The Lyon Guild (8)
"I see."
The shop owner facing Rockefeller began to speak.
"Opinions are divided among the merchants here too. Some people think that if a customer entrusts their gold coins, they should naturally collect storage fees and make a profit, and they get angry about paying interest. There are also people like me who don't know much, and those who think it's right, and they are considering giving it a try."
If any bank tried to pay interest, they wouldn't be able to focus on the accumulating gold coins.
That's because ordinary people would prefer a bank that pays interest over one that charges storage fees, and gold coins would only pile up in such a bank.
Furthermore, people who have been storing gold coins on their own because they didn't want to pay storage fees would all entrust their gold coins to the bank, creating a structure where gold coins naturally accumulate.
"It seems that the opinions of bank merchants are also divided."
"More importantly, how did you come up with such an idea? In my opinion, it could just be a coincidence, or maybe you…"
He was an extraordinary bank assistant who had even captured the lord.
It was almost like a rabbit catching a tiger.
Although it was obvious that he would soon become a goldsmith, the fact that an assistant had done such a thing was very impressive in his eyes.
"I thought you might be a genius in this field. There are geniuses everywhere."
"Ha ha, I'm not a genius. I'm just an ordinary bank assistant."
What genius?
He had simply applied the knowledge he already had here.
It was a trivial matter for Rockefeller.
"Anyway, the guild master was furious about that. As you know, the guild headquarters is right next door, right? He screamed so loudly that I thought my ears were going to fall off."
"I can see why. The guild master seemed to have quite a temper when I saw him briefly."
"It's understandable that the guild master would be furious, as all the gold coins that Bishop Verkis had entrusted were taken out. I would have been angry too. But whose money is that? The entrusted gold coins can go anywhere at any time."
He cautiously continued speaking, watching the guild master, who wasn't even in this place.
"To be honest, I was a bit jealous. It was annoying to see him monopolize all the church funds just because he's from the same family."
"Do you mean that all the existing church funds were managed by the Lyon Bank?"
"Benjamin was the one who did it all by himself. It's a lot of money for church funds. He must have made a fortune from the monthly gold coin storage fees. There's no better business than this. Bishop Verkis, who entrusted the gold coins to a family member, must have been secretly dissatisfied as well, as the money was constantly being taken out of the church."
"Of course, it's all blood money."
"So the bank merchants here were also secretly dissatisfied. He was eating up all the church funds by himself."
"I would be dissatisfied too. It's natural to get indigestion if you're too greedy."
"So when I heard that the funds were leaking out to unexpected places, it honestly felt like a ten-year-old grudge was lifted. It was refreshing."
Other people's misfortunes are my happiness.
The shop owner that Rockefeller met by chance was also not deviating from the typical human nature.
"But there's one thing I'm curious about."
This time, it was the shop owner facing Rockefeller who asked a question.
"How can you still make a profit by paying interest like that? Is the loan business doing that well?"
At that question, Rockefeller first smiled.
"The structure generates revenue from the difference between loan interest and deposit interest. At that time, I offered a high interest rate of 3% to look good in the eyes of the church, and generally, if you only pay 1% interest, everyone will be scrambling to deposit gold coins."
"I see… That's right. Which of the numerous bank merchants would have thought of not charging gold coin storage fees? It was an innovative idea. I'm also considering it."
The shop owner nodded his head alone.
In the meantime, Rockefeller continued to speak.
"Unlike here, there is only one bank in our territory, and indirectly inheriting the lord's position, the loan business is always smooth."
"Who are you lending to?"
"We lend to our territory's residents and nearby aristocrats, up to the maximum amount they can afford to repay."
Rockefeller, who had a lot to say, paused for a moment to catch his breath and continued.
"Recently, a large natural disaster occurred in our area, and everyone is desperate for gold coin loans. We are also subtly increasing profits by lending them enough money not to die from debt."
"Ah, I heard there was a lot of trouble recently. They said the terrain changed due to frequent earthquakes?"
"Yes, it was an unfortunate event, but the lord and the residents were able to minimize casualties with good response."
"Hehe… Anyway, listening to you, it seems like your business is going well."
"Moreover, by depositing church funds and receiving the church's protection, the business is thriving day by day."
Once he met the person involved in the rumor.
Even the shop owner, who had been half-doubtful of the rumors, couldn't help but have his ears perk up.
"I envy you."
"If you're envious, why don't you try it like me? It's not that difficult."
When Rockefeller subtly suggested his own way, the shop owner, whose name he didn't even know, began to shake his head.
There was a good reason for this.
The existence of the guild master, who considered Rockefeller a thorn in his side, was right there.
Read ahead by supporting me on Ko-fi. Access 5 advance chapters with the Imperial Dalants Tier ($10) or 10 advance chapters with Dwarven Sovereigns Tier ($18). For every $15 collected on Ko-fi, I will release an extra chapter. Choose your tier by clicking the 'Support me' button! Rate and review this novel on NU to help people find this novel. Happy reading!
