NOVEL NEXT Chapter 74
Human life inevitably revolves around money.
In a wealthy household, although tuition fees aren’t small, they won’t shake the family’s life.
However, in a poor household, the entire family can be distressed and end up crying over college tuition, ruining their lives.
Even here, in a knight order gathered by those with exceptional faith, it won’t be much different.
“Even those who fought for independence often gave up because of financial struggles.”
But these gentlemen are not just looking at the noble cause and fighting against heretics; money must be more important.
“Are you saying you want to make a donation? We welcome contributions.”
When they’re bored, they rob the ships of innocent heretics in the sea, and if they want a thrill, they raid towns along the Sultanate coast, much like Vikings.
Yet, ethical standards vary with time, and they are recognized by the Pope with titles like “Holy Knight Order,” “Model of Faith,” and “Axe of God’s Will.”
Donating to those who deserve proper respect from the Deus followers is a significant act of devotion.
“If I ever have to go abroad, I’ll testify to the Duke’s piety. I’ll hold a mass every month, even if it’s brief.”
As I expected, they must be in serious need of money.
When funds were ample, they wouldn’t offer such benefits with donations.
Now they’re ready to lavish VIP services at a heavily discounted rate.
I could cry tears of gratitude, honestly.
“I’m thinking of donating some money, but I came here to discuss business.”
The knight commander tilted his head upon hearing my words.
“We don’t really have any special products on our island. At best, we catch a decent amount of fish, but is that something great?”
If this were the territory of the Medici Baron Clan, smuggling with the heretics would probably be conducted almost openly (the officials would be struck by the miraculous magic of blank stares).
Then, all sorts of spices, mercury, precious metals, and heretic artworks would have flowed in.
Selling these would have earned them a tremendous fortune.
Like Singapore or Taiwan, who thrive solely on location.
“I know it’s lucrative, but they can’t do such things because of their beliefs.”
“The climate here is really good for cultivating sugarcane.”
As soon as the word sugarcane left my mouth, the knight commander frowned as if he might grab me by the collar.
Then he slammed the desk and stood up.
“It’s true that our Deus Knights are short on money! But to ask us to cultivate the sugarcane that heretics grow? Are you trying to insult us?! Duke Visconti must be completely mad!”
If I hadn’t been a representative of the Duke, I might have genuinely lost my head.
But it’s not the first time I’ve nearly died, is it?
If I got scared by threats, I wouldn’t be in this business.
When dealing with someone who uses tough tactics, you must respond with strong statements.
“Why is it that you have such a narrow view, Commander?”
“Are you insulting me right now?!”
In noble circles, being called “insult” can be interpreted like this:
“I’m going to kill you, I can’t live under the same sky as you even if I don’t kill you now.”
In Korea, it’s like openly insulting someone’s parents in front of them.
“I assume you’ve heard of Cafe Medici. They use about 3 to 4 tons of sugar daily, over 1,500 tons a year.”
“What nonsense, ah!”
Did you catch a hint of what I’m trying to say?
“I have to buy 1,500 tons of sugar from the Spice Guild, which means I’m handing over more than 5,000 gold coins to them every year.”
5,000 gold coins is enough for the annual living expenses of 5,000 peasant families.
“And I plan to expand Cafe Medici nationwide. I’m already consuming that amount in Florence, and if I open stores in major cities like Naples, Latina, and Amalfi, it will likely triple.”
I leaned in a bit closer to the knight commander.
“If the scale of the sales dropped to the Spice Guild spread throughout the Toscan Empire, it would reach 15,000 gold coins a year.”
If I plant sugarcane across the farmland of Rabat Island, I would not only meet my needs but have some left over.
“And the Spice Guild members are trading with the heretics. More accurately, it’s the big shots who control them. My own Medici Baron Clan is one of them. So I know the profit share that goes to the heretics…”
The information I possess is, with a little exaggeration, at the level of secret military intelligence.
In simpler terms, it’s something valuable enough that even a member of parliament in our country would have to discuss in a meeting to access.
The knight commander’s eyes brightened as he listened to me.
“Half of their earnings go to the heretics. Therefore, continuing the sugar trade with the Spice Guild means helping the heretics.”
The knight commander is a reasonably secular person.
No, deeply religious individuals can actually rise in any group.
How could people who have completely abandoned worldly desires possibly defeat those with a strong yearning for them?
“They say even saints chosen by the God who perform miracles in the Deus Church can only ascend to cardinal at best, right?”
Even bishops and archbishops, despite their larger responsibilities, more often than not serve in rural areas symbolically high in faith.
“To win against the heretics, we must reduce their profits first, right?”
Someone has described trading with enemy nations like this.
Trading with enemies is akin to giving them weapons to kill the soldiers of your motherland.
The knight commander, who shudders at the thought of heretics, must certainly be thinking.
“I can earn money and deliver an economic blow to these heretics. This is a total jackpot, right?”
“Exactly. The money they earn will eventually come back as the weapons that stab us.”
Then, the knight commander slightly bowed his head in front of me.
“Honestly, I’m not keen on the Medici Baron Clan. However, you’ve come up with a way to pursue profit while helping us pious believers and striking against the heretics. Henceforth, our Deus Knights will treat the Medici Young Baron Clan as friends.”
The leader of the Deus Knights is not a hereditary position.
From the get-go, the knights here take a vow of celibacy, so what kind of inheritance is that?
However, due to their military power and symbolic presence, wherever they go, the knight commander is treated with the rank of count.
“That’s why I call you Commander.”
It’s impressive for a count to sincerely apologize.
“The conversation isn’t over yet. While we’re at it, how about pledging loyalty to the Toscan Empire? If you do, I will use my influence to propose waiving import taxes for all goods coming to this island from the empire.”
“Waiving all taxes…”
“Of course, taxes will be minimized to a symbolic amount paid annually.”
The reason this is possible lies in the various symbols that this knight order possesses.
The emperor regards the Deus Knights as loyal vassals who voluntarily came forward, and thanks to their presence, the Toscan Empire’s waters are not threatened by heretic pirates.
“All the heretics trying to cross into our empire fall to the Deus Knights.”
Moreover, they are men who have received the title of the protectors of faith from the Pope.
There’s a rumor that even the most pious can submit to a ruler worthy of such recognition.
When such news spreads, our Emperor would be viewed as follows:
“A noble ruler so virtuous that those who live for faith recognize him as their lord.”
Given this, even a complete tax exemption would be warmly welcomed by the emperor.
“… Positive, but no matter how much I’m a knight commander, I can’t make an easy decision on this. I am the commander of the knights, not the ruler.”
This knight order operates somewhat like a parliamentary cabinet.
Decisions are made through meetings with senior officers such as the commander, chancellor, combator, and abbots.
“Except when it comes to wars or plundering.”
“However, everyone would welcome this proposal. While our knights followed faith here, we cannot ignore financial issues.”
Among church pastors, even sincere little church pastors often take on dual roles.
During weekdays, they work tech jobs at construction sites and gather congregants for worship on weekends.
Originally, dual roles are frowned upon for “various issues,” but since they can’t starve while serving, the congregants reluctantly allow it.
Financial issues are that challenging.
Let alone the knights working to make ends meet, the “knights” doing so in a secular manner to survive.
“Where are you currently staying?”
“I’ve rented a tavern called ‘Footsteps of the Wind.’”
“That place isn’t bad, but I can’t let a guest like you stay there. I will lend you our guest house within the knight order’s walls.”
“Thank you.”
Then, with an unbothered expression, he made a shocking remark.
“Oh, you must be full of vigor at your age. I’ll prepare something nice for you. Since they are heretics, they can be a bit rough.”
It was just a change of topic, but it meant he would offer up a heretical sex slave that is hard to find elsewhere.
I’m indeed glad I didn’t bring Chloe and Chris here.
I’d better order those two not to wander around inside the castle until we get back.
“I need to prevent contact with the servants too.”
Even for me, such a shocking proposal is bound to be provocative in a bad way for the two ladies.
“My maid will get jealous. She gets jealous even if I say I’ll only keep cats.”
“I’ve never seen a noble young lord pampering his maid like this.”
The knight commander clicked his tongue in apparent regret.
“Receiving gifts is a matter of taste, and if you like your maid that much, I can’t force you to accept my offer. But if your mind changes, feel free to let me know.”
I’ve adjusted to many things, but I won’t discard even the slightest sense of human rights.
“Thank you, Commander.”