I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 230: Auditing and Absolute Power (4)

When I arrived at the Visconti estate, a stunning sight unfolded before me.

The nobles of the estate, all of them, seemed to be waiting for my visit.

"Welcome, Baron. I am Presso, the steward of the Visconti estate. With the honor of the Visconti family at stake, I will do my best to ensure you have a comfortable stay while you are here."

Even when Erica, the Visconti Duke's daughter, arrived, they didn’t treat her with this much grandeur.

Yet, now that I, her son-in-law, had arrived, they were lavishing me with such excessive protocol.

As expected, my earlier warning about the "audit of the accounts" had already made them bend over backward without me even having to ask.

This reminded me of the famous Japanese military in the post-World War II era, known for their lowly status—when a minister of finance, lower in rank than the division commander, visited, the commander himself would have to bow and show respect, even holding ceremonial parades.

But, well, I didn’t force anyone to bow. I decided to enjoy the attention.

After all, I wasn’t making the poor lowly officials or soldiers do anything.

"Thank you for such a grand welcome."

"Of course, Baron. You are now a member of the Visconti family by marriage to Lady Erica. The Duke himself has commanded that you be treated with the utmost respect, so how could we neglect such an esteemed guest?"

The flattery was thick, and the words, though long-winded, spoke volumes about their hidden unease.

In any society, be it modern or medieval, this was a typical tactic when something was being hidden.

I could already imagine what would come from opening the accounts here. Countless corruption schemes would likely spill out like sausages from a casing.

"Your chambers have been prepared in the Duke’s residence, and we have also arranged another residence for your companions. Additionally, a modest banquet has been prepared, so please enjoy your meal first."

If it were Admiral Yi Sun-sin, the embodiment of integrity, he would have insisted on starting his duties before any meal. However, his level of discipline was something I could never imitate.

‘Refusing the banquet would be an act of disrespect to the Visconti family.’

Even if I wasn’t on the brink of death from a stomach illness or digestive issues, I had no choice but to eat whatever they put in front of me. This was the price of doing business in these circles.

"Of course, I will join the banquet, but we shall begin the audit immediately after the meal."

At my words, Presso’s face soured.

His expression conveyed the frustration of someone whose worst fears were coming true. However, he didn’t dare challenge me directly.

"I understand your concern, but the Duke himself is the one who insisted I come here with these seasoned merchants."

I had handpicked these elite accountants, each a top-tier professional in the merchant community, skilled enough to hold their own in any financial dispute.

"I’ve been given strict orders to conduct a thorough audit. If I don’t, how do you think the Duke will view me?"

While there were no explicit instructions to seize the funds, the task of finding corruption and keeping it in check was a directive I took very seriously. There would be no shortcuts.

"I have to give it my all. I’ll shake out every last speck of dust."

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Presso’s face turned pale. He must have understood the gravity of the situation.

To offer some relief, I thought it might be time to sweeten the deal.

"However, the Duke never instructed me to recover stolen funds, just to uncover the corruption. Do you understand what I mean?"

His expression brightened slightly.

"I’ll make sure nothing is recovered, as long as it was done out of necessity," he said, though the phrase "out of necessity" was deeply flawed in its implications.

This was the medieval world where even civil servants barely earned enough to get by, and corruption was an inevitable byproduct of such low wages.

‘The system has been set up to allow some leeway in making ends meet.’

My own estate, the Rothschild barony, was different—providing ample funds and few instances of corruption. However, if something arose, the culprit would soon disappear, quietly swept away by the winds.

"Thank you, Baron! I truly appreciate it!"

"But you owe me something in return. Can you guess what it is?"

He was quick to respond.

"You want us to fully cooperate with the audit?"

Exactly. I wasn’t expecting them to be saints, but their cooperation was vital.

"Yes, but let me make one thing clear: once the audit begins, I will need a scapegoat. Someone who must be punished severely to set an example."

The full extent of the corruption would reveal itself, and once it did, I could use the findings to ensure that those in the faction, guilty of any betrayal, would learn their lesson.

"Understood. You mean to punish those who betrayed the Duke’s family or sold information, correct?"

That was exactly what I meant. Once the audit was done, I would ensure any traitors were dealt with swiftly.

"By uncovering corruption year after year, we can drastically reduce theft, making the budget execution more efficient, and thereby creating a more prosperous economy."

I had already made my point clear, and I would not back down from it.

I finished my meal and ordered the accountants to immediately begin auditing the Visconti family’s accounts.