I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 316: The Crown Prince’s Teacher (1)

The Emperor had really given me quite the blow.

People might envy me for becoming the Crown Prince's mentor, thinking it means I’m on the way to becoming a major power in the future.

‘Isn’t it easy to walk around with the boss’s son?’

And I have to do all the work while at it.

“Erica, isn’t His Majesty being a bit too much?”

Erica rubbed her eyes as she answered.

“What do you mean, ‘too much’?”

“Well, there are Duke Visconti and plenty of other wonderful nobles. Does it make sense for a mere baron like me to become the Crown Prince's mentor?”

In Joseon, although nominally, the Prime Minister, the Left and Right Ministers, also served as the Crown Prince’s mentors.

The reason for this was that educating the Crown Prince was considered the most honorable and noble task. The highest-ranking officials believed that the most important task, educating the heir, should not be neglected.

Officials from the Crown Prince's educational institution had plenty of privileges and perks.

One could see it as valuing Crown Prince education, or alternatively, it could be seen as the king and officials grooming a future political partner.

And now, the Emperor of the Toscana Empire has made me the Crown Prince’s mentor and secret friend.

“His Majesty must have wanted to assign a mentor of a similar age to the Crown Prince. Meanwhile, other nobles are trying to win the title of Crown Prince's mentor by offering His Majesty thousands of gold coins, and yet you’re not even interested.”

“If I try to take everything for myself, I’ll end up getting hurt.”

“Still, it’s a great honor for the Rothschild family.”

“Because of His Majesty's orders, I have to be away from you, Erica.”

Other nobles may have a cold, sexless relationship with their wives, where they only need heirs. But Erica and I just shared a passionate night of love yesterday.

Though Erica’s love, which she had been waiting for until she turned 20, was a bit heavy.

But I wasn’t so weakened that I couldn’t enjoy a good time.

But because the Emperor made me the Crown Prince's mentor...

‘Looks like I’ll have to take the Crown Prince all the way to Saxony.’

Erica gently touched my face with a bittersweet smile.

“The person I love is so capable that he can shoulder such a heavy responsibility at such a young age. It hurts, but I must accept it. But...”

Erica lifted up the blanket slightly, exposing the contours of her chest.

She then gave a wicked smile, raising one corner of her mouth.

“Creating an heir for the family is also very important. Would you like to do it one more time?”

As soon as I heard those words, I reached out my hand towards Erica’s chest.

That’s that, but this is this.

Those who don’t enjoy the present can’t live for tomorrow.

And just as I was about to enjoy the moment, a knock on the door broke the mood.

“The Crown Prince is waiting in the reception room.”

...Damn it, this is going to get twisted now.

The Emperor must have taught the Crown Prince all the good things, but I plan on teaching him some bad ones.

If this is how things are going to be, I might as well teach my nephew the joys of tteokbokki and chicken.

“I’ll go now.”

And then I left with the Crown Prince for Saxony.

“Please wait here until the Duke of Saxony arrives.”

“Alright. In the meantime, could you bring a cup of tea for me and my nephew?”

“Understood, Baron. Please wait just a moment.”

In a noble family, heirs and second sons are expected to travel after coming of age to gain experience, and no one would think anything strange about it.

But what if it’s the Crown Prince of a nation?

Unless you’re a complete fool, you wouldn’t be trying to kidnap the Crown Prince or harm him for ransom.

‘There are so many madmen in this world who can’t be explained by conventional wisdom.’

There are thieves and mercenaries who might try to abduct the Crown Prince for a big payout.

That’s why, for now, the Crown Prince and I are pretending to be uncle and nephew.

“Uncle, I have one question.”

“What’s your question?”

“The Holy Empire is currently in the midst of a civil war, but the streets here are so peaceful.”

The Duke of Saxony is the leader of the new faith faction, a prominent figure akin to Yuan Shao in the Three Kingdoms or Kim Gu in the independence movement.

If you look at the scenery in the town, it looks so peaceful.

People are drinking beer freely, and everyone is living as though nothing is happening.

‘Looking at the surface, you wouldn’t even think a war is looming.’

I chuckled as I looked at the Crown Prince, who lacked the ability to judge the situation properly.

“Nephew, you can’t see one thing and you can’t see two. If this were a truly peaceful street, you would see priests of Deus walking around frequently. Did you see even a single priest on our way here?”

“Come to think of it, no, I didn’t.”

“There are no priests of Deus left in this city. There are no nuns or priests in the church either.”

“So, the people here...”

“The Duke of Saxony, who governs here, believes in Father Stefano's teachings. So, everyone here, willingly or unwillingly, had no choice but to change their faith.”

If the Westphalian Peace Treaty or the Augsburg Treaty, which recognize freedom of religion, had been in place, it wouldn’t have mattered whether people here believed in the new faith or the old Deus faith.

But in this region, adhering to the old Deus faith is equivalent to:

Wearing North Korean military uniforms in a training camp and shouting slogans of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il while blindly following Juche ideology.

In other words, it’s as if I’m pleading to be killed painfully right away.

“And now, the Holy Empire’s Emperor and the Duke of Saxony, along with the new faith faction, are busy identifying friend and foe. They haven’t gathered enough supplies for war yet, so it’s still too early for the war to officially begin.”

During World War II, many people mistakenly thought that a full-scale war was imminent right after the invasion of Poland due to some reckless decisions.

But war is something that requires thorough preparation years before it starts.

Just like how students who want to go to top universities must start studying with the mindset that sleeping four hours will get them in, while sleeping five hours will prevent them from succeeding.

The Emperor of the Holy Empire and the Duke of Saxony, «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» as leaders of their factions, are no fools. They will prepare thoroughly before waging war.

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Whether for exams or war, last-minute cramming always leads to the worst results.

“Right.”

“Sharp traders are already analyzing which side will win and placing their bets, just like us.”

Right now, the conversation I’m having is probably being eavesdropped on.

Why? Because whenever someone comes to our house, I have my servants eavesdrop on all private conversations.

In a world without data protection laws, eavesdropping on conversations is just common sense.

What happens if you don’t follow this?

‘Well, there’s always someone higher up than the one running.’

“I’m sure the Duke of Saxony, backed by his righteous cause, will win, which is why I’ve brought you here.”

I’m not just a merchant.

I’m the head of a family that’s considered one of the fastest-rising nobles in the Toscana Empire.

My life’s worth is on a completely different level from some mere merchant.

But I’m still risking everything and aligning myself with the Duke of Saxony?

The Duke of Saxony must be spinning a happy thought right now.

Those who have never even held a woman’s hand are already thinking about grandkids just because their fingers have touched.

‘What if I let him overhear that the Duke of Saxony is going to win?’

The effect would be spectacular.

While having a light conversation with the Crown Prince, a familiar face appeared.

“No, Father Stefano. How did you know I was here?”

“Since I’m currently treated as one of the Duke of Saxony’s retainers, it wasn’t hard to figure out that you’d be here.”

“Is that so?”

“The Duke of Saxony has placed too much value on someone like me, and it’s a heavy burden.”

Actually, thanks to you, the Holy Empire is now shaking, and the corrupted Deus faith is coming back to its rightful place.

You should take more pride in that.

“I heard you went through some hardships in Vienna. Were you alright?”

“Thanks to Deus’s protection, not a single hair on my head was harmed.”

“I see.”

“And now that I’ve discarded my priesthood, please don’t call me a priest.”

“Then how about calling you a pastor? After all, a pastor is someone who leads people’s souls down the righteous path, just like tending to sheep.”

“Since the Duke of Saxony refers to me and those who follow me as Protestants, calling me a pastor... that works for me. Please feel free to call me that.”

“So, Pastor, what kind of person is the Duke of Saxony?”

“The Duke is...”

While we were talking, the Duke of Saxony made his grand entrance.

“I’m just a coward, Rothschild Baron.”

There’s never a truly cowardly person among those who call themselves cowards.

Still, the Crown Prince will serve as a good example, so let him become the sacrificial pawn in my scheme.