I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 302: Reformation (5)

The Bible has a passage that condemns those who buy up land during a famine, saying they are not human.

It’s a desperate situation, starving, and yet you sell your land cheaply to survive—farmers end up bankrupt later because of this.

So, a good Deus believer shouldn’t buy land or real estate during a famine or economic collapse.

But... someone like me, less than saintly, should do the exact opposite of what that passage says.

‘Buy stocks when they crash, buy real estate during an economic depression.’

That’s how you make money.

"Our misfortune is our opportunity, folks."

"That's true. A war breaking out in a neighboring country would be the perfect boom for us."

"Even if we can't directly provoke the Tsardom of Rus and the Kingdom of Lyon, it's clear they're going to get involved in the war. But if we miss the right time to sell, we’ll lose out big time, right?"

People often think of the U.S. during the world wars, especially World War II, when they imagine an invincible superpower.

They built an aircraft carrier every two weeks, drafted millions of soldiers, and even made ice cream ships for the troops just so they could deliver ice cream.

They were known for their remarkable logistics, defying human understanding.

But what’s often overlooked is that during both World Wars, they made vast profits selling weapons and military supplies to Europe.

That’s exactly what I intend to do.

"So, for the next two years, let’s not sell weapons or armor, but stockpile them. When the time is right, we’ll sell them to the Holy Empire."

"Two years seems too long, doesn’t it?"

"War isn’t going to break out in a few hours like bread baking. Think of it like fermenting wine—sometimes you need to let it sit for years. When you invest in business, you have to hold on to it for a while before it turns into profit."

Even for something as stable as the U.S. stock market, it's impossible to make significant money in just a few months.

At least a year, two years are needed to see the returns, just like how you have to study for a civil servant exam for over a year before even coming close to passing.

I’ve been preparing for the religious reform war for over three years, and it’ll take at least two more years for the war to break out.

And when the war happens, the price of weapons and armor will skyrocket.

"The merchant instincts are telling me that in two years, the price of armor and weapons will double, maybe even triple."

Food, clothing, armor, weapons... the prices of things people need will increase several times over.

On the flip side, real estate—land, factories—might lose up to half its value, or even a quarter.

If war breaks out, everyone will be too preoccupied with surviving the day to care about the value of property. The warfront changes constantly, and at any moment, the value of property can plummet to nothing.

"Then, we stockpile weapons and armor for the next two years, and when the time is right, we sell them at a premium."

"What happens if we reject your offer?"

"There won’t be any direct disadvantage for you if you refuse. I’m no devil—why would I harm those who haven’t wronged me?"

"Really?"

"However, there's one thing I hope you don’t forget."

I don’t plan to harm anyone who hasn’t wronged me by making them suffer politically or economically—that’s a cruel thing to do.

What I will do is expose the small crimes they’ve committed and ensure they face proper punishment.

It’s only right for criminals to face their punishment.

"My friend, the judge at the High Court, Mancini, and I have a good relationship. He’s quite eager to get promoted."

The merchants’ faces turned pale at the mention of his name.

"Why, is there something to fear? If you’re not guilty, why would you be scared of a high court judge?"

"People like us, lowly merchants, can’t even dream of facing someone like him."

"Am I not a person like you?"

"No, it’s not that..."

"I’m not scary, but the high court judge is? The world really is upside down. Am I wrong, gentlemen?"

A high court judge like Mancini can easily frame nobles for crimes they didn’t commit.

Of course, if overused, the higher-ups in the court would step in and rebuke him...

But within reasonable limits, he can falsely accuse anyone he dislikes, sending them to the execution block with trumped-up charges.

Not to mention, for the wealthy merchants who are bound to have skeletons in their closets...

‘He’s like a living reaper.’

"Of course, if you accept my offer gladly, I won’t have to visit my friend, the judge. I hope you’ll all agree to my proposal."

I snapped my fingers, and the servants brought in the contracts.

The merchants sweated profusely as they looked at the contracts.

They had to choose between risking holding on to unsold stock for two years or having a “pleasant” time in the interrogation room with Mancini.

One option was clearly far less comfortable than the other.

‘I think it’s time to give them a little room to breathe.’

I’m pressuring them a bit, but I’m doing it with good intentions. They probably don’t see it that way, though.

"If you don’t want to risk holding unsold stock for two years, sign the contract on the left."

"Is the right and left contract different?"

"The right one is for selling weapons with me in two years, where you get paid for the quantity you sell. The left one is for buying as many weapons and armor as you want from the Rothschild House at today’s market price for the next two years."

I’d choose the right contract if I were them.

In two years, the price of weapons and armor will have skyrocketed, and they’ll be able to sell unlimited quantities at that price.

Why sell now when you’ll miss the chance to make a fortune?

However, just like stock market traders, some merchants are too impatient or greedy to wait for the big payoff.

They’ll take the contract on the left because they can’t resist the immediate gratification.

‘Just produce it, and the money will multiply, right?’

How can they resist?

I made sure most of them signed the left contract, with only a few opting for the right.

"All signed?"

"Yes, we’ve thought it through carefully. It looks like I won’t have to visit the judge after all."

"Thank you."

Their expressions were far from thankful, but I let it slide.

After all, no matter how much they complain, they can’t do anything about it.

"You’re free to go. I look forward to working with you in the future."

Now that I’ve secured the weapons and armor, it’s time to focus on the next steps.

I headed straight for the printing press.

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"How’s the Bible printing going?"

"Thanks to your special attention, my lord, we’re printing 3,000 copies every month."

If a modern publishing house printed 3,000 books in a month, people might call them hobbyists.

But in this age, with the printing press just invented, printing 3,000 copies...

‘It’s like a library that’s going to make history.’

But to start a religious reform, this isn’t enough.

"It’s not enough."

The head of the printing press looked at me in disbelief.

"Excuse me? What do you mean 3,000 copies isn’t enough?"

"Is that all you’re satisfied with as the head of a printing press that prints Bibles? You should at least aim to give a Bible to every person in Toscana."

"My lord, your vision is truly unique."

The printing press played a crucial role in the Reformation.

It was through the printing press, invented by Gutenberg, that Martin Luther’s 95 Theses spread rapidly.

And the core of that ideology was the Bible.

‘The soldiers of King Gustavus Adolphus, the Lionheart, all carried Bibles with them.’

Whether in despair or joy, the soldiers read the Bible, keeping their morale up.

The very justification for the war came from the Bible.

"From now on, we’re going to print 30,000 copies a month. I’ll show you how to do it."