Chapter 692: Gringotts' Secret
Chapter 692: Gringotts' Secret
After reading the newspaper Rose Crystal had brought in, Liam rarely mocked the two Goblins across from him. However, before the two Goblins, who looked like they were about to explode, could ask, Derek curiously inquired, “Commander, what happened?”
“Take a look at these newspapers. I really didn’t know that the Goblins’ independence and freedom were so superficial,” Liam said, passing the newspaper to Derek, then chatting with Rose Crystal.
In front of these Guerrilla Fighters, Liam didn’t hide Rose Crystal’s presence. On one hand, she had played a significant role in previous operations, making it hard to completely conceal her. On the other hand, he always considered Rose Crystal as family, and this was a good opportunity to let her act openly.
Liam found that Rose Crystal’s appearance indeed surprised the Guerrilla Fighters, but only briefly. Later, he learned that to these Guerrilla Fighters, it was expected for an Alchemical Master like Liam to create a Puppet with its own consciousness. As Wizards with little knowledge of Alchemy, they saw Rose Crystal as no different from the Sorting Hat, just with a different appearance.
This made the elaborate explanation Liam had prepared about Rose Crystal’s origins completely unnecessary. However, in a way, Rose Crystal had unexpectedly and smoothly integrated into this world.
Derek quickly finished reading the newspapers, his face showing surprise. However, he didn’t say anything and passed the newspaper to the next person. A few minutes later, everyone in the tent had seen the contents of the newspaper.
“How is this possible?” Finally, they handed the newspaper to the two Goblins. After reading it, the two Goblins widened their eyes simultaneously, and the newspaper slipped from their hands and fell to the ground. “How could Gringotts issue such an order? Have they gone mad?”
On the floor, whether it was the British Wizardry Gazette issued in Hogsmeade or the Daily Prophet from London, the front pages all featured the same headline in bold, black letters: “Gringotts Announces Cooperation with London Ministry of Magic to Seize and Confiscate All Wealth of Those Resisting in Hogsmeade.”
The Wizards present didn’t react much. Wizards who had fallen to this state mostly didn’t come from ancient magical clans, so they had little savings in Gringotts. For them, even if Gringotts confiscated their deposits, the loss wouldn’t be significant. Additionally, having grown up in the Muggle world, they didn’t find anything wrong with confiscating enemy funds during wartime.
However, this news was unbearable for the Goblins, especially for extremists like Ragnuk and Gnogk. It meant that the neutral Gringotts had finally been controlled by the Death Eaters, the worst-case scenario they had feared. All their previous preparations seemed futile.
The two Goblins hugged each other and wept, partly because as extremists, they couldn’t accept this reality, and partly because it rendered their sacrifices meaningless. Their future now seemed bleak and dark.
“How could the Goblins suddenly surrender?” Hermione, sitting next to Liam, asked him through the Phoenix Mark. “After all, the Goblins in Britain have staged so many rebellions. Why would they so easily accept the Death Eaters’ orders this time?”
“I think there might be two reasons,” Liam explained through the Phoenix Mark after glancing at the two Goblins hugging and weeping and the murmuring Wizards, ensuring they hadn’t noticed him.
“First, after such a long war, the Goblins are quite different from what they used to be. Just as Wizards lost their fighting spirit during prolonged peace, the same applies to Goblins. Even if they tried to preserve their fighting spirit, the long period of peace eventually eroded their willingness to fight to the death.”
“Of course, this is also related to the actions of the Wizards,” Liam pointed out a key point. “After multiple Goblin Rebellions, Gringotts became the only financial institution in Britain and Western Europe. By 1865, the Ministry of Magic even allowed the Goblins to fully control Gringotts. With Gringotts, which controlled the finances of Britain and Europe, the Goblins’ resistance spirit was significantly eroded by their newfound wealth. Additionally, through their monopoly in the financial sector, the Goblins gained the power they had long desired, reducing their conflicts with Wizards.”
"You’re right", Hermione immediately thought of certain knowledge. "Gringotts might not be as old as we think. Banks only become necessary when the economy reaches a certain level. So, I even suspect that the establishment of Gringotts might have been related to Wizards trying to Calmgoblins."
"More accurately, one of the main reasons Wizards allowed Goblins to control Gringotts was to Calmgoblins and reduce their fighting spirit", Liam replied. "This is also why the Dark Lord was able to seize control of Gringotts through intimidation this time."
"Then what’s the other reason?" Hermione asked curiously. "You mentioned that the Goblins are cooperating with the Dark Lord for two reasons. You’ve given one, but what’s the other?"
"The other reason is the Chinese ritualists' bank opening a branch in Hogsmeade. Of course, to localize it, Xiong Guangsu suggested naming it something like the British Wizarding Bank and might reduce their shareholding further."
"That sounds like a good idea, but it doesn’t seem to have much to do with our discussion!" Hermione said, puzzled.
"Oh, it does", Liam turned to Hermione with a smile and continued through the Phoenix Mark. "Gringotts has always had a monopoly in Britain and in areas influenced by the British Wizarding World. This monopoly not only brought them money but also power. Now, a competitor has been introduced to Britain."
"Due to the Dark Lord’s threats, the Goblins can’t come to Hogsmeade to compete and drive the future British United Wizarding Bank out of Britain. For them, the only way to eliminate the threat of competition and protect their wealth and power is to fully align with the Dark Lord and use his strength to eliminate us."
"What about American Gringotts?" Hermione asked, confused. "Didn’t we find out recently that American Gringotts is one of the most important financial backers of the Death Eaters? Wouldn’t they come to the aid of Gringotts?"
"Impossible. Although American Gringotts still carries the Gringotts name, they are two completely independent banks", Liam explained, sharing information he had learned from the Weasley Twins. As a large clan in the Wizarding World, many Weasley family members had immigrated to North America and were well-informed about the American wizarding world.
"Don’t forget, one of the most important backers of the Death Eaters is American Gringotts. Unlike here, the controllers of American Gringotts are their Magical Congress, and their actions often represent the will of the American Wizarding World. For example, their funding of British Pureblood families is actually aimed at weakening the British Wizarding World and, by extension, the European wizarding world, to gain leadership in the Western wizarding world."
"Of course, with Professor Dumbledore still alive and, to be frank, my rise to power, the Americans don’t want to get directly involved. Just like in the two World Wars, they hope to make us fight each other using money and resources, and then step in to take control once we’re all weakened."
"That’s why you destroyed those manors, right?" Hermione realized. "You’re creating bad debts for the American wizards, making them suffer continuous losses."
"Exactly. The total destruction of manors and plantations means the money they lent out will never be recovered. Once the losses reach a certain point, the American Wizarding World will likely choose to cut their losses. Given their goals, they don’t want to get too deeply involved, let alone be drawn into this war", Liam nodded in agreement.
(End of Chapter)
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