It was while the Secret Guard agents stationed in Paris were waiting for the visit of the French alchemist, the gunpowder manufacturer, and the Medici merchant.
Perhaps their prayers were answered, for before long, the individuals in question found their way to the ‘Red Moon (lune rouge).’
“Oh my! Welcome, welcome!”
As the head courtesan greeted them with a sultry voice, the Medici merchant responded with enthusiasm brimming in his tone.
“Hahaha! It’s been quite a while since my last visit, hasn’t it? I’m counting on your excellent service tonight as well!”
“Leave everything to us!”
Still maintaining her sultry voice, the head courtesan gave a subtle signal to the servant who followed behind.
“Take our distinguished guests to the detached wing!”
“Yes! Right this way, please.”
“Oh! The detached wing, excellent! You truly know my preferences!”
The Secret Guard agent disguised as a servant guided the three men to a separate building constructed in the inner grounds.
The detached wing set apart in the inner area was indeed an ideal place for private conversations. Of course, it was also an ideal location for the Secret Guard agents to hide and eavesdrop.
Once the three had settled into their seats, a luxurious drinking table was promptly prepared. After all the side dishes were arranged, the head courtesan who had followed them in asked the Medici merchant in her persistently sultry voice.
“What type of alcohol shall I bring you? Colored wine? Vin Brûlé? Grappa?”
Vin Brûlé was an early form of what would later be called brandy. Grappa was a distilled liquor made in Italy from the pomace left over after making wine.
Naturally, colored wine commanded the highest price, followed by Vin Brûlé and then Grappa.
In response to the head courtesan’s question, the Medici merchant displayed even more bravado.
“If we’re drinking here, it must be colored wine! Do you have anything decent?”
“Oh my! You’re truly in luck! We received some excellent spirits just recently! Really exceptional ones!”
“If it’s that good, the price must be quite steep?”
“Oh my, is our lord worried about the price?”
Falling for the head courtesan’s provocation, the Medici merchant answered confidently.
“As if that would be the case! Bring it out!”
“Yes, sir~. Please wait just a moment!”
Shortly after, the head courtesan returned carrying a wooden box as large as her torso. When she opened the lid of the carefully lacquered black box, colored wine in an ornate crystal bottle revealed itself in all its glory.
“Ooh~.”
“Wow~.”
The alchemist and gunpowder manufacturer couldn’t help but marvel at the bottle sparkling brilliantly under the chandelier’s light and the liquor contained within. The Medici merchant, who was similarly impressed, was inwardly breaking into a cold sweat.
‘Damn it! The price is going to be no joke! I must make this deal work! Otherwise, I’m bankrupt!’
Steeling his resolve internally, the Medici merchant once again put on an expression full of bravado and raised his voice.
“Come! Pop the cork! Let’s raise our glasses!”
***
After two bottles of the ultra-premium colored wine had vanished and they’d ordered a third, the Medici merchant gestured to the courtesans.
“Leave us for a moment.”
At the Medici merchant’s command, the courtesans quietly rose and left the room. Once all the courtesans had departed, the Medici merchant got down to business.
“So, have you given it some thought?”
When the Medici merchant posed his question in a subtle voice, the alchemist and gunpowder manufacturer wore slightly troubled expressions.
“Well… it’s a bit…”
“It’s not that difficult, is it? All you need to do is let three of our people into the gunpowder factory. I’m not asking you to tell us everything from start to finish about what to mix and in what proportions. I’m simply asking that you let them see what materials are used and how it’s made while they work. Just do that much, and I’ll compensate you handsomely.”
At the Medici merchant’s words, the gunpowder manufacturer replied with a face full of difficulty.
“But when you consider the profits we’ll make from the gunpowder, any compensation would be…”
Before the gunpowder manufacturer could finish speaking, the Medici merchant cut him off with a cold expression and pointed out the reality.
“Do you think France will take the position of the ‘Land of Flowers’? Will England buy French gunpowder? Or perhaps Spain? Or the Habsburgs?”
The Medici merchant’s observation was the harsh reality.
***
As the Empire’s weapons entered Europe, replicas were produced in various countries. Of course, thanks to Hyang’s tricks, replicas weren’t immediately created, but as time passed, copies with similar performance began to appear.
Through persistent effort, they either broke through Hyang’s deceptions or figured out the principles and created their own technology.
Thanks to this, from the Type 2 rifles onward, no particular tricks were employed, and rifles imitating them popped up here and there.
However, even though they could manufacture rifles, they couldn’t produce gunpowder, forcing them to purchase large quantities from the Empire.
“Originally, consumables have the highest profit margins.”
As Hyang had muttered to himself, the Empire was reaping substantial profits from gunpowder alone.
As this situation developed, Imperial gunpowder had come to occupy a position as a kind of international standard.
Even rifles with varying lengths and calibers all followed Imperial specifications for the part where the copper cap containing gunpowder—called donghuamo[1] in the Empire—was fitted.
At least in this aspect, even France and England, Portugal and Spain—mortal enemies all—used the same specifications.
***
This was precisely the point the Medici merchant had raised.
Even if French-made gunpowder was cheaper than Imperial products, the possibility of neighboring countries adopting it was virtually nil.
The only countries with any possibility were Portugal and a few Italian city-states.
Therefore, the alchemist and gunpowder manufacturer’s ambition to dominate Europe with their gunpowder was nearly impossible to realize.
“England and Spain would rather pay more for Imperial gunpowder. Or they’ll try to make it themselves. Just like you gentlemen.”
At the Medici merchant’s observation, the alchemist and gunpowder manufacturer nodded. They too were well aware that they were a kind of lucky few.
Even now, throughout France, there were countless others trying to create new gunpowder while avoiding their patents. There would be even more in England or Spain.
Seeing their expressions, the Medici merchant coaxed them in an even more subtle voice.
“That’s why I’m suggesting we join hands. Again, I’m not asking you to hand over secrets. I’m simply asking that you let just three of our craftsmen work in the factory.”
At the Medici merchant’s words, the alchemist and gunpowder manufacturer fidgeted with their wine glasses, deep in contemplation.
After pondering for quite some time, the gunpowder manufacturer made a request to the Medici merchant.
“Give us a moment alone.”
“Very well.”
Nodding, the Medici merchant rose from his seat and opened the door.
“Ugh! This liquor is quite strong! Excuse me! I’d like to cool off for a bit—is there somewhere I can rest? I also need to take care of some business!”
“Oh my! This way, please!”
Once the Medici merchant had left, the alchemist and gunpowder manufacturer conversed with serious expressions.
After their discussion concluded, the gunpowder manufacturer called out.
“You may come back in.”
“Please, come in.”
Returning to the room, the Medici merchant asked the two as soon as he took his seat.
“Have you decided?”
“We’ll accept the Medici family’s proposal. However, we’d like to negotiate the compensation.”
What followed was haggling.
After some back and forth, the three reached a mutually satisfactory outcome.
“Good. We’ll set the compensation as agreed, with payment half in advance and half upon completion. Correct?”
“Correct.”
Having reconfirmed each other’s conditions, the three raised their glasses with satisfied faces.
“To everyone’s profit!”
“To profit!”
Having pleasantly emptied his glass, the Medici merchant opened the door and called out.
“Excuse me! Tell the courtesans to come in!”
“Yes, sir~.”
***
The agreement reached in the detached wing was immediately documented by the Secret Guard agents.
“Really now…”
One Secret Guard agent reviewing the written document muttered with a look of disbelief.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, I know they’re merchants and all, but there’s not a shred of ‘loyalty (忠)’ to be seen—they’re only chasing profits…”
At his words, another agent nearby chuckled and responded.
“Why? Isn’t the Medici merchant faithfully following his lord’s commands?”
“Even so…”
“Why do you think we were taught to call Europe the Spring and Autumn Warring States period? This place still hasn’t escaped feudalism. It’s about the same as Japan, really…”
At his colleague’s words, the agent who had raised the issue could only nod in agreement.
***
As the Secret Guard agent said, Europe had not yet fully established the concepts of ‘nation’ and ‘citizen.’
France was the country where these concepts were taking root most quickly. Through the Hundred Years’ War with England, the concepts of ‘France’ and ‘French people’ had begun to establish themselves.
Other countries were still unable to break free from feudal concepts.
Britain was still divided into England, Scotland, and Wales. Of course, England and Wales had been unified, but they still distinguished themselves as ‘I am English, you are Welsh’ rather than seeing each other as ‘fellow countrymen.’
Scotland was an entirely separate nation.
Given this situation, Europeans saw themselves not as citizens of a nation but merely as subjects of the domain to which they belonged.
Even in France, where the concepts of nation and citizen were just beginning to take hold, it was common to prioritize personal gain over ‘national interest’ and ‘loyalty.’
***
After finishing their brief chat, the Secret Guard agents made their predictions about what would come next.
“Since the Medici family has stepped in, our work should decrease somewhat.”
“That’s fortunate, truly fortunate.”
“But will the Medici family do the job properly?”
“They’re a family that dreams of becoming ‘Europe’s Lü Buwei,’ so they should do it right.”
Having reached their conclusion, the Secret Guard agents compiled their report and submitted it to their superior.
The officer who received the report reviewed its contents and immediately issued orders.
“Make copies and send them to Seoul. As quickly as possible.”
“Yes, sir.”
After giving orders to his subordinate, the Paris division officer stroked his chin while gazing at the ceiling.
“Europe’s Lü Buwei, huh… We’ll need to gather again. No matter that it’s the Medici family, this is a dangerous move. I think we’ll need to take action.”
His intuition, honed through long years of experience in the field, was telling him that the Secret Guard needed to move.
***
News of the success in Paris was immediately transmitted to Florence.
“This has gone well…”
Lying in bed and reviewing the report, Cosimo muttered with a noticeably more relaxed expression.
“Good. The chances of my final transaction succeeding have increased.”
After muttering these meaningful words, Cosimo pulled the cord attached to his bed.
Shortly after, when the door opened and a servant entered, Cosimo gave his orders.
“Summon Giovanni and Lorenzo.”
“Yes, sir.”
Soon after, Lorenzo de’ Medici and Giovanni de’ Medici, having received Cosimo’s message, entered his bedroom.
“You called for us?”
“Take a seat.”
At Cosimo’s command, Giovanni and Lorenzo sat in chairs beside the bed. Cosimo, reclining at an angle in his bed, gazed at the two with eyes mixed with various emotions.
“Lorenzo, are you learning the work well?”
“Yes.”
At Cosimo’s question, Lorenzo answered with a confident face. In place of his father Piero, Lorenzo had taken charge of Florence’s political sphere.
For Lorenzo, still in his early twenties, this placed an enormous burden on him, but he was receiving positive evaluations thanks to his youthful vigor and talent.