"Loans followed you even after death, the world is cruel and capitalist." Aenar Targaryen after seeing the debt his family had.
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Hearing Oberyn's words, many had strange expressions.
"They dare to collect the debt?" One of the nobles asked incredulously.
"How dare they not? Those damn bankers are more evil than the cannibals of the north." Another man replied with a sarcastic tone.
"For the cannibals left the bones, but the Iron Bank will suck even their bones to sell to so strange sorcerer in Essos." A man next to him also spoke sarcastically.
Aenar was also surprised, he really hadn't expected the Iron Bank to dare to collect debts! What did lending money to the Iron Bank have to do with him? He hadn't even borrowed a gold coin!
However, Aenar looked at Oberyn and said with a curious tone. "Go and bring the envoy from the Iron Bank."
Aenar was really curious if the Iron Bank would transfer Robert's debts to him. If that was the case, he would have to teach the Iron Bank that he was not soone weak who was easily intimidated.
A few minutes later, a middle-aged man appeared before them all. The man had a narrow face with dark eyes and a long, thin beard that almost reached his waist.
Curiously, he wore a three-tiered, brimless hat made of purple felt, sober purple robes with ermine details and a high, stiff collar.
Aenar's first impression of the man was that he seed courteous and polite, although his appearance suggested that he was sowhat stingy and greedy.
"It's a pleasure to et you, Your Grace." He spoke the Common Tongue fluently, with only a slight accent, which was easily forgotten. "I am the Envoy of the Iron Bank of Braavos, Tycho Nestoris."
"Welco to Westeros, Noble Tycho Nestoris." Aenar said with a smile as he looked at the man with a curious gaze. "Forgive for not welcoming you to the Red Keep. As you can see, I'm rather busy."
"There's no need to apologize, Your Grace, your ti is precious and I'm just a daring commoner who wants to talk to the king." Tycho spoke in a polite and elegant tone, not at all like the greedy and rude prejudice that the nobles of Westeros had about bankers.
"I'm curious, what are you doing in Westeros?" Aenar asked directly. Although talking to the man was interesting, he had more important things to do than talk to an irrelevant man.
"I have co to collect King Robert's and Your Grace's debts." Tycho bowed and said in a respectful tone, not showing any arrogance or even any dissatisfaction at seeing Aenar hurrying to end the conversation.
Aenar's eyes widened slightly. In two lifetis, this was the first ti he had been charged!!!
It wasn't just Aenar who was surprised by Tycho's words, all the nobles present looked at the man with expressions of disbelief. Who was Aenar? A Conqueror King who rode a huge dragon comparable to Balerion (Just their impression, Caraxes is still so way off catching up with Balerion).
"Didn't he see the dragon outside the tent?" One of the Stormland nobles whispered with a surprised expression. "Isn't he afraid of becoming dragon food?"
"Especially at this ti, when the king has just defeated King Robert and is at the height of his prestige and pride. Anyone who dares to cause trouble is asking to be killed."
"He must be mad." These were the thoughts of everyone present. They already thought Joffrey was the height of insanity, but Tycho quickly beca bold and foolish, surpassing even Joffrey.
"You really surprised , Noble Tycho." Aenar laughed and showed no dissatisfaction. After all, it was normal to collect a debt. "But I don't rember asking the Iron Bank for so much as a gold coin."
Seeing that the king wasn't offended, Tycho felt that the chances of getting what the Iron Bank wanted without having to use other drastic asures were slightly high.
After all, if he could resolve everything peacefully, Tycho would be relieved and the Iron Bank would be even more so. No one wants to be an enemy of House Targaryen with dragons, it was sheer stupidity, especially with a king as remarkable and young as Aenar.
The Iron Bank wanted to maintain good relations, as it felt that Aenar's reign would be long, just like the Old King.
"That is correct, Your Grace." He said with a calm look. "But Kings Aegon V and Aerys II could borrow. In the case of King Aegon V, he died before paying off the debt and King Aerys borrowed even more money."
Aenar finally understood why he owed money to the Iron Bank. It wasn't he who owed money, but House Targaryen. His great-grandfather and grandfather hadn't paid and since they were both dead and he was the new head of House Targaryen, the debt fell to him.
"I see." Aenar nodded and showed interest. "How much do I owe?"
Tycho opened his tunic and took out a parchnt from his chest, but didn't approach to hand it over. Instead, he waited for Leda to approach and handed it to her, who passed it on to Aenar.
Opening the parchnt, Aenar saw the amount he owed. Curiously, there was no interest; he guessed that the Iron Bank wanted to maintain good relations with him and didn't ask for the accrued interest.
Sothing he was grateful for. Nearly fifty years' interest was a terrible thing, especially with the small amount of money written on the parchnt.
"1.9 million golden dragons." When Aenar said the number, many people's eyes widened and they took a deep breath.
What was the concept of 1.9 million golden dragons? That wasn't modern-era paper bills. It was gold mixed with a few other tals, but mainly composed of gold. For this reason, the coins of Westeros were highly valued even in Essos.
Gold extracted from the Gold Mines of the Westlands was the main material for the coins. That's why there was a saying in Westeros that Tywin Lannister shat gold.
"What about House Baratheon's debt?" Aenar asked curiously, sothing Tycho answered by handing another scroll to Leda, who consequently handed it to Aenar.
"7.9 million Gold Dragons." Hearing the horrifying number coming from Aenar's lips, the nobles showed horrified expressions.
Even Oberyn, who was used to perks and luxury, showed a shocked expression.
"King Robert borrowed every month." Tycho spoke with a respectful tone.
"Why did you borrow so much money?" Oberyn asked what everyone wanted to ask at that mont.
"Lord Tywin's reputation is quite useful in the Iron Bank." Tycho replied with a helpless look, especially when he looked at Aenar, who had Tywin as a captive at the mont.
Everyone looked at Cersei, who wanted to run away at that mont. When she heard that terrible number, she simply wanted to run away and never see the envoy from the Iron Bank again.
Aenar looked amused at the whole situation, he didn't think anything was wrong, after all it was normal to collect money and since the Iron Bank didn't charge him interest, he was in a good mood.
"My family's debt will be paid, Noble Tycho." Aenar said with a casual tone. "I'll have the money sent from Volantis to Braavos. All 1.9 million Golden Dragons."
When Aenar said that he would pay his debt as casually as if it were a small, insignificant debt, the nobles finally realized how rich the young king was. Everyone looked at the king with a warm gaze, as if they were looking at a beautiful woman.
The smile on Tycho's face brightened as he listened to Aenar's words. It was the first ti he had co to collect money and things had been so easy. He had once spent two months trying to collect debts before he finally received the money.
Having a client like Aenar, who didn't hesitate to pay his debts, was refreshing, to say the least.
"Your generosity will not be forgotten by the Iron Bank, Your Grace." Tycho bowed and spoke with a genuine tone of respect.
"You know I'm not going to pay House Baratheon's debts, right?" Aenar said, looking at Tycho's expression.
Tycho nodded and spoke with a still respectful tone. "We are not idiots for placing the debt of another Noble House, Your Grace."
"For that reason, I would like to talk to Lord Tywin and Lord Stannis in private." Tycho said as he looked at Stannis, who was the second son of House Baratheon and the current heir upon Robert's death.
Everyone looked at Stannis with sympathy, for the first ti in Westeros, they were happy not to be heirs to a Great House like House Baratheon.
"I allow it, but Lord Tywin must be supervised at all tis so that he doesn't run away." Aenar had no reason to stop this from happening. He even wanted to see Tywin's expression when he heard the enormous debt he owed. After all, although Robert enjoyed the money, the guarantor was Tywin himself.
"Thank you, Your Grace." Tycho bowed once more and thanked him with a sincere tone. As half of his mission had gone completely smoothly, even if it was impossible to receive all the money from House Baratheon and Lannister, he wouldn't be reprimanded when he returned.
After saying this, Tycho bade the king a warm farewell and left imdiately with Stannis, who had a grim, horrified expression.
Everyone looked sympathetically at Stannis, but no one even stood up to help the man, even the Storm Lords. When it ca to money, there was no friendship or brotherhood.
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