I Became A Black Merchant In Another World

In movies or dramas, they start with seizure and whatnot even before launching an investigation into chaebols, and then, bam! An in-depth investigation kicks off.

But in reality, catching economic criminals isn’t that easy-peasy.

Even if a case occurs, the harsh tactics like seizure—used like a cheat code—are basically a last resort. If used carelessly, even the police could end up stripped of their uniforms one by one!

“Here, my neck would literally fly off.”

Though the Emperor claims he’ll protect me, even with orders to operate in secrecy, do I really want to flaunt myself without any concrete evidence?

If I were to be found dead in a barrel by some river or beach, it would just be processed as natural causes.

‘Even street thieves can’t carelessly use such means, you see.’

As I was lost in thought, Sebastian called out to me.

“There’s someone here who says they have something urgent to relay to you, Young Lord. Would you like to meet them directly?”

The way he asked if I really wanted to meet them suggests that this person probably has nothing of worth to say.

With a 99% chance, they’ll boast about their “treasure” of information that wouldn’t be of any help to me at all.

But who knows, life can be surprising.

“Let them in immediately.”

“Yes, understood. The person looks a bit shabby. Should I have them cleaned up first?”

From the way he said that, it seems the individual is in a pretty filthy state…

‘I should never have allowed them in last time; it nearly made my nose rot.’

A beggar from the slums who couldn’t wash for a month, no, not even two, almost drove me to death from the smell.

After sending that person away, Chloe was already sneaking away from my side like it was a snake pit.

“Make sure they eat properly after they’re cleaned up.”

An hour later, a man arrived at my office.

He’d scrubbed himself clean, but his clothes still had a rather unpleasant odor.

If this is what a bath does to someone…

Once I get into office, I swear I will create something like the Medici Public Bath to force the needy to come and clean themselves up.

As I grimaced from the smell, he began to rub his hands together nervously.

“You said you had the information I desired; is that true? If you’re lying, I fear I might be a bit disappointed.”

It’s not like I’d kill someone just because I’d be disappointed.

If I did something like that right in the heart of the capital, I’d be risking, well, rather high odds of getting investigated by the capital guards.

With appropriate gifts and a lawyer, I’d probably just end up thinking in jail for a few days or so.

‘That’s quite dishonorable.’

So, to give a lesson not to greedily covet others’ money, I’d settle for an appropriate educational session.

Hearing my words, the man shook his head vigorously.

“How could someone as lowly as me dare to lie to someone as noble as you?”

Seeing him act so pitifully makes me wonder if this is another wild goose chase.

Not that I know for sure yet.

It’s still too early to judge the value of that man.

Information can leak from the most unexpected places.

Scandals that could topple noble houses often start from someone just above a beggar.

“I used to work as a porter and hand at the Pereira Guild. I earned three thalers a day. It was quite a decent amount.”

Three thalers, that’s a pretty high pay even in the capital!

Unless the Pereira folks were out of their minds, they wouldn’t be throwing such money at unskilled laborers…

‘Must’ve been involved in something dodgy.’

“How long did you work there?”

“About six months. During that time, I also got involved in some of the Pereira Guild’s less-than-reputable undertakings. Smuggling, for example, and making someone half-disabled.”

This is a bit murky, huh?

Smuggling or hiring thugs to beat people up is definitely problematic, and if this gets out, the Pereira folks would have a tough time cleaning up.

However, it’s not heavy enough to execute the Emperor’s orders of “showing a little spice to those selling strategic materials to enemy nations.”

After getting detailed info, I might toss him a couple of gold coins.

“Interesting.”

“The Pereira Guild has secretly been bringing in spices like sugar and saffron from the Lion Kingdom and Granada Kingdom for a while now. To avoid taxes, they unload goods at lesser-known coastal areas, bringing them into Florence in secret.”

If this were 21st century Korea, one would already start a seizure operation over this and make it a big issue for the chairman’s arrest.

In our Toscan Empire, this would merely flame out with the unfortunate firing of an elite staff member at most.

It’s like giving only a bruising blow without any significant damage.

‘Might as well go pirate on the Pereira ships.’

To express my genuine interest, I placed coins in my pocket on the desk.

After shaking it a few times, the man’s gaze fixed itself on the sound.

“When we bring goods into Florence, we always do it at night. There’s a curfew, but if you grease the right palms, everyone just ignores it.”

For a noble like me, or at the very least a lower-tier knight, I can breach the curfew without slipping a dime to the guards.

“And those who tried to sell similar goods got a proper lesson from us.”

I guess that meant a limb was broken or they were turned into a corpse floating down a river, huh?

Unless they killed someone possessing a knightly title, I doubt anyone would bother reporting a murder for a simple warning without even saying anything from the guild’s side.

The guards would pretend to investigate and then shrug it off with “the pointer of the mind’s letter discovered and handled” and “the importance comprehension skills of a police force in a city with an unusual number of corporate employees.”

Basically, if this went through, I’d be the one in big trouble.

“Does this help?”

Well, it’s not completely useless.

Catching a big fish and tossing this on top would be a critical blow against the Pereira crooks.

But it’s not vital.

“Give me two gold coins, or three.”

I tossed three gold coins from my pocket.

With that amount, he could grasp a small, shabby house on the outskirts of Florence.

“Good information, but it doesn’t seem like what I truly need.”

He sighed and displayed a look of regret, as if this meager sum wouldn’t satisfy him.

Though he can’t utter it aloud, he’s clearly casting glances at me…

‘You, living in the slums, could never earn three coins even if you worked for ten years.’

What a shameful sense of money for someone poor!

Even in Korea, those kinds of high-rolling gamblers mess up their lives, and it seems it’s the same here.

So I issued the dismissal.

My time is precious, after all; I can’t spend too much of it skimming.

Hearing my command, the man desperately pleaded.

“Wait, wait! I have even better information!”

“I doubt someone who claimed to be a mere taskman like you would bring me more valuable information.”

Information on embezzlement or tax evasion usually can’t slip out unless one is an executive board member or at the very least manages some department.

Subordinates can leak info, but…

‘The level of detail required to toss someone in jail is unlikely to come from them.’

“This is something I heard from a friend. A few months ago, a daughter of a director at the Pereira Guild was wrongfully abandoned! I know where that lady is!”

I can hardly believe that!

Isn’t this guy a scammer, or maybe a rookie spy sent by Pereira?

Even if I’m the only one with a sense of human rights in this world, this guy should have his fingernails pulled out for sure!

When I was about to order my guards to seize him, I heard…

“Just yesterday, I was about to inform the Pereira Guild of her whereabouts in hopes of a life turnaround. But I figured you’d offer more money, so I came here! Even us lowly insects know how wealthy Young Lord Fabio de Medici is!”

Although coffee hasn’t fully spread among the aristocrats, ladies from Florence flock in their carriages to my clinic daily.

Seaweed is already considered a miraculous remedy among the common folks too.

And now, he claims he came to me hoping for a better payout for revealing the lady’s whereabouts from the Pereira Guild…

That’s somewhat believable.

“Her name is Christina Modica, and she’s currently hiding in Slum Area 4! She is the daughter of a family that used to work at the Pereira Guild, so she must know something!”

He’s not technically wrong.

However, the fact he knows her identity means…

‘He’s risking his life leaking bits of information to find someone who could avenge his family.’

Otherwise, it’s impossible for such a worthless human to hold onto information of a woman able to evade a massive guild like Pereira for months.

Or else it’s just a rumor.

“It’s worth checking out. Guards, kindly escort this man to a room in our mansion.”

I meant to politely imprison him.

If the information is accurate, I’d reward him handsomely and help him secure a new identity.

If I find him a spy, then interrogation without any human rights would commence.

The man’s face turned as pale as a ghost.

“P-please spare me! I swear it’s all true!”

“If it is, I’ll grant you unimaginable wealth you couldn’t have imagined. And I’ll treat you kindly—no need to worry about food.”

Even just the scraps the servants eat would be a feast for this guy.

Then, I ordered Sebastian to search Slum Area 4 thoroughly.

And not long after, I was able to find the person I had been looking for.

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