Chapter 86
The Emperor looked very perplexed upon hearing the word "sea".
He probably really thought what I had done was admirable and intended to give me a very generous "reward in a form that leaves no trace".
But what I requested was the concept of "the world beyond the sea" which he couldn't understand.
"Beyond the sea, by beyond the sea do you mean beyond those two stone pillars in Gibraltar?"
I heard there was such a legend in ancient Greek mythology too.
Hercules erected two stone pillars at the entrance of the Strait of Gibraltar and declared:
'This is the end of the world. (non plus ultra)'
So many Europeans endured for hundreds of years the tyranny of evil Venice and the Ottoman Empire colluding with spices like pepper.
Because they thought they would really die if they went out there.
But what's the reality? The ones who went out there first ruled the world for a while, didn't they?
We can't hesitate when we know the formula that can succeed just by copying.
Shouldn't we too go beyond that distant sky, no, beyond the sea?
"Yes, Your Majesty. The world beyond the sea I'm thinking of is outside that Gibraltar."
The Emperor snickered hearing my words.
"It's absurd. But you're mentioning beyond the sea, rejecting the reward I'm giving, because you have something in mind, right?"
There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
Strictly speaking, receiving something without giving direct or indirect benefits to the other party could be a path to my destruction.
If you break that principle, you might gain painful lessons by falling for proposals of money brought by scammers, or investments in hotels or officetel that can receive 1 million won monthly with just a small investment.
The Emperor gained enormous honor through my activities, but I transferred those rights and merits to the Duke.
Therefore, it's Duke Visconti who should give compensation.
'Receiving something from the Emperor, not the Duke, is like saying I'll eat what's given for free.'
"There are two reasons. First, to develop the empire's commerce, we must go beyond this narrow lake."
The geography of this Albania continent where I am is surprisingly similar to the European continent.
That means being tied to just the Mediterranean will end up like Venice.
'After the Age of Exploration began, their national power weakened sharply due to the decline in Mediterranean trade.'
"The trade in the Mediterranean, the lake of the Albania continent, is tightly held by infidels and some great merchants. No, strictly speaking, infidels are leading everything."
"I don't feel very good about it, but I acknowledge it. We just want to believe we're trading fairly with infidels and great merchants. In reality, we have no choice but to be dragged along as they wish."
They don't particularly import special items from our empire.
Steel, well, unique items and artworks from the Albania continent.
They do buy these things, but they don't become terribly inconvenienced if they don't have them.
However, we would be in a predicament if we couldn't import spices like pepper, nutmeg, cloves, turmeric, etc.
We don't die without spices.
But for nobles, spices are essential luxuries.
Without them, they can't maintain their dignity as nobles.
'Nobles are as good as dead if they lose dignity and honor. Not just me, but our whole family too.'
That's why nobles are all debtors when you look at their wallet situations.
And that's why at banquets, there are always strange dishes that are hard to even put in your mouth, and top-quality wines that can't be drunk because they put in too much pepper or spices.
"When I asked merchants who trade with the Alsini family, I heard they buy and sell Indica and spices through sea routes, not land routes."
Merchants who trade with the Alsini family aren't crazy enough to reveal all their capital.
So I found out the trade routes by giving large sums of money to merchants who went bankrupt trading with the Alsini family.
"If we go around by sea, we might be able to trade spices like pepper without going through the Sultanate."
The Emperor was making a humming sound as if this alone was a bit insufficient.
Well, no one who could become an 'Emperor' would be tempted by uncertain stories.
"And aren't great merchants calling prices too high just because they hold the sovereignty of spice trade? They suddenly raised pepper prices by 2 times last time too."
The Emperor frowned hearing my words.
"They're really dirty ones. But we can't buy spices like pepper through others except them."
Our Medici baron family is included in this too, but let's not mind that.
It's not something I'm leading, and it's not really related to me.
"We can't suffer from their evil atrocities like this forever."
"For the development of our empire, we need to look a bit more long-term."
They say if you want to become rich through business, pioneer markets that others haven't pioneered.
Even if you open a convenience store, you can make a lot of money if you open a store where others haven't in a good commercial area, and even if the commercial area is very good, you'll close soon if there are other convenience stores scattered nearby because you won't make money.
Frankly speaking, it's reckless for me to jump into spice trade or other trades in the Mediterranean now.
'Try opening a convenience store in an apartment complex with 4 convenience stores around, you'll just end up with a lot of debt.'
So I need a bigger market that others couldn't turn their eyes to.
Enormous amounts of gold, silver, various new items, luxury goods, etc...
If I get my hands on all of this, there's no need to be trapped in that small lake-like sea.
"And this is news I obtained from infidels, but I heard there's a lot of gold in the western part of the Ifriqiya continent. That is, southwest of Gibraltar."
We commonly know that the motive for starting the Age of Exploration was 'spices'.
That's absolutely not wrong.
But what gave people the driving force to go to India was various strange items and gold and silver from West Africa and the New World.
'Especially West African gold was quite amazing.'
The Emperor's eyes sparkled.
"If we just figure out the infidels' trade routes, we can know roughly which direction and how far to go by sea. And we might be able to buy large amounts of gold too. The location isn't that far either."
Honestly, going around to Indica would be very difficult even if I mobilize all kinds of future knowledge.
It might be hard to go to India by ship in my lifetime unless unexpected luck follows.
'If the geography of the Earth I know matches this world's geography, it would be a different story.'
But there's a high probability it's not.
Right away, Rabat Island, which should be a small island in southern Italy, is as big as Geoje Island in the position of Malta Island.
"There must be lots of untouched treasures beyond that sea."
Rather than treasure, it would be more correct to say 'enormous economic interests'.
But saying treasure would resonate much more with the Emperor.
Also, humans are animals that burn even their own lives like straw to fulfill their desires.
I should gradually scratch that desire.
'What the Emperor wants is just one thing, strong imperial power.'
"Doesn't power come from money no matter what anyone says? You need money to feed, clothe, house, and make fight armies of over hundreds of thousands. You need money to persuade nobles too."
The Emperor can't not know this.
If he couldn't understand such obvious principles, he wouldn't be an Emperor but a person lacking intellectual ability.
"God has placed everything beyond that sea. While other monarchs of the Albania continent are struggling over small profits in front of their eyes, get your hands on the world as soon as possible. Why are you tied to just this part of the Albania continent?"
The Emperor laughed hearing my words.
He burst into laughter in front of me for the first time.
He seems full of genuinely delightful signs.
"You're crazy, crazy. To think a mere viscount nobody would dare provoke me like this. If my late father were alive, he would have grabbed your neck hearing this story. Do you think your neck would have remained if I had been displeased hearing this story?"
I was certain it wouldn't happen based on your tendencies I've observed so far, what you need now, etc.
You ask how much firm belief I had to do such a crazy thing?
'I was as certain as water flowing from high to low.'
"People can take a step forward even knowing they might die. We call that courage. I just showed 'a bit of courage' to devote my loyalty to Your Majesty."
"...... Good, but it's impossible for me to approve and support a business without possibility."
The Emperor looked straight into my eyes and said:
"Prove that there's sea and new land outside the Strait of Gibraltar too. And confirm that gold trading is possible too."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"If you complete the order, I will entrust you with the role of managing this vast sea."