There was nothing more to hear.
Orin, enraged, slammed his fist down on the table in front of him.
"What nonsense! Our Sovereign is better, and you want us to accept that ridiculous rate!"
It wasn't just Orin.
The Dwarven delegation, who had followed Orin to the Empire's land, all stood up and showed their displeasure.
"Everyone knows that the gold content of our Sovereign is higher! But you want to exchange it at that rate? No way!"
"That's really ridiculous! What's with the 10 to 7!"
"Maybe if our Sovereign is 7, but 10 is out of the question!"
"Right! Even 1 to 1 would be a shame for those lying humans!"
As the upset Dwarves collectively rebelled, Priest Peter, who was with them, became slightly tense.
'10 to 7 seems to be too much.'
In his common sense, the most realistic exchange rate between Dalant and Sovereign was 1 to 1.
Considering the copper mixed in the Empire's gold coins and the usual workmanship, 1 to 1 was the most appropriate.
But 10 to 7?
'Even the Empire's people prefer Sovereigns, so 1 to 1 seems just right...'
Of course, it was just his own thought, and he didn't bother to say it out loud.
But Rockefeller was determined to continue bluffing.
From the beginning, he had been stubbornly monopolizing the market and not giving the Dwarves any other options.
'So they have to wear the rip-off hat.'
Relationship with the Dwarves?
'Once the war with the orcs is over, their next enemy in the war will be us. So there's no need to look good.'
In the end, their relationship with the Dwarves was bound to break.
So there was no need to look good, and they went all out.
'Of course, we'll still sell beer at that time. War is separate.'
"It's 10 to 7, no matter what."
Orin said with an angry expression.
"You really made up your mind."
Then, as if changing his mind, he raised one corner of his mouth and continued.
"Alright, fine. If you need Dalant, trade with our Dalant here."
Everyone has a seemingly plausible plan.
"There's no other place to get Dalant. If it's all the same Dalant, we can get it from somewhere else, right?"
Oh, so you want to try to outsmart us like that?
But to Rockefeller, it was a ridiculous idea.
"Of course, you can do that. If you want to buy beer from the empire, you need the empire's currency, Dalant, of course. It doesn't matter if it's not the Dalant we exchanged at our store. Isn't Dalant spread all over the empire?"
Upon hearing that, a smile spread across the faces of the Dwarves.
Well, that's true.
Your cunning won't work.
But Rockefeller's words weren't over yet.
You should always listen to what people say until the end.
"But it's a bit special if you want to buy beer here. Unlike other taverns in the empire, you absolutely need this loan certificate issued by our store, no matter what."
Rockefeller showed them a new loan certificate issued under the name of Carter Bank.
"This is 1 Drum. There are as many as three loan certificates from our store: 1 IOU, 1 Gold, and a new loan certificate, 1 Drum, for the beer here. To get this 1 Drum, you first need to bring Sovereign to our store, exchange it for Imperial Dalant, and then you can get it. The exchange rate is 10 to 7, as I mentioned before."
The Dwarves couldn't hide their bewildered expressions at the mention of the loan certificate.
What, what?
To buy beer here, we need that loan certificate instead of Dalant?
And it's a completely new loan certificate issued by a specific bank?
"Without this 1 Drum loan certificate, or rather, this paper currency, you absolutely cannot buy beer here."
"What about Dalant?"
"You can take the Dalant and go somewhere else to buy beer. But you can't buy beer here. Because I made it that way."
It was only then that the Dwarven delegation realized there was no way to buy beer here without being ripped off.
"You really... went all out."
At Orin's deflated words, Rockefeller shrugged nonchalantly.
"Do you know?"
Everyone's attention was focused on Rockefeller.
"When I heard that a war broke out between the Orcs and Dwarves near the territory a few months ago, I had a hunch. If I monopolized all the beer here and in the nearby territories, I might be able to make a fortune. Why? Because a Dwarf without beer is not a Dwarf."
Why would he suddenly bring up such a thing?
When the seated Dwarves looked puzzled at each other, Rockefeller continued.
"Now that the time I was thinking of has come, the church and I have to make a fortune, and you guys have to wear the rip-off hat no matter what."
Rockefeller remained at ease.
"If you don't like it, you can just get up and leave. We won't stop you."
What a tremendous bluff.
He laid out the entire plan like that.
"We can get beer elsewhere!"
"I guarantee you won't be able to find beer that easily. We've monopolized even the ingredients to make beer. In the end, you have no other choice."
Rockefeller's words weren't over yet.
"If you're really suspicious of what I'm saying now, you can go somewhere else and look for beer."
"Ugh...."
"Buy beer elsewhere if you can find it, and if you have no other choice, use our beer. Of course, the price is not cheap."
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Satan himself furiously taking notes**
ReplyDeletemonopoly is something Satan created no? Or why else he is the only owner of Hell?
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