Chapter 114. The Black Curtain Behind the Stage (2)

My first meeting with the financial officer of Baron Olbia's family was shocking.

As soon as he saw me, the financial officer covered his mouth with both hands and stepped back.

Then he shouted loudly:

"Ba-Baron Fabio de Medici?"

I'm Baron Rothschild, not Medici.

It's only been a week since I officially changed my family name, so the information update seems to have been a bit late.

As a retainer serving nobility, that could be a capital offense depending on the time and place.

Still, I'll specially overlook it this time, being generous.

"Although it's been less than a week since I changed my family name, how can you confuse family names? I'm Baron Rothschild. The 1st Baron Rothschild, Fabio de Rothschild."

"As a financial officer, I clearly had an appointment to meet the chairman of the Triale Trading Company regarding purchasing necessary supplies for Baron Olbia's family. Why on earth are you here, Baron?"

The excuse itself is perfect enough that no one would doubt it.

Even if there's no set content, if he says he just came for a 'consultation', others wouldn't doubt it either.

Because it's as natural as drinking beer instead of water for a financial officer managing the entire family budget to meet the chairman of a trading company.

But it's laughable to someone who knows the inside story.

'You think I don't know that as a financial officer, you can't handle the debt because dignity maintenance costs are too high?'

I waved a copy of the bond I brought lightly.

The financial officer couldn't hide his shock at seeing it.

"Why is that in your hands, Baron? That's the bond I received when borrowing from Triale Trading Company..."

I just waved the bond, but the financial officer's face turned pale white.

As expected, there are things that communicate without speaking.

I didn't threaten with a knife, but it's more effective than threatening with a knife.

"What does that matter? The important thing is that I bestowed grace on you, Lucio."

Humans are beings that feel fear when seeing incomprehensible phenomena.

Thalassophobia, astrophobia, etc...

They tremble just imagining things beyond the realm they can perceive and watching videos of them taken in safe spaces.

But what if a monster that could take your life at any time shows incomprehensible behavior?

Since two scary things overlap, it can't help but be much more frightening.

I decided to give this friend a chance to ruminate on my grace.

"I heard you've been pressured to 'retire' even though it's not your retirement age since half a year ago. So the Triale Trading Company judged your value was running out and requested you pay more interest repayment. I heard you sold family treasures to repay that."

"How on earth do you know that?"

Roberto, who I planted in your baron's family, asked around for rumors well.

He gathered all sorts of gossip from Baron Olbia's messy lifestyle to his idiotic hobbies.

When I analyzed the gathered information using experts to see if it was true, high-quality information came into my hands.

"I don't need to tell you that. You wouldn't show your hand to anyone when playing card games like poker either, right? The important thing is this."

Here I deliberately paused and grinned.

"All the information you offered to Triale Trading Company came into my hands, and thanks to that, I was able to escape a crisis."

It's funny that I'm revealing secrets to this guy like a villain in TV revealing secrets the protagonist didn't know.

Usually when this happens, the villain gets re-educated by the protagonist and the story snowballs in the direction of the villain suffering because of that secret.

'But TV and reality are different.'

Moreover, that guy absolutely cannot leak anything about his dealings with me, no matter what happens.

If even a little of his entanglement with me is discovered, the entire clan of Financial Officer Lucio would be hanged.

'Who would spare someone who sold out the lord's family they're serving?'

Even the viscount who interfered with establishing my trading company, whose name I can't remember well now, 'died naturally' for committing acts that benefited 'another faction'.

He didn't even know that was betraying the Duke.

Also, seeing how he sold family secrets to another trading company just because of a little debt collection pressure.

That guy is definitely not someone who would sacrifice his life for his lord.

He's someone who would sell out his lord to live.

"So I paid 3 months of interest on your behalf. In fact, you didn't receive a dunning letter this month, did you?"

Hearing my words, Financial Officer Lucio froze in place.

Only his pupils were shaking as if a great earthquake had come.

"But if you refuse the proposal I'm about to make, a dunning letter will fly again in 2 months."

Cold sweat began to pour down Lucio's face.

At that rate, couldn't he shower with sweat?

"Anything, order me to do anything! I'll lick the soles of your shoes!"

I don't like having such a servile and conscienceless guy as my subordinate, but I'm grateful if someone who will leak information from another family is that type.

Because they'll take on all dirty and vile tasks if you just pay them properly.

"Hand over the family secrets."

"What secrets do you mean?"

"Doesn't every noble family have shocking secrets that would be extremely dangerous if revealed? Like tax embezzlement or assassination requests."

If you dig very deep and dark, there are even crazy people who sell their own subjects to infidels.

"If you bring information that satisfies me, I'll buy up this bond."

Hearing my words, Lucio tilted his head.

"As you know, I have quite a lot of money. So if you keep bringing me small but helpful information, I won't demand interest or principal on this bond for life."

This bond is for 1,000 gold coins, with 40% annual interest.

The interest is relatively cheap, but Lucio would still have to use all his annual income just to barely pay the interest.

But since nobles have to spend more than they earn on dignity maintenance costs (including daily life), the principal only increases every year.

Adding interest, it's quite a sight as it snowballs.

'Because of compound interest, it's already become a 2,200 gold coin bond.'

Annual interest of 880 gold coins, even a decent independent viscount would have trouble handling this much.

"Is that really true?"

"I have no intention of saying otherwise with the same mouth. So you need to bring good information to survive."

"Thank you, thank you so much!"

Lucio bowed his waist almost as if he was going to prostrate himself.

He's blinded by money, so he's very easy to handle.

"Ah, and take this."

I threw a pouch containing about 20 gold coins in front of his feet.

It's a bit expensive, but when you threaten someone with a knife and then slap them with a wad of cash, anyone would swear loyalty.

'Beasts blinded by desire are best controlled with money.'

"Open it on your way, now go."

**

Financial Officer Lucio of Baron Olbia's family came out of the inn and breathed heavily.

He was told Triale Trading Company called, but suddenly a big shot whose name value is rising at the fastest rate these days appeared.

It felt like being struck by lightning while sleeping.

"I thought he was a monster for rising to baron at that age. But that's practically a Leviathan. Our baron is no match..."

It's not that Baron Olbia is incompetent.

But the opponent is a monster beyond comparison.

Just thinking about meeting him made cold sweat pour down his body.

His way of speaking that naturally drives people to the edge of a cliff like breathing, his evil smile that seems like he'd send Lucio himself and his family to the gallows while smiling if his will is resisted even a little.

"Moreover, a crazy bastard who sees through everything, having it all in the palm of his hand."

His master Baron Olbia hasn't noticed at all that Lucio's wallet situation is difficult.

Because he's desperately hiding it.

But finding that out and using it  to threaten him as if it's nothing...

'It's not within the realm of what humans can do...'

Of course, from Fabio's perspective, he thought it wasn't that difficult since he caught a 'big fish' based on guesses obtained by piecing together trivial information.

"Honestly, I'd like to stab that bastard in the back too..."

As soon as he said those words, Lucio looked at the pouch of gold coins in his hand.

"He said if I sell secrets, he'll give a lot of money anyway and save our family too..."

He's already a tainted body.

Like how once you're dirty, you can never wash clean again, there's no going back anymore.

If he betrays Baron Rothschild, he dies.

If he doesn't actively follow his words, he dies.

But if he can receive massive rewards by thoroughly obeying?

"...... I'm sorry to the baron, but what can I do? I have to live too."

And he immediately began checking the family's accounting ledgers.

Not to reduce budget expenditures, but to find fatal flaws.

All sorts of weaknesses Lucio organized naturally passed into Fabio's hands.

So quietly that no one outside the stage would notice this happening.