I Became A Black Merchant In Another World Chapter 194

The place where the Botswana tribe once lived had now transford into sothing resembling a city.

The mud houses were haphazardly clustered together, and the livestock, which used to be tied near the houses, now had separate stables built on the outskirts of the village.

So people were even wearing clothes just like those worn in the Toscanian Empire...

“It looks really good.”

At this point, they would surely find the advancents of the Toscanian Empire appealing, just as we, when we look at the appearance, clothing, and buildings of Europeans, find them beautiful and impressive.

But as the old saying goes, "A little rain doesn’t make the clothes wet."

If they continue enjoying such a culture...

“Has Baron Rothschild, no, Fabio arrived?”

“Chief Malik, how have you been all this ti?”

“Didn’t we just see each other two and a half months ago? I’ve been doing well. By the way, does this outfit look good on ?”

Malik was wearing an aristocratic ceremonial outfit, sothing typically worn for special occasions.

It was a very rare and precious piece of clothing, the kind a count would wear.

It seed a bit difficult to wear it in this hot place.

But still, the clothes gave him a dignified appearance.

“It seems to be an outfit suitable for the chief of the Maasai Confederation. You certainly look imposing.”

“Is that so? This outfit was a gift from the missionary you recently sent. It’s quite nice, so I often wear it.”

“Really?”

“Lately, there’s been a trend of showing off luxury items brought from the Toscanian Empire. So of the warriors with a bit of status in the tribe are carrying fine clothes or swords.”

The Spanish, who were the imperialist masters of the British Empire and the Netherlands, successfully assimilated the culture and religion of the Philippines, essentially erasing the local culture.

In fact, even today, stizos from Spain dominate the entertainnt industry, and although they were the ones who ruled the country the longest and most cruelly, the locals still harbor imnse favor towards Spain.

So much so that even the Spanish conquistador Magellan and the independence fighter Lapu-Lapu are enshrined together in the sa park.

‘By dominating the culture, we don’t need to colonize; we can make it our sphere of influence.’

And the start of this process is making them perceive the culture of the Toscanian Empire as superior to their own.

“Of course, the favorite things among the people of our confederation are alcohol and matchlock rifles. With these two, we can do anything, right?”

Scholars in the 21st century often say this:

Alcohol and tobacco are legal drugs authorized by the state.

In reality, once you start, quitting alcohol and smoking becos extrely difficult, and when you’re distressed, having a drink or a smoke can make you feel a little better.

Since there’s no tobacco here, they sell alcohol, especially strong liquor.

“We brought a large quantity this ti, so you don’t need to worry about that. Also, I think it’s about ti for our relationship to evolve as well.”

Malik sighed.

“Let’s go inside and talk.”

**

As soon as Malik entered his house, he ordered one of the tribal warriors to bring so alcohol.

“When we’re having a serious conversation, there should be alcohol, don’t you think?”

That argunt didn’t even hold true in the mid-1980s.

However, this world is much earlier than that, in a ti when soldiers were sotis made to drink strong liquor during wars for tactical reasons, so I had no real objection.

Malik and I each had a glass of strong liquor before starting the real conversation.

“So, what is it that you want to say?”

“Soon, rchants from the Toscanian Empire will flood in here to do business.”

With the imnse profits from the trade stocks I issued, people would naturally think:

“If we trade with the Maasai Confederation, we can make a fortune.”

They’d gather all their money, both little and much, and buy rchant ships, purchasing goods to sell.

The trade coin would surely rise!

It would be like when Tanghuru (candied fruit) becos a trend, and Tanghuru shops pop up everywhere, or when Schniwalen (a popular snack) catches on, and Schniwalen shops sprout up like mushrooms.

“Of all the people you’ve brought, there have been almost no issues. The Nador people, when they went to subjugate other tribes, fought alongside us and bled with us. That’s why, despite their different skin color and language, they were easily accepted.”

Wherever you go in the world, those who have fought and bled together are considered comrades.

So, during World War II, even though China and Russia were communist countries, they fought against Nazi Germany and Japan. It is thanks to this that they still hold permanent mber positions in the UN today.

Additionally, before the war, there were often cases where a group of people—originally low-born or subjects of enemy nations—was recognized for their intense battles and treated equally to the people of the victorious nation.

“But I don’t know how the rchants from the Toscanian Empire will behave. They probably won’t try to enslave us like the Nador people, but I’m afraid they might look down on us.”

When the Toscanian Empire rchants first see them, they’ll likely think:

“Wow, slaves! Once we transport them by ship, we’ll make money!”

But what if a letter of guarantee from the head of a monastery, soone who believes in the sa Deus religion, cos out?

At least, they can’t sell the people in this region into slavery.

If they were caught doing such a thing, the Church would surely send in an inquisitor.

However, I can’t be sure they won’t look down on us...

“If we send soone who can manage the rchants from the Toscanian Empire, then if any problems arise with them, they’ll handle it directly. Of course, they’ll be judged according to the laws here.”

“If you do that... I’ll trust you.”

“And the Toscanian Empire doesn’t discriminate against people because of their skin color or culture. They do discriminate against those who follow different religions.”

It’s not like there’s absolutely no racism.

However, our era is still before the Protestant Reformation, and most people view non-believers as worse than serial rapists.

Those who believe in the sa religion, regardless of skin color, strongly consider each other as brothers in faith.

In fact, at the Valladolid Conference, the first place in the world to discuss human rights for different races...

It was concluded that the indigenous peoples of South Arica, who shared the sa religion, could not be enslaved.

This principle was followed throughout the entire period of the slave trade.

If we educate through the priests that discriminating based on skin color is an act of trash, it will likely prevent problems from arising.

‘Of course, I can’t be responsible for the few outliers.’

“If you say it, I’ll believe it. Without you, would I even be able to act as the chief here?”

“Thank you.”

“And before we formally discuss the matter of foreigners coming in, there’s sothing I’d like to discuss separately... would it be alright to speak about that first?”

“Go ahead.”

“Five thousand matchlock rifles, along with the necessary bullets and gunpowder, thirty thousand sets of armor, and anything else you may need, I’ll bring it all. In exchange, I ask that you sell the gold mines of the tribal confederation.”

Malik tilted his head.

“You’re asking to buy the gold mines of the tribal confederation? The gold mines are what allow us to survive by trading with you, and asking us to sell them feels a bit troubling.”

“If you use those weapons to conquer other tribes, it would be a profitable venture for you, Chief. Even though the Maasai Confederation is rapidly expanding, it’s still too small to go up against Nador’s governor one-on-one.”

The people under Nador’s command likely number around ten million, while the tribal confederation isn’t even one-twentieth of that.

“Nador’s governor is currently tied up fighting a civil war with the Kingdom of Granada, so he’s only mobilizing about 20,000 to 30,000 troops. Once the civil war is over, he’ll mobilize an army of over 100,000 to remove any threats from the rear.”

“If there’s a giant tiger threatening the tribe’s village, we know there’s a risk of tribal mbers dying in the hunt, but we have no choice but to go. If the tiger has cubs or if it attacks an unprepared village, the losses will be even greater.”

Even when hit by a baseball bat, if you know it’s coming, you get hurt less than if you don’t know.

This is based on statistics gathered from actual victims of stabbing incidents.

In war, if you know the attack is coming, you can win. But if you don’t, you end up running away as fast as your ancestors did.

“If you conquer the territory of another tribe, there will be gold, silver, and various other mines there, right? Take them and gain even greater profits.”

This is what imperialist nations always say when they’re crazy about territorial expansion.

‘Debt? Just take it and pay it back, you fool!’

Malik nodded in agreent, acknowledging my words.

“Alright, I’ll do that. And regarding the issue of Toscanian Empire rchants coming in, I think we’ll need to make an agreent...”

“An agreent, no, we should form a treaty, as we call it.”

It may not be advantageous to the Toscanian Empire or to Malik.

But I will create a treaty that benefits .

It’s more important to secure my own livelihood than the national interest.