Chapter 32. Strictly by the Contract (4)

Did my brother Albert become moved by our Medici brothers' affection?

My brother ordered me to come to the Medici mansion just three days after I spread the rumor.

As they say, sincerity moves heaven, so Albert's heart must have opened because I put in my full effort, right?

"Thanks for coming, Fabio."

When he was extorting money for his wedding last time, he treated me like a one-of-a-kind brother, but his attitude has changed.

As they say, people are different when entering and leaving the bathroom.

His thoughts changed once his urgent need for money was resolved.

It really makes my heart swell that such a person is my brother.

As soon as the door closed, Albert's expression slightly soured.

"There are only ears to hear this between you and me here anyway. So tell me honestly, did you do it?"

Of course, I spread that rumor.

Put yourself in my shoes and think, would you confess honestly?

Even if you committed a crime, there's no problem if there's no evidence and you're not caught, but if I confess that I did it, it's like handing over evidence myself.

It's not like I did anything to feel guilty about.

What's wrong with just asking for the money back?

"Why would I spread rumors about the IOU with you, Baron? And how could I carelessly discuss the Medici family's territory issues?"

The Tuscan Empire is a country where beautiful medieval traditions and perceptions are alive and breathing.

Regardless of East or West, it's considered very unsightly for siblings to lend money and make a fuss about paying it back.

The Medici family's territory issues are something even the Emperor can't interfere with unless there's a very special case, so how could someone like me give an opinion?

If I give a pretext with this, I'd have no excuse even if my head rolls.

"I'm very disappointed that you don't trust me this much. Aren't we brothers?"

It's not like our relationship is particularly good, but.

Look at that annoyed expression.

What can you do by grinding your teeth?

"However, isn't it right to pay back when someone borrows money? Even if it's between family members."

It's written like this in the Deus Bible too.

It says it's legal to take everything except the outer and inner clothes and make someone homeless if they borrow money and don't pay it back.

A forced smile appeared on Albert's face.

Try to hide that spasm at the corner of your mouth.

You look weak if you keep showing your emotions.

There's a reason they say to maintain a poker face during work in 21st century Korea.

"Of course, I should pay it back. But as you know, my circumstances aren't very good."

The time when nobles become the most broke is right after the wedding.

Because they have to solemnly declare the alliance between their family and the other family at the wedding and show dignity, they spend money pulling out even their souls.

Without exaggeration, money flows out like water.

How could that gentleman's wallet be intact?

'That's why I didn't think of receiving money in the first place.'

"If you don't have the ability to pay back, I don't mind if you give me some territory instead. That's how the rumors went anyway."

Looking only at social power, of course, the superior is my brother, Baron Medici.

However, the situation now is a complete exception.

A debtor who borrowed 7,000 gold coins and can't afford to pay it back, in a situation where honor, the lifeline of nobles, will fly away if he doesn't pay according to the rumors.

What can he do?

Even if you're a well-off chairman or politician, if you're in a position where you can't pay back bank loans and interest, you have to bow your head and plead.

'Of course, this is possible because my backing is the Duke.'

The fact that I can at least protect my rights with the authority given by the Duke, even if I can't abuse power.

This is really an amazing privilege.

Because this is an era where I could be sold as a slave at any time by the agreement of village residents.

"I hope you make a wise choice, Baron."

If you make an incorrect choice, even a good person like me will have no choice but to get angry.

Albert kept staring into my eyes.

Not long after, he sighed.

"How much territory should I bestow upon you?"

"7,000 gold coins is a huge sum that could feed 7,000 workers in the city for a year without doing anything. Serfs generally earn about half of what city workers do, but they support their families and live on that."

Of course, by city standards, that money is barely enough to support oneself.

There's no particular lie in what I said about serfs.

Serfs living in the countryside feed their wife and 3-4 children in a cheap house of about 8-10 pyeong (26-33 square meters).

You might wonder how they live on just that money, but…

The reason this is possible is that just like in 21st century South Korea where hobby-level return to farming can solve almost all food ingredients except 'rice price'.

The serfs of the Tuscan Empire are self-sufficient in food, so the rest of the living expenses can feed the whole family with monthly pocket money.

"And when trading territory for money like this, isn't it calculated based on the value that one serf creates over 20 years?"

For example, let's say one serf produces value equivalent to one gold coin per year.

Then when that serf is traded in the territory transfer market of high-ranking people, they are traded for 20 gold coins.

Conversely, if a serf can pay this amount in a lump sum, they can liberate their status and become a free farmer.

"So you should give at least about 5 villages."

"5 villages? Don't talk nonsense!"

By territory trading price standards, this is me overcharging tremendously.

Because looking only at the money earned by adult male serfs, it's enough money to buy about 700 people.

People living in rural areas actually don't need much money, so when looking only at income in 'currency', it's often evaluated very low.

Moreover, the value produced by serfs' wives and children is absolutely not negligible.

The price I quoted reflects only about 30% of these facts.

The reason I quoted so high is…

I'm convinced that we can't get along well anyway from the point where that bastard openly tried to eat up my 7,000 gold coins.

'I need to extort ruthlessly.'

"I can't give 5 villages even if I die! Never!"

As expected, that gentleman isn't stupid either, so he doesn't fall for such an obvious ploy.

"4 villages. How about making the territory size about 1,300 people? If you just hand this over, I'll consider the 7,000 gold coins written in the IOU fully repaid."

"It seems a bit much."

"I'm not even charging interest out of consideration for you, Baron."

The merchants' common saying that they don't even break even or sell at a loss when selling like this is always a lie.

A homonym would be something like everyone dates and gets married when they go to university.

"Giving away 4 villages is a bit burdensome for me too. As you know, I don't have that much territory I can dispose of freely. So brother, can't you cut me some slack?"

How dare a person who was trying to eat up all my money appeal to emotions?

Should I smash his head?

"You can replace 70% with young unmarried female serfs. The remaining 30% can be bachelors without farming rights in the countryside. You don't necessarily have to give villages with attached fields. Instead, if you do this, you should hand over at least 2,000 people."

The reason I covet territory isn't to farm like other lords.

It's to increase seaweed production scale, find smuggling routes, and then gather employees to produce special products I'll sell.

And in this era, there's a surprisingly simple way to gather employees and make them work for life.

'It's to marry them off and make their workplace and living place the same.'

It's referencing a policy implemented in Japan during the bubble era.

Creating an environment where an employee has no choice but to dedicate their life to that company by providing apartments, scholarships, and so on from the company.

I added providing a wife to marry to this.

In this era where eating and living are more important than love, hardly anyone would refuse this.

"Aren't second and third sons without farming rights or unmarried female serfs who can't find marriage partners troublemakers in the territory anyway?"

Unmarried female serfs who can't find marriage partners end up coming to the city and becoming prostitutes selling their bodies for a bowl of porridge.

Second and third sons tend to become day laborers in the city, scraping the bottom or becoming criminals.

"That's true."

"This much is me cutting you a lot of slack because we're family."

Actually, for me, this is a way to maximize profits, but from a general perspective, it would look like I'm just taking troublemakers and ending it.

Perhaps because of that, our brother's face brightened considerably.

Well, I benefited too, but that gentleman must feel good having resolved the 7,000 gold coins by handing over only potential reactionaries.

"Alright. I'll write you a pledge now, so hurry and go. It'll take about 4 months to hand over what you requested, so wait until then."

"Yes, brother."

And so I withdrew from the office.

And I immediately went to see my father, who had become the 'former' Baron Medici.

It's not just to pay a courtesy call, but to boast that instead of receiving 7,000 gold coins, I received only useless people as compensation out of consideration for dad.

Why is there such a saying?

If you give and don't boast about it, everyone forgets.