Guild Meeting #2(7)
Although Benjamin wanted to continue to argue about the church, he could no longer do so since Bishop Verkis supported Rockefeller. In a moment when everyone's gaze felt so intense that it seemed to burn his skin, Benjamin had no choice but to admit his situation. As they said, he had nothing to offer in his position.
"At some point, I became a person who is no longer needed."
Yet, his dissatisfaction did not completely disappear. Even if he stepped down from this position, he was not pleased that the young man named Rockefeller would take over the spot he left behind.
"Fine, I'll leave this place. It's all good. As you all said, I haven't done anything for you except for bringing the family's prestige. But you all should know this. Do you really think that young brat can lead this guild well?"
At Benjamin's question, the guild members began to stir once again. They were well aware of the unbelievable rumors about Rockefeller, but they still had some resistance to the idea of him becoming the guild leader. This was a matter of trust. In fact, he had only become a guild member today, and it was only a few days ago that he had gone from being an apprentice in a remote bank to a goldsmith.
As the guild members stirred, one of them stood up and addressed everyone.
"There will be people who completely agree with that point. I'm one of them too."
As he spoke, his gaze swept across the conference room, and many guild members who agreed with him nodded their heads. Seeing this, he continued to speak.
"The young apprentice of a bank in a remote area devoured a lord. He also greatly expanded the loan business by bringing in church funds. We've all heard the unbelievable rumors, but we can't just put someone with less experience and younger age in the guild leader position. That young man was just an apprentice of a bank in a remote area until a few days ago. That's why our trust in him is extremely lacking."
As the majority who agreed with him nodded their heads and showed signs of agreement, Benjamin secretly felt satisfied. Even if he was driven out, if the guild leader position became vacant again, his dismissal would be meaningless. After all, there were only a limited number of people who could sit in the guild leader position.
'What do they trust in that greenhorn to put him in the guild leader position? This will be the same for all of them.'
As the public opinion about Rockefeller turned unfavorable, Carter, who had been silently watching the situation, suddenly stood up and addressed everyone.
"My name is Carter. As some of you may know, I am the person who worked with that young man named Rockefeller at a small bank in a remote area. I'm standing up now because it seems like you all don't know much about him. I, who have been close to him, would like to say a word, so I'm standing up with an apology for the interruption."
As the bank owner, who claimed to have worked with the rumored apprentice, began to speak, everyone's attention was focused on him. At the same time, Benjamin, who was staring at him with a suspicious gaze, frowned.
'What is he going to say?'
By any chance?
'That's right. I sent a warning letter. I told him to testify against that guy unfavorably. Otherwise, I would cut him off from the guild.'
That's why Benjamin could harbor a glimmer of hope.
'Please, it has to be like that.'
But that was just his wish. Carter boldly began to speak in front of everyone.
"Long words won't do any good, so I'll cut it short and say it."
Carter quickly followed up with his next words.
"I can confidently say..."
Carter's voice was filled with strength, giving a strong sense of belief to those who heard it.
"Among all of you here, there is undoubtedly no one with better business acumen than Rockefeller."
Carter's gaze met with Rockefeller's. The young man had already grown so much that he was aiming for the guild leader position. Carter, who had been nodding his head alone, continued to speak.
"That kid was a genius from the moment he entered. Although he was under me, he took the lead in all the work, and as a result, the lord could not interfere with us, and the store's income increased so much that I, the owner, became very wealthy. Money makes money. I never knew I could live comfortably just by receiving interest in my life."
None of the guild members had anything to say against his words. In such an atmosphere, Carter continued to speak.
"So, I can be sure. Just as I am living comfortably now, you all can completely escape from a life of hardship and live in a completely new way. Why don't you trust me and give him a chance? When I talked with him, he said he would only show results. It won't be too late to judge after seeing the results."
At the suggestion to judge by the results, the guild members once again made a commotion in the conference room. And after a while, one of the guild members stood up and looked for Rockefeller.
"Do you really intend to show the results?"
At that question, Rockefeller answered as confidently and boldly as possible amidst the chaotic atmosphere.
"Yes, of course. If you trust me and give me the guild leader position, I will repay you with results alone."
The young candidate's promise to repay with results caused the guild members to make a fuss in the conference room again. After some time, another guild member stood up and addressed everyone in the still-chaotic conference room.
"Anyway, the guild leader position requires a close relationship with Bishop Verkis, so the candidates are extremely limited. It seems that the only candidate to replace Benjamin is that young man there. How about trusting him and giving him a chance?"
In response to these words, most of the guild members began to show signs of agreement.
Read ahead by supporting me on Ko-fi. Access 5 advance chapters with the Imperial Dalants Tier ($10) or 10 advance chapters with Dwarven Sovereigns Tier ($18). For every $15 collected on Ko-fi, I will release an extra chapter. Choose your tier by clicking the 'Support me' button! Rate and review this novel on NU to help people find this novel. Happy reading!
