Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 37: The Virtues of a Scholar
After reading nearly four or five thousand characters of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Marlon quietly came to a stop.
The Master Claw Druid, meanwhile, remained in his dazed state, as if suspended in some incomprehensible reverie.
Marlon thought to himself that perhaps the content of the Classic of Mountains and Seas was just too fantastical—even for a world brimming with magic. Its sheer strangeness might have been overwhelming, leaving even a seasoned druid stunned.
With no time to continue conversing with the Claw Druid, Marlon turned his attention to the next step of his “Triple Win Plan” and approached the vampire banker, Sols, who had been waiting patiently nearby.
“Mr. Sols, I’d like to deposit some money. But since I’m in a hurry to return home… could you prepare the deposit slip for me now?”
As he spoke, Marlon handed over a check for seventy-six thousand three hundred Lants.
Sols glanced at the check, then raised his right hand and snapped his fingers with a crisp, resonant sound.
Moments later, from the distant edge of the crowd, a figure emerged: an elderly man in a black tailcoat, wearing a bow tie, his single-lens crystal spectacles perched neatly on his sharp, aristocratic nose. Every strand of his hair gleamed as though polished, radiating a meticulous elegance befitting nobility. He approached Sols with quiet authority.
“Butler Asma, prepare a deposit slip for Mr. Marlon—make it quick!”
Sols issued the instruction offhandedly, his tone calm yet commanding.
“As you wish, Master,” replied the hooked-nosed butler, Asma, bowing with impeccable courtesy before taking the check from Sols’ hand.
Adjusting his monocle, Asma looked at Marlon and asked, “Marlon Lister, this check, issued by Miss Ivna, president of Emerald Crest Publishing, is for seventy-six thousand three hundred Lants—is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Marlon nodded. In this world, even depositing a check at a bank, the first question from a teller was always the same.
“Very well. Would you like this deposited as a demand account or a time deposit?”
“Demand account,” he answered succinctly, eager to move on.
“Do you require a checkbook?”
“Not at the moment.”
“Our Sols Bank has recently begun offering a service for high-value deposit clients—handling purchases of scarce resources, surplus military supplies, and other hard-to-find items, for a modest five percent commission. Would you like to utilize this service?”
“No, thank you.”
“Understood. Please wait a moment.”
With the brief Q&A concluded, Asma swiftly produced an array of specialized papers and pens from his briefcase. In record time, he completed the deposit records, converting the check into a demand account.
“Marlon Lister, here is your demand deposit slip. Please check it carefully—if there is any mistake, please sign to confirm. Because this is a very large deposit and you have not activated check transfer services, any withdrawal over ten thousand Lants must be confirmed in person. Please do not worry; our bank will provide a dedicated vehicle for you, ensuring both your safety and the security of your funds.”
As he spoke, Asma handed the meticulously prepared deposit slip to Marlon with both hands.
“Understood,” Marlon replied, nodding twice, taking the slip and casually tucking it into his Book of Aery, valued at one hundred and ten thousand Lants.
Just as he reached for the pen Asma offered to sign the bank stub, a massive bear face suddenly appeared inches from his own.
“Half-blood, no—Scholar Marlon Lister! I have a small request, and you must grant it!”
Without a doubt, both the bear face and the urgent tone belonged to none other than Master Claw Druid—Conchita Bowden.
“Master Druid, please speak—if your request is reasonable, I will consider it,” Marlon responded, keeping his tone careful. This wealthy, idle druid was not exactly someone Marlon owed favors to. As long as he wasn’t robbed, Marlon considered it a win.
Unreasonable requests, he decided, were simply not to be mentioned. And even a reasonable request would have to wait until he had “considered” it carefully.
“Please… translate the Book of Aery in its entirety! The world it describes does not belong to this plane—I am certain that the author, Master Aery, must be a plane-walker more powerful than a god! I am convinced that translating this book in full will reveal far more about this mighty being!”
The druid grew more animated as he spoke. “Ah, and before it is translated, please allow me to stay in your home!”
Marlon fought hard to suppress a smile. He would not tell the druid that this plane-walker named Aery was, in fact, himself.
On the other hand, if the druid was so intrigued by the vernacular version of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, perhaps Marlon could tweak it, publish it, and profit from it—a promising idea.
With a serious expression, Marlon replied, “Master Druid, I will do my utmost. Trust me, I will translate the Book of Aery in full. I will not hoard this knowledge—I will deliver it to Emerald Crest Publishing for public release.”
“Salutations to you, Scholar Marlon Lister! You are a rare and outstanding scholar in the human world!”
Master Claw Druid looked deeply moved, as though he had found a kindred spirit. If Marlon were older, the druid might have elevated his respect to an almost reverential level.
“You flatter me,” Marlon said awkwardly, truly feeling he was not as noble as the druid imagined.
“Humility is also a fine virtue!” Claw nodded fervently, as though this quality were the highest praise.
Marlon paused, realizing that anything he said now would be interpreted as virtuous by the already overexcited druid.
Fortunately, the masterful actor Trist Rem intervened at just the right moment.
“Mr. Sols,” Trist Rem asked the vampire banker, “earlier your butler mentioned that your bank can act as an agent for clients, handling purchases of scarce and surplus military goods. Is that true?”
“It is indeed,” Sols replied, nodding slightly.
“Very well.” Trist Rem, disguised as an elderly paladin, hesitated briefly, then shoved eleven stacks of hundred-Lant bills into Asma’s hands. “I’d like to deposit ten thousand… nine hundred and ninety Lants.”
From the stacks, Trist Rem drew one note back and continued, “And I want to activate this agent service. I’d like your bank to help me purchase a plot of land of at least ten Lants per acre next to a slum, so I can build an orphanage…”