How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony-Chapter 174: A Chicken, A King, and Spain’s Cowardice (1)

"Oh! It really was chicken! How fascinating. How did you raise it like this? Did you deliberately make it smaller? The taste is a bit lacking, but interesting!"

...he realized he had been misunderstanding something.

After the banquet ended, rumors spread throughout Paris about "a wealthy empire where all citizens eat chicken daily" and.

"Did, did I make a mistake?"

"...Yes. It seems you made quite a significant mistake."

"It wasn't that big a mistake, was it?"

"...No. It was indeed that big a mistake."

"..."

"..."

Oitotan, who belatedly realized something had gone wrong, and the support staff who followed him just in case, whispered like this but.

"Maximilien, prepare."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Shall we immediately place small aluminum foil coverings on the palace statues?"

"And instruct all palace servants to cease wearing aluminum ornaments. Aluminum shall be exclusively for the king and his guests."

"An excellent idea."

The rightful King of France, Henri de Bourbon, didn't care in the least about such trivial happenings.

"No... It would be better to increase the scale. Replace all the furred items used in royal attire with furs from the New World! Even the fur used in my crown! Let all those crazy about luxury furs follow suit!"

What Henri saw was not the minor discourtesy committed by the empire's envoy.

Similarly, he didn't care about all the commotion engulfing Paris.

What he looked at and cared about was just one thing.

"Now, trade with Virginia will be our exclusive stage!"

Wealth.

The enormous wealth that would flow from the New World.

The cute outburst that this man Oitotan blurted out was actually a stroke of good fortune for him.

After enduring a moment of embarrassment, rumors about the "wealthy New World" began spreading throughout Paris and France.

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The clothes worn by the envoys from the New World, their ornaments, their modest utensils, and the enormous gifts they brought all became his promotional tools.

Yes.

From now on, all interest, all ambition, all expectations regarding the New World would be converted into gold coins for Henri IV.

Only those authorized by Henri IV would be able to sail to the "Emperor's" territory, and only those with Henri IV's license would be able to trade in the "Emperor's" territory.

All luxury goods from the New World had fallen into Henri IV's grasp.

Aluminum.

Sweet wine.

Soft fur.

Seedless grapes.

All of it.

Was now his.

Luxury, luxury goods are not simply enjoyed for the pleasure of eyes and ears.

Luxury is authority and prestige. It's the most intuitive way to display the wealth one can spend and the authority one has built.

Therefore, monopolizing luxury goods is essentially the same as monopolizing authority and prestige.

By releasing luxury goods to nobles who desire such authority more than anyone else, Henri could devour their enormous wealth.

In other words, Henri had gained authority that was entirely his own.

Additionally, he had acquired a funding source that was completely his.

Across the sea, Elizabeth had used this to suck enormous wealth from England's upper class. And Elizabeth had used that again as a foundation for her powerful monarchy.

He too could now do the same.

He could slip away from the complex tug-of-war entanglements domestically and obtain a sword to cut through that Gordian knot in one stroke.

He now felt as if he had truly become the King of France.

"...Your Majesty, you must be more prudent at times like this. Rather than being intoxicated by immediate victory, you should think about the price it will bring."

"I am already thinking about the price, Maximilien."

Henri IV said to the Marquis de Rosny, Maximilien de Béthune, as he sat down on the sofa as if collapsing.

"Is it ultimately about Spain?"

"We need to determine the level of conflict we will initiate with them immediately."

"...Calculating change is always the most troublesome part."

"If we were to go to war with Spain again, it would be far beyond the level of mere change."

"..."

"..."

It had only been a few years since France emerged from war. Until recently, traces of Spanish troops ravaging the country remained throughout the territory.

Moreover, extreme Catholics across the regions do not consider Henri, who discreetly converted at the end of the war, as their true lord. They lean on Spain and hope only for the day they can kill Henri.

Given this situation, armed conflict with Spain is difficult to even dream of "yet."

It's infuriating, but looking only at the result, just a few merchant ships have been plundered.

Going to war "again" with the most powerful country in the world because of this level of damage? Rashly taking a confrontational stance? Foolishness.

But in such a situation, an offer they couldn't refuse had arrived.

"For now, sending several envoys and concluding with a 'strong protest' is the best we can do..."

Snap.

When the king snapped his fingers, the Marquis de Rosny frowned and looked up. The king was smiling with a natural expression.

"No."

"What do you mean? Do you intend to go to war?"

"Not that, but would the emperor of that New World be satisfied with just that? The trade monopoly is a great gift. To match its value, we must adopt a more radical alternative."

A radical alternative.

At those words, the Marquis de Rosny unconsciously trembled. He knew well how his lord had ended the civil war until now, how he had taken this country in his grasp.

That excellent insight and decisiveness.

A man who seemed to possess the stomach and heart of a lion.

"If I miss this opportunity, I would be a coward."

He rose with a light clench of his fist and a smile.

"And a coward doesn't deserve to be the King of France."

With just that brief declaration, the Marquis de Rosny found himself unknowingly persuaded and nodded. What followed was not "discussion" but "orders."

"Send an envoy to Spain immediately. Also contact our ambassador to Spain, who should be in Valladolid, in advance. Use the strongest language possible to protest! Let's show such a fierce face that Felipe wets himself!"

"Is that... enough?"

"Of course. I am not a coward, but..."

Henri IV said with his neck held stiffly upright. His eyes shone like those of a fierce beast.

"That bastard Felipe is a coward."

So as Oitotan left Paris, another envoy departed from France and.

As soon as Henri's envoy reached the court in Spain's new capital, Valladolid, he growled in a fierce voice.

"Toward another nation not at war! And toward fellow Catholics at that! This shamelessness that condones heinous and immoral crimes! We French will never forget this!"

"..."

"..."