Chapter 11: Getting Rich Without Taxing the Priviledges
The Grand Chamber of Saint Isidore’s Basilica in Madrid had not seen this many bishops gathered under its arched dome in decades.
Tall candlesticks lined the marble floor, casting flickering light on gold-trimmed cassocks and silver pectoral crosses. Incense hung heavy in the air, mingling with the whispers of clergymen trying to decipher why they had all been summoned.
At the front stood Lancelot, not in royal robes, but in a modest navy coat, the only insignia a golden pin of the Crown Trust Bank. He stood not as a king—but as a steward of reform.
"Gentlemen," he began, his voice even and polite, "the Crown invites you not to surrender—but to secure."
Eyes narrowed. A few cardinals exchanged glances.
Lancelot gestured toward the long mahogany table where a stack of documents lay neatly organized.
"The Sacred Investment Act is not a seizure. It is a safeguard. We offer the Church a vault built not of stone, but of principles: stability, security, and sanctity."
The Archbishop of Zaragoza leaned forward. "You ask us to deposit tithe and rental income? Into a bank you control?"
"We ask you to ensure the future of God’s wealth," Lancelot countered smoothly. "Gold locked in crypts and chests serves no one. But imagine your revenues earning 8% interest annually. Imagine cathedral expansions, charitable missions, and seminaries—funded by profits, not alms."
One bishop cleared his throat. "But the funds are bound for seven years."
"Because true growth," Lancelot said, "requires faith."