The Duke Visconti stared at me for a moment before continuing.
“Let’s put that aside for now. So, why did you go to the Papal States? Was it really because of that Archbishop Urban?”
The story about me being extorted for 20,000 gold coins in a thank-offering (extortion) from Archbishop Urban had only been shared with Erica, Chloe, and Kris.
I had told the rest of my small group of retainers that I had voluntarily made a donation to the Church.
So how did he find out?
Those three wouldn’t have leaked the secret.
As I pondered, the Duke chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
“The Florence defense force sent word to me that Archbishop Urban came here. I had them follow him, and it seems he stopped by your place.”
At his level, it’s likely the Duke has his own people in the higher ranks of the defense force.
So it wouldn’t have been hard for him to use the defense force like his own hands and feet to monitor things.
The world of power is truly astonishing the more you understand it.
I wonder if I’ll ever be able to pull off something like that.
“If Archbishop Urban came to your place, he probably came because he was after your money,” the Duke said.
“Yes, he mentioned that the diocese was short on funds and asked for a rather large donation,” I replied.
The Duke snorted in amusement.
“There’s not a single priest who’s not corrupt, but that bastard is particularly bad. He’s almost a useless piece of trash with no theological background. He must’ve climbed to that position by providing bribes for those above him.”
In the Tuscany Empire, or even across the Albanian continent, the poor and the serfs blindly trust the Church.
But as your social standing and wealth rise, your trust in the Church tends to decrease significantly.
The poor are so desperate and hopeless in their lives that they tend to focus on the afterlife, hoping for a better life in Heaven.
On the other hand, the wealthy, who are comfortable in their current lives, don’t place much hope in Heaven. And it doesn’t help that the Church takes money from them under various pretenses.
‘There’s no alternative but to follow the Church, even though it’s draining us.’
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
“How much did he extort from you for this donation?”
“20,000 gold coins,” I said.
“That’s quite a hefty sum. I’m starting to worry that my future son-in-law might go bankrupt at this rate,” the Duke said.
Though the Duke spoke with mock concern, he probably knew the truth.
He likely knew that the consultation fee I received for setting up the hygiene department and performing inspections was several times the amount I was extorted for.
And even if I exclude the gifts I gave to other officials and high-ranking individuals...
I still ended up with 100,000 gold coins.
In addition, I had used this opportunity to place dozens of unemployed second and third sons of noble families into administrative positions, giving me significant political influence as well.
So being extorted for 20,000 gold coins wasn’t a big blow to me.
‘But damn, it sure feels frustrating.’
“Thank you for your concern. I’ll manage somehow with my own resources,” I said.
“If you need any help, just let me know. I’m guessing you went to the Papal States because of Archbishop Urban, right?” the Duke said.
Instead of answering with words, I simply nodded in acknowledgment.
“Yes, I think the main reason I had to suffer at Archbishop Urban’s hands was that I didn’t have any high-ranking clergymen I knew. So, this time, I went to Shakoshi without thinking it through, to make some connections with someone higher up.”
“You certainly are proactive.”
“First, I went to Shakoshi, investigated all the cardinals there, and chose the one who seemed most likely to want to befriend me.”
The Duke looked at me as if I were a madman.
Well, the things I’ve done could be called crazy.
Even though there are dozens of cardinals staying in Shakoshi, who are extremely high-ranking individuals, it’s not something you can propose to meet without any introductions or connections.
“That being said, when the Minister of State there heard that I had saved hundreds of thousands of people from the Pisan and other territories, he offered me the opportunity to receive a blessing. He gladly agreed to meet me.”
“I figured you’d meet the Minister of State and propose a business venture,” the Duke said.
The secret of the venture I plan with the Papal States’ Minister of State to publish the Bible is something I definitely don’t want to disclose to anyone.
While the idea of printing and selling Bibles is not inherently problematic, if the Reformation movement starts in four or five years, or at worst ten, and it’s traced back to me, things will get tricky.
“That’s not it. The Minister of State had a dilemma, so I helped solve it for him.”
“I’m curious about the dilemma, but I won’t pry,” the Duke said.
The Duke changed the subject, sipping his tea before continuing.
“I hear that the Kingdom of Granada is slowly gaining the upper hand against Nador. While Granada is technically our rival, it’s good to see them winning against the infidels.”
Even though he said it was good, the Duke furrowed his brow as if feeling somewhat uneasy.
“It’s good, but I’m not thrilled. Granada may not be able to conquer Nador, but if their navy starts roaming the Mediterranean like it’s their backyard... The safety of the Empire will be in jeopardy.”
In the 21st century, pirates are only a problem for countries like Somalia.
But in this world of barbarism and romance, anyone who ventures even a little bit into the open sea...
Could easily attack foreign ships, and even ships from their own nation, plundering them for treasure and slaves.
Since we have no way of knowing what happens on the seas, everyone will be eager to seize the opportunity for plunder.
So, the fact that Granada’s merchant ships are becoming more frequent means that “pirates” are on the rise.
“I’m a merchant myself, but sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between merchants and pirates. Many of them do both jobs,” I said.
This age’s third-rate mercenaries operate similarly.
They hide out in rural territories, doing banditry, and then join the war as mercenaries to make some money.
‘Well, mercenaries aren’t in high demand these days.’
“I’d like you to help prevent such disasters,” the Duke said.
The instructions were vague, but I understood what was expected of me.
I needed to do whatever it took to prolong the war between Nador and the Kingdom of Granada.
And ideally, make them suffer while I was at it.
He didn’t mention the rewards, which means, like before, I was expected to take whatever I could.
‘Even better.’
As long as I can, I can take everything I want from these two nations.
Not only that, but even tribes in Western Ifriqiya—three countries could end up fueling my pockets.
“Do you mind if I use any means necessary?” I asked.
“That’s not for me to know. Whatever happens, it’ll just be a coincidence,” the Duke said.
The Duke had given me an opportunity to take whatever I wanted for myself.
He then added with a cautious tone.
“Ah, and it seems His Majesty plans to release all the information regarding Ifriqiya to everyone in two years.”
So my monopoly over Ifriqiya will end in two years?
Well, before that happens, I’ll make sure to make them so dependent on me that they won’t be able to survive without me.
“Thank you for the heads-up,” I said.
“Then, I’ll be going,” the Duke said.
As he stood up and began walking, he suddenly stopped.
“Ah, before I go, I must say, you’ve been busy, but you should take better care of Erica. I know she’s under 20 and can’t have relations yet, but leaving her alone like this isn’t right.”
“I’ve been caught up with so much work lately, I haven’t been able to give her the attention she deserves. I’ll do better from now on.”
“Erica truly cares for you. She won’t even share a single bit of information about the Rothschild family with me. My other daughters send me detailed reports on their families, but not Erica.”
Daughters who are targets of arranged marriages serve as legal spies.
So this isn’t surprising, but still...
“Well, if she likes you so much, what can I do?”
By the look on the Duke’s face, it was clear he wasn’t bothered by Erica withholding information from him.
At the time of the arranged marriage, Erica had looked strangely detached.
“Erica is a wonderful woman. So make sure you treat her well. And I believe that before this old man dies, I’ll have great-grandchildren.”
With those words, the Duke quickly left.