The amount had been reduced from the original 10 percent.
"6 percent?"
Though 6 percent was still an unreasonable fee, it was better than the previously mentioned 10 percent.
'What's this about 6 percent? That's still ridiculously high.'
"Can't you reduce it further? It's not like I'm desperate to deposit my gold coins here."
Karl bluffed with astounding audacity, and Rockefeller openly shook his head in response.
"That's not possible. If you've come all this way to deposit gold coins, it means your situation isn't too favorable, right? Normally, people wouldn't even think of depositing gold coins at a bank if they were concerned about storage fees. That's why they usually hide their gold coins somewhere, away from prying eyes. But doing that comes with its own set of risks."
"..."
"For example, what if some random guy finds the gold coins you've hidden and takes them away secretly? Wouldn't it be safer to store them here? Although you'd pay a storage fee, the Lyon Guild guarantees the safety of your gold coins. Even if this store goes bankrupt, you can retrieve your gold coins from another store."
Karl's expression remained dark despite the truth in those words.
"But I can't just reduce the storage fee like that. 10 percent is 15 dalants, and 6 percent is... well, whatever it is, it's still a lot of money, isn't it?"
If Karl had thought it was nonsense, he would have stormed out of the bank without looking back, dismissing the bank assistant's gibberish.
But the fact that he was still there gave Rockefeller some confidence.
He had no other choice.
'He must have come here determined to deposit the gold coins. Otherwise, he would have just left because of the ridiculous storage fee.'
And this bank was the only one in the area.
'Then it's worth trying to be a bit bold on this side too.'
"Uncle, we are not just digging up land for business, we deserve some compensation for our efforts. And I've already cut down a lot from 10 percent, haven't I? This is really a generous offer."
Karl still looked reluctant.
"Fine, let's settle for 3 percent. That's the usual rate. 6 percent is just outrageous."
In fact, most were reluctant to even pay the 3 percent storage fee and would bargain with the goldsmiths at Banco to reduce the fee for storing gold.
But here, in this remote backwater village, a ridiculous 6 percent storage fee!
However, the boy managing the store was not one to easily back down.
"3 percent? That's absolutely not possible. If that's the case, you should look for another store. You probably won't find one in this domain, so you might have to spend time going to another domain? But I'm not sure how much they will charge for gold storage in those remote areas. And I don't even know if they are members of the Lyon Guild like us."
The audacity of this young kid to stand up to a figure like the Hound Mercenary Captain!
‘Where did that greenhorn learn to talk like that?’
Only then did Captain Karl recall the subordinates who had clicked their tongues when he said he was going to the bank.
"Captain, it's not like that. That kid is a real tough one. Do you think he charged us that exchange fee for nothing?"
"Seth is right. The kid was quite audacious. He even had the nerve to bluff."
"Normally, he should have wet his pants at the sight of us, but he didn't even flinch. Captain, why not just endure a few days and leave him somewhere else? What could possibly happen just because we leave the advance payment here for a few days?"
His subordinates emphasized again, warning him to be careful of the boy working in the store.
They said he was as venomous as a goblin.
'If only I had a spatial pocket to keep the gold coins separate!'
If he had such a thing, he would not have come to this bank in the first place.
There would have been no need to pay a storage fee, as he could just keep it in that spatial pocket.
'But they're hard to come by, and the price they ask for them...'
It's rare, so naturally, it's valuable, and valuable things are not only hard to come by but also expensive.
It was about the spatial storage bag.
"Alright. Let's settle for 5 percent. It's 5 percent. I'm giving you too much here."
For him, even giving away 5 percent as a storage fee for his gold was something he wasn't too keen on.
"5 percent?"
If this had been a normal transaction, Rockefeller would have initially offered him a 3 percent storage fee, and Carl, upon receiving that offer, would have bargained it down to 2 percent or even 1 percent.
'Actually, 5 percent is still a good deal for me. But you have to be firm when you can.'
"That won't work. Didn't I tell you earlier? It's originally 10 percent, but I'm giving you a big discount by making it 6 percent. I can't go any lower, I'd be too conscious of your opinion."
Hearing this, Carter, who was sorting gold coins inside the store, showed a resigned smile.
'Where on earth did he learn that?'
