Imagine if assistants were cheap or free with subscription.

Banks already sound and smell like a barnyard- now add a personal NPC for every player, too.

Seeing whereas they are a not-very-useful vanity item, I'm glad they are priced so high. I don't want bankers and traders spamming me with interaction buttons I can't use every few steps.

So, maybe the high price isn't just about a money grab, but keeping the game from being flooded with useless NPCs.