Chapter 70
Other guild masters are influenced by great merchants, but their independence is somewhat guaranteed.
This is because even if great merchants refuse to trade, they can to some extent pioneer their own raw material supply routes or sales channels.
However, the spice guild has no choice but to be controlled by great merchants.
If the Medici baron family's trading company and three other great merchant families who monopolize the spice trade collaborate to cut off supply, they can't receive sugar or pepper.
In other words, all means of livelihood are cut off.
Moreover, although the current Baron Medici doesn't show it outwardly, he dislikes Fabio.
'If we give that young Fabio a taste of bitterness, he might give us pepper a bit cheaper next time.'
"Among the masters here, there's probably no one who doesn't know Cafe Medici. I often go there to enjoy coffee and snacks too."
Cafe Medici is a small social club at the cutting edge of fashion.
Although they're not formal nobles, they have noble-level power, and because their bloodline isn't as good, they have to put on noble-like appearances.
They even have an inferiority complex towards blue bloods born as high-ranking people by chance.
'We can't fall behind nobles even in culture.'
So they even sponsor all kinds of performances, plays, literature, and art recklessly even though they don't know much about them.
Dropping by Fabio's cafe is a necessity for survival before a matter of preference.
"That Fabio guy is also a big customer of our spice guild. He buys dozens of tons of sugar every month. I think you all know why."
Cafe Medici never skimps on sugar when making desserts.
They pour it excessively to make snacks like cakes, cookies, tarts, and donuts.
That's because they need to make an impressive taste for nobles who eat pepper sprinkled on wine and chicken that seems to use pepper instead of flour in the batter.
Moreover, without exaggeration, in Florence where banquets are held every day, 'Fabio's desserts' are sure to be served at any place.
Thousands, no, tens of thousands of servings of desserts are sold daily.
Even if nobles don't know, it's common knowledge among guild masters.
"Our spice guild is thinking of not selling any sugar to Viscount Medici from now on. I'm also thinking of ordering spice guilds in other cities to do the same."
The guild masters present applauded at those words.
This should be able to give him a tremendous blow without stimulating the Emperor or Duke Visconti behind Fabio.
Moreover, this is bound to be a fatal blow because...
'For a merchant, trust and continuous sales are life, but sugar supply is cut off and dessert sales stop?'
Even if sugar supply is properly restored later and business resumes, he'll be in a position to compete with other latecomers.
He'll never regain the absolute number one position in desserts he currently holds.
However, the most painful problem for Fabio will be...
"A merchant must keep promises and deals no matter what reason there is. If not, trust falls. Have you all experienced doing business while crying and taking losses because of that?"
Even at the cost of suffering hundreds, maybe over a thousand gold coins in losses right away, you must maintain trust.
Only then can you fill in the lost money even if it takes some time.
'You can earn money again, but it takes much longer to regain lost trust.'
"If a young guy loses trust once, it won't be very easy to make a comeback."
The guild masters here didn't think Fabio would fall just from this much.
Unlike other young and capable guys, Viscount Medici is a monster whose skills are completely different from theirs.
'He won't die from just this much.'
"I won't deny that he's capable. But after taking one hit, he'll realize our kindness and lower his head on his own. Even a rampaging horse can be tamed if you beat it."
A smile spread across the spice guild master's face.
If he succeeds in delivering a fatal blow to Fabio this time?
His position in this guild master meeting as the spice guild master will rise greatly.
It's like a dream, but if he receives the support of all the guild masters here, he might even rise to the position of vice chairman of the city council.
'If you become vice chairman of the city council, you're granted a hereditary knight title. You become a noble.'
A current guild master rising that far?
Then he can pass down the guild master position to his son too.
And he'll gain favor with Baron Medici, one of the big customers of the spice guild, and make a profit by buying spices cheaply.
'My mouth is watering.'
"Please raise your hand if you all agree."
All the guild masters present raised their hands high.
"Within a week, I'll instruct spice guilds in Florence, and further throughout the Tuscan Empire, to cut off sugar supply."
The spice guild master couldn't sleep that night.
'No matter how much of a genius he is, how can he beat the alliance of guild masters?'
**
I walked the streets of Florence to inspect Cafe Medici after a while.
A carriage is faster, but it's not like I'm in a hurry.
"Today's work will be done after just this."
Is it because work piles up crazily when it piles up, and is terribly leisurely when it's leisurely?
It's not even 10 AM yet, but today's quota of work is already almost finished.
Work should be done before lunch.
"I'm really happy that I can rest together with you all day, young master. If we had a bit more time, it would have been nice to go to a nearby hill. Today, I'll loosen your body with a massage I learned diligently from the head maid."
I can vividly see what will happen after the massage ends.
While walking slowly and chatting, I saw a cat in front of me.
An unusually cute brown kitten.
I unconsciously reached out my hand and stroked the cat.
"It's cute, should we raise one, Chloe?"
I'm not such a leisurely person, but we can entrust taking care of a cat to other servants.
We can take care of it in our spare time.
"I'm against raising a cat."
It's unexpected, since Chloe herself likes cute clothes with lace and frills, I thought she'd like it if I said we'd raise a kitten.
Why is she against it?
Ah, is she thinking we shouldn't raise it carelessly because a cat is also a life?
"When we're both busy, we can have other maids or butlers take care of it."
Chloe shook her head.
Then she stammered slightly and objected.
"If possible, I'd like you to find only me cute... If I see you smiling gently and stroking a cat in front of me, I think I'd get jealous."
If there were no guards around, I would have poked her cheeks and teased her slightly in my room.
There's no one else, but it's a bit regrettable that I can't do that because there are gazes.
Still, it's enough that I saw Chloe getting jealous over a kitten.
I can play mischievous pranks when we return to my room.
As I was having happy thoughts while imagining, Chloe clenched her fists with her face bright red.
Did she make some kind of resolution?
She slightly clenched her fists and wiggled her wrists.
I definitely didn't teach her this, but it reminded me of maids wearing cat headbands and meowing that you often see in maid cafes.
"Chloe alone is enough to act spoiled with the master."
Chloe herself seemed embarrassed and turned her eyes away from me.
But the water has already been spilled.
She continued to push forward.
"I may not be a cat, but you can find me very cute like you would a cat. If you want, it's a bit embarrassing, but I'll try my best."
I'm not a virgin anymore, but.
For a moment, I felt like blood was rushing to my nose.
Chloe without a stitch of clothing showing her belly and acting cute in my room?
'Even Buddha couldn't resist this.'
Then she whispered in my ear.
"I want you to find me as cute as you want, meow."
The thought of raising a cat completely disappeared from my mind.
Right, why should I raise a cat anyway?
Come to think of it, raising a cat seems like an inefficient use of time.
It's definitely not because I changed my mind due to Chloe's aegyo.
'I'm not such a fickle person.'
Then I hurried my steps.
Let's finish work quickly and rest hard today.
**
As I entered Cafe Medici, Antonio welcomed me sincerely.
"I'll serve you specially in that room today."
Our cafe has rooms separated from other people.
The usage fee is terribly expensive, but in exchange, it guarantees 'privacy' for nobles to have secret conversations or lovers to engage in somewhat intense displays of affection.
'That doesn't mean you can build the Great Wall of China in there though.'
"Alright, I'll have an espresso."
"Yes, understood."
Antonio ordered an espresso, an Americano, and cookies from his subordinate.
As soon as the ordered food came out and the door was locked, he said with a serious expression:
"The spice guild bastards have stopped supplying sugar."
...... I was planning to do cat play with Chloe today, which bastard dares to touch us?
Those damned bastards, really.