I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 354: Enlightenment (1)

The day after I returned to the country, I was summoned straight to the estate of Duke Visconti.

I thought the Duke would ask me again to bring his great-grandson into his arms, but the one who called me was someone unexpected.

It was my father-in-law, Alfred de Visconti.

Why on earth did he summon me? Had something happened to the ducal family?

"How have you been, father-in-law?"

At first glance, my father-in-law seemed full of worries and concerns.

His complexion was somewhat pale, there were dark circles under his eyes, and he even appeared slightly gaunt.

As far as I knew, the ducal family was facing no misfortunes, only good tidings.

Could it be that the Duke had fallen seriously ill?

A few years ago, he manipulated the family register to marry a sixth cousin, and I had heard that recently he had impregnated a woman of Erika's age...

'Perhaps it's his time, given his age.'

"There is prosperity and continuous flourishing in our family, but there is one concern that does not leave my heart." "Is it a personal concern?" "Yes, and you are the only one I can confide in. It's a concern I cannot discuss with anyone else." "If necessary, I am willing to employ even the dirtiest methods."

In a 21st-century modern state, it's common sense to cut ties with a father-in-law involved in criminal trials or financial liabilities, no matter how much I am his son-in-law.

However, in the medieval fantasy realm of the Toscana Empire, apart from treason and insolvency, I must support my father-in-law even if it leads to my own bankruptcy.

Otherwise, I would be branded the worst of ingrates and would not survive unscathed.

And these gentlemen did protect me even when I was just a baronet.

Duke Sforza, that bastard, would certainly have had me hanged.

'I owe him, after all.'

My father-in-law tilted the teapot to pour tea into the cups.

However, upon closer inspection of the cup, the liquid inside was extremely clear and had a strong alcohol smell.

It was rum, which our family exclusively marketed.

"That's not it. I just have something personal I want to discuss with you. Think of it as an old man's drunken ramblings, and listen if you will." "I'm all ears."

After downing the liquor in his teacup in one go, my father-in-law looked at me and said,

"I am genuinely envious of you. It’s not a joke about old men clinging to a young son-in-law, envying his vigor. Deep down, I truly admire you."

I was about to retort that his words were too much.

However, the expression on my father-in-law’s face was too serious for such a rebuttal.

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"I still vividly remember how you, then a mere baronet, orchestrated a civil war between the Governor of Nador and the Kingdom of Granada without borrowing anyone's power, using the flow of the times and human ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) desires to pit them against each other. That's when my eyes were opened." "What enlightenment did you gain?" "That humans are ultimately driven by desire. The one who understands and maneuvers this perfectly is the most powerful." "You thought so?" "Honor, glory, all such things are ultimately tools to satisfy ‘desire’. Managing my domain and handling factions as you advised, our family quickly became stronger. Since then, I've been determined to make you part of my family by any means."

The worst kind of people in this world are those who pretend to be uninterested in money.

People who say honor is more important than money or that they live for their beliefs.

Among those who espouse such values, there are hardly any who are not hypocrites.

This is also why Admiral Yi Sun-sin is revered.

He fervently advocated for loyalty to Joseon, infinite gratitude towards King Seonjo who recognized his capabilities despite the deeply corrupted societal norms (involving bribery), and love for the people.

Unlike other hypocrites, he lived and died for these values alone.

However, neither I nor my father-in-law are people of such noble character.

We are ordinary people who like beauty, money, and power.

Being honest about one’s desires might seem ugly and dirty...

But those who deny it turn into monsters, while those who acknowledge it and strive to direct their desires towards better ends advance the world.

'Human history progresses and revolves around greed.'

"And you have continued to grow. Now, you are so strong that you can throw an entire country into the abyss of hell. I think you are tens of thousands of times more incredible and frightening than Duke Sforza."

I neither confirmed nor denied his words.

Whatever response I gave would only be detrimental to me.

Sometimes, or rather, often in life, one encounters such situations.

Like being caught agreeing to office gossip and later being marked by a manager or mentor, making work life difficult to the point of resigning and complicating one’s life.

Or opposing the gossip and then becoming an enemy to the gossipers, ruining one’s reputation among superiors and getting kicked out of the company.

'That’s why they say not to say anything when you find yourself amidst gossip.'

"But I feel that I haven't grown at all since then. I feel incredibly insignificant." My father-in-law took another sip of his drink.

"I envy you. I want to be like you. But I am not you, and so I cannot become someone like you. If I cannot accept this fact, I will become even uglier in the future. Wrapped up in jealousy, endlessly doubting you, because that is the original sin that Satan has planted in humans."

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Humans grow through comparison but also ruin themselves through it.

People who boast on social media about luxury bags, overseas trips, expensive meals, golf, etc., are comparing themselves to an imagined standard of others.

And they continually feel depressed for not being as happy as them.

Because no matter how hard they try, they can't live like others, they lose the reason to try, and they even give up on saving for the future.

'What’s the use in living hard anyway?'

Often, even high-ranking individuals fail this way.

"I’ve thought long and hard, and there’s only one way to escape such thoughts." "What is it?" "Continuously developing myself. Among all the people I know, you are the most outstanding and wise. That’s why I am jealous and envious of you. So, tell me, what should I do to become a better noble than I am now?"

There’s one characteristic common to respected sovereigns like King Sejong and Frederick the Great.

They stabilized the livelihoods of their people.

Of course, Frederick almost ruined his country during the Seven Years' War, but if not for the miracle of Brandenburg, where the Russian Tsar, a Frederick Otaku, conceded 'stolen territories' and 'other necessary territories for Prussia' all at once...

He would have been remembered not as Frederick the Great but as a potato-eating, homosexual pervert, the eternal traitor of history.

But after all, he distributed potatoes to improve the peasants' diet and won the war.

"Just continue doing what Your Highness is doing." "Should I continue to look after the people?" "Yes, that is the fundamental duty of a knight. People naturally respect and follow those who adhere best to their 'foundations'. Of course, it’s not right to lose the essence by being too fixated on the form of the foundation."

The essence of an army is to crush the enemy and protect the nation.

To do this, soldiers' fitness must be improved, and training must be emphasized.

Some generals focus on the essence, leading their training personally, playing hard when it's time to play and focusing intensely during training, transforming their units into elite forces.

On the other hand, a certain star-rank general, aiming to make all soldiers first-class warriors, obsessively focused on the form of 'first-class warriors' and turned his division into a sickbay.

The difference between these two examples is just one.

Did they obsess over the form of the foundation or focus on the underlying essence?

"Excluding the first Baron Medici, who was a merchant, why do you think all the ancestors of the current noble families became noble?" "Because they were the first to protect the people in their regions. Their descendants inherited that duty." "Return to your roots. Directly look after and protect the serfs, and ensure that traders can freely engage in commerce." "Should I return to the basics? Is there a specific method?"

Surprisingly, there is.

A very clear method.

"Lead the way in enlightening the people from their ignorance."