Chapter 3

Three days passed, and the servants in the castle's approval of Cyrus rose to a new high.

Once his reputation finally reached 20 points, he immediately redeemed the "Seawater Solar Salt-Making Method and Detailed Illustrations."

[ Ding, redemption successful. Downloading... Download successful. "Seawater Solar Salt-Making Method and Detailed Illustrations" has been saved in the host's Stickman Universe mailbox and may be read at any time. ]

The three-page "Seawater Solar Salt-Making Method and Detailed Illustrations" and a detailed map marking the location of a Natural Asphalt mine appeared on the list.

Cyrus used his sleeping hours at night to study it thoroughly.

Next, he needed to make preparations for how to produce the seawater salt-making method without seeming abrupt.

After moving the laboratory for his alchemy experiments to the attic, Cyrus spent nearly half of every day there.

Rumors even began circulating through the castle that the young count could not resist the allure of alchemy either and had started becoming as obsessed with it as the old count.

The kitchen was bustling as lunch was prepared.

Two kitchen maids whispered to each other, talking about how the young count had once willfully refused porridge, boiled bread, and roasted fruit, and how he had gone to the cook again today to take a jar of salt.

"Chef Phili must be heartbroken. He only has two salt jars left, yet he doesn't dare stop him..."

"What does the young count want salt jars for?"

"Who knows? Maybe he's curious. The day before yesterday, the young count even asked me how much a jar of salt cost..."

Just then, Chef Phili banged on bowls and pots as he shouted, "What are you dawdling for?! Plate the food, now! Can you bear the consequences if you delay the count's meal?!"

The kitchen maids did not dare continue chatting and quickly got to work.

After lunch, Cyrus returned to the attic.

With some proper arrangements, the attic had taken on an entirely new look.

The experimental equipment and vessels were neatly placed in cabinets, while items that needed to be kept from light were stored in cool corners.

"Judas, do you know where salt comes from?"

Cyrus sat in a chair, lightly swinging his little legs.

He looked intensely curious about the origins of salt. His caramel-colored eyes sparkled as he repeatedly turned over the new salt jar he had obtained today, the coarse salt grains rustling inside.

Judas said, "Salt is boiled, my lord. Brine is transported through wooden pipes and boiled in square iron or lead pans."

"The salt jar in your hand is sold throughout various regions by the Nagabi Merchant Guild."

"The Nagabi Merchant Guild?"

Cyrus looked at the image engraved on the salt jar—two neatly dressed people standing face-to-face, one holding coins and the other holding goods. They were making a trade.

Clearly, this was the emblem of the Nagabi Merchant Guild.

Judas said, "The Nagabi Merchant Guild belongs to the Anas Empire."

"The Anas Empire possesses the largest salt lake—Betara Lake. Because of this, the Nagabi Merchant Guild controls nearly sixty percent of the salt trade routes."

Salt was a necessity, and selling salt was enormously profitable.

With the secret backing of the Anas imperial family, the Nagabi Merchant Guild had kept salt prices high.

That was why Chef Phili had been so distressed when Cyrus took three or four jars of salt in a row.

"Is boiling the only way to make salt?"

"I believe so, my lord."

"What about drying it in the sun?"

Cyrus casually pointed toward the long table by the window.

Four shallow wooden basins, each half a meter square, sat on the table. The salt he had requested earlier had been poured into them separately to dissolve slowly.

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When they checked today, the water in the basin where salt had been poured first had decreased, and smaller clumps of salt had actually crystallized again.

"The 'Alchemy Manual' Father left behind records his process of searching for metals in seawater. It mentioned that when seawater evaporated under the sun to a certain degree, salt crystals would appear..."

Cyrus hugged the salt jar in both arms, his two short legs obediently pressed together. Tilting his head, he asked innocently, "Judas, can we try making salt by drying seawater in the sun?"

"If there's salt, we can sell it. Then I'll have lots and lots of money."

Matt Desinia had indeed left behind an "Alchemy Manual," and his long years of obsessive research had not yielded nothing.

At the very least, his search for metals in seawater had been real, though it had ultimately failed.

Cyrus forged a few brief records concerning seawater salt-making in the "Alchemy Manual."

His behavior over the past few days had naturally led the castle servants to conclude—young count became interested in alchemy—read the "Alchemy Manual" left by the old count—became curious about how salt was obtained—conducted an experiment.

Judas said, "Naturally, we shall follow your wishes."

The craftsmen were summoned to the castle. After repeated discussions and adjustments, they finally built a fairly complete salt-drying field along the eastern coast of the Cogit Sea.

When Cyrus decided to test whether seawater salt-making was feasible, many servants harbored doubts.

How could salt possibly be dried out of seawater?

The young count had to be fooling around... See? Once it failed, he would stop making a fuss.

Yet time slowly passed.

They began to realize that things were not turning out to be meaningless nonsense with no results, as they had initially imagined.

The servants watched with their own eyes as seawater was first channeled into one pool. After a period of sun exposure and evaporation, it was directed into another pool to continue drying in the sun.

After waiting another while, white particles gradually began to precipitate from the seawater.

"Salt—it's salt!"

The first cry of astonishment was full of disbelief.

They could not believe that merely relying on a few pools could produce such a large amount of edible salt.

Although the salt obtained so far was relatively crude, after further processing and purification, the refined salt proved even finer than what was sold outside.

Not to mention the manpower and resources required for boiling salt.

But seawater salt-making relied on nothing more than "wind and sunlight" from beginning to end, and the "cost" was almost negligible.

Chef Phili nearly cried again when he saw the more than ten jars of refined salt placed before him.

This time, they were tears of joy.

After the "experiment" succeeded.

Judas brought up the necessity of "controlling salt" to Cyrus.

The royal family could not possibly ignore the immense profits of "salt."

Salt could be sold through merchant guilds, but part of it still had to remain under the royal family's secret control.

Given Visas's current condition, it was like a fledgling bird whose wings had not yet fully grown. No matter how hard it spread those wings, it could not protect the "treasure" behind it.

Besides, Cyrus's original plan had been to offer the seawater salt-making method to the king as a "gift," thereby obtaining territorial rights to Par Mountain.

The Cogit Sea could not be picked up and moved away.

At most, Cyrus would give up the majority of the profits from salt sales to the king.

When the time came, salt production would still take place in Visas. It would be like making a circle and returning it to his own hands.

Giving it away voluntarily would bring far more benefits than being forced to surrender it.

Given enough time.

Cyrus was confident that he could develop Visas into a major channel and important city controlling salt sales throughout the Gadayat Kingdom.

Cyrus said, "Judas, I want to go to the royal capital in person."

The morning sunlight cast a dazzling golden glow. Accompanied by the cries of seabirds, the Desinia convoy set off for Kaies, the royal capital of Gadayat.

The Thorn Rose banner fluttered atop the carriage. Behind it followed the craftsmen who had built the salt-drying field, while a small squad of knights guarded their lord's safety from the front and rear.

Beyond Par Mountain lay Komoy Fort, the closest neighboring territory to Visas.

The lord of Komoy Fort was also a count—Bevis Elliot.

He was in the prime of his life.

Though both were counts, Komoy Fort was wealthier than Visas, larger in territory, and more populous.

Count Bevis Elliot even commanded a valiant cavalry force.

As they passed through Komoy Fort, Cyrus keenly felt the gap between the two cities.

He was a little jealous.

After passing through three more large cities, they arrived at Kaies, the royal capital.

The Gadayat Kingdom was not particularly large, so the journey had not taken much time.

After entering the royal capital, he soon received an audience with the king.

The old king, Duke Patch, was distantly related to Cyrus Desinia.

The previous king's cousin had married Cyrus Desinia's grandfather.

The current old king was around the same age as Cyrus's father. He already had one prince and two princesses. He loved beautiful people, had neither great achievements nor grave failings in government affairs, and was gentlemanly, kind, and not cruel.

It could be said that old King Duke Patch's personality had also factored into Cyrus's considerations and plans.

When Cyrus entered the royal hall, the old king was discussing state affairs with the finance minister, Bass Riches. Seeing him enter, the old king raised a hand in acknowledgment. Bass Riches stepped aside but did not leave.

The old king asked, "What gift have you brought?"

"Your Majesty, the gift is in here."

Cyrus presented a scroll of parchment, which recorded the seawater salt-making method and the results of the experiment.

The old king looked somewhat surprised and had an attendant receive the gift.

He remembered Desinia. After Matt Desinia's accidental death, he had even sent someone to offer condolences.

Cyrus Desinia's sudden arrival had puzzled him, but after reading the contents of the parchment, that puzzlement began to turn into immense delight.

He even rose from his throne, excitement showing on his face.

"Your Majesty?" Bass Riches asked with a frown.

The old king calmed himself and handed the parchment to his favored minister. "Riches, take a look."

Cyrus also turned his head curiously.

The finance minister had brown hair and green eyes. His face was stiff and solemn, his brows raised and his nose broad, making him look cold and unapproachable.

After reading the parchment, only a fleeting flash of surprise crossed his face before he quickly reined in his emotions. His sharp, keen eyes fixed on Cyrus.

"Are you certain this is real and feasible?"

Pretending to be frightened by him, Cyrus nodded somewhat timidly. "Yes. I also brought the salt produced after the experiment."

Judas presented the salt jar in his hands.

The old king impatiently accepted it from the attendant.

He removed the stopper from the bottle containing refined salt, poured the snow-white grains into his palm, and examined them carefully. Then he pinched some up and put it in his mouth, his delight growing even greater. "It is salt!"

The salt jar was then passed to Bass Riches.

After confirming it, Bass Riches asked Cyrus several questions.

They were nothing more than, "How did you discover this?" "Who else knows?" ... "What do you want in return for offering the seawater salt-making method to the king?"

Cyrus answered each one "truthfully."

When it came to the last question, he clasped his small hands before his chest. Two blushes appeared on his fair cheeks, and with a slightly shy, childish tone, he said, "I want my territory to be just a little bigger."