Cacao or Joseph Ermeler's Travels

by Peter Argonis

Language: English

Published: 2026-09-22. 27,982 Words.

Categories: Fiction » Historical » Renaissance

Content Rating: Older than 17

Joseph Ermeler is a wagon master for a powerful merchant house in the age of discovery and is sent to faraway lands, to bring home precious spices. Now a merchant of means in his own right and returned to the town of his birth, he woos Ursula, reputedly a tempestuous shrew, swaying her from her man-hating ways with the magic of sweet and spicy chocolate. A Handmade Tale, i.e. no AI involvement.

Foreword
The Fugger and Welser families of merchants and bankers were amongst the most powerful people in 16th to 17th century Europe, who could make or break a Holy Roman Emperor, by lending him money or denying it. They had branches — Kontore — all over Europe, and they moved huge sums of money by issuing Wechsel, money orders, that could be transported without fear of loss. This new form of financing, without the tedious and dangerous transfer of bullion or minted gold, is intricately connected to the Age of Discovery, a euphemism for subjugating and plundering indigenous people the World over, something that required share holders who expected a return on their investments, leaving little room for humanity
Travelling to the Spice Islands, or Malukas, in the early 17th century certainly was a dangerous undertaking, given the rudimentary navigation tools, the hand-drawn and -copied sea charts, the health hazards from scurvy and tropical fevers, poorly constructed ships and the frequent — and understandable — hostility of the 'discovered' peoples. Merchants perished or became well off, whilst the crews of the ships in which they travelled perished, if not during one, then in one of the next journeys. The only people getting rich and living to enjoy the riches, were those who financed the ships and stayed safely at home.
This is the setting for another story in my Knights and Commoners Universe, once again focussing on a commoner, a young trader and merchant who risks his health and life to bring home riches for his boss, a rich merchant and banker. Whilst wintering in Genoa and enjoying the leisure time with a lusty young widow, he gets a taste of hot chocolate, and he decides to add cocoa beans to his staple of trading goods, a decision that will bring him happiness and wealth.
And yes, the movie Chocolat was an inspiration for this tale, too.