Meeting the Goldsmith (5)
“Were orcs that common? I thought the people of the territory only encountered them by chance about twice a year.”
“That was true, but recently, they've started to appear suddenly.”
“Is there a reason?”
“I don’t know the reason. I’m not well-versed in orc habits.”
Why had the activity of orcs increased in the quiet borderlands of the empire?
After pondering for a moment, Rockefeller easily figured out the reason.
'Could it be the work of Goblin Bank?'
Goblin Bank.
It was the largest bank on the continent. Transcending nations and races, it was a moneylending institution and played the role of a dark force in the novel.
‘The protagonist also suffered a lot because of these guys.’
Unlike other novels where goblins were often depicted as stupid or lower-tier monsters, in this story, they were a cunning race, adept at scheming.
‘Moreover, they were so obsessed with money that they created banks before humans did. Truly infuriating creatures.’
So, when it comes to goblins, they were a race despised and pointed at by everyone in the world.
This was not because they cunningly schemed, but rather due to their role akin to goldsmiths who lent money and engaged in usury.
Moreover, their evil trait of only caring about themselves and their own kind meant they would not hesitate to do anything for money.
And the result was...
‘What will happen when they try to incite conflict or incite war between different factions?’
War meant money, and places like the Goblin Bank that could lend such money would reap enormous profits when war broke out.
‘They're probably manipulating the orcs to somehow cause strife with the dwarves. If a war breaks out, they'll be dancing with joy.’
The recent suspicious movements of orcs on the imperial frontier seemed to be the work of the Goblin Bank, instigating war between the two races.
Near the territory, there was the Dwarf Kingdom bordering the empire, and the relationship between dwarves and orcs had always been poor.
‘If this is true, we'll have to be careful with gold panning for a while. We can't afford to run into orcs by bad luck.’
Carter, who had moved to another spot, began examining the gold dust Rockefeller had brought.
"Is this all you've brought?"
Carter asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice, prompting Rockefeller to naturally scratch the back of his head.
Even he thought the amount he brought was too little.
"Yes, they don't give much. This is all there is."
The trade was still in its early stages, where trust hadn't been fully established. Given the small quantity, Carter couldn't see much profit, and he could only sigh.
"The amount is too little. We can't have any fun with this."
Carter continued to grumble to himself, then started to slyly nudge Rockefeller.
"You know, if you want to make some decent money, you should talk nicely to that smuggler. The more he trades with me, the more fun you'll get to have, right?"
"That's true, but... He's overly cautious. It's not just a matter of trust with this place. There's also the issue of trust between him and me, so he doesn't give me a large amount at once."
Carter slightly furrowed his brow.
"Still, try mentioning it. After all, not making money is the same for that person too."
"Then I'll give it a try. I also want to earn money."
"I didn't want to say this much, but what's the point of trading in amounts as tiny as a mosquito's bite? It's better not to do it at all. There’s no need to take risks with illicit trading."
Seeing the appearance of a goldsmith anxious to make money, Rockefeller didn't miss the opportunity.
‘This person is just like me after all.’
To the average person, he seemed wealthy.
It seemed like he lacked nothing, so why would he need money?
But Rockefeller didn’t think so.
‘If you have a hundred million, you want a billion, and once you have that billion, you desire ten billion. That’s human nature. This person didn’t show it much, but he’s very greedy for money.’
