Chapter : 103

-Tiriring!

[You have created the method for producing sun-dried salt. Since ancient times, salt has primarily been extracted from the earth. However, with your amazing technology and ideas, you have successfully produced salt from the sea stably and at a low cost. This great achievement will make the city of Figueres a wealthy city.]

[Notification: The specialty product ‘Sun-dried Salt’ has been registered.]

[Notification: You will be remembered in history as the inventor of sun-dried salt.]

“Oh… finally.”

I shed tears of emotion.

Perhaps from being exposed to the sea breeze for so long, a salty taste lingered in my mouth.

My skin had long been tanned dark by the sun. Magician Agpiel chuckled, saying I looked healthy, pretending to console me, but I knew well.

The signs of my unglamorous hardship were evident.

But today, I finally reaped the rewards.

“Well, is it really salt?”

“Of course it’s salt. What else would it be, Magician Agpiel?”

Gazing at the piles of white crystals, Magician Agpiel looked on in wonder.

In fact, the salt fields were quite a spectacle.

White salt piled up in layers in a reservoir covered with wide tiles. The overwhelming atmosphere of the scenery was something to behold.

“Hmm? Ugh, ptooey ptooey!”

Then, after tasting the salt, Magician Agpiel contorted his face and quickly spat it out.

“Hahaha. Oh, Magician Agpiel.”

“Why is this so bitter?”

“It’s because it hasn’t been aged enough yet, Agpiel.”

“Not aged enough?”

Magician Agpiel asked as if I were speaking nonsense. After all, salt isn’t like some object that needs to be aged or not.

But I knew well.

Sun-dried salt was a salt that needed time.

“The seawater isn’t just made of regular salt, is it?”

“Hmm, I suppose not?”

“So that salt, condensed in the salt fields, is full of various impurities.”

“Huh? Then doesn’t that lower its commercial value?”

At my words, Magician Agpiel clicked his tongue in pity.

If it was that bitter, no one would eat it, no matter how much it was salt. Agpiel momentarily worried that the young noble’s efforts might have been in vain.

But surprisingly, my face was serene. No, I was smiling mischievously.

“Agpiel, did you really think I moved without any thought?”

“Oh? Then?”

“They’re just impurities mixed in with the salt, aren’t they? If I sprinkle clean water on it, those dirty things will wash away too.”

“True. Contaminated rock salt is also cleaned in a similar way, so that’s plausible enough.”

And if I collected it in a moderately cool warehouse and sprinkled water on it from time to time to remove the brine, I could quickly turn it into usable salt.

‘Well, if not that, I could always sell the salt blocks cheaply for animal use.’

After all, salt had many uses. Besides, since it was produced infinitely from the sea, it was practically an inexhaustible source of wealth.

“Then all preparations are finished. All that’s left is to return to your domain, is it?”

“Yes, Agpiel. It’s about time I went back. To my domain.”

“Hehe. Good. I’ll take a good rest in your domain for the first time in a while. No, come to think of it, I haven’t really been in your domain much, have I?”

Of course, at such a silly remark, I just chuckled and shrugged.

***

Since I had started the work, I had to finish it before I left.

I immediately convened the city council. It was to inform them of the results so far.

But it seemed they all already knew.

“Your Excellency! Please forgive us.”

“To think you actually made salt fields! We were astonished.”

“We heard that Your Excellency is a beloved of God. Did you perhaps receive another miracle?”

They praised me and shouted as soon as I entered.

It seemed they were quite sorry for not believing me. Seeing how they bowed their heads.

Ah, of course, there was some strange talk about a miracle at the end, but I decided to let that slide.

“It seems you all already know?”

“I happened to see it while passing by. Piles of salt spread out beyond the horizon… It was a truly beautiful sight, Your Excellency.”

The chairman of the city council came forward and answered my words.

As expected, he had always been interested in what I was doing, and it seemed he had also seen the salt pans being made.

“So, do you now know that what I said before was not a lie?”

“We are truly sorry.”

The council members bowed their heads and apologized.

“No. It’s alright.”

I waved my hand at them. It was only natural for people to be resistant when a noble they’d never seen before said he was going to do something strange.

It would be a problem if it continued, though.

“I will donate this salt field manufacturing method that I have developed to the city. From now on, the city council will manage these salt fields and the tile production kilns.”

“?!”

At my declaration, the council members all opened their eyes wide in surprise.

Giving it to the city meant sharing the profits with the city council, didn’t it?

They had only opposed it, but he was really giving it to them?

But it was true.

“I have many cities and domains, so there is no need for me to be greedy. Loyalty is not a one-way street. I wish to give before I receive your loyalty.”

“Ooooh… Your Excellency.”

In fact, it was because it would be difficult for me to manage it all by myself.

It was also difficult to keep the secret from others who coveted it. Therefore, I was entrusting all of this to the city council and pretending it was for them.

‘Of course, they’re very happy with just this.’

Look at them now.

Aren’t they praising me while praising God in their awe? I thought they were very easy to handle in many ways.

“So, from now on, keep the secret and run the city well. I will be leaving now.”

“Please trust us with it, Your Excellency!”

-Tiriring!

[Notification: The city council’s loyalty has reached its maximum.]

[The poor, the citizens, and all members of the city council follow you. For the time being, the city is free from the danger of rebellion. But remember, the support of the city is always like a candle in the wind. You must always be vigilant and pay attention.]

***

-Waaaaah!

-Your Excellency! Travel safely.

-You must come back again!

My army and I were finally able to leave the city of Figueres with the enthusiastic cheers of the citizens, after a rest that was short if you considered it short, and long if you considered it long.

Having been away for a long time, I only wanted to return to my domain as quickly as possible.

This was true for not only me but all my vassals, and among them, the goat beastman Bishop Marco was especially so.

“Baaaaaaaah! Domain. Domain. Returning to my domain. Baa.”

He was so excited that he was singing a round, letting out his characteristic goat cry.

“Hmm. Why is that friend like that today?”

“Actually, he’s been with me since we went to the Holy See. He’s probably the friend who’s been away from home the longest, besides Magician Agpiel.”

“Huh. Was that so?”

Magician Agpiel looked at Bishop Marco with a pitiful expression.

It had been a journey of over a year. It was only natural for him to be like that after having been on the march for so long.

Rather, it was surprising that the troublemaking goat beastman had shown that much loyalty to the young noble.

“Whoa.”

As we spoke, we headed north at a rapid pace and soon arrived at the border between the Kingdom of Aragon and the Elang Kingdom.

There, due to the aftermath of the last war, many merchants and mercenaries were still swarming.

I led my army and approached a rather large merchant.

“Are you a Jubo merchant?”

“Ah, yes. What can I do for you?”

The merchant glanced at me and my army and asked cautiously.

For a merchant, a sudden encounter with a noble was like a disaster. And that noble had a lot of soldiers with him? That was a disaster that could not be avoided.

It was common for them to have their goods taken by force, and in severe cases, they even lost their lives.

“I wish to supply my army with food. I will pay a fair price, so please sell me your goods.”

But fortunately for the merchant, luck was on his side. I was not that kind of noble.

“Oh, of course I will give them to you. Is there anything else you need?”

“Hmm…”

At the merchant’s question, I thought for a moment. What did I need? Then something came to mind.

“What is the recent situation in the Elang Kingdom? With the southern heretic hunt completely over, this region must be in turmoil.”

“Ah-! Are you perhaps a noble who went on an expedition to the Kingdom of Aragon?”

“That’s right.”

Only then did the merchant check the flag and, surprised, hastily prayed and bowed his head.

“Ooh. It is an honor to meet the beloved of God, Your Excellency. Praise be to God…”

“Oh, that’s too much. Please stand up and answer my question.”

“Ah-! Look at me. I’m sorry. I was so taken aback by seeing the famous Your Excellency that I lost my senses for a moment.”

“No. It’s alright.”

At my words, the merchant cleared his throat for a moment and began to cautiously tell me the information he had gathered.

The story of what happened after the Prince-elector of Bohemia and his subordinate nobles of the Elang Kingdom crossed over to the Kingdom of Aragon.

And after hearing it all, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘Interesting?’

According to the merchant, the King of the Elang Kingdom had openly used the Holy See.

He had immediately pushed into the empty southern territories with the king’s army and occupied them.

The pretext was the extinction of the right of succession due to the revocation of the title.

Since they were excommunicated by the Holy See, their title was not recognized, and all succession rights of the family were revoked.

Therefore, according to the laws of the kingdom, the title returned to its original owner, the king.

“Baaaaaaaah! This is ridiculous, my lord. Baa.”

“That’s right. How can a king be so cowardly! We did all the work, but he just swooped in and took the spoils.”

Of course, the reactions of the surrounding vassals who heard it all were quite heated.

This was especially true for Bishop Marco and Biden, who had deep roots in the Elang Kingdom.

“Calm down. Do you really think it was the king’s idea alone?”

I sent the merchant away and calmed down my vassals. At that, Magician Agpiel asked curiously.

“Hmm? Then you think differently?”

“Of course, wouldn’t it be? How could the king occupy all this vast land by himself? The nobles would have rebelled.”

“Come to think of it, that’s right. Besides the southern lords who have strong influence from the Holy See, there has been no particular reaction.”

“The Duke of Bourgogne’s influence must have been involved, Magician Agpiel.”

Neither the king nor the Duke of Bourgogne was pleased with the growing power of the Holy See.

So it was clear that the Duke of Bourgogne’s cooperation was behind the king’s actions.

Sure enough.

After sending people to investigate, it turned out that the Duke of Bourgogne had indeed joined forces to quell the discontent and had divided the southern region with the king.

“See? Wasn’t I right?”

“Hehe… I really didn’t expect that.”

Magician Agpiel said in a dejected tone, but in fact, I had expected it to some extent. It wasn’t for nothing that I hadn’t run wild trying to get land.

Of course, I didn’t expect the king to just gobble up the remaining land and pretend not to know.

As I was thinking that.

“Oh, Your Excellency! I’m glad we didn’t miss each other.”

Suddenly, a group of clergymen rushed towards me from a distance.

A white robe with a clear cross.

They were dressed as envoys from the Holy See.

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