Chapter 62
They say beautiful women don't live long due to other women's jealousy, and geniuses become targets of hatred from ordinary people and die young.
Although I tried to avoid making enemies as much as possible, unlike Jeong Do-jeon, Oda Nobunaga, or Wallenstein of the Thirty Years' War, who are called personality destroyers.
"To obtain a viscount title by his own power at that age."
"I hear he got a staff position without even achieving any special merits?"
"Arrogant bastard, just a second son of a baron family."
When you stand out like a heron among chickens, even if you don't try to make enemies, people around you who are jealous and envious will appear.
From now on, not because their rice bowl is threatened.
There will probably be trash who want to be hostile just because they can't stand seeing me do well.
It seems exactly the same as 21st century Korea.
An employee with a better-looking face than me, a subordinate with outstanding ability, a colleague with a lot of money.
Trash who try to bury such people through office politics are spread all over the country.
'If I had only resolved weapons and military supplies with money, how much more would they have chewed me out?'
However, I have no intention of hesitating or bowing my head and begging at just this level of pressure.
When you become the target of someone's jealousy through no fault of your own, facing it confidently is the best strategy.
I walked proudly towards the stage for the title conferment ceremony.
Didn't they say there are shadows because there is light?
If there were people jealous of me, there were also people who purely acknowledged me.
"When I heard a 21-year-old kid was a major, I thought the world was ending, but it turns out he was the real deal?"
"Even without this, from Cafe Medici to seaweed. He was a guy who could do everything."
"Is this what they call a heaven-sent genius?"
Excluding Duke Visconti, my father, and the Emperor who absolutely support me, more than half are my allies.
So let's just continue confidently on the path I believe in.
I stood proudly on the platform, receiving the gazes of dozens of nobles.
"His Majesty Emperor Vittorio de Toscana is arriving, everyone pay your respects!"
With those words, the sound of nobles in attendance taking their seats was heard.
I also simultaneously knelt on one knee and bowed my head.
Not long after, the Emperor stood before me.
"Everyone raise your heads."
When I raised my head and looked, the Emperor was smiling.
He must be quite satisfied with my performance.
If he wasn't satisfied, even someone as kind as me would have been very angry, but it seems I don't need to worry about feeling twisted inside.
'Well, what I did was exceeding expectations in the first place.'
"The chamberlain shall read out Fabio de Medici's merits."
The chamberlain summarized and read out my achievements so far.
Reducing the number of dying mothers and children by supplying seaweed and postpartum care centers, enabling scholars and officials to focus on work by supplying coffee.
Playing a decisive role in rebuilding the 1st Division this time, and righteous conduct in thoroughly reporting the sins of the Pereira Trading Company.
All achievements were announced, excluding things like iron-making technology reform and smuggling that would be a bit troublesome if revealed publicly.
"Although he is young and an unmarried boy, Fabio's activities have already brought many benefits to the empire. Moreover, despite being a poor lord with just over 3,500 serfs living in his territory, his loyalty and devotion in offering weapons and armor to arm thousands of soldiers for the empire can be considered an example for all nobles."
Ordinary people of the empire might not know, but influential nobles with ears in the center all know me.
They would have encountered my name either through seaweed that must be eaten when giving birth, or cake which is essential in social circles.
Therefore, they will understand well that I am rich.
Yet there's a reason for deliberately attaching 'poor lord'.
'It's telling nobles to pay tribute at this opportunity.'
They'll have to behave well because tax investigations could come if they don't satisfy the Emperor.
"I, Vittorio de Toscana, as Emperor of the empire, wish to repay this devotion and loyalty. I hereby bestow the title of viscount upon Fabio de Medici, and grant the area around Tirenia Castle near his territory to be called the Medici Viscounty."
Tirenia Castle, it's called a castle but if you actually go there, it's just surrounded by wooden palisades.
Still, it's good for farming and many people live around it.
From what I heard from the bailiff I manage there, about 6,000 people live there.
'Would it make more money if I make them quit wheat farming and focus on specialty crops?'
Also, adding up the population of our territory and the residents living in the newly granted territory, it's slightly less than 10,000 people in total.
Although a viscount, looking at just the territory size, it's similar to the level of a baron at the very bottom.
If I had just normalized the incoming military supplies as the Emperor requested and only replaced weapons, he probably would have just given me the viscount title.
It seems good to do your best as much as you can in everything.
"Until now, Fabio de Medici was considered a vassal of Baron Medici, but from this moment on, I will make him my vassal, not a vassal of Baron Medici."
The words are difficult, but what the Emperor wants to say is this:
This guy is mine now.
Even until now, I was practically Duke Visconti's vassal so Albert couldn't even think of touching me, but now I've become someone he really can't touch.
My brother and I are family connected by blood, so he's probably watching from somewhere over there...
I wonder how he feels? He's surely annoyed.
"Since Baron Ducat, commander of the 1st Division, said that Viscount Medici performed his work very well when carrying out military supplies, I hereby order him to handle military supplies for the 9th and 13th Divisions. Other military supplies that the Pereira Trading Company was in charge of will be done separately by trading companies supervised by the imperial family."
The Emperor seems to have a lot of desire for power.
He's trying to directly grasp the core vested interest of military supplies.
Still, he gave me the vested interest of military supplies equivalent to two divisions.
'I should just do as much as I did for one division and take profits.'
If I do too well, I'll be disliked by other great merchants.
And to handle those two with my current size, I'd have to work overtime for a while to increase the trading company's scale first...
But you have to make efforts to make money and rise up.
"This concludes the conferment ceremony. Continue to serve loyally as you have until now."
"I will serve the empire and imperial family loyally with body and mind."
"I expect so."
The Emperor whispered quietly as he passed by my side:
"Are you pleased?"
I answered by bowing my head even deeper to those words.
Just the optimized military supplies for one division that I did have vested interests on the scale of a small city, but he gave me two of those. How can I not be grateful?
When the Emperor left his seat, everyone stood up and withdrew.
Both Duke Visconti's faction and Duke Sforza's faction probably have a lot to say due to the appearance of a new ace.
Although Duke Visconti didn't personally encourage me...
Honestly, just the fact that the Duke brought his followers here would probably lead to talk within the faction that he's paying too much attention to me.
'If he directly encourages me here too? More enemies would be created within the faction...'
So there's no need to be disappointed.
I recited my title and status once again to myself.
"Viscount Medici."
Unlike when I was just a knight nobody, now I can act as an independent noble subject.
Honestly, it feels like I've risen a bit faster than I thought.
But I don't think I won't be able to handle this position.
Because I'll be able to do even better in the future than I've done so far.
And since my title has risen, I should first sprinkle bonuses to the Medici Trading Company employees and servants and hold a family celebration.
With these good thoughts, on my way back, Albert, the current Baron Medici, approached me.
"Baron Medici, thank you so much for gracing this occasion."
"How could this older brother miss the occasion of his younger brother becoming a viscount?"
Even if that gentleman wants to kill me, he can't miss this occasion.
If he doesn't come, nobles would point fingers saying he's a guy who doesn't even take care of his own family.
Albert patted my shoulder and laughed.
"To already have staff experience and rise to viscount by your own power at that age. I'm really proud of you."
They say people die when they do things they've never done before, why is that gentleman suddenly acting like this?
Did he get struck by lightning or something?
"As if it's not enough that your story comes up at least once at every social gathering I attend, now I'll hear your praises until my ears grow calluses."
"Why are you embarrassing me like that?"
And Albert suddenly changed his expression.
He spoke seriously, just loud enough for me to hear:
"Don't forget humility. There's a saying that when you achieve too much success at a young age, the end isn't good. Take this advice from your brother to heart."
People really never change.
Still, I have no intention of being hostile to you, and since I was born in the Medici baron family, I'll take good care of things like vested interests and gifts...
Please stop being jealous of me.
What an ugly thing to be jealous of your younger brother.
"I'll keep it in mind, brother."