“This, this is!”
Today was the first time he had seen it, but he had heard the story. It was a precious gem from Taranto that many powerful people had coveted, but once it fell into the King’s hands, it was untouchable.
“I will entrust this to you and borrow money.”
CEO Caruso’s eyes widened as if they were going to pop out.
“Huh?”
He was usually a calm person, but the events that unfolded today were too unpredictable. A promise with a flower of high society that was caught out of nowhere, a threat using her doctrine of the Holy See, and even the audacity to exchange Leo III’s gifts for money.
He asked cautiously.
“Don’t you know best that this is not something that can be easily distributed?”
That was right. The ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea’ was a gift from Leo III, and if it were to change hands, it would have to be rumored. And what if rumors spread? Leo III would want to find out where the precious stone is. If it were confirmed that Ariadne de Mare sold it, the King would punish her for contempt of court.
“That’s right. So I’ll pay the money back before it’s distributed and get the item back.”
Unlike Baron Castiglione, CEO Caruso didn’t ask how the money would be used. She was borrowing it because she needed it. There were few uses for such a large sum of money.
Like Baron Castiglione had thought, hiring a mercenary captain, staging a coup, or doing large-scale civil engineering work. Unless it was something like that.
And CEO Caruso didn’t want to get involved in Ariadne’s involvement in something like that.
“Thank you for showing me your precious jewels, my lady. However, we, lowly merchants, do not have the skills to receive and safely store such valuables, nor can we afford to lend you gold coins appropriate for them.”
Ariadne had foreseen this situation coming. So she pulled out a card that only CEO Caruso could use, which she could not use on Baron Castiglione.
“You don’t have any gold, do you? You are a big shot who imports Satan’s Leaves from the Moorish Empire. If I had to pick one store in San Carlo where gold flows like water, it would definitely be Boccanegro, right?”
CEO Caruso’s pupils wavered.
“If an agent of the Holy See comes to accuse me of breaking the doctrine and confiscates the safe full of gold... Do you really think the gold in it is much less than the price of this necklace?”
It was a threat. It was a real threat.
Ariadne chirped at CEO Caruso, who was speechless.
“Or... The Holly See will confiscate everything, but wouldn’t it be better to stab His Majesty’s tax collectors who will only collect the amount of tax evasion?”
If the Holly See agents come out, it will be excommunication after confiscation, and if the King’s tax collectors come out, it will be collected and then imprisoned in an underground prison.
CEO Caruso asked back with a trembling voice.
“What do you want from me?”
Ariadne wiped away her smile and answered with a serious face.
“I’m not doing this to bother you. I won’t spend the money on anything that could cause trouble. I’ll use this money to stockpile grain for the relief of the people. But I need money to do that.”
Volunteer work?
“Do you have a deadline for repaying it?”
“If I can’t repay it, sell the ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea.’ It will be difficult to cash it in my country, but if you smuggle it across the border to the Moorish Empire, you’ll be able to dispose of it easily.”
“How much do you need?”
This was the moment that would determine victory or defeat. But Ariadne was holding the other person’s leash. Only the strong can take as much as they want.
“100,000 ducats (about 100 billion won).”
CEO Caruso’s eyes widened again.
He was now in a situation where he could not refuse. However, he could not possibly accept this offer, or rather, this kind of force.
“I cannot.”
CEO Caruso looked straight at Ariadne.
“The ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea’ is of course an incomparable gem, but even if I were to give it generously, it would not exceed 40,000 ducats.”
“That is true within the Etruscan country. However, you have a smuggling ship to the Moorish Empire. If you go there, you can easily receive 60,000 ducats. If you add the story of the Etruscan kingdom’s secret treasure, 80,000 ducats would not be impossible.”
“Don’t you pay for the operating costs and risks of the smuggling ship?”
“That smuggling ship would incur the same operating costs even if it just smokes cigarettes.”
The two faced each other tensely. Ariadne was the first to suggest a compromise. A pig urine balloon tightly filled with air would inevitably burst if the air was not let out.
“70,000 ducats. How about you invest the remaining 30,000 ducats in me instead of me borrowing them?”
If the 70,000 ducats were a loan, Ariadne de Mare would be responsible for paying it back. If she couldn’t pay it back, she would make up for it with the money from selling the necklace, and in fact, CEO Caruso thought that if she smuggled the “Heart of the Blue Deep Sea” to the Moorish Empire, she would receive the 70,000 ducats.
However, if that were the case, the 30,000 ducats would be money that would go up in thin air if Ariadne de Mare’s business failed.
“Are you telling me to blow the 30,000 without any collateral?”
“You’re a pessimist. Think about the good case. With that 30,000 ducats, we’re in the same boat. If I succeed, Bocanegro Trading Company will also earn as much as the investment.”
Ariadne sank deep into her chair and crossed her legs.
“Next year, no, starting this fall, the Etruscan Kingdom will face a massive food shortage.”
“How do you know that?”
She couldn’t say she had seen it. So instead, she pointed to another cause that contributed to the food shortage in the central continent.
“Do you know that locusts have appeared in Asereto?”
“I know very well. They are one of our wheat buyers.”
The Principality of Asereto has been suffering from locusts swarming their wheat fields since the year before last. When a swarm of locusts passed through Asereto’s plains, a quarter of the crops that were supposed to be harvested would be destroyed. They suffered from locust damage like this three or four times a year.
“I first heard that it was a punishment from God because of the surrounding environment.”
The Holy See preached that the angry god had sent a divine punishment to the land of Asereto because of the 'Apostle of Asereto'.
"Actually, it should be considered a pest."
"Young Lady is really unpredictable."
It was a rebuke to the attitude of a devout believer who criticized the handling of tobacco and now acted as if the teachings of the church were nothing special. However, Ariadne was not offended at all and instead smiled brightly.
"If it was a divine punishment, it would have ended in the land of Asereto. However, the locusts are now heading north through Taranto and into the Etruscan mainland."
"Huh?"
CEO Caruso was surprised. It was the first time he had heard of it.
Ariadne nodded as if she understood his reaction. It was natural for him to hear about the locusts that had landed in Taranto for the first time.
That locust pest will not actually land on the mainland until next year. The locusts will begin to ravage the Etruscan interior in earnest starting the year after next.
'In 1123, you're still a swarm, Caruso Vitelli. Your surprise is all over your face.'
Ariadne smiled inwardly, remembering vividly the fight with CEO Caruso over the price in 1137. This was enough.
"I've started noticing comments about black-striped locusts in the reports that the southern diocese sent to my father."
Ariadne had never read the reports sent to Cardinal de Mare from the diocese, whether southern or northern, but they were probably piled up somewhere in Cardinal de Mare's study.
It was easy to make an outsider think she had read them.
"If things continue this way, the fall wheat harvest this spring, or at the latest the spring wheat harvest this fall, will be the last normal harvest the Etruscan kingdom will enjoy."
Representative Caruso's eyes were wide as if they were going to burst.
"You lend me 70,000 ducats, and you invest 30,000 ducats in me."
Ariadne looked at Representative Caruso.
“I will use all of these 100,000 ducats to purchase wheat. Of the wheat I have purchased, 70% will be mine. I will give 30% to you.”
“Young Lady. Didn’t you say it was for the relief of the poor?”
The poor have no money to buy food. This is especially true with the skyrocketing grain prices. Ariadne laughed heartily.
“The poor cannot afford to pay, but the palace has gold coins. Yes, some of it will have to be given away for free. However, the majority of the wheat we will have will be purchased by the King, even if it means paying with the same weight of gold.”
The same weight of gold. These were words that captivated the soul of a merchant. And if there really was a famine, it was more than possible.
“Young Lady... Please give me time, time to think carefully.”
CEO Caruso answered in a trembling voice.
“I will give you an answer by this time tomorrow.”
Ariadne stared at CEO Caruso. Her expression was half-sorry, half-apologetic. But in VEO Caruso’s eyes, it looked like a pitiful expression.
“CEO Caruso,”
She said, her voice steady.
“Yes, yes?”
“I also came here today with considerable risk.”
She glanced at the ebony box still on the desk. To be precise, her gaze was fixed on the sapphire inside, the size of a quail egg, shining brilliantly in the afternoon sunlight.
“What would happen to me if His Majesty heard that I offered the ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea’ as collateral?”
“...”
“I cannot leave here unless it is confirmed that you are in the same boat as me.”
Of course, she was not talking about sleeping rough in the office. It was a metaphor for the pressure that if CEO Caruso did not agree right now, she would immediately press the tobacco smuggling to the Holly See or the royal palace.
CEO Caruso looked at Ariadne intently. His eyes were deep, not typical of someone in her early thirties.
“I apologize for forcing you to make a hasty decision.”
She said, clasping her hands together on the table. To some extent, it was her sincerity.
“Instead, I will purchase the wheat entirely through Bocanegro Trading Company. It’s not the cheapest route to buy wheat, but I think I should at least compensate Bocanegro for his losses.”
CEO Caruso’s eyes lit up. This would be a different story.
Bocanegro would take home about 20% of the profit he made as a wholesaler, or about 20,000 ducatos out of 100,000 ducatos.
So even if Ariadne’s business completely failed, Bocanegro would still get the 20,000 ducatos profit from selling wheat and the money from selling the “Heart of the Blue Deep Sea” to the Moorish Empire. At least 90,000 ducatos would have been secured. The remaining 10,000 ducatos were the only problem. This could be seen as a bribe. It was the price of not being dragged to the Great Hall of the palace as Ariadne threatened. At the same time, it was also an investment for 30% of the profits Ariadne would make if she succeeded.
It seemed worth it, but it was too sweet. He needs more time to think... CEO Caruso closed his eyes.
While he was pondering, Ariadne’s voice came to his ear. It was a husky, low voice, but it also sounded incredibly sweet.
“I will bring forward the future of Boccanegro Company by 10 years. When this is over, Castiglione Company will not dare to compare to Boccanegro."
CEO Caruso let out a half-shocked, half-admired exclamation. Ariadne nodded with a faint smile.
“The heart of the blue deep sea. A treasure bestowed by His Majesty the King.”
“Why on earth would you...”
“The heart of the blue deep sea. A treasure bestowed by His Majesty the King.”
“Why on earth would you...”
Today was the first time he had seen it, but he had heard the story. It was a precious gem from Taranto that many powerful people had coveted, but once it fell into the King’s hands, it was untouchable.
“I will entrust this to you and borrow money.”
CEO Caruso’s eyes widened as if they were going to pop out.
“Huh?”
He was usually a calm person, but the events that unfolded today were too unpredictable. A promise with a flower of high society that was caught out of nowhere, a threat using her doctrine of the Holy See, and even the audacity to exchange Leo III’s gifts for money.
He asked cautiously.
“Don’t you know best that this is not something that can be easily distributed?”
That was right. The ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea’ was a gift from Leo III, and if it were to change hands, it would have to be rumored. And what if rumors spread? Leo III would want to find out where the precious stone is. If it were confirmed that Ariadne de Mare sold it, the King would punish her for contempt of court.
“That’s right. So I’ll pay the money back before it’s distributed and get the item back.”
Unlike Baron Castiglione, CEO Caruso didn’t ask how the money would be used. She was borrowing it because she needed it. There were few uses for such a large sum of money.
Like Baron Castiglione had thought, hiring a mercenary captain, staging a coup, or doing large-scale civil engineering work. Unless it was something like that.
And CEO Caruso didn’t want to get involved in Ariadne’s involvement in something like that.
“Thank you for showing me your precious jewels, my lady. However, we, lowly merchants, do not have the skills to receive and safely store such valuables, nor can we afford to lend you gold coins appropriate for them.”
Ariadne had foreseen this situation coming. So she pulled out a card that only CEO Caruso could use, which she could not use on Baron Castiglione.
“You don’t have any gold, do you? You are a big shot who imports Satan’s Leaves from the Moorish Empire. If I had to pick one store in San Carlo where gold flows like water, it would definitely be Boccanegro, right?”
CEO Caruso’s pupils wavered.
“If an agent of the Holy See comes to accuse me of breaking the doctrine and confiscates the safe full of gold... Do you really think the gold in it is much less than the price of this necklace?”
It was a threat. It was a real threat.
Ariadne chirped at CEO Caruso, who was speechless.
“Or... The Holly See will confiscate everything, but wouldn’t it be better to stab His Majesty’s tax collectors who will only collect the amount of tax evasion?”
If the Holly See agents come out, it will be excommunication after confiscation, and if the King’s tax collectors come out, it will be collected and then imprisoned in an underground prison.
CEO Caruso asked back with a trembling voice.
“What do you want from me?”
Ariadne wiped away her smile and answered with a serious face.
“I’m not doing this to bother you. I won’t spend the money on anything that could cause trouble. I’ll use this money to stockpile grain for the relief of the people. But I need money to do that.”
Volunteer work?
“Do you have a deadline for repaying it?”
“If I can’t repay it, sell the ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea.’ It will be difficult to cash it in my country, but if you smuggle it across the border to the Moorish Empire, you’ll be able to dispose of it easily.”
“How much do you need?”
This was the moment that would determine victory or defeat. But Ariadne was holding the other person’s leash. Only the strong can take as much as they want.
“100,000 ducats (about 100 billion won).”
CEO Caruso’s eyes widened again.
He was now in a situation where he could not refuse. However, he could not possibly accept this offer, or rather, this kind of force.
“I cannot.”
CEO Caruso looked straight at Ariadne.
“The ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea’ is of course an incomparable gem, but even if I were to give it generously, it would not exceed 40,000 ducats.”
“That is true within the Etruscan country. However, you have a smuggling ship to the Moorish Empire. If you go there, you can easily receive 60,000 ducats. If you add the story of the Etruscan kingdom’s secret treasure, 80,000 ducats would not be impossible.”
“Don’t you pay for the operating costs and risks of the smuggling ship?”
“That smuggling ship would incur the same operating costs even if it just smokes cigarettes.”
The two faced each other tensely. Ariadne was the first to suggest a compromise. A pig urine balloon tightly filled with air would inevitably burst if the air was not let out.
“70,000 ducats. How about you invest the remaining 30,000 ducats in me instead of me borrowing them?”
If the 70,000 ducats were a loan, Ariadne de Mare would be responsible for paying it back. If she couldn’t pay it back, she would make up for it with the money from selling the necklace, and in fact, CEO Caruso thought that if she smuggled the “Heart of the Blue Deep Sea” to the Moorish Empire, she would receive the 70,000 ducats.
However, if that were the case, the 30,000 ducats would be money that would go up in thin air if Ariadne de Mare’s business failed.
“Are you telling me to blow the 30,000 without any collateral?”
“You’re a pessimist. Think about the good case. With that 30,000 ducats, we’re in the same boat. If I succeed, Bocanegro Trading Company will also earn as much as the investment.”
Ariadne sank deep into her chair and crossed her legs.
“Next year, no, starting this fall, the Etruscan Kingdom will face a massive food shortage.”
“How do you know that?”
She couldn’t say she had seen it. So instead, she pointed to another cause that contributed to the food shortage in the central continent.
“Do you know that locusts have appeared in Asereto?”
“I know very well. They are one of our wheat buyers.”
The Principality of Asereto has been suffering from locusts swarming their wheat fields since the year before last. When a swarm of locusts passed through Asereto’s plains, a quarter of the crops that were supposed to be harvested would be destroyed. They suffered from locust damage like this three or four times a year.
“I first heard that it was a punishment from God because of the surrounding environment.”
The Holy See preached that the angry god had sent a divine punishment to the land of Asereto because of the 'Apostle of Asereto'.
"Actually, it should be considered a pest."
"Young Lady is really unpredictable."
It was a rebuke to the attitude of a devout believer who criticized the handling of tobacco and now acted as if the teachings of the church were nothing special. However, Ariadne was not offended at all and instead smiled brightly.
"If it was a divine punishment, it would have ended in the land of Asereto. However, the locusts are now heading north through Taranto and into the Etruscan mainland."
"Huh?"
CEO Caruso was surprised. It was the first time he had heard of it.
Ariadne nodded as if she understood his reaction. It was natural for him to hear about the locusts that had landed in Taranto for the first time.
That locust pest will not actually land on the mainland until next year. The locusts will begin to ravage the Etruscan interior in earnest starting the year after next.
'In 1123, you're still a swarm, Caruso Vitelli. Your surprise is all over your face.'
Ariadne smiled inwardly, remembering vividly the fight with CEO Caruso over the price in 1137. This was enough.
"I've started noticing comments about black-striped locusts in the reports that the southern diocese sent to my father."
Ariadne had never read the reports sent to Cardinal de Mare from the diocese, whether southern or northern, but they were probably piled up somewhere in Cardinal de Mare's study.
It was easy to make an outsider think she had read them.
"If things continue this way, the fall wheat harvest this spring, or at the latest the spring wheat harvest this fall, will be the last normal harvest the Etruscan kingdom will enjoy."
Representative Caruso's eyes were wide as if they were going to burst.
"You lend me 70,000 ducats, and you invest 30,000 ducats in me."
Ariadne looked at Representative Caruso.
“I will use all of these 100,000 ducats to purchase wheat. Of the wheat I have purchased, 70% will be mine. I will give 30% to you.”
“Young Lady. Didn’t you say it was for the relief of the poor?”
The poor have no money to buy food. This is especially true with the skyrocketing grain prices. Ariadne laughed heartily.
“The poor cannot afford to pay, but the palace has gold coins. Yes, some of it will have to be given away for free. However, the majority of the wheat we will have will be purchased by the King, even if it means paying with the same weight of gold.”
The same weight of gold. These were words that captivated the soul of a merchant. And if there really was a famine, it was more than possible.
“Young Lady... Please give me time, time to think carefully.”
CEO Caruso answered in a trembling voice.
“I will give you an answer by this time tomorrow.”
Ariadne stared at CEO Caruso. Her expression was half-sorry, half-apologetic. But in VEO Caruso’s eyes, it looked like a pitiful expression.
“CEO Caruso,”
She said, her voice steady.
“Yes, yes?”
“I also came here today with considerable risk.”
She glanced at the ebony box still on the desk. To be precise, her gaze was fixed on the sapphire inside, the size of a quail egg, shining brilliantly in the afternoon sunlight.
“What would happen to me if His Majesty heard that I offered the ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea’ as collateral?”
“...”
“I cannot leave here unless it is confirmed that you are in the same boat as me.”
Of course, she was not talking about sleeping rough in the office. It was a metaphor for the pressure that if CEO Caruso did not agree right now, she would immediately press the tobacco smuggling to the Holly See or the royal palace.
CEO Caruso looked at Ariadne intently. His eyes were deep, not typical of someone in her early thirties.
“I apologize for forcing you to make a hasty decision.”
She said, clasping her hands together on the table. To some extent, it was her sincerity.
“Instead, I will purchase the wheat entirely through Bocanegro Trading Company. It’s not the cheapest route to buy wheat, but I think I should at least compensate Bocanegro for his losses.”
CEO Caruso’s eyes lit up. This would be a different story.
Bocanegro would take home about 20% of the profit he made as a wholesaler, or about 20,000 ducatos out of 100,000 ducatos.
So even if Ariadne’s business completely failed, Bocanegro would still get the 20,000 ducatos profit from selling wheat and the money from selling the “Heart of the Blue Deep Sea” to the Moorish Empire. At least 90,000 ducatos would have been secured. The remaining 10,000 ducatos were the only problem. This could be seen as a bribe. It was the price of not being dragged to the Great Hall of the palace as Ariadne threatened. At the same time, it was also an investment for 30% of the profits Ariadne would make if she succeeded.
It seemed worth it, but it was too sweet. He needs more time to think... CEO Caruso closed his eyes.
While he was pondering, Ariadne’s voice came to his ear. It was a husky, low voice, but it also sounded incredibly sweet.
“I will bring forward the future of Boccanegro Company by 10 years. When this is over, Castiglione Company will not dare to compare to Boccanegro."
Castiglione. CEO Caruso’s eyes shot open.
“A mean and arrogant nobleman.”
A smile appeared on Ariadne’s lips.
“I will never bow down before him.”
CEO Caruso’s words were somewhat impulsive.
"...If I do, how will you receive the gold?”
There was a nascent bank in San Carlo, but a bill as large as 100,000 ducats was still difficult. He had to carry and move the gold himself.
“If you will, send 3,000 ducats of gold by midnight today, and an additional 27,000 by the 15th of this month, for a total of 30,000 ducats to the de Mare mansion, and use the remaining 70,000 ducats to purchase wheat from the Boccanegro Company.”
It was an extremely generous offer.
“I will leave the ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea’ here today as collateral.”
The second thing that came out of her mouth was an offer that was not only generous but also outrageous. CEO Caruso was also surprised. It was a show of complete trust. Today was the first time they had met—at least as far as he knew.
“Instead...”
Ariadne’s green eyes scanned CEO Caruso’s room.
She too had something to take with her to secure Representative Caruso’s performance.
“A mean and arrogant nobleman.”
A smile appeared on Ariadne’s lips.
“I will never bow down before him.”
CEO Caruso’s words were somewhat impulsive.
"...If I do, how will you receive the gold?”
There was a nascent bank in San Carlo, but a bill as large as 100,000 ducats was still difficult. He had to carry and move the gold himself.
“If you will, send 3,000 ducats of gold by midnight today, and an additional 27,000 by the 15th of this month, for a total of 30,000 ducats to the de Mare mansion, and use the remaining 70,000 ducats to purchase wheat from the Boccanegro Company.”
It was an extremely generous offer.
“I will leave the ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea’ here today as collateral.”
The second thing that came out of her mouth was an offer that was not only generous but also outrageous. CEO Caruso was also surprised. It was a show of complete trust. Today was the first time they had met—at least as far as he knew.
“Instead...”
Ariadne’s green eyes scanned CEO Caruso’s room.
She too had something to take with her to secure Representative Caruso’s performance.
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