Chapter 13
"Haha, Fabio. You're like a goose that lays golden eggs for our Visconti family."
Judging by his demeanor towards me now, there was no sign of resentment about the merchant caravan carrying over 12 tons of steel being robbed.
Compared to the profit we've made so far, losing just '12 tons' of steel isn't a big problem from a financial perspective.
He's smiling even though some unknown vermin has tarnished the Duke's authority?
The Duke must have already solved this problem.
"I'm embarrassed."
"You're not trying to back out."
"Wouldn't denying the results of what I've done be the same as undermining Your Grace's dignity?"
I was not the only one who has benefited from this ironworks project.
The Duke has also gained 20% of the profits.
He must have reaped enormous political benefits by manipulating nobles with steel.
"To accurately grasp the value of your actions at that age. As expected, a genius is a genius. Well, you'd have to be at least this good to break a bishop's pride in church court. I guess I can't compete with you in words, can I?"
A vassal shouldn't have aspects that were better than their lord.
Strictly speaking, when receiving such praise, one shouldn't honestly accept it by saying, "Yes, that's right." That would seem arrogant.
Even if I were more capable than the Duke, I should always humble myself as if I were less capable than him.
That way, I won't be suspected.
"It was merely because Deus helped me, and that fool Christian was spouting nonsense that I could counter. How could I possibly beat Your Grace in eloquence?"
The Duke licked his lips after hearing my words.
He was not a beautiful woman, so I wish he wouldn't do that.
"Let's end the small talk here. Head butler, bring it."
The head butler standing behind the Duke handed me a document.
A contract filled with all sorts of flowery language and oaths to God.
The longer such language was, the more weight this document carries.
However, what's important now wasn't that, the most crucial content was contained in this one line:
'80% of the steel sales revenue of 124,217 pounds, which is 99,373 pounds, will be paid.'
"It's almost 10,000 gold coins."
They say that when you run a business, or even if you just handle financial accounting in a company, you'd inevitably deal with amounts that make your eyes spin just by looking at them.
I was dumbfounded that I was actually receiving this enormous sum of money.
There were often cartoon characters who got nosebleeds when they made a fortune, and now I think I understand why.
This was more obscene than sex.
"You're really rich now. In the future, you might be able to earn twice, no, three times this amount."
"Thank you, Your Grace."
"It's the reward for a fair contract between you and me. Is there any need to thank me? By the way, aren't you curious?"
"About what?"
The Duke showed an evil smile.
"About how I dealt with those blacksmith guild fellows."
As I expected, the Duke didn't call me because he didn't know how to deal with these guys.
Well, could a person who can't even make that level of judgment represent hundreds of marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons?
"What did you do?"
"Those blacksmith guild bastards hired bandits to attack our merchant caravan. I had deployed an elite unit as an escort just in case this happened..."
Unlike when he first met me, the Duke was grinding his teeth.
So much so that I could hear the sound of his teeth grinding.
"It seems the blacksmith guild master spent quite a bit of money and hired a bandit group that included several knights. Otherwise, the escort guards wouldn't have been defeated so easily."
Titled nobles like barons and viscounts necessarily come with territories.
However, a knight's title was merely recognized as nobility, but being a knight didn't necessarily guarantee a livelihood.
In fact, if you randomly gathered 100 knights, half of them would be unemployed.
Romantically speaking, they're wandering knights, but in reality, they're closer to gambling addicts.
Their life goal was to win tournaments, strip the opponent's armor, and even win the championship to get employed as a knight in some noble family.
If life didn't work out for these guys, they take off their armor and join bandit groups as leaders or get specially recruited as executives.
"Isn't a bandit group with former knights essentially the same as mercenaries?"
In fact, among mercenary groups, there were countless ones who act as bandits during peacetime and transform into mercenaries when war breaks out.
The romance of mercenaries? We didn't have such things in our Tuscan Empire.
"Well, just looking at the circumstances, it's obvious that those blacksmith fellows in Florence did it. I directly warned their superior, Duke Sforza. I told him if they act up again and get caught, we'll draw swords and fight. After that, as long as we properly attached escorts, the merchant caravans weren't robbed. It's half solved, I suppose."
We've succeeded in fixing the barn after losing the cow, so it's exactly half solved.
"I'd like to stamp out those blacksmith guild bastards, but isn't it against the imperial edict to sell steel without going through the blacksmith guild in Florence or other regions?"
Someone of the Duke's stature wouldn't die for violating imperial law unless they've committed treason.
Instead, they'll just have their political influence and an enormous amount of property confiscated.
How great must the expected damage be for a Duke who would stake his life for honor to be unable to directly kill an enemy he knows was right in front of him?
"That's right."
"So this is the best we can do."
Certainly, the Duke couldn't wield his sword against the blacksmith guild.
However, if we change our perspective a bit, it seems like we could get some revenge.
Even if we couldn't root out the entire guild, there might be a way to cut off the heads of the high-ranking people who instigated this.
"Your Grace, would you like to become closer with the imperial family?"
"Of course, I need to get closer to the imperial family to suppress that Sforza bastard."
The reason Visconti Duke couldn't destroy the blacksmith guild was that if he retaliated against the guild after violating imperial law, he would incur the Emperor's wrath.
And as a result of that wrath, enormous political and property damage would come.
Now, let's change our perspective here.
In the end, even if you violated imperial law, everything goes smoothly if you just please the Emperor, doesn't it?
In 21st century Korea, the rule of law was mostly observed in most cases, but in the medieval legal system, if a high-ranking person wants to kill someone, it ends with the judge pretending to follow the rule of law.
"Supply steel to the imperial family at a cheap price. About 80% of the price at which Your Grace supplies steel to the market."
"Wouldn't that be a loss for you?"
For the Duke, 'expanding political influence' was more important than the income earned from steel.
So if he could raise his political influence, he probably wouldn't consider this much of a loss.
No, to put it extremely, he wouldn't care even if he just broke even.
Instead, for me who cares more about money than political influence, this was quite a big loss.
"I am Your Grace's vassal. I can't let my own interests blind me and miss an opportunity for Your Grace to gain benefits. Shouldn't a person look at the bigger picture?"
I showed fervent loyalty towards the Duke, but he still didn't seem satisfied.
True to someone who has handled people with carrots and sticks throughout his life.
He was probably suspicious because he couldn't read the intention of me, who he's only known for a few months, willingly putting down the carrot. I don't feel wronged at all.
"I want to live a long and prosperous life. What's the use of living in wealth and glory if you die miserably in the end?"
I was still postponing marriage because I judged that now is the time to accumulate money and social status.
Even though it was about time I'd be labeled an 'old bachelor' among nobles if I didn't get married soon.
"In exchange for supplying steel to the imperial family at a cheap price, obtain the right to sell steel without going through the blacksmith guild."
The Duke didn't seem to fully agree with my words.
"If I wield my sword against the blacksmith guild, other guilds might unite and refuse to supply goods to our faction."
A noble trampling on a guild without justification?
Then, as the Duke said, all guilds would unite and stop selling goods to that noble family.
In other words, the entire market would come to a stop.
If that happens, the family would be ruined.
"If we get the Emperor's permission, no one will be able to say anything no matter how Your Grace tramples the blacksmith guild. Because they're the ones who dared to rob a merchant group under the protection of the ducal family."
Since we have the justification, they can't even unite among themselves.
"If we get permission, the Florence blacksmith guild will surely fall into Your Grace's hands. Then there would be no problem selling weapons or armor to the Sforza ducal family at a higher price."
The Florence blacksmith guild was also the head of all blacksmith guilds existing in the Tuscan Empire.
Well, it was not like they could effectively rule over everything just with that, so they couldn't make too unreasonable demands with just that.
But if we use the resource of legalized steel to shake things up...?
'We could raise the price of armor sold to those Sforza bastards by about 1.2 times.'
Given the enormous number and quantity they purchase, they'd go quite crazy if we do that to them.
"I might lose a bit of profit, but wouldn't Your Grace make up for the rest?"
The Duke finally smiled.
A smile full of wickedness.
"Let's do that right away. And when this matter is settled, I'll give you another special reward."
"It's an honor."
"I believe you'll be able to handle taking over the blacksmith guild that we've already killed off."