Chapter 72
The Duke immediately put on airs and tried to curry favor as soon as he saw me.
"Other viscount nobodies can't even request a private audience with me. I'm meeting you specially because it's you, Fabio. You know that well, right?"
People who don't know anything would spout nonsense about what's the big deal about just meeting someone once.
However, the way the world works isn't that simple.
Just having a judge or prosecutor's business card in my wallet drastically reduces the chances of being framed by corrupt police.
Even if I commit a crime, police or others investigating me might eagerly look for reasons to reduce my sentence because of connections.
Moreover, in the Tuscan Empire, just having connections with the Duke can give me a kind of indulgence.
Guards would turn a blind eye to most violations.
If the Duke himself steps in, I could be found not guilty or cleared of charges even if I committed murder, unless I killed someone too openly.
Of course, doing such things would be scary to deal with afterwards, and I don't want to commit sins that shouldn't be done as a human being.
'I should just think of it as being able to use this safety net.'
That's why, looking closely, being able to have a sudden private audience in half a day is a privilege.
"I'm sorry for troubling Your Grace."
"It's alright, given our relationship. Thanks to you, our faction has properly broken the pride of that Duke Sforza bastard lately, you know?"
I've heard that the Pereira Trading Company is quite friendly with Duke Sforza.
But I heard that because the Pereira Trading Company lost all their military supplies, their status among great merchants has fallen a lot.
Their honor has also fallen to the ground thanks to committing corruption related to military supplies.
Mud must have splashed on Duke Sforza they belong to as well.
'Their financial situation must have worsened too.'
"Young guys in our faction, no, at your level, you're already like a senior member in my faction. If you just get married and become the head of a proper noble family, I'll specially let you sit in the upper seats even though you're just a viscount."
In Europe or Joseon, they didn't treat you as a proper adult before marriage even if you were quite old.
On the other hand, if you're married and have children, they at least pretend to treat you like an adult everywhere even if you're just past your late teens.
Also, in Duke Visconti's faction meetings, contribution to the faction takes precedence over titles.
However, that contribution generally corresponds to titles, so if I'm in the upper seats...
'Bigshots like counts or viscounts aiming for count seats would be sitting next to me.'
"That's too much praise."
"You must have wanted to see me urgently because there's a crisis? Tell me anything, problems faced by my faction members are like my own problems."
The medieval era, no, our Albania continent operates in a similar way to gangsters.
To use the yakuza as an analogy, the Duke is the boss, and I, a viscount, am originally just a regular member.
When a member is in danger, it's the job of organized crime for the boss to take a knife and bring all the other executives to crush them.
"Actually, as of today, those spice guild bastards have cut off sugar supply to Cafe Medici."
At those words, the Duke's face hardened.
"Those trash-like lowly merchant bastards, even though you didn't directly infringe on their profits. They're picking a fight because you're growing in size? It's extremely unpleasant."
Among the Florence guilds, only the blacksmith guild has grounds to openly attack me.
They had their rice bowls completely taken away by me and Duke Visconti in steel production.
'Of course, the Duke ordered me to personally make them puppets of the Visconti ducal family.'
Moreover, even if there are understandable legitimate reasons for hitting someone, you have to go to jail for assault if you beat someone.
Furthermore, since the spice guild has no grounds to fight with me...
'It's on the same level as indiscriminate violence.'
"Well, if another merchant belonging to our faction suffered this, I would have just felt a bit bad and that's it. But aren't you and I quite close?"
I made huge profits by creating new iron-making technology, and the Duke succeeded in completely monopolizing steel, which is the foundation of this country's military.
"Moreover, unlike other guilds, isn't the spice guild finished if some great merchants don't supply goods? So if Baron Medici had just shown an attitude that he wouldn't stand still if his younger brother was touched..."
The Duke gritted his teeth.
"I'm sorry for badmouthing the former Baron Medici in front of you, but that bastard should have educated his son properly! How can the Medici baron family run well if that idiot Albert can't even control the spice guild, let alone push his younger brother?"
Our father was unusually fond of family compared to other nobles.
Is this how it turned out?
"If sugar supply to Cafe Medici is cut off, it will be a big blow to you. I'll sternly warn the spice guild. Moreover, I need to have a somewhat deeper conversation with that Albert fellow."
I can meet the Duke without much burden, but to a mere baron like my brother, Duke Visconti is like a great archangel on a cloud.
He'd get goosebumps even if the Duke just coughs dryly.
If he's directly scolded, he'd probably get psychological trauma.
'Is it like a mere captain being scolded directly by a division, no, corps commander?'
And the fact that the corps commander scolded him spreads widely, with an additional package of top-down scolding starting from the division commander.
Honestly, it's nice if the Duke does that for me, but when you look at it all, I'm politically indebted.
Moreover, seeing that he specifically mentioned 'marriage' here.
He must be trying to make me a slave bound by golden chains bestowed by his family through a political marriage.
"I can handle the fight with the spice guild. Unless the Baron has gone crazy, surely he wouldn't have ordered to torment his younger brother?"
When I asked him not to intervene, the Duke's expression changed slightly as if disappointed.
"I want to give Your Grace a small gift on this occasion."
"To think of giving me a gift first even when cornered. You really are terribly relentless."
"I was able to rise to this position thanks to Your Grace, so even if my affiliation has changed to His Majesty's direct vassal, I shouldn't forget my roots."
The Duke laughed dryly hearing my words.
"I'll bring in sugar even if I have to smuggle it. And with this opportunity, I want to secure land where we can grow sugarcane."
"Isn't there nowhere sugarcane is grown except in the Medina Sultanate territory? You're not thinking of going to war, are you?"
I asked the Duke for and received a map hanging in the office.
"If you look here, isn't there Rabat Island, an island seized from the Sultanate infidels? When I asked the infidels I trade coffee with, I heard this place has good climate conditions for growing sugarcane."
"But isn't that land of the Deus Knights Order, those fanatics?"
The Deus Knights Order, they're called a knight order but their actions are no different from notorious pirate groups that kidnap, plunder, and sell infidels as slaves.
'With religious fanaticism added to that, they say you can't win even if you mobilize a large army?'
"Those fanatics are ultimately people too. Without money, food, and weapons, they can't bestow Deus's teachings on infidels. And they're always suffering from financial difficulties."
Rabat Island is an island where 95% of GDP, if considered a country, is covered by plunder.
In some sense, it's like Somalia, so there's no way living conditions are decent.
"I'm thinking of opening a way for them to make a living on the condition of growing sugarcane and pledging loyalty to His Majesty. Then Your Grace would achieve the feat of expanding territory without shedding a drop of blood, and I would be able to independently secure sugar needed for operating Cafe Medici."
The Duke froze for a moment looking at me.
"It's enough if Your Grace just lends me proxy authority. I'll take care of the rest myself."
I can fulfill what they want.
So the deal will be 99% successful.
The Duke opened his desk and handed me a ring.
A signet ring made of pure silver with the Duke's family crest engraved.
It's a symbol representing a proxy.
"To seek ways to help me even in the midst of a crisis. This is really dumbfounding."
"It's what I should naturally do."
"Well, go ahead and do as you like. You've never betrayed my trust, Viscount Medici, so I'll trust you this time too."
"Thank you, I'll take my leave now as matters are urgent."
As I was about to leave the office with those final words, the Duke smiled questioningly.
"I wish my granddaughter could find a husband just like you."
....... I must have heard wrong?
**
After Fabio left the office, Count Latina, the chancellor of the ducal family, entered.
"Your Grace seems to be unusually fond of Viscount Medici."
Duke Visconti grinned.
"You and I couldn't do even half of half of that at his age, could we? But that Fabio fellow brings only the best results as if it's nothing, even when His Majesty and I throw all sorts of unreasonable tasks at him."
"I was certainly surprised when he created the method for new steel, but when I analyzed the process of handling military supplies in detail, it gave me goosebumps."
Count Latina recalled Fabio's achievements.
Catching all sorts of corruption in military supplies, improving soldiers' meals, and reducing costs is something a 'capable merchant' can do.
However, to raise the quality of meals by several levels and reduce costs while not antagonizing great merchants who are hung up on the profit relationships of military supplies?
'It was an impossible task.'
And he handled '2 division military supplies' while maintaining very high quality and low prices in a state where his trading company's scale was small.
It's not something a mere young noble can do.
'Especially, making it possible to do military supplies in just 2 months was a task that even experienced nobles would have given up on.'
The Duke grinned.
"Of course, it's difficult for a person to always choose only pretty actions, isn't it? I was very disappointed when he brought up 'imperial power strengthening measures' to the Vice Minister because His Majesty favors him. I was considering calling him in to severely reprimand him."
If imperial power rises greatly, the position of nobles like the Duke falls.
This is a principle like water flowing from high to low.
"But it seems like it was needless worry."
"Why do you think so?"
"He said he'd let me achieve the merit of expanding territory without getting a drop of water on my hands. If some other young guy said such things I wouldn't know, but I can trust Fabio."
People prove trust through achievements.
Although Fabio de Medici is just a 22-year-old youngster, looking at the merits he's achieved alone, they're big enough to fit him into the back seats of senior faction members.
Making it possible to control the military by monopolizing steel, and dealing a serious blow to the enemy faction's funding.
The result of performing all military supplies and being appointed as the youngest major by lightning, making the division commander beg him to at least be the logistics staff chief.
"I should ask him later when he comes back. What benefits he'll give me if he gives absolute monarchy to His Majesty."
Count Latina chimed in.
"I can't quite guess either. But it's really regrettable."
"What do you mean?"
"I do have a granddaughter, but she's too young."
"Isn't that just how life is?"
The Duke made an expression opposite to joking and making light conversation.
"I'd like to be able to tie him firmly to our family. How nice would it be if Fabio directly assisted that Albert bastard right now?"
"Isn't His Highness the Petit Duke very capable?"
Alfred de Visconti, he was quite capable.
But the more excellent something is, the better.
"Count Latina, the more excellent people like you there are, the better."
And he spoke his thoughts to his most trusted subordinate.
"If your son and Fabio both assist that Alfred bastard who will become Duke Visconti, Duke Sforza's faction probably won't even be able to breathe and will just be beaten. I'm looking forward to that."
With those words, the Duke rose from his seat.
"He's too precious to hand over to His Majesty."