Venturing into Gold Hunting (3)
"Raw gold is still gold, but it's not usually used in that form. To ensure ease of transport and a guaranteed value, it's typically processed into gold coins. You all know about gold coins, right?"
"Of course, we know!"
The third child answered with the most confidence.
"When you think of gold, you usually think of gold coins. But why gold coins?"
"Who do you think makes these gold coins?"
The second child responded to that question.
"Could it be... are you talking about goldsmiths? Gold coins are usually made by goldsmiths."
The younger siblings were not ignorant, though they were young.
Rockefeller continued with a faint smile.
"That's right. Gold coins are usually made by goldsmiths who have the imperial sanction. While silver coins are directly managed by the lord and circulate only in their region, gold coins are different. The standards for gold coins are set by the imperial court, and only a few goldsmiths with imperial permission can mint them. And for convenience, these goldsmiths are located in each territory, distributing the gold coins they make in that region."
At that moment, the third brother finally caught on to Rockefeller's intention and began to respond with a flushed face of excitement.
"So, we can just sell the canned gold to that goldsmith, right? That person has nothing to do with the lord."
"Exactly. They are craftsmen authorized by the royal family. Of course, they aren't completely unrelated to the local lords, but they are not directly managed by them. So, for us who need to sell the gold secretly, it's worth a try."
The third brother seemed convinced, while the second brother had a somewhat doubtful expression.
"Rockefeller, are you sure this won't cause any problems?"
As Rockefeller turned his gaze towards him, the second brother shared his concerns.
"After all, that person is doing business on the lord's land, right? Doesn't that mean he's not entirely unrelated to the lord?"
"There is some connection, but if we make things convenient for him, then from his point of view, there's no need to inform the lord about the dealings with us. Those people are purely profit-driven. You shouldn't think of the goldsmiths as sincere and moral. They are the kind who would deal with the devil if it means making a profit."
"Even with the devil?"
The younger siblings looked slightly startled and frightened at the mention of the devil.
'Kids, as always.'
Rockefeller knew all too well that goldsmiths were trusted by everyone in their profession, yet he was also aware of their inherent corruption.
For someone to be granted the right to work as a goldsmith by the royal family, they had to prove their creditworthiness and reliability to the monarchy.
They had to demonstrate how diligently they had lived, how loyal they were to the royal family, and how well they could pay their taxes, and only then, with great difficulty, would they be granted permission.
'The royal family wouldn't appoint a goldsmith with moral issues. After all, the creation and circulation of gold coins are largely based on trust.'
However, this morality only extended to showing the purity of the gold used in the coins and the sincerity in paying taxes to the royal family.
What happened afterward didn't really require morality, and the royal family didn't make a big issue out of it.
'That's how the first usury business was born.'
If the goldsmiths were as sincere and kind as everyone believed, would they have lent gold coins to others and charged interest on them?
‘In the doctrine of the church, charging interest to others is an act deserving of hell.’
Ironically, the goldsmiths were recognized for their credit and trust by the imperial family, yet they were the very people who engaged in usury, an act that could send someone to hell.
Therefore, it was rare for nobles to engage in such activities. Instead, it was the wealthy commoners, who disregarded hell and pursued immediate profits, that often took up this line of work as a family business.
Originally, being a goldsmith meant being that kind of person, so Rockefeller thought it possible to trade with them in secret.
He explained this well to his siblings.
"Did you understand what I've been saying until now? They are not good people. Rather, they are the kind who would fall into hell because of their usury."
Explaining it this way, his siblings began to worry about something odd.
It was about getting involved with the goldsmiths, who were said to be destined for hell.
"Rockefeller, does this mean we might also go to hell?"
They were still young children who believed in the afterlife, heaven and hell.
The second child was scared, and so was the third.
"We can't go to hell."
Even the usually silent fourth child spoke up, prompting Rockefeller to start gently coaxing his younger siblings with a light laugh.
"Do you know? Heaven, hell, in the end, you can go to either if you have enough money."
"Eh? Why is that?"
When the third child, Joshua, expressed his strong doubt, Rockefeller explained the reason as simply as he could.
"If we become rich later, we can buy the favor of the church with that money. Then the people of the church will pray for us day and night. So where do you think we will end up?"
It was the church they knew that insisted one could go to heaven only by making substantial donations.
"You all know, don't you? That you can go to heaven only if you make a large donation."
None of Rockefeller's siblings disagreed with him.
The phrase 'you can only go to heaven if you donate a lot' was something they had heard so often that it was ingrained in their minds.
"In the end, even if we followed God's will, if our donation to the church is small, we can only end up in hell. But on the contrary, even if we briefly defy God's will, if our donation to the church is large, we can go to heaven."
The younger siblings, enticed by the prospect of reaching heaven, were no longer afraid of getting involved with the goldsmiths.
"Right! We'll just earn a lot of money later and donate it to the church. Then we can go to heaven."
The second child said excitedly, and the third child shared the same sentiment.
"Let's earn a lot of money and go to heaven! They say you can eat whatever you want for the rest of your life in heaven!"
Amidst this, the fourth child mulled over what Rockefeller had said, pondering about heaven and donations.
He couldn't agree with the notion that having a lot of money meant going to heaven, but he thought it might be possible if the church people prayed a lot because of the donations.
'If we donate a lot, maybe we can go to heaven.'
Rockefeller, watching his younger siblings thoughtfully, smiled faintly.
'They are still children, after all.'
They believe in the existence of heaven and hell for now.
But will they feel the same way later?
'It's possible to believe. That's a matter of freedom, after all.'
Although Rockefeller did not believe in the existence of God, he recognized the power of those who worshiped God.
"If we really become wealthy, we mustn't become enemies with the church."
If his younger siblings were to donate to the church in order to reach heaven, Rockefeller had a different reason to support the church generously.
"Rather, I should become friends with them and actively use their influence."
Rockefeller, though not originally from this family, clearly remembered this phrase that had become somewhat of a family motto.
"It was said to become a person to be feared rather than respected. Now that I'm thirty, I truly understand how profound that is. In fact, it's true. To survive in this harsh world, there's no need to be respected by others. Instead, you should be someone everyone fears."
Thinking that being feared only through swords and magic was a one-dimensional idea.
"The truly frightening people are different."
Having finished his thoughts, Rockefeller spoke about the next steps.
"Tomorrow, I'll go meet the goldsmith. If there's no problem, the gold we've mined can be sold through that goldsmith without any issues."
Selling the gold to solve their immediate financial problems was Rockefeller's first goal.
‘Goldsmith…… If I do this right, I might be able to write the history of finance in this land with my own hands?’
And once that goal was achieved, it seemed possible to move on to a bigger picture.
