Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1421 1393. Taxation
"First of all, I want to know if there have been any letters from me during this period?"

Yennefer pulled her eyes away from the familiar and interesting interaction between Lan and Ciri and turned to ask the dwarf banker.

"No. It seems that you two are really good friends, Yennefer. We talked about this in private before."

Morna took out several glasses from his cabinet and lined them up. He then poured the red wine into them one by one and distributed them to the adults in the office.

He first checked Yennefer's attitude, and after getting an affirmative nod, he continued speaking.

"There have been no new letters recently. As for the last few letters, I sent them out through the old channels."

"But there is no letter. The person who is interested in your letter..." The dwarf banker pulled his big gold chain, "spoke to me at the branch of Vivaldi Bank in Vengerburg."

"They said someone was checking your cash flow and the whereabouts of your letters. They said one of their tellers was dishonest. You know, we work in banks, so it's inevitable that our staff will have problems."

"It's not surprising, but where is the teller now?"

Yennefer asked calmly as she took a sip from her wine glass.

"He got drunk on a rainy day and broke his neck in a gutter. It was a tragedy," Molnar said. "He died too quickly and too hastily."

Xi Leton took the wine glass handed over by his uncle and spoke as if he was not surprised.

"But we can't blame them. After all, who knows if the teller knows something else about Vivaldi Bank?"

"It's reasonable for them to take action early."

Although the Red Bearded Dwarf had left his family bank and joined the Valyrian Chamber of Commerce for his own career.

But after all, he was born into a banking family. Even now, for him, the head of the Valyrian Chamber of Commerce, going to Giancardi Bank is like going home.

Just now, he walked into Giancardi Bank without any hesitation, wanting to use a reception room as a guest reception place and chat with Lan En.

So Shelton knew all the twists and turns in the banking industry that Morna mentioned.

"But it doesn't matter." Lan En first stepped over Ciri's small stool, reached out to take a wine glass passed to him by Xi Leton, then returned to his original position and stood against the wall in a relaxed manner.

There was a not unexpected smile on his face.

"I can roughly guess who is trying to track your mail. Even if the bank is a little slow, I don't think they will be able to get anything out of it."

Yennefa's charming waist twisted into a graceful arc on the armchair as she looked at the demon hunter behind her.

Lan raised his glass to her.

"Even Triss told me that she was being annoyed a lot. I think you will definitely receive more attention and harassment in this matter."

"Triss?" Yennefer raised her eyebrows in surprise. "So the rumors between you are true? Wow, this is really big news."

Lan's originally calm expression froze for a moment, and Ciri under him turned her face to Yennefer, then raised her head and looked at Lan with an unspoken smile.

This expression made her, a young girl at that, look like a gossipy old lady.

'This sorceress. Is now the time to be concerned about this?'

The demon hunter complained in his heart.

Ciri's identity, and the power struggle involved in this identity, are now like a deep whirlpool, stirring up the already tense situation.

It should have been a situation where she was concentrating her full attention and maintaining a 100% sense of confidentiality, but Yennefer's first reaction was to Lan's romantic relationship.

It’s no wonder that the young witcher’s brain was a little out of sorts. After all, he couldn’t even make Mentos.

Lan's lips moved, as if he was using his lips and tongue to savor the lingering aroma of the bottle of Neufchateau red wine.

"This matter?" The dwarf banker also savored the vague word with his lips and tongue, and then nodded in agreement.

"Very good. If you are indeed planning some kind of action, it would be best if you could keep it a secret. Even among friends, someone might let it slip."

As he spoke, he raised his glass again and said, "If you need anything, just ask, but you don't need to tell us the specific plans."

"Look!" Xileton turned his head and raised his chin to Lan En, pointing his thumb at his uncle, "This is the quality of Giancardi!"

"Oh." The demon hunter nodded indifferently, "You were indeed quite cultured when you nearly bankrupted me, Sillerton."

Then the red-bearded dwarf withered.

A fat dwarf huddled in an armchair, sipping his wine from his glass.

Morna looked at his nephew and nodded. The matter at that time was indeed not a big deal, and he could settle it for his nephew with a little money.

I just didn't intervene in order to dampen his arrogance after he became the manager of the Valyria Chamber of Commerce.

Now it seems that Xileton has indeed become much more stable recently.

"Your Excellency the Duke." Morna looked at Lan En who was leaning against the wall. "Just call me Lan En. I'm not that troublesome."

"Then Lan En," the old banker responded to the important client's initiative to get closer to him very smoothly. "I heard rumors that you went to the Dragon Mountains and may have died there."

"There are many things that want me dead," Lan En stuck out his tongue and made a face, "but there are not many that I can do. I'm not a reckless young man. It's just that things do happen frequently, and I have to disappear for a while."

"Rumors and gossips are beyond anyone's control."

Morna nodded in agreement.

"But both of you have returned to Gos Velen at this time. If I'm not mistaken, you are both here for the meeting, right? The wizards' gathering?"

"That's right." Yennefer nodded calmly.

"To decide the fate of the world?"

"Don't be so exaggerated, Morna."

"Rumors are spreading everywhere now," the dwarf banker said coldly, "and things are getting out of hand."

"Tell me about it," Lan interrupted. He moved his shoulder against the wall with his glass in hand, making his posture more relaxed. "As long as it's not inconvenient."

"I think Yennefer is here for this reason too. After all, the banking industry can see many things. Those facts hidden under the images of financial statements and trend charts."

"That's true. We have a lot to talk about in this industry." Morna stroked his beard. "Since last year, the tax policies of various countries have experienced strange fluctuations. Are you interested in this?"

"I don't want to be an old dwarf who keeps talking and only annoys people."

Lan En did not say anything more, but raised his glass to the old dwarf and said, "Go on, Morna."

"The poll tax and winter camp tax, which are taxes collected directly by the military, have been doubled. Every merchant and entrepreneur must also pay the 'Glot Tithe', which is a new tax item: for every Noble earned, one Groat must be paid."

There are many currencies among the northern countries, and the exchange rates are complicated and changeable.

But there is no way. A unified market and currency are certainly good, but if a country gives up the right to mint and regulate currency, then their domestic market will basically belong to others.

Noble and Grot are obviously another commonly used northern currency different from Oren coins and Crown coins.

This tax item is temporarily established based on this currency.

Ciri, who had grown up playing in the palace, was educated by a few rough witchers when she grew up, and was later taken over by a female sorceress, was now confused.

Lan En glanced at her and estimated that the girl had forgotten what she heard two seconds ago.

However, she still stubbornly pretended to be "listening carefully and thinking".

And what Molnar calls "weird fluctuations in tax policy" continues.

"The head tax and chimney tax on dwarves, gnomes, elves, and halflings will also be further increased. If they participate in production and trade, they will also be forced to pay a 'non-human race tax' at one-tenth of their income."

"In this case, 60% of my income will have to be handed over to the royal family. The Giancardi Bank and all its branches will have to pay at least 600 marks in taxes to the four kingdoms every year."

Worried that these complicated currency conversions would confuse the audience, Molnar changed his approach.

"Let's put it this way. This figure is equivalent to three times the tax a wealthy duke would pay for all his properties."

"This is truly amazing," Lan said in awe. "A guy like me who only has an empty reputation will probably never be able to be called the 'Rich Duke' in my lifetime."

"That's because you are not a duke who relies on traditional real estate to support his family, my friend." At this point, Sillerton became excited. "To hell with the high real estate tax! We are an emerging industry! Long live the emerging industry!"

The red-bearded dwarf raised his glass high, in stark contrast to his gloomy uncle across the table.

"I didn't really care about taxes before." Lan En said puzzledly, "How is my tax rate calculated? Are demon hunters considered a non-human race? Are those industries taxed in my name?"

"You don't have to worry about that at all." Xileton still said happily.

He nodded apologetically to Yennefer beside him, and then excitedly moved his chair to an angle so that it was facing Lan.

"The Valyrian Chamber of Commerce used your name and formed a joint holding company with Aretusa. Since two years ago, it has been enjoying the tax reduction policy for nobles and the exclusive tax exemption policy for the Sorceress Academy."

"When added together, it's very cheap. Although I don't know how your current personal business is run, as long as the person who takes over is not stupid, there are really many ways to reasonably avoid taxes."

Lan En thought of Dudu, the shapeshifter who managed his own business.

If he wanted, it would be easy for him to avoid the 'non-human race tax' by using his human identity.

It was a good choice to look for the shapeshifter.

Lan En nodded with a little pride.

(End of this chapter)