I Became A Black Merchant In Another World

What I just experienced at the hands of Baron Ravioli is clearly a case of office politics.

It’s no different from a high-ranking executive at the company trying to suppress a young gun rapidly climbing the ranks.

“What on earth have I done to deserve this?”

Chloe, who was following alongside me, chimed in.

“Young Lord, you really haven’t done anything wrong. That Baron is truly over the top.”

She looked at me with genuine pity.

“You even take good care of other servants. You haven’t done anything bad like the other nobles…”

It’s not that I’m pure and simply haven’t done anything bad.

It’s just that I haven’t had any reason to do so yet.

And besides, in office politics, being disliked by someone doesn’t necessarily need a reason.

Before that scoundrel rises above me, I need to kill off my competition to get promoted.

“In this world, bad people don’t need a reason to torment others.”

At those words, Chloe slightly lowered her head.

I noticed her clench her teeth.

“And don’t worry too much. This fight is already won on my side.”

The spider-like informants succeeded in digging up more information than I expected.

So, that Baron will definitely not get away unharmed.

Thud!

“If you hit an innocent person, you should be prepared to shed tears of blood from your own eyes.”

Upon hearing my words, Chloe spoke in a slightly gloomy voice.

“I also want to help you, Young Lord.”

“Just staying by my side is enough.”

“That’s not sufficient.”

No, the reason my mental state can withstand this nonsense is largely due to Chloe’s presence.

I’m not sure if it’s right to use a person as a metaphor.

It feels like having a pet that’s as cute as a cat but as loyal as a dog.

Even when stress piles up, just petting Chloe melts away the pointless rage inside me.

As I tried to deny that, the coachman said.

“This is the mansion of Baron Ravioli.”

As much as I’d like to tell Chloe that she doesn’t need to feel burdened by all this,

It seems I need to handle the matter at hand first.

How dare he take a bribe from me and then betray me?

I will not let him off the hook today.

*

To my surprise, Baron Ravioli didn’t seem to mind my abrupt visit at all.

In fact, he greeted me quite warmly.

“Ah, the aroma of the tea is delightful.”

“Our house butler makes a splendid cup of tea.”

He was sitting with his shoulders unnaturally squared, wearing a smile that reached his ears.

With a slight tilt of his chin, he was subconsciously sending me the message.

‘What can you do, you insignificant wretch? You should just bow your head.’

Arrogant and foolish to a fault.

“I’d like to enjoy more time with you, but I have government duties tomorrow, so let’s get to the point.”

Baron Ravioli wore a smug smile oozing with superiority in front of me.

Enjoy your little happy circle while you can.

That’ll be the last happiness you’ll ever know in your life.

“I’ve discovered the real reason you rejected my request for the establishment of a guild.”

The relaxed expression on the Baron’s face instantly vanished.

He must have thought I came to bow my head just because I arrived late at night.

But no, I’ve come to threaten him.

“I heard you received quite a generous gift from the Pachi Guild. A whopping 250 gold coins at once!”

There are times when I make thousands of gold coins, making 250 sound trivial.

But 250 gold coins is a year’s living expenses for 750 commoners in the Empire.

This is not small change, even for nobles.

“In total, that adds up to 1,000 gold coins. Wow, that’s far more than a small baron’s annual net income. If you receive that much from a single guild, isn’t that a bribe rather than a gift?”

The baron mentioned here is a poor one who’s scraping by just to maintain the title of ‘Baron’.

And even that amount is what’s left after taking out the share he has to distribute among his retainers.

Still, for a mere baron, that’s far too much money to take as a ‘gift’.

“So what does that mean?”

His voice was calm, but his body was honest about its nervousness.

There’s no reason to be trembling in a room that isn’t even cold.

“I heard that the second lady has quite an impressive beauty and has made quite a reputation in high society. She seems to have fallen in love with the young lord of the Balliare barony. I’ve even heard she’s experiencing morning sickness.”

Typically, heirs from baron families marry those of similar rank.

But if an heir causes a scandal, especially with the daughter of a noble family, and now she’s ‘pregnant’?

‘For common folks, a bit of money and they can take in a maid and take care of her.’

For low-ranking nobles like barons, if they have a legal wife, they’ll have to treat their mistress as a concubine, and if they don’t, they should take her as a primary wife to take responsibility.

Otherwise, they’ll earn the reputation of ‘Ugh, that scum should die’ among fellow nobles, and their political life would take a nosedive.

So, in the end, they need to hastily arrange a wedding before the impropriety is found out.

While this is a considerable disaster for the Balliare barony, for Baron Ravioli, it’s an unexpected windfall.

“And it seems you’ve been receiving gifts here and there to prepare for the minimum dowry.”

The Baron slammed his fist on the desk and stood up.

“So what? Do you think there are any pure souls among the Empire’s nobility?”

Those who are pure have either already died or will die soon.

I actually agree with that statement.

In that sense, the noble who turned down bribes and offered to promote someone for just a simple ‘meeting’—General Yi Sun-sin—looks incredibly admirable.

The Joseon era wasn’t all that different from the Toscan Empire now.

He survived through sheer ability without giving a single penny as a bribe and became a living disaster.

On the flip side, it means that in our Empire or Joseon, if you lack the competence of someone like General Yi Sun-sin, you can’t be free from bribery.

“Do you think I came with only that bit of information?”

I spread out several copies of the information I had secured.

“The Pachi Guild originally supported Duke Visconti. So, it seems you received those gifts with peace of mind.”

I handed the most crucial document to the man in front of me.

Baron Ravioli’s eyes went wide.

“No way. This can’t be happening.”

Then he buried his head in his hands and began to wail.

“Ugh! This can’t be true!”

Even he probably didn’t expect this.

But what can he do? That’s the reality.

“One of the twenty magnates, David Pachi of the Pachi Guild, changed alliances to make his heir a knight with a territory.”

Holding a title as a knight, even if it’s nominal, can sometimes be purchased for just a few hundred gold coins.

Of course, a few hundred gold coins is no small sum.

But this knight title can only be used for the time being.

‘These are the types we call minor nobles.’

However, even if it’s just a peasant household, a knight with a territory is still a genuine noble.

For those who have plenty of money but suffer from an inferiority complex about their status, it’s a tantalizing proposition.

“Thus, David Pachi is a spy planted by Duke Visconti. For receiving a thousand gold coins, he provided all sorts of conveniences for you. Even utilizing the remnants of legal statutes that have been defunct for over 500 years.”

Baron Ravioli must feel very wronged.

Suppressing someone who’s unnecessarily doing well within a faction is part of a noble’s duty.

But to have the result of his elegant political maneuvering turn into an act of treason against another faction?

I would be equally furious in his position.

The Baron dropped to his knees in front of me.

“I swear, from now, I will live for you or die for you. Please just spare my family. You know I’m not the kind of person to betray you, right?”

For nobility like us who have no backing, switching factions is risky.

Going so far as to act as a spy means you’ll truly find it hard to survive in the Empire.

Otherwise, it’s basic that the entire family gets wiped out.

So I doubt this power-hungry individual would even have thought about it.

“Did you think that if you pointed a sword at me and begged for your life, I would spare you? And what on earth do you believe I lack?”

If I continue to expand my business and build my reputation, one day I could easily aim for a title of ‘Baron’, just as the founder of the Medici Clan did.

I could go even higher than that.

But do I really need to rely on a barony that only collects a pension?

“I will show you a minimum of mercy.”

In truth, I don’t want to be merciful at all.

He pointed a sword at me, so I want to charge him with bribing merchants and abusing power to impeach a fellow noble in the Imperial court.

Then the royal family who might think kindly of me along with the Sforza faction will pounce and tear him and his family to shreds.

‘Then it would also hurt Duke Visconti.’

And I would become the whistleblower.

Just to clarify, no matter what era, a righteous whistleblower often ends up facing misery.

I’m not the kind of person burning with a sense of justice, and I don’t need to take such risks just to get my revenge.

So this matter should be contained within the Visconti faction at a level only the minimum number of people should know.

“Duke will learn about this in a day or two. And he’ll probably send you a final letter.”

That last letter will probably express gratitude like ‘thanks for your efforts’.

And once it arrives, he’d better commit suicide.

Why? Because it would be mercy offered in exchange for your life in order to save your family.

‘As long as I die and my children and retainers survive, that’s at least better.’

“I hope you make a wise choice.”

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