Chapter 71
At first, I felt indignant towards those who poured water on others trying to have a good time.
But I'm not some maniac obsessed with sexual pleasure, so I could instantly feel the seriousness of this situation.
"Seeing that the report hasn't come up yet, you must have just been notified?"
Antonio bowed his head as if he had done something wrong.
"Yes, I was notified 2 hours ago. So while operating the store and business normally, I was figuring out how much sugar stock we have left. And I'm also looking into whether we can buy sugar from spice guilds in other cities."
The Florence guild acts as the head of guilds in other cities.
More precisely, it's like an association president.
Given that the spice guild master directly issued a sugar sales ban to us, other guilds will probably just spout nonsense about not selling to us either.
"Buying sugar from other cities will be practically impossible. Think about it, if Antonio were the spice guild master, would you make such a clumsy mistake after drawing your sword?"
"...... Still, I'll look into it just in case."
"I'll start by contacting Guillaume City to see if we can smuggle in as much sugar as we need."
Guillaume City is now a prosperous port city that's quite noticeable even in the Kingdom of Lyon.
Of course, sugar sales must be high there too.
If I say I'll buy it all up, the great merchants of the Kingdom of Lyon will eagerly sell it to me.
If there had been a restriction on spices like pepper, cloves, or nutmeg that are only produced far away in Indica, there really would have been no answer.
'If that were the case, I might have had to bash the spice guild master's head in right away.'
"And how much sugar stock do we have left?"
"Since we use such large amounts of sugar, we always store up massive quantities when we buy. We can hold out for about a month."
Like other spices, sugar doesn't spoil.
"A month isn't very short, but it's not leisurely either."
If we urgently smuggle in sugar from Guillaume City, we can put out the fire that's fallen on our feet.
If we buy from foreign spice guilds and great merchants while taking hits from smuggling and tariffs, we'll have to buy at several times the price.
But compared to the loss that would occur if we couldn't continue supplying desserts because sugar supply was cut off?
'We can't miss the most important part by being blinded by small profits.'
Even if we take a loss on sugar alone, we can somehow make it up with seaweed or coffee.
But if trust falls because I couldn't cover the problem that occurred with sugar?
It would be a wound that can't be covered by seaweed or coffee.
Antonio carefully asked:
"Should we stop selling desserts externally?"
"We can't do that. That's what that damn spice guild master wants. I'll smuggle in sugar by any means necessary, so maintain normal business operations. Accept all orders unconditionally, even if unexpected large orders come in."
If I were the spice guild master, I'd place unexpected large orders to make us eat shit...
Because there really would be no answer if orders pour in when we have no sugar stock.
'It's like sprinkling red pepper powder and salt on a wound.'
And just then, the sound of someone urgently knocking on the door was heard.
"Manager Antonio! The Pereira Trading Company says they're holding a large-scale banquet tomorrow hosting various nobles including His Grace Marquis Grimaldi! They've requested 100 strawberry shortcakes, 800 peach parfaits, 80 kg of tiramisu! It seems we'll barely be able to meet the order if we gather all the chefs in our cafe!"
The Pereira bastards and the spice guild master have joined hands to torment us?
As expected, I had predicted long ago that they would just bow their heads gratefully at the time, but once they turn around, they'd be dying to crush me.
It's not surprising or shocking, but it hurts like hell.
"Manager! This time, the Colonna baron family has ordered large quantities of grape cake using grape jam, parfaits, and various desserts. They say the deadline is in 3 days!"
At this rate, we might run out of stock within 3 weeks?
If we can't smuggle it in, it'll be a huge problem.
My hands are trembling slightly.
Spice guild master, I'll really trample you.
'...... Surely Albert isn't behind this?'
But I instantly erased that thought from my mind.
It seems right that he's a human trash full of jealousy and inferiority complex.
But he probably wouldn't go so far as to antagonize me while going against his in-laws.
I put my hand to my forehead and sighed deeply.
"This is really driving me crazy."
Still, if we look, there should be a way.
There's a saying like this too.
They say roads are naturally created as people walk.
**
My plan to play like adults to my heart's content with Chloe today has gone up in smoke.
But now wasn't the time to be immersed in such sentiments.
I immediately called Sebastian.
"The head butler has just arrived."
"Tell him to hurry in."
Sebastian urgently opened the door and came in.
"What on earth is going on that you're looking for me so urgently?"
"The spice guild bastards have put a sugar sales ban on me. And they're deliberately placing large orders to try to deplete our sugar and prevent us from selling desserts as soon as possible."
"They say successful people become targets of jealousy, but isn't this going too far? If we contact Baron Medici right now..."
Albert, that bastard, probably wasn't directly or indirectly involved in this matter.
But if he hears that I'm eating shit even though it's not something he did, he'd be happy.
He's not the kind of person who would step up to help somehow.
He's the kind of bastard who would wait until I suffer great damage while making all sorts of excuses.
'At the very last moment, he'd help me but...'
"Sebastian, this is a problem I have to solve with my power alone."
Then I gestured for him to come closer.
As soon as Sebastian put his ear close, I whispered:
"Baron Medici has an inferiority complex towards me. You know too, Sebastian? Why did the Count Farnese family form a marriage alliance with the Medici baron family."
His eyes widened hearing those words.
"It seems I've misspoken. This problem is clearly one that we should solve at the level of our Medici Trading Company. It doesn't seem like we should ask Baron Medici for help, but how about seeking advice from the former baron?"
Seeking advice means getting help.
And although my father has retired, he has much more power within the family than 'Albert'.
'He could do anything except driving out Albert, the current baron.'
"I'll keep that in mind as a last resort. Where's Chris?"
"She was with me, but as soon as she heard there was an urgent matter, she first gave orders to prepare our trading company's merchant ships for departure."
I can't say this to Sebastian, but excluding the fact that he's a veteran who's seen me since I was young, Chris seems better.
To predict that I'll be going far away before even knowing what the problem is.
A voice was heard from outside the door.
"It's Christina Modina. May I come in?"
"Come in."
As soon as Chris entered, she reported to me first.
"I've ordered one sloop and one carrack from our trading company to prepare for departure. You should be able to depart as soon as you arrive at the port."
It would take about 3 days to reach the nearest port from Florence.
'It takes about 4 days to prepare for a ship to depart.'
Scraping barnacles off the deck, loading food and water, recalling sailors employed by our trading company.
"Very well done. For now, I'll give Sebastian full proxy authority, so no matter how much money it takes, go to Guillaume City and scrape together as much sugar as possible. It would be even better if you could fill up a whole carrack."
"Yes, understood."
Sebastian walked out without asking or questioning any further.
But perhaps wary of potential spies inside here?
There was even leisure visible in his gait.
'As expected, I'm blessed with good subordinates.'
"If you're not going to Guillaume City directly, are you thinking of visiting Alsini?"
If I appeal to our connection of selling seaweed and buying coffee from that gentleman, he would give me as much sugar as I want, let alone pepper or other spices.
But then I'd have to become the Alsini family's dog.
"No, rather than that, I'm going to secure land where we can grow sugar with this opportunity."
"Where on earth can you grow sugar..."
There's just one place.
A 'foreign country'-like place where quite a few people live and is close by.
No, strictly speaking, the territory of a fanatical knight order crazy about the Deus religion.
"I need to see His Grace Duke Visconti. Chris, you come with me."
And in less than half a day, I was granted a private audience with the Duke.