My Villains Episode 541
68. Traveling to Wang (14)
Since the era is the era, the business of banking in this world is treated as a variant of usury. It is common in all countries that moneylenders who play with money are pointed at, so the bank in Milanol, which has been run by Pasa swordsmen for generations, was not a business that was loved by the public.
It seems that they are trying their best to change the public perception, such as using high-reliability bills, providing safe deposit services at low fees, and paying more generous money than the market price when locking in pawns. However, as the main source of income was still interest on loans, such efforts rarely saw the light of day.
If you want to get even the principal money back from customers who are like robbers who think of loan contracts as just toilet paper, ‘strong’ collection experts are essential. Delinquent debtors who were visited by agents hired by banks were bound to run to bars or markets with broken limbs or sipper resin eyes, and it was only natural that the notoriety of the bank would increase each time.
Merchants and mercenaries living in the city were the main customers, but nobles and wealthy people also knocked on the bank door when they needed urgent money.
Of course, borrowing money on the street was not something to be proud of for the higher-ups, so honorable customers preferred to be served out of the sight of their peers.
Because of this complicated situation, except for a few cities where commerce flourished, the dozens of bank branches spread across the kingdom were all located in slightly secluded places. If you find a sign with three yellow coins drawn somewhere between the main street and the back alley, that is a bank.
The royal capital’s bank was in a similar situation. The place where the branch was installed was quite far from the square even in the commercial district. This means that there is a considerable distance physically and socially from Glory Street, where the main facilities of the royal capital, such as the royal palace and noble residence area, are concentrated, including several cathedrals, monasteries, and the Royal University.
Mungchi sat clinging to the back of the saddle and talked nonstop about the above story.
From the vicinity of the city gate to the vacant lot lined with makeshift storehouses and storage yards on the outskirts of the port district, all I heard was various reasons and circumstances for the difficulty of obtaining information about Glory Street.
I, who had been listening quietly, glanced back at him.
“…Are you noticing? Do you think I will scold you for not knowing the information Marquis Eavon mentioned?”
“Uh—”
Mungchi’s lips hardened ridiculously, and I burst out laughing.
“Am I going to criticize you for something like that? And the distance from here to the capital is well over 1,000 kilometers, but it is natural that information is difficult to obtain.”
He spoke softly and comfortingly, but Mungchi pouted with a dissatisfied face.
“Because all the bankers are stupid and lazy.” ” huh’?”
“The bank exists for me. I don’t know what’s more important.”
It was about 200 years ago that the ‘Three Swords Association’, a secret society that came from the East Continent, split into three organizations: Jeongma Sword, Wioe Sword, and Pasa Sword. Each of the three sword masters took their place in Mittergerant Amir Milanol, and the sub-organizations created in that way are the ‘Witch Hunt’, ‘Assassination’, and the bank.
In this process, it was well over 150 years ago that the bank signboard was first hung. 150 years is enough time for their identity as a secret society to fade among those who have run the bank from generation to generation
. I am not proud of being a member of the Three Swordsmen. What they love is not the old secret society, but the huge business of the bank.
“The bank serves Jeonju, not Pasa Swordsman. It is clear that he is ignoring my order and running errands for rich people.” In that sense, Kshan, the de facto head of the ‘masked shadows’
, was treated
as an eccentric among the bank’s top officials .
A banker who devotes all his energy and energy to training himself and nurturing assassins rather than counting coins and persuading customers…
Moreover, according to old rules, he put a certain young woman from the East in the seat of the Pasa Sword Master, and at her call Throwing away the branch he was managing, he flew to Eisbovald.
The image of a gold spoon who inherited a huge fortune and dedicated his life for the forgotten oath of his ancestors seemed strange even to the people of this world. Is
the branch of the royal road not listening
?”
“It’s not just that I don’t listen, I’m also incompetent. Even if there are a lot of people who bring us information, we can’t manage it.”
It is said that Kshan also knew to some extent what Eavon had mentioned. However, when sharing information with Kshan at the point of the royal capital, the report did not reach Mungchi because he only reported ‘recent rumors floating around in the royal capital’.
It was judged that the fact that the branch of the royal capital did not properly check the information meant that it did not take its orders seriously. That’s why it’s hard to live softly in your eyes while blaming them.
“I can’t just blame you for anything. From their point of view, you’ll look like a rolled stone…
“It’s a good thing that Poi and I didn’t inform you that we were going to the capital. You’d better not believe it until you meet it in person.”
“What do you do? If you go and tell him who the owner is, he will listen well from now on.”
Mungchi released the information Kshan had given him only after he had been feverishly working for a long time.
First of all, the Marquis of Eabon mentioned that it was a curse or sorcery, which led to a strange symptom that was popular in the Glory Street.
“…Consciousness disorder?”
“I said so. It is said that a normal person became deaf and mute overnight. They say that they always act like they haven’t woken up and don’t eat unless they feed them, so they look like living corpses.”
“A living corpse… that’s in vogue? Like the plague?”
“yes. People in the royal capital call them ‘servants’.”
“Servant disease? why? Have a lot of servants been caught?”
“no.”
The crowd raised a false voice.
“They say that a servant who died holding a grudge turned into a ghost or a demon and cursed him. That’s why seven out of ten people with servant disease are nobles and rich people who harass servants. They say that servants who are kind to their servants do not get servant disease.”
“Oh yeah?”
It’s a really sinister content. Shall we say that it is like a rumor circulating among the lower classes?
“How many people have the disease?”
“I don’t know. However, half of the court nobles and the crown prince ‘Adumir’ were also caught. Among the wizards of the Council of Dawn and the Archbishops of the Church, there are even those who have died.”
“…really? From the crown prince to the magic man｝ archbishop? Confirmed information, right?”
“Uhm-”
I furrowed my brows slightly, and Mungchi, who had been talking excitedly, shrugged his shoulders.
“Kshan did.”
“…I see.”
It was not a credible story, but considering that it was mentioned by the Marquis of Avon, one of the most powerful people in Milanol, it was not something to be dismissed lightly. However, it seems that this is all the information the masked shadows have, so there is no way to check it further right now.
“What is the story of Kellystel? I heard you disappeared after the coronation?”
Sage Kellistel is a legendary wizard and is often referred to as the ‘Advisor of the Five Kings’. He got that nickname because he was active since the days of Ea Doom II, the ‘King of the Dog’s Eye’, a whopping hundred years ago.
He is famous for making many outrageous spells and magic tools. The ‘Kellistel’s Emergency Gold Bag’, a disposable subspace generator that I once borrowed from Prince Ulkar, was the work of the sage Kellystel.
“It is said that if you serve six kings, it will be ominous. That’s why he gave up his title as court count and left for his hometown.”
“…Because it’s an ominous thing?”
“yes. But there are a lot of rumors about Kellystel. Kshan told me over twenty.”
Well, the sage Kellistel, aside from being a powerful magician, is a degenerate among delinquents who has lived for over 130 years. As a living witness of the history of the Zeore Dynasty for 100 years out of 170, it is only natural that all sorts of stories follow.
“……Hmm.”
According to the original scenario, even if he died, he should have died a long time ago. The Kellystel I remember is an undead monster. The floating lich without limbs,
if you think about it, was a pure madman. Because he was strong enough to gnash his teeth in the name subject, who occasionally appears in Chapter 6. I used a fucking spell called ‘Kellistel’s Sunny Morning’, but it rained down flaming arrows all over the map, so it was said that characters who didn’t have proper resistance couldn’t even approach it.
I don’t know the detailed story, but Kellys Tell must have been like that by Ulkar in ‘King of Slaughter’ mode. Just like most of the names appearing in Chapter 6 did.
“…then who was the head of the palace?”
“Count Antor of the palace.”
“So what are you talking about?”
According to the description of the bundle, Count Antor was originally just a merchant leading a small merchant troupe, but he was a court aristocrat who rose to prominence in the eyes of the previous king, ‘devout king’ Lionel III.
Even after Lionel III’s eldest son Zachary ascended the throne, he maintained his position and authority, but one day, the mansion suddenly collapsed, and the count himself as well as his family lost their lives.
“Is that such an unusual story?”
“There are rumors that he is the illegitimate son of Lionel III.”
“bastard? Count Antor?”
“yes. Because he was smart, he took charge of the king’s private wealth and was given a title.”
It was an interesting story, but there was not much useful information about the collapse.
In the end, it was all about figuring out what the story of the servant soldier and the disappearance of Kellystel’s family was all about. Even the king could guess that something was going on, especially on the Avenue of Glory, but it was still hazy, like walking through a fog.
However, the lack of information on the Glory Street itself was not a particular concern. It was a long way to the capital, and information could be gathered through various routes during the journey.
It was on the bank side that I was worried.
The reason why I was able to go on a trip to the capital was because there were three forces that could be mobilized.
First, of course, my subordinates. In addition to the bodyguards led by me, nearly 500 elite soldiers, including those recruited from the Silver Sword Battalion and Free Regiment mercenaries, will be waiting in and around the capital.
If they were used well, they would not be helpless in the event of an unexpected crisis.
The second is the magicians of La Palais Palace.
Grandmaster Nashal Anwei and some of his disciples, who arrived at the capital first and were investigating the circumstances of the Council of Dawn, disappeared without any indication. Accordingly, the palace decided to dispatch three grand masters, including Aktufir, and a handful of battle mages.
Of course, they are heading to the capital not to help me, but High Master Ellen is by my side. In case of an emergency, he could receive the help of enormous magic power, so this was also a reliable insurance.
And the third was the bundle bank.
The bank is a secret society with a long history and at the same time a huge business throughout the kingdom. It is natural to expect human and material support as well as basic information.
In the meantime, I thought they were all faithful servants of the Pasa Sword Lord because I had only seen shadows wearing masks, but now I see that the control of the bundle is not absolute.
I feel anxious for no reason because I think that the inner helpers of the king, which I considered as an important hand in my heart, are not perfect.
I hurried my horse and arrived at the trading post located on one side of the port district. I had to wrinkle my face again while talking with Fogan, Count Ines’ henchman.
It was because he noticed from his expression and demeanor that Milgrester’s support would be limited in this trip to the king.
