NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9
Duke Visconti looked at the man before him and smiled.
“Archbishop of Florence, is it true? That Fabio is actually overwhelming Christian in the church trial?”
The archbishop nodded in agreement upon hearing that.
“As soon as I heard the trial had begun, I hurried to stop this unjust trial, arriving a bit late. When I got to the courtroom, I could hear the passionate voice of a young man from outside.”
“So that was Fabio.”
“Yes, that’s what I heard.”
The archbishop passed on all the information he had gathered without leaving anything out to the duke.
At first, he couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of someone who, even in a life-or-death situation, refused to beg and boldly proposed a deal.
“If such an assertive and rational lad were to join me, it would definitely help defeat the Sforza Dukedom.”
Yet, the more the story continued, the more the smile faded from the duke’s face.
It wasn’t because he was jealous of a capable subordinate but because the actions of this man, Fabio de Medici, in the trial were astonishingly unreal.
“So what you’re saying is that Fabio actually overwhelmed Christian in the church court?”
The duke chuckled lightly.
“I don’t think you’re the type to lie about this. It’s hard to believe. Is it really true?”
“I witnessed it with my own eyes. Fabio had already won over the audience, and the assistant bishop couldn’t find any fault with him.”
What Fabio did appeared to both the archbishop and the duke as follows:
A knight who had undergone harsh training since childhood to become a squire.
Even among the strong who had made names for themselves, fighting fully armored and on horseback, he defeated them with nothing but a branch as a 10-year-old child.
In a normal case, that child would lose a million times out of a million fights.
But what Fabio did now was an impossible feat of victory without even attempting to escape from an unwinnable fight.
“When I was his age, I was worried about how to lift a maid’s skirt. And this kid has already written a legend at just 20. My own children seem pathetic in comparison.”
The duke slumped his shoulders.
Fabio’s success was certainly a gain for the ducal family overall, but his own children appeared to be insufficient…
As a father, he felt a little bad about it.
Seeing the atmosphere turn gloomy, the archbishop made a clumsy joke.
“You dare to bring up tales of your youthful vigor in front of a clergyman? You must confess your sins of lust.”
Under normal circumstances, the duke would respond like this:
“If you grant me confession, won’t donations flow in? Please give me a discount.”
However, the duke wasn’t in that mood.
“I’m not inclined to think about that right now. The rumors must be spreading, right?”
“Of course. I’ve instructed spreading slightly adapted versions of this story throughout the Florence Cathedral and across Tuscany.”
Deus Church has an administrative structure akin to a military organization.
Thanks to that, it’s possible to occasionally designate ‘sermon topics and contents’ and send them to priests in other cities and towns for dissemination.
“Since Duke Sforza didn’t directly intervene, I couldn’t mention him in the sermon content, but isn’t it true that the common folk and serfs will roughly understand who got hurt in this case?”
Those nobles who are deeply rooted in the regions are quite familiar with the central political situation.
Walking down the wrong path could mean losing political power and even wealth.
So, when such stories spread, they would naturally come to know the underlying circumstances.
“For a brief moment, that lad, Fabio, will be hailed as a hero in the Empire.”
“Indeed.”
“Florence’s taverns will be thriving. They’ve got a new topic in Fabio and can vent their frustrations on the corrupt clergy.”
“As I walked by, I noticed that the audience members who had been there were already spreading rumors nearby. They said God could not tolerate Christian’s injustice and acted through Fabio.”
The archbishop was pleased just thinking about utilizing that public sentiment.
The fact that Christian committed injustices meant that those higher up also bore responsibility for not stopping the wicked deeds.
What if it was said that Deus himself had delivered judgment on that sin without the archbishop even spreading the rumors?
With a moral responsibility as a basis, even the high-ranking could be sent packing.
‘If we slot our people into the bishopric…’
Couldn’t he quickly rise to the rank of cardinal?
“You are about to become a cardinal! From then on, I won’t be able to speak casually. I should start elevating my speech now.”
“How could I feel anything but gratitude for the favors granted by Your Grace?”
“Thank you for saying that. If you become cardinal, I’ll treat my poor nephews well.”
Those poor illegitimate children, legally nephews, were actually children of the archbishop.
“I’m overwhelmed.”
“Now, let’s spread the rumors quickly to mess with Sforza. And let’s make Fabio a hero. For our rise and profits.”
And just like that, Fabio’s name spread throughout Tuscany in a flash.
The day after the trial ended, the duke summoned me.
Could it be because I had brought him more profits than he expected?
This time, the royal tea bestowed by the imperial family was served.
And even a chair that was better than the one I sat in last time.
“You’ve exceeded my expectations. I must say, your father is quite enviable.”
“That’s an undeserved compliment, Your Grace.”
Excessive modesty can sometimes sound like mockery to others.
Moreover, in any era or country, pretending to be humble leads people to undervalue your worth.
So, when one should be confident, one must accept it confidently.
“No, your father must be envious. He had to choose his eldest son as heir while having you as a remarkable child.”
At first glance, it sounded like praise.
However, there must be a reason a duke, of all people, would belittle his own vassal in front of me.
‘He’s likely trying to seduce me to become Medici Baron later.’
That kind of remark wouldn’t damage the duke politically.
It was evident that someone showing outstanding activity like me is indeed better than a plain baron brother in terms of capabilities.
However, for me, that was a very awkward statement.
“Please don’t speak like that even as a joke. The family hierarchy is absolute.”
The duke looked at me with a wry smile.
“You’re quite hard to fool. When I apply this ruse to the second sons of Sforza’s vassal family, they’ll either ponder deeply or jump at the bait.”
If they even show signs of hesitation or bite the bait, the duke would leak that fact to the opposing vassal family.
Then, within that family, they’d purge the second sons who were contemplating a coup.
Afterward, they would search for internal enemies and end up in disarray, or in the worst case, self-destruct and lose their territory.
But it’s not as if the duke seriously intended to bring about my downfall.
If he did that, he wouldn’t be able to endlessly extract steel from the steel factory. Moreover, treating his ally vassal family like that would leave him with no allies.
So, looking at all the circumstances, those words seemed sincere.
Causing discord among the vassal families and bringing them down would lead to self-destruction, but adequately replacing the head of the family with a compelling justification is something that could easily be done without fear.
“I don’t intend to do anything bad to you or the Medici clan.”
Even if you can’t trust yourself, you can trust the surrounding circumstances and survival instincts.
So please, be at ease.
“I originally intended to simply pull you out of the church trial and provide you with the funds needed for building the steel factory. But it seems that won’t be enough.”
The duke handed me a certificate.
“After our meeting, if you give this to the steward, he’ll exchange it for 500 gold coins. This is in addition to your investment funds, so spend it as you wish.”
Five hundred gold coins, with a slight exaggeration, felt like around 2 billion won.
Handing over such a huge sum for merely sending off an archbishop with my words felt excessive.
He must simply be trying to train me with money.
Does he see me as a slave to be controlled by wealth?
But sadly, I was betting my life to earn money and engaging in all sorts of shows.
I needed to earn money if I wanted to enjoy an aristocratic life, luxury, and beautiful women after being reincarnated into this world.
In that sense, the duke who hands out such a fortune is the best employer.
Damn, I might just fall for him.
“Thank you.”
“I have high expectations. If you succeed, there will be a significant reward. And don’t forget.”
“What do you mean?”
The duke gestured to me.
As I moved closer, he whispered in a voice so soft that no one else could hear.
“I believe you are more valuable than Albert. What sort of rank do you get for being born early?”
He’s a generous employer, but this guy is kind of scary.
Even if I forcibly inherit the title of Medici Baron, if the duke decides I’d be a slave who has to kill Albert, I would truly be in a bind.
Is the duke planning to make me a slave for the eternal glory of his family?
Seriously, I can’t believe this.