I Became A Black Merchant In Another World

When I was first granted land by Duke Visconti, Bio Village was just a backwater.

Now, it has revitalized to the point where its previous desolate appearance is unimaginable.

A harbor large enough for medium and large ships, inns for sailors, and sturdy houses lined up everywhere.

“Wow, it’s really improved a lot.”

Although focusing solely on the harbor’s construction means there’s still no polished urban look.

At this rate, with a face like mine, I could totally call myself a lord of a harbor city.

‘These days, just gathering a thousand people in a village is considered a city.’

While I was wandering around the harbor and the ships, the Lord came rushing over, leading the villagers, looking all flustered.

“Lord! Have you returned?”

In a typical territory, when a lord comes from a big city, the local gentry cringes at the costs of hosting.

Outwardly they smile, but inwardly they’re all like, “When will that guy leave?”

But right now, there’s not a hint of pretense on the Lord’s face.

‘He’s genuinely happy to see me.’

“Yeah, it’s good to be back.”

“You must be tired from your trip to Guillaume City, right? I’ve tidied up the mansion for your stay.”

Though it’s called a mansion, it’s actually smaller than my house in Florence.

Since land prices are cheap, the reason it’s so small is…

I won’t be staying here long anyway, and I don’t want to put anyone through the unnecessary hassle of building a grand estate.

‘No need to flaunt grandeur with a big mansion. Just my presence is enough.’

“Am I going to do any hard work on a boat? It was the captain and the sailors who suffered.”

“Is that so? Then we would like to treat you to some delicacies we’ve prepared for you.”

The food I eat is usually crafted by chefs who could easily be hotel chefs in the 21st century.

So even though I eat something far tastier than what the villagers can make every day, I can’t refuse their heartfelt generosity.

‘Unless the Lord wrangled it from them, which wouldn’t be too surprising.’

The villagers behind the Lord are all wearing beaming smiles, and if I refuse, they’d probably feel even worse.

“Great, I’ll eat happily. And today, in honor of Bio Village’s development, let’s hold a grand festival! Let’s feast until we’re full and slaughter some cows and pigs for all kinds of dishes. I’ll cover all the costs.”

In a world where both entertainment and food are scarce, who hates a festival?

The Lord cheered upon hearing that I’d cover all the expenses.

“Thank you, My Lord!”

“Don’t fret about how much money to spend; be generous. If you’re stingy, it’ll tarnish my dignity.”

Hearing my joke, the Lord turned to the villagers and instructed them.

“Did you hear that? The Lord insists we prepare generously, to avoid any disrespect to his dignity!”

The villagers chimed in.

“Anyway, no matter how much we spend, it won’t affect the Lord’s wallet, will it?”

“Let’s eat till we drop today!”

“I’ll roast a whole cow, no, two!”

As I instructed the people to prepare for the festival, they bolted out like cheetahs.

Seeing the excited villagers preparing for the festival made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Chloe would probably have complicated feelings seeing this though.

‘I should at least offer her some comforting words tonight.’

A temporary outdoor banquet hall was set up in a clearing on the outskirts of the village.

Excluding my seat and those of my companions, everyone else was sitting on mats.

Every dish served was simple but substantial.

A whole roasted cow, a stew that was essential for village banquets, etc.

Maybe because it’s hard to come by this kind of rustic festive food in Florence?

My mouth started watering before I even realized it.

“Other nobles give long speeches at such banquets, but I dislike that kind of pomp. So I’ll keep my remarks short.”

Principals and various guests invited to events think they need to talk long to be appreciated.

But they probably found it excruciating when they were students or lower ranks, whenever speeches dragged on.

No matter how times change, that feeling likely doesn’t change.

“When I first came here, Bio Village was nothing but a wasteland where no one could live. But now, thanks to your trust and following, we’ve prospered this much. I am proud of you.”

Many company executives, not just in small or medium enterprises but even CEOs of larger corporations, believe their company’s growth is solely due to them.

It’s not entirely wrong to say if the top executive isn’t competent, the company can’t grow or even survive.

But just like you can’t live with only your brain, without staff to be your hands and feet, a business can’t even exist.

The fact that I’ve come this far is, after all, thanks to them following my guidance.

‘Let’s become the kind of person who recognizes the contributions of subordinates.’

“And I have promised you something before; do you remember?”

At that, the villagers could only stare in silence, with tears welling up in their eyes.

Though I hadn’t lived as a serf like them, I can roughly imagine how horrible it would be just by reading documents.

Working to the bone with no hope would make anyone slack off.

Facing a relentless cycle of being looked down upon due to one’s status.

None of them would have liked being born into that life.

“I promised you this; once a proper harbor was built in this village, I would burn all the serf documents and make you free citizens.”

Other lords might hesitate to free serfs due to their prejudices, but I actually see it the opposite way.

It’s hypocritical for someone who exploits the privileges of the class system to declare it unfair, so let’s rephrase it.

Creating invisible boundaries by turning common folk into serfs is inefficient.

Making them free citizens, allowing them to dream of a hopeful future and encouraging their development benefits me as a noble too.

Thus, I think this is better.

Inefficient issues can be resolved, and the former serfs can find happiness.

“Everyone, look over there.”

I pointed to the center of the outdoor banquet hall.

There, stacks of firewood and documents lay piled up.

“Over there lie the serf documents that shackled you. I’ll hand you torches, so burn them all. Enjoy the sight of those papers burning, and have a blast!”

At my words, the villagers received the torches prepared by others, then immediately set the serf documents ablaze.

Some danced joyfully after watching them burn, while others cried over the sight of the flaming papers.

But everyone wore expressions of joy.

“We are now not serfs but proper free citizens! We only have to pay half the tax—hooray!”

“It’s liberation!”

Watching them revel in their newfound joy, I started to eat the dishes laid out before me.

Since it was a harbor town, the food focused on fish caught from the sea, and it suited my palate perfectly.

‘It’s tough to find seafood like this in Florence.’

While I was sampling various dishes, one food particularly caught my eye.

“This seems like abalone?”

I thought it wouldn’t appear unless I specifically requested it, as we don’t usually consume much abalone on this continent.

As I voiced my question, a nearby villager responded.

“They sometimes get caught while harvesting seaweed. They don’t eat them much since the food supply has become plentiful, but when Jack smears butter and grills them, he said it’s a delicacy. So we thought you’d want to try it.”

“Let me have a taste.”

Grilled abalone with butter is a dish even seafood haters would delight in.

There’s no way it can taste bad.

“It’s delicious.”

“I’m really glad you like it.”

“Are you trying to cultivate it as well?”

“Yes, the Lord asked us to try raising clams, so we’re giving it a go.”

Dried abalone makes for an exquisite broth.

Well, although Westerners don’t usually eat abalone.

If I popularize abalone dishes and spread trends like cooking dried abalone in stews, it could rake in quite a bit of profit.

‘Though I can’t conceal the raw ingredients like seaweed…’

“I’ll provide unlimited funds, so try expanding the scale of cultivation. Also, give Jack two gold coins and the Lord five.”

From their perspective, that’s tantamount to a bonus equivalent to the annual salary of a corporate employee, but it’s perfectly fine to offer this much.

They achieved results of their own accord without me needing to instruct them.

“Unlike other territories, our territory will definitely reward achievements. So you better work hard too.”

Saying that, I cut into the abalone steak and took a bite.

It’ll take a few years for the cultivation technology to be properly established, but still, look where we are.

That day, I ate and enjoyed the dishes that the villagers treated me to until I was stuffed.

And then I headed towards Vergelro, which was a bit further inside Bio Village.

“My Lord, this truly is a revolutionary era.”

As I arrived at Vergelro, Sebastian, who had been briefly stationed here to oversee the factory operations, rushed up to me in a flurry.

I’ve rarely seen Sebastian react this passionately.

Seeing him this astonished made me wonder if the machines that supported the early industrial revolution were really making a grand impact.

“What’s got you so worked up?”

“I’ve never seen such a rapid production of textiles and wool since I was born; this is nothing short of magic!”

The industrial revolution truly did spark almost magical results.

That’s why history retains this record.

‘After the industrial revolution, humanity could finally feel economic growth in tangible ways.’

“Let’s go take a look.”

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