"Can't you do something about this? This is for your benefit as well. Just think, if things go wrong and orcs invade this territory. It won't be good for you either."
The seers following the lord remained quiet, but they were pressuring the goldsmith with their stares, albeit subtly.
They, too, viewed the goldsmith unfavorably, but they agreed with the lord's point.
Then, the goldsmith, who had been scratching his cheek, decided to take a step back.
After all, he had to be mindful of the lord while doing business on his land.
"Hmm! Then, just this once, I'll offer it at a special low price. I'll reduce the interest to 4 percent per month. It's not just any job, it's for the welfare of this territory, so I should make some concessions. Isn't that the right thing to do?"
The lord, having his own dignity, couldn't push for a lower interest rate.
He thought it would seem too desperate if he pushed any further.
"Alright, let's do it that way."
Once the deal was made, the goldsmith began to make a request to the lord.
"Then, are you writing me a promissory note like last time?"
"It seems so. Otherwise, would you lend me money?"
"As expected, my lord is the best."
Despite the goldsmith's bright smile, the lord's expression was not particularly cheerful.
He was borrowing money out of necessity, and there wasn't much else to be glad about.
'These money grubbers...'
Regardless of what the lord thought of him, the goldsmith made sure to convey this particular point.
It was related to the promissory note.
"And I'm saying this in advance, just in case, but you should know that the promissory note you write me might be traded elsewhere. You don't need to think too hard about it; I'm just letting you know that the person you'll need to repay might not be me in the future. It's because I might sell that right to someone else."
"So, the interest won't change, will it?"
"The interest remains the same."
"As long as the interest doesn't change, do as you wish. I'm not someone who defaults on debts, why should I care? After all, it's just the person I have to repay changing from you to someone else."
"If that's the case, then I'm relieved. First, if you write me a promissory note, I will immediately provide you with the amount of gold you need."
The lord wrote a promissory note to the goldsmith and took out a loan before stepping out of the shop.
The bank located near the market was bustling with passing residents of the territory.
'I always feel this way, but every time I come out here, the mood is never great.'
Meanwhile, the lord spotted a familiar face.
It was the child of a commoner he had seen a few days ago.
'That child is...'
While the lord was thinking about Rockefeller.
Rockefeller, who happened to meet the lord in front of the banco, greeted him politely.
"Lord, it's an honor to see you. I am Rockefeller Rothsmedici."
"Yes, you are Hans' son, aren't you? Did the funeral go well?"
At those words, Rockefeller bowed his head even more respectfully to him.
"Yes, my lord, thanks to you, my father's funeral concluded well."
"Is that so? Have you also given some thought to what I said? I’m sure I spoke to you about manners and knowing one's place."
"I'm still thinking about that."
Looking at his appearance, he didn't seem much different from when I had seen him before.
As he wasn't the kind of person who would engage in a long conversation with a commoner's child he had met by chance, the lord wanted to go his own way.
"Anyway, the answer is already decided. So don't worry too much."
Having finished his words, the lord lost interest in Rockefeller and left.
Rockefeller, who had lightly bowed his head to the departing lord, naturally shifted his gaze towards the banco where the lord had come from.
'Did he borrow money from here?'
As Rockefeller entered the store, Carter, who had been happy about lending money to the lord, looked surprised.
Then, after checking outside the store, he quickly relaxed and started talking to Rockefeller.
"So, are you here about the deal we made last time?"
"Yes."
"Then, let's see the goods."
Rockefeller, following Carter into the store, asked something he was curious about.
"Did the lord just come here? What was it about?"
"It's nothing special. You can just ignore it."
"Can't you just tell me if that's the case?"
"You sure are curious. The lord called upon mercenaries because of the orcs appearing near the domain, and came here to borrow money."
"Orcs?"
"One person was recently attacked, and then two more people were attacked."
The story of the orcs.
For Rockefeller, it was not something he could just hear as someone else's problem.
