MBSE Chapter 87

Ian, accompanied by Romandro, visited the central bank in Portloga, near the official residence where Molrin and his party had stayed and the park where he had met with Philia.

As soon as Ian alighted from the carriage, the waiting bank manager bowed deeply.

“Lord Ian, welcome.”

“Good to see you again. Have you been well?”

“I heard about the Gulla trade with Count Merellof, but is all of this gold coins?”

The bank manager adjusted his monocle, clearly bewildered. The large chests divided into smaller containers did look rather crude and bulky.

“Yes, it’s 1,000 gold coins.”

“Weren’t they given as a cheque?”

“Exactly. It’s surprising how someone who handles money lacks such manners. Tsk tsk.”

Romandro grumbled, clicking his tongue. If they had used gold certificates, they wouldn’t have needed to go through such hassle.

Ian entered the bank with his servants. The scratched sign of ‘Hayman Bank’ was evident. The marks were made by the refugees who used the bank as a shelter during the outbreak of the conflict between the central and Dergha regions.

“I’m managing well enough.”

“Thanks to you, Lord, we’ve had no problems.”

Click.

Behind the bank manager, guards in black armor approached. These were the symbol and security of Hayman Bank. The armor, crafted with magic stones, was practically a weapon in itself.

“Should we move it?”

“Yes, please. Thank you.”

“It’s no trouble at all.”

Each of the four chests contained 250 gold coins, usually requiring two men to move. However, the guards in armor effortlessly lifted two at a time, one in each hand.

“……!?”

The most astonished reaction came from Beric. He froze on the spot, eyes rolling around in disbelief. He seemed to wonder what kind of strength this was; even the Cheonrye tribe probably couldn’t match it.

“What is that?”

“Ah, Beric, is this your first time seeing it?”

Romandro explained on behalf of Ian.

“It’s armor made from magic stones. In the central region, Hayman Bank’s headquarters and their response time is quick, but it’s not the same in these remote branches.”

Not just anyone could handle such a task. It was a sort of display of financial power, exclusive to those who monopolized Bariel’s financial sector. Just one set of that armor…

“So that’s why.”

“What is?”

“I knew Portloga had the best public safety in Bratz, but even the thieves wouldn’t dare near the bank.”

The power of the armor could crush a human skull. It was not only formidable against physical and low-level magical attacks but also resilient to fire and other impacts.

“Beric, if someone threatened the bank, before these guards moved, Dergha would have killed the perpetrator. And if, during the fight between the Central Army and Dergha, a third party threatened the bank, both sides would have ceased their battle to jointly protect this place.”

“What, is the bank manager like the emperor here or something?”

“It’s treated as a sanctuary, almost like a temple, within Bariel.”

It was Bariel’s third, neutral territory. If a mistake was made and transactions were refused, it meant managing and moving massive wealth personally, effectively being excluded from economic power circles.

Of course, this applied mainly to nobles and merchants.

“So if someone had really tried to rob the bank during all that chaos, there would’ve been less fighting.”

Beric spoke bluntly, causing the guards to pause momentarily, but they soon resumed moving the chests, realizing his comment wasn’t malicious.

“Who would risk their life for such a thing?”

“Besides, it was used as a shelter, so the place was swarming with people right up to the entrance. Anyone trying to rob it would have been caught and dealt with first.”

The bank manager jovially brushed off the comment and brought them tea. The sofa and table were old but well-maintained. Being on the frontier, Bratz’s bank paled in comparison to those in the central regions, resembling a rural tavern.

“You said a total of 1,000 gold coins, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“We’ll need a moment to count them. Please have a seat and wait.”

Romandro sipped his tea, surveying the bank.

“With a revenue of about 3,500 gold coins, we’ve covered part of the tribute. The taxes will be higher than usual, but the amount will still be insufficient. Overall, there’s no immediate problem, but next year is concerning.”

The issue was the numerous expenses that lay ahead.

Firstly, traveling to the capital for the New Year’s meeting would be costly from the moment of departure, and maintaining a dignified presence among the central nobility would require additional expenditure.

“Do you know that before becoming a wizard, a magic user is only guaranteed a minimum living expense?”

“Yes, I’m aware.”

“If it’s alright with you, you could live with us.”

“Ha ha ha, but aren’t you newlyweds?”

“It’s not like we’ll be sharing a room. What do you think?”

“Thank you for the offer, even if it’s just words. But look, we’ve already managed to gather about 40% of the tribute before heading to the capital. Everything will be fine, so don’t worry.”

While Ian and Romandro conversed, Beric was busy devouring the snacks. His attitude clearly showed that he wasn’t concerned about money matters.

“Raising taxes seems to be the easiest and most convenient way.”

“It might be easy and convenient for me, but for the people of the territory, there’s nothing harder. We’ve already slightly raised the taxes for next year while distributing the Gulla.”

“Why not just collect a little more from everyone? If we extend the deadline, they can prepare accordingly. It’s not like we’re asking for it by tomorrow.”

Romandro, who had been advising non-stop, looked at Ian’s expression and laughed resignedly.

“You’re not even listening, are you?”

“What do you mean? I’ve been agreeing with you.”

“No, no, I mean, you don’t plan to raise taxes.”

Ian just smiled.

Indeed, raising taxes was the easiest and most certain solution. But they had just managed to recover from the aftermath of the battle and had barely completed their winter preparations with the Gulla.

Moreover, and most importantly, Ian’s plans were uncertain once he went to the imperial palace…

‘There’s no need to add to their burdens.’

“You know I’ll be away from the territory for a long time, don’t you, Sir Romandro?”

“Yes, but still…”

“With winter coming, everyone’s preoccupied with immediate survival. But come spring, they’ll start harboring negative thoughts.”

A commoner who rose to nobility and doesn’t even stay in the territory, just raises taxes.

Humans commit sins even under the watchful eye of the gods. How much more so for a lord far away… It was certain that the life of the mansion’s servants would get harder.

“I really appreciate your concern, Sir Romandro. I know what you say makes sense, but please don’t worry too much about my stubbornness.”

After Ian insisted, Romandro resignedly sipped his tea. As the gold coin counting continued, Ian suddenly thought of something and turned to Beric.

“Beric. Count Merellof has a brother who’s living in seclusion in some manor within the territory.”

“And?”

“I mean, find out more about him.”

“Ughhh.”

Another task. Beric grimaced and continued to munch on Gulla. No matter how one looked at it, it was strange. He seemed passionate but also incredibly lazy.

Click.

“Lord Ian, we’ve finished sorting, but we’re now checking for counterfeit coins. Would you like to write the certificate first?”

At that moment, the bank manager, who had been counting the gold coins inside, reappeared. He had been using a magic tool to check for counterfeits and was drying his wet hands with a towel.

“Alright. Any problems?”

“No, none at all. Counting 1,000 gold coins is something I haven’t done in a long time. Our vault will be full until the collection team arrives.”

“And the certificate?”

“Please sign here.”

Ian, sitting on the sofa, took the pen and quickly signed the document contained in a leather case, depositing the 1,000 gold coins in his name.

‘…Have I ever done bank transactions before?’

Both Romandro and the bank manager harbored this question, but they quickly resolved it with an exchange of glances, assuming the other would have informed him.

“Yes, it’s all done. Thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking you. You’ve been of great help. Count Merellof will transfer an additional 2,500 gold coins within three days. It would be good to prepare the cheque in advance.”

“Ah, right. Understood. Oh! Here’s a notice. Due to winter, many transport routes are blocked. Especially, the Karenna, Longin, and Zailkup branches are currently inaccessible. Karenna, in particular, has terrible security, with thieves robbing each other frequently.”

“I’m not sure if I’ll need to go there, but thanks anyway.”

“Thank you.”

The branch manager bowed deeply at Ian’s words, indicating that all transactions had been successfully completed. Ian returned to the mansion with a light heart. Indeed, packing 100 bags was no small task, and everyone was still busy at work.

“Lord Ian, have you returned?”

“How far along are we?”

The servant wiped off sweat and glanced towards the back where Count Merellof’s party was busy.

“Fortunately, we had thirty bags pre-packed, but then, believe it or not, they started checking every single one before taking them.”

The meticulous selection process by the count’s party was time-consuming. Ian navigated through his subordinates, observing Count Merellof’s interference in every detail and shook his head.

“They’re going to have a hard time.”

“Yes. But it looks like we’ll finish before dinner.”

“Alright. I’ll come back down after I sort some things out.”

Ian entered the mansion and proposed an idea to Romandro. It was about the roasted Gulla that Hana had mentioned.

“Even if Count Merellof starts planting Gulla today, it will take at least a month.”

“That’s likely.”

“What I’m thinking is, we should allow Gulla trade with Merellof. Initially, we could sell only the roasted Gulla, and when their harvest season arrives, start selling fresh Gulla as well.”

For now, since Merellof’s estate wouldn’t have its own Gulla, the people of the territory wanting to consume it would have to buy from Ian’s side. The count might plan to distribute Gulla seeds like Ian did and raise next year’s tax rate…

“Count, won’t this make your blood pressure rise?”

But, when Ian also starts selling fresh Gulla, the people won’t have a reason to accept higher tax rates in exchange for Gulla distribution.

“Don’t worry, Lady Lien will take care of things before that happens.”

At Ian’s response, Romandro gave an awkward laugh, unsure whether it was a situation to laugh about or not.

“As soon as Count Merellof leaves the territory, inform the people. Tell them that we will soon lift the trade restrictions on roasted Gulla.”

“Understood. I’ll do that.”

“And another thing.”

Ian suddenly paused as he was about to head up to his office.

“Have we received any instructions regarding what to do with Sir Molrin?”

It had been a while since he received the news of his title appointment. Surely, if Prince Mariv had any specific intentions, a message should have arrived by courier by now. Yet, strangely, there had been no word about their disposition.

“I checked again recently, and they just told us to wait. It seems they are quite busy.”

Could something have gone wrong? Ian frowned and tilted his head, pondering the situation.