Chapter 1428 - 1393: Taxation

"First, I want to know if there have been any letters for me during this time?"

Tearing her gaze away from the familiar and amusing interaction between Lann and Ciri, Yennefer turned to ask the Dwarf Banker.

"No... It seems like you truly are good friends with Lann, Yennefer. We used to discuss these things privately."

Molnar took out several cups from his cabinet, lined them up, and then poured red wine into each one, distributing them among the adults in the office.

He first assured himself of Yennefer’s attitude, receiving a confirming nod before continuing.

"Recently, no new letters have arrived, but for the last few letters, I used the old channels to send them out."

"Though there are no letters, there are people interested in your correspondence..." The Dwarf Banker tugged at his large gold chain, "and at the Vivaldi Bank branch in Wenger Castle, they tipped me off."

"They mentioned someone investigating your financial flows and the destination of the letters. There is a teller there who isn’t clean-handed. You know, in banking, it’s inevitable for subordinates to cause problems."

"Surely not surprising, but where is that teller now?"

Yennefer sipped her wine calmly, asking.

"He got drunk on a rainy day and broke his neck in a drainage ditch, truly tragic." Molnar lamented, "He died too quickly, too abruptly."

Shilton took the wine glass handed over by his uncle, speaking without surprise.

"But we can’t blame anyone, considering who knows if that teller grasped some other internal affairs of the Vivaldi Bank?"

"It’s understandable for them to act early."

The Red-bearded Dwarf, despite having left the family bank for his own career, and turned to the Valerian Commerce Association.

But after all, coming from a banking family heritage, even now, he feels at home dealing with the Giancardi Bank as the director of the Valerian Commerce Association.

Not long ago, he unapologetically entered the Giancardi Bank, wanting to use a guest room as a meeting place to chat with Lann.

Thus, these banking intricacies discussed by Molnar were all clear to Shilton.

"But it’s not important." Lann first stepped over Ciri’s small stool, reaching for the wine glass passed over from Shilton, then returned to his original position, relaxing against the wall.

His face bore a smile of unsurprising expectation.

"I can probably guess who those interested in tracking your correspondence are, even if the bank responded a bit slowly, they likely wouldn’t glean much information."

Yennefer’s voluptuous curves twisted out a splendid arc on the armchair, glancing at the Demon Hunter behind.

Lann raised his wine glass to her.

"Even Triss told me she’s been quite hassled by people. I imagine in this matter, you’re bound to attract more attention and persistence."

"Triss?" Yennefer’s eyebrows raised in surprise, "So the rumors between you are true? Oh, this is really big news."

Lann’s previously calm expression stiffened for a moment, and the young Ciri turned to Yennefer, then looked up, with an unmistakable smile at Lann.

This expression gave the young girl a bit of a gossip auntie vibe.

’This Female Warlock... Is now the time to care about this?’

The Demon Hunter grumbled inwardly.

Ciri’s identity, along with the political struggle it entangles, now resembles a deep vortex, stirring the already strained situation.

In situations originally requiring utmost attention and confidentiality, Yennefer’s first response was about Lann’s romantic affairs.

No wonder the young Demon Hunter’s mind was a bit out of sync, even Mentos couldn’t quite figure it out.

Lann’s lips moved, savoring the aftertaste of the Newcastle red wine with his lips and tongue.

"This matter?" The Dwarf Banker similarly savored the ambiguous phrasing, then nodded in agreement.

"Very well, if you’re indeed planning some kind of action, it’s best if fewer people know, as secrets can slip even among friends."

Speaking, he gestured with his wine glass: "If there’s anything needed, just speak up, but there’s no need to divulge the specifics of the plan."

"Look!" Shilton turned his head to Lann, lifting his chin and pointing his thumb at his uncle, "This is what Giancardi conduct is all about!"

"Oh." The Demon Hunter lightly nodded, "You indeed showed conduct when nearly bankrupting me before, Shilton."

Then the Red-bearded Dwarf deflated.

The stout and short Dwarf shrunk into the armchair, sipping his wine drop by drop.

Molnar nodded to his nephew, indeed the previous matter wasn’t significant, he could use some financial shift to settle it for his nephew.

But merely to curb his nephew’s edge after becoming the manager of the Valerian Commerce Association, he didn’t intervene.

It seems that Shilton has indeed become more stable recently.

"Your Grace..." Molnar opened his mouth and looked at Lann, who was leaning against the wall.

"Just call me Lann, I’m not that troublesome."

"Alright, Lann," the old banker smoothly agreed to the important client’s request to get closer. "I heard rumors that you went to the Giant Dragon Mountains and could have died out there."

"Many things want me dead," Lann stuck out his tongue and made a funny face, "but not many can do it. I’m not a reckless fool who charges blindly. It’s just that I often have business that requires me to disappear for a while."

"Rumors, gossip, no one can control them."

Molnar nodded in agreement.

"But you both returned to Gos Velen at this time... If I’m not mistaken, you’re both here for the meeting, right? Wizard Assembly?"

"Correct." Yennefer nodded emotionlessly.

"To decide the fate of the world?"

"Don’t exaggerate, Molnar."

"Rumors are rampant these days." The dwarf banker said coldly, "And things are happening everywhere."

"Tell me more." Lann interjected, holding his wine glass and shifting his shoulder against the wall to make his posture more relaxed, "As long as it’s nothing inconvenient."

"I suppose Yennefer is here for this too, after all, the banking industry can see many things... those facts hidden beneath reports and trend charts."

"Indeed, there’s much to talk about in our line of work." Molnar stroked his beard. "Since last year, the tax policies of various countries have been fluctuating strangely... Are you interested in this?"

"I don’t want to be an old dwarf who talks endlessly but only annoys people."

Lann didn’t show much, only raised his glass to the old dwarf: "Continue, Molnar."

"Head tax, winter camp tax, these military-collected taxes have directly doubled. Every merchant and entrepreneur must also pay the ’Grotish Tax’, a newly introduced tax item: for every Noble earned, one Grot must be paid."

The currencies between the Northern Countries are numerous, and the exchange rates are troublesome and ever-changing.

But there’s no choice; of course, a unified market and currency would be good, but if a country gives up its minting rights and control over currency, their domestic market would basically belong to others.

Noble and Grot are clearly another commonly used Northern currency, different from Oren Coin and Krona Coin.

This tax item is temporarily established on this currency.

Ciri, who grew up playing in the court, was educated by a few rough Demon Hunters as she grew up and later taken over by Female Warlocks, was now listening in a daze.

Lann glanced at her, guessing that the girl had already forgotten what she heard two seconds ago.

Yet she stubbornly pretended to be ’listening intently and participating in thought’.

And the ’strange fluctuations in tax policies’ that Molnar referred to continue.

"The head tax and chimney tax for dwarves, gnomes, elves, and half-elves have further increased, and if they engage in production and trade, they are forced to pay the ’Non-human Tax’, levied at one-tenth of income."

"In this way, 60% of my income is submitted to the Royal Family. Giancardi Bank and all its branches must pay at least six hundred Marks annually to the four major kingdoms."

Worried these complex currency conversions would be too much for the listeners, Molnar changed his wording.

"Put it this way, this figure is equivalent to a wealthy duke paying over three times the tax for all the properties under his name."

"That’s really..." Lann had an admiring expression, "It’s truly breathtaking. For someone like me with only a hollow reputation, I might never reach the title of ’wealthy duke’ in my lifetime."

"That’s because you’re not a duke who supports the family with traditional properties, my friend." At this point, Shilton perked up. "Let high property taxes go to hell! We are the new industries! Long live the new industries!"

The red-bearded dwarf raised his glass high, forming a stark contrast with his uncle opposite him, who sat in gloom.

"I never really cared about taxes before," Lann said doubtfully, "How is my tax rate calculated? Does a Demon Hunter count as Non-human Race? Are those industries taxed under my name?"

"You don’t need to worry about that at all." Shilton kept cheerfully talking.

He nodded apologetically to Yennefer beside him, then eagerly moved his chair with a few bumps to an angle at which he faced Lann diagonally.

"Valerian Commerce Association used your name and co-holds with Airetusa. Since two years ago, it has enjoyed noble tax reduction policies and exclusive tax exemptions from the Female Warlock Academy."

"The combination is extremely low. Although I don’t know how your current personal industry operates, as long as the person in charge isn’t stupid, there are indeed too many ways to legally avoid taxes."

Lann remembered Dudu, the shapeshifter managing his assets.

If he wanted, it would be very easy to use a human identity to avoid the ’Non-human Tax’.

Finding the shapeshifter really was the right choice.

Lann nodded with a bit of smugness.