The Restoration of Rome: In the Name of Augustus

Chapter 61 Setting a Trap

"Alberto da Giuzano?"

The merchants were secretly curious and were about to ask the guild leader when the butler's voice suddenly rang out from outside the door: "Master, that Saracen guest has arrived."

Daniel's eyes flickered, and the merchants nodded and left through the back door.

"Let him in."

A moment later, the conference room door was pushed open, and a figure appeared in the doorway.

Zahir stood there, travel-worn yet radiant. His Saracen-style leather armor seemed out of place in the Venetian merchant guild, and his face bore the rough smile typical of pirates. Behind him, two burly men carried a heavy wooden crate, which clattered heavily as it was placed on the floor.

"Honorable Chairman!" Zahir bowed deeply, his voice booming, "I apologize for being late, but good news is always worth the wait!"

Daniel practically jumped up: "How is it?"

Zahir kicked open the wooden crate, its contents gleaming in the sunlight. "Look!" he exclaimed. "Robert's four cargo ships, laden with Syrian silk and spices! Now they're our treasure!" He grabbed a handful of coins, letting them slip through his fingers. "Let me tell you, Daniel," he continued, "Robert's fleet from Venice to the Levant was like ripe fruit, just waiting to be picked! And I, of all people, have the honor of being the first to harvest it!"

A greedy glint flashed in Daniel's eyes, but his tone was cautious: "Four ships? Has the cargo manifest been verified? Is Robert's flagship, the 'Samuel,' among them?"

Zahir patted his chest: "Absolutely true! The 'Samuel' put up the fiercest resistance and I've sunk it. These gold coins are just an appetizer."

“Robert is beyond saving. Not only that,” Zahir lowered his voice, as if sharing a colossal secret, “my men have sent word that another of Robert’s caravans will depart from Trieste next week, laden with Hemian silver, bound for Jerusalem. But they only have two escort ships, and while they seem to have recruited many mercenaries, any expert can see they’re just there to fill positions—he probably doesn’t have the extra money to hire guards.” He paused meaningfully. “If this deal goes through, Robert will be completely bankrupt!”

"How many boats do you need?" Daniel asked bluntly.

“What I have isn’t enough,” Zahir shook his head. “I need at least ten more fast boats and two hundred sailors. But it’s worth the investment; this is Bohemian silver!”

Daniel gasped. The risk was too great. He had already lent almost all of his idle ships to Zahir, and if he were to allocate ten more, his own trade routes would be jeopardized.

Daniel paced back and forth in the conference room, a fierce battle raging within him between greed and caution. Finally, he stopped, a gambler's gleam in his eyes: "Keep half of this money as collateral. Fifteen ships and three hundred men, I'll give you. But seventy percent of the profits, not a penny less."

Zahir feigned a moment's hesitation, then nodded emphatically: "Deal! But you'd better hurry, Robert won't wait for us."

An hour later, Zahir left the Chamber of Commerce with Daniel's authorization letter to mobilize the fifteen ships. Daniel stood by the window, watching Zahir's small boat disappear around the bend of the Grand Canal, a victorious smile spreading across his face.

Less than half an hour after Zahir left, two strangers appeared at the entrance of the St. Mark's Guild. Leading the way was a boy who appeared to be in his teens, with Latin features and short, slightly wavy brown hair typical of Greeks. He wore an exquisite dark cloak, lined with deep red silk commonly found among Trabzon nobles. Behind him was a burly young man, his bearing exuding military fortitude, a valuable and ornate longsword hanging at his waist.

The two men's extraordinary attire attracted the attention of the guild's apprentices, who were soon respectfully invited into Daniel's drawing room.

"Your Excellency Daniel, please forgive our caution. We come from Constantinople… You must have heard of the tragedy that occurred there a year ago. My former master…" Balian glanced at Lyon, his eyes filled with complex emotions, seemingly tinged with sorrow, “an official who served the Roman Empire faithfully, was falsely accused of being a traitor simply because he married a Latin woman and had dealings with Italian merchants. His property was confiscated, and his life was taken…”

Daniel was shocked, but his expression was exaggerated to the point of being affected: "My God, the turmoil in Constantinople was so devastating..."

"Yes. Fortunately, we still have some businesses in Trabzon, dealing in silk. Although the Turks are at war with us and our trade routes to the east have been cut off, we have a considerable stock of fine silk from the east. We didn't want to sell it, but for survival and the future of our young master, we have to exchange it for gold."

Balian's acting was quite poor, almost expressionless, but at this moment, Daniel saw this lack of expression as a genuine expression: "We had a contract with a merchant named Robert, who promised to help us sell a batch of silk in Venice. But recently his fleet has been repeatedly attacked by pirates, and not only have our goods disappeared, but Robert has also vanished without a trace. We are in Venice looking for him to compensate us for our losses, and at the same time, we need to find a new partner."

"Robert?" Daniel feigned surprise. "I've heard of him, an unlucky Lombard."

“I’ve heard of the silk trade in Trabzon,” Daniel said, stroking his chin with a polite distance. “But you should also know that Venice is one of the major silk trading centers, and I’ve seen quite a few high-quality silks there.”

"What you've seen is probably just ordinary stuff that's changed hands many times."

Balian gracefully took out an exquisite pine box from his robes and carefully lifted a magnificent piece of silk from it. As the silk was slowly spread out on Daniel's table, Daniel's breath caught in his throat.

Daniel's fingers gently traced the smooth surface of the silk. His family had been merchants in Jerusalem for generations, and he immediately recognized it as a priceless masterpiece from the court of Seres in the East. Suppressing his excitement, he asked, "How many of these silks do you have?"

"Enough to fill five large merchant ships," Balian said, looking directly into Daniel's eyes. "We originally hoped to sell it for a good price anywhere, but now... all we want is to leave Trabzon and start over in the West."

"Take me to see it."

When they arrived at the dock and saw the silk on the cargo ship of the same quality as the silk Balian had displayed, Daniel's eyes widened. This was absolutely top-notch stuff, enough to make several times the profit in a single transaction!

Daniel's heart raced—this could be the biggest deal of his business career. But he had just lent almost all of his idle ships to Zahir.

"I can help you," Daniel said carefully, "but most of my fleet is currently overseas. If you can wait two weeks..."

"We can't wait that long!" Balian's tone quickened. "The authorities in Trabzon are after us. We must get rid of the silk we're holding in Jerusalem as soon as possible and start a new life in the West!"

Seeing that Daniel was still hesitant, Balian stepped forward: "Sir, if you can accept this deal immediately, we are willing to sell one-third of the silk at cost price as payment! You are our only lifeline!"

Daniel quickly calculated: the value of one-third of the silk already far exceeded the charter fee, and the remaining two-thirds would yield even more profit. He couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.

"Give me a day," Daniel said resolutely. "I will prepare the ship. Take me to inspect the cargo at the same time tomorrow."

After the two Trabzon men left, Daniel immediately summoned his men: "Find ships! Rent every seaworthy vessel imaginable, no matter the price! Then go to the bank and withdraw my savings; I need cash to buy this batch of silk!"

The butler tried to dissuade him: "Master, this is too risky! We just lent fifteen ships to Zahir, and now we need to charter more to buy goods. Our funds will be stretched thin!"

Daniel's eyes were fixed on the priceless silk: "The greater the risk, the greater the reward. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"