"Ha ha ha! A truly good friend indeed. It's amazing that I've only met such a precious person now in my life. It feels like my luck is finally turning."
Feeling satisfied in his own way, Bishop Verkis continued with his next words.
This was his own way of expressing gratitude.
"Whenever you need my help, send a letter to Lyon. I don't know about other places, but I will definitely receive the letter you sent. And if it's not too difficult a request, I will surely help you. Yes, that's right."
"Thank you very much."
"No, I'm the one who should be grateful. I should have more people like you around me... But people aren't like that. They all fail to control their own greed and neglect the church. That's not good. It's a bad thing."
The conversation itself was very satisfying.
Just as Rockefeller had expected, Bishop Verkis was also interested in the bank deposit interest, and they even went so far as to offer help, showing how grateful they were.
'Should I bring up that story now?'
At this moment, Rockefeller thought about the upcoming chaos in the fief and decided to win over the two people present.
That way, his plan would become more perfect.
"Excuse me... Your Grace, the bishop."
"Why? Do you have something to say all of a sudden?"
"You just mentioned that you would help...”
"Yes, do you have a favor to ask of me?"
"That's... I have some concerns of my own."
"Concerns? What are you talking about?"
At that, Peter the priest, who had been nearby, was even more upset.
"Why didn't you tell me first if you had any concerns! Have you been suffering alone without saying anything?"
"That's... It's not something I can easily talk about."
"What's bothering you so much that you look so unhappy?"
"It's nothing else."
Rockefeller slowly began to express his concerns.
The reason why they had come this far was all due to the fief's lord, who was avoiding crisis with promissory notes.
Of course, that was all part of Rockefeller's plan.
"Your Grace, Bishop Verkis, and Father Peter, I'm not sure what you think about this matter."
"Go ahead and tell me."
"If someone borrows money from us, isn't it natural to get the money back?"
"Of course."
"Of course, it is. Who borrowed money and didn't pay it back?"
"It's not exactly like that, but there's the lord here, right?"
As soon as the lord was mentioned, Bishop Verkis immediately reacted.
The lord was like the sky here, but to him, the bishop of Lyon, the lord was a trivial existence.
"Are you talking about Chester?"
"Yes, the lord has borrowed quite a lot of money from us."
"Did Chester refuse to pay it back or something?"
"No, it's not that. It's just that the lord's financial situation is getting worse day by day. So, I'm worried that there might be a default at some point."
"A default? Chester is not that kind of person... He's rough, but he does have a sense of loyalty."
Rockefeller continued.
"Of course, I fully understand the lord's situation here. The lord must have needed a lot of money due to the Totem War that took place near the fief. I understand that fully. However, the interest that the lord has to pay back every month is now at a worrying level, even from my perspective. So, I think there will be a default at some point, and I'm worried about how to deal with it then."
Peter the priest, who had been quietly listening, stepped in.
"Didn't you secure part of the fief as collateral to prepare for that?"
"That's correct. We did secure part of the fief as collateral in preparation for that."
"Then what's the worry?"
Rockefeller argued in a small voice.
"We are just a small bank. We are in no position to exert power against the lord, who is like the sky."
Then, Peter the priest raised his voice.
"Don't worry too much about that. I'm on your side, after all. Didn't I even witness it at that time? If he doesn't fulfill that promise, it would be a deception against me and the church. That's unacceptable."
Bishop Verkis, who had been quietly listening, also added a word.
"If you borrow money, you should pay it back properly. If there's a problem there, I'll raise my voice too, so the lord's wishes won't be fulfilled here. Of course, we don't have too much coercive power. But being disliked by the church means losing the hearts of the people here. Chester is not a complete fool, so he won't go that far."
Rockefeller felt somewhat satisfied with their answers.
'Excellent.'
However, they were also cunning like snakes who might change their words someday.
For now, they sided with him because it was in their interest, but who knows what might happen when the lord makes a sweet offer to them.
Rockefeller then provided them with a reason, right there, why they had to unconditionally support him.
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