The vice-minister of justice must understand the advantages of competition.
However, in our empire, there is no concept that pitting rchants against each other benefits consurs and politicians.
In Korea, competition among businesses in the sa industry is natural, but in this world, it’s absurd for those engaged in the sa trade to fight over profits.
‘It’s like Columbus's egg.’
Once soone has thought of it, it seems easy, but before soone ntions it, no one dares to consider it.
The vice-minister pretended to think deeply, making a sound as expected.
‘It’s a concept that has never existed until now, so it will be difficult to understand without a simple explanation.’
“Think about when the director of the Ministry of Comrce is selected under the vice-minister. When the other divisions are competing for that position, you, the vice-minister, and the minister of comrce, along with other superiors, will do your best to present a good image.”
These days, participation in gatherings tends to increase significantly during personnel announcent seasons.
When that ti cos, there are often people who volunteer for overti or trips to remote locations.
In the Toscana Empire, where bribery is essentially legal, all kinds of gifts must be exchanged.
‘Top-quality wine, money, land, fine swords, ornate armor, horses.’
Even though I didn’t explicitly say that gifts were exchanged, the vice-minister cleared his throat.
“Cough, cough. I don’t do that, but as the announcent approaches, there certainly are shaless individuals who work especially hard. As a noble, one should, like , be dedicated to their duties at all tis.”
It seems our vice-minister sends gifts regularly.
Besides this request, I should support him now and then to encourage him in his governnt duties.
“Now think about when there’s already a designated candidate for the director of the Ministry of Comrce, and no competition is taking place.”
“Shaless individuals wouldn’t be dedicated to their work. And as for rchants, to be frank, they only care about the profits before their eyes and treat principles like scraps of paper. If there’s no competition, their reason to pledge loyalty to the emperor, who guarantees their profits, diminishes.”
To understand a concept that hasn’t existed in the empire until now in such a short explanation is impressive.
He must be sharp, as he has risen to the vice-minister of one of the core administrative departnts.
So, it’s better if I don’t directly continue this conversation...
Perhaps I should wait until he speaks up, convincing himself that he has discovered it on his own.
‘It’s said that the things people co to understand on their own remain in their mory longer.’
“I’ve never thought of this as a problem before. But upon reflection, it seems the very existence of guilds competing for comrce hasn’t benefited the rchants at all.”
The vice-minister widened his eyes upon hearing my words.
His face appeared slightly flushed, as if he was deeply impressed.
He chewed on his lips a few tis and cautiously asked, “I apologize for saying this, but you, Baron Fabio de dici, are closer to being a rchant than a noble, aren’t you? Why then, do you challenge the established interests set by rchants?”
Objectively speaking, there’s a limit to breaking through the glass ceiling created by the guilds and rchants of large cities with only my strength.
That’s why, even though it would be clearly more profitable to sell at lower prices for military supplies, I’m thinking of proceeding in this manner with the “comprehensive trading company.”
I’m not directly challenging the industries where the rchants have monopolized everything.
If I try to break through that glass ceiling—or rather, a diamond ceiling—using only my strength, I might end up dead.
‘Courage and recklessness may seem like a thin line, but the outcos are worlds apart.’
“Although my relationship with the current Baron Albert de dici isn’t the best, I am still the second son of a baron family. From a young age, I learned that loyalty to the emperor must take precedence over everything else. Therefore, I have never acted dishonorably.”
To be precise, I’ve never been caught doing anything dishonorable.
Selling seaweed and textiles to avoid taxes in Guillaumi is disgraceful, but the emperor and the duke wouldn’t know.
And if I don’t get caught, it isn’t a cri.
“It is the duty of nobles to help solidify the emperor’s power.”
In any country, politicians will dispose of even the presidents elected from their own party if necessary.
While such occurrences cannot physically happen in the Toscana Empire, where the concept of democracy doesn’t exist, it’s not uncommon for nobles to weaken the imperial authority to protect their interests.
The Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights in England were created by those who espoused the “absolute loyalty to the royal family” to protect their rights as nobles.
‘Of course, what they did was morally and ultimately justified.’
“For that reason, I, Baron Fabio de dici, will pluck the poisonous thorns of the thorny path with my bare hands. With this military supply, I have entrusted all production to the guilds in smaller cities, hoping to establish a foundation for them to beco self-sufficient, and if I can nurture these smaller guilds in this way...”
I deliberately paused to stir curiosity.
“If the guilds in smaller cities grow in stature, they will naturally want to compete with the guilds located in larger cities. This will create competition among the guilds, leading them to depend on the authority of the emperor, who has the power to decide the victor.”
Since I am favored by the emperor and am rapidly rising among the nobility of my generation, it would still be difficult for to secure an audience with him.
There’s no way that the guild master of a small city could et with the emperor directly.
So, who would be the first to bring a load of money to?
‘The noble faction, the emperor’s high-ranking slaves.’
“At that point, the emperor will be able to shatter the comrcial monopoly of the guilds that have beco a remnant of the past.”
I’m not a paragon of loyalty, and it’s better to reveal my ambitions here.
“I want to occupy a portion of the space left vacant by the highest-ranking rchants.”
A smile broke out on the vice-minister of comrce’s face.
He probably felt relieved that I wasn’t just considering the emperor, realizing instead that I aligned my interests with his.
‘A loyalist who appears completely devoid of greed, like General Yi Sun-sin, tends to beco a source of fear for monarchs and companions alike.’
The reason why Won Gyun, a master of hypnosis, was able to rise was also that.
While the embodint of integrity, General Yi Sun-sin was admired, but looking closely into his life might have evoked a similar feeling to gazing into an abyss.
‘An instinctive aversion to the incomprehensible.’
In contrast, Won Gyun appeared capable and honest about his desires, so even those like the trash that was Seonjo would have felt a sense of camaraderie with him.
‘Didn’t soone say this? If an ordinary person tries to follow General Yi Sun-sin, they’ll ruin their lives.’
His journey was magnificent, but for an ordinary person like us, it was an area we could never reach.
It’s like a person starting to run every day, training until Usain Bolt becos tired and runs away.
“Hm, listening to you, I think military supplies would benefit the empire if they proceed through the connection of a reliable rchant group and the guilds of smaller cities.”
“It’s an honor, Vice-Minister.”
“However, you’ve already been entrusted with the military supplies for two divisions, haven’t you? It won’t be easy to give you more.”
I never thought I would imdiately receive military supplies on the scale of ten divisions.
“However, I’ll request that the emperor temporarily designate you as the first priority.”
“It’s an honor, Vice-Minister.”
I said that if I couldn’t have it, then neither should anyone else.
That way, it would leave the possibility for to obtain it later.
Then I presented a banknote to the vice-minister.
“This is a banknote worth 1,000 gold coins. The source of the funds is very clean. If you co to our rchant group, I’ll exchange it for you.”
“...This is not how it should be.”
Yet, he didn’t refuse and accepted it as if he had no choice.
“Ahem, ahem. I’ll convey your words well to the emperor.”
With that, I left the eting.
If I want to achieve sothing big, I must start by impressing the other party...
‘It’s important to look at things with a longer perspective.’
Wherever there is light, shadows must inevitably exist.
As the saying goes, even if they are of a lower rank than the rchants, the guild masters of Florence, who fall into the category ntioned by , gathered.
Among them, there wasn’t a blacksmith guild master who had beco a loyal dog of Duke Visconti...
“Fabio de dici. Isn’t that fellow acting a bit too recklessly?”
The guild masters from various trades, including jewelers, butchers, chefs, millers, real estate agents, and more...
Many guild masters nodded upon hearing those words.
“I’m not going to criticize him for handling military supplies with integrity. If we start a quarrel over that, the Duke Visconti or the emperor behind him wouldn’t just sit idly by.”
Although they didn’t say it directly, the underlying aning is clear.
They don’t want to provoke anyone if it won’t directly harm them.
“However, that fellow has already tad the guild masters of two smaller cities to his side. While the other rchants might still communicate with one another, do you think that young brat will want to have a conversation with us?”
When people gather, they tend to speak ill of anyone not present, even if it’s the king.
Moreover, while each guild master here may not match Fabio’s power, if dozens of guild masters join forces?
They could exert trendous political influence.
The number of seats in the city council held by these guild masters represents one-third of the total council mbers.
With the right distribution of bribes, they could impose various regulations.
‘That Fabio fellow has a lot of greed; he might try to push us out.’
When dealing with potential troublemakers, you either uproot them or properly train them to make them submissive.
“There’s no need to draw swords imdiately since he hasn’t directly challenged us. However, we must give him a bruise. Is there anyone with a good idea?”
Upon those words, the spice guild master, who ranks among the top five guild masters in Florence, stood up.
“I have a good idea…”
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