Chương 67: Debt

The massive marble steps leading up to the Golden Scale Consortium were packed with people, but none of them looked like commoners. Wealthy merchants dressed in fine silks walked side-by-side with high-tier adventurers wearing enchanted armor that glowed faintly in the afternoon sun. Heavily armed guards stood on every other step, watching the crowd with sharp eyes. Jack leaned on his wooden cane as he climbed the steps, taking his time.

Karen stayed close behind him, keeping her head down to avoid making eye contact with anyone. Silas led the way. The guards at the massive double doors took one look at his pristine white and gold robes and the Church emblem on his chest. They immediately stepped aside, bowing slightly to let the Inquisitor pass without asking a single question. They stepped through the doors, and the noise of the busy street outside was instantly cut off. The interior of the Consortium did not look like a bank.

It looked like the throne room of a king. The ceilings were incredibly high, supported by thick pillars of white marble laced with genuine veins of gold. The air inside was warm and smelled pleasantly of expensive burning incense. Instead of open desks, the clerks sat behind thick, crystal-clear glass barriers set into long, polished wooden counters. Everything in the room was designed to project absolute, undeniable financial power. Jack looked around, his mind quietly taking in the details.

In his valley, a trade meant handing a man a stack of furs in exchange for a bag of iron. Here, he saw clerks weighing glowing crystals on delicate silver scales and stamping parchment contracts with glowing wax.

"This guild handles the highest level of commerce on this side of the continent continent," Silas explained quietly, noticing Jack's gaze.

"They deal in massive land deeds, bulk Spirit Stones, and the funding of entire mercenary armies. Stay close." Silas walked straight past a long line of minor nobles and wealthy merchants who were waiting for a standard clerk. He headed directly for a private, heavily guarded counter at the far end of the hall. The clerk behind this counter was an older man wearing a tailored black suit with a golden scale pinned to his lapel. He looked up from his ledger as Silas approached.

"Welcome to the Golden Scale Consortium, Your Eminence," the clerk said smoothly, his voice professional and calm. He glanced briefly at Jack and Karen, automatically assuming they were simply with the mage.

"How may the Guild serve the Holy Church today?"

"I require entry to the Grand Auction tomorrow evening," Silas stated flatly, resting his hands on the polished wooden counter.

"And I require purchasing authority for my party." The clerk offered a polite smile.

"Of course, Your Eminence. The Grand Auction is a highly exclusive event. To bid on the items, you will need to establish a line of credit with the Guild through our Imperial Vow-Tokens. Which tier of authority does the Church require?" The clerk reached under the counter and pulled out a long, dark velvet box. He opened the lid, revealing five empty slots lined with silk.

"As you know, our tokens are bound by tier," the clerk explained, speaking clearly for the benefit of the protocol.

"Copper is for standard merchant bidding. Silver is for the regional nobility. Gold is reserved for high nobles and major guild masters. Platinum is for Imperial royalty, and Obsidian is by special invitation of the Guild Master only."

"Three Gold tokens," Silas said without hesitation.

"One for myself, and one for each of my companions." The clerk paused. He looked at Jack, who was leaning on a simple wooden cane, and then at Karen, who was wearing a clean but plain dress. Giving Gold-tier spending authority to people who looked quiet normall was highly unusual. But the clerk was a professional. He did not ask questions. He simply nodded and reached into a secure drawer beneath the desk. He brought out three heavy, circular tokens.

They were made of pure, solid gold, and intricate magical runes were carved deeply into the edges of the metal.

"Very well," the clerk said, placing the three gold tokens on the counter.

"A Gold-tier token grants the bearer the legal and magical right to bid up to two hundred thousand Imperial Gold coins at the auction. However, the debt must be legally bound to a single name." If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Jack stepped forward. He fully intended to use his own wealth as collateral to back the tokens.

"The debt will be bound to—" Jack started to say.

"The debt will be put entirely under my tab," Silas interrupted smoothly, completely cutting Jack off. Jack stopped, looking at Silas in surprise. Silas did not look at him. The Inquisitor kept his eyes locked on the clerk.

"Bind all three tokens to my personal clearance, under the authority of the Holy Church." The clerk raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed by the massive financial risk Silas was taking, but he quickly nodded.

"As you wish, Your Eminence. Please place your hand on the binding plate." The clerk pushed a small, flat square of black stone across the counter. Silas placed his bare hand on the stone. He pushed a tiny fraction of his Gold Core mana into it. The stone flashed with a bright white light. A second later, the magical runes carved into the edges of the three gold tokens glowed with the exact same white light, linking them permanently to Silas's magical signature.

"The binding is complete," the clerk said, sliding the tokens across the glass.

"Please inform your companions of the Guild's rules regarding debt." Silas picked up the tokens. He kept one for himself and handed the other two to Jack and Karen. Karen took the heavy gold coin with shaking hands. Jack inspected his token closely, feeling a faint, warm hum of magic vibrating inside the metal.

"Listen carefully," the clerk said, looking directly at Jack and Karen. His polite tone vanished, replaced by cold, absolute legal authority.

"That token allows you to purchase goods instantly. But the terms of the Golden Scale Consortium are brutal and unbreakable. Any debt incurred on that token must be paid in full within exactly four months."

"And if it is not paid?" Jack asked, his voice calm.

"If the debt is not settled on the exact day it is due, the magic inside the token activates," the clerk stated firmly.

"The Guild will legally and magically seize all lands, businesses, and physical wealth tied to the debtor. If the seized wealth falls short of the owed amount, the debtor is instantly bound by a magical slave contract to the Consortium. You will work as our servants until the debt is paid in blood." The clerk offered a chilling smile.

"We do not accept late payments." Jack stared at the gold token in his hand. A slow, highly amused smile touched his lips. He had expected the magical economy to be vastly different from his old world, but human greed was apparently universal. He was holding a high-fantasy credit card, complete with a massive spending limit and infinitely more predatory late fees. The Guild literally turned poor financial planning into a life sentence of slavery.

"I understand the terms completely," Jack said smoothly, slipping the token into his pocket.

"Excellent," the clerk nodded, his polite smile returning.

"The Grand Auction begins tomorrow at sundown in the central amphitheater. May the scales tip in your favor." Silas turned and led them away from the counter, navigating through the busy hall and out the massive double doors. When they stepped back out into the bright afternoon sun and walked down the marble steps, Jack stopped. He turned to face the Inquisitor.

"That was a very bold move, Silas," Jack said, his tone turning serious and analytical.

"Two hundred thousand gold coins is a massive fortune. You just legally bound yourself to my potential debt. If I max out that token tomorrow and fail to pay you back, the Guild will seize your assets. Why would you take that kind of risk for a minor northern lord?" Silas stopped walking. He looked at Jack, his expression turning dry and intensely pragmatic.

"Do not flatter yourself, Lord Jack," Silas said factually.

"Two hundred thousand gold coins might seem like an impossible fortune. But to a Gold Core mage like myself, and to the Holy Church, it is a fraction of a fraction of our operational budget. If you fail to pay, the Church will simply settle the tab out of petty cash." Silas took a step closer, looking down at Jack with a sharp, calculating gaze.

"But do not misunderstand this arrangement," Silas warned, his voice dropping to a serious whisper.

"This is not charity. The Church does not hand out gold for free. I am acting as your financial guarantor because I was ordered to assist your fief in its recovery. However, this is a loan directly from me to you, and it comes with very strict interest."

"How much interest?" Jack asked, not offended in the slightest. He respected upfront greed much more than fake kindness.

"Twenty percent," Silas stated coldly.

"Payable in full by the end of the year. If you cannot meet those terms, I will personally travel back to your valley and take the value out of your storehouses myself." Jack studied the Inquisitor's face. The man looked serious, acting like a shrewd, greedy priest looking to make a massive personal profit off a desperate noble. It made perfect sense.

"Agreed," Jack nodded, offering his hand.

"Twenty percent interest. It is a harsh deal, but a fair one." Silas reached out and shook Jack's hand firmly.

"See that you do not forget it." As they resumed their walk down the pristine marble street of the Inner Ward, Silas kept his face completely composed, but internally, a cold sweat broke out on his back. He didn't care about the gold, and he certainly didn't care about the interest rate. He had only demanded the high interest to make the loan look realistic to the highly intelligent boy walking beside him.

The truth was that High Cardinal Xander had explicitly ordered Silas to help the boy, protect the boy, and ensure the boy got everything he needed to grow his powers. Silas was practically forcing the Church's money into Jack's pockets because if Jack failed to thrive, Xander would likely crush Silas's soul into dust.

"Just keep playing the part," Silas thought to himself, forcing his breathing to remain steady as they walked toward the center of the district.

"Keep the boy happy, keep him funded, and maybe I will survive whatever is going on."

"Where to next, Silas?" Jack asked, looking around at the towering buildings of the magical district.

"You have the spending authority," Silas replied smoothly, pushing his internal dread away.

"Now, you need the actual currency to use on the smaller stalls before the auction. We need to visit a teller and exchange some gold for Spirit Stones."