Leo III, whose ears perked up at the words, 'There is a way,' looked at Cardinal de Mare's mouth.
“Join us in supporting the ‘Temple’.”
Leo III looked at the cardinal with a dumbfounded expression. The patronage of the temple!
“If you give them a sum that would eliminate the need for Philip IV’s patronage or at least an amount that would be comparable to Philip IV’s patronage, then the Holy See will not be able to ignore the Etruscan Kingdom’s request for mediation.”
In the end, the story was about pressuring King Gallico with money.
Cardinal de Mare looked around the room with sharp eyes.
“...His Holiness would also like to avoid a situation where the Third Crusade is dispatched and then war breaks out between the supporting Christian countries in the rear.”
Although he was a cardinal, he skipped over abstract and beautiful nonsense like 'the Pope's duty to create a paradise on earth' and got straight to the point.
During the war, the supporters in the rear should not become confused.
It was a simple message. A war can be successfully waged only when the sponsor is strong and stable.
On the other hand, if a dispute arose between a patron and a monarch who was not the patron, the Pope would unconditionally take the side of the patron.
“...The amount... Is there a precedent for this?”
Marquis Baldessar asked cautiously. The last crusade was forty years ago. The prices then were incomparable to those now.
“Even if we can’t do it, we’ll start with 100,000 ducats (about 100 billion won).”
Cardinal de Mare calmly recited the estimated amount.
“Ugh...”
The King's voice rang out.
“How long do we have to make a decision?”
Count Baldessar asked on behalf of the King, who was unable to ask for details. Cardinal de Mare answered.
“The Grand Duke of Sternheim will soon set out. The goal is to finish the expedition before winter, so it is actually too late now. We were supposed to leave this spring, but due to financial problems, we have been delayed and will be leaving in late summer.”
“If we postpone it until next spring...”
Cardinal de Mare shook his head.
“There are some monarchs of the Northern Alliance who are going on expedition on the condition that they will join the army by the end of this year, so it is not possible. You must decide within three days, or at the latest within a week, and immediately send a messenger to the Holy See’s Palace so that you can have a chance to meet Grand Duke Sternheim before he departs.”
Leo III said, holding his head with both hands as if he had a headache that he had never had before.
“Cardinal, you go back. We will discuss it among ourselves and then decide.”
Oh my, you were so polite when you greeted me.
Cardinal de Mare laughed inwardly, but with a perfectly composed expression, he rose from his seat and bowed deeply.
“Please think carefully before you speak.”
He turned around and left without a second thought. Judging from the way he was talking, it was clear that he had no intention of getting any money.
Cardinal de Mare was a man of many years of experience.
He hasn't seen a single person open their pockets after acting like that. He quietly clicked his tongue and walked down the hallway.
“Miss! Miss! We’re in trouble!”
It was Petrucia who came running noisily into Ariadne's office. Ariadne asked the girl without blaming her.
“What is it, Petrucia?”
Next to her, Sancha shed tears over Petrucia.
“You must be careful of your conduct when entering the young lady’s study!”
It could have been awkward, but the bold Petrucia was not intimidated by Sancha at all.
“Hey, is that the problem right now? I told you, we’re in serious trouble!”
Sparks flew from Sancha's eyes.
Sancha seemed to feel a sense of rivalry with the bright girl who suddenly appeared, who was not much older than her.
Ariadne quickly changed the subject, fearing that Sancha and Petrucia would start fighting.
“What’s the big deal, Petrucia?”
“Oh, they say a horde of dead rats have appeared in Taranto!”
The appearance of dead rats was a common occurrence in the Etruscan kingdom in 1123.
Even if they can't, they see one every three days. But if it's a 'pack of rats', it's a different story. Ariadne straightened up nervously.
"Already?"
“Yes, it must have first appeared about a week ago. As soon as the dead rat was discovered at Boccanegro’s Taranto trading partner, they sent the fastest courier to San Carlo. We are probably the only ones who know this now.”
The appearance of swarms of dead rats was a sign of the beginning of the Great Plague of 1123.
It first appears in Taranto, laying waste to the southern granary, and then slowly moves north.
“How is the messenger’s health?”
"Yes?"
“He said he doesn’t have any symptoms like a fever or a swollen throat?”
“There was no particular story.”
Ariadne frowned.
“Tell him that the messenger should rest well in the annex of the company building and not meet other people too much. Tell him that he must be kept in check.”
Petrucia was indeed clever.
“How much should he leave alone?”
Ariadne recalled the plague management manual that had been belatedly established in her past life.
“It’s best to have a separate building for himself.”
There was much debate as to whether the cause of the disease was bad air, polluted toxins, and stench, diseased rats, or fleas living in beds.
Doctors claimed it was 'poison and a foul smell' and the Holy See claimed it was 'divine punishment', but nothing was ever clearly identified.
However, it was known that diseases would increase explosively after many people gathered and that people who shared the same building with a sick person were easily infected with the Black Death.
“The quarantine period is at least a week. The servant who brings the food must not speak to the person, and if possible, they must not enter the building.”
“Yes, miss.”
“Make sure to use boiled water. It shouldn’t touch the hem of your clothes.”
You shouldn't even come into contact with a dead body. It wasn't something Ariadne could say since no one was dead yet.
“Have all the wheat and wax that Bocanegro was buying and collecting arrived yet?”
“All the grain has been bought and stored in the warehouse! Some of the beeswax is coming from across the sea, and some is being transported inland by wagon.”
“The wax that has not yet arrived in the warehouse will be canceled.”
"Yes?"
Petrucia looked up at Ariadne with surprised eyes.
“The deadline I initially requested from CEO Caruso was the end of July, but things turned out to be tighter than I thought.”
However, if you delay in moving the goods to San Carlo for any reason, you will end up entering the city with the plague.
That was not possible.
“Of course, I changed my words, so I will pay the deposit on time. But I cannot receive the item.”
Petrucia was sad. Even if she received the deposit, it would not fully compensate for the damages.
Ariadne stroked Petruchia's cheek, finding the girl's messed-up face cute.
“You won’t regret it. Don’t worry. Tell your father to anchor the wax he has secured in that city and start selling it after a month.”
“I don’t know if my father... will be able to do that.”
Bocanegro was betting everything on this venture. They didn't have much spare cash left.
If even one cogwheel were out of alignment, the whole picture could fall apart.
“Sister, could you please reconsider just one more time?”
Ariadne frowned.
If the Black Death were to be brought to San Carlo through the cargo of the Bocanegro Company, no, it was bound to be brought in eventually, but if her people got sick in the process, it would be a big deal.
“I think it might be difficult.”
“...I’ll tell Father first...”
After the conversation with Petrucia was over, Ariadne turned to Sancha and gave her instructions.
“Sancha, as acting head maid, sends out an official document to the household members. For the time being, refrain from going out unless absolutely necessary, and refrain from going near the port and slums.”
The Black Death slowly spread from the south.
In 1123, the movement of goods in the Central Continent was not so smooth.
The volume of water was small and the speed of movement of logistics was slow. It took at least 30 days to travel from Taranto to San Carlo by wagon.
The plague will slowly move north, following merchants and travelers.
“Um... Miss.”
"Say it."
“Lady Isabella has been frequenting the slums lately.”
“What? Why on earth?”
Ariadne's eyes widened at the incongruous combination of Isabella de Mare and the slums.
The Isabella that Ariadne knew was not the kind of person who would voluntarily go to such a place unless she had a new hobby of giving mat money to the poor and whipping them.
“You know that Miss Isabella has been doing volunteer work with the ladies recently, right?”
“Ah. That ‘Silver Cross Women’s Association’ thing?”
“Yes. She seems to be going with Countess Balzo and Countess Contarini. Last time it was a nursing home, and recently it was an orphanage. They are all located in the slums on the side of Comunale Nuovo.”
Sancha knew the destination of Isabella's carriage. Ariadne frowned.
“If it’s Sister Isabella, she definitely won’t bat an eye at the temporary maid’s official letter.”
It will be some time before the plague fully strikes San Carlo.
“I’ll tell Sister Isabella separately. You just worry about supervising your family.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Prince Alfonso appeared on an official schedule dressed in state attire for the first time in a long while.
The Grand Duke of Yuldenburg of the Duchy of Sternheim visited, and Philip IV hosted a banquet.
There was no way to not invite the Etruscan heir to the throne, who was still alive and well in the palace, so Prince Alfonso also got to enjoy the fresh air for the first time in a long while.
“Oh! Come in, cousin.”
Philip IV was very gentle and polite only when they were face to face.
It was an attitude that was not befitting of the person who had put Alfonso in semi-confinement.
“Greetings. This is the Grand Duke of Yuldenburg of the Duchy of Sternheim. Defender of the Faith, Sword of the Holy See. He will be the Commander-in-Chief of the Holy War that is about to depart for Yesak.”
Philip IV, who had been conversing with Prince Alfonso in Gallico, spoke in the ancient language of the Latin Empire, the common language of the continent, when the Grand Duke of Yuldenburg joined the conversation.
It was a difference in treatment. Prince Alfonso bit his lip invisibly.
The Grand Duke of Yuldenburg was a man in his early forties, with a large frame but no flesh to be found.
His high nose and sunken cheeks were a perfect match for the reputation of the Grand Duke of Sternheim, who was known for his frugality.
His neat appearance and upright expression, with his neat brown hair beginning to show gray hairs, made one feel that he was indeed a respectable and faithful northern monarch.
“It’s all empty talk. I’m embarrassed by the praise.”
Philip IV then introduced Prince Alfonso to the Grand Duke of Yuldenburg.
“This is Prince Alfonso de Carlo of the Etruscan kingdom, renowned for his excellence and bravery.”
“You are the Etruscan Prince. I have heard much of you.”
The Grand Duke of Yuldenburg, perhaps not noticing the slight tension flowing between Prince Alfonso and King Philip IV, smiled warmly and extended his hand.
Alfonso took his hand and shook it. It was a strong, trustworthy hand.
As the Prince and the Grand Duke greeted each other, Philippe looked at them with a smiling face like a glass mask, while Princess Auguste, who was standing next to the King, looked at them with a look of disapproval, twisting the ends of her hair.
The Grand Duke of Sternheim also seemed not to like Princess Auguste very much.
To the frugal and austere northerners, the palace of Gallico seemed crudely splendid, laden with nothing but gold.
It was a decoration worthy of the word 'nouveau riche'. And at the top of it all was Princess Auguste.
Besides, she was too attached to her older brother.
Princess Auguste even followed him to the negotiating table.
Philip IV did nothing to stop his sister.
While the King smiled benevolently, Princess Auguste cut the amount of money to be contributed to the 'temple', slammed the expenses, and ridiculed the purpose of the temple.
It was an unacceptable statement for the devout Grand Duke of Yuldenburg.
But the Grand Duke of Yuldenburg is here today to borrow money.
And it wasn't just a penny or two, it was a lot of money. The war to capture Yesak, the victory or defeat of the holy war depended on those corrupt siblings.
“Join us in supporting the ‘Temple’.”
Leo III looked at the cardinal with a dumbfounded expression. The patronage of the temple!
“If you give them a sum that would eliminate the need for Philip IV’s patronage or at least an amount that would be comparable to Philip IV’s patronage, then the Holy See will not be able to ignore the Etruscan Kingdom’s request for mediation.”
In the end, the story was about pressuring King Gallico with money.
Cardinal de Mare looked around the room with sharp eyes.
“...His Holiness would also like to avoid a situation where the Third Crusade is dispatched and then war breaks out between the supporting Christian countries in the rear.”
Although he was a cardinal, he skipped over abstract and beautiful nonsense like 'the Pope's duty to create a paradise on earth' and got straight to the point.
During the war, the supporters in the rear should not become confused.
It was a simple message. A war can be successfully waged only when the sponsor is strong and stable.
On the other hand, if a dispute arose between a patron and a monarch who was not the patron, the Pope would unconditionally take the side of the patron.
“...The amount... Is there a precedent for this?”
Marquis Baldessar asked cautiously. The last crusade was forty years ago. The prices then were incomparable to those now.
“Even if we can’t do it, we’ll start with 100,000 ducats (about 100 billion won).”
Cardinal de Mare calmly recited the estimated amount.
“Ugh...”
The King's voice rang out.
“How long do we have to make a decision?”
Count Baldessar asked on behalf of the King, who was unable to ask for details. Cardinal de Mare answered.
“The Grand Duke of Sternheim will soon set out. The goal is to finish the expedition before winter, so it is actually too late now. We were supposed to leave this spring, but due to financial problems, we have been delayed and will be leaving in late summer.”
“If we postpone it until next spring...”
Cardinal de Mare shook his head.
“There are some monarchs of the Northern Alliance who are going on expedition on the condition that they will join the army by the end of this year, so it is not possible. You must decide within three days, or at the latest within a week, and immediately send a messenger to the Holy See’s Palace so that you can have a chance to meet Grand Duke Sternheim before he departs.”
Leo III said, holding his head with both hands as if he had a headache that he had never had before.
“Cardinal, you go back. We will discuss it among ourselves and then decide.”
Oh my, you were so polite when you greeted me.
Cardinal de Mare laughed inwardly, but with a perfectly composed expression, he rose from his seat and bowed deeply.
“Please think carefully before you speak.”
He turned around and left without a second thought. Judging from the way he was talking, it was clear that he had no intention of getting any money.
Cardinal de Mare was a man of many years of experience.
He hasn't seen a single person open their pockets after acting like that. He quietly clicked his tongue and walked down the hallway.
***
“Miss! Miss! We’re in trouble!”
It was Petrucia who came running noisily into Ariadne's office. Ariadne asked the girl without blaming her.
“What is it, Petrucia?”
Next to her, Sancha shed tears over Petrucia.
“You must be careful of your conduct when entering the young lady’s study!”
It could have been awkward, but the bold Petrucia was not intimidated by Sancha at all.
“Hey, is that the problem right now? I told you, we’re in serious trouble!”
Sparks flew from Sancha's eyes.
Sancha seemed to feel a sense of rivalry with the bright girl who suddenly appeared, who was not much older than her.
Ariadne quickly changed the subject, fearing that Sancha and Petrucia would start fighting.
“What’s the big deal, Petrucia?”
“Oh, they say a horde of dead rats have appeared in Taranto!”
The appearance of dead rats was a common occurrence in the Etruscan kingdom in 1123.
Even if they can't, they see one every three days. But if it's a 'pack of rats', it's a different story. Ariadne straightened up nervously.
"Already?"
“Yes, it must have first appeared about a week ago. As soon as the dead rat was discovered at Boccanegro’s Taranto trading partner, they sent the fastest courier to San Carlo. We are probably the only ones who know this now.”
The appearance of swarms of dead rats was a sign of the beginning of the Great Plague of 1123.
It first appears in Taranto, laying waste to the southern granary, and then slowly moves north.
“How is the messenger’s health?”
"Yes?"
“He said he doesn’t have any symptoms like a fever or a swollen throat?”
“There was no particular story.”
Ariadne frowned.
“Tell him that the messenger should rest well in the annex of the company building and not meet other people too much. Tell him that he must be kept in check.”
Petrucia was indeed clever.
“How much should he leave alone?”
Ariadne recalled the plague management manual that had been belatedly established in her past life.
“It’s best to have a separate building for himself.”
There was much debate as to whether the cause of the disease was bad air, polluted toxins, and stench, diseased rats, or fleas living in beds.
Doctors claimed it was 'poison and a foul smell' and the Holy See claimed it was 'divine punishment', but nothing was ever clearly identified.
However, it was known that diseases would increase explosively after many people gathered and that people who shared the same building with a sick person were easily infected with the Black Death.
“The quarantine period is at least a week. The servant who brings the food must not speak to the person, and if possible, they must not enter the building.”
“Yes, miss.”
“Make sure to use boiled water. It shouldn’t touch the hem of your clothes.”
You shouldn't even come into contact with a dead body. It wasn't something Ariadne could say since no one was dead yet.
“Have all the wheat and wax that Bocanegro was buying and collecting arrived yet?”
“All the grain has been bought and stored in the warehouse! Some of the beeswax is coming from across the sea, and some is being transported inland by wagon.”
“The wax that has not yet arrived in the warehouse will be canceled.”
"Yes?"
Petrucia looked up at Ariadne with surprised eyes.
“The deadline I initially requested from CEO Caruso was the end of July, but things turned out to be tighter than I thought.”
However, if you delay in moving the goods to San Carlo for any reason, you will end up entering the city with the plague.
That was not possible.
“Of course, I changed my words, so I will pay the deposit on time. But I cannot receive the item.”
Petrucia was sad. Even if she received the deposit, it would not fully compensate for the damages.
Ariadne stroked Petruchia's cheek, finding the girl's messed-up face cute.
“You won’t regret it. Don’t worry. Tell your father to anchor the wax he has secured in that city and start selling it after a month.”
“I don’t know if my father... will be able to do that.”
Bocanegro was betting everything on this venture. They didn't have much spare cash left.
If even one cogwheel were out of alignment, the whole picture could fall apart.
“Sister, could you please reconsider just one more time?”
Ariadne frowned.
If the Black Death were to be brought to San Carlo through the cargo of the Bocanegro Company, no, it was bound to be brought in eventually, but if her people got sick in the process, it would be a big deal.
“I think it might be difficult.”
“...I’ll tell Father first...”
After the conversation with Petrucia was over, Ariadne turned to Sancha and gave her instructions.
“Sancha, as acting head maid, sends out an official document to the household members. For the time being, refrain from going out unless absolutely necessary, and refrain from going near the port and slums.”
The Black Death slowly spread from the south.
In 1123, the movement of goods in the Central Continent was not so smooth.
The volume of water was small and the speed of movement of logistics was slow. It took at least 30 days to travel from Taranto to San Carlo by wagon.
The plague will slowly move north, following merchants and travelers.
“Um... Miss.”
"Say it."
“Lady Isabella has been frequenting the slums lately.”
“What? Why on earth?”
Ariadne's eyes widened at the incongruous combination of Isabella de Mare and the slums.
The Isabella that Ariadne knew was not the kind of person who would voluntarily go to such a place unless she had a new hobby of giving mat money to the poor and whipping them.
“You know that Miss Isabella has been doing volunteer work with the ladies recently, right?”
“Ah. That ‘Silver Cross Women’s Association’ thing?”
“Yes. She seems to be going with Countess Balzo and Countess Contarini. Last time it was a nursing home, and recently it was an orphanage. They are all located in the slums on the side of Comunale Nuovo.”
Sancha knew the destination of Isabella's carriage. Ariadne frowned.
“If it’s Sister Isabella, she definitely won’t bat an eye at the temporary maid’s official letter.”
It will be some time before the plague fully strikes San Carlo.
“I’ll tell Sister Isabella separately. You just worry about supervising your family.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
***
Prince Alfonso appeared on an official schedule dressed in state attire for the first time in a long while.
The Grand Duke of Yuldenburg of the Duchy of Sternheim visited, and Philip IV hosted a banquet.
There was no way to not invite the Etruscan heir to the throne, who was still alive and well in the palace, so Prince Alfonso also got to enjoy the fresh air for the first time in a long while.
“Oh! Come in, cousin.”
Philip IV was very gentle and polite only when they were face to face.
It was an attitude that was not befitting of the person who had put Alfonso in semi-confinement.
“Greetings. This is the Grand Duke of Yuldenburg of the Duchy of Sternheim. Defender of the Faith, Sword of the Holy See. He will be the Commander-in-Chief of the Holy War that is about to depart for Yesak.”
Philip IV, who had been conversing with Prince Alfonso in Gallico, spoke in the ancient language of the Latin Empire, the common language of the continent, when the Grand Duke of Yuldenburg joined the conversation.
It was a difference in treatment. Prince Alfonso bit his lip invisibly.
The Grand Duke of Yuldenburg was a man in his early forties, with a large frame but no flesh to be found.
His high nose and sunken cheeks were a perfect match for the reputation of the Grand Duke of Sternheim, who was known for his frugality.
His neat appearance and upright expression, with his neat brown hair beginning to show gray hairs, made one feel that he was indeed a respectable and faithful northern monarch.
“It’s all empty talk. I’m embarrassed by the praise.”
Philip IV then introduced Prince Alfonso to the Grand Duke of Yuldenburg.
“This is Prince Alfonso de Carlo of the Etruscan kingdom, renowned for his excellence and bravery.”
“You are the Etruscan Prince. I have heard much of you.”
The Grand Duke of Yuldenburg, perhaps not noticing the slight tension flowing between Prince Alfonso and King Philip IV, smiled warmly and extended his hand.
Alfonso took his hand and shook it. It was a strong, trustworthy hand.
As the Prince and the Grand Duke greeted each other, Philippe looked at them with a smiling face like a glass mask, while Princess Auguste, who was standing next to the King, looked at them with a look of disapproval, twisting the ends of her hair.
The Grand Duke of Sternheim also seemed not to like Princess Auguste very much.
To the frugal and austere northerners, the palace of Gallico seemed crudely splendid, laden with nothing but gold.
It was a decoration worthy of the word 'nouveau riche'. And at the top of it all was Princess Auguste.
Besides, she was too attached to her older brother.
Princess Auguste even followed him to the negotiating table.
Philip IV did nothing to stop his sister.
While the King smiled benevolently, Princess Auguste cut the amount of money to be contributed to the 'temple', slammed the expenses, and ridiculed the purpose of the temple.
It was an unacceptable statement for the devout Grand Duke of Yuldenburg.
But the Grand Duke of Yuldenburg is here today to borrow money.
And it wasn't just a penny or two, it was a lot of money. The war to capture Yesak, the victory or defeat of the holy war depended on those corrupt siblings.
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