Chapter 26: The Salt Merchant

While the serfs of the Idar territory were fervently building the Hanging Garden, a dusty caravan was slowly making its way along the rough road toward Idar City.

"My god! These terrible roads… Can't the nobles in the eastern empire spend a little time and money to repair them?" complained Cario, a merchant from the western empire.

As a powerless and unprivileged salt trader, Cario had no chance of competing with the great nobles who monopolized the salt business in the western part of the empire. Each year, he had no choice but to travel to the remote eastern frontier of the empire to purchase salt, which he then transported northward for sale.

However, the desolation of the empire's east and the hardship of the journey were proving unbearable for him.

First, he had to cross the Armis Mountains, then pass through Thorn Valley into the Idar territory. From there, he would travel northward, passing through the Soren territory and dozens of other noble lands before finally reaching the slightly more prosperous Vals Plain.

"This will definitely be my last trip doing this wretched business…" Cario muttered to his attendant. "The profit from this deal, along with the wealth I've saved over the years, should be enough to buy me a low-ranking noble title from those greedy bloodsuckers in the Regency Council… Once I have that, I'll acquire some land, buy a few serfs, and you'll be my steward."

The attendant nodded excitedly. "I will serve you faithfully, master!"

"We should be close now… That must be Idar City in the distance, right?" Cario asked.

The attendant took out a map, glanced at it, and replied, "It should be."

"Once we enter the city, we'll go straight to visit the Lord of Idar. After all… the poverty of the empire's east is well known. The sooner we reach Vals Plain, the sooner we can enjoy a cup of freshly brewed ale."

"As you wish, master," the attendant responded promptly.

The caravan stopped by the roadside outside the city, and Cario entered with his attendant in a horse-drawn carriage. However…

The cleanliness of Idar City completely defied their expectations.

This wasn't Cario's first time in Idar City, but this time, it looked entirely different almost as if it had been transformed into a completely new place.

"Strange… Why doesn't the city smell like filth anymore?" Cario sniffed the air and muttered to himself.

"Master, look over there…" The attendant pointed to a corner of the street where Shabi was collecting waste.

"Three baskets of waste… can be exchanged for a copper coin? Is the Lord of Idar a fool? Clean streets are nice, but money shouldn't be spent so frivolously…"

Seeing the spotless streets, Cario couldn't help but recall the filthy open sewers and foul stench of the empire's inland cities. For the first time, he felt a strange embarrassment.

The wealth of the western empire was undeniable, but that prosperity only extended to the noble class. As for the commoners and serfs, they still hovered on the brink of starvation, living in crowded, excrement-ridden cities.

Bruno met with the traveling salt merchant in his study.

"Honorable Lord of Idar, Bruno Stuart of House Stuart…" Despite his previous biases against the empire's east, Cario still observed proper etiquette when addressing a noble.

Moreover, his experiences in Idar City had piqued his curiosity about this young count. He no longer dared to view him with the usual condescension.

"You must be the merchant from the empire's west. Old Ford mentioned you. He handled business with you in the past," Bruno said.

"Yes, I have always dealt with Butler Ford."

Cario, however, felt a slight unease. He had heard of Bruno before an infamous noble who indulged in every vice and ignored his own territory. Yet now, the count had personally lowered himself to negotiate with a mere merchant. What was he planning?

"Could he be trying to raise the price?" Cario speculated.

But Bruno soon spoke again. "The business will continue at the same price as before. However, this time, I have a bit more salt to sell you."

Cario breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the price wasn't increasing, everything was fine.

"How much more?"

"About twenty percent more than before."

Since the seawater salt extraction method had only recently been implemented, the production increase wasn't drastic just yet.

"That's fine," Cario said. "The usual price was three hundred gold coins per batch. If the quantity is twenty percent higher, we'll adjust to three hundred sixty gold coins."

Bruno nodded in agreement.

"In that case, may I bring my caravan to weigh and load the salt?" Cario asked, preparing to take his leave.

"No rush," Bruno said with a smile. "Mr. Cario, why don't you sit a while longer? We have other matters to discuss."

As expected!

Cario's heart tensed. This young noble was indeed planning something!

But since Bruno had spoken, Cario had no choice but to stay. After all, nobles were not to be refused.

If Bruno intended to coerce him into an unfair deal, Cario would have no choice but to comply. He mentally prepared himself for a financial loss. Given Bruno's reputation, he just hoped it wouldn't be too extreme…

"Aside from salt… are you interested in sugar?"

"What?" Cario was momentarily stunned.

"Sugar," Bruno repeated.

"Sugar? You mean… you're offering to sell me sugar?" Cario asked in disbelief.

"Yes. I can sell you sugar," Bruno confirmed. "As long as the price is right, I can provide a stable and long-term supply."

Hearing this, Cario's mind started racing.

It was common knowledge that the Norman Empire didn't produce sugar. Yet this young earl claimed he could provide a stable supply…

There was only one explanation.

Smuggling!

The thought suddenly struck Cario like a lightning bolt.

He looked up again at the young noble before him. Bruno appeared mature and composed, completely unlike the reckless spendthrift of rumors.

Perhaps… that was just a façade?

Smuggling wasn't something just anyone could pull off. It required extensive connections, significant financial resources, manpower, and most importantly military strength to deter interference.

The more Cario thought about it, the more he believed that this young noble was hiding something.

Could it be that, all this time, a powerful family had been lurking in the eastern empire?

The Stuart family of Idar… was far more terrifying than it seemed!