Chapter 14
As soon as the steel trade of the Visconti ducal family was legalized, I gathered the artisans of the blacksmith guild.
And among the artisans, I called those who barely had their names on the guild membership list.
Conventionally, if you're going to take over a guild, it would be right to co-opt the influential members of the guild first.
There was a reason for making this seemingly unreasonable move.
"Thank you all for gathering despite your busy schedules."
When I said this, all the artisans' gazes turned towards me.
Judging by their eyes, they seemed to have a lot of complaints about me.
These guys were essentially supported by Duke Sforza, the political opponent of the Visconti ducal family faction I belonged to.
If I had to say, I was a high-ranking person from an enemy country, or rather, a messenger of a high-ranking person.
Moreover, since we had infringed on their vested interests, it would be strange if they looked at me kindly.
"I called you here today because I wanted to have a productive conversation."
There was no way the artisans here would believe these words.
Who would believe when a messenger from an opposing force says they want to talk?
I didn't come here to talk in the first place.
I came to have a conversation in the form of threatening with a sword in my right hand.
"Who's the representative here?"
In response to my question, a man with a bushy beard answered.
"I run the biggest workshop here. I've been a master craftsman for about 18 years."
"What's your name?"
"It's Jackry."
"Good, Jackry. From now on, you'll represent everyone here."
The reason for choosing a representative was simple.
It's more convenient to designate one person as a representative and talk to them than to take questions from multiple people by myself.
"Let's quickly get to the point. As of yesterday, His Majesty Emperor Daniele de Toscana of the great Tuscan Empire has bestowed upon His Grace Duke Visconti the right to trade steel."
Has this news not yet reached these low-ranking artisans?
They all started whispering, looking at each other's faces.
"The steel monopoly has been taken away? Does this mean we now have to compete with that cheap steel sold by Duke Visconti?"
"Damn, now that they've opened up steel trading, they'll soon take over our domain too."
There was only one reason why the guild could exist for a long time.
Because those guys monopolized everything from technology transfer to product manufacturing and sales.
But what if even one of these started to break?
Those who did business with a civil servant mindset would be 100% pushed out in the fierce competition of the free market economy.
"Now that the right to trade steel has been opened up, the rights to manufacture and sell agricultural tools, armor, tools, weapons, etc. that you guys are holding onto will soon be opened up too."
The blacksmith representative Jackry opened his eyes wide at me.
You guys have more than just that one thing to be shocked about and grab the back of your necks for.
"And there was an unfortunate incident where a merchant group under His Grace the Duke was robbed by bandits while transporting steel. His Grace thinks that the upper echelons of the Florence blacksmith guild instigated this."
Although we couldn't catch the culprits.
By the standards of a world without CCTV, voice recorders, or telephones, not catching the culprits means it's practically a perfect crime.
In the 21st century, if I hired a lawyer and argued that there's no evidence that I did it, I'd probably get a not guilty verdict.
However, this world is a medieval fantasy world.
It's not a world of evidence-based trials, but a world where if a high-ranking person says, "That bastard did it," the person pointed at just has to die.
"Do you have evidence that we did it?"
Has this Jackry fellow been too shocked?
It seems the common sense needed to live in this world has run away.
At a point where all the circumstances match up and the Emperor has declared the legalization of steel trade, you should be eating prison food even if there's no evidence that you did it.
"There's no evidence, but there are sufficient circumstances. So now, a reasonable investigation will begin."
By the way, in this era, a reasonable investigation is carried out through all sorts of torture devices.
If you beat them up a few times or torture them a bit, the culprit naturally repents for their crime.
"When the reasonable investigation is over, the senior artisans of the guild will confess to their crimes... do you think you'll be safe?"
The Duke probably won't try to catch and kill the low-ranking artisans here.
However, if the entire blacksmith guild evaporates?
These guys will instantly become unemployed.
Moreover, they'll be slapped with the label of ex-convicts for being in the position of artisans when their affiliated guild dissolved into thin air.
"We are truly innocent. We'll confess to anything you tell us to, please just give us a way to live."
It seems our representative friend has come to his senses after my reasonable persuasion.
"Become dogs of the Visconti family."
"Does that mean we can live?"
At those words, I shook my head.
"I'll make it so you can live well. Specifically, I'll give you the workshops and such that the senior artisans and guild masters there have been enjoying."
The guild's artisans are, after all, valuable human resources.
In Korean terms, they're capable talents equivalent to engineering masters or doctoral degrees.
It's a waste to throw away such people.
Well, even if I do this, not a penny will enter my wallet, but since His Grace the Duke will be pleased, I'll be rewarded someday.
"Will you die, or become dogs of His Grace the Duke?"
Jackry looked around at the other artisans and communicated with his eyes.
When everyone nodded in agreement.
"We will become dogs of His Grace the Duke."
"Good, don't forget that spirit. The moment you betray His Grace, you'll die."
And then I handed each of them two documents.
One was a document stating that the guild master had instigated bandits to rob the Duke, and the other was a document saying that the previously written document was actually deliberately written for their own benefit.
The latter will never see the light of day, but by writing this, they'll think that the Duke holds their right of life and death.
So if the Duke tells them to die, they'll really pretend to die.
"What are you all doing? Hurry up and report to the barracks."
In the Tuscan Empire, soldiers look after public security and protect the country.
So police work is carried out by soldiers assigned to security-related positions.
And when I reported the end of today's work to the Duke's subordinate...
Out of the blue, I received an order to dress in formal attire and come to work the day after tomorrow.
"Is the Emperor going to throw some scraps at me?"
**
Right now, I was very perplexed.
It wasn't that I was in a bad situation, but I was experiencing something I hadn't expected.
"Fabio de Medici, second son of the Medici baron family, walk to the front of the platform."
I was in an absurd situation right now.
When they told me to come in formal attire, I thought they would at least read out a document with an imperial edict praising me for doing well.
But when I actually went, there was a thorny seat prepared where barons, viscounts, and even counts here and there were sitting.
So when I entered, they told me to come up to the platform now.
It was very burdensome, but it would be disrespectful not to properly attend the place the Duke had set up.
It meant I would have no excuse even if my head rolled.
And then servants dressed in splendid clothes started to ascend the platform.
But those guys are carrying swords along with the imperial edict? Why are the swords so ornate?
"The honorable and brave His Grace Duke Giovanni de Visconti is ascending the platform. Everyone please stand up!"
As soon as I heard those words, my head started to work normally for a moment.
Ah, they're holding an appointment ceremony to make me a real noble now.
However, the appointment ceremony for a mere knight title is sometimes finished with a hastily scribbled document if urgent, and usually, it's conducted in bundles for multiple people...
As soon as the Duke ascended the platform, he started the ceremonial oath, and I became a machine answering "Yes" to it.
After finishing the mechanical actions, the Duke drew his sword and placed it on my shoulder.
"I, Giovanni de Visconti, solemnly swear before all the nobles gathered here and before God. As long as Fabio de Medici serves with loyalty, I will never abandon him, and as a reward for that loyalty, I bestow upon him the village of Bio."
When you randomly gather 100 knights, a knight who owns a village is in the top 5%.
In other words, I had suddenly skyrocketed in terms of social status.
Being the second son of a baron family is something, but directly receiving a territory is a completely separate matter.
...... Ha, and seeing all the nobles gathered, I can clearly see the intention.
They probably intend to make my brother Albert and me compete, making both of us work to death for the Duke.
They say politicians are wicked, but isn't this too much?
And then the Duke gave me the next order.
"Leave immediately for your territory and rebuild it."
...... This is driving me crazy, really.
**
And the territory I received was in a more serious state than I had thought.
They must have thought that seeing my capabilities as a merchant, I would develop some magical product here too and rebuild it.
No, what's this fuss about giving me a coastal village that's been completely stripped by famine and corrupt officials...
"Well, if it's a coastal area, I can create something completely new, so is it actually good?"