Chapter 16: Financial Advisor

"Lord Eddard, I am very happy to be at your service."

In the study of Winterfell, Klar, the financial steward from Braavos, wore a silver-white silk robe, a pure gold necklace around his neck, and bracelets on his hands made of emerald, mother of pearl, agate, and ivory, which were exceptionally brilliant.

Klar was in his thirties, with a thick head of black hair, a lean build, and eyes filled with smiles. Klar had been recommended to Eddard by Wyman Manderly, and he had worked for many years at the Braavos Iron Bank and the Tyroshi Trading Company, possessing rich experience.

Eddard gestured for Klar to sit down, "The journey was hard; did you have a smooth trip?"

Klar sat elegantly on a soft black bear-skin chair.

"We took a ship from Braavos to White Harbor, and the journey was smooth. The road from White Harbor to the Winter Town was also smooth; however, when we reached the bustling area of the Winter Town, we encountered a thief. Thanks to the protection of Syrio Forel, he caught the thief, otherwise, I would have lost a sum of Gold Dragons."

Only then did Eddard notice Klar's bodyguard, who was short and lean, with a hooked nose, a large bald head, a white top covered by black leather armor, and black breeches.

"It is clear that Syrio Forel is an excellent Warrior."

Syrio Forel nodded to Eddard in greeting, and Klar said, "Syrio Forel served as the First Sword under the Sealord of Braavos for nine years. He is also a top-tier Water Dancer; his agility and grace make all the assassins of Braavos pale in comparison."

Winterfell needed excellent warriors, so Eddard said, "Syrio, will you continue to serve Klar?"

Syrio Forel shrugged, "I am afraid I do not have that honor. Klar only hired me to escort him to Winterfell. We set out from Braavos, and now the journey has ended."

Eddard said, "What are your plans?"

Syrio Forel said, "I intend to go to Gulltown or King's Landing to take a look. Wealthy merchants and nobles gather there, and I can seek a position there."

"Are you interested in staying in Winterfell?" Eddard extended an invitation, "Winterfell is not far from White Harbor, and White Harbor is the closest Westeros city to Braavos. If you are here, you are very close to your homeland."

Syrio Forel said, "May I ask what I would specifically be doing?"

Eddard said, "Join the Winterfell guard, protect my family, and of course, you can also teach my children swordsmanship."

Currently, the training of Winterfell's ward Domeric, Theon, the bastard Jon, and Robb was all under the responsibility of Ser Rodrik Cassel. However, the Winterfell master-at-arms often needed to help Jory Cassel drill the newly recruited soldiers in the Winter Town, and sometimes it was inevitable that the children's training would be delayed.

Syrio Forel could just happen to share the training tasks of Rodrik Cassel.

Syrio Forel nodded in agreement.

"I cannot refuse the invitation of Duke Eddard. I am willing to serve Winterfell and House Stark." Subsequently, Syrio Forel drew his sword and knelt, swearing loyalty to Eddard.

Eddard helped Syrio Forel up, "I promise that you will always have a place in my halls."

Eddard called for the steward of Winterfell, Vayon Poole, and had him arrange a room for Syrio Forel.

After the door closed, Eddard turned to Klar. Eddard decided to interrogate this Braavosi thoroughly; after all, once Klar was officially hired, it meant handing over the economic plans and bills of Winterfell and even the entire North to the foreigner before him to manage.

"Mr. Klar, Lord Wyman recommended you. I hear you have rich experience in finance and economics?"

In his letter to Eddard, Wyman Manderly had listed some of Klar's work experience, but Eddard decided it was better to ask in person.

Klar toyed with a ring on his hand, the sapphire on it sparkling.

"Lord Eddard, I worked at a trading company in Tyrosh when I was 16. Three years later, I returned to Braavos and became an employee under the Iron Bank. I have been doing this for twenty years."

"What specific achievements do you have?" Experience was certainly valuable, but Eddard firmly believed that one could not look at experience alone. Some soldiers remained soldiers until their beards turned white and could never become commanders.

A confident smile bloomed on Klar's face, "I have completed many loan and deposit businesses for the Iron Bank. My clients are spread across the Nine Free Cities and the Seven Kingdoms. The most famous among them is your King! Whether it was King Robert or the Mad King Aerys, both have had business with me."

"Of course, besides the King, I have other clients, such as the Archon of Tyrosh, the Magister of Pentos, Lord Gyles of Rosby, and Duke Renly. By the way, I also have a client in the North, who is our brave good Knight of Bear Island, Lord Jorah Mormont."

Eddard said gloomily, "Jorah Mormont has already fled because he committed a crime, and I have already stripped him of his lands and titles."

It was as if Klar had been punched in the face, "What? My sincere apologies, Duke Eddard. Bear Island is thousands of mountains and rivers away from Braavos, and my information is very poorly informed. Actually, I am not familiar with Jorah Mormont; I only represented the Iron Bank in lending him money, nothing more. What crime did he commit?"

Eddard said, "Jorah Mormont sold poachers to slave traders to make money. The North has always had zero tolerance for human traffickers. Raiders among the Wildlings, Ironborn, and Rockborn often abduct women and children. If a lord also buys and sells people, the population of the vast and sparsely populated North will shrink further."

Klar touched his chest exaggeratedly, "Just selling people. I once worried that Ser Jorah would take the Iron Bank's loan and raise an army to challenge the rule of Winterfell!"

Eddard said, "We can end the topic of Ser Jorah. Klar, you served at the Iron Bank for so many years, why did you resign later?"

Klar looked aggrieved, "My business ability was outstanding, but I was not favored by the management of the Iron Bank. They thought I acted too high-profile and dressed too gorgeously, which ran counter to the pragmatic traditions of the Iron Bank. Should I have dressed in the rags of your Westeros Night's Watch to negotiate business? The management was clearly targeting me."

Eddard was puzzled, "You resigned just because of this?"

Klar curled his lips, "The Iron Bank ranks its envoys every year, and the first place is rewarded with a mansion. My ranking often hovered in second or third place. I remember at the end of that year, I was ranked second, and my performance was not much different from the first-place Gonpos. To surpass him, I privately helped a slave trader from Lys complete a loan."

"Braavos is the descendant of slaves who escaped Valyria. The residents of the Secret City have a deep hatred for the slave trade. As the largest port in the known world, Braavos welcomes everyone except slave traders. Braavos not only bans the slave trade in its own city but also relies on its powerful naval strength to force Pentos to abandon slavery—although some powerful wealthy merchants and Magisters still keep slaves in secret."

"My performance surpassed Gonpos, and I got the Iron Bank's reward as I wished, obtaining the key to the mansion. On the first night when I brought my family to move into the luxurious residence, we were feasting and celebrating when a group of the Sealord's soldiers broke in and arrested me. The matter of me lending money to slave traders was exposed. I suspect it was Gonpos who reported me, the shameless villain!"

"I lost my job and was kicked out by the Iron Bank. I had to rely on my family spending a huge sum of money to redeem myself and gain freedom. In recent years, I have relied on working as a money changer and insurance agent at the port of Braavos to make money."

Eddard pondered for a long time, "Do you regret the matter of lending money to slave traders?"

"Absolutely not." Klar said indifferently, "I love money and will stop at nothing to earn it; I admit that. But I am not as hypocritical as the people in power at the Iron Bank or Braavos. They claim to be descendants of escaped slaves and hate the slave trade, yet they still lend money to Volantis, to Lys, to Tyrosh and Myr; these are all slave-holding city-states."

"Is there any difference between this and lending money to slave traders? In fact, a few days after I was accused of lending money to slave traders, the Iron Bank lent a large sum of money to the Governor of Lys, and this money would be re-lent to slave traders once it reached Lys. It is just because the upper-class figures of Braavos have earned enough money and sit on mountains of gold and silver that they begin to use morality to restrict the lower-class people from doing this or that."

A capable but refined scoundrel; cooperating with such a person was often a risk. Eddard discovered that when he announced the town expansion, he had already embarked on a path of risk. A large number of Winterfell's Gold Dragons had been spent, the massive accounts needed management, and tens of thousands of people outside Winterfell needed to eat. Before winter arrived, he had to accumulate enough wealth and grain.

Eddard handed the account sheets for the Salt Farming Plan, the Beehive Plan, and the Land Expansion Military Farming Plan to Klar.

"From now on, you are my financial advisor, responsible for the account management of the Winter Town and helping me formulate economic policies. Lord Wyman recommended you, and I believe his judgment will not be wrong."

(End of chapter)