Chapter 18: The Church of the Goddess of Fortune

Returning to the manor from the Mage's Guild, the maid Anny reported with a note in her hand: "My lady, Bishop Leroy of the Church of the Goddess of Fortune sent a note asking to visit you tomorrow afternoon.

Although there is magic that allows for real-time communication, most people still cannot afford it in their daily lives, so people of noble status who wish to visit someone must still inform them in advance to arrange a time.

After accepting the invitation, Christine said, 'Yes, you can send him a reply.

Okay,

and a servant rode off to deliver the reply. Noble families had people dedicated to this task, chosen for their good looks, quick wit and ability to speak well, and also trained in etiquette.

.

The next afternoon.

Five minutes before the appointed time, Christine led the group to the front door of the main building. Two minutes later, a carriage with a knight and four horsemen pulled up to the manor.

The door opened and a tall, thin, middle-aged man stepped out, wearing a magnificent bishop's robe with gold patterns on a white ground.

Praise be to the great goddess of wealth. Good day, Bishop Le Roy,'

Christine greeted him first, for he was a priest of the tenth rank.

'Praise the great Goddess of Prosperity. Good day, Miss Stewart. Bishop Le Roy returned the greeting.

Christine ushered the Bishop and his party into the drawing room, where a maid was soon serving tea and refreshments.

After taking a sip, Bishop Le Roy remarked, 'Baron Stewart's tea really is different.

'If Your Grace likes it, I'll bring you some later.

Thank you, Miss Stewart.

On the Continent, it is considered a friendly gesture to accept a gift immediately, and only if you do not wish to be associated with the other party do you decline.

So Elena immediately fetched a beautiful wooden box and opened it in front of him to reveal a sealed tea brick. A brick of tea of this standard size starts at one hundred gold coins per brick, and as the tea from the Stewart domain is famous throughout the kingdom, don't expect it to be less than two hundred gold coins.

Yes, Christine's mother, Felocille Morningstar, belonged to a family that was also famous among the elves for growing tea. The tea seeds she brought were not the family's finest, but they were among the best available in the human kingdom.

This was another source of wealth for the Stewart family. The only drawback was the relatively low yield, which could only bring in 5,000 gold coins each year, in addition to the family's own use.

After some polite conversation, Bishop Leroy came to the point.

'Miss Stewart, I understand that Baron Stewart's territory received a compensation of 120,000 gold coins in the war with the Baron of Lorient?

'Yes, but I spent a lot of it some time ago, so there are probably less than 90,000 gold coins left.

Christine had sold the artwork and other items paid for by the Baron of Lorient to the guild of gold coin merchants associated with the Church of the Goddess of Fortune, so how much money was actually left was clear to Bishop Le Roy.

If the Church of the Goddess of Fortune couldn't even keep track of how much it cost, it would be a shame for the gods indeed, so Christine told the truth.

Miss Stewart, with such a large sum of money in your hands, have you ever considered investing in the Church's affiliated guild of gold coin merchants?

Indeed, when Bishop Le Roy sent the invitation, Christine guessed his purpose.

The nobles and merchants of the Continent all need money at some point, and they need loans to tide them over. So who is the richest and most respectable? It is, of course, the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce, affiliated with the Church of Fortune.

Private loans may come with high interest rates or additional conditions, but the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce's reputation is absolutely impeccable, giving the borrower great peace of mind. And because it is backed by the Church of Fortune, no one dares to default on the loan, and even if the borrower cannot repay, they still have the power to enforce it.

Of course, this lending service requires capital, but where will the capital come from? Let the nobles invest.

Not all noble territories have excellent natural resources that others don't have. Most are similar to each other, and all are self-sufficient.

As for starting a business, it is impossible to do anything big without unique resources. It is better to lend the idle money in your hands to the Gold Coin Merchant Guild to do business or borrow money. They promise a fixed rate of interest, which is a sure thing. They operate in much the same way as a bank, except that the investors are all nobles and the minimum investment is 5,000 gold coins. There are no restrictions on loans.

The Church of the Goddess of Fortune has also introduced gold coin vouchers, divided into three denominations: 100, 500 and 1,000, as it is inconvenient for merchants to carry large amounts of gold coins.

For example, a merchant can exchange gold coins for gold coin vouchers at the Temple of Fortune in the Kingdom of France, and then exchange them for gold coins at the Temple of Fortune in the Kingdom of the Rhine. However, a 5% handling f*e will be charged for each exchange of less than 1,000 gold coins, and a fixed handling f*e of 100 gold coins will be charged for each exchange of more than 1,000 gold coins. Participating nobles receive a 20% discount on exchanges.

Christine had just received a large sum of money, so naturally the Bishop of the Goddess of Fortune came to the door to 'solicit investments'.

This kind of wealthy business is encouraged by the Church. Whether it is attracting large investments or lending large sums of money, it is all considered a merit, not to mention the 'commission'. So it is no surprise that Bishop Leroy, in his esteemed position, paid a personal visit.

Christian immediately said, 'Bishop Leroy, thank you for your kindness. However, I am planning to build a mage tower and this money may not even be enough.

Mage tower? Bishop Le Roy was taken aback, but then he regained his composure: 'You want to build an intermediate Mage Tower?

The construction standards for Mage Towers are 80,000 coins for a five-storey Primary Mage Tower, 100,000 coins for a seven-storey Intermediate Mage Tower, and 120,000 coins for a nine-storey Advanced Mage Tower.

All Mage Towers also have three underground levels. So when Bishop Le Roy heard Christine say that this might not be enough, he immediately thought that she wanted to build a mid-level Mage Tower.

I want to build a high level wizard tower. As you know, it is not necessary to spend a lot of money at once,' Christine explained.

Miss Stewart is very ambitious,' Bishop Le Roy praised.

You are too kind,' he said.

'Miss Stewart, if you need any materials during the construction of the Wizard Tower, you can contact the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce and we will give you the best price.

Thank you, Bishop Le Roy.

Although he did not secure this 'investment', Bishop Leroy immediately turned around and solicited business for the Chamber of Commerce. Most of the 120,000 gold coins were needed to purchase various magical materials, and if the Chamber of Commerce took on this business, it would make a lot of money.

As for the fact that Christine, as a first-level mage, wanted to build a high-level mage tower, it was no problem at all. As long as the person taking the money was not from the evil faction, the Mage Guild would send someone to build it for you.

After all, the purpose of building a mage tower is to train mages, and the guild welcomes anything that increases the number of mages.

Every mage, regardless of their country, family or power, will register with the Mage Guild to purchase various materials, pay to learn skills and engage in academic exchanges with each other.

The more mages that are trained, the more influence the guild will have.