I Became A Black Merchant In Another World
Chapter 423: The Beginning of the Temple (5)

If someone touches you, you will look easy if you just sit still.

If your mother-in-law is picking on something ridiculous and making a fuss, it is right to at least show some courtesy and protest every time.

If someone tries to bury me, you must bury them without causing any disadvantage to me.

There is a famous saying that if someone really hates you, you should make that person grind his teeth so much that he bleeds just thinking about me.

I don’t think the original quote was mine, but...

‘The meaning is clear.’

“I have never been hostile to you. At best, I have vented my grievances about you.”

“...... If you had taken action directly, I would have used a slightly worse method.”

“Are you planning on killing me?”

I would like to tell you that the Duke of Sforza and his faction are already independent families in name only, but in reality, they are a colony.

It’s a shame that I can’t tell you because it would make matters worse if I told you that.

But it’s okay.

There are countless ways to cut that guy’s stomach open.

Why would the big businessmen only do this to the Baron?

In the end, it’s because they don’t have money.

Then what if a single individual can literally hold and move the national budget?

“Why should I kill Your Majesty? Please don’t say anything too harsh. Instead, please read the documents I gave you.”

The Count tilted his head after receiving the documents.

“...... What on earth are these?”

“Ah, these are reference materials I brought to explain in detail what would happen if you were to oppose me. What’s written here are the merchants and factories in Your Majesty’s territory that I can buy with money right now if I give them my orders.”

After hearing that he was buying the factories and merchants, the Count looked at me with an expression that said, ‘What’s that, you otaku?’

They say ignorance is bliss, but I wish His Majesty the Count didn't know many things.

That's why in games where soldiers who lost their reproductive functions like eunuchs but became incredibly strong fight in blue armor, they often say, "Ignorance is a blessing."

In return for your hostility toward me, I'll have to curse you with the blessing of ignorance, which will make you know a lot.

"In addition, you can buy all the food in the city in one go. I have the money to do that."

If a single individual can move money equivalent to the national budget, it means that you can buy an entire country for a short while.

Like I'm trying to do now, you can buy all the economic activities in the Count's territory and dominate them.

If that happens, that territory will be hit by a great depression.

If a person's heart stops for even a second, they can die... Do you think the economy wouldn't do that?

'The economy isn't a living thing, so it stops and then starts again.'

Well, it'll take a long time to get back to normal.

And I think your Majesty the Count has realized what I mean by his pale face.

“...... Your Majesty, I can stop all economic activity in the County of Canossa at any time. I can stop even a single piece of meat or a pint of beer from being traded in the city. No, I can even dry up all the food in the city and cause a famine.”

Usually, this is done by good British merchants under the direction of the East India Company or with the tacit permission of their superiors.

To some, it may seem like a bad thing to starve people to death.

This is absolutely not a bad thing.

If you think about it from a different perspective, instead of drawing your sword and killing people, you can completely stop the economic activity in the area and end the war without bloodshed.

Those who participated in an honorable war without shedding a single drop of blood (in which case more people may die than on a battlefield with guns and swords flying) also received the reward for victory.

The count shook his head.

“That’s ridiculous! No matter how many of you there are, how can you buy the entire economy of an entire county?! Even His Majesty can’t do that!”

“If Your Majesty can’t do it, why can’t I? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard today. Who else in the Tuscan Empire can donate 2 million gold coins in one lump sum?”

“......”

“Of course, it’s a little dangerous if the mastermind is caught. It’s impossible for the Tuscan Empire’s accountants to catch me. They won’t be able to secure evidence.”

All of the accountants are directly or indirectly indebted to me.

They are currently in the lower ranks of the nobility of the robe, and it was I who gave them that position.

In addition, the accountants belonging to the upper ranks of the Rothschilds are more skilled than those belonging to the Ministry of Finance.

Crucially, how are you going to track the money that was used in the Tuscan Empire without any records?

If it is not an era where computer systems can be hacked and tracked, I will not be able to find it.

‘Our company employees do not even betray.’

“Your Majesty, are you really ready to fight me? If so, I will not stop you.”

If I completely devour the economy of an entire county, it will simply become my colony.

I do not think that spending that much money will hinder my conquest of the New World.

“I will go now. Please make a wise choice.”

As I was about to leave after giving that warning, the count asked me back.

“If you consider me your enemy, is it okay for me to tell you everything you plan to do in the future?”

If it was a fight against a rival, or rather a fight against someone of similar skill, I wouldn’t have done that either.

However, if it was my power to mobilize a huge amount of money...

‘If you’re ready to cross the line, it’s definitely possible.’

“Is that the only way I can do it?”

I hope you make a wise choice.

Otherwise, your estate will suffer a considerable financial blow.

The Count of Canossa was not a stupid person.

Therefore, he didn’t do anything crazy like antagonizing the Count of Rothschild any longer.

He stopped gossiping about him and just lived as if he were going to go down to his own estate as if he were dead.

“...... I’m still concerned about what the Count of Rothschild said.”

He openly declared war on the Count himself and told him what he would do.

Just like an adult playing with a child.

If another human had done that, it would have been ridiculous, like, "Has that guy finally gone mad?" But that human was a writer who really didn't know what he would do.

That's why Count Canossa, based on the one possibility in a million, or rather his intuition, almost stopped all political activities and lived in seclusion.

"Your Majesty, we're in trouble."

"What's going on, Chief Butler?"

"To be exact, several terrible things have happened to the families that were close to the Count Canossa family."

"Tell me more specifically."

The Chief Butler said, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° catching his breath.

“The price of food in the County of Ronos has tripled, and because of that, the citizens are now in debt to buy food. Pirates are rampant around the County of Lamaille, causing great damage to the merchants. Also, debt collectors are raiding the nobles living in the County of Winos, threatening to seize their lands if they don’t pay their huge debts immediately...”

Goosebumps appeared on Count Canossa’s body.

He had a feeling who was behind all this.

It had to be Count Rothschild.

I wanted to tell the Emperor that he did it, but...

‘There’s no evidence.’

In a situation where there’s no evidence, no one would believe him even if he said that Count Rothschild did it based on his own guesses.

“...... You’re a crazy author.”

“Strangely enough, all the nobles who were harmed this time were members of the faction who were criticizing Count Rothschild...”

“I know that too.”

Those who suffered this disaster were those who had been criticizing the Count Rothschild behind his back.

“Deus, my God.”

To Count Canossa, the series of events felt like a warning from the Count Rothschild.

If you don’t get your head down right now, expect something amazing from me in your territory.

“Why did Deus let a monster like the Count Rothschild be born in the Tuscan Empire?”

Of course, if he had been born in another country, the Tuscan Empire might have been torn apart like the Holy Empire or become a country that communist demons would poke around in whenever they wanted, like the Kingdom of Lyon...

To him, who didn’t know that truth, the Count Rothschild seemed like a Satan from hell.

The trap, however, was that Fabio himself thought he was a pretty good person.

“...... I’ll retire.”

“Huh?” “I’m already in my early 60s. I’m going to go back to my fiefdom and take a concubine. I need to see at least one more person while I’m here.”

The Count of Canossa decided to smash his head into the floor.

Then his son would be safe.

"If I smash his head, even that crazy Viscount..."

At that moment, a butler delivered a letter to the Count.

It was a letter from Fabio.

The moment he read it, the Count froze in place.

[I never leave anyone who opposes me alone. Please make the right choice.]

After seeing this, he made up his mind.

Because he realized that if he did not die here and now, the Count of Canossa's family would perish.

"Butler, bring it."

"....... Your Majesty."

"If the Count of Rothschild's wrath descends, the history of our family will also end."

And soon after, the Count of Canossa died from a sudden illness.

The cause of death was said to be a heart attack.

And time passed quickly, and the war between the Holy Empire and the Tuscan Empire began in earnest.