Finch was leaning over his desk, counting crystals while whistling an off-key melody that Theodore imitated with small squeaks. The bank office was delightfully empty, as was customary at this hour. "Look at that, Theodore," Finch whispered, observing how his "performances" kept most clients away. "Just two windows open, dozens of students waiting at the other window, and here we are, alone, peaceful, and happy." The mouse nodded enthusiastically, his whiskers twitching as he reviewed an account book with his tiny paws. His small eyes sparkled with intelligence as he calculated interest rates at speeds that would baffle most human accountants. Finch smiled bitterly thinking about what others said about Theodore. A weak little mouse, useless in combat, barely capable of scratching a baby. What fools! The real utility of his companion, the way Theodore could calculate complex interest rates, detect inconsistencies in transactions, or memorize behavior patterns. His beast may have been Bronze rank, but his mind was pure platinum. "Core size isn't everything, is it, friend?" Finch murmured, stroking the mouse's small head. "Though I suppose that's something only true geniuses understand..." He looked up upon hearing approaching footsteps. His eyes lit up with recognition when he saw Ren approaching. Not many people came to his window, only the very patient and tolerant, or… sadly, some lunatics who enjoyed his "performances". Ren was one of the tolerant ones, but today he looked different than other times... The boy was one of the few who tolerated his "shenanigans", though there was something different about him today. The way he walked, his shoulders slightly slumped, the dim light in his recognizable luminous mushrooms. Theodore advanced over the counter, sniffing the air with his nose and sensitive mana whiskers before shaking his head toward Finch. The banker understood the message immediately, his mustache twitched as he recognised the signals. "Ah, my favorite client has returned!" Finch began his usual routine, but with a notably less theatrical tone. "What brings the luminous mushroom magnate to the bank today? More inexplicable riches? Financial secrets that even Theodore can't decipher? The emperor of crystals, the sultan of student finances, the..." Ren barely reacted to his usual performance, simply taking some documents from his pocket with lifeless movements. "Not today, thanks. I just need to make a deposit," the boy sighed, sliding the papers across the counter without even looking up. Finch reached for the documents, curious despite himself, but Theodore shook his head again with more emphasis. The banker restrained his instinct to open the envelope and instead leaned over the counter, moving a bit closer to Ren. "Ah, ah, ah!" Finch raised a finger. "One second! Theodore is doing his emotion detection routine. He's quite good at it, you know? Almost as good as I am at detecting interesting clients." The mouse performed an elaborate gesture of placing a paw over his heart, then pointed toward Ren with the other. "So my friend Theodore says there's something heavy in your heart," Finch leaned conspiratorially. "My joy therapy isn't working. Is it because people keep saying silly things about your mushrooms?" Ren just sighed again, the sound heavy with unspoken burdens. "You know what, young friend? Your beast is great," Finch said with sincerity, adjusting his glasses. "Don't let the haters make you sad. I've been in this bank for fifteen years and I've seen everything. People always underestimate the extraordinary when it doesn't fit in their little boxes." Ren looked up for the first time, an expression of weariness crossing his youthful face. "It's not about my mushroom," he shook his head. "Well, it kinda is… But it's much more... it's… mostly my parents really." Finch blinked, momentarily puzzled. He didn't expect the boy to share something personal. His mustache twitched with surprise. "Parents? Are yours in trouble? Do you need a loan to get them out of jail? Or maybe to buy them nobility crowns? I can help you choose, I've seen everything!" "No... I sent them money, remember? More money than I ever thought I could send," Ren sighed deeply. "And they returned it. They said they preferred I use it..." Ren told him a bit about where they lived and their initial situation, his voice growing quieter with each detail shared. "Ah," Finch nodded slowly, his theatrical expression softening into something more genuine. "A case of 'truly noble' parents! And here I thought they only existed in legends. Theodore, did you hear that? Parents who reject wealth! I understand now..." Theodore performed an elaborate pantomime of fainting, which drew a weak smile from Ren. The mouse's performance was so detailed that he even clutched his tiny chest before dramatically slumping. "Really?" Ren sounded skeptical, but his light veins brightened slightly with amusement. "Look," Finch leaned forward even more, adopting a conspiratorial air, "I... well, I don't have family now," he admitted, cleaning his glasses while Theodore climbed onto his shoulder. "But I had one once. My mother was... legendary, similar to yours it seems. And let me tell you, those women have a logic that defies all known accounting. Stubborn as a rock, obstinate as a phoenix." He let out a nostalgic laugh. "It's frustrating, isn't it? Not being able to give them what you think they need from you." Theodore gently touched Finch's face with his small paw, as if consoling him. "But sometimes what we want to give isn't what they need," Finch continued, his voice softer than usual. "Once I bought her a very good bed with my first savings... She always complained about her back. You know what she did? She sold it and bought me an accounting book. What a disappointment! But look at us now, Theodore and I, masters of finance!" Theodore nodded vigorously, pulling out a small account book and pretending to read it with great seriousness. "Look, youngster, you're a promising boy. Very promising. Continuing to work hard will make them much happier when the time comes for you to see them. And believe me, that moment will come." Ren nodded slowly, his shoulders not as slumped as before. "You know what," Finch clapped dramatically, recovering part of his usual energy. "Let's open those envelopes and see if the magnate has established a new record! Maybe you can buy a house far from the Goldcrest outer territory where they are. I've heard rumors about tensions with them lately..." Ren smiled slightly at seeing Finch return to his exaggerated "usual personality", it wasn't that annoying after all. "Go ahead, I don't know the final result either." Finch tore open the first envelope with an exaggerated flourish, his eyes quickly scanning the numbers while Theodore climbed onto his hand to get a better view. The mouse's tiny paws gripped the edge of the envelope as he leaned forward. His fake smile disappeared, replaced by an expression of genuine surprise. "This... this might be an error," he stammered, adjusting his glasses. His hands trembled slightly as he held the document. "What's wrong?" Ren asked, leaning forward. "You not only brought back your previous withdrawal... but although you've recovered all of that from this Pegasus company," Finch stammered, his finger following the lines of numbers. "This other envelope… This number in the report's total duplication makes the withdrawal look like child's play... There are deposits. Many deposits." Theodore squeaked excitedly, running across the counter and back to verify the calculations himself. "From Selphira... millions? DUPLICATED?" Finch's eyes were the size of saucers behind his lenses. "And here... several hundred thousands duplicated by the school from hide sales. A percentage of 20 of your companions' sales. And these... 'Discoveries'? Multiple payments of a hundred thousand each?" His hands shook as he held the document, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Theodore had paused in his calculations, equally stunned by the numbers. "Theodore," Finch whispered, "are you seeing this? The magnate now has..." The mouse had been calculating furiously, and now held up a small sheet with a number scrawled at the end that said "NEW RECORD" and waved it triumphantly. "MORE THAN FIVE MILLION!" Finch almost fell from his chair, clutching the edge of the counter to maintain balance. His mustache quivered with excitement. "Five million crystals! Young sir, you could buy a small house in the outermost part of the inner city for real!" Ren seemed genuinely surprised. "That much?" "THAT MUCH?" Finch stood abruptly, gesticulating dramatically. "It's more than 5 million in the first semester! It's much more than that much! First-year students shouldn't be able to obtain those numbers!" Theodore jumped excitedly on his shoulder, waving his small notebook of 'new records'. "But..." Ren looked at the papers with uncertainty, "it's still not enough for what I need." Finch stopped in the middle of his histrionic celebration. "Pardon?" "To reach Silver 1, I need four million. And that will double for Silver 2, just for my mushroom. The hydra will need a bit more. And then there's going to be a..." Ren sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Actually, it's not that much." The banker dropped into his chair, removing his glasses to clean them nervously. "Young man, are you telling me you plan to reach Silver rank with your... mushroom? The creature that's supposedly unable to evolve and whose evolution is supposedly a huge waste of effort?" "Yes." "And then evolve a hydra, a second beast?" "Yes." "And then... there's still more?" Ren nodded as if discussing the obvious. Finch turned to Theodore, who was equally astonished. "Theodore, I think we're witnessing the birth of a true genius. Or complete madness." The mouse considered this for a moment before nodding enthusiastically, showing his complete support for the idea. "Great fortunes are always created in interesting times. And these... well, let's say there are whispers in the air. Movements. Opportunities." Finch adjusted his glasses again, winking at him. "And a certain magnate with a mushroom seems to have the habit of being in the right place at the right time. Almost as if the very forces of destiny conspired to put him where he can... let's say, influence events." Theodore nodded knowingly, as if understanding cosmic forces. The mouse's expression was surprisingly sage for such a small creature. "But hey," Finch returned to his light tone, "what do I know? I'm just a humble banker. Though..." he added theatrically, "Theodore and I have noticed an interesting pattern in financial movements lately. The old families moving, new players appearing..." He stamped the official seals on the documents with flourish. "All I'm saying is that sometimes the universe gives you resources just when you're going to need them. As if it knew there's an important role to play." He handed the papers to Ren with an exaggerated bow. "And between us, magnate... when history needs a hero with deep pockets, it's good to be prepared." Theodore jumped to salute militarily while Ren stored his documents, a new light shining in his eyes and his mushrooms pulsing with renewed energy. The dim glow had transformed into a steady radiance. "Come back soon!" Finch shouted as Ren walked away. "Theodore and I will anxiously await the next update of 'the adventures of the magnate who built an empire starting with a single mushroom'!" When Ren withdrew, oddly enough, he no longer felt so worried.