While the serfs in the Idar Territory were busy building the hanging gardens, a dusty motorcade was slowly marching along the path towards the city of Idar.
"Oh my god! Such bad roads...can't these nobles from the eastern part of the empire spend some time and money to repair them?" Kallio, a businessman from the western part of the empire, couldn't help complaining.
As a powerless salt merchant, the salt business in the western part of the empire was monopolized by the local nobles, and he was not able to get involved. Therefore, every year, Kallio could only come to the remote eastern part of the empire to purchase salt.
Then sold to the northern part of the empire.
But... the remoteness of the eastern part of the empire and the roughness of the road were really too much for him.
First, they have to cross the Almis Mountains, then pass through the Valley of Thorns into the Idar Territory, and then go all the way north, passing through the Sauron Territory and dozens of large and small noble territories, before finally reaching the slightly richer Vals Plains.
"This must be the last time I do such a bad business..." Kallio said to his entourage: "The profits from this business, plus the money accumulated over the years, should also allow me to be in the Regency Council.
A group of greedy vampires have purchased the lowest title... When the time comes, I will exchange some land and buy some serfs, and you will be my great butler..."
The entourage on the side nodded excitedly: "I will definitely do my best to serve the master..."
"We should be arriving soon... That's Idar City in the distance, right?" Kallio said.
The attendant took the map in his hand, looked at it, and said, "That should be it."
"After entering the city, we went directly to visit the lord of Idar. After all... the eastern part of the empire is known to be barren. If you arrive at the Vals Plains a day earlier, you can drink a glass of newly brewed ale a day earlier..."
"As you wish, sir." The attendant responded quickly.
The motorcade stopped on the roadside outside the city. Kallio and his entourage drove a carriage into the city, but...
The cleanliness of Idar City exceeded their imagination.
This was not the first time Kallio came to Idar City, but this time, the Idar City he saw was very different from before, as if it had completely changed its appearance.
"It's strange...why there is no smell of feces in this city..." Kallio tried his best to smell it, and then murmured to himself.
"Sir, look..." The attendant pointed towards the corner of the road, where Shabi collected feces.
"Five baskets of feces...can be exchanged for one copper plate? Isn't the lord of Idar a fool? Although tidy streets are indeed much more pleasing to the eye...but you can't spend money like this..."
Seeing the neat streets in front of him, and recalling the dirty stinking ditches and strange smells in the inland cities of the empire, Kallio, who had always been proud of the west, felt his cheeks feel a little hot.
The wealth of the western part of the empire is undeniable, but the so-called wealth only refers to the wealth of the aristocracy. As for the common people and serfs, they still live on the edge of starvation, living in overcrowded cities full of shit and urine.
…
Bruno met Cario, the salt merchant who had come from afar, in his study.
"Dear Count Idar, Lord Bruno of the Stuart family..." Even though there were many prejudices against the eastern part of the empire before this, the other party was a noble after all, so the proper etiquette must be indispensable.
.
What's more, what he saw in Idar City made him curious about the young earl in front of him, and he didn't dare to look at him casually.
"You are the businessman from the western part of the empire, right? Old Ford mentioned you to me, and he was the one who negotiated business with you before." Bruno said.
"Yes, we have indeed been doing business with Old Ford before."
Kallio suddenly felt a little nervous in his heart. Before this, he had heard about Bruno, Count of Idar.
This Earl, who has almost all the shortcomings of a noble, has always been indifferent to the affairs in the territory. This time he suddenly condescended to discuss business with him in person, and it is unclear what his thoughts are.
"Could he be trying to raise the price?" Kallio thought secretly in his heart.
However, Bruno spoke at this time: "The business will still be based on the originally negotiated price, but this time, the salt to be sold to you is slightly more."
Carlio breathed a sigh of relief at Bruno's words. As long as the price was not suddenly raised, everything would be easy.
"How many?"
"It's about 20% more than before."
After all, the method of seawater salting has only just been used, so due to time constraints, the output did not increase much at once.
"Okay." Kallio said: "In the past, the price of each purchase was 800 gold coins. Since it is 20% more this time, let's calculate it as 960 gold coins."
Bruno nodded in agreement.
"If that's the case, can I take the team to weigh and load the cars?" Kallio stood up and said.
"There's no rush..." Bruno smiled and said, "Mr. Kallio, please sit down for a while before leaving. We have other things to talk about..."
really!
Kallio was shocked, this young nobleman was really planning something!
But since Bruno said this, Kallio couldn't just walk away. After all, a noble is a noble, and he was not something he could resist.
Even if Bruno wanted to buy and sell by force, Kallio could only temporarily give in.
At this moment, Kallio was ready for a big hemorrhage. After all, Bruno's reputation had not been very good before. I hope it wasn't something too extreme...
"Besides salt...are you interested in sugar?"
"What?" Kallio didn't respond for a moment.
"White sugar." Bruno emphasized.
"Sugar? You mean...you can sell me sugar?" Kallio asked in disbelief.
"That's right. I can sell you sugar." Bruno added: "As long as the price is right, I can provide you with sugar steadily for a long time."
Hearing what Bruno said, Kallio's thoughts suddenly came alive.
It is almost universally known that the Norman Empire did not produce sugar, but this young earl claimed that he could provide a stable supply of sugar...
Kallio's brain was running rapidly at this time. Idar was not far from the Kingdom of Basel, which produces sugar. Could it be...
smuggling!
Suddenly, these two words suddenly broke into Kallio's mind.
He plucked up the courage again, raised his head and looked at the young nobleman in front of him again. He was mature, steady, and well-controlled. He couldn't be related to the image of a prodigal son that was widely circulated in the outside world. Maybe... that was just something he deliberately conveyed.
Going out?
After all, smuggling is not something that ordinary people can afford. Not only does it require a huge network of relationships, but it also requires a large amount of money and manpower as well as...the threat of force...
For a time, Kallio felt more and more that the young nobleman in front of him was actually a deep-hidden guy, a big shot hiding behind the scenes.
It turns out... that there has always been such a powerful family in the eastern part of the empire?
The Stuart family in Idar Territory is so terrifying!