Biohazard Village was definitely inspired by the ideas of Biohazard 4, and the new game contextualized these ideas in such a way that now when I revisit BIO4, I look at things from a new perspective that I hadn't even thought about before.
A merchant is one of those things.
The Duke was acknowledged by the game as the only merchant in the entire village. He had business meetings with Lady Dimitrescu, so her wine was known outside the village. He sold ethyl alcohol and other necessities to the villagers. He could have sold the sniper rifle to that luthier, since he had to save his daughter from "Dracula" or at least avenge her.
In other words, all logistics worked through the Duke, and he did not work for free. Even his motto is "Money respects the right" in French. And that's why people and those in power had money to pay. And this is the way how Lycans and Miranda in the form of crows could have savings.
Now when I think about the BIO4 merchant, I think he was selling things and weapons to the cult in the same way. Probably, he even sold things to a greater extent, since the Spanish village did not have a metallurgical plant to produce something itself. And it's completely natural for me that Ganados could have savings too. Unlike Lycans, they could use them even after turning into "zombies".
Of course, the merchant and the Duke serve no one. They are completely neutral, and neither of the two cults does anything about it, because they are useful to them, and also because they are not human, so they can probably stand up for themselves.
