I Became A Black Merchant In Another World

In movies or dramas, when investigating a conglomerate, they start with raids and quickly move into deep investigations.

However, in reality, catching white-collar criminals isn’t so easy.

Even if a crime is committed, using aggressive tactics like raids as a quick fix is a last resort, and it could lead to officers being dismissed in droves.

“Here, they’d probably take my head physically.”

Even if the Emperor protects me, if I recklessly expose myself despite instructions to move secretly?

If I’m found dead in a barrel by some river or beach, it’ll likely be ruled a natural death.

‘Even back-alley thieves don’t use such tactics without caution.’

As I was lost in thought, Sebastian called out to me.

“There’s someone here who insists on speaking with you urgently, Young Master. Would you like to meet with him?”

The way he asked made it sound like the visitor didn’t look very promising.

There’s a 99% chance this person will brag about some useless information, acting as if it’s priceless.

Still, life is full of surprises, so who knows?

“Bring him in immediately.”

“Yes, understood. He doesn’t look too clean—should I have him washed before bringing him up?”

From what Sebastian said, he must be quite dirty…

‘Last time, I almost gagged from the stench after telling them to bring someone up without washing.’

A month—or even two—without bathing must have been the norm for the beggar who visited before; the smell almost killed me.

Even Chloe kept her distance until I could clean up after dealing with him.

“Wash him, and make sure he’s fed before bringing him up.”

About an hour after giving my instructions, a man entered my office.

While he was now clean, his clothes still had a lingering bad odor.

If this is how he smells after a bath…

When I become an official, I might need to establish a Medici Public Bathhouse to forcibly clean up the beggars. Honestly.

When I grimaced at the smell, he began rubbing his hands together.

“You claimed to have information I’d want—is that true? If you’re lying, I’ll be disappointed.”

Just because I’m disappointed doesn’t mean I’ll kill him on the spot.

If I did that in the middle of the capital, I’d likely have to deal with the city guard’s investigation.

I could probably get away with just a few days in jail if I provide suitable gifts and bribes for my defense, but still…

‘It wouldn’t be an honorable act.’

I’ll likely settle for giving him a stern lesson about not coveting other people’s money.

The man shook his head vigorously.

“How could someone as lowly as me dare to lie to such a noble person?”

His groveling attitude makes me think this might be another waste of time.

But, I can’t judge his value just yet.

Sometimes information leaks from the most unlikely sources.

Even scandals that bring down noble families often have their roots in lowly beggars.

“I used to work as a porter and odd-jobber for the Pereira Trading Company. They paid me three silvers a day. Not a bad wage.”

Three silvers a day—that’s a pretty good wage even in the capital.

If the Pereiras weren’t insane, they wouldn’t pay a temp worker that much unless…

‘He was involved in something shady.’

“How long did you work for them?”

“About six months. During that time, I helped with some of their unsavory activities, like smuggling and beating people half to death.”@@novelbin@@

This is a bit ambiguous.

Smuggling and roughing people up with hired thugs are certainly serious, and if exposed, it’d cause them trouble.

But it’s not quite enough to fulfill the Emperor’s order to “scare the guys selling strategic materials to enemy countries.”

After hearing the details, I might throw him a gold or two.

“Interesting.”

“The Pereira Company has been secretly importing spices like sugar and saffron from the Kingdom of Lyon and the Kingdom of Granada. To avoid tariffs, they unload goods at remote coastal areas and bring them into Florence in secret.”

If this were 21st-century Korea, even this information alone would justify a raid, leading to the chairman’s arrest.

In our Toscana Empire, it would just mean one unlucky elite employee losing his job.

It’s like giving someone a bruise—a weak blow.

‘If only I could play pirate and raid Pereira’s ships.’

Still, I wanted to show my interest, so I placed a purse of coins on the desk and shook it a few times. His eyes instantly locked onto it.

“They always bring goods into Florence at night. There’s a curfew, but it’s ignored if you pay the guards enough.”

For nobles like me, or even low-ranking knights, the curfew is nothing but a suggestion.

“And they often teach a ‘lesson’ to anyone trying to trade in similar goods without their permission.”

They probably leave these people with broken limbs or let their bodies float in the river.

If it were someone with a knight’s rank or higher, maybe it would matter, but complaints about them killing someone lower-ranked wouldn’t go far.

The guard would just pretend to investigate, using “identifying and processing a ‘concerned citizen’s’ letter” and “understanding the workload of cities with many large company employees.”

In short, taking this to them would only get me into trouble.

“Is this helpful?”

Not completely unhelpful.

If I can snag something big and add this on, it’d be a fatal blow to the Pereiras.

But it’s not vital information.

“Two gold coins. No, three.”

I handed him three gold coins from my purse.

That’s enough to buy a small, shabby house on the outskirts of Florence.

“It’s good information, but it’s not quite what I need.”

The man sighed in disappointment, clearly hoping for more.

He didn’t dare ask for more outright, but his eyes told me everything.

‘Someone like you, living in the slums, wouldn’t earn three gold coins in ten years.’

Poor and yet with a warped sense of money.

Koreans like him, always looking for a big score, often ruin their lives. Seems it’s no different here.

So, I dismissed him.

My time is precious; I can’t waste it.

The man then made a desperate plea.

“Wait, wait! I have even better information!”

“From someone who claims to have only been an odd-jobber, I find it hard to believe you’d have anything more useful.”

For things like embezzlement or tax evasion, secrets that shouldn’t leak from a company, you’d need at least a manager’s position to have access.

Employees lower down might know some details, but…

‘They rarely know enough to directly send someone to prison.’

“I heard this from a friend. The Pereira Company abandoned a director’s daughter after framing him. I know where she is!”

Like I’m going to believe that.

Is this guy a con artist? Or perhaps an amateur spy from Pereira?

Even if I’m the only one here with a sense of human rights, I’m tempted to start with pulling his nails.

I was about to order my guards to seize him when he interrupted.

“Until yesterday, I planned to tell Pereira where she was to change my life. But I came here because I figured you’d pay more! Even a worthless bug like me knows how wealthy Fabio de Medici is.”

Coffee may not yet be widely known among nobles, but my hospital attracts a steady line of noblewomen arriving in carriages every day.

And seaweed is already considered a miracle medicine among commoners, rivaling Korean ginseng.

On top of that, he claimed he came here for a higher price instead of selling her out to Pereira…

It seems plausible.

“Her name is Christina Modica, and she’s hiding in slum district number four! As the daughter of a former director at Pereira, she must know something.”

He’s not wrong.

But if he knows her identity…

‘He’s probably leaking information bit by bit, hoping someone will come along to exact her family’s revenge.’

Otherwise, how could someone like him evade capture by a massive trading company for months?

Or it’s just a rumor.

“It’s worth checking. Guards, take him to one of our estate rooms and treat him well.”

He’ll be politely confined.

If the information proves true, I’ll reward him handsomely and even arrange a change of identity.

If not, I’ll treat him as a spy and conduct a very thorough interrogation.

His face turned pale with fear.

“Please, please! I’m telling the truth!”

“If it’s true, I’ll give you a reward beyond your imagination. And you’ll be well taken care of, so don’t worry about meals.”

The meals we serve the servants will be a feast for him.

I then instructed Sebastian to investigate slum district number four.

Before long, I found exactly who I was looking for.