As Lucius stepped out of the crumbling estate, the morning air greeted him with a crispness that felt almost electric.
The sagging gates creaked like an old man's bones, while the walls bore cracks that resembled veins,telling tales of neglect and decay.
Above him, roof tiles rattled in the breeze, whispering secrets of years gone by.
Dressed in baggy green robes that seemed borrowed from another era, Lucius sported silver hair tied into a half-hearted ponytail, with rebellious strands dancing across his face.
He hunched slightly, hands clasped behind his back as if carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Behind him trailed Garran, clad in simple travel armor rather than battle gear.
A well-used but polished longsword hung at his waist. With one last glance at their dilapidated home, he scoffed.
"Master Lucius," Garran said with mock solemnity, "if a good sneeze blew from the north, this entire place would collapse! Should I fetch some nails or shall we just pray to the gods to hold it together?"
Lucius let out a long sigh,helpless yet resigned. "Let's go."
He waved his hand dismissively and rolled his eyes.
"As you command," Garran muttered with a smirk as he adjusted his sword belt and fell back a step behind his master.
---
Greyworth City is a city built between two ridges of rolling hills.
Nestled near the empire's northern frontier, it was alive with energy and purpose.
The Greyworth River snaked through its heart like a silver ribbon, nourishing surrounding farmlands and powering mills that ground grain into flour.
Greyworth's population was ever-changing; permanent residents numbered between one hundred thousand and three hundred thousand but when traders, adventurers, mercenaries, and wanderers flowed in and out like tides, that number swelled closer to four hundred thousand! While not the largest city in the empire, its strategic position made it one of the busiest hubs around.
Farming was the lifeblood for most folks here, the land beyond its walls stretched into wide plains where barley, wheat, and maize flourished under watchful shepherds tending herds of goats and cattle.
Yet within those city walls thrived trade: smiths hammered iron into tools; tanners crafted leather goods; carpenters built dreams; tailors stitched garments; brewers concocted ales,all contributing to Greyworth's vibrant pulse of survival.
Its towering old walls stood tall,some patched with newer stone and broad cobblestone roads branched off like arteries feeding various districts within.
---
Lucius and Garran stepped onto the bustling northern avenue, where cobblestones, though uneven, sprawled wide enough to fit three carriages side by side.
Lucius moved ahead with a deliberate pace, his silver eyes darting from one vibrant scene to another.
Just a step behind him, Garran slouched slightly, exuding an air of casualness while remaining acutely aware of their surroundings.
His hand rested close to the hilt of his sword, a silent reminder that danger lurked even in the most lively places.
The streets pulsed with life.
Horses,twice the size of ordinary Earth breeds,pulled carriages brimming with crates.
Their hooves clattered against the stones like thunderclaps echoing through the air.
Children dashed between adults, laughter spilling forth as they chased one another.
Vendors shouted enthusiastically, hawking everything from roasted nuts and spiced meats to leather belts and vibrant fabrics.
The aroma of fresh bread mingled unceremoniously with the less pleasant scent of horse dung.
From nearby taverns came the raucous sounds of lutes and drunken laughter, while restaurants displayed steaming pots of stew that beckoned passersby with their tantalizing scents.
Lucius turned his head constantly, absorbing every detail,the rickety stalls overflowing with goods, guild wagons rolling past in a hurry, and street performers juggling knives for coins.
"It's lively," he murmured softly.
"Lively is one way to put it," Garran replied dryly. "Noisy, smelly, and overpriced are others. If you want me to list them alphabetically, we might be here until dawn."
Lucius shot him a sideways glance. "Your tongue is sharper than your sword."
"It's saved my skin more times than steel has," Garran quipped without missing a beat.
---
After weaving through the central streets alive with activity, they arrived at the district Garran had mentioned earlier.
"The Coinspine District," he said dramatically with a mock bow. "Where dreams are bought, sold and usually stolen."
This area was unmistakably wealthier; wide plazas paved with cleaner stone opened up before them.
Grand buildings towered on either side adorned with banners embroidered in shimmering gold thread.
Stalls lined the streets but these weren't selling simple vegetables or trinkets; they were offices for lenders, merchants, and guild officials ready to strike deals.
Lucius slowed his pace as his keen gaze swept across this new scene.
At the center stood the Merchant Guild Hall,tall and imposing,with its facade intricately carved with reliefs depicting ships and wagons in motion.
Opposite it loomed the Adventurers' Guild where armored men and women with powerful auras coming and out.
Lucius couldn't help but be captivated by the scene before him.
Rows of tables stretched out like a marketplace of despair, each manned by moneylenders lounging comfortably while desperate souls stood before them, heads bowed in submission.
Open ledgers filled with neat columns of figures lay waiting, and guards hovered nearby, ready to maintain order.
One moment caught his attention: a weary farmer, clutching his hat as sweat dripped down his temples, faced a plump lender scribbling away at a contract. The tension in the air was palpable.
In an act of desperation, the farmer pricked his thumb with a knife, blood seeping onto the parchment.
Suddenly, a faint glow rippled across the page before it vanished into nothingness.
"What was that?" Lucius asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
Garran followed his gaze and replied bluntly, "Oath Contract. You borrow coin and sign in blood. Fail to repay? The contract decides your fate."
Lucius tilted his head curiously. "And what does that mean?"
"Slavery," Garran stated flatly. His voice held no emotion as he continued.
"The contract binds your soul to the lender. When repayment day comes and you can't pay up? The contract forces your body to obey their claim,think collars, chains, and years of misery."
A hard expression settled on Lucius's face. "And everyone just accepts this?"
"What choice do they have?" Garran's lips twisted into a thin smile.
"The Goldchain Guild runs these lenders like puppeteers. Don't borrow? Your business dies on the vine. Borrow? You might as well dig your own grave! Either way, it's win-win for the guilds."
Lucius fell silent as he watched the farmer leave with trembling hands clutching a pouch of coins while behind him, the lender smirked,already counting how much profit awaited him.
Inside Lucius, old instincts began to stir; comparisons flooded his mind.
Back on Earth, loans were contracts too,but there were courts and laws designed to protect people from such predicaments! Bankruptcy may have been harsh but it didn't equate to slavery!
But here,the system was raw and brutal,a merciless beast unleashed upon its victims.
"Backward," Lucius muttered under his breath.
Garran chuckled lightly beside him. "This is how the world works, Master Lucius,a paradise for wolves but a slaughterhouse for sheep."
---
As they walked deeper into this chaotic world,past guild officials haggling over deals and merchants weighing coins,Garran shared more insights laced with sarcasm.
"The Merchant Guild controls trade routes and sets tariffs while taking their cut from every deal they make," he explained with disdain.
"The Adventurer Guild pretends to be noble but skims commissions off every bounty hunt they facilitate! And then there's the Goldchain Guild… well..they're just leeches draining everyone dry."
Lucius listened intently, his mind racing with possibilities.
Ten thousand gold coins.
To Garran, it was a lifeline,a chance to live quietly in their crumbling estate for a few years. But to Lucius? It was pure potential.
It is seed money.
As they strolled, he tapped his finger lightly against his palm, lost in thought.
With interest rates soaring at fifty percent,or even twenty,the profit margins were staggering!
Imagine the transformation possible through structured lending: tiered repayments, fair collateral systems, and collective lending pools.
The city could be revolutionized! The guilds believed they held the reins of finance, but all they had built was a crude cage.
His banker's mind sharpened like a finely honed blade.
He envisioned ledgers and markets swirling around him,interest models and credit systems falling into place like pieces of a puzzle only he knew how to assemble.
Lucius raised his head, letting the sunlight catch his silver hair just right.
A faint smile tugged at his lips as he reveled in the possibilities.
Garran noticed this change in him and muttered with a hint of concern,"That expression looks dangerous. Should I grab a shovel now for the trouble you're about to dig us into?"
Lucius shot him a sidelong glance. "You'll need more than just a shovel."
Garran groaned dramatically. "Great! Just what I wanted to hear,trouble is on the horizon!"
---
By late afternoon, the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a golden hue over the city as they made their way back toward their neglected estate on the northern side,far from Greyworth's bustling heart.
Throughout their walk, Lucius remained deep in contemplation.
He wasn't merely an exile anymore; he was Adrian,the banker and strategist,trapped within Lucius' body yet armed with knowledge that this world had never encountered before.
The guilds thought they ruled finance?.They are mistaken! Soon enough, they'd discover what true finance really meant.
And Lucius would be there to teach them every step of the way.