Supreme Spouse System.

Chapter 784: scene

These days, there are plenty of protagonists in otherworldly stories who want to live a peaceful, relaxed life.

A life completely opposite to the busy, stressful one of the 21st century Korea.

I’ve lived comfortably in this world for about 20 years now without a single complaint.

Except, of course, for the lack of electricity.

“Is the easy life coming to an end?”

Once I walk through that door and hear my father’s decision, my life will probably change 180 degrees.

But there’s no avoiding this moment.

“Father, I’m coming in.”

I knocked on the door three times before entering the room.

The father of the body I’ve been inhabiting looked at me with a serious expression and told me to sit.

“This will take a while. Sit down.”

“Yes.”

“Yesterday, your brother’s formal investiture as the heir was completed. As a result, I am no longer the head of the Medici barony.”

He may have stepped down from his position, but it was only in appearance.

My brother, the eldest son, is just a 30-year-old kid, so he’ll need plenty of help from our father.

“By tradition, now that you’ve reached adulthood, you have to leave this house. I don’t think you’re aiming for your brother’s barony, but…you never know what might happen in life.”

“Yes, I understand.”

He’s essentially telling me to leave, but there’s no point in arguing.

If I resist, I’d be seen as a traitor to the family, aiming for the barony, and might face a mysterious death.

I find it oddly amusing that I’m experiencing a classic banishment scene straight out of a web novel.

But the father before me isn’t the kind of cruel man who would kick me out for being the second son without any talent.

“Fabio, even though you’re the second son, you’re still my precious child. So, I—no, the Medici family—will support you as much as possible. If you want to go to the academy, you can go. If you want to become a soldier, I’ll make sure you have a path to become an officer. We’ll give you ample funds from the family.”

The academy he mentioned isn’t the type filled with beautiful girls like in web novels, obviously.

It’s a place where 100% of the students are male, and upon graduation, you get a certificate equivalent to the fifth grade public service position in Korea.

But having a certificate doesn’t mean you’ll be hired, so you’d also need to make an appropriate donation when you apply for jobs.

Becoming an officer would mean using the family’s connections to get a cushy lieutenant post.

It’s not fair by any means, but that’s how employment works in a fantasy world like this.

No matter which path I choose, the family’s spending won’t be insignificant, but most nobles provide this level of support at minimum.

Golden spoon fathers can’t stand seeing their kids suffer because of a lack of money.

“What are you planning to do? I’ll fully support whatever you decide.”

Neither option appeals to me much.

I’ve already seen how the army and civil service function here, where it’s normal to use family connections and money to secure a job.

If a superior tells you to cough up personal money for drinking or entertaining, you have no choice but to comply. There’s no one to complain to, no matter how absurd the demand.

In fact, such things are considered a part of the superiors’ generous training.

And now you’re asking me, with memories of a past life, to enter this chaotic mess?

I’d probably lose my mind in a few years.

“I want to become a merchant, like our family’s founder, Cosimo.”

“Why on earth would you want to become a lowly merchant? Alright, let’s hear your reasons.”

Father’s frown deepened as he asked to hear my reasons.

He clenched his fists tightly, as if he was deciding whether to beat me after hearing what I had to say.

I can’t blame him—merchants in this world are basically like gangsters.

They form guilds, split up the market among themselves, and if a newcomer does too well, they send thugs to beat him half to death.

They sell quality goods to nobles, but to commoners without backing, they sell overpriced junk and respond with fists if anyone complains.

The idea of merchants as scum has become an everyday truth.

Who would be happy about their child becoming a mafia member?

“It may sound childish, but I’ve always thought about making and selling things since I was young. But until now, I held back for the sake of my brother and the family.”

Here, trying to present a business plan would be pointless.

Even if the family’s main business is managing territories rather than running a significant trading company.

“I’ve always wanted to make a name for myself as a merchant. But I held back because of my brother and the family. Now that I’m going independent, I want to give it a try.”

Honestly, ever since I reincarnated in this world, I’ve dreamed of changing it through business.

It may be a dream suited for young fools, but isn’t it kind of cool?

A life where I challenge myself to see how much I can change this world with 21st-century skills and experience.

So I’ve managed to come up with several game-changing innovations, but being the second son of a barony, I couldn’t do anything with them.

If I outshined my brother, the legitimate heir, I’d risk being exiled by my powerful father and family.

“Please, just give me one chance.”

I wanted to argue logically, but trying to present a business plan here would be pointless.

I don’t have any accomplishments to show yet.

So I decided that appealing to his emotions for initial support would be better.

Once I show even a sliver of success, I can leverage that to secure more support.

Someone once said, it’s a thousand times harder to go from zero to one than from one to two.