Chapter 56
As soon as I disembarked at Guillaume City's port, Mayor Guillaume personally welcomed me.
There was a genuine smile on the mayor's face.
"I thought you wouldn't come for a few months since you bought cotton and wool in bulk, but I didn't expect you to return in less than two weeks. Is something up?"
Hearing those words, I joked:
"Are we the kind of relationship that only meets when there's business? You're being too distant."
"Stop with the pointless jokes. Although we're quite close, doesn't it take two days by ship from your territory to here? It's not easy to come."
"I made some woolen and cotton fabrics, so I came to sell them. And to see your face, Mr. Mayor."
"Fabrics are always welcome. Ah, of course, you too."
After a brief conversation mixing business talk with idle chat, we walked to a place where we wouldn't interfere with the workers unloading.
And we exchanged all sorts of small talk.
The mayor talked about personal matters, from stories about his grandchildren to worrying about who to lobby to become nobility of the robe.
He even talked about my marriage, like elders you only meet on holidays would, and about how having children makes you happy, and so on...
It's not bad that I've become able to have such intimate conversations while doing business, but...
"It's good for a man to marry early. Honestly, sometimes I dislike just seeing my wife's face, but just watching my children and grandchildren grow up gives me the strength to live, you know?"
"Is that so? It's because I'm not married yet."
"A man like you would have noble ladies lining up. Don't look at things like personality, just look at family and appearance. You can't know if someone has a good personality just by meeting and talking a few times. Women thoroughly hide their true selves, how can you figure that out?"
There's an old saying:
'You can know ten fathoms of water, but not one fathom of a person's mind.'
It means human psychology and thoughts are that hard to know, but choosing my future legal wife based only on family and appearance is a bit...
But this isn't completely unconvincing because.
Anyway, marriage in noble families is about considering conditions and having a few formal conversations without time to date or confirm love...
'There's no time to figure out personality or anything.'
At that rate, it makes sense to just marry based on clear things like appearance and family. Damn, it's really difficult.
While I was waiting for this headache-inducing topic to end, the mayor brought up another subject.
"By the way, I don't see any cotton fabric. What happened?"
"I put it in as packaging material for boxes containing seaweed."
The mayor frowned hearing my words.
"Seeing so many boxes, it seems like you're trying to get all of it exempted from tariffs... Even though we're close, that doesn't seem right. I'm very disappointed."
He quickly noticed the attempt to divert taxes.
Still, honestly, even I thought this was a bit too much.
The seaweed I bring in every time is enough to resolve all regular exports with just 2-3 boxes of 200kg, with some left over.
It's too obvious that I'm trying to evade taxes when I brought over a thousand boxes of similar size.
"You and I are in the same boat, how could I disappoint you? I've come up with a good way for both of us to benefit."
The mayor, who has benefited a lot thanks to me, made an expression as if he would at least listen.
"Originally in Guillaume City, I have to pay 30% tariffs on cotton and woolen fabrics, and especially half for me, so 15%, right?"
"That's right. Do you know how much trouble I went through to cut the tariffs for you?"
Forgetting the grace of cutting tariffs would make one not human.
So I'll repay you in a way you like more.
"I'll give you half of the tariffs I have to pay, 50% of the cotton and woolen fabric tariffs, directly as political donations."
The mayor started pondering while licking his lips.
"If you give 60% of the money I give to Viscount Guillaume directly, and split the remaining 40% between you and those who share your views, wouldn't everyone be happy?"
"Hmm, I understand very well that you're thinking of me. However, as the mayor of Guillaume City, it's hard to tolerate embezzling city finances. A person should be honest and upright."
Our mayor is neither an incorruptible official like Admiral Yi Sun-sin, nor someone who can treat gold like stone like Choi Young.
He's an ordinary noble of this era.
Someone who wants to succeed and enjoy more power and wealth, and wants to enjoy pleasure by having sex with beautiful women.
It's not difficult to persuade a human who isn't free from desire.
'No tree won't fall after ten strikes.'
"Isn't it creating slush funds that you and Viscount Guillaume can use freely? I haven't held public office yet so I don't know well, but I understand that performing public duties costs a lot of money."
The costs mentioned here aren't talking about travel expenses or operating expenses needed to perform work.
It's talking about bribes used to rub palms to get promoted ahead of peers and those around you.
"When will such an opportunity come again if not now when central nobles are highly evaluating Mayor Guillaume's abilities? Also, becoming closer with me aligns with Guillaume City's interests."
The most important thing when giving bribes is this:
Implanting the thought that it's okay for you to take bribes to reduce the burden on your conscience.
The mayor nodded as if he understood everything.
"Right, it's not only not detrimental to the city's interests. For the sake of the Kingdom of Lyon, talented people like me should go to higher places."
It's not what I, who's giving the bribe, intend to think.
From the Kingdom of Lyon's perspective, it's not good for someone trying to take a central official position and succeed with money received as gifts from foreigners to become nobility of the robe...
But well, the Kingdom of Lyon isn't my country, so it's none of my business.
The mayor added one more condition.
"In the case of seaweed, I allowed direct transactions at your store in Guillaume City, but for cotton cloth, you must only sell to merchants who have roots in Guillaume City."
This will reduce my profits a bit, but it's actually good.
The more complicated the transactions become with the addition of Guillaume City merchants buying, the harder it becomes to track that I alone am selling large quantities of fabric.
'Even the Guillaume City merchants too.'
And it seems this gentleman mayor intends to make a solid profit from cotton cloth trading rights for Guillaume City merchants.
'He's really brilliant at scheming.'
"Alright."
"Good, then how many rolls did you bring this time?"
"2,000 rolls of woolen fabric, 3,300 rolls of cotton fabric. Let's settle the donations I need to give you later."
"Let's do that. I need to go give opportunities to Guillaume City merchants, so handle the rest with the finance department officials."
With those words, the mayor immediately left.
And I sold all the quantities to Guillaume City merchants by auction and returned to my territory.
**
Andre Montpellier, department head of the Amore Trading Company, a large trading company in the Kingdom of Lyon.
Today, after finishing seaweed trading at the Medici Trading Company branch, he was looking for other deals.
"Hah, Guillaume City is all good, but the problem is there's nothing special to buy except seaweed."
Although many people have been flocking here recently, it was just a small port village in the countryside until a year ago, so food and accommodation costs are quite cheap.
People are also kind, so when you ask for food at a tavern, they often give extras.
"I've secured the 40kg of seaweed the company head requested, so I need to secure something to fill the remaining cargo space in the carriage. I don't need smelly, low-value things like dried fish, it would be good if I could secure weapons that other trading companies brought here."
The Kingdom of Lyon now shows signs of soon waging war with the Kingdom of Granada.
So weapon prices are gradually rising, and if war actually breaks out, prices will jump 1.4 times.
'At that time, those holding weapons will be in charge.'
As he was about to go to a place like a square or market where other trading companies would gather, something caught his eye.
"Special sale on cotton and woolen fabrics?"
Cotton and woolen fabrics, things needed to make clothes, are items that sell steadily well in any situation.
Golden nuggets that guarantee profit just by buying them.
Naturally, his gaze turned to the price tag.
"One roll of cotton fabric for just 6 silver coins and 50 copper coins, it's incredibly cheap?! Even when buying cheap, the market price is 6 silver coins and 20 copper coins..."
The market price he mentioned was based on buying cheaply at the production site.
"Hey, you didn't write the price wrong, did you?"
"We don't lie about prices. One roll of cotton fabric for 6 silver coins and 50 copper coins, if you buy 10 rolls, we'll give it for 60 silver coins."
At this rate, it's slightly cheaper than buying directly from a factory producing cotton fabric.
In other words, buying here now will definitely make a profit.
'If I go to Montpellier City and sell, I could make 1 silver coin per roll.'
20% profit rate, definitely not a small margin.
"How many rolls do you have?"
"We have 120 rolls in our store. And about 80 rolls of woolen fabric."
"I'm the department head of the Amore Trading Company. Wait for an hour, I'll buy everything you have."
"Yes, thank you!"
And when their conversation ended, merchants from other trading companies flocked.
Because they too were wandering around looking for stores selling cotton and woolen fabrics at such cheap prices.
"Damn it? That bastard beat us to it."
"We should go to other places first!"
Hearing those words, Andre, the department head of the Amore Trading Company, also realized.
'Some crazy person, whoever they are, is selling fabrics here at a very kind price!'
And he immediately instructed his subordinates.
"I don't know why, but cotton and woolen fabric prices here are insanely cheap right now. Secure as much quantity as possible!"
"Yes, understood!"
"And make some deal appointments too!"
The subordinates of the Amore Trading Company immediately scattered to start buying goods.
It was as Fabio had predicted.
And at this time, Fabio was starting a somewhat serious conversation with Chloe.