Chapter 75


    Carter, who had been trimming the gold coins ording to the standards of the Empire, paused in his work for a moment to speak to Rockefeller.


    He thought it was time they brought the matter fromst time to a conclusion.


    Rockefeller, about that matter from before,


    Since there were no customers around, Rockefeller, who had been rtively free, naturally turned his gaze to Carter.


    What matter?


    What we talked about before  about lending out money we dont have I mean,


    Ah, that matter?


    Before Rocekfeller had be his assistant, Carter had only been lending out his own coins to people and earning interest from that.


    After Rockfeller started working for him and up til now, he had been to lend out the coins of customers who had not touched their coins for a long time too and now, he had received the suggestion from Rockfeller to lend out coins he didnt have too.


    If Rockefeller had been the owner of the shop, then he wouldnt have needed Carters permission, but he was merely an assistant, he was limited in what he could do without Carters agreement. So he had informed Carter of his thoughts on the matter and waiting for his permission.


    However, Carter was anxious even in this current situation, where they were lending out the customers money, so it was even more nerve-wracking to consider lending out, so stepping forwards and going even further than that and lend money that he didnt have was enough t make his heart feel like it would copse in on itself.


    Which is why after thinking about it for a few days, he had finally decided to bring the matter up to Rockefeller.


    What do you think? Have youe to a decision?


    No matter how much I think about it it just seems a little I dont think its good.


    Rockefeller, who had thought his greed would be enough to ovee his timid nature, and expected him to eventually agree, was disappointed at Carters conclusion.


    Why are you thinking like that? Even though you already agreed to lending out the customers gold coins?


    Of course, the fact that they were lending out the customers gold coins was already a concern, but to think that the person who had allowed that, wasnt willing to take things a step further


    No matter how much I think about it, do we have to go that far? Arent we making enough money already?


    Ajusshi, arent we doing a lending business? Then isnt it natural that the more money we can lend out, the more profit we get from it?


    I know that, but still, I wonder if so many loans would be necessary in small ce like this. Plus, Ive been having horrible, strange dreams recently.


    Dreams? What kind of dreams are you having to be saying that?


    A dream where the people who have stored their gold coins with me,e in droves to grab me by the flesh ande to take me away. Then the Seerse to take me to the gallows, but I dont die when Im hung, instead I struggle there, hanging by my neck and be aughingstock until I die.


    So a nightmare then?


    I have that dream every once in a while. I had itst night as well.


    Rockefeller let out a short sigh.


    Huu~ Ajusshi, dont you know the saying that dreams show you the opposite of reality?


    I do. But its just that the dream was so vivid


    You know as well as I do that something like that will never happen, dont you?


    Even so, my personality is like this, so what can I do? You might be the one to take full responsibility for this matter, but its not like I can get offpletely unaffected either, right?


    So youre saying you wont be able to agree with that idea?


    Im sorry. If I was as young and bold as you, I think Id want to give things like that a try at least once in myself, but right now, there isnt anything I regret too much in my life so just continuing on like this doesnt seem all that bad to me either.


    Though it was disappointing, his words made sense.


    Its alright. Like you said Ajusshi, there isnt exactly a need for us to go chasing profit like that.


    Right? You think so too?


    Though it was true that they could generate more profit by lending out money they didnt have, there wasnt really an environment set up in this territory where arge about of money would be needed.


    If there wererge construction projects and tradepanies in the area, then the banco might have been more sessful, but because this was so far off in the periphery of the empire, the need for money was already low.


    Even so, its a shame. Even if we did it, there wouldnt have been any major issues.


    How can you be so sure of that? Its not like we would be making and distributing fake gold coins, but rather just handing out promissory notes guaranteeing gold coins form the banco  could that really result in having no problems what so ever?


    Rockefeller didnt show a single moment of hesitation at that question and and answered,


    Yes, thats how I think at least.


    Why? This would be far more dangerous than putting our hands on the customers gold coins. Like we said, this would be gold that doesnt exist?


    Rockefeller looked amused.


    Even if we lend out gold in the form of promissory notes, people wouldnte and check that themselves,


    But what if they did?


    At his questions, Rockefeller responded with his own question.


    Carter Ajusshi, do you write your name on your gold coins? Gold doesnt have something like an owner. If someone is worried about their gold andes to check that its still safe in the banco then you all you need to do is take them to the safe and show them the gold coins there.


    I suppose so but


    And even if it does be a problem, all that will happen is that the people who have left their gold coins with us wille to the banco  but all they can do is check the safe. But something like that wouldnt happen, right?


    At Rockefellers question, Carter couldnt answer straight away.


    Even if he wanted to say that something like that could happen, he knew it wouldn''t.


    No matter where, Bank Runs* are bound to happen. Even if you trust that the bank absolutely wont fail, if all the customers decide to visit the bank at once then you cant avoid a Bank Run.


    But the reason that happens?


    Because in the first ce, even the banks that were trusted to never fail would lend out money they didnt have. So no bank would ever have enough money on hand to to be able to give every single one of their customers all their money back. Even the interest the banks are earning from lending out the money wouldnt be enough to cover something like that.


    It was for exactly that reason that Rockefeller wanted to bring the deception of modern banks to this ce.


    Alright. Instead, how about, if there suddenlyes a need to lend out arge amount of money, you have another think about my idea?


    Would the need for that ever arise? As Carter contemted, Rockefeller continued,


    Since changes like that would be very rare.