Chapter 21
What I was experiencing from Viscount Raviole now could clearly be called internal politics.
It was no different from a high-ranking person, like a director in a company, trying to check a young guy rapidly rising.
"What on earth did I do wrong?"
Chloe, who was following me by my side, agreed.
"You really didn't do anything wrong, young master. The Viscount is going too far."
She looked at me with truly sympathetic eyes.
"You take good care of other servants besides me. You don't do bad things like other nobles..."
It's not that I'm virtuous and don't do bad things.
It's just that I haven't had any need to do such things yet.
Also, in internal politics, you don't necessarily need a reason to be disliked by someone.
It's about killing the opponent to get promoted before they rise higher than you.
"Bad people in this world don't need a reason to bully others."
Hearing those words, Chloe slightly lowered her head.
I noticed her gritting her teeth.
"And don't worry too much. I've already won this fight."
The Spider's Tears guys succeeded in digging up more information than I thought.
So the Viscount will absolutely not be able to escape unscathed.
'If you hit an innocent person once, you should be prepared to shed tears of blood from your eyes.'
Chloe spoke in a slightly gloomy voice after hearing my words.
"I want to be of help to you too, young master."
"It's enough just for you to be by my side."
"That alone is not enough."
No, Chloe's influence is quite significant in helping me mentally endure being hindered for such nonsensical reasons.
I'm not sure if it's right to use this analogy for a person.
But it's like having a pet that's as cute as a cat and as loyal to its owner as a dog?
Even when stress builds up, just stroking Chloe dissolves all the unnecessary anger in my heart.
As I was about to deny that, the coachman spoke.
"This is Viscount Raviole's mansion."
I wanted to tell Chloe that she didn't need to feel burdened by such things, but.
Now it seems I need to deal with business first.
You dare to take a bribe from me and then swallow it and screw me over?
I'm really not going to let you off easy today.
**
Surprisingly, Viscount Raviole didn't mind my sudden visit at all.
Rather, he gave me quite a warm reception.
"The tea has a really nice aroma."
"Our butler is quite good at brewing tea."
His shoulders were raised as if he had implants, and he smiled with his mouth almost reaching his ears.
He slightly raised his chin, unconsciously sending me this message:
'What can a guy like you do? You should bow your head first.'
He was arrogant and foolish beyond comparison.
"I'd like to enjoy more leisure time with you, but I have official duties tomorrow. Please tell me your business quickly."
Raviole smiled at me, steeped in a sense of superiority.
Keep running your happiness circuit hard.
That will be the last happiness you'll feel in your life.
"I found out the real reason why you rejected my request to establish a trading company."
The relaxed expression disappeared from the Viscount's face.
He seemed to have thought that I came to bow my head based on the fact that I visited late at night.
But since I came to threaten him instead, he couldn't help but react that way.
"You received quite a lot of gifts from the Pazzi Trading Company, didn't you? To think you received as much as 250 gold coins at once."
There are times when 250 gold coins seem small to me because I earn thousands of gold coins each time.
But 250 gold coins is the living expenses for 750 commoners living in the empire for a year.
Even for nobles, this money is not a small amount.
"In total, about 1,000 gold coins. Wow, you've far exceeded the annual net income of a small baronial family. Receiving this much money from a single trading company, isn't this a bribe rather than a gift?"
The baronial family mentioned here is a poor baron barely maintaining the 'baron title'.
And even that figure is after subtracting the money that needs to be distributed to vassals.
Still, it's too much money for a mere viscount to take as a 'gift'.
"So what are you trying to say?"
His voice was calm, but his body couldn't lie well.
Why are you already shaking your legs when this room isn't even cold?
"I heard that your second daughter has quite a beautiful reputation in social circles. So somehow she fell in love with the young master of the Valiare baronial family. And I heard she's started having morning sickness."
The heir of a baronial family usually marries someone of similar rank, like another baron.
But what if that heir makes a mistake, and the target of that mistake is a noble family's daughter, and she's even 'pregnant'?
'If it were a commoner, you could just give some money and take her in as a maid as a favor.'
For a lower noble, even if they're as high as a baron, if there's a legal wife, they should take responsibility by making her a concubine, or if there's no legal wife, make her the legal wife.
If not, they'll be labeled as 'Boo, trash, go die' by surrounding nobles and their political life will plummet.
Therefore, in the end, they have to hurriedly hold the ceremony before the speeding violation is detected.
It's quite a disaster for the Valiare baronial family, but for Raviole, this was an unexpected windfall.
"And it seems you're receiving gifts here and there to prepare the minimum dowry."
Raviole slammed the desk and stood up.
"So what?! Do you think there are any clean people among the imperial nobles?"
Such people are already dead or will die soon.
I agree with that statement too.
In that sense, Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who refused when his superiors, high-ranking people like Minister of War Yulgok Yi I, said they would promote him if he just had an 'interview' without needing any bribes or anything, seems truly great.
Even that era in Joseon wasn't much different from the current Tuscan Empire.
He became a walking natural disaster, surviving in officialdom without giving a single penny in bribes, relying solely on his ability.
Conversely, this meant that in our empire or Joseon, without Admiral Yi Sun-sin level ability, one can't be clean from bribes.
"Do you think I came with just that level of information?"
Then I showed a few copies of the information documents I had secured.
"The Pazzi Trading Company was originally a trading company that supported His Grace Duke Visconti. So it seems you received gifts with peace of mind."
I handed the most important document to the man in front of me.
Raviole's eyes widened.
"It can't be. It really can't be. This is impossible."
Then he clutched his head and started wailing.
"Aaargh! This can't be happening!"
Even he honestly wouldn't have expected that.
But what can you do, this is reality.
"David Pazzi, the head of the Pazzi Trading Company, which is one of the top 20 merchants, switched factions to make his successor a knight with territory."
The market price for a knight title in name only varies, but you can buy one for about a few hundred gold coins.
Of course, a few hundred gold coins is not a small amount.
And a knight title bought like this can only be used for that generation.
'Don't they call these guys quasi-nobles?'
However, a knight with territory, even if it's just one serf household, is a proper noble.
It's a very tempting condition for people who have a lot of money but have a complex about their status.
"Therefore, David Pazzi is a spy planted by Duke Sforza for His Grace Duke Visconti. You received a thousand gold coins from him and provided all sorts of conveniences. Even using a law that's been obsolete for over 500 years."
Raviole must feel very wronged.
Checking a guy who's unnecessarily doing well within the faction is a noble's quality.
The result of doing elegant politics like a noble turned out to be an act of treason helping another faction?
Even I would have been furious with indignation.
The Viscount knelt before me.
"From now on, I'll die if you tell me to die, and live if you tell me to live. So please just save our family. You know I'm not the kind of person who would betray His Grace the Duke, don't you?"
For nobles below baron like us without any backing, even switching factions is dangerous.
If you even engage in espionage, you really can't set foot in the empire.
No, it's basic for your entire family to be wiped out.
So even that success-obsessed person probably had absolutely no such intention.
"Did you think I'd spare your life if you pointed a knife at me and begged? And what do I have to gain from it?"
If I gradually expand my business like this and achieve merits, someday I can aim for at least 'baron', just like the founder of the Medici family did.
I could even go higher.
So why do I need to rely on a viscount family that only receives a pension?
"I'll show you minimal mercy."
Actually, I don't want to show any mercy.
Since he pointed a knife at me, I want to prosecute him in the imperial court for abusing his authority to impeach a fellow noble after receiving money from a merchant.
Then the imperial family and Duke Sforza's faction, who view me somewhat favorably, would seize this opportunity and tear him and his family apart.
'That would also harm Duke Visconti.'
And I would become a whistleblower.
By the way, in any era, even a righteous whistleblower generally ends up miserable.
I'm not someone burning with justice, and I don't need to take such risks just to get revenge.
So this matter should end within Duke Visconti's faction, known only to a minimum number of people.
"His Grace the Duke will learn about this fact the day after tomorrow. And he'll send you a final letter, Viscount."
The final letter will contain content like thanking you for your hard work and so on.
And when you receive that, you should just commit suicide.
Why? Because it's mercy to save your family at the cost of your death.
'It's better if at least my children and other vassals survive even if I die.'
"I hope you make a wise choice."