With the devaluation of the denier, commercial transactions across the market were bound to be affected. After long consideration, Vig decided to establish the Bank of Britannia, responsible for accepting foreign currencies and exchanging them into silver pennies of equivalent silver content—making domestic trade smoother and more predictable.
In fact, currency exchange was the most common form of "banking" in the early Middle Ages. Money changers would set up a long table in markets or ports, evaluate the value of coins, exchange them into other currencies, and charge a fee for the service.
Over time, these exchangers expanded into additional businesses:
Safekeeping valuables, since they already possessed strong vaults
Lending money, which offered far higher profits
Although the Church officially prohibited lending at interest, clever merchants found ways around the ban by disguising interest as gifts or service fees.
By the High Middle Ages, finance expanded rapidly—especially through the Knights Templar, whose network of strongholds across Europe enabled them to:
accept deposits
provide loans to kings and nobles
transfer funds across borders
Their financial success eventually made them enormously wealthy—wealthy enough to rival kingdoms. That wealth attracted the envy of King Philip IV of France.
In 1307, he accused the Templars of crimes such as usury, ordered their arrest, and publicly burned their last Grand Master. The order was destroyed.
Vig's Decision: Limited Banking
As king, Vig did not need to worry about Church objections and could freely engage in lending.
Yet he deliberately chose not to.
The reputation of moneylending was notoriously poor. If subordinate nobles failed to repay debts and the crown enforced repayment, it could damage loyalty among the aristocracy.
He muttered to himself:
"Forget it. For now, the bank will handle currency exchange, safekeeping funds, and long-distance bills of exchange."
"Private lenders can handle loans. If trouble arises, at least it won't fall on me."
The Financial Network
A bill of exchange worked much like the bank drafts used in later Chinese dynasties:
A merchant deposited silver at one location
Received a written certificate
Redeemed silver at another branch
Vig planned to open banks in:
DoverLondoniumYorkTyne TownDublin
Together, these branches would form a nationwide financial network supporting commerce across the realm.
After two days of drafting the organizational plan, he submitted it to the cabinet to assign personnel and begin implementation.
With the banking project underway, Vig finally had time to meet Baron Chavatu from the Canary Islands.
Audience with the King
At their first meeting, Chavatu appeared to be a man in his forties, with darker skin and features resembling those of Iberian peoples.
Vig did not attempt to intimidate him.
Instead, hearing that the baron planned to develop another island, he offered generous assistance:
medical supplies
a resident shaman to provide healthcare
"Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty."
Following the court attendants' instructions, Chavatu knelt on one knee and recited a formal oath in halting Norse, swearing eternal loyalty to the crown.
This oath applied to all nobles of the kingdom.
Although Chavatu was technically a direct vassal of Helgi, he was still obligated to uphold the authority of the House of Tyneburg.
The Heraldry Office
After the ceremony, Chavatu left the palace and walked to the College of Heraldry on the neighboring street.
Inside the hall, he approached a young clerk dozing at the counter and requested a family coat of arms.
After reviewing the royal patent of nobility, the clerk examined the island-born newcomer carefully, then brought out a thick stack of illustrated books.
"My lord, a coat of arms is a symbol of noble bloodline and status…"
For several minutes, the herald delivered a rapid explanation of rules and requirements. Adrian translated the speech, but the flood of information overwhelmed the new baron.
Finally, the herald opened an album showing existing noble coats of arms.
Chavatu stared at the designs, completely confused about how such symbols were created.
After a long silence, he pulled out a small pouch of silver coins and tried to tip the herald.
The young man turned pale.
"This service is free. Please—don't get me into trouble!"
All he wanted was to finish quickly and send the island barbarian on his way.
After asking a few questions about preferences, he drafted a standard design:
Shield: a black mountain peak
Background: blue field
Additional elements: motto, mantling, decorative flourishes
With the final stroke of his pen, the herald exhaled in relief.
"Any objections? If not, I'll submit this immediately. From now on, this will be the eternal symbol of your family."
Chavatu hesitated.
Compared to the elaborate designs in the book's opening pages, his own seemed modest—barely satisfactory.
Still, he nodded.
"This will do. Also—I intend to grant this man hereditary knighthood. Please design a coat of arms for him as well."
A New Knight
"You're certain?"
The herald stared in surprise at the master and servant.
The servant looked ordinary—thin, unremarkable—yet he was about to become a knight.
Life was unfair, the herald thought bitterly.
Remembering his mediocre school performance and his assignment to this unpromising office, he sighed and began sketching again.
Since knights occupied the lowest rank of the nobility, their heraldry was simpler.
The design took less than five minutes.
When finished, he asked both men to sign the documents.
With that signature, Chavatu and Adrian officially became nobles of the Kingdom of Britannia.
For Adrian in particular, the transformation was astonishing:
From an exiled merchant to a member of the ruling class—
a rise he had never imagined.
Before they left, the herald handed them two small booklets listing important obligations, including:
reporting the birth of any children immediately
ensuring proper registration for inheritance and titles
A New Life Begins
Stepping out of the heraldry office into warm sunlight, Adrian felt as though he were walking in a dream.
Still dazed, he headed toward Baker Street in the southern district to purchase:
crop seeds
iron farming tools
To save money, master and servant bargained intensely at the grain exchange, showing little concern for aristocratic dignity.
Then, around 3 PM, loud shouting erupted outside.
Trouble?
Curious, Adrian followed the crowd out of the exchange.
At a crossroads some distance away, a large group had gathered in front of a three-story building, shouting angrily.
He squinted at the sign.
"Securities Exchange?"
He had never encountered such a thing before.
Driven by instinct—and curiosity—he pushed forward into the crowd to get a closer look.
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