"S-Salt?! When?! First it was Grain monopoly, and now they've even begun exporting Salt?! Wasn't the Eastern Region the main exporters of Salt? Did Maine manage to convince the Thracian Salt Tycoons to open trade with the South?" Varhys was astonished by Maine's fast yet continuous economic growth and the absurd yet almost legendary Policies Duke and Vivian had enacted that made Maine's Military and Economy flourish.
"No, Your Majesty, I believe the Macedonoi of Thrace's iron-tight bond with the Medicis would prevent any economic relations between Maine and the East. Especially since according to our spies, the Medicis and the Southern Grain Consulate are currently cooperating to suppress Maine's newly-formed Merchant's Guild...
So the likelihood of Maine getting its Salt from Thrace is very unlikely...
The only other explanation I can think of is that the Musani have increased their Salt Mining operations and are exporting vast quantities of it to the South.
But still... This explanation has too many holes and is very much unlikely the full explanation, especially since the Salt sold by the Merchant's Guild is twice cheaper than the Salt exported from the East, and thrice that of the price the Musani of the South demand for Musani Salt..." Helen gave Varhys a rundown of Brune's current economic state as she made a quick presentation complete with pictures, maps, and everything... Varhys hated the tediously numerical and quantitative reports Secretaries normally do, and so poor Helen was now forced to put in extra effort every time a report came in... Despite her fervent disapproval and fatigue.
"That is true, the Musani Sultans would never sell their Salt for that low..." Varhys agreed as he continued to ponder where the hell Maine was procuring their Salt from.
Salt was, during this time, also called Powdered Silver, or Ivory Gold as the Musani called it due to its lucrative price.
Only the richest of Nobles could dine daily with Salt on their tables while Commoners and Peasants only use the stuff during a joyous celebration or a feast to heighten their food's flavor.
But of course, that wasn't the main reason Salt was precious...
Salt was, in many ways one of the few methods people had to preserve food, Meat in particular.
Sometimes, when there isn't enough Gold, Silver, or Copper to go around, Soldiers were even paid in Salt instead.
That was how precious the stuff was.
And in Brune, Salt could only be obtained from two sources, and those two sources are the naturally occurring Salt Pits of Thracia and the large Salt Mines of the Musani Khaliphates.
This is why everybody, especially the Musani, treasured the stuff since food could easily rot and perish within their country's hot climate if a shortage of Salt was to occur.
This is the reason why when Duke and Galleo invented a theoretically unlimited way to produce Salt through the Sea without the aforementioned naturally occurring Salt Pit or Salt Mine, Vivian immediately knew the three of them were already shaping a large chunk of history. Especially in cuisine. Vivian could already imagine a future where Salt was just another everyday condiment people used and took for granted.
And since their Salt could be afforded by almost everyone, Vivian and Duke would everyday gleefully jump up and down on the mountain of Gold coins they were making from the commercially cheap Salt!
Heck, even the lowly serf families within Maine were buying salt every now and then! Everybody in Maine was currently happily eating hearty meals thanks to Duke and Vivian...
And of course, thanks to the new surplus of Gold, no longer was 1-Bread policy for the Pendragon Household upheld!
Duke and the others living with him cheered... Though that didn't apply to Duke's diet though thanks to Vivian's firm insistence...
*GRUMBLE~* Varhys felt he heard a deep grumbling Dragon that night...
"Tell me the estimated time till the Medicis buy Maine and the Merchant's Guild out?" Varhys questioned as if it will inevitably happen.
"About that... Thanks to their monopoly on both Grain and Salt, right now... It's the Merchant's Guild who's actually pushing the Medici and Consulate back...
The Consulate right now is almost at the mercy of the Merchant's Guild and many Nobles are trying to defect from the Consulate, some of their application forms are even being turned down by the Merchant's Guild.
Our sources even say that the Merchant's Guild has become even more stable and beloved by the people when compared to the past Consulate.
It's gone to the point where the Merchant's Guild isn't even hiding the fact that they're smuggling goods and escaping the corrupt tariffs the Consulate set... Anytime a Merchant's Guild smuggler gets caught, they're either protected by the people or the Guards themselves let them go thanks to the cheap goods they sell...
Even the famine that was supposed to ravish the South was prevented thanks to the cheap grain being fully sold out and distributed everywhere instead of being hoarded inside the Consulate to rot.
I think the Merchant's Guild saved not just the lives of the Southern Region but in all of Brune where their Grain is exported.
Sir... I personally believe the Merchant Guild's economic policies are good for everyone in the long run..." Helen gave Varhys deeper details regarding the Economic Status of the South and her personal opinion regarding the matter as she continued her cute little presentation...
As a Secretary, Helen's job normally doesn't require her to give out her opinion about things, but since Varhys constantly forces her to give an opinion on every matter, it became a habit of Helen's to give an opinion after every report. She wouldn't want to be called 'boring' again by the childish Emperor in front of her.
"Ha-Hahaha, welp that's what those snot-nosed Grain idiots get for support Vaylen" Varhys happily laughed as he read Helen's report.
Like a man who had just heard that the neighbor that stole from him got struck by the relentless hand of Karma, Varhys was quite pleased that the Consulate was crumbling before a newer and cleaner/less corrupt faction.
"Hitting the Medicis in the East, and stomping down on the Consulate in the South... Maine's economic growth just killed two birds for me without me even lifting a finger... It's just that I'm still worried about Maine and the Pendragons though..." Varhys began to ponder whether he should give a gift to the Pendragons or not.
Varhys, although the Emperor of all Brune and even dubbed as He, The Central Crown, contrary to common belief, even though Varhys' control on the throne was tight and he had no rivals right now, his realm or the Empire of Brune to be exact, was far from united.
During the time when Varhys was contesting against his brother Vaylen for the throne, The East and Southern regions supported Vaylen while the West supported Victor, another brother of his, and only the economically poor North supported Varhys thanks to his close friendship with William Von Bizmach.
After taking the Capital through brute force and defeating, plus publicly executing, his brothers Vaylen and Victor, Varhys had now taken up the throne and all his enemies bowed into submission...
In fear of his inhumane strength and merciless cruelty.
"Y-Your Majesty! Bad news! The two Legions you have sent have been ambushed by the Northern Barbarians and they've attacked the front lines from the back, effectively encircling Sir William and the Bizmachs. Sir William has requested emergency backup" A messenger scout visibly tired and sweating all over burst into the Emperor's Study (Room) and gave Varhys a horrific message.
The Consulate of the South, The Medici Family of the East, and the Church plus the Charlamagne Family of the West all came to Varhys carrying gifts and bribes outwardly asking for forgiveness and publicly acknowledging Varhys' rule, but secretly plotted to lessen Imperial rule and made all sorts of maneuvers to decentralize the power structure of Brune.
Confronted with enemies on all three sides: The South, West, and East, and with his only true ally, the North, currently facing a Barbaric Invasion, Varhys had no choice but to but look South for a potential new ally.
A spark of genius overcame Varhys as he smiled and ordered Helen to write down a letter for him.
"This... Your majesty, weren't we supposed to be wary of the Pendragons?... I know I often praise the new Economic reforms Maine is undergoing, but don't you think sending this letter is far too dangerous?" Helen worried for the eccentric Emperor she came to serve and care for.
"Oh Helen, Helen, Helen... What do you think is different between Maine's current Lord & Lady when compared to the Lord and Lady during my father's time? hmm?" Varhys asked.
"Uhmm, the Countess of Maine is part of the Imperial Family?" Helen gave her most logical guess.
"Haha, that's right... Make sure to do everything in your power to reel in the support of the Pendragons! According to the report you gave me, it seems Maine has come under two very humanitarian leaders. I do believe their policies and mine will coincide quite nicely with each other..." Varhys smiled.
"And besides... nothing is thicker than blood am I right? Hohoho..." Varhys laughed.
*Growl~*
"Hm? What was that?" But as Varhys was laughing, he suddenly heard the low grumbling that he had heard earlier...
"Huh, must've been nothing..." Varhys sighed.
Duke's stomach was currently protesting as if saying: "Nothing's thicker than blood you say? Try saying that to Duke's ass!"