They're not.
I sat in my room at The Wanderer's Rest, surrounded by papers. The Cromwell billing records we'd stolen. Jonas's notes from the temple archives. Financial data Edrin had been collecting for years. And a growing headache from staring at numbers for six hours straight.
"You need to sleep," Corvina said from the doorway.
"I need to understand the money flow," I corrected, not looking up from the spreadsheet I'd been constructing. "Cromwell pays seventy-five thousand gold per quarter for system privileges. Three hundred forty-seven nobles are in the registry. That's over a hundred million gold per year flowing to Administrator Prime. Where does it go?"
"Into divine coffers, presumably."
"But where specifically? Gods don't have bank accounts. They don't buy things. They don't have operating expenses. So what happens to a hundred million gold per year?" I tapped the paper. "Money doesn't disappear. It flows. It transforms. It leaves traces."
Corvina pulled up a chair. "Show me what you're seeing."
I spread out the Cromwell records. "Look at the payment structure. He's billed quarterly. Seventy-five thousand gold. But the billing statement shows a reference number—'ROYAL_TREASURY_ACCOUNT_7847.' That's not divine. That's bureaucratic. Mortal."
"Could be handled by temple accountants. The gods would need mortal intermediaries to process that much gold."
"Exactly. Which means there's a paper trail. Mortal financial records. Banking infrastructure." I pulled over another set of papers—Edrin's research. "And Edrin has been tracking noble financial transactions for years. He just didn't know what to look for."
I'd spent the last six hours cross-referencing everything. Cromwell's payments. Banking records Edrin had obtained through resistance contacts. Temple financial disclosures. Tax records from multiple noble houses.
And patterns were emerging.
"Every noble in the privilege registry banks with the same institution," I said, pointing at the relevant entries. "The Royal Treasury Bank. Not commercial banks. Not private banks. The specific bank that handles government finances."
"That's not unusual. Nobles often use Royal Treasury accounts. Tax advantages, prestige, better security."
"Right. But look at the transaction patterns." I pulled out a timeline I'd constructed. "Privilege payments happen quarterly. Always on the first day of each quarter. Always from Royal Treasury accounts. Always to a single recipient account—'COVENANT_REGULATORY_AUTHORITY_OPERATIONS.'"
Corvina leaned forward, studying the timeline. "That's the official government department that manages magical oversight."
"Which means the privilege payments aren't going directly to gods. They're going through official government channels. Through bureaucracy. Through systems that can be audited, traced, analyzed." I felt my pattern recognition kicking into high gear. "This isn't just corruption. This is institutionalized corruption. With paperwork."
"Why would they document it?"
"Because they have to. Gold moves through banking systems. Banking systems require ledgers. Ledgers require justification. You can't just have a hundred million gold appearing in accounts with no explanation." I started drawing a diagram—boxes and arrows showing money flow. "So they disguise it. Make it look legitimate. Privilege payments are recorded as... here..." I found the relevant entry. "'Administrative fees for enhanced magical service provisions.'"
"That's not illegal. That's just vague bureaucratic language."
"Exactly. It's not illegal to charge for services. It's not illegal to collect fees. As long as the paperwork looks legitimate, no one questions where the money goes." I followed the arrow on my diagram. "But once the money enters Covenant Regulatory Authority operations, it should be traceable. Government accounts are supposed to be transparent. Subject to oversight."
"Are they?"
I pulled out another set of records—these ones Edrin had obtained from a resistance member who worked in government accounting. "According to official records, the Covenant Regulatory Authority budget is twelve million gold per year. Salaries, operations, infrastructure. Standard government spending."
"But you just said they're collecting a hundred million in privilege fees."
"Right. Which means eighty-eight million gold is going somewhere that's not in official budgets." I circled the discrepancy on my diagram. "That's embezzlement. That's fraud. That's—"
"Evidence," Corvina finished. "Hard financial evidence. Not just allegations of corruption—actual documented proof that money is disappearing."
I nodded. "And if we can trace where it's going, we prove the entire scheme. Show exactly who's profiting, how much they're stealing, and how long it's been happening."
"Can you trace it?"
"With the right access, yes. Banking records, treasury accounts, transaction logs. Follow the money from privilege payments through government accounts to final destination." I looked at her. "But I'd need access to Royal Treasury banking systems. Which are probably better defended than the City Watch headquarters."
"Probably," she agreed. "But if this evidence exists—if we can prove financial fraud at this scale—that changes everything. That's not just divine corruption. That's mortal accomplices. Bankers, accountants, government officials. An entire infrastructure supporting the scheme."
"Which means more people to expose. More witnesses. More evidence." I felt the scope expanding. "This isn't just The Compiler selling privileges. This is a conspiracy involving dozens, maybe hundreds of people across the government and banking sectors."
A knock on the door. Edrin entered without waiting for permission, carrying more papers.
"I have something," he said, spreading documents across the table. "Tax records for the Noble Quarter. Last twenty years. You said to look for patterns in noble finances."
"And?"
"And there's a pattern. Nobles who appear in the privilege registry show increased spending starting the quarter after their first privilege grant. Significant increases. Ten to twenty percent above their previous baseline."
I grabbed the records, started scanning. He was right. Baron Cromwell's spending had increased by fifteen percent after his first privilege grant. Baroness Corvath, eighteen percent. Count Brennan, twelve percent.
"They're spending more after they gain privileges," I said slowly. "Why?"
"Because they can," Edrin suggested. "Enhanced magic means better business opportunities, more profitable ventures, higher income."
"Maybe. But look at what they're spending on." I pointed at specific entries. "Increased donations to temples. Contributions to Covenant regulatory funds. 'Voluntary support for administrative operations.' They're paying more money back into the system."
Corvina read over my shoulder. "Are they being extorted? Pay for privileges, then pay protection money?"
"Or it's part of the arrangement," I said. "You get system privileges. In exchange, you donate to official channels. Which makes the whole scheme look more legitimate. 'Look, nobles are voluntarily supporting the government. Such civic duty.'"
"Laundering," Edrin said. "Financial laundering. The nobles pay for privileges through banking systems. Then donate through official channels. The money cycles through multiple organizations, getting cleaner at each step."
I started drawing a more complex diagram. Money flowing from nobles to Royal Treasury Bank. Then to Covenant Regulatory Authority. Then back out as 'donations' and 'voluntary contributions' from the same nobles. Each transaction documented, each step technically legal, but the overall pattern clearly corrupt.
"It's elegant," I admitted. "Disgustingly elegant. They're using the bureaucracy itself to hide the corruption. Every transaction has paperwork. Every payment has justification. But the total picture shows systematic fraud."
"Can we prove it?" Corvina asked.
"We can demonstrate the pattern. Show that privilege grants correlate with increased 'donations.' Show that money flows in circles through official channels. But proving actual conspiracy requires access to internal communications. Meeting minutes. Emails—or whatever magical equivalent this world uses."
Edrin pulled out another document. "Scrying records. From a resistance member who works in the Royal Treasury's communication archives. Messages between Treasury officials and Covenant administrators over the past five years."
I grabbed it, started reading.
And there it was.
Not explicit. Not stupid. But clear enough if you knew what to look for.
Treasury officials discussing "special account management for privileged clients." Covenant administrators coordinating "service fee collection schedules." Careful language that never explicitly said "we're selling system access" but made it obvious what was happening.
"This is conspiracy," I said. "Documented conspiracy between government officials and divine administrators. Everyone involved knows it's happening. They're just careful about how they describe it."
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
"Is it enough?" Corvina asked. "To prove corruption to the resistance? To the public?"
I looked at all the evidence spread across the table. Billing records. Banking transactions. Tax records. Scrying transcripts. A pattern so clear that even without explicit confession, the conclusion was obvious.
"It's enough," I said. "Combined with the privilege registry data, this proves systemic corruption. Not just The Compiler—entire government departments, banking institutions, noble houses. All coordinating to sell system access while maintaining plausible deniability."
Edrin sat down heavily. "Twenty years. I've been collecting pieces of this puzzle for twenty years. And you found the pattern in six hours."
"I have Code Vision. I see patterns. It's what I do." I started organizing the evidence into categories. "But you collected the raw data. Without your network, your sources, your documentation, I'd have nothing to analyze."
"Partnership," he said. "You see patterns. We gather data. Together we prove corruption."
"Together we start a revolution," I corrected.
Pip appeared in the doorway, carrying food. "You all need to eat. And Hex, you promised to train me today."
I'd forgotten. Had I? What day was it?
Corvina answered my unspoken question. "You've been analyzing financial records for nine hours. Without stopping. Without eating. You're running on pure hyperfocus and spite."
"Spite is a renewable resource."
"Food is a necessary resource," Pip said, setting down the tray. "Eat. Then train me. Then you can go back to following money trails."
He was right. My body was filing complaints about resource allocation. I needed to maintain the hardware if I wanted the software to keep functioning.
I ate. Some kind of meat pie. Decent. Pip sat across from me, pulling out his notebook.
"I've been practicing Code Vision," he said. "Watching the other resistance members cast spells. I can see about forty percent of the structure now. Maybe more."
"Forty percent?" I said around a mouthful of pie. "That's significant improvement. You've only been training for a week."
"You're a good teacher. And I'm motivated." He showed me his notebook—pages of diagrams, spell structures, annotations. "I've been documenting everything I see. Building a reference library like you suggested."
I flipped through the notebook. The diagrams were crude but accurate. He was seeing more than I'd expected. Not full Code Vision—that would take months or years—but enough to be useful.
"This is good work," I said. "Better than good. You're developing pattern recognition. Starting to understand magical syntax. At this rate, you'll be able to do basic optimization within a month."
"Really?"
"Really. You won't see everything I see. But you'll see enough to identify common inefficiencies. Spot obvious exploits. Maybe even write simple macro scripts." I closed the notebook, handed it back. "You're becoming valuable, Pip. Not just as my apprentice—as a resistance asset."
He beamed. "Can we train now? I want to practice with active spells."
I looked at the financial records spread across the table. At Corvina and Edrin waiting for me to continue the investigation.
"Go ahead," Corvina said. "The money trail isn't going anywhere. And training Pip is important. We need more people who can see the code."
"Even partially," Edrin added. "One NULL class user is a catalyst. Two is a movement. Ten is a revolution."
I stood up, picked up my shadowmeld coat. "Alright. Training session. Then I'll get back to financial analysis tonight."
"You'll sleep tonight," Corvina corrected. "Actual sleep. In a bed. For eight hours. That's an order."
"I don't take orders."
"You do now. You're part of a resistance network. That means operational discipline. That means maintaining readiness. That means sleep." She smiled slightly. "Besides, you're more valuable alive and functional than dead from exhaustion."
"Fine. Four hours."
"Six."
"Five and you stop negotiating."
"Deal."
Pip and I left the inn through the back entrance. Found a quiet courtyard behind an abandoned warehouse. Space to practice without drawing attention.
"Cast a light spell," I said. "Basic version. I want to see your technique."
Pip cast. The spell formed—slower than mine, less refined, but structurally sound.
And I could see him seeing it. His eyes tracking the code as it materialized. Not perfectly. He was missing about sixty percent of the structure. But what he saw, he understood.
"Good," I said. "Now cast it again. But this time, while you're casting, try to see the mana cost parameter. It should be near the top of the function. A number. Ten, probably."
He cast again. Slower. More deliberately.
"I see... something. A value. It's hard to focus on it while casting."
"That's normal. Multitasking between execution and observation takes practice. Try again."
We drilled for an hour. Pip casting spells, me pointing out structures, him learning to see more of the underlying architecture.
By the end of the session, he could consistently see about fifty percent of a spell's structure. And more importantly, he could identify the mana cost parameter while casting.
"That's the key," I explained. "Once you can see the mana cost, you can start experimenting with modifications. Lower it. Raise it. See what happens. That's how optimization begins."
"When can I try actually modifying a spell?"
"When you can see seventy percent of the structure. Maybe another two weeks of training." I dismissed the practice spell. "But you're progressing faster than I expected. You might have more natural aptitude than the twelve percent I originally measured."
"Because you're teaching me correctly?"
"Because you're actually trying to learn, not just hoping it magically appears." I started walking back toward the inn. "Most people want results without effort. You're putting in the work. That's why you're improving."
We returned to find Edrin and Corvina still in my room, now joined by Thorne. They'd organized all the financial evidence into neat categories.
"We've been thinking," Edrin said. "This financial evidence is valuable. But it's not complete. We can prove money is flowing. We can demonstrate patterns. But we can't trace the final destination."
"Because we don't have access to the Royal Treasury's internal systems," I said.
"Right. Which means we have two options." Edrin pointed at the map on the table. "Option one: Present what we have to the resistance at Emberfall. Use it to build support for revolution. Accept that some questions remain unanswered."
"Or option two?" I asked.
"Option two: Get access to the Royal Treasury systems. Complete the investigation. Trace every gold piece from privilege payments to final destination. Prove the complete conspiracy with perfect documentation."
"That would require breaking into the Royal Treasury Bank," Corvina said. "In the capital. In the most secure financial institution in the Argent Concord. While being hunted by Executors."
"Yes," Edrin agreed. "It would be insanely dangerous, borderline suicidal, and would escalate our criminal status from 'fugitive resistance members' to 'enemies of the state attempting financial terrorism.'"
"But it would give us perfect evidence," I said.
"Perfect evidence."
I thought about it. Really thought about it.
We had good evidence now. Strong patterns. Demonstrable corruption. Enough to convince the resistance to act.
But perfect evidence? Complete documentation of the entire conspiracy? That would convince more than just resisters. That would convince the public. The nobles who weren't involved. The government officials who were being used. Everyone.
Perfect evidence meant perfect proof. No wiggle room. No plausible deniability. Just pure, documented fact.
"We need perfect evidence," I said.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Edrin said. Not a smile. More like the expression of someone acknowledging that the hard path was the right path. "Because I think we can do it. With your Code Vision. With the network's resources. With proper planning and a lot of luck."
"When?" Thorne asked.
"After Emberfall. After we unite the resistance. After we have enough people backing us that if it goes wrong, the movement survives." Edrin started rolling up the maps. "We have two and a half weeks. We use that time to plan the most audacious heist in resistance history. The Royal Treasury Bank. Full financial records. Complete documentation."
"And if we die trying?" Corvina asked.
"Then we die proving the biggest conspiracy in Covenant history," Edrin said. "Seems like a decent legacy."
I looked at the financial evidence on the table. At the patterns I'd identified. At the trail that led from noble privilege payments through government corruption to... somewhere. Some final destination we couldn't yet see.
But we would see it.
Because I was very good at following money. And even better at exploiting systems that thought they were secure.
The Royal Treasury Bank had no idea what was coming.
EXPERIENCE GAINED: FINANCIAL INVESTIGATION +500 XP EXPERIENCE GAINED: PATTERN RECOGNITION (FINANCIAL) +400 XP EXPERIENCE GAINED: CONSPIRACY MAPPING +300 XP
Total XP: 4,150 / 15,000
Skills Improved:
- Financial Analysis: None → Intermediate (NEW SKILL)
- Conspiracy Investigation: None → Basic (NEW SKILL)
- Evidence Correlation: Intermediate → Advanced
Evidence Compiled:
- Privilege payments flow through Royal Treasury Bank
- All payments to COVENANT_REGULATORY_AUTHORITY_OPERATIONS
- 88 million gold annually unaccounted for in official budgets
- Nobles increase spending post-privilege (donations laundering)
- Scrying records show coordination between officials
- Pattern proves systematic conspiracy
Investigation Status: INCOMPLETE
- Can prove money flows and patterns
- Cannot prove final destination
- Need Royal Treasury internal systems access
- Requires future heist (post-Emberfall)
Pip Progress:
- Code Vision: 30% → 50% (rapid improvement!)
- Can see mana cost parameters while casting
- Building reference library
- On track for basic optimization in 2 weeks
STATUS UPDATE — END OF CHAPTER 13
ALEXANDRIA "HEX" VOLKOV
- Level: 7
- Class: NULL [UNDEFINED BEHAVIOR ENABLED]
- Location: CROSSROADS - THE WANDERER'S REST INN
- Status: INVESTIGATING, TRAINING
Mana: 220/220 MP XP: 4,150 / 15,000
Trace Risk: 23% [TRACKING DEGRADED SIGNIFICANTLY]
Investigation Progress:
- Traced privilege payments to Royal Treasury Bank
- Identified 88 million gold annual discrepancy
- Documented financial laundering patterns
- Found scrying records proving coordination
- Evidence strong but incomplete
- Need Royal Treasury access for final proof
New Skills:
- Financial Analysis: Intermediate (following money trails)
- Conspiracy Investigation: Basic (mapping complex schemes)
- Evidence Correlation: Advanced (connecting disparate sources)
SYSTEM NOTE: User following money to source.
SYSTEM NOTE: Financial conspiracy documented.
SYSTEM NOTE: Planning most dangerous heist yet.
SYSTEM NOTE: Revolution requires perfect proof.