However, there was a different aspect that worried him.
"But the thing is, the work here isn't something just anyone can do. You need to know how to read and understand ledgers, and especially, you need to know arithmetic. It involves handling gold coins, so there's quite a bit of calculation involved."
Not every commoner knew how to read, especially in a place where even the lord was illiterate.
And knowing how to read ledgers or do arithmetic was even more uncommon.
But Rockefeller was different.
He was already a prepared talent.
"If it's about that, don't worry too much. My father was a tax collector, remember? So, what do you think the son of a tax collector would have learned?"
“Is it true you even know arithmetic?”
“I can handle both simple mental arithmetic and complex calculations with ease. Would you like to test me?”
Carter posed a simple problem to Rockefeller to see if he really knew arithmetic.
It was a problem that would have been impossible to tackle without a decent education, but Rockefeller solved these problems with astonishing ease, using just mental arithmetic.
“Hmm… amazing. I had no idea you were such a genius.”
“I’m not a genius. I've just learned a lot.”
“Learned enough to do this? Where did you learn all this?”
“I told you, I learned it from my father.”
“That man taught you all this? Well... I did hear he was an academy graduate.”
Contrary to Carter's initial concerns, Rockefeller was more than adequate as an assistant.
In fact, he was more than enough.
‘He seems fit enough to be an assistant…’
“Are you confident enough to take responsibility if a real problem arises?”
Rockefeller smiled subtly, exuding a certain confidence.
"I assure you, the issue you're worried about will never happen. Didn't you say it yourself earlier? There's never been a single instance when all the clients came at the same time to withdraw their gold. So, why would there be a problem for me?"
"That may be true, but..."
"You don't have to take responsibility for anything in this matter. If a problem arises, just blame it all on me."
Honesty and trust were paramount in the operations of the bank, where numerous gold coins were exchanged.
However, despite the necessity of avoiding any unsavory incidents, Carter was hesitant to appoint a complete stranger as his assistant. Yet, his greed was too significant to simply dismiss Rockefeller because of that sole reason.
"Fine. Your situation is dire, and I'm not without greed for money myself. Let's try to help each other out. But remember, if any problem arises while you're handling the task you proposed, I'll act as if I know nothing. That's why I hired you, unnecessary as you are."
At that moment, Rockefeller, having secured the job, was visibly excited.
Carter began to warn him in a much more serious tone than before.
"And listen, this is something you must keep in mind. While helping out here, it's crucial that no unfortunate incidents occur. You see, every day, after the day's work is done, I count every single gold coin we've traded and record it in the ledger. I am that meticulous. There can't possibly be any money missing. If there is, it could lead to reasonable suspicion that you're the culprit."
In response, Rockefeller decided to assure him by recounting the credit and trust his family, the Rothsmedici, had built over the years.
"Uncle, my grandfather was a doctor who treated the sick, and my father was a diligent tax collector who never caused any trouble while working under the lord. How could I, with such a noble grandfather and father, dare to commit any folly here?"
Like a goldsmith who deceives customers based on credit and trust, Rockefeller too invoked the credit and trust built by the Rothsmedici family to gain his confidence.
"Of course, I did get involved in smuggling for a while because of the immediate need to make ends meet, but I would have never touched such a thing if I wasn't worried about starving to death."
Hearing Rockefeller's words, Carter, who had been lost in thought for a moment, soon extended his hand to him with a smile.
"Let's do well from now on."
