The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live a Normal Life

Chapter 220: Count London (5)

Roman Dmitry was an unexpected person. As the Executive Officer looked puzzled, Roman Dmitry casually sat down and looked up at the opponent.

“Sit down.”

“… What are you doing here?”

“Count London was in an accident. I am acting as a representative, so if you have anything to say, say it to me.”

The Executive’s gaze turned to the Treasurer. When asked why, the Treasurer also seemed to be puzzled by it.

No matter what happens, the place for negotiation was set here. An attendant also sat, looking disapprovingly at Roman Dmitry, and the Executive said,

“As a representative, you know the situation. Hence, the explanation of the preceding situation is omitted. The money that the Redford Kingdom has to repay to the Golden Bank is about 100,000 gold, including the principal and the interest. The problem is that it was like that 5 minutes ago. If London had shown up on time and paid back the 100,000 gold, the Golden Bank would have covered the previous problems and pursued an amicable relationship again.”

Kik.

He leaned forward, and with a somewhat stiff attitude, he looked at Roman.

“Time is money for us. It is our job to collect the interest on the money that went out of our pocket, depending on when it is returned. So do you think it is right for us to just end it at 100,000 gold, 5 minutes after 9 o’clock? In my opinion, no. It was exactly at 9 o’clock that we decided to receive the gold, and at the point when even a second passed, the Redford Kingdom had been declared a bad debtor and will be held accountable.”

“Don’t speak in circles. Get straight to the point.”

“I understand.”

The official laughed. From the moment it went beyond the appointed time—no, to be precise, from the moment the money was borrowed until the end of the transaction, the Golden Bank was at the top.

“You will have to pay the overdue interest. It is 10% of the amount owed. If you pay back the 110,000 gold right away, I will forget about the bad memories here. From then on, it doesn’t matter if you borrow money again. As long as you are not a bad debtor, the Golden Bank is open to any transactions.”

“… 110,000 Gold!!!”

The Treasurer seemed shocked. 110,000 gold—that was a huge amount. Even just getting 100,000 gold was tough for Redford in their current situation, and now they wanted another 10,000 added to it.

Besides, the news of Count London being in an accident made him uncomfortable. In addition, the recent attacks on his home and the accident when transporting the money didn’t seem like a coincidence to him.

Roman Dmitry said,

“Count London had an accident on the way here. Somehow, the citizens aimed for the gold and attacked him, and he could not afford to pay back the 100,000 gold now. Let me ask you again. Is paying 110,000 gold instead of 100,000 the only way to solve the money problem with the Golden Bank?”

“We aren’t obligated to consider the debtor’s situation. Only the promised date of repayment is important. Even if we are given 100,000 gold, what we want is 110,000 gold right now.”

It was a firm answer.

The Golden Bank or the Iron Blood Bank—people thought that they were simply a money-lending force, but there was no one as aggressive as them on the continent.

Only ruin awaited those who didn’t pay them back. Rather than the evils of the continent, like the empires, there were more people who crumbled because of the Golden Bank.

Roman Dmitry paused for a moment. Then he met the other person’s gaze and said, as if it were not a big deal,

“I will ask you one last time. Is it money that you want or ruin?”

If one followed the history of the continent, one could find the Golden Bank’s name on the first page of history. They were the same. Many people fell into the abyss, both in the past and now, because of those who talked about debt.

“The Golden Bank is the fiend of gold coins. If you intend to do business with them, make sure to pay off your debts somehow, even if it means selling your soul. If not, the gold will destroy you and everything around you.”

It was wise advice. Against the background of the Golden Bank’s history, which had shown numerous examples, Roman Dmitry’s question was quite aggressive. So…

“What did you say just now?”

The Executive’s face went stiff at Roman’s words. It was a sensitive issue. People didn’t hesitate to criticize the actions of the Golden Bank, but no one said such things to their eyes.

It was a statement that no one would have dared to make, and despite his hostile gaze, as if he could end this any moment, Roman looked him in the eye.

“Actually, I am unsure of the intentions of the Golden Bank. You claim that you want the debt to be repaid, but there is no moneylender in the world who collects the debt at the cost of war. Even if you want to crush your opponent, you do it by possessing their things, not at the cost of war, which doesn’t have any financial gain. That is a stupid mistake. As a faction that makes money on interest, there is no need to make things worse by forcing people to pay back.”

“There is a difference between normal lending and the Golden Bank. It is a matter of promise. The reason people pay off their debt with the Golden Bank is that we have clearly demonstrated how we respond when they break their promises.”

“I also hope that the Golden Bank is just a simple lending business. However, there are parts I don’t understand.”

Tension was rampant. They didn’t pull out their swords, but neither side was backing out.

“When the Golden Bank lent money to the Redford Kingdom, the kingdom was already in a very complicated situation due to the King’s deviation from ruling it, and yet you lent them money. It means that you, who value the other side’s reliability and debt capabilities, lent tens of thousands of gold despite knowing it would be difficult to get back. It wasn’t convincing just because the other party was a King. Doesn’t the precedent prove that the Golden Bank is brutally trying to scrutinize the situation?”

On the page of history, if one went back along it, the Golden Bank was a mysterious force that appeared without anyone knowing its origins.

Who was the owner? Where were the funds coming from? No one knew. They suddenly appeared with money that no other nation had, and in an instant, they were reborn as a being with influence on the continent.

To this day, no one questioned them, and as the past proved their existence, people just accepted the Golden Bank for what it was.

However, Roman Dmitry was different. Through the Lower District Sect, he also couldn’t find out anything about the Golden Bank, but he confirmed something. Just like in the case of the Redford Kingdom, they did things that made no sense.

If so, there could be one reason. He came to the conclusion that the Golden Bank’s actions were similar to those of the Kronos Empire, which wished for the destruction of the other nations.

Hearing those offensive remarks, the Executive’s face twisted. With a face ready to shout, he let out his anger.

“So you’re saying we lent money in hopes of ruining Redford? That is something I will not stand for. The negotiations are over. The Redford kingdom will be considered unwilling to repay the debt, and the remarks of the Dmitry family will be raised with the International Community.”

Jump.

He got up from his seat, and just as he was about to leave….

“Listen until the end.”

His steps stopped, and Roman smiled.

“Redford’s debt, I will pay it.”

The situation was sorted out. Despite being enraged, the Executive couldn’t say no when the debt would be paid back, and that too in 110,000 gold.

Above all, the purpose of their business was money. If he didn’t accept the money right now, he couldn’t help but be caught up later and get asked if he was trying to make the bank lose money.

And so the situation was settled. The official left with an angry face, writing a document saying that Redford had paid back the debt.

But before leaving the room, he turned to Roman and said,

“The Dmitry family made a huge mistake today. I look forward to the next time we meet.”

At his warning, Roman Dmitry calmly drank tea.

From the series of events, the Treasurer, who had been holding his breath, spoke in a cautious voice,

“… Really, thank you. Thanks to you, the Redford Kingdom has survived a huge crisis.”

110,000 gold—that was a lot of money. The Dmitry family showed their wealth by lending 100,000 gold and repaying an additional 110,000 gold later.

The rumor that Dmitry’s wealth was enormous was true. It was said that all of the steel on the Salamander continent came from Dmitry, and Dmitry held a tight grip on it. They casually offered an amount that even most kingdoms would feel burdened with.

Furthermore, with the recent alliance with the dwarves, Dmitry was gaining more wealth than before.

“I don’t want to hear a thank you. Dmitry didn’t help you for no reason.”

Roman Dmitry reacted coldly. He didn’t get up, as if he was waiting for someone. Even after drinking all the tea, he just sat there.

How long was it?

Finally, he heard someone running outside the door.

Count London. When he came to his senses, it was past the appointed time.

“Count! We have a huge problem! It is said that the group who attacked us distributed all the gold coins to the citizens!”

“… No.”

It was devastating news. The 100,000 gold he had secured with great difficulty were literally gone, and there was no way he could get back the money that the citizens had taken.

Of course, if he used force, some of it would be returned, but blood would have to be shed to get the coins back into his hands. Even though Roman told him to be safe, he thought nothing would happen, and now this has happened.

Really, he was stupid. He was brilliant enough to make wealth, but he was not wise in matters related to nations. No. If he had been wise, he would have left the nation.

After recovering the casualties and organizing the situation, Count London headed straight to the meeting place. He didn’t have the ability to repay the debt now, but he could explain and buy some time.

However, Roman Dmitry was there. And at the words of the Treasurer that the debt had been settled, he slumped down.

Thud.

“Redford owes a great deal to Roman Dmitry. I was robbed of the gold you had given me by the citizens, and without Mr. Roman Dmitry’s help, Redford would have collapsed due to the debt of the Golden Bank. Please say it. Anything. Redford will do anything it can to repay the kindness that has been shown to us for the rest of our lives.”

He bowed his head. It didn’t matter that he was bleeding. In a weeping voice, he expressed his gratitude to him.

However, Roman Dmitry held a cold expression. Even the Treasurer watching from the sidelines knew that he wasn’t moved by this gesture.

“Count London. You seem to be very badly mistaken.”

It was a cold voice.

When Count London raised his head in surprise, he was only then able to face reality.

“The Count borrowed 100,000 gold from me and said he would take responsibility. With those words, for the sake of trusting a few Kingdoms’ Alliance members, Dmitry accepted the request of the Count, knowing that there wouldn’t be any financial gain. But how did this situation come about? The gold was stolen, and you lost the ability to repay, and I had to spend another 110,000 gold to solve Redford’s problem.”

When the carriage with the gold coins left and was attacked by the civilians, Roman Dmitry was informed of all of this.

There was definitely an opportunity for him to help the man if he made up his mind, but Roman Dmitry reached a more important conclusion than that. So….

“Redford’s incompetence brought out the worst of it. Count, this isn’t the time for you to say thank you.”

From now on, it was Dmitry’s turn to resolve the situation.