Chapter 24: Each Person’s Interests (2)
I received word that a guest from the Papal Palace had arrived, so I headed to the reception room of the lord’s residence.
Inside stood a middle-aged man wearing shabby clothes and a robe.
But unlike his poor-looking outfit, his face was pale and spotless, almost like that of a noble. Even his fingers were slender, without a single callus. His shoes were expensive-looking leather ones too.
Appraisal.
[Daniel Salamanca (36 years old)]
[Second son of Viscount Salamanca.]
So he really is from a noble family. And here he is pretending to be some devout clergyman.
I had seen plenty of religious figures who did nothing but play pathetic political games.
Daniel looked exactly like that type.
I wondered what kind of desire had brought him all the way here.
He bowed his head to greet me.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Viscount Marcel. I am Daniel, Vice Director of the Papal Palace’s Internal Affairs Office. I have come to serve as the judge you requested.”
“Welcome. Sit.”
Normally, clergy and nobles were supposed to treat each other with mutual respect.
But I deliberately spoke down to him.
I wanted to irritate him a little so he would reveal his desires more easily.
The more ambitious a clergyman was, the easier he was to control.
If I satisfied even a small portion of that desire, he would start thinking I was on his side.
However, Daniel didn’t even blink.
He simply kept smiling.
He’s pretty good.
Even if this isn’t about politics, there’s no way he’d genuinely feel friendly toward me. I’m a blessed person, after all.
For someone who wasn’t a member of the clergy to receive a god’s blessing was uncomfortable for the religion involved.
Among the believers of Marcel territory, I had become the most revered person precisely because I had received that blessing.
Because of that, religious officials and blessed individuals could respect each other, but they couldn’t truly be close.
Daniel opened his mouth.
“There is another reason I came here.”
“So you’re also here as a blessing investigator.”
Whenever rumors spread that someone had received the blessing of the God of Abundance, the Papal Palace’s Internal Affairs Office would send a clergyman to investigate whether it was true.
There were plenty of scammers in this world too.
“Yes. Normally, a much lower-ranking priest would come, but it has been a very long time since a lord received a blessing. Since there was also a trial happening, I decided to come personally.”
“So you came straight here because you wanted to investigate me?”
Daniel hadn’t even stopped by the church.
He had come directly to the lord’s residence.
A servant had already reported that to me.
“No. I was able to confirm that it was true just from several testimonies.”
“Is there some kind of formula for that?”
“Yes. Proving that someone is a fraud can be difficult, but confirming that someone is genuine is surprisingly easy.”
“Isn’t that the same thing? Why would proving someone is a fraud be difficult?”
“There are people who genuinely believe they have been blessed. And a scammer isn’t going to willingly admit that they are deceiving people, is he? If they do not confess, it can be difficult to prove.”
“Then why come here instead of going to the church? You already know I’m genuine.”
Daniel looked directly into my eyes.
“I heard that believers have even been praying to you.”
A person blessed by a god was like an idol to believers.
And in my case, that idol was also a noble and the lord who ruled the territory.
Naturally, that made the believers respect me even more.
Whenever believers saw me, they would bring their hands together and pray.
The Church of the God of Abundance was probably getting nervous that someone who wasn’t even a believer might become an object of worship.
But that’s the church’s problem.
Why would the Vice Director of the Internal Affairs Office care? His position should already be secure.
At that moment, something clicked in my head.
I realized what Daniel’s filthy desire was.
A small grin formed on my lips.
“You want to leave the Papal Palace, don’t you?”
“Excuse me?”
“It must sound appealing. Convert the lord who received a divine blessing, use that as an excuse to establish a diocese in his territory, then become the bishop of that diocese. After that, aim for cardinal. And after that, perhaps even the papal election. Am I right?”
“You are going too far. I merely wish for Your Lordship’s conversion—”
“Don’t make me laugh, you greedy old man.”
“……”
Daniel fell silent.
He probably felt like I had stripped him naked and exposed even the ugliest parts hidden at the bottom of his heart.
This seemed like a good time to surprise him.
“I’ll accept.”
“What?”
Daniel genuinely looked shocked.
I knew exactly what he wanted, yet I was still accepting it.
Of course he would be surprised.
“But I have conditions.”
“……What conditions?”
I raised one finger at a time as I spoke.
“First, I will not convert. However, if the Papal Palace asks me, I’ll say that I believe in the God of Abundance.”
“Second, establish a diocese that includes Marcel, Rhone-Alpes, Ferrand, and Dijon.”
“Third, Daniel, you will be the head of that diocese, and you will stay here at Marcel’s lord’s castle.”
“Fourth, establish a church in a frontier village called Comansville.”
Daniel was visibly shaken by my conditions.
“What exactly are you saying……? The other conditions are possible. However, Dijon territory is dominated by the Sun God Church, while Rhone-Alpes and Ferrand territories contain multiple religions.”
“Who told you to preach there? Just establish the diocese on paper.”
“Ah!”
“I’ll send letters to each territory. I’ll ask them to agree to the formal establishment of the diocese.”
“I understand you have not been here for very long. Do you already have connections with the surrounding lords?”
Relations with Rhone-Alpes territory were currently improving.
If I sent a letter to Countess Karin, she would probably agree.
Ferrand territory was also Countess Karin’s homeland.
She had only recently married, so her influence over her original family should still be useful.
As for the Dijon family, they were connected by marriage to the Westphalen family.
Young Lord Noah’s wife was the daughter of Count Dijon.
If I emphasized the relationship between Westphalen and Marcel, Dijon would probably agree to something as minor as a symbolic diocese, even if reluctantly.
Their ambitions toward Westphalen were a separate matter.
They probably wouldn’t care about this.
“That’s not something you need to worry about. Once I receive positive replies, I’ll immediately petition the Papal Palace to establish the diocese.”
“May I ask why you are willing to go this far?”
“Let’s just say it’s for the development of my territory.”
“So it’s a secret. Understood. I will pretend I know nothing.”
But the truth was, it really was for the development of my territory.
Religion was profitable.
And if I wanted that money reinvested into my territory, then of course I had to recruit a man I could control when he had practically walked here on his own.
Daniel was the type of person who would give up immediate financial profit in exchange for honor and social advancement.
If he succeeded in becoming a bishop, he would probably give me anything I asked for.
After all, he could then aim for the position of cardinal—and eventually even pope.
I had another reason for wanting the diocese established as well, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.
“For the trial, I want a judgment you won’t be ashamed to present before your god. And begin construction of the church in Comansville immediately.”
At those words, Daniel shot to his feet.
“Do not worry about the trial. As for the church in that Coman…… whatever-it-was place, I will have it built immediately even if I have to spend my own money.”
Daniel grinned and held out his hand.
I grabbed his unemployed-looking, pale, soft hand and shook it firmly.
One day before the trial.
The Marquis of Catalonia arrived at Marcel aboard his personal lord’s ship.
“Oh! Marcel Harbor is quite large! Look at that. Isn’t that a pyramid? To think there are ruins from the Southern Continent here. How fascinating.”
“Yes, My Lord. It truly is a beautiful place.”
The Marquis of Catalonia and his administrator admired the harbor.
They also saw its potential to develop into a massive trade port.
“Could they become our competition?”
“No, My Lord. The inland territories supporting us are completely different, aren’t they? Well, if we sign something like that free trade agreement Viscount Marcel mentioned, both sides could probably develop together.”
“Hmm. In that case, should we form a marriage alliance now?”
“Are you thinking of adopting a daughter?”
“No. I’m planning to have a few more children first.”
“……Good luck, My Lord.”
The Marquis of Catalonia had brought so many guests aboard his ship that I ended up having to hold an unplanned banquet.
Martin looked around the banquet hall and grumbled.
“Our territory barely has any spare budget, yet he brought this many freeloaders with him. Is the Marquis of Catalonia really planning to interfere with the trial?”
Martin made no effort to hide his displeasure.
I gave him a faint smile.
“No. I heard the Marquis of Catalonia simply likes executions. And if he wanted to influence the verdict, he would have pressured me already.”
Martin’s expression immediately brightened.
“Then does that mean Your Lordship’s proposal worked? The reciprocal free trade agreement?”
“Probably.”
The proposal I had made to the Marquis of Catalonia was simple.
The surplus wheat produced in the southern regions of the Kingdom of France would be allowed to pass through Marcel and reach Catalonia without tariffs.
Catalonia and the surrounding territories always had food shortages and needed to import grain.
Thanks to me, they would be able to import wheat more cheaply.
Meanwhile, territories like Rhone-Alpes, the marital home of Countess Karin, and Ferrand, her original family’s territory, produced surplus wheat.
Thanks to me, they would gain an opportunity to export that wheat at a good price.
I was giving up the profit margin I could have earned through wheat intermediary trading.
In exchange, I expected Marcel Harbor to become more active, earn port usage fees, and create large numbers of jobs.
And most importantly, if wheat trade became active, transactions involving other goods that were subject to tariffs would obviously increase as well.
As an added bonus, it would help me maintain good relations with the surrounding territories.
“Then this is also a chance for us to buy wheat cheaply.”
“Of course. The food situation in the territory will improve considerably.”
That was how I answered, but there was another advantage.
It meant I could move people currently working in wheat farming into other industries.
In other words, I would secure enough workers for several businesses I wanted to start.
At that moment, Martin whispered into my ear.
“My Lord, the Marquis of Catalonia is coming this way.”
“Martin, step away for a moment.”
The Marquis of Catalonia soon approached and greeted me.
“It is an honor to finally meet you in person.”
“I am also pleased to meet the marquis who is widely praised as a wise ruler.”
People said all territorial lords were equal.
Still, he was a marquis, a high-ranking noble, the lord of a large territory, and old enough to be my father.
Even a machine that constantly spat out informal speech like me had no choice but to speak politely right now.
“You seem to be a truly devoted son. You are a model for all nobles.”
Huh?
Where did that come from?
Well, I decided to leave the misunderstanding alone.
Making a good impression on others wasn’t exactly easy.
“I have heard that filial devotion is the foundation of all proper conduct.”
“Oh? Where does that saying come from?”
“A children’s book…… No, a wandering poet from the East once said it.”
After exchanging pleasantries with me for a while, the marquis hesitated before bringing up another subject.
“About the defendant, Marco. I have a favor to ask. Would you be willing to meet him one last time and reach a settlement? I will order Marco to surrender his entire fortune.”
The Marquis of Catalonia seemed to be a man who valued loyalty in his own way.
Marco might have bribed him, but the two had probably been doing business together for a long time.
Simply standing by and watching Marco lose his head would probably leave a bitter taste in his mouth.
But I had no intention of reaching a settlement.
I wasn’t generous enough to spare someone who had dared to try to kill me.
I had been forced to leave Countess Lorian alone, but there was no reason to keep a man like Marco alive.
“I apologize, but he tried to kill me. I intend to see blood spilled.”
The marquis muttered with a self-deprecating sigh.
“Haa…… I suppose it cannot be helped. If he aimed for a noble’s head, then he must have known his own head would also be at risk.”
It seemed the Marquis of Catalonia had conducted his own investigation.
He clearly understood that Marco was guilty.
He must also have realized that I had already determined the outcome of this trial.
After all, even he himself was standing here right now because of the proposal I had made.
Just as I expected, the marquis finally moved on to the real reason for his visit.
Marco probably wasn’t even on his mind anymore.
There were as many merchants as stars in the sky.
But there was only one route for acquiring cheap wheat.
“Viscount Marcel, about the free trade agreement you mentioned in your letter. I could not understand why you would make such a choice. Giving up tariffs seemed like you were simply helping everyone else at your own expense.”
“That means you no longer think so.”
The Marquis of Catalonia stroked his mustache.
“Correct. I asked two or three major merchants I trust for their opinions. They told me it would be a beneficial arrangement for both Catalonia and Marcel.”
“That is precisely what I am aiming for. I will show you a truly ‘reciprocal’ result.”
The marquis’s expression brightened.
“Then when will the wheat distribution begin?”
“An envoy from Rhone-Alpes should arrive soon. It should be about time, so why not stay and see their response before you leave?”
Traveling by land took longer because horses needed rest.
I expected it would take another day or two before I received replies from both Rhone-Alpes and Ferrand.
But, as luck would have it, the delegation arrived at that exact moment.
Administrator Ricardo came running toward us as if his life depended on it.
“My Lord! The delegation from Rhone-Alpes has arrived!”
The marquis heard him as well and immediately wanted to join the meeting.
“Would you allow me to sit in on the meeting as well?”
“Gladly.”
