Showing Respect

"Wait!" Nazel, whom he had not seen for quite some time, suddenly appeared from nowhere. During this period, Nazel had been even busier than Solam. It could not be helped—whether it was the chamber of commerce or the spice trade, someone had to manage them. Even the goods Ocasuan needed to purchase required Nazel's attention. There was no helping it; among Solam's group, only Nazel was truly skilled in such matters, so the capable had to do more.

Seeing Nazel at this moment, Solam found it very strange as well.

"Why are you here?"

Rather than answering Solam directly, Nazel first bowed to him, then politely questioned the nobleman sent by the Council.

"May I ask, if my master truly pays for those territories as you wish and becomes a marquis, what benefits can the Council offer him?"

Hearing Nazel's words, the nobleman looked at Solam. Seeing that Solam was somewhat surprised but had no intention of stopping Nazel, he relaxed and told her, "Naturally, there are benefits. You will enjoy every privilege granted to nobles with real power!"

"Including tax exemptions for the businesses under his name?"

The reason nobles with real power were called nobles with real power was naturally not merely because they possessed territories. In truth, there were not many such nobles who genuinely lived off what they dug from the land. In Amn, even a minor baron among the nobles with real power lived an exceedingly extravagant life.

Such a phenomenon would have been absolutely impossible elsewhere on the continent. Given Faerûn's current level of productivity, nobles could not truly live such lavish lives. In many places, nobles were at most wealthy country bumpkins—possessing some assets, but nowhere near as rich and powerful as people imagined. Many nobles did not even have the means to