Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 463

Episode 463: Caesar’s, God’s (3)

“Ottoman?”

“Ottoman.”

Cosimo’s answer made Henri more curious than angry.

“Look. “Have you forgotten what title I have?”

“I know very well. “He is the leader of the Knights of Christ.”

“Then you probably don’t know how my homeland, the Kingdom of Portugal, was born, right?”

“I know that too. Reconquista….”

“Reconquista.”

“ah! Don’t correct me. “It was born when the Iberian Peninsula was recovered through Heconquista.”

Cosimo immediately corrected Henry’s point and muttered to himself.

‘Reconquist or Reconquist….’

In response to Cosimo’s answer, Henri asked again with an even more bewildered expression.

“And yet you are telling me to join hands with Osman?”

In response to Henry’s question, Cosimo leaned back deeply in his chair and began to ask questions in return.

“Then can Portugal take control of that region alone?”

“….”

Henry’s mouth immediately closed at Cosimo’s question. Seeing Henry unable to answer, Cosimo pointed out reality one by one.

“Even if Portugal takes control of the region on its own, what happens after that? Not only the Mamluks but also the Ottomans will continue to rush to take over that area, but are you confident that you can protect it? How will you maintain the troops responsible for defense and how will you prepare for war expenses? Are you planning to make it another Ceuta?”

Henrik, who was looking for an answer to Cosimo’s question, fumbled for an answer.

“If the troops organize a crusade….”

“Then you won’t be able to get much of the interest in the railroad, right? “Even if the troops are like that, what about the combat expenses?”

“If the head of the family invests more…”

Cosimo responded to Henrique’s words by taking out a gold coin from the pocket on his belt.

“The merchants are a group of people who risk their lives, and even their souls, to gain even just one gold coin. And I am a merchant who understands. Do you know what a merchant like me cares about the most? Distinguish between investment and speculation. But what the duke said just now is neither investment nor speculation; it is just a delusion.”

“I would rather seek Joseon’s cooperation! “No to Islam!”

Cosimo shook his head at Henry’s urgent words.

“swarm. “I am not confident that Joseon’s capabilities are as great as the rumors I heard and the Duke said.”

“Joseon is powerful!”

“Then why has such a powerful country remained silent until now? “Have you not thought that Joseon has already weighed its profits and losses and decided that there is no profit?”

“….”

Henry’s mouth closed again at Cosimo’s point.

Cosimo’s point was a harsh reality. Even now, Joseon was making sufficient profits. In such a situation, there was absolutely no reason to take risks, even if he were the monarch of Joseon.

Cosimo continued to point out the harsh reality.

“With Portugal alone, the dream of becoming a duke can never be realized. “The ‘Tangier Tragedy’ is only repeated.”

“Ugh!”

Henrik gritted his teeth at Cosimo’s point. I was angry, but I had no material to properly refute Cosimo’s words. However, there was no justification for organizing a crusade and it was too late. This was because the Holy Roman Empire’s Poland and Albania had already moved to support the Hungarian, Serbian and Karaman forces fighting against the Ottomans in the Balkan Peninsula.

‘wait!’

Henrik, who was analyzing the overall situation, found material to refute it.

Henrik, who had found material for a rebuttal, looked at Cosimo with a smile of remorse.

“I heard… that the Crusaders are moving to fight the Ottomans in the Balkans. In such a situation, would Portugal join hands with the Ottomans? Do you think it will be possible?”

Cosimo responded to Henry’s point with a relaxed expression.

“I see there’s nothing you can’t do.”

“huh?”

The unexpected answer caused Henrik to momentarily fall into cognitive dissonance. Cosimo, seeing Henry’s confused expression, smiled and continued.

“Heh! The current conflict in the Balkan Peninsula is due to the Thessalonica region. To be precise, this is what happened when the Ottoman monarchs began expanding around Thessalonica. So, if Murat II, the Ottoman monarch, gives up on advancing north, the primary justification will disappear. And the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the main force of the Crusades, owes me a lot. Now, what if that’s the case?”

“shit!”

Cosimo spoke less, but Henri recognized the situation and immediately swore.

* * *

Among Western European monarchs, there was no monarch who did not owe debt to the Medici family. During this period, European monarchs and nobles had little concept of finances. Rather, they pursued more and more extravagance, believing that the more extravagant they were, the more authority they had. Of course, it was overspending and the insufficient funds had to be borrowed from merchants such as the Medici family.

And in return, all kinds of preferential treatment was given to the subjects.

Because of this situation, if someone like Medici stepped forward, the war against pagans had no choice but to stop.

No matter how noble the cause, a war could not be fought without money.

* * *

Although he swore like that, Henrik did not back down right away.

“Do you think Murat II will listen?”

“Which would you choose if you were the Duke of Northern Jin, who would constantly receive a lot of money and who would have to split it with the nobles even if he got it?”

“….”

Even though he refuted this and that, he continued to face dead ends, so Henri eventually waved the white flag.

“I know it’s the best way. But the problem is convincing Congress. “The Congress will not welcome joining hands with Islam.”

“That’s all you need to do if you hand over the right carrot.”

“carrot?”

“Isn’t there nothing that can be used as a justification? For example, Jerusalem.”

“Jerusalem? “Isn’t Jerusalem controlled by the Mamluks?”

“Have you forgotten that the Ottomans had to pass through Jerusalem to get the territory the Duke wanted?”

“That aside, will the Ottomans hand over Jerusalem, which they have already obtained?”

“What is needed is the authority for Christians to safely make pilgrimages to the saints, and for the Knights of Christ, the Knights of Santiago, and the Knights of Avis to reside here and protect the pilgrims. “Do you think that would be adequate?”

“Hmm…”

Hearing Cosimo’s words, Henri stroked his beard and was lost in thought.

The Order of Christ, the successor to the Knights Templar, was a knightly order that nominally received orders from the Holy See. If the Knights of Christ were able to establish themselves in Jerusalem, the Vatican was likely to support them. In particular, it was certain that Eugenius IV, who needed political achievements, would give full support.

Of course, it was Eugenius IV who supported the crusaders moving to the Balkan Peninsula, but the Balkan Peninsula and Jerusalem were incomparable from the very beginning of their names.

“Hmm… the problem is that I still feel like I’m not good enough to convince the regent.”

Cosimo smiled slightly at Henry’s words and asked a question.

“Do you know what the Ottomans and the Portuguese have in common?”

“What do we have in common?”

“In both cases, the monarchs try to suppress the nobles. And what is most needed in this process is economic power.”

“Ah…”

Henrik nodded, his face becoming much brighter than before.

“I think Duke Pedro can accept it. But there are several problems. “It takes a considerable amount of time, and the carrots you mentioned must be guaranteed, starting with the Jerusalem issue.”

“Honestly, it’s something that takes some time. It is difficult to see a solution in just a few days or months. But will that be a big problem? “If the duke goes to Joseon once, almost a year passes. If he goes to Joseon a couple more times, wouldn’t the results be known?”

Henrik, who had unconsciously nodded his head at Cosimo’s words, asked Cosimo for a confirmation.

“But are you confident that you can get those things from Osman?”

At Henrique’s question, the smile on Cosimo’s face grew even deeper.

“Did you forget? I am a merchant. What is the merchant’s specialty? It’s a bargain. “I’m very good at bargaining.”

“That’s right…”

* * *

Cosimo, who had been watching Henrique leaving the mansion through the window, turned his back and looked at the map.

“If this is successful, Europe’s economic center can be tied to the Mediterranean for at least the next 50 years.”

Cosimo looked at the map and coolly analyzed the situation.

The sudden appearance of Joseon, whose existence was unknown in the Middle East and Western Europe, drove Western Europe into shock and greed.

Joseon’s products, which were both fascinating and gorgeous and extremely practical, became a necessity in Europe.

Naturally, there were more than one person who jumped on the route to Joseon.

Starting with Portugal and Spain, simpleton France and rustic England entered the competition, and as a result, large-scale colonies were created all over Africa.

However, the colony was additional and the main purpose was still the route to Joseon.

And when Portugal was the first to open this route, strange stories began to emerge among the countries that fell behind in the competition.

-If the world is round, as scholars say, wouldn’t it be possible to reach Joseon by heading west?

This story was gradually gaining buoyancy and rising to the surface.

“Is this dangerous?”

Cosimo de’ Medici was the first to notice the danger signs.

“Alexandria is taking a little more out of it, but this situation is in my best interest. Because trade between the Mediterranean and Europe is controlled almost entirely by my Florence and that damn Genoa, Venice. But if the western route is discovered, we are finished.”

After explaining the situation, Cosimo gave orders to his merchants.

“Contact the cardinals and bishops we have contact with and ask them to stop the people who say nonsense.”

“All right. But…”

“But what?”

“Is there really a western route?”

When one of the subordinate merchants expressed this question, the other subordinates nodded as if they agreed.

Cosimo’s expression became fierce at the reaction of his subordinates.

“What do you make of the information you obtained from the Joseon sailors in Alexandria?”

“….”

The subordinate merchants’ mouths fell silent at Cosimo’s question. Cosimo looked at his subordinate merchants and swore softly.

“These pathetic bastards…”

* * *

As trade between Alexandria and Joseon continued regularly, interest in the Koreans staying in Alexandria was greatly diluted. To the residents and merchants of Alexandria, Koreans were viewed as just new neighbors.

But Cosimo discovered something strange here.

“huh? “Aren’t you the captain who came last time?”

Mansour answered Cosimo’s question politely.

“Yes, you are the new captain who commanded this voyage.”

“What about the last captain?”

“I heard you were assigned to another mission.”

“Another mission? “Then is it a different ship?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm…”

Cosimo, who had doubts, gave orders to his subordinates to keep an eye on the Joseon sailors coming to Alexandria.

As a result, Cosimo noticed something surprising.

-The number of sailors who are not Korean is increasing.

-Joseon is advancing further and further east!

“And yet no Koreans have appeared yet.”

Cosimo, analyzing the situation, came to a conclusion.

“Then there are two results. Either the sea to the east is wider than expected, or there is a new continent in the middle that we didn’t know about. Either way…”

Cosimo muttered with a serious face.

“The moment the eyes of Europe turn to the West, the Medici family will come to an end.”