High Alert

Not long after, Jalen returned, bringing Lightbeetle with him. Lightbeetle's real name was a mystery, but he had these striking blue eyes and a fondness for his long-handled mace. He was generally a cheerful guy, but when he swung that mace, his eyes would blaze like a zealot's, making anyone reconsider their financial commitments.

Now, you might think that if you're even a minute late on a payment to me, you'll have a swarm of enforcers breaking down your door. That's not how it works. Operating like that would be more costly in manpower than the returns, not to mention it would scare away future business.

For instance, about two months ago, one of my loan officers came to me with a situation. A client owed fifty gold and couldn't make the payment. The officer was willing to let it slide but wanted my approval. 

"How much is he paying back?" I asked.

"Five principal and one interest per week," he replied.

"Is this his first payment?"