Bear School Astartes

The following days were no longer busy, as Lann had already accomplished his primary goal upon arriving in Novigrad.

——To find a shapeshifter in this ten-thousand-person city.

Dandelion originally planned to finish the script in one day and then hand it to Lady Irena’s theater troupe for review and performance.

However, once Priscilla joined the script creation without any discussion, the two talented poets and playwrights initially didn’t get along well.

Like repelling forces of the same kind, they persistently used beautiful yet complex grammar to mock each other’s writing and ideas.

This slowed down the creative process.

But subsequently, they both came to genuinely appreciate each other’s literary talents, albeit reluctantly through their words.

”They’re almost friends now.”

Geralt, who was staying with them at the Kingfisher Tavern, described their current relationship this way.

At first, Dudu didn’t look too pleased, as he initially intended to pursue Priscilla.

But those negative emotions soon disappeared, as he wasn’t really hung up on her.

After all, the way he tried to attract Priscilla’s attention using Dandelion’s appearance and talents made one wonder if he truly cared for her at all.

In the Magic Middle Ages’ view on love, they generally distinguished strongly between lust and love.

Take Geralt as an example: If Geralt wanted to merely satisfy his desires and slept with a woman, Yennefer, tangled with him for ages, might watch with great interest from the side, or even join in with a smile.

In short, they didn’t really mind.

But if Geralt happened to show genuine affection towards any woman, Yennefer definitely wouldn’t be in a good mood and might even zap Geralt with a lightning spell.

Lust could be casual, but love needed seriousness.

However, Lann couldn’t fully separate the two.

And as for Dudu, he chased girls under someone else’s face, which was likely not out of love; moreover, he hadn’t been in contact with Priscilla for long anyway.

So when he decided to give up, he seemed more laid-back.

The script was still in creation, but Lann had already taken a step ahead, starting to handle his business handover issues with Dudu.

Switching to a professional manager was not as simple as uttering a word and signing a document.

He needed to give Dudu the authority to move funds in his accounts, provide him with ledgers, and offer stock information to show what his management entailed.

All these involved complex financial operations, put simply: a trip to the bank was necessary.

Luckily, the Kingfisher Tavern was very close to Master’s Square, where there was a large Dwarf Bank, the Vivaldi Bank.

Dudu and Lann left the tavern, and after descending the stone steps at the entrance, it took them less than five minutes to walk to the bank’s vicinity.

Passing through the bustling Master’s Square.

”There’s one good thing about living here.”

Dudu said as he quickened his pace, though his quickened steps only made Lann walk not like in slow motion.

”What?”

Lann tugged at his hooded cloak, asking.

It was a new cloak, as the previous one had been ruined when chasing Dudu and bumping into a vendor, who was angered and slapped it with an eel. Once the eel’s body slime dried, it became quite disgusting, so Lann replaced it.

”At least there aren’t any Eternal Fire missionaries standing on boxes by the roadside, babbling nonsense.”

Dudu said, scornfully.

”They usually appear in the Bizi District or other southern poor areas of Novigrad.”

”Standing on boxes, preaching to the gathered, struggling poor... preaching, but everyone knows what it really is.”

Dudu made a deliberately exaggerated, compassionate expression, even extending a hand as if to soothe the world’s wounds.

This was probably the daily demeanor of those missionaries.

”Instead of persuading others to believe in the Eternal Fire, it’s more about making the already struggling poor think their miserable lives are all due to non-human races and monsters. Then, the Eternal Fire fights these entities, naturally gaining the poor’s belief.”

”Sounds like you’ve had some bad experiences with missionaries.”

Lann raised a brow under his hood.

”Absolutely!” Dudu spoke frankly, ”I was just passing by, and that missionary saw me. He openly claimed right in front of me that I, a Half-Elf trader, cheated humans out of their money.”

”At the time, I didn’t dare say anything, even when he pointed at my nose and cursed. Because the crowd surrounding him... the way they looked at me, made me think I was back surviving in the wilderness. Honestly, I was terrified. Almost escaped to get away.”

”But here, at Master’s Square, Novigrad’s most upscale and profitable market, the Eternal Fire Church, for the sake of city finances, at least wouldn’t station obnoxious missionaries here.”

”Well then, gentlemen, follow me.”

Lann and Dudu had reached the other side of Master’s Square, where Vimo Vivaldi called to them loudly and welcomed them into the bank.

This is a typical dwarf banker, adorned in gold and silver, unlike his rugged, free-spirited, and dirty peers known for their forging skills and ore mining.

Only his stout body and the lush white beard that drops to his chest are the universal traits of a dwarf.

Because Lann has considerable assets and was prearranged by Dudu, this branch manager of Vivaldi Bank in Novigrad came out to welcome him.

Walking into the bank, there were many long tables with people working intently beside them.

There were young humans and dwarves whose ages were difficult to discern, all busy transcribing rows of figures and symbols onto parchment, each with their heads down, lips slightly parted.

The work looks intensely monotonous, yet everyone is fully absorbed.

The lead banker walked into his office, carefully closed the door, smoothed his white beard, and adjusted the silk coat that barely covered his large belly.

”Welcome, Duke Lann, and my old friend, Dudu Bieberwitt.”

He sat behind a mahogany desk groaning under the weight of mountain-like piles of scrolls.

”You may remove your hood, Duke. Shilton has briefed me and given the heads up.”

There are three major dwarf banking families: Giancardi, Vivaldi, and Zion Fanreni.

Competition is rare among them; after all, holding such a significant share in a human-dominated financial world is no small feat.

Lann obediently removed his hood and sat more comfortably in the chair.

”Shilton, that young fellow, left a deep impression on me. When he wanted to venture out from his family bank, I told him he had guts.”

Vimo Vivaldi first used their mutual acquaintance to strengthen their relationship.

”Please don’t blame him, Duke. After all, he’s just a young dwarf, not yet thirty. Investing is uncertain for anyone.”

Lann thought of Shilton and his big red beard, scratching his chin silently.

”No, I don’t blame him. In fact, he was overly sensitive and insisted on resigning from my position as professional manager.”

”Ah, that’s good to hear. Shilton’s uncle went through a lot of effort to reach out to me, asking me to explain things on his behalf.”

Vimo Vivaldi nodded, then struggled to pull out a pair of gold-rimmed glasses from his tight coat pocket and put them on.

He began searching the mountain of scrolls on the table.

Soon, he pulled out a thick scroll of several dozen sheets of parchment bound together like a flimsy book and handed it across the table to Lann.

”These are the equity transfer documents and banking information Shilton handed over.”

Lann skimmed through it, and Mentos quickly recalled the information from the account books, matching perfectly with the thick scroll’s contents.

Vivaldi Bank had fully transferred this information.

Lann rotated the thick scroll a quarter turn in his hands and directed it to Dudu beside him.

”Now, this is your job.”

”Of course.” Dudu took the thick scroll without hesitation.

”Great, great.” Vimo Vivaldi removed his glasses. ”Dudu, I’ve always admired you. The last venture’s failure was nothing; see, now you’re back up again.”

”Now you’re getting involved in some real big deals, and who knows, it might take you even higher.”

”Thank you for your blessing, old Vimo.”

Dudu responded while browsing through the information in his hands.

”I must say, my predecessor indeed had a vision. The equities and assets he acquired were excellent. If he hadn’t been too hasty, they would’ve surely profited.”

”I always said, that kid from the Giancardi family had guts.”

The dwarf banker adjusted his beard and commented with a hint of satisfaction.

Then he turned his attention to the Demon Hunter.

”Honorable Duke, the rupture in your financial chain isn’t a major issue. Given these premium assets, our Vivaldi Bank can easily patch up the gap for you.”

”We’ll give you the lowest friendship rate on interest. Trust me, even the Vizimir Royal Capital would envy these loan terms.”

I knew it.

Lann thought to himself.

His financial chain rupture seemed perilous, and within a few days, he would essentially be bankrupt. Yet, many were eager to offer him loans.

Some beg and plead at banks just to get a little money, but for valuable clients, banks hope to be the ones they borrow from.

Because that’s the source of a bank’s influence.

But Lann didn’t want to be entangled in the complex web of banking and financial forces, so he took a bill of exchange from the Alchemy Pouch at his back waist.

He placed the bill on the table, pushing it towards Vimo Vivaldi.

”I appreciate your kind offer, but I’m not accustomed to owing money.”