“The only reason I can act as the lord here is because I own this land. If I use this land as collateral and happen to lose it, do you think I can continue my lordship on this land?”
Can't put up the land as collateral?
Then, it's just a matter of securing collateral with something else.
“Or you can use this year's harvest produced in this territory as collateral.”
“Use this year's harvest as collateral?”
“Yes, I think a loan would be possible with that as collateral.”
He had been receiving a certain amount of harvest from the peasants as a tax substitute.
Securing collateral with that was no different than reducing the tax revenue collected within the territory.
“Tsk… You only want difficult things, don't you?”
“Lord, we must secure something as collateral to be able to lend you the money you need, right?”
Carter did not join the conversation at this point, but he secretly supported Rockefeller.
Perhaps Rockefeller was the only resident of the territory who could push the lord like this.
‘He's really good at what he does.’
Even if he was a lord, he couldn't control a pawnshop owner who was doing business on his own land.
They had formed a 'Pawnshop Alliance' to collaborate and confront any lord who harmed them or caused them disadvantages.
‘I can't do anything about those damn pawnshop alliances. If it weren't for them…’
If rumors spread incorrectly, he would not be able to trade with any pawnshop owners in the future.
The royal family, which had a deep relationship with the Pawnshop Alliance, was also a problem.
Since there were many cases where urgent funds were needed while managing a territory, it was necessary for the lord to somehow compromise with the pawnshop owners, who were essential.
“Hmph! Fine. But I can't use the land. However, I will allow you to use this year's harvest as collateral. How much can you lend if you use this year's harvest as collateral?”
“If you only use this year's harvest as collateral, a maximum of 4,000 Dalants seems possible.”
“Is that all?”
“This is considering the promissory note you've given us. With just the harvest alone, 2,000 Dalants would be the limit.”
“Tsk! Then how much is possible if I use the land as collateral?”
He got what he wanted.
To borrow a large sum of money, he had no choice but to use the land, which had the highest value, as collateral.
Rockefeller, trying to suppress the corners of his mouth from rising, continued.
"If you use the land as collateral, there's no need to think about it, and all 8,000 dalants would be possible. Just take the corresponding amount of land as collateral, and you won't even need a promissory note from you, my lord."
A mere assistant from a store, who wasn't even a pawnshop owner, couldn't dare to talk about taking his land like that.
Although the lord was very uncomfortable with his land being held as collateral, his rationality was gradually being released with the thought of being able to ride a wyvern.
'If I push a little harder, I can have a wyvern. A wyvern.'
Rationalization?
Of course, it was possible.
Riding a wyvern was his desire, but this loan was a matter of the survival of the territory.
If things went wrong, he could lose the territory itself as a shrimp caught in a whale fight.
“Fine. I'll use the land as collateral. But the loan will be available immediately, right?”
As if he had been waiting for those words, Rockefeller took out a quill pen and a bundle of his store's promissory notes from the drawer.
Although there were only 2,500 Dalants of gold coins available as cash, using paper promissory notes like this allowed him to create 5,500 Dalants out of thin air and lend it to the nobleman.
‘This is the magic of paper money.’
“Yes, if the lord wishes, I can lend you 8,000 Dalants right here and now.”
Seeing this, the lord was momentarily puzzled.
‘Is he giving it all in promissory notes? Well, it doesn't matter.’
People preferred to take paper promissory notes rather than real gold coins from pawnshops.
With the promissory notes issued by the store, one could go to a pawnshop at any time and exchange them for real gold coins. For this reason, promissory notes with simple numbers written on them were more convenient to use than real gold coins, which were inconvenient to carry and trade.
‘This is how paper money was born.’
Before the lord could question it, Rockefeller took the initiative.
“Since it would be very inconvenient for you to take all 8,000 Dalants in gold coins, we intend to give you the amount you need in gold coins and substitute the rest with our store's promissory notes.”
“With those promissory notes, I can exchange them for gold coins at any time, right?”
Rockefeller opened his mouth with a faint smile.
“Of course. You can exchange them for gold coins whenever you want. That's why these convenient promissory notes are good in many ways.”
The lord thought for a moment and then spoke again.
“Fine. But break the promissory notes into smaller denominations of 100 Dalants each. That's more convenient for transactions.”
“Yes, then I will issue them in smaller denominations for your convenience.”
Since the nobleman had his land as collateral, Carter was able to bring a high-ranking priest from a nearby parish as a witness to this transaction, and thus, Carter's pawnshop was able to lend 8,000 Dalants, which they didn't even have on hand, to the lord with his land as collateral.
After the transaction was over and the store quieted down, Carter expressed his concern.
“Won't there be… problems?”
From Carter's point of view, lending money that wasn't in his possession would naturally cause problems, but Rockefeller didn't think so at all.
Why?
'There's already a proven world out there.'
“Absolutely no problems will arise. Trust me.”
Instead.
“And we will receive 480 Dalants, which is 6% of the 8,000 Dalants, as monthly interest income from the lord. And this will amount to 5,760 Dalants in a year. The money we had on hand was only 2,500 Dalants, but after a year, it will become 8,260 Dalants. That's because we've earned interest from money that didn't exist.”
“Is that much? I've worked all my life and held only 1,000 Dalants in my hand, but you're saying you'll make that much in just one year?”
The corners of Rockefeller's mouth stretched long.
“Carter, sir, money is, well… This is how you make it.”
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Banks... the cancer of capitalism.
ReplyDeleteCan you fix the text size so that we don't need to adjust it every chapter?
ReplyDeleteLate but done
DeletePls make the text size bigger 😔
ReplyDeleteYou can do it yourself from the menu using + buttons
DeleteCan you change pawnshop alliance into goldsmith so it will be in terms like the last translation
ReplyDelete