Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 139 Wool Merchant
Borrow money from a businessman?

Utgard felt a surge of resentment. As a traditional Viking warrior, he had always looked down on glib-tongued merchants. Now, having been knighted, he felt his status was a level above ordinary people, making him even more unwilling to associate with such individuals.

Utgard then sought help from the knight she had once served.

The other party sighed, indicating that he could not help. "Child, in principle, since you were once my employee, it is not inappropriate for me to provide financial assistance. However, I also have a large debt that I have not yet paid off. I suggest you borrow money from the merchants in Tyne Town, agreeing to pay it off in five years. I guess they will not refuse."

Forced by the pressures of reality, Lord Utgard had no choice but to spend a few days recruiting five young Vikings, promising them land, and then taking his newly formed crew to Tyne to borrow money.

It's now late September, the autumn harvest is over, and the town of Tyne has seen a sudden surge in visitors, especially in the market area on the east side of the town. The area is bustling with rural farmers and merchants from Northern Europe and Flanders, all hawking their goods in different languages, creating a vibrant yet chaotic atmosphere.

Utgard walked along the main road and found a two-story brick building at the crossroads. The sign was written in three languages ​​and there was a depiction of a scale next to it. The left tray was wool and the right tray was piled with silver coins.

"Wool Merchants Association?"

The knight, who was illiterate, entered the bustling trading post with some skepticism.

A long wooden counter was set up in the lobby on the first floor, with a thick layer of woolen cloth covering the surface to prevent the coins from rolling. Three young apprentices were handling business behind the counter, while a middle-aged accountant was supervising.

At this moment, a long queue had formed in front of the counter. Some people were holding a piece of parchment covered with writing, some were carrying a basket of wool, and others were holding a heavy bag that seemed to be full of silver coins.

Without queuing, Utgard went straight to the counter. "I am a knight newly appointed by the Duke. I've heard you offer loans?"

The accountant carefully examined the brown-haired Viking, who was tall and strong, wearing a black wool cloak over a worn-out iron scale armor, with a sword hanging at his waist.

"To openly wear armor and carry a sword in the street, yes, that is a privilege reserved for men."

With that in mind, the accountant immediately changed his demeanor and invited the knight to the reception room on the right side of the hall to inquire about his details.

"May I ask your name, age, date of investiture, and location of your fiefdom?"

"Utgard, 24 years old, killed the former lord of Glasgow, Hughie, and was knighted by the Duke half a month ago."

After verification, the knight's identity was confirmed, and the accountant consulted the client about the necessary procedures. Unsurprisingly, it was another loan to purchase a warhorse.

He took out a document and explained it word by word.

"Not long ago, King Ragnar imposed additional taxes, leading to a rise in the price of warhorses and a decline in profits from wool and various export businesses. As a result, our bank's loan agreement has been slightly adjusted, and the details are as follows:"
First, the knight borrowed seven pounds of silver, with a total interest of 1.5 pounds, to be repaid over five years.

Second, during the repayment period, this firm has the right of first refusal to purchase wool from Knight's Manor.

three,"

£1.5 in interest! All my savings of so many years are only enough to pay the interest?

Utgard suddenly stood up. Hearing the commotion, the guild guards outside rushed in to check the situation, but were dismissed by the accountant.

Utgard was both shocked and furious. "No, no, you are simply too greedy."

On his way there, he overheard passersby mentioning a Pontilian trading company that also dealt in lending, so he decided to try a different place. The accountant, guessing his thoughts, gently advised him:
"The Pontiland Chamber of Commerce has the same interest rates as here, and their wool sales channels are not as good as ours, so the price they pay for wool may be slightly lower."

The remaining merchant guild belonged to Iris, the Duchess's mother. The Duke, fearing such business would damage his relationship with his subordinates, forbade Iris from issuing loans to barons and knights.

Utgard did not readily believe the accountant's words and went straight out to inquire about the situation. After wasting half an hour, he returned to the Tyne Wool Merchant Guild.

Not long after, the accountant drafted a loan agreement, and after confirming that it was correct, he summoned Harry, the market's notary and the major shareholder of the Chamber of Commerce who was on duty that day.

Given Utgard's knighthood, the sheriff's office also sent a young clerk to explain the terms of the agreement to the knight.

After a long while, Utgard, feeling dizzy and disoriented, could no longer bear the torment and pressed his fingerprint at the end of the agreement, clumsily writing his name.

"Is it done?"

The fat merchant Harry took out a large bag of silver coins and placed it on the table. "Yes, this is seven pounds, a total of 1680 silver pence. You can count them one by one, or you can choose to weigh them."

Utgard turned to the notary and the young clerk for help. Seeing this, the notary took out the scales and weighed the coins; indeed, they weighed seven pounds.

At this point, the deal was done.

There are three copies of the agreement: one for the Wool Merchants, one for Utgard, and one for the Sheriff's Residence.

Carefully putting away the parchment, Utgard shook hands with Harry. Suddenly, he noticed that the Anglo merchant, who was wearing a pendant with the World Tree pattern, had clearly switched to the Gnostic faith.

Not only him, but all the other chamber of commerce employees were wearing the same pendant. Utgard, suspicious, left the chamber with his money bag, only to realize what was happening a few minutes later:
The Roman Catholic Church forbids believers from lending money, so these profit-driven people simply converted!

In that instant, Utgard was deeply shaken. He looked up at the clear blue sky and let out a long sigh:

"Commerce is the dirtiest activity in the world. Once you get involved with it, the virtues of knights, such as loyalty, faith, and bravery, will inevitably be corrupted. As for those greedy and cowardly merchants, they are not the masters of wealth, but rather its slaves."

He traversed the crowded streets and arrived at Tyneburg in the southwest region, where he paid the castle accountant for the purchase of Frankish warhorses and requested an audience with the Duke.

Vig was slightly puzzled by the arrival of his subordinates: "The warhorses won't arrive until next spring, why the rush? You're borrowing money months in advance, which means you'll have to repay it early, and that's not worth it."

Utgard scratched his head, indicating that he hadn't thought too much about it. He came to Tyne Town to collect supplies and handle the loan procedures at the same time, getting it all done in one go so he wouldn't have to make another trip next year.

Vig didn't say anything more, and talked to the knight about other things. Finally, he advised him, "There won't be any war in the next few years. Remember to treat your people well and patiently manage your own business."

"As ordered."

Utgard bowed and left the main hall of Tyneburg. Outside the door, he brushed past five young men with youthful faces.

These young people were the first graduating class and were invited by Ivar to go to Ireland to help with the accounts. After six months of hard work, they finished their assignment and returned to Tyneburg to report for duty.

(End of this chapter)