Promise

Lina and Edward sat down in the office, introducing themselves.

Lina, at 18, owned a goldsmith's shop in Lübeck, with relatives running similar businesses in Amsterdam and Visby Island.

Edward, 20 years old, managed a stock exchange in Lübeck, with a brother who was a baron of Germany, owning both an estate and an army.

Both were pleased with each other's backgrounds.

Lina nodded thoughtfully. "Your condition is excellent, and you have remarkable ability. You came to Lübeck alone and built a fortune that soon outstrips even the wealth of those century-old families."

Edward sighed. "The Jews are formidable; you control the goldsmith shops and monitor every account, knowing who rises and who falls, keeping track of all the information."

Lina smirked. "That's why we Jews have never failed in marriage alliances. Not only has our power grown stronger, but our descendants are increasingly intelligent. If it weren't for the rule that Jews cannot be lords, we would have already ruled the world."

Edward's mood darkened as he thought back to his previous life, where the sparks of the Third World War were already beginning to emerge, and it was the Jews who seemed to be behind it.

These Jews aspired to become the gods of every nation, not just of the Beautiful Country, as they controlled 60% of the world's wealth.

Edward shifted the topic. "There's no need to dwell on the past. What else do we need to discuss?"

Lina then spoke. "I need to be sure that you'll love me forever. How can you guarantee that?"

Edward replied, "We will first nurture our feelings. I can promise you that as long as you do not betray me, I will never betray you. We will support each other and build our family together."

Lina continued, "I have a stipulation. Our first son can be a German, from the von Stein family. Our second son, however, must be Jewish, from the Rothschild family. The third son can be German again, but the fourth must be Jewish. Do you agree?"

Edward fell silent, contemplating the implications this would have on his future.

After a moment, he spoke, "I agree, but you must ensure equal love for all our children. Of course, I can promise the same for all of them."

Lina quickly responded, "Of course. I will never love my children less because of their surname. This is merely to continue the Rothschild bloodline and inherit the family's wealth."

Edward added, "I also have a condition. My stock exchange can coexist with your family's goldsmith shop. However, I still need to establish my bank, which will focus on investment banking, thus avoiding direct competition with your family."

Though Lina did not fully understand, she nodded as though she did.

"I will need your father to invest. I will offer him 50% of the shares, but he must help me provide capital, purchase a building, and staff it with professionals."

Lina hesitated, "This decision must be made with my father's approval. But I am very pleased with you. As long as my father agrees, we can form an alliance."

Edward nodded. "Let us go now and ask your father."

...

Edward and Lina traveled to the Jewish community's goldsmith shop, where Edward once again encountered Uncle Yosef.

Edward looked at the portly man with a sense of respect. He truly admired Yosef's decisiveness in using his own daughter as a bargaining chip to shift the dynamics, forcing Edward into a position where he could no longer easily discard him.

Edward had no choice but to accept Yosef's terms, as it was like an option contract—offering future promises to secure current gains.

Yet, Edward was no fool. The future was far away, and the inheritance would go to Lina, not directly to him.

Edward needed to secure real benefits for himself.

After listening to Edward and Lina's discussion, Uncle Yosef spoke, "So, you two young people have agreed on each other, and now all that remains is for you to marry?"

Edward nodded. "Yes, my bank will avoid traditional banking business and only focus on investment banking. I can guarantee your current interests. However, I need your help. I need you to invest 50%."

Uncle Yosef asked, "What kind of help do you need from me?"

"My bank currently holds contracts worth 40,000 gold coins, which can be used for equity. I need you to contribute 70,000 gold coins to buy a building in the city center, provide professional staff, and build an underground vault. I will manage the operations."

"That means I contribute 40,000 gold coins, you contribute 70,000, and I only own 50% of the shares?"

"Perhaps that's one way to look at it. This is your assistance as an elder. I will never forget your kindness. You can also view it as me giving up traditional banking business and not displacing you. That way, we form an alliance. Otherwise, we will become rivals."

"You still need to provide staff? Do you know how much professional training costs?"

"I'll pay the salaries myself. If you don't want to do that, I'll hire Germans. I thought Jews were supposed to stick together, helping each other, and leaving job opportunities for your people."

"Oh, so that's your thinking. Alright, I agree. From now on, we are allies."

"Uncle Yosef, you won't regret your investment today. I promise you that my investment bank will make a fortune, and every year, you will receive generous dividends."

"I believe in your ability. Since we're allies, you should also work on your relationship with my daughter and marry her as soon as possible, to give both your families an heir."

"I already like Lina very much."

...

With the alliance settled with Uncle Yosef, Lina wanted to live with Edward at his main base.

She had always disliked living in the Jewish community—being remote and facing discrimination.

If she could live in the city center, with her appearance, she could easily pass for a German girl.

"To increase our mutual understanding, I'll move in with you now." On the carriage, Lina gazed at Edward's light blonde hair, green eyes, and strong physique.

Edward, looking at the lively Lina, felt a heady, almost intoxicating sensation. This girl was now his fiancée.

In this era, 18 or 20 was an acceptable age for marriage. Looking ahead to the future, people would only marry at 30, or perhaps never marry at all.

The concept of marriage and childbirth was increasingly being delayed in the future, leading to a downward spiral for humanity.

Edward reflected on this. In the ancient world, families had children young, ensuring the survival and growth of their people.

Modern society, however, was suffering from a decrease in birth rates, leading to the eventual disappearance of entire civilizations.

Lina interrupted his thoughts, "What are you thinking?"

"I was pondering philosophical matters."

"What kind of philosophical matters?"

"I was thinking how fortunate I am to have a fiancée, especially one as beautiful as you."

"Hmm? What does that mean? Everyone gets married eventually."

"If you had ever experienced the consequences of a monopolized marriage market, where speculation drives up the price and essential needs are disregarded, you would understand how lucky we are to marry at such an age."

"But it's perfectly normal to marry at this age..."

"To you women, yes, it's normal. But to us men, life is a bit more tragic."

"From the moment we are born, we cry for our mother's embrace, gaining benefits from our cries. Then, we grow older and are told boys aren't supposed to cry, so the way to gain benefits is cut off."

"We are told that only being the best in our studies brings benefits, so we study hard, achieving first place in every exam. But soon, this benefit disappears, and graduation equals unemployment."

"We begin to pursue money, because fame can't be eaten. We strive for profit, but only earn a little."

"Eventually, we realize that only by making the rules can we earn more money, so we pursue power."

"When we finally hold the power and create rule after rule, only then can we make money easily, but we find that we are no longer young."

"Then we realize the falseness of the world, the malice in it. If we could marry at 18, it would be such a blessing."

"I don't quite understand what you're saying."

"I'm just reflecting how good things were in the past... Forget it, I promise to love you well. That's my vow."