NOVEL NEXT Chapter 82
Albert clenched his teeth, trembling with rage after hearing my words.
His face turned as red as a hot piece of metal, clearly not just a minor annoyance.
Anyone would react like that, right?
Which human on this planet could smile after hearing from a subordinate and a brother, “You owe your position entirely to my efforts”?
“That’s a denial of the authority, the very existence of a higher power.”
That’s a message worse than any curse in this world.
“F-Fabio! Have you truly lost your mind?!”
The one acting insane here isn’t me, it’s you.
Instead of scolding his brother for his foolishness, the so-called elder is aiding and abetting him.
“If I let this slide, Albert will mock me for life.”
I might not have cared back in the day, but I’m in a position where I don’t need to bend to that idiot anymore.
Considering my relationships with powerful figures like the Emperor, Dukes, the High Court, my abilities, my potential for future growth, military experience, and reputation,
it wouldn’t be unreasonable to say I stand above Albert.
Realizing this, Duke Visconti offered me the Baron title as a reward for persuading the Deus Knights to defect.
“Let’s lay everything on the table, Baron. You don’t seriously think your rise to that position is purely due to your own abilities, do you?”
I’ve both helped and indirectly benefited him enormously.
Enumerating every single instance could make my mouth ache…
But what can I do? He acts like he won’t understand unless I point it out one by one.
“First of all, your becoming a Medici Baron is not thanks to me. You are the eldest son of the Medici Baron Clan, and you ascended to your current position through the succession law.”
At that, Albert’s brow furrowed deeply.
Truly incompetent—no, if I evaluate him coldly, in comparison to the average noble, he’s fairly capable.
Typically, nobles receive thorough education and inherit their titles at age 40, but he handles tasks on par with those 40-year-olds in his mid-20s.
“It’s like a high school student following along in a master’s program at university.”
But compared to how I’ve implemented what generals only talk about, he’s incomparable.
That said, the only reason he could inherit the Medici Baron title isn’t skill—it’s simply because he was born first.
“Let’s evaluate everything systematically. While the Medici Baron clan isn’t the most prosperous, is it really a large enough house to marry the daughter of Count Farnese as a legitimate wife?”
Sending a daughter off is less significant than marrying off a son (heir), still, he might have been able to wed that countess even without my involvement.
“The problem lies in the fact that the Farnese Count Clan is a legitimate powerhouse.”
Furthermore, the count’s legitimate wife had only one daughter, raising her value significantly compared to other noble families.
Honestly, even my father couldn’t have imagined such a match in his dreams.
Albert was struck dumb by the facts I threw out.
“Count Farnese himself expressed a desire to keep a close relationship with me at the wedding, in front of everyone. While he wasn’t solely focused on me, it’s obvious that I played a significant role in making this engagement happen.”
At that time, I was merely a knight.
Aside from a territory that barely existed beyond seaweed, I owned a little rundown town.
Yet I made a substantial impact on the count’s decision…
“My potential showcases how nobles perceive me.”
“Besides, within the faction’s gatherings and at events where His Majesty invited all nobles above the baron rank, the status of the Medici Clan has surely risen due to my contributions.”
We often think noble hierarchy follows ‘title order,’
but strictly speaking, title is only the primary criterion, with various others weighing in.
Family wealth, actual influence, reputation, and official positions all play roles…
I, Fabio, certainly factors into the influence.
“Do you dare mock me? You think you can boast about achieving baron rank at a young age without any recognition? While I might treat you as nothing more than a younger brother, do you really think I won’t kill you?”
Oh, I could easily snatch that Medici Baron title from you.
But no matter how much you flail, you can’t take my current position from me.
They say the weaker the dog, the more it barks at humans when frightened.
He looks exactly like that.
“Sure, I have achieved baron rank at a young age, I won’t deny that.”
A mere second son of a baron family getting a baron title and territory at 22?
While it may not be unprecedented in imperial history, it certainly strays far from the norm in noble understandings.
On the contrary, it signifies that I’m thriving enough to shatter the thoughts and prejudices of many.
“Nevertheless, let’s be honest. Apart from being born as the eldest son of the Medici Baron Clan, what have you achieved on your own?”
At that age, merely managing to be the Medici Baron is quite impressive.
Yet in this situation, that mere achievement means nothing to me.
“At 20, I established Cafe Medici. I quickly seized the trends in the imperial social scene and won a theological debate against a bishop during the Inquisition. After receiving my territory, I opened the Medici Hospital, using renowned seaweed from the East, drastically reducing the number of noblewomen dying in childbirth.”
Dukes, the Visconti, and even royals seek to have their children at the Medici Hospital I established.
Thanks to hygiene, meal options, and postnatal care, the chance of dying in childbirth plummeted to 10%.
The Medici Baroness—my sister-in-law—is expected to deliver at our hospital.
Furthermore, maintaining my ground in the theological debate with the bishop hasn’t just turned into financial benefit; it’s still talked about in social circles.
“A mere knight didn’t fear confronting the Pereira family, a wealthy merchant, and exposed military supply scandals.”
Though this was under the Emperor’s orders, I don’t need to reveal all of that.
“His Majesty appreciated it, and by the age of 21, I was appointed as the logistics officer for the First Division. I cleaned up all military supply scandals and corruption. Despite lowering supply costs, we provided delicious meals for the soldiers, who now swear absolute loyalty to His Majesty.”
At my words, Albert couldn’t muster any rebuttal.
He merely ground his teeth and stared at me.
I wasn’t particularly eager to hear his answer right now.
“Now, I’ve crushed the Spice Guild, who dared to oppose Fabio de Medici using my own strength.”
Pausing for effect, I revealed my next move.
“I will annihilate the Guild Master and the families of the Spice Guild executives.”
Cold sweat began to drip from Albert’s forehead upon hearing that.
“In just two years, I’ve grown this much. So tell me, what have you done for the Medici Baron Clan over these two years? You don’t really believe your job is just sitting there warming your chair, do you?”
I found a great phrase in the scriptures.
“‘Be hot or cold; anything lukewarm, I will spit out of my mouth.’”
It is essential advice for a person navigating through life.
If you’re going to side with someone, do it wholeheartedly, and if you’re going to be adversarial, treat them like a foe you’ll slice apart!
“I don’t particularly wish to be adversarial with Albert…”
But right now, making him aware of how terrifying I can be is a way to reduce the chances of a conflict.
Why do they say that?
Civilized people treat barbarians with less respect because their heads won’t split open even if they act inappropriately.
This also holds true in international relations.
“If you have nuclear weapons, even a superpower can’t just strike at will.”
Once Albert realizes I’m no longer someone he can simply devalue, he’ll start to behave accordingly.
I don’t really expect reconciliation at all.
“I advised you to know yourself. I hope you understand your current situation, and it would be nice if we could get along from now on.”
With that, I turned on my heel.
After Fabio left, Albert clenched his fists so tightly that blood began to seep through.
It wasn’t just the fact that his younger brother had spoken to him that way fueling his anger…
“…… Why can’t my reason rebut his words? Damn it!”
Objectively speaking, it was valid.
If he died, Fabio would either inherit or another relative would step in.
His father might return to fill the void easily.
But would there be anyone who could replace Fabio?
“Fabio can’t be replaced by anyone.”
The truth is, that irreplaceability was growing at a pace far beyond his imagination.
“…… What would happen if he wanted to remove me?”
Fabio never directly stated it.
However, Albert’s mind—somewhat above average compared to nobles—immediately provided an answer.
The Duke Visconti and the Emperor could easily ‘retire’ him.
As this realization dawned, a shudder coursed through Albert’s body.
He was shaking as if he were a person thrown out naked in the dead of winter, but it wasn’t from the cold.
It was purely due to the fear and pressure of having Fabio in front of him.
“…… That’s a monster.”
However, his mind, fogged by jealousy and rage, couldn’t conjure the best answer.
At that moment, Fabio was calculating what he could appropriately take from the Spice Guild.