Another Crisis

When Ezra went out of the bank it was already night, upon arriving in Castle Blackfyre, he found his father in his study.

"You seem to be happy my son, have you solved your problem?" Reitz dropped what he was doing for his son, he had a look that said he had found an answer and he needed his help to do it.

"Of course if this involves me giving you more gold or me asking the emperor for gold. . . I will not yield in this matter," added Reitz donning a stern look.

"No father, it does not involve either. Might I ask what you are working on though?"

"Oh, I'm just looking at the details of the reports I got from Terros' pathetic domain,"

"Any things of note we need to know?"

"Not in the meantime, he isn't doing any activity that is suspicious, and it looks like he hasn't left his capital at all these past five years. I have spies everywhere now. It's easier now that we are in the good graces of his majesty. By the way, Lady Hestia Regaladeus is coming over next week from Rexasticus."

Ezra shivered uncontrollably. Hestia was his betrothed. The last time he saw her was when they were five on his birthday. When he met her he tried very hard to please her according to the pointers of his father. Then at some point in the meeting, he turned silent and that apparently pissed her off and then she threw her drink at him for being uncouth. He was utterly dumbfounded when this happened and the whole meeting became awkward.

The Rex and Reitz laughed it off, they were five-year-olds after all.

Ezra's paling face was seen by his father and he smiled. "Don't worry Ez, she probably has changed this past two years."

"How do you understand women Lord Father?"

"Who knows, until now I don't know what goes in that head of your mother sometimes," Reitz said mumbling to himself.

"It's just your customary meeting don't think too much about it," Reitz said with a louder tone.

Ezra knew that he should keep the engagement going, it would be very beneficial for a union between Blackfyre and Regaladeus. Ezra wanted to please his parents but he really didn't like Hestia at all, but for the time being, they could at least leverage on that engagement. His luck might turn better in the future.

"Anyway, what are you here for again? We have veered off topic a bit"

"Father, I would like to make a bank note."

"What's that?"

"Well, it is strips of paper with denominations, and these can be traded for gold in the bank or the treasury itself."

"I don't follow,"

"Well since we are short on gold, I am planning to make pieces of paper that can be redeemable in the bank and traded for gold itself, we will pay this to the merchants for their loans, in turn we must mandate that all shops in Bren accept the piece of paper for their trade."

"So in effect, it is a loan from the people itself without them knowing it. Damn, that is brilliant. If you can use it for trade in the city why bother with gold right? Except when people travel outside Bren, which is the only time they would want to cash it out."

"Yes, the merchants are buying goods with gold here anyway so the merchants would not bother to cash it out and just use it for goods, it will just circulate inside Bren, when the time comes that a merchant is paid in bank notes, it would be unlikely that he would cash out unless he is going out of Fulmen after all he knows that he can demand his money when he gets back, plus bringing gold would just attract bandits,"

"It just keeps on circling inside Bren, Impressive." Reitz beamed. "Very well, so when do you need this mandated?" Even though he knew how much of a monster his son was, he would be proud every time his son did something exceptional, he still had not gotten used to his son's prowess.

"A week from now I guess, I just need to prepare the materials we are going to need. Oh, Dad, we really need to establish a bank in Aprox, I plan to use a third of the money you gave me. Will you permit me to leave? I plan to do this by the end of this month."

Reitz scrunched his eyebrows, he knew that Aerwyna was not going to agree if Ezra did not have him or Aerwyna accompany him but he also knew how important establishing a bank in Aprox was, Ezra emphasized that early in his plans. A bank in Aprox where the merchants made the spread, they would deposit their profit in the bank and buy some goods in Aprox to be traded along the way.

If a bank was in Aprox, Ezra could charge a deposit fee during the journey and as it seemed, Ezra didn't even actually have to pay gold when the merchants arrived back in Fulmen, he just had to pay banknotes since this was as good as gold in Bren.

"I can't leave Bren with you, but I think your mother could accompany you, but I will have to talk to her."

"Thanks, dad,"

"Now that you have solved the issue, you should be back on training by tomorrow, okay?"

"Yes, father,"

"You know ever since that incident in Anticourt, a whole lot of nobles are eyeing you. So expect when you leave Fulmen your life will be in danger. Inside Fulmen it would be hard for them to hire assassins unless of course, they were shadow walkers. Never slack off in your training, you need strength to keep the Earldom you know."

"I know dad," Ezra pouted,

"It's still odd that you can't use spells, even though your mother and I are pretty sure that you've awakened since your birth. You do practice the visualizations right?"

"Yes,"

"Also you do condense your mana and try to activate the spell while doing the cast right?"

"Yes father," Ezra was pretty annoyed, he had tried everything even before his training and nothing seemed to be working, he tried every visualization they were telling him to do. He was instructed to do a lot of other things and other instructors and magic sensitives observed him. They declared that nothing was wrong with him. It was obvious that he could use magic by strengthening his muscles but they were very puzzled as to why he could not make spells work.

"I see, very well then. At least I have heard that you are now a pretty good duelist. I've heard from Maester Grimfire that you beat 4 fifteen-year-old squires by yourself without using spells."

"It wasn't much of a match father, they were too slow, their tactics were obvious, they weren't near, Rycharde, Evered's and Evan's -" he was about to say level but he cut himself off, he still hadn't gotten over his friend's death. Silence followed.

"Anyway," Reitz broke the ice. "You should also prepare for Hestia okay? An envoy will accompany her and tell us the details of her stay. Play nice okay?"

Ezra grimaced. "Okay father, I will," he answered. He had already dodged a problem, yet another came his way.