Chapter 28
Louis de Padorne, the Finance Director of Guillaume City, had a smile stretching from ear to ear for the first time in a while.
He had succeeded in bribing the city council members belonging to his faction, as well as those in the faction of Mayor Guillaume, who had become mayor due to slightly better luck than him.
This was because he had a firm conviction that he could fleece the young Master Medici from the Tuscan Empire.
'As long as we all fleece him together and share it well, that's all that matters.'
"HR Director, the weather is really nice today. How about a drink after the city council meeting? I'll treat you at a good place."
However, the HR Director declined Louis's offer.
"I'm not in the mood to drink today, let's do it next time when we have a chance."
"I was going to bring out a special drink for you, HR Director."
"I'm sorry, but if I drink today, I think I'll suffer from a hangover."
The Finance Director felt something was off when he saw that the person who always used to follow him when invited for a drink was not listening to him now.
He wanted to probe into what was going on, but...
The situation didn't allow for further questioning as the mayor, who was to act as the chairman of the city council, had arrived.
'If he's really sick, I should send him some good medicine.'
Although the cost of medicine was regrettable, he had to treat his allies well to keep things going for a long time.
"Then let's start the meeting now."
With the words to start the meeting, a smile appeared on Louis's face.
Although the money hadn't entered his wallet yet, if he could fleece that young Master Fabio, he could earn a huge amount of money.
The fact that even if he extorted money through customs and put some into the city finances, it would be enough to maintain the livelihood of himself and his poor colleagues.
So he couldn't properly focus on the various agenda items discussed today.
"Now then, let's discuss how to deal with the merchant Fabio de Medici who came from the Tuscan Empire. Finance Director, tell us about the faults and criminal acts he committed."
"Yes, Mr. Mayor."
Louis opened the documents he had brought and began to read.
"Fabio de Medici has committed tax evasion, conducted business without a license, and did business as he pleased without complying with the legitimate work instructions of administrators."
According to the script, the city council members of his faction, including the HR Director, should have caused a commotion and criticized the evil Fabio.
But why weren't they moving as agreed?
Finance Director Louis felt uneasy seeing that things weren't going as he wanted.
'Could it be that I'm being reversed?'
However, once the sword is drawn, there's no choice but to swing it.
If you swing and kill the enemy, you can live, but if you put the sword back in the middle without swinging, you'll be reversed by the opponent.
He straightened his shoulders and spoke as if he were on the side of righteous justice.
"The amount of tax he evaded reaches as much as 2,000 gold coins, 20,000 pounds. This is just an estimate, and if we actually investigate, there might have been even larger tax evasion."
2,000 gold coins is, exaggerating a bit, similar to the total annual income of a town with over 1,000 people.
Even though Guillaume City is a port city and much wealthier than cities of similar size, this is by no means a small amount of money.
The Finance Director thought it would be good if he could divert just about 50 gold coins out of this into his own wallet.
'For now, it's just receiving a small reward, but later I'll be able to collect this regularly, right?'
"As the Finance Director of this city, I think it's right to recover all the evaded taxes, but…"
When extorting bribes, negotiation is always necessary.
To be precise, if I actually want to extort 100 gold coins, I should say something like this:
'I should have received 300 gold coins originally, but I specially reduced it to 100 coins.'
If you show such a virtue of concession that even Deus would admire, I who received the bribe was happy to get 100 gold coins.
And the person being extorted can sleep well thinking they saved 200 gold coins.
Anyone who harbors resentment for losing 100 gold coins while being extorted is no different from a heretic.
It wasn't that this was the corrupt common sense of the Kingdom of Lyon, but that's what the Finance Director thought.
"Although the seaweed that Fabio de Medici deals with is a luxury item, it's also something absolutely necessary for the nobles of the kingdom. So how about showing mercy and reducing it to about 1,500 gold coins?"
Even the Finance Director Louis thought this was quite a good measure.
He had reduced it by 500 coins from the 2,000 gold coins that would have been extorted, so he had certainly shown mercy, and Fabio who was being extorted wouldn't feel wronged.
No, since he saved a large sum of money thanks to him, it would be beautiful common sense for him to bring about 100 gold coins to himself.
'I should be able to pocket about 100 gold coins out of the gifts.'
And once you extort like this, you can receive sustainable gifts in the future, so it's like creating an economy where everyone becomes happy.
Not only the mayor but all the other council members had stiff expressions.
Only then did Louis instinctively realize that something had gone wrong.
'Those guys aren't without greed for money either?'
The mayor looked at the council member next to him.
"Legal Affairs Director. Is what he's saying true?"
"If you abuse the law, it can be like that. However, seaweed is clearly a medicine, and medicine is taxed at about 5% customs duty. It seems the Finance Director is forcibly classifying it as a luxury item and claiming tax evasion of nearly 50% of the sales price."
The lawwais always something that can be interpreted in different ways.
That's why in this era, if a noble rapes a commoner, they say 'it was done because they liked each other' and forgive it by keeping them as a concubine for life.
In the opposite case, the entire family is executed in a horrible way.
Everything revolves around such principles, so the Finance Director hadn't really committed a very big mistake, but...
"Moreover, Fabio de Medici is also a close associate of Duke Visconti of the Tuscan Empire. If we mistreat such a person, it could cause diplomatic issues."
In fact, even if Duke Visconti cherishes Fabio, he's absolutely not the kind of person who would cause 'diplomatic issues' because of high customs duties.
Everyone here knows that as long as they don't kill or imprison him, they would just comfort him appropriately, pin the blame on some suitable person on their side, and be done with it.
However, once the 'diplomatic issue' card is played, someone has to bleed.
Other problems can be solved somehow within the city.
If the problem really spreads to diplomacy, it would also affect Viscount Guillaume, the owner of the city.
"Therefore, I accuse Finance Director Louis of diplomatic issues, abuse of authority, and bribery charges. Furthermore, I want to use the authority of the Legal Affairs Director here to seek the death penalty by beheading him."
Louis felt his vision go dark.
How many gifts had he given to the Legal Affairs Director until now.
To stab him in the back after eating all that.
"Does everyone agree with this opinion? Those who agree, please stand up."
At the mayor's words, everyone present stood up.
"If nothing else, we must severely punish someone who almost caused diplomatic issues."
"Since the sale of seaweed began, the city has been gradually prospering..."
"A person blinded by personal greed deserves to die. Such a dishonorable bastard."
While it might be understandable for those belonging to the mayor's faction, those who originally supported the Finance Director should normally feel guilty.
But as is often the case with people in politics, they showed no signs of feeling guilty at all.
No, rather, because they had put a high-level lie in their heads that what they were doing now by backstabbing was realizing justice, they were even more confident.
"We must not let such a bastard live."
Seeing that everyone had raised opinions according to the script they had prepared, the mayor made his judgment.
"Acting on behalf of Viscount Jacques de Guillaume, the lord of the Guillaume viscounty, Brio de Frau will pass judgment. I order the removal of all positions of Finance Director Louis, and order him to leave this city with his family within noon tomorrow."
Exile order, in other words, a social death sentence.
However, when giving a 'social death sentence' for political reasons, it's generally customary to give time to hurriedly gather one's assets, but…
"Before exile, all forms of property including real estate and currency will be confiscated. However, since we can't exile someone naked, the seizure is exempted for one set of clothes they are wearing."
In fact, Fabio had only said to just exile the Finance Director himself appropriately.
Then he was going to handle it with a scenario where the Finance Director would go outside the city and accidentally be attacked by bandits.
This was actually due to the excessive loyalty of Mayor Guillaume and others.
'If I wag my tail more, I might get more money.'
As the judgment was passed, the man who had been the Finance Director wailed.
"How much money have you all taken from me! How can you do this! You bastards are worse than heretics!! Just cut open my belly and kill me!"
Hearing those curses, the expressions of those who had belonged to the Finance Director's faction wrinkled.
Although 0.2% of it was due to being pricked by conscience, it was more because they were annoyed at having their own misdeeds exposed.
"What are the guards doing? Beat the criminal and drive him out!"
And Louis was thoroughly beaten and driven out.
Of course, at this moment, the real power of Guillaume City had nominally and actually come into Fabio's hands.
**
"Sebastian, the world is scary, isn't it?"
Sebastian smiled at those words.
"But didn't you overcome it well, young master?"
He did overcome it well.
However, it doesn't seem like everything will be resolved so easily from now on.
As I go higher, the enemies I have to face will gradually become stronger.
"I want to bring you only good news, but one bad news has come in."
Just as you cross one mountain, another mountain appears.
"Baron Medici says he'd like to get some help from you, young master."
That damn brother, really.
Why are you bothering your younger brother?