The Emperor accepted my unexpected request for an audience.
“Are you the Baron Rothschild? You look much younger than I imagined.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“It would be great if we had young, wise nobles like you in our Holy Empire. I’ve never been envious of other kings, but looking at you, I sotis find myself envying the Emperor of Tuscany.”
Outwardly, I’m known as the man of coffee and seaweed from foreign lands.
However, those in power, in any place or organization, always have spies planted to gather secret information.
As the Emperor of the Holy Empire, it’s likely he’s bought off a few Tuscan officials or nobles as well.
There are those who sell out their countries for money, so there’s no way there wouldn’t be those selling information, right?
“I heard the people of the Tuscan Empire have been making gunpowder like crazy lately. And, it turns out, you’re at the center of it. Our Empire is suffering from chronic gunpowder shortages, and I’m quite envious. I’d even consider kidnapping you to get so of it.”
The Emperor said this and licked his lips.
It seed like the Emperor was trying to make a joke, perhaps a royal joke.
But instead of being funny or absurd, it sent a slight chill down my spine.
‘Was he really thinking of making disappear (kidnap or force into military service)?’
“That’s quite a heavy joke.”
“The Emperor does not make jokes. Not in any circumstance.”
The Emperor tapped the armrest of his throne with his finger as he spoke.
“However, we’re about to go to war with the Kingdom of Lyon. I can’t afford to turn the Tuscan Empire into an enemy as well. So, how could I possibly force you to stay here against your will?”
The European powers we are familiar with, even in the 19th and 20th centuries, were keen on managing their people, especially those who suffered abroad.
More specifically, they acted to protect their citizens hard overseas.
For instance, when a single citizen or ship was hard, the British Empire or the Baguette Kingdom would gather their fleets and actually declare war.
Of course, in the process, these great powers didn’t give any compensation to the victim but were busy furthering their own interests...
At the ti, such things were considered trivial, less valuable than a single coin.
‘Anyway, they were good at pretending to be noble countries that go to war for their people.’
But that was common sense for that era.
“If I were to kidnap a noble from the Tuscan Empire, especially soone like the grandson-in-law of Duke Visconti, it could spark a war. I’m not that foolish. However, don’t try anything else here. Otherwise...”
The Emperor stopped in the middle of his sentence and smiled slyly.
“You might end up facing an unfortunate accident where bandits ambush you. As much as I am the Emperor of this Empire, there are still places where my eyes don’t reach.”
For now, the Emperor wouldn’t have any concrete evidence of what I had done.
If he had proof, he would have shoved it in my face and either torn apart or turned into a puppet who only obeys his commands.
‘But he hasn’t done that yet.’
Therefore, by logically deducing the situation, I can co to the conclusion that I am the one who created and distributed the new phenonon of newspapers.
And the only one capable of creating such a thing would be , Baron Rothschild, who ca from a foreign land.
99.9% of the ti, it was certainly my doing.
He was probably suspecting and trying to interrogate .
Admitting that wouldn’t disrupt my plans, and the Emperor couldn’t do much to anyway.
“I’ll be careful with my actions going forward.”
“I trust you will.”
“However, please keep this in mind.”
Later, even if I were to use so evil flower as a scam...
I would never use the na of the ‘Rothschild Barony’ to deceive anyone.
If I did that, I would earn the reputation of Fabio de Rothschild as soone who brings chaos to the world.
How others evaluate really doesn’t matter much...
‘The problem is, I need to make sure that my competitors and enemies remain wary of .’
So, even if I cause a religious reformation and express my love for the Holy Empire, tearing it into 300 pieces...
I will make the kings of the Empire, even after it’s split into pieces, believe I am their most loyal ally.
‘Until they lose all their fiefs and assets.’
“All the actions I’ve taken have been solely for Your Majesty’s benefit.”
Interfering in another country’s politics by spreading rumors about noble corruption and false information is undeniably a death sentence.
It’s ddling in the politics of foreign lands.
‘Honestly, if the Emperor decided to chop my head off for this, the Duke would have a hard ti protesting.’
But, there’s no proof, so I can’t be imprisoned for it.
If he’s annoyed, he’d need to find proof, but I’ve long since burned it all.
The witnesses—the news vendors and their guild mbers—are set to beco my vassals, living a luxurious life that would put professional careers to sha (according to Albanian standards).
There’s no evidence to be found. This is the perfect cri.
Anyway, I need to keep convincing the Emperor.
“Since the Empire has lost the war, unfortunately, you will have to cede territory to the Kingdom of Lyon. However, depending on which lands you cede, you might be able to use this opportunity to strengthen your royal power, or you could beco a puppet of the Church.”
“I, a puppet of the Church? Just the thought of it makes want to vomit, but I suppose there’s so truth in it. There are seven noble families among the clergy lords who can participate in the election of the Emperor. Three of them are bishops appointed by the Pope, who rule as lords.”
The Emperor ground his teeth in frustration.
“The Pope, that bastard, when he doesn’t have enough money to strengthen his Papal power, he’s always busy squeezing money out of and other nobles.”
I’ve had my share of losing 20,000 gold coins to that bastard, Archbishop Urban.
Honestly, even though I earn a lot of money and pay taxes, it’s still infuriating when the ti cos to pay.
But as a noble of the Tuscan Empire, I have to pay it, even if it’s frustrating.
However, those church bastards act like they’re managing welfare while spending most of the money on decorating churches, indulging in luxuries, and stuffing it into brothels.
‘And they expect to give them money just because they ask?’
It’s enough to give soone high blood pressure and possibly die of a heart attack.
“I wish I could just get rid of these corrupt priests. But it’s not that easy.”
“But, since the rumors are spreading that the Church is responsible for the defeat, couldn’t we use that to shift all the bla onto the Church?”
In this war, the Holy Empire fought alongside the Pope.
So, the responsibility for the defeat should be shared equally.
Like half-seasoning and half-fried chicken.
“You want to shift all the bla for the Empire’s defeat onto the clergy lords?”
I didn’t respond to his words.
I didn’t nod either.
‘I need to make him believe he’s realized it on his own, so he’ll fall right into the trap I’ve set.’
“That’s an excellent idea. If I present it this way, even with the defeat, it will still be bearable.”
“Your wisdom is impressive.”
“You were the one who set this up, weren’t you? I’ll be sure to reward you greatly.”
The reward will co from the money earned by selling so evil flowers.
And when civil war breaks out in your Empire, I’ll sell weapons to fund it.
It’s only right that I take my share, isn’t it?
“It’s fine. The revival of the Holy Empire is beneficial to the national interests of our Tuscan Empire.”
Actually, there’s not a single penny that falls to us from your success.
But it will definitely help fill my pockets.
When you slaughter a pig, you fatten it up first.
Ah, now that I think about it, filling the pockets of a noble like is a good thing for the Empire’s citizens too.
“And I also intend to teach Your Majesty the art of printing. Without charge, of course.”
Although he will soon realize why I don’t want to charge him...
By then, the Holy Empire will be torn into many pieces.
‘A kind welco from the British Empire, I suppose.’
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