Chapter 10

“Was it so common to run into orcs? I thought villagers only encountered them by chance, once or twice a year,”

“It was like that, but they seem to be appearing more often recently,”

“Is there any reason?”

“No idea, it’s not like I’m familiar with the behaviour patterns of orcs,”

What did the orcs become more active at the very edge of the empire? After thinking on it for a moment, Rockefeller was able to understand the reason without difficulty.

‘Is it the work of the Goblin Bank?’

The Goblin Bank.

It was the largest bank in the continent – a place where the loan business transcended tribes, nations and species and in the novel, it was a place of darkness.

‘The main character had a really hard time because of these guys.’

Unlike some other novels in which goblins were classified as dumb or low-level monsters, the goblins in this novel were clever and well-rounded.

‘Besides that, when talking about money – these weirdos created a bank even before humans did. They’re guys who really give you a headache.’

So when it comes to goblins, they are a race everyone in the world points fingers at and hates. It wasn’t because of how smart and conniving they were but because they were money lenders who lived on exorbitant interest like the goldsmiths.

On top of that, they had an extremely ruthless side that meant they only think about themselves and would never hesitate to do anything to earn money

And the result of that was…

‘It’s to either cause strife between factions or to promote a war,’

War meant money and places like the Goblin Bank who could lend this money would make huge profits when war broke out.

Perhaps they were trying to control the orcs and cause a disturbance with the dwarfs somehow. Then, if it causes a war, the goblins would probably dance around in happiness,’

The recent suspicious movements of the orcs on the borders of the empire was the work of the Goblin Bank who were trying to instigate a war between the two races. The Dwarven Kingdom bordered the territory near the empire and the relationship between the dwarves and orcs had never been good.

‘And if that is the case – then I’ll have to be careful about mining the gold for the time being – it’d be just my luck to encounter an orc at a time like this,’

Carter had already moved to examine the Placer Gold that Rockefeller had brought said,

“Is that all you’ve brought?” When Carter asked that with a look of regret, Rockefeller just scratched the back of his head, because even he knew he had brought too little,

“Yeah, it’s not much, he only gave me this much,”

Although the transactions were still at a stage where trust had not been built up, it was impossible to make a big profit with this much so Carter could only sigh.

“The amount is too small, I can’t even have fun with this,”

After muttering alone by himself and began to try his luck with Rockefeller in his disappointment.

“You too, if you want to make some money, talk to the smuggler. Wouldn’t it be better for you too, if he and I did business in larger quantities?”

“It would… but he’s so careful. After all, it’s not just a matter of trust between you and him, there’s also me in the middle right? That’s probably why he doesn’t entrust me with a large amount at once,”

Carter frowned slightly,

“Still, try and talk to him – after all, even he can’t make much money with this much,”

“Then I’ll try talking, after all, I want to make money,”

“I wasn’t going to go this far, but what’s left for you after trading this small amount? In that case, it would be better not do it at all, after all, it’s not worth the risk to smuggle this among,”

Rockefeller didn’t miss the sight of the goldsmith who was dissatisfied with the amount of money he was making.

‘This person is just like me after all,’

In the eyes of ordinary people, the goldsmith was a wealthy man. It wasn’t like he was lacking anything, so why was he acting like he needed to make money?

But Rockefeller didn’t think like that.

‘If you earn 100 million, you want to have 1 billion, and when you earn that 1 billion, you want to have 10 billion. That was human nature. This person doesn’t show it much, but he’s very greedy for money.’

“But it seems like you need money too, sir? I would have thought you’d already have a lot,”

At those words, the goldsmith shook his head, soulessly,

“That’s not it… it’s just, I’m rather sad about this deal. Isn’t it smuggling after all? But if the return is small compared to the risk, then of course it’s disappointing,”

“The Lord came by before to take out a loan. You must not earn a lot with that? Can’t you make a lot of money by lending money to the Lord since he has good credit?”

“Of course, I earn a lot of money with that,”

He didn’t want to show it, but he seemed to feel discomfort with Rockefeller’s words so he reluctantly agreed.

“Yes, there’s 6% interest there… no it was already reduced to 4%. You’re right, I may look rich to others, but in reality it’s really not much,”

Rockefeller displayed his acting skills and put on a surprised face,

“But you have a lot of money don’t you? Are you saying it’s still lacking?”

“Hey you brat, you should think about my perspective too. Of course the more money you have the better,”

“Well, it’s true that no one hates having money,”

“The thing with money is that no matter how much you have, it’s not enough. You’re still young and don’t know yet but wait until you grow up a little. You’ll be crazy about money,”

Rockefeller had no intention of contradicting him.

‘I know that too – after all, I’m someone who is crazy about money, just like you.’

Instead, Rockefeller, acting as though he knew money, threw out a very simple question,

“But sir, I just thought of this but, you make money by giving other people loans and receiving interest payments right?”

‘What else is he trying to say?’

Carter nodded, and replied dryly,

“Of course,”

“Then you lend out a lot of money, won’t you earn a lot in interest?”

“Right,”

“Then why don’t you lend out lots of money? That way the interest you receive would increase by a lot right?” To be honest, he didn’t expect that – even by a child’s standard, it was a pathetic question to ask.

Who doesn’t know that?

“Right, like you said, if I lend out a lot, the interest income would increase – but there’s a problem,”

“Is there?”

“Of course, if I had a lot of money, wouldn’t I be able to lend a lot too? But do you think I have so many gold coins in my business in a rural area like this?”

Rockefeller tilted his head, as if he had been waiting for that answer,

“Isn’t there a lot of gold coins here? Although one of your jobs is making gold coins, as far as I know, you’re also someone who stores gold coins owned by others, right?”

Carter frowned as his answered,

“Those aren’t my gold coins right? It belongs to the people who entrusted those gold coins to me. They’re not mine.”

“Does that mean you can’t lend out the gold coins other people have left here?”

“What a fool! Think about it! What would happen if, after doing such a thing, the people who entrusted me with their gold came to me and told me to give them their gold coins right away?”

Carter thought Rockefeller didn’t know much about reality.

“Listen well. For a goldsmith like me, reputation and trust are my lifeline – if such a rumour spreads would anyone entrust their gold coins to me?”

Carter clicked his tongue,

“Tch, you can’t do that. I’m a big fan of gold coins too, but I’m not that crazy. And what would happen if the rumours got to the Lord? Getting punished would come second – I would be chased out of this place first,”

Carter thought that the silly people who had asked the stupid question would have understood what he was trying to say.

‘If this guy had worked at a Banco like me, he would have run it like those big businesses in Lyon. Different from his first impression, his thoughts are dangerous.’

But that was his mistake – Rockefeller was still facing him in that clumsy way that hid his cleverness.

“That’s weird, sir. Have you ever experienced it in your life, a time where all the people who had entrusted you with gold coins came to you, all at once and asked you to return their coins to them?”

Unable to answer the question, Carter was momentarily speechless. He had met an ambush in a conversation he thought he had won.

“Well, that’s….”

For a moment, Carter paused to think if there ever had been such a case.

Not even once.

As Rockefeller said, a day where all the people who had entrusted him with with their gold coins coming to take them back –

“Such a thing hasn’t happened… but what if there is such a case one day? After all, it’s simply being careful and taking precautions, just in case,”

Rockefeller’s eyes turned up as he smiled softly at Carter and continued his words,

“In any case, I don’t think there would be a situation where everyone who has left their gold coins with would come to get them all at once. Then in that case, if you lend out a portion of those gold coins, wouldn’t it be possible to return their money while also making a profit by earning interest?”

At this point, there was only one thought in Carter’s mind,

‘Yeah, there’s a reason why the guys in Lyon have the guts to do business like that,’

Not everyone goes to collect their gold coins at the same time. They had the guts to do business because of that.

‘Well, I’ve never had an empty safe in my entire career – not even once,’

It was at that time, Rockefeller landed the final blow to nail the hammer.

“As long as the credibility and reputation you’ve built up every day of your life until now is in place, even if the safe in the store is completely emptied, wouldn’t the people who entrusted the gold coins not worry at all? Because they would think that their gold coins are safe and sound at the shop,”