Chapter 46
Bacio Pereira, the head of the Pereira Trading Company, had been so stressed for the past few days that he couldn't even sleep properly.
And he woke up from bed shouting the name of the hateful guy who had become the cause of his psychological pressure.
"Damn it! That Medici bastard deserves to be torn to pieces!"
The more he thought about it, the more enraged he felt.
He had clearly framed the Modina family, who had worked for his trading company for generations, with a minor corruption to create a perfect crime.
Why on earth, he didn't know how it leaked, but why did this case resurface?
He felt indescribably bad about having to rack his brains over something that should have been over.
"May he become impotent before he even reaches his mid-twenties!"
For ordinary problems, cursing a bit would usually make him feel better.
But this was corruption related to the military, and he had taken too big a hit as punishment for the crime.
The more he thought about it, the more furious he became.
He immediately changed clothes and went to his office.
As he entered the office, his chief of staff was standing there with a very apologetic expression instead of smiling.
The situation was already bad, and now his chief of staff was acting like this?
It meant something terrible had happened while he was sleeping.
Pereira gritted his teeth and urged his subordinate in front of him.
"I guess something bad happened overnight? I won't blame you, so report first."
"Yes, Director."
The chief of staff hurriedly began to read the report he had hastily written this morning.
"Baron Valdes has declared that after this transaction, he will no longer supply wine and grapes to our trading company. And he said he would continue the next transaction with the Piemonte Trading Company."
"Damn it, although the grapes and wine from Baron Valdes's territory aren't the best. If we can't import from there, it will greatly hinder other transactions."
Still, this wasn't a very serious blow.
Unless the supply of grapes used to make the Tuscan Empire's finest wine was cut off, grapes themselves are grown all over the empire.
Because if we urgently buy grapes from elsewhere by giving up a little profit, we can quickly fill the gap in quantity.
"Viscount Billio has canceled the transaction of 500 quilted armors, 100 full body armors, 150 swords, and 500 spears that were supposed to be paid for in 3 days. Also, Count Riore has notified that he will not associate with the Pereira Trading Company in the future and is canceling all previous transactions."
Viscount Billio and Count Riore were also economic and political partners of the Pereira Trading Company.
They were economically close in terms of continuing transactions, and they protected him in return for providing massive political funds.
Those two are cutting off transactions with the Pereira Trading Company?
In short, it means the Pereira Trading Company will be in political danger as well.
No, the fact that other nobles are deliberately intervening even in lowly commercial transactions to cancel deals means.
'Political pressure is already coming in.'
"Whether we beat up that Medici guy or do whatever it takes. We need to get out of this situation. Otherwise, it will be really dangerous."
"There's more..."
The chief of staff turned his gaze away from Pereira.
And with his head bowed, he spoke very carefully.
"There's a rumor going around that the High Court is preparing a tax investigation on our trading company."
There's no such thing as a person in this world who doesn't have a speck of dust when shaken.
Let alone the Pereira Trading Company where hundreds and thousands of such people are gathered?
If a tax investigation is conducted, all the problems Pereira knows about, problems his subordinates have hidden or dealt with at their level, and other hidden problems will all be exposed.
Moreover, now that he's committed military supply corruption, he's also being charged with the crime of displeasing the authorities.
The High Court judges and administrators would create non-existent charges to shake him down, telling him not to feel bad.
'Those damn bastards will clamor for bribes too.'
To sum up the whole situation in one word, it's properly ruined.
Pereira was so angry he couldn't even shout.
Instead, he grabbed the back of his neck and made a groaning sound.
"Are you alright?!"
Pereira thought to himself.
'How could I be alright when terrible things are happening one after another? Did you leave your head at home when you came to work?'
However, he was so shocked that he momentarily couldn't speak and missed the timing to get angry at the chief of staff.
After regaining his composure a moment later, he immediately drank a glass of water and gritted his teeth.
"That Medici family bastard must be crazy to die, I need to step on him properly."
The Pereira Trading Company is not the number one trading company in the empire.
However, it's a merchant family clearly recognized as a great merchant in the empire.
They have wealth and power that could buy a 'nobility of the robe baron title' if they wanted to.
The only reason they don't is because if you buy a title with money without military merit, you become a slave completely tied to the Emperor by your lifeline.
They just don't aim for social advancement to nobility while spending all their money.
"That kid got a knight title thanks to his talent and skills at a young age and is favored by His Grace Duke Visconti, but he seems to not know how high the sky is. I wonder if he can still be so confident after being trampled on completely."
"How should I prepare?"
"First, I need to go meet him in person. I need to threaten him with the power of our trading company, which is called a great merchant, to make him withdraw from the accusation."
Now that the investigation has started in the High Court, trial and punishment are unavoidable.
But what if the guy who provided evidence in the middle withdraws?
There will be problems with the investigation proceeding, and it will be difficult to find crimes.
Then the charges for the judge to try will be reduced, so the probability of a lower sentence for the Pereira Trading Company is high.
"And I need to slowly repay this grudge. As cruelly as possible."
That night, Pereira visited Fabio's mansion.
**
I've heard that when people get too angry, they become calm instead.
The reason is said to be an instinct to rationally derive the most certain method realistically because they really want to kill the other person.
Although it's not particularly scientific or credible to present as evidence something I saw on the internet...
Looking at the person in front of me, it seems the words themselves are correct.
Even after coming to see me, Pereira was drinking tea so leisurely that he looked rather relaxed.
"The black tea tastes really good."
"Thank you."
"But I heard that you also deal with coffee that heretics drink. Could you serve that?"
Currently, in the empire, only the Second Prince, Duke Visconti, and probably the Emperor who tasted the precious item his son received have tried coffee.
Only the servants around them know that fact.
So that guy probably wants to say this to me:
'Although my title is lower than yours, I have connections even with the imperial family.'
"If it's for the respected Director Pereira, I should gladly offer it."
I don't really respect that gentleman.
How could a human commit military supply corruption with pickled herring, which is like seafood bibim sauce or meat bibim sauce in Korea?
If it were something else, I might try to understand humanly, but what did you do to poor soldiers forcibly drafted into the army?
As a person with a Korean soul, I can't accept it.
Anyway, I immediately brewed a cup of coffee.
"Here it is."
"The aroma is really nice, and the deep bitterness is charming. No wonder they say it's good for virility."
You don't need to brag about how much you know, sir.
Yes, I admit that right now I only have a 'knight title' and I'm inferior to you in everything else.
That's why I'm politely using honorifics even to you, a mere commoner?
After finishing a cup of coffee, he looked at me intently.
With enough killing intent in his gaze to make a person feel like they're shrinking.
"I acknowledge your ability to be born as the second son of the Medici baron family, grow up preciously, become a merchant, and achieve great success in just over a year. I think it would be good if my son were even half as good as you."
After calmly putting down the coffee cup, he continued speaking gently.
"But there's always someone higher above. It's a simple principle that even this lowly merchant knows."
That's right.
Even if I were a businessman earning 1-2 million won a month in Korea, there are monsters above who earn billions of won monthly.
And above those monsters earning billions monthly are people who earn tens of billions of won.
It must be the same in this empire.
"I don't know who instigated you, but to directly provoke our Pereira Trading Company. You must have thought the empire's great merchant was quite ridiculous?"
I have never once looked down on you guys.
That's why I'm trying to deal only with products that won't touch 'other vested interests' that you might dislike.
Seaweed, coffee, postpartum care centers.
Except for the ironworks that make steel, I haven't touched the traditional merchants' vested interests at all.
I've pioneered new markets.
"Withdraw the lawsuit now. Then I'll let it go generously."
No one who says to let it go generously actually lets it go generously.
Moreover, do you think I'm acting recklessly without any plan like people who get married due to speeding violations in high school?
"Let me ask you in return. Do I look that stupid to you?"