Chapter 14: The Merchant of Benetsa 4

“We’ve arrived. This is Lord Shaylok’s residence.”

“Ah… so this is it.”

Finally reaching our destination, we disembarked from the carriage.

Simultaneously, expressions of undisguised joy emerged on both my and Cazeros’s faces.

It was not merely the relief of arriving at our destination but also the reassurance that we could finally rest comfortably.

‘Despite the distance not seeming that far on the map, it was more arduous than expected…’

Although a familiar route due to my frequent visits for business dealings, this journey’s fatigue far exceeded the norm.

Part of it was due to our hurried departure, but…

The main reason was undoubtedly the storm we had encountered along the way.

The downpour and subsequent flooding that had turned the roads into a muddy quagmire.

The harrowing experience of forcibly pushing the unmoving carriage through that mire was truly nightmarish in hindsight.

At least we avoided such ordeals after entering Benetsa, but even so, the accumulated exhaustion was beyond imagination.

‘It felt like my luck had taken a turn for the worse after the unexpected excommunication, and this journey was plagued from the very start… It seems my destiny has an underlying tendency to veer toward ruin whenever I try to accomplish something…’

With the desire to bathe and refresh myself as soon as possible, I approached the butlers standing at the residence’s entrance.

Individuals whose faces I had become acquainted with through past business visits.

However, their expressions seemed oddly somber, in contrast to their usual demeanor, causing me to feel a slight sense of unease as I cautiously addressed them.

“Pardon me. Do you perhaps recall me?”

“Hmm?…Ah… is that not you, Lord Santana?”

“Oh… it has truly been a long time. I hope you’ve been well?”

“Well, not particularly well, I’m afraid.”

Fortunately, they recognized me and responded with welcoming expressions.

In return, I offered a somewhat bitter smile before broaching the main subject.

“I’ve come to see Lord Shaylok. Is he currently present?”

“Ah… no, he is not here at the moment.”

Although slightly disappointed at the absence of the person I wished to meet, this was a highly probable scenario.

Shaylok was a renowned merchant of Benetsa.

As such, he was a very busy man, frequently visiting various trade partners.

From that perspective, it was only natural for him to be away during my somewhat sudden visit to his residence.

However, barring any extraordinary circumstances, he would typically return home within half a day at most.

Yet, judging by the butlers’ demeanor, I sensed something amiss, prompting me to inquire cautiously.

“I see. Then, when might I be able to meet him? I have a rather urgent personal matter, you see.”

“Haah…”

“Well… the thing is…”

The butlers let out a heavy sigh before addressing my question.

Their reaction made me realize that something was indeed the matter, leading me to express my concern once more.

“Why such a reaction? Has some issue arisen, perchance?”

“…We regret to inform you, but…”

“The master is currently imprisoned.”

“Pardon? What… what do you mean? Why would Lord Shaylok suddenly be…?”

The butlers’ unexpected words left me utterly bewildered.

Seeing the profound perplexity on my face, they invited me inside as a friend and guest of their master, then proceeded to explain the unfolding situation.

Benetsa, one of the greatest mercantile cities on the continent.

In its glorious past, it served as the sole gateway to the Eastern trade via the Adriatic Sea, amassing the wealth of the entire continent.

However… in recent times, with the development of alternative trade routes to the East and the increasingly hardline stance adopted by the pagan nations in that region, Benetsa’s lucrative trade began to dwindle.

As a result, the city’s prosperity diminished year by year, and its national power naturally waned as well.

And this weakening of power inevitably…

Invited the interference of a neighboring nation that had long coveted Benetsa…

The Holy Imperium.

Although diminished compared to its past glory, Benetsa remained a strategic transportation hub, a key foothold for continental trade, and a vital chokepoint.

To seize control of this city, the Holy Imperium began laying the groundwork, eventually resorting to covertly dispatching a guild to dominate Benetsa’s commercial interests.

It was against this backdrop that the present incident unfolded.

It began three months ago, with a transaction between Shaylok and a certain merchant.

As usual, Shaylok was conducting business with numerous clients.

His primary occupation involved managing his chain of shops, but an even more significant portion of his work was lending money and collecting interest – in other words, usury.

It was to Shaylok that a young merchant named Anton Bassanio came, seeking to borrow funds.

Anton, the owner of the Grano Guild, had gained renown in Benetsa over the past year.

Shaylok was familiar with his name as a skilled yet rather greedy merchant.

Claiming an urgent need to expand his business, Anton requested a loan while presenting guild trade records and documents to prove his creditworthiness.

The paperwork depicted a sound guild operation without any apparent flaws.

Finding no credibility issues, Shaylok agreed to lend Anton the funds, willingly signing the contract forms the latter had prepared in advance.

And some time later…

Instead of repaying the borrowed sum, Shaylok received an accusation from Anton.

The charge – attempted murder of a Christian, Anton, by the Jewish Shaylok.

This incomprehensible, outrageous situation stemmed from the contract Shaylok and Anton had signed.

A standard loan agreement, no different from any promissory note.

Shaylok would lend Anton 200 talants, to be repaid with 210 talants within three months.

Aside from the listed collateral values and repayment deadline, nothing seemed amiss with the contract. However, the issue arose from a single sentence at the very end.

A clause stating that Anton vowed to offer his heart to Shaylok if he failed to uphold the agreement.

Among Jews, the phrase “to offer one’s heart” was a common expression meaning to faithfully fulfill a promise with utmost effort.

In Eastern terms, it was akin to saying “I will honor this vow wholeheartedly.” As a Jew, Shaylok naturally interpreted it as Anton’s pledge to dutifully uphold the contract.

However… the moment the repayment deadline arrived,

Anton used this phrase to accuse Shaylok of attempting to kill him, resulting in Shaylok’s arrest for investigation and trial.

And behind this incident lay the Holy Imperium’s plot to seize control of Benetsa’s commercial interests by disposing of Shaylok through Anton as their pawn.

Despite dominating a significant portion of Benetsa’s trade, Shaylok had been a thorn in the side of the city’s other merchants due to his Jewish identity.

From the Holy Imperium’s perspective of expanding its influence in Benetsa’s markets, there could be no better scapegoat than Shaylok to achieve their aims without provoking the other merchants.

Thus, ensnared by the Holy Imperium’s scheme and Anton’s treachery, Shaylok now found himself imprisoned in a cold cell.

Bearing the false charge of attempted murder, an accusation he had never contemplated or intended…