Black Corporation: Joseon

January 1443.

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.

In the study of Pedro, Duke of Coimbra, Pedro sat with Cosimo and Henry around a table.

“These are the profits from our recent voyage.”

Pedro nodded as he examined the ledger Henry had presented.

“Another substantial profit, I see.”

“Yes. While the slave trade and commerce in Africa yielded good returns, we made exceptional profits from the goods brought from Joseon.”

“Hmm…”

As Pedro reviewed the ledger while listening to Henry’s explanation, he let out a long sigh.

“It can’t be helped. Three consecutive years of profits – massive profits at that.”

At last, Pedro had no choice but to surrender to Cosimo.

***

Initially, Pedro had said he would decide after seeing the results of the first two voyages, but he had been skeptical. That’s why he had added another year.

“I’ll observe the situation for one more year!”

The Joseon route may be highly profitable, but an alliance with the Ottomans carries far too much risk!

What he considered dangerous was the Ottomans’ position.

Geographically, the Ottomans had seized the eastern Mediterranean and were steadily encroaching upon the Balkan Peninsula.

Once they devour Byzantium, Europe will be next!

The European nations of the western Mediterranean were watching the Ottoman Empire with great concern, harboring such worries.

Another risk lay in internal political matters.

Currently, Pedro’s greatest political rival was his half-brother Afonso, Count of Barcelos. Using his wealth, Afonso had been recruiting nobles to his side and had risen to become Pedro’s most formidable opponent.

His recent appointment as the first Duke of Braganza symbolized his ascension as Pedro’s greatest rival.

Though Pedro wanted to prevent it, he had been overwhelmed by the nobles’ support and political pressure.

In such circumstances, any connection with the Ottomans could be tantamount to climbing the gallows himself.

Spain and Portugal had been born from expelling Islamic forces from the Iberian Peninsula. Though Portugal maintained a more flexible stance than the rabidly anti-Islamic Spain, any alliance with Islam would still be an extremely burdensome matter.

The only faction Pedro could count on was the bourgeoisie who had grown powerful through Mediterranean and African trade.

To maintain their support, Pedro had issued laws and decrees benefiting them. This, in turn, had put him at odds with the nobles centered around the Duke of Braganza.

***

“Very well. I’ll work with you. But remember – if you fail to deliver on your promises regarding Jerusalem, securing trade routes, and fair profit distribution, it means destruction for both you and me.”

Cosimo placed his right hand over his heart and gave a slight bow at Pedro’s warning.

“I understand perfectly. I’ll do my utmost.”

“Also, I’ll deny everything until we formally sign the agreement with the Ottomans.”

“Of course.”

Readily agreeing to Pedro’s terms, Cosimo rose from his seat.

“I’ll take my leave now. I have many people to meet.”

“There are too many watching eyes, so I won’t see you out.”

“Understood.”

After Cosimo left the room, Pedro stood and walked to the window.

Watching Cosimo’s carriage disappear under the escort of heavily armed guards, Pedro turned to Henry.

“Will this succeed?”

“Among the sayings I heard in Joseon, there’s one that goes ‘riding on a tiger’s back.’ We’re past the point of no return. All we can do now is stay alert and give it our best.”

“Indeed…”

Nodding at Henry’s words, Pedro ground his teeth.

“Damn that Braganza! Bastard son that he is! Damn those nobles! Self-serving petty men! If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t need to work in these shadows!”

As Pedro vented his fury, Henry tried to calm him.

“Now is the time for patience, brother. You must secure the support of the bourgeoisie. The nobles’ fancy clothes, their lavish feasts, the soldiers guarding their castles and mansions – the bourgeoisie provides it all. Once you have them firmly in your grip, the nobles will have to submit to you.”

“They’ll support me as long as I guarantee their profits and freedom. The problem is that while I can guarantee their freedom, you’re responsible for their profits. Are you up to it?”

“Leave it to me!”

Henry answered Pedro’s question with absolute confidence.

***

This wasn’t mere bravado from Henry. He genuinely had the means to guarantee profits for Portugal’s bourgeoisie. Trade with Joseon, which had started with three ships, had already expanded to six, and there were numerous vessels coming to Suez via the African route.

As more ships headed to Joseon, shipyards in Lisbon and Florence kept building vessels to fill the gaps. Captains and crews were being continuously hired to man these ships.

Naturally, massive amounts of money changed hands throughout this process, and these flowing funds were fattening Portugal’s bourgeoisie.

***

After securing Pedro’s cooperation, Cosimo returned straight to Florence.

“Let’s see… where should I go first?”

Cosimo reviewed the information sent by merchants and spies once more.

“No need to visit the Habsburgs.”

Cosimo first crossed the Holy Roman Empire off his list.

***

The Holy Roman Empire was in utter chaos at the time.

After Albrecht II’s death, Friedrich had been elected as King of Germany. Thus began the reign of Friedrich IV.

However, the situation was dire. Friedrich IV proved incompetent at unifying and ruling the Holy Roman Empire, which had been fractured into countless autonomous regions and noble territories. Consequently, he had to withdraw from political affairs due to the Austrian nobles’ rebellion and conflicts with German princes. This only worsened matters, leading to a power struggle with his own brother, Albrecht VI.

In this situation, the Holy Roman Empire had become a place where alliances formed and dissolved daily.

***

After crossing off the Holy Roman Empire, Cosimo muttered while studying the map.

“Should I go to Morea first? Or Edirne?”

Unlike the declining Constantinople, Morea had grown increasingly powerful and become the new center of the Byzantine Empire. Thus, its ruler, Despot Constantine, was considered the de facto leader of the Byzantine Empire.

The other destination, Edirne, was the Ottoman Empire’s capital where Murad II resided.

“Which should I stop first…”

After contemplating various options, Cosimo soon reached his decision.

“Edirne first would be the natural choice.”

***

Having decided his destination, Cosimo moved on to the next matter.

“Spain is becoming quite troublesome. Same with Genoa and Venice. Hmm…”

As Cosimo pondered over Spain’s financier Genoa, and Venice – both Genoa’s arch-rival and his own competitor – he began crafting a scheme.

“They’ve never gotten along anyway…”

After outlining a plan to check Genoa, Spain’s source of funds, Cosimo continued studying the map.

“Still, Spain remains an issue. Hmm…”

Staring intently at the map, Cosimo clicked his tongue.

“Tch! Should I bring in France? Those greedy bastards?”

***

The Hundred Years’ War between England and France was finally winding down.

Charles VII had been formally crowned as King of France, and the internal strife between the Burgundian and Armagnac factions had ended with the Treaty of Arras.

As France stabilized internally, the long-running war was approaching its conclusion.

Though sporadic battles continued, envoys from both England and France were working diligently to negotiate a truce.

***

Eyeing France on the map, Cosimo analyzed the situation.

“Once the war ends, the mercenaries will be starving for work. Left alone, they’ll turn straight to banditry… Hmm…”

After considering various scenarios, Cosimo smirked.

“Heh! I’ll need to dangle an appropriate carrot. Spain should look appetizing enough, right? And clean up some debt relationships while we’re at it…”

Having determined how to utilize France, Cosimo began sketching out the overall picture.

“First, stop the Ottoman northward advance and keep Morea in check. Everything falls apart if they start acting up. Then use France to tie down Spain, while Portugal and the Ottomans seize Egypt in the meantime.”

After drawing this broad outline, Cosimo stroked his beard.

“Been a while since I’ve needed to see the Pope.”

Having completed his grand design with plans to meet the Pope, Cosimo stared at Joseon on the map and muttered.

“If everything goes right, nobody will worry about the ‘western route to Joseon’ for five years minimum, ten at most. And if things go really well, we can rake in profits for at least twenty years.”

Cosimo was planning a massive war that would entangle many nations for his own profit.

***

Having drawn up his grand scheme, Cosimo began moving swiftly.

Using the fastest ship available, he arrived in Edirne and sought an audience with Murad II.

“Sultan, have you finally reached a decision?”

“Cosimo de’ Medici, infidel merchant. Do you truly believe this will benefit me?”

“It will benefit you immensely, Your Majesty.”

In response to Murad II’s question, Cosimo presented the ledger he had received from Henry.

“These are the profits from just six ships. If our plan succeeds, we’ll be sharing dozens of times this amount.”

“This isn’t merely about money.”

Cosimo nodded at Murad II’s observation.

“Indeed. That’s why Jerusalem is included. ‘Protector of Jerusalem, the Holy City of All,’ ‘The Merciful Ruler Who Guards All Pilgrims to the Holy Land.’ What could be more glorious than these titles?”

“Hmm…”

Since falling under Mamluk control, Jews and Christians had almost vanished from Jerusalem. Though Islamic teachings preached mercy, the Mamluk leaders had driven them into the desert.

Therefore, acquiring Jerusalem and showing reasonable tolerance would bring enormous political advantages.

***

A month later, Murad II’s envoy secretly visited Florence.

Meeting with Cosimo, the envoy conveyed Murad II’s intention.

“The Sultan says he will join you.”

“Understood.”

With Murad II’s participation secured, Cosimo grinned broadly as he prepared for his journey.

“To Morea!”

***

Meanwhile, certain individuals were keeping a close eye on Cosimo’s bustling activities.

These were the merchants of Genoa, among Cosimo’s most powerful rivals.

“Florence is acting suspicious. We’d better stay sharp.”