing that you must be one of the trainees?”

"Um, y-yeah! I'm still new. I don't know anything, anyone, and what place this is, and ..”

"I thought. I thought it was going to happen. But I'm not sure what I should do, or where to go next ..”

"I understand," the man nodded sympathetically.”But the knowledge you gain from experience will be valuable to you in the future. No matter what path you take, those who find no way out of the darkness will never find their purpose.”

"really? I mean, I understand what you're saying. But will everything be okay? You know that…"

"My name is Gugus, from Orion."

"I'm Haruhiro."

"Haruhiro, me and the other members of Orion often visit Sherry's Shops. If you need anything, come and meet us there."

"Eh? Oh, well. Orion. Shrine Sherry.”

"Rubber. I hope you're lucky, Haruhiro. See you soon.”

The group left Haruhiro, with the impression of someone who was friendly, generous with a smile, and elegant personality.

"I..failed to ask again?" Haruhiro lowered his head. He should have stopped the Cluster and asked her many things. But Haruhiro also had a feeling that the Group would refuse to give an answer in a firm and polite manner. Perhaps Shinohara seemed very friendly, but it seemed that she was not someone Haruhiro could make friends with. Or maybe that's how a senior works

providing guidance to new members. ”Search him in the store?"

Haruhiro looked up at the sky and squinted at the scorching light of the sun. He could not be sure, but he had a feeling that the tavern was not open during the day. Haruhiro still had no destination, so he simply continued down Kaen Street. He had always observed people who looked like members of Red MooN. He crosses paths with several people who may be members of Red MooN, but they are not

looking friendly, unapproachable, or even glancing back at Haruhiro with eyes full of contempt. He had no guts to stop one of them, then asked a few questions.

He doesn't want to do this anymore. Haruhiro crouched down at the end of the street, passing through flowers and a large building that looked like an inn. He stopped there for a while. If he kept acting like this, there would probably be some people who sympathized with him, then approached him to ask: “Hey, is there something wrong with you?”. It's not that he has such intentions. Okay, maybe he should

admitting that he had a bit of that intention.

But it was just wishful thinking.

Is there any alternative he has? He doesn't know where he is, and he doesn't remember anything other than his own name. Haruhiro had no idea what the meaning behind all these events was. However, he is suddenly offered to become a reserve force. While he was still stuck in the confusion, the other colleagues who were originally similar to him, had now tried each one to step forward. Now he's

being left alone is like a loser.

And now, for some reason, he was willing to bother going around the city to find any information about this place. And even that didn't go well.

This happened because I was too cowardly to approach others, Haruhiro thought. And is there something wrong with that? There aren't. Even he could not be blamed if he pitied himself and lamented his fate.

All right then. He's gonna eat kebabs. He would return to the market alone and eat the full kebab. Not just kebabs. There are many other delicious foods there. He will eat all the food

sold in the market. When night comes, he'll head to Sherry's Shops. In fact, there might be a place where he would be accompanied by beautiful girls pouring drinks and accompanying him overnight. He will eat, drink, and satisfy himself until all the money is gone.

"No" Haruhiro got up to stand up. Although he could not force his optimism on himself, he also did not want to give up. He turned around and went back to the market.

What to do now. Maybe he should go back to Red Moon Headquarters. Although he did not bring home any useful information, a lot of time had passed since he left. The others must be hungry too. But if Haruhiro shows them how to get food, then they have to bother going to Atalante Bank to get money, then go again to the market. That's too long

Haruhiro did not want to return empty-handed. He decided to buy some food for his friends who were still waiting. After all, he had already obtained enough decent information, such as :

the location of the useful Atalante Bank, and an acquaintance named Gugus who usually likes to hang out in Sherry's shop. Once they all get some food, they have the option of searching for the Cluster at the Sherry Shops. He doesn't have to do this all alone. Right. It does. After all, they are his team.

So it's decided. He started to head back towards the headquarters in a higher spirit than before. But something's wrong. Haruhiro uses the Tenku tower as a landmark point, so

he sure had to head towards the right if he wanted to return to the headquarters, but no matter how much he searched, he could no longer find the location of the headquarters.

"Am I .. lost?"

He didn't want to admit it, but it seemed that was the reality. It seemed like he had no other choice, so he headed to my Ten Tower in the square once more. From there, he would carefully retrace the path he had already traveled. He also found the road he had been on. This must be the way. If I go in this direction, I will definitely go back to where I was, he thought. It's probable.

"Or maybe the road is there? Or over there? No. uh, yeah…. Agh, which is the right way? I don't remember at all ...”

"Mahiro!"

Haruhiro had never expected that his name would be called here, so he was shocked to hear that. It was like hearing the sound of angels descending from the sky. Although only the effects of light are more visible,

that person's smile was like the sun giving birth to new hope in this world. The one who called out his name raised his hand, as if welcoming a long-gone distant brother.

"Tam!" Haruhiro started running towards him.

"Need! I'm trying to find my way back to base, but I can't. So, this is what it's like to find an angel in hell!”

"You're exaggerating" Udin said. He looks around. "Haruhiro, are you alone? Where are the others?”

"Marco, Alice, and Vina should still be staying at the headquarters. Alice was angry and she started crying. I was given the task of searching for any information I could get, while the others waited at headquarters.”

"I get. And after getting some information, you're trying to get back to them?"

"Yes ..." Haruhiro rubbed the back of his neck. Actually Haruhiro wants to exaggerate his efforts to get new information, but Udin must know that he is lying.”I didn't actually get such valuable information. There's Atalante Bank... already, that's it.”.

"Atalante Bank? Never heard of it."

"really? You can save money, exchange money, and do things like that. It seemed like it was quite important to the members of Red MooN. Then, there was a food stall in the market that sold delicious kebabs .. but I guess it wasn't such important information ..”

"I've also been through the market, but I didn't realize there was a stall selling kebabs. If it is good, then I will come back to try it later ..”

"I'll show you the place. I remember perfectly ... although I don't remember the way back to headquarters.”

"We need to get back together" Udin said in a relaxed tone, as if everything had happened reasonably. ”I also plan to return to headquarters.”

Haruhiro didn't know what to say. He never expected to hear those words from Udin's mouth. Before leaving, Udin said, "then, see you later", but Haruhiro assumed that it was just a meaningless greeting. Is he wrong? Did Udin really plan to return to the base from the beginning?

Haruhiro's heart grew warm as he thought about that.

Udin tilted his head slightly to the side. ”Something's wrong?"

"T-No!" Haruhiro lightly slapped Udin's back in a friendly.”Lefs go. Back to base. I don't care about Marco, but Alice and Vina may be looking forward to our arrival.”

"Then, let's go," Udin nodded and started walking.

Haruhiro followed him, and he realized how happy he was when he met Udin again.

Udin led in front with quick steps, it seemed like he had completely memorized his path. However, the path that Udin chose was completely different to the one that Haruhiro considered correct.

That's because Haruhiro really doesn't remember the way back.