I Became A Black Merchant In Another World
Chapter 422: The Beginning of the Temple (4)

Despite the sudden visit, Duke Visconti greeted me warmly.

“Lord Rothschild, or should I say, Fabio. What brings you to see me today?”

“I have both good news and bad news to share. I requested this urgent meeting to tell you both, Your Grace.”

“I’d prefer to hear the good news first.”

I would have preferred to start with the good news as well, but the real reason for my visit today wasn’t to inform Duke Visconti that Erica was pregnant with my child.

I came to ask him to manage the factions properly.

It wasn’t that I was weak enough to be shaken by their gossiping behind my back. I hadn’t retaliated yet unless it was something I couldn’t ignore, but now it was time to stop tolerating it.

“I’d like to start with the bad news, though. I think it’s better to finish with the unpleasant stuff.”

“If you say so, go ahead. What’s the bad news?”

“I’ve heard recently that there are many in the faction who harbor negative feelings toward me. While I can understand their desire to keep me in check because of my growing influence...”

When someone sees another doing better than them, it’s human nature to feel resentment.

People may not be that wicked, and many are kind-hearted, but on average, most people exhibit this unpleasant side.

So, even those who work at large corporations or mid-sized companies sometimes lie about their employment to avoid losing friends from high school or university, saying they purposely got a job at a smaller company.

They’ll congratulate you on the surface, but deep down, those twisted characters will say things like, “You, who make so much money, go away” or “Just because you got into a big company, does that mean we should be looked down upon?”

How much worse would it be for the nobles, whose lives revolve around politics?

I understand it all.

But understanding doesn’t mean I forgive or let it slide.

It’s just like how a judge can’t reduce a murderer’s sentence just because they understand why the crime was committed.

“It’s honestly quite unpleasant. I can’t keep ignoring these people any longer.”

Telling Duke Visconti directly to manage the factions properly was essentially a declaration of war.

Fighting openly with Duke Visconti wouldn’t lead to the downfall of our family, especially since we have the Emperor’s absolute protection.

However, it could destroy my relationship with Erica, and the Emperor might tighten his control over me even more.

Maintaining balance was important.

The Duke nodded and empathized with my words.

“You’re absolutely right. I’ve been concerned about that myself. When you accepted Princess Teresa as your concubine, the nobles from your faction began criticizing you in unison.”

“Was that so?”

The saying goes, ‘What is spoken in the day is heard by the spies, and what is whispered at night is heard by the maidservants’ — the nobles’ basic nature.

I’m particularly thorough in this regard, so I always hear all the political gossip that comes up when I’m not around.

I already knew about it, but I pretended not to.

“So, I warned those people. I told them never to doubt you, no matter what.”

Had I not heard this, I would have set an example by warning one of the nobles with actions instead of words.

Using my wealth and various means, taking out a baron wouldn’t be difficult.

No, while I /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ might not be able to remove the pillar of a count family, taking out a smaller piece would be easy.

But the Duke had taken my side, saying that anyone who doubted me would have to face the consequences, despite the tremendous trouble I caused him by marrying Teresa.

“Even so, the bad talk will eventually lead to a drop in reputation. It could become a fatal blow later on.”

“Are you asking me to take care of those who are unnecessarily hindering you within the faction?”

“You should roll up your sleeves and help, for the sake of your dear granddaughter. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to take matters into my own hands.”

The proper way to solve problems is to hold a gun to the person’s head and make them sign a contract, and the best solution is to remove the cause of the problem entirely.

With one blow, the problem disappears, right?

Get revenge, solve the problem, and it’s a complete success.

That’s why, whenever necessary, I’ve sent certain people to meet their end in order to resolve issues.

Once I’m in the New World, I won’t be able to deal with problems directly, so I must take care of any potential threats before I leave.

“... Your solution doesn’t seem very gentle.”

“There’s no noble who doesn’t understand what it means to destroy someone’s reputation behind their back. If they draw their sword against me, they must pay the price.”

Surprisingly, barbarians are quite polite.

If they’re caught gossiping, they could lose a limb or their head.

That’s why Russia, a country that still maintains this culture, is surprisingly calm even when people are drunk.

It’s because of the instinct that tells them they might die if they act up.

“Understood. If anyone tries to ruin your reputation, I’ll declare that it’s a direct attack on me. And anyone who speaks ill of you, I will not stand idly by, as it will damage the honor of the Visconti family.”

In Korea, there are some thoughtless elementary school students who even walk over their mothers while playing games.

But for the nobles of the Toscani Empire, honor is more precious than life itself.

As a joke, if a noble said, “I’ll buy ten mansions in Florence if you have twins,” they would indeed buy those ten mansions outright for the couple who had twins.

Even if they have to go into debt to do so.

Since the Duke said this, I needed to step back in this case.

‘The Duke will warn them, and I’ll deal with the one who causes trouble as an example.’

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“Now, what’s the good news?”

“Erica is pregnant.”

The Duke grabbed my shoulder and shook it vigorously.

“What did you just say? I didn’t mishear, did I?! Erica is pregnant?! Does this mean Erica is finally carrying your child?!”

“Yes, it’s true. Please calm down.”

The Duke stopped shaking me and took a deep breath.

“I got so excited, I lost control.”

Of course, it was only natural that he would be excited. He had heard that he would soon have a great-grandchild.

I understood perfectly.

“Great-grandchild, a great-grandchild. I’m going to be a great-grandfather. And now, with this, the Rothschild family—no, it will soon be the Count’s family—will grow closer to us than ever before. Such a joyous occasion. I could die happy right now.”

“You should live for a long time, Your Grace.”

“Already, I’m nearly seventy. How much longer could I live? But I’ll make sure to see my great-grandchild before I pass, so don’t worry.”

Elderly people often say that once they see their grandchildren, they have no regrets. But when they see their grandchild, they end up thinking about seeing them go to elementary school, then middle school, high school, and eventually attending their wedding, desperately trying to live longer.

The Duke, too, will probably try to live longer, thinking about seeing his great-grandchild.

It’s human nature.

“Right, you asked me to manage the factions properly?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I’ll handle it properly. For my great-grandchild’s sake.”

And that day, I confirmed that Duke Visconti had summoned others to declare that no one should ever touch Fabio again.

He declared that Fabio and I were one, and that anyone who touched him would be asking for death.

From now on, there would be no more talk behind my back.

But as humans, we always have to see someone else suffer before we realize what we’ve done.

‘I’ll take care of one troublemaker before I leave.’

The more successful and notable a person becomes, the more enemies they accumulate.

It’s a world where even decades-long friends, seeing your success, will scheme against you just out of jealousy.

It’s inevitable that there will be people in Duke Visconti’s faction who don’t like me.

It’s like how food left out too long will get moldy.

‘Mold must be scraped off completely.’

That’s why I directly met with Count Canosa, the one who expressed the most concern about me within the faction.

“Count, I’m sorry for requesting such a sudden meeting.”

“What’s wrong with spending time for you?”

“I appreciate that. To save time, I’ll get straight to the point.”

I handed over a few documents to the Count and asked.

“Do you know what it means for someone to oppose me?”