Chapter 7

"Tarou, do you still have the 'payment voucher' you received when you sold your clothes the other day?"

"I don't spend money when I'm in the barracks, so I still have it."

"That's not good. You might be robbed, so let's go to the church."

"Huh? The church?"

"If you want to deposit money, the church is the place, right? In your world, wouldn't it be the same?"

"No, in my world, it would be a bank."

"A bank, huh... I've never heard that word before. In this world, deposits are made at the church."

The leveling was going smoothly. As usual, my party couldn't obtain divine currency or materials from defeating sand beasts, but since we didn't have to spend time picking them up and processing them, we could efficiently defeat them. The noble officers seemed angry that we couldn't get divine currency or materials, but since the king said he would take care of me for a month, they couldn't punish me, so they were grinding their teeth.

Three days after I started leveling, today was my first day off. However, I was invited to the church by Lieutenant Sand, who was also on leave. The 'payment voucher' I received when I sold my purple sweatshirt and pants is like a check. Lieutenant Sand suggested we go to the church to deposit it because keeping it could be risky.

In this world, there are no banks, and the church handles deposit services. It's truly a case of 'when the world changes, so do the norms.'

When Lieutenant Sand and I headed to the church in the capital, a building that looked more like a bank than a church came into view. Perhaps it's because they handle money, or because it's a church, or both. The building looked very expensive.

"What brings you here today?"

"I want to deposit a 'payment voucher.'"

"You want to make a deposit, then."

Not only the building, but the church priests also looked like bank clerks. Of course, there were also priests who looked like priests.

"Please place your palm here."

In this medieval fantasy world, I was curious about how they identified depositors. When I placed my palm on the crystal ball as the young male priest instructed, the registration was already complete.

"It's Mr. Kato Tarou, isn't it?"

I hadn't even introduced myself, but that crystal ball is amazing.

"Divine currency, along with other divine gifts, is a precious thing bestowed upon us by the gods. Thanks to this device, you can deposit, withdraw, and borrow from any of the 14,769 churches in the Great Desert."

It's more convenient than any bank on Earth. Also, because the church handles banking, it likely has power equal to or greater than the state. Just knowing that was a gain.

"May I see the 'payment voucher' you want to deposit?"

"Here it is."

"Twenty million dorks. That's a large sum. Please place your palm here again."

When I placed my palm on the crystal ball again, the deposit was complete.

"If you place your palm on the crystal ball over there, it will show your balance."

Following the young priest's instructions, I went to a place where crystal balls were lined up like an ATM corner and placed my palm on one. 'Kato Tarou 20 million dorks' appeared on the crystal ball.

"It's convenient, isn't it?"

"I've been doing this for a long time, so I'm not surprised."

Since it was my first time, the young priest gave me a detailed explanation. Deposits and withdrawals are free, but there's no interest on deposits. However, the convenience of being able to deposit and withdraw at any church outweighs the lack of interest. The convenience is unmatched.

You can also borrow money, but the interest is quite high. If you borrow money, a 'location tracking' spell is automatically cast, making it impossible to run away without repaying. No matter where you go, your location will be tracked, and debt collectors will chase you to the ends of the earth.

"By the way, what happens if you can't repay?"

"You will be detained at a church-designated workplace until the debt is repaid."

You'll be locked in a room like a holding cell and work to pay off your debt with your wages. You can't escape until the debt is paid off, or you become unable to work, or you die. Even if you try to run, the 'location tracking' spell will prevent you from getting away.

"The divine currency in this world is a sacred gift from the gods, given to people for convenience. Not repaying a loan is a great sin against the gods..."

If you don't repay, the priests will come to collect, and if you can't repay, you'll end up in a holding cell. The church might be the most powerful entity in this world. Since divine currency is a gift from the gods, it makes sense for the church to manage it.

"I don't plan to borrow money for now."

"That's probably for the best."

Since the interest is high, it's better not to borrow money. It might be different for someone starting a business.

"Then, let's head back to the barracks."

"Yes."

Since the deposit is done, let's head back to the barracks. Since it's a rare day off, I was thinking about buying some food... but I'll hold off. If I leave the barracks, I'll have to spend money every day.