"No, there'd be no profit in that. Sure, we could earn something from a fixed fee, but it wouldn't be enough to make ends meet. I've got thousands of employees to feed, you know? Besides, I don't think the upstart merchants and small businesses would appreciate a fixed cost."
I nodded, taking in her words.
It made sense in a way.
A fixed fee might have been easier to manage, but it would have also alienated the smaller merchants who couldn't afford to pay it upfront.
By taking a percentage, Clara ensured that everyone paid their share according to their means, which allowed her to extract as much value as possible from each transaction.
It was a system that might come off as manipulative and greedy, but in the end, it was necessary to maintain some semblance of order in this place.
The bridge was the lifeline of the academy, and without someone like Clara managing it, chaos could easily erupt.
