Looking at the unremarkable chunk of salt ore in his hand, Leon was first barely able to contain his excitement, then his face filled with fear. This article can be searched for free: Soul
After fidgeting for a long while, he finally forced out a sentence. "My lord, I can pretend I never saw this stone."
Lynn looked the greedy Black Market Merchant up and down, then merely snorted.
"Leon, at this point, do you think you can pretend you never saw it? And someone like you is afraid of the gallows? The crimes you have committed so far are enough to get you hanged ten thousand times over!"
Smuggling banned military equipment, helping Horse Bandits sell stolen goods, and peddling nobles' whereabouts. Every single one was an ironclad capital crime.
Leon gently shook his head. "That may be true, but selling illicit salt is like dancing on the King's nose. My lord, you should know the relationship between the Northern Border's biggest salt merchant and the King. They practically wear the same pair of trousers!"
Not all gallows were the same. Leon's network in Three Rivers City was enough to shield his black-market business.
But if he got involved in selling illicit salt, not even ten Three Rivers Cities could protect him.
Because of the climate, the Northern Kingdom's coastal regions could not produce salt on a large scale through evaporation, and no major salt mines had been discovered within its borders. Most of the salt it needed had to be imported from the Southern Border.
Furthermore, because of the Northern Border's relatively isolated terrain, bulk goods from outside could almost only enter through the mouth of the Quiet River.
As long as the King controlled the mouth of the Quiet River, he could easily monopolize the entire Northern Kingdom's salt trade.
Though the three Grand Dukes each commanded powerful armies, they could only take a share from the King.
The Northern Border's largest—and only—salt merchant was the Salmont Family from the Southern Border, also known as the "Saltworks" family. The family had first risen to prominence through drying and selling sea salt.
The Salmont Family was closely tied to the royal family. The court of the current King of the North alone had two mistresses from that family.
So just how profitable was the Northern Border's salt trade?
Take White Bear Territory as an example. Salt from Three Rivers City sold there for roughly one silver coin per two kilograms.
Meanwhile, an adult goat or 38.5 kilograms of Rye could also be purchased in White Bear Territory for one silver coin. A standard Northern Silver Coin contained around 16 grams of silver.
It took nearly twenty kilograms of Rye to exchange for one kilogram of salt.
According to the Territory System records in Lynn's possession, a serf family of five consumed no less than ten kilograms of salt each year.
The income serfs earned from painstakingly raising twenty sheep a year had to be spent half on this damned salt.
The production cost of salt was practically negligible. The Southern Border had no shortage of salt evaporation fields and mature large-scale salt mines.
The Northern Kingdom had a total population of at least six or seven million. One could only imagine the terrifying profits flowing into the pockets of the King and the Salmont Family.
To protect those terrifying profits, there was nothing they would not do.
Lynn scoffed at this. "You mean the King of the North, who is already seventy and has no legitimate male heir? Leon, with your temperament, would you fear a King who is about to be buried? Once he dies, who knows how many people will trample on his crown!"
The Northern Border practiced male succession. The current King of the North had taken four wives, yet produced only two daughters.
After his death, the Northern Border would inevitably descend into an utterly chaotic battle royale for the throne. Who would still have the energy to worry about salt smuggling then?
"But the Marsh Duke also has a very close relationship with the Salmont Family. Duke Marsh could not possibly ignore illicit salt appearing in his Territory System."
Leon had clearly been persuaded by Lynn, but he was still somewhat hesitant.
For over a hundred years, the Salmont Family had built an enormous web of interests across the entire Northern Border.
From the King to the dukes, the counts, and the lowest-ranking barons, all of them were part of the salt-interest network.
Every year, salt from the Southern Border was transported through the Quiet River and its tributaries to every corner of the Northern Kingdom.
After the local distributors in Three Rivers City obtained the salt, they brought it to White Bear Territory in autumn.
Through the salt trade, the previous White Bear Baron could earn more than ten Northern Gold Shields every year. Though it was not much, it was stable, and it was also one of the ways lords exploited serfs.
Even a minor low-ranking baron could make money through the salt trade, to say nothing of the Marsh Duke.
The duke did not even need to sell salt himself. As long as he strictly cracked down on illicit salt merchants within his lands, the Salmont Family would regularly send chest after chest of gold coins into his court.
"What is there to fear from the Marsh Duke? Once the King dies, how could the duke still have the energy to care about illicit salt? He has been frantically expanding his army these past few years. Is he afraid the gold in his warehouses will grow mold? He will certainly take part in the struggle for the throne that will sweep across the entire Northern Border."
Lynn did not even care about the royal family, much less a mere Marsh Duke.
He had given up being a free and unfettered horse bandit leader and chosen this moment to take control of White Bear Territory precisely because he had calculated that the Northern Kingdom was about to fall into chaos.
Right now, who knew how many ambitious men were eagerly awaiting the death of the King of the North.
This aged ruler truly did not have much time left.
As early as last autumn, rumors had spread through the court that he was already delirious, spending most of each day unconscious and relying entirely on the clergy of the church to keep him alive.
This forced extension of his life was destined not to last. The aged and frail King of the North would certainly not survive the year.
White Bear Territory was remote and geographically enclosed, making it perfect for a "small" ambitious man without backing like Lynn.
While those outside fought to the death, it would be the perfect opportunity for him to quietly build up his strength.
Once he had finished developing, he could emerge to clean up the mess and restore order to the land.
If he could successfully mine the salt deposit to the northwest, it would undoubtedly greatly shorten the time he needed to develop.
To Lynn, road building and mining were actually the easiest problems.
The greatest problem he faced was how to sell this salt and exchange it for the precious funds needed to develop his territory.
The essence of commerce was trade, and the heart of trade was distribution channels.
Before discovering that salt mine, Lynn had only intended to discuss the trade in grain and iron ingots within the territory with Leon.
Yet during the time Lao San had gone to Three Rivers City to deliver a letter, he had unexpectedly discovered a salt mine with considerable reserves.
So he simply went with the flow and developed Leon into his front man.
Through several business dealings, along with intelligence gathered from certain noblewomen, Lynn had seen through Leon's greed and ambition.
This Black Market Merchant was not satisfied with his current position and desperately wanted to climb higher.
Lynn would provide him with the ladder for this leap in status, while also putting a noose around his neck.
That noose was Leon's beloved younger sister.
No pact was more effective than one bound by blood.
That said, Lynn was not truly coveting Leon's sister. After all, he had never even seen the girl in person.
He had forcibly demanded the beautiful sixteen-year-old girl merely to keep a hostage by his side.
(End of Chapter)
Before you continue