I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 318: The Crown Prince’s Teacher (3)

Let’s address this first.

I have no intention of becoming a vassal to two lords.

I’m no freelancer who works for the Emperor of Toscana in the morning and for the Emperor of the Holy Empire in the afternoon. Is that even possible?

Sure, there were knights in the medieval era who worked like that.

But now, to be a vassal to both sides? Serving one lord one day and the other the next, switching like a bat in the middle?

That doesn’t make sense.

But right now, I have to act as if I’m desperate to be a double vassal.

“You’re quite greedy.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“That wasn’t a compliment, it was sarcasm.”

“It’s greed to desire things beyond your reach, but it’s ambition to pursue your dreams while knowing your limits. I’m not a greedy man, I’m a man full of ambition.”

“Are you trying to teach me something?”

Trying to teach the Duke of Saxony anything would be a wasted effort.

Actually, thinking about teaching a high-ranking person anything is a mistake.

A person who hasn’t been given the role of a teacher should never attempt to teach those in power.

That would be considered a challenge to their authority.

“If you want to teach a ruler, be prepared for your head to be cracked open.”

“I want to make a deal with you. The loyalty and honor sworn by monarchs and nobles is, at the end of the day, nothing but a transaction for both sides to live well.”

This idea would be quite unique in Toscana Empire or even the whole of Albion.

In fact, no one else would dare to say such a thing.

The concept of social contract theory hasn’t even spread here, so how could ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) anyone boldly claim that?

“You’re very audacious. Do you think your life is worth more than seven?”

“I only have one life, just like anyone else.”

“If this transaction doesn’t satisfy me, you might not leave here alive.”

“If you want to kill me, go ahead.”

If this were the unified Holy Empire, I wouldn’t be able to talk this way.

If a high-ranking person like the Duke of Saxony killed a mere Baron for disrespecting their honor, the Toscana Empire would at most send a protest letter, and that would be it.

“But these guys are in a desperate situation, aren’t they?”

They need outside help badly. Killing me would turn Toscana Empire’s support toward the Emperor of the Holy Empire, and that would be disastrous.

Knowing that, I’m performing this act of defiance right in front of a candidate for Emperor.

Every time I do something like this, my value skyrockets in his mind.

“Our territory has successfully developed new land, and we currently have surplus food. We could export enough for 50,000 soldiers to eat for a year.”

“That’s a lot of food. It is indeed quite appealing.”

The real terror of war isn’t that thousands or tens of thousands of soldiers can die in close combat with firearms and cold weapons.

It’s not even that civilians can be slaughtered by the tens of thousands, or that whole villages can be wiped out by disease.

The scariest part is that when war breaks out, food production halts.

Even though people have to eat to survive, imagine a scenario where farming cannot be done anymore.

What happens then? They’ll starve to death.

That’s why historians studying the Imjin War say that the one stroke of luck was that the Ming Dynasty provided food aid, preventing a major famine.

If they hadn’t done that, it could have been catastrophic.

“But these guys, they’ll starve to death, won’t they?”

“In addition, I can provide 30,000 matchlock guns, 50,000 spears, and enormous quantities of military supplies every year. If you wish, I can increase the amount.”

“You’re talking about amounts that a mere Baron can’t handle.”

“I’m a merchant. The weapon factories in my territory, not to mention the ones throughout Toscana Empire, are all under my influence.”

To exaggerate a little—or rather, to put it frankly—aside from the royal armory directly managed by the Emperor of Toscana, every other weapon factory is under my control.

Of course, I can’t control everything as I please, but...

Half of the weapon factories in Toscana Empire are part of the trust I created.

‘If I want, I can control Toscana Empire’s military industry by myself.’

The Crown Prince outside and others may not know this, but I do.

“The Emperor of Toscana has a great deal of trust in me, to the point of giving me such things.”

I showed the Duke of Saxony the sword I was wearing at my waist.

It was a fine sword engraved with the Toscana Empire’s Crown Prince’s insignia.

Proof that I am seen as a significant figure in the future of the Empire.

The Duke’s face changed in an interesting way when he held the sword.

“What’s the deal you’re proposing?”

“I’ll supply food for 50,000 soldiers for one year, 30,000 matchlock guns, 50,000 spears, 10,000 sets of armor, and 40,000 sets of clothing at 15% below market value.”

“Isn’t that a bit too shameless for someone looking to become a double vassal?”

I have no intention of becoming a double vassal.

I’m just making this deal to blind your eyes.

‘Someone desperate for a fief, just a merchant making a deal.’

Powerful people trust those who want land, not just merchants.

Once I receive the fief, who knows how my attitude will change, but until then, I’ll crawl under you and do whatever you want.

In modern society, even in remodeling contracts, if you pay 100% upfront, they’ll do a sloppy job and demand more money later.

Shady contractors do this all the time, pretending to do work after taking the money, then disappearing.

‘The beasts with black hair only work hard when they have something to gain.’

“Even at 15% below market, it’ll amount to tens of thousands of gold coins every year. And in the future, no matter how much money you have, it’ll be difficult to acquire weapons and food. Right now, factories are running smoothly, and farming is going well, but...”

Before the Korean War, Korea was running just fine.

Farmers even helped soldiers with rice planting, and every item was consumed in the cities.

But once war broke out, the country became a mess.

With food production halted, people had to rely on the UN forces to survive.

‘But in the Holy Empire, there won’t be any UN forces to provide food, will there?’

“If the war between the new faith and Deus faith intensifies, it will be difficult to operate factories and farm. The whole Holy Empire will be in a deadly struggle.”

“Even if a war breaks out, soldiers and nobles will die, but there’s no need to plunder fields or slaughter people, right?”

Both Toscana Empire and the Holy Empire, in their own ways, are places where people live.

The Geneva Conventions, which establish the idea that even enemy soldiers' lives should be valued, aren’t strictly followed, but the idea of plundering conquered lands is strongly ingrained.

In a civil war, soldiers die, but civilians usually don’t.

Even when plundering farms, only livestock and food are taken, and burning fields or killing people doesn’t usually happen.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

Though it could happen, usually it doesn’t.

“The new faith declared Deus faith a heresy, and Deus faith declared the new faith a heresy long ago. Heretics may have hands and feet and look like us, but they’re not really human like us.”

The Duke of Saxony’s face became very serious.

“If the war breaks out, food production and weapon production will become difficult. Don’t you see how much of a benefit it is to secure materials now? If you don’t, I’ll leave.”

With that, I stood up from my seat.

“I see, I see. I’ll give you everything you want! But you must keep supplying at lower prices from now on!”

I’ve just caught myself a fish.

“Of course. Now, let’s sign the contract.”

And so, I secretly signed the contract with the Duke of Saxony that day.

A contract I had no intention of keeping.