Volume 2 Chapter 50 (1/2)

Things are heating up. Enjoy.

”Rock salt, huh……How wonderful.” (Almis)

I inspect the newly discovered mine.

You can sell rock salt overseas at an unusually high price.

It has a low price in the Adernia Peninsula because of its abundance there. However, there seems to be a shortage overseas.

The various states of Cretia and the Persis empire all have large populations so salt is a necessity.

”Goodness gracious, this is great, am I right?! Really! To think you wind find a salt mine. By the way, there's a method with a high success rate for digging rock salt. In exchange for teaching you that….” (Ains)

Ains approaches me while rubbing his hands.

However, Ismere cuts him off.

”No, my lord. There's no need to partner with this merchant. I am knowledgeable about salt mining after all.” (Ismere)

”Haha, an architect knowing mining methods? What the h.e.l.l are you saying, girl who couldn't find work so she had to flee to the Adernia peninsula?” (Ains)

”How about you? Aren't you just a merchant? You actually wanted to trade in the orient but the compet.i.tion was so fierce you ended up coming here to procure salt to trade, isn't that right!?” (Ismere)

Tension builds between the two. I can see sparks going off.

”Hey, Qingming. Are mechants doing trade in the Adernia Peninsula losers?” (Almis)

Qingming smiles bitterly.

”I don't know……It's true a lot of people have come to the orient and found their fortune….However, that's not much different for a company the size of the Ainsworth Company. Rather,  isn't he a winner if he profits from quickly entering a market with little compet.i.tion? The international salt trade seems profitable, you know. I heard you could bring the salt from the Adernia Peninsula to the Persis Empire and sell it ten times the price.” (Qingming)

Ten times? Even if you factor the transport expenses, it's still quite a profit. I see. It means the only loser here is Ismere, right?

”Ismere. Do you really know how?” (Almis)

”Yes. It's only natural.” (Ismere)

Ismere puffs out her chest.

Well, if you know how to, then there's no problem.

”And so, Ains-san. Let's just leave the mining methods for another time…however” (Almis)

I get close to Ains ear.

”I'll favor you as much as possible.” (Almis)

”That's…..Thank you very much. I'll consider this time as a service.” (Ains)

We laugh together.

”Uwaa, they're making a creepy face…” (Ron)

Ron is taken aback.

”But this is truly good news!! Am I right, older brother?” (Roswald)

Roswald gets excited.

Well, it's true that this is good news but…

”There's a problem, huh…” (Almis)

”What problem is it?” Soyon tilts her head.

”Are you worried about taking a lot of salt? Something like the market price would go down? But we shouldn't be able to gather that much, right?” (Soyon)

Well, if it's something like gathering too much salt to the point that the price would go down, then it could be offset.

As one would expect, we wouldn't be able to gather that much, you know?

”This is originally DeBell Territory.

Tetra declares the problem.

”I've been thinking. Wasn't the eastern part of the Ars territory our DeBell Clan's territory from the very beginning?” (Regal)

Regal inquires after calling over his close aide, Bermet, and his close relative and second cousin, Gilberto.

”Now that you mention it, yes, that was formerly DeBell Clan property.” (Gilberto)

”If I recall……It was territory seized by King Ferrum, am I correct?” (Bermet)

The two respond agreeably.

The eastern part of the Ars Territory.

This wasn't Ars Territory from the very beginning.

After seizing the Ars Territory, King Ferrum invaded the DeBell territory and seized this land from them. The territory was subjected to King Ferrum's rule for a long time. Then after that, all the former territories of King Ferrum, including those seized from the DeBell clan, was pa.s.sed over to Almis.

That's why you could also say that the DeBell clan has a right to the eastern Ars Territory's owners.h.i.+p. Althought this is just a forceful interpretation.

The owners.h.i.+p of a territory, after all, is all about battle and actual effective control after all. It's because of this that n.o.body speaks of things like territorial disputes.

However, it's a different story when you discover a rock salt mine.

”A lot of our territory's population were taken captive there in King Ferrum's time.” Rather than taken captive, they fled there. In this circ.u.mstance, it's a problem of the words' nuance.

What's important is that the eastern part of the Ars Territory was DeBell Territory from the very beginning and that a lot of their old citizens live there.

”It was impossible with King Ferrum because he was the one who took it….but, under the present circ.u.mstances, do you think we can ask for it back ?” Regal asks the two.