章節 76: Seeking Approval from Father
"What's a bank?" asked Aerwyna with a confused look. Ezra used an English word, there wasn't any word for bank in the Imperial Language, and even credit seemed nonexistent in the language.
"Well, a bank is an organization that holds money, mother."
"But Castle Blackfyre already has money," Aerwyna argued she didn't understand the concept.
"Hmm, how do I explain this? I plan to make an organization that lends money to merchants and they will pay us money for letting us lend them money in the future at a percentage."
"How can you earn money from someone who needs it?" Aerwyna had trouble wrapping her head on the concept.
"Well, first we screen merchants who have a good business plan, and some of them who have established networks. Then we charge monthly until they pay the whole or the principal amount plus a little over it. I'm planning ten percent. We will use contracts to enforce this and if they don't comply we can confiscate their goods or property and sell it ourselves."
"Wow! That is ingenious Ezra." Aerwyna nodded and smiled and she kissed her son on the forehead again and pinched his cheeks. "With the contracts, we can enforce the law and with your father's official approval. I think this business would boom."
'Yeah, in the future we can also sanction in our domain that only our bank is allowed to lend money, monopoly, after all, is the secret to wealth, 'Ezra thought.
"First we start with merchants based in Bren and interview them. Also, we will need a building for that, an edifice will make us more trustworthy in their eyes." Ezra told his mother.
"Okay Ezra, I'll talk to your father about that," Aerwyna nodded.
"Also mom," Ezra said quietly while looking down on the ground, "We need money for this of course."
"Yes, but how much?" Aerwyna asked her son.
"Uhm, uh, around thirty percent of our treasury," Ezra answered meekly.
"WHAT? Thirty percent? Isn't that a bit too much?"
"I promise I won't squander it mother,"
"I am not the Lord of Fulmen, you should ask your father. Thirty percent is steep," Aerwyna pouted.
Ezra and his mother went back to Castle Blackfyre along with his guards. He was contemplating on how he should convince his father to let him push forward with the business.
Reitz was busy lording over his subjects, he limited his time judging over their affairs for two hours per day after which a training session followed.
He was in the middle of executing justice when Aerwyna and Ezra came.
Ezra thought that this was taxing on Reitz, he would always have to judge over lawful matters, he needed to delegate these tasks to other judges but Ezra knew this was no easy charge, after all, if one would delegate that would mean losing a part of your power.
He needed a way to make Reitz relinquish part of his judicial duties, he was thinking in the line of written laws that could be understood by all and for that education must be introduced. There were a lot of dependencies that were inter-related. He would take his time, right now the task was convincing his father that it was a good idea for a bank.
Reitz saw his wife and son but he still carried on with his task, there was still half an hour left for his judging. Ezra and Aerwyna stood quietly on the corner. They were acknowledged by the subjects and they bowed before them as they entered.
Reitz dismissed the proceedings.
"Lord Blackfyre, your son wishes to speak to you," Aerwyna said.
Reitz looked at his son and beckoned to him. "Ezra, my son, have you decided on what to do yet? Will you continue using the building I lent you or will I rent it out? Hmm?"
"Lord Father," Ezra bowed, he was being formal there were still people after all. Evan had once told him that the higher the rank in nobility the looser the ties but in Reitz and Aerwyna's case they weren't such parents who were alien to their child if anything when everything was private, they seemed to be tight-knit and loving parents who doted on their child. He realized he was really lucky to have been born to such good people.
Sometimes he wondered whether he would have changed for the worse if he were born to other houses, he would probably still be cold and uncaring and only looking at self-satisfaction. He did acknowledge that he changed a lot considering his past life, he found that he could already empathize with the people. No doubt it was Evan's death that pushed him to be what he is but without Reitz and Aerwyna's teachings and examples he doubted that he would be the person that he was now.
"I have decided to take up a trade so that I can finance the building you lent me." Ezra did not say the real reason out loud, there were people who were listening, what would they say if a seven-year-old had a workshop for himself? Even though they knew that Ezra was a genius, having your own workshop was really odd. They wouldn't question why Reitz lent him a building. Other nobles did more extravagant things for their children like build a castle for them nevertheless the amount that Ezra had spent already equated to a castle of moderate size.
"Oh? Tell me." Reitz raised an eyebrow.
"I would like to establish a business that has no precedence in the whole empire!" Ezra declared.
Reitz clapped at his leg. His smile was broad, he knew that Ezra would be able to think of something to finance his business and bring money to the coffers of Castle Blackfyre, also he was glad that Ezra was interested in government affairs.
"Is it a new type of business network? Or have you found new products to trade? I give my approval." Reitz was quick to agree, it was his own son after all but if it wasn't he wouldn't be so quick to give his blessings.
"Neither, Lord Father, this has never been thought of before in the whole of Rex Imperia but I assure you it would be lucrative." Ezra bowed again. He smiled mischievously he had Reitz where he wanted to, this was after all his weakness, he was too impulsive when it came to his family. He continued. "Thank you for your support father. I need the building in the market district, and the 150 000 gold imperials by the end of the month." Ezra said grinning, since there were still people, they would linger and assume that Reitz had already approved of the business, if he denied him outright he would lose face in front of his subjects.
Aerwyna forced down a laugh, she could clearly see that Ezra manipulated his father.'Come now, Ezra, that is too harsh on Reitz,' Aerwyna thought then hid a snicker. 'I wonder if he gets that from me'
Reitz was smiling still. To other people, it looked natural but to Ezra and Aerwyna they knew that it was a smile he did when he was cornered, it was a nervous type of smile. Sweat drops were forming on Reitz's forehead. He knew that he messed up 150 000 was precisely thirty percent of their current treasury. Ezra was too cunning. "Come now, Ezra," Reitz was trying to cover the quaking in his voice. "We are in no rush to fill our coffers, Let us discuss this further in my study."
Reitz dismissed everyone and beckoned for Ezra and Aerwyna to go in his study to ask the actual details of Ezra's proposal. He had already committed to it but he wanted to know for sure if Ezra's proposal was viable after all it was better to lose face than to lose that much money.
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