CH 24

The Saint Airo Empire and the Anas Empire are the two most powerful countries on the Western Continent.

The status between kings and kings is different.

It’s like Bass Richards is a noble duke in Gadaat, but in the Anas Empire, he may only be equivalent to a marquis or earl.

In Saint Airo Empire and Anas Empire, there is a grand duke above the duke.

The power in the hands of the grand duke is equal to that of the king of a small country.

As the largest chamber of commerce in the Anas Empire, the Nagabi Chamber of Commerce sells items that are uncommon and can firmly control the direction of money.

It occupies a large place even in the Saint Airo Empire, collecting countless gold coins.

In addition, the contacts and power of the Nagabi Chamber of Commerce should not be underestimated.

Boris Abel came to Gadaat on behalf of the chamber of commerce.

Along the way, they did not deliberately hide their whereabouts. The flag with the logo of Nagabi Chamber of Commerce fluttered at the top of the carriage.

The team passed Fort Comoy and entered Wissas.

Vincent sent people to find the soldiers patrolling the city the first time, and after showing their identity, they asked to talk to Desinia.

Taylor happened to be the leading knight at that time.

After confirming that it was the Nagarbi Chamber of Commerce, he took the badge of the chamber of commerce and notified Sir Fernandi and Sir Walker.

It didn’t take long.

The news came to Xia Zuoyi’s ears.

“The Nagabi Chamber of Commerce actually came to Wissas?”

Xia Zuoyi thought for a while, and realized that they were probably a bad comer.

It should be for the sales of Rose salt.

After all, Rose salt has now completely occupied the market share of Gadaat and even Gaynor, squeezing out almost all the crude salt sales routes of Nagabi Chamber of Commerce.

Such consequences will directly cause the Nagabi Chamber of Commerce to lose a considerable amount of money.

No wonder some can’t sit still.

Xia Zuoyi said, “Invite the people from the Nagabi Chamber of Commerce to come and talk in the castle.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The knight who came to report took the order.

Udit was a little worried, “My lord if the Nagabi Chamber of Commerce wants to embarrass you…”

Xia Zuoyi, “I think they should embarrass the king even more. After all, I let 60% of the profits go out. Most of the gold coins actually went into the king’s pocket.”

“The people from the Nagabi Chamber of Commerce came to me because I offered the salt drying method. Although the steps of salt drying were clear at a glance, the method of refining refined salt was not published.” 

You can imagine what they came for.

The Nagabi Chamber of Commerce really specializes in soft squeezing, but it also has to see if it can squeeze it.

However, the extraction of refined salt is actually very simple and easy.

Xia Zuoyi thought quietly before the people from the Nagabi Chamber of Commerce arrived.

Udit stood by and waited in silence.

After a while.

Xia Zuoyi said, “Udit, I remember you once said that there is a very large salt lake in the Anas Empire—Lake Betala, right?” 

Udit said, “Yes, my lord.”

Xia Zuoyi hummed.

There is no concealment of the salt drying method in seawater, as long as you come here to see it, you will know it.

Lake Betala can completely precipitate salt crystals by sun drying. As for the method of refined salt extraction, it can be known after a little research.

Not to mention, the civilians and slaves who worked on the refined salt refining line also knew this.

It’s possible to find anyone to tell them by tempting them with money.

Besides, Xia Zuoyi didn’t intend to hide it from the beginning.

That being said, he needs to find a new bargaining chip to have a friendly “talk” with the Nagabi Chamber of Commerce.

Boris and Vincent are led all the way to Desinia’s study.

The maid opened the door respectfully, then stepped back and stood aside.

Boris and Vincent walked in.

Boris saw a large long table in the study, and there were four people sitting facing the door.

Two men obviously dressed as knights stood at the back, and the one on the left should be the butler of the castle.

As for the boy sitting on the chair in the middle, it’s the person Boris is going to bully—Xia Zuoyi Desinia.

Boris’ gaze fell on Xia Zuoyi’s body, he couldn’t help but look carefully, and his nearly dark green eyes became brighter.

He said, “I didn’t expect Lord Earl to be so exquisite and beautiful, just like a carefully baked soufflés. White and tender as clouds on the outside, light and delicate on the inside, full of sweetness.” 

Soufflé is a very expensive dessert of Anas Empire.

Only a chef with excellent craftsmanship can make it.

The ingredients used in soufflé are fresh milk and egg whites, which are baked after boiling the milk and whisking the egg whites.

After whisking the egg whites, it will be as white and soft as clouds, but if it is not eaten as soon as possible, it will collapse completely in a short time, and the taste will become very bad.

Usually only kings and great nobles can enjoy it.

Some little nobles, civilians, and slaves had never even heard of it.

Xia Zuoyi raised his chin blankly when he was complimenting him, “Please have a seat, Mr. Abel.” 

When the knight came to the castle to report, he had already explained the identity of Boris Abel—Vice President of the Nagabi Chamber of Commerce.

Boris Abel’s charming green eyes are facing the sun, and there seems to be a gleam of light inside, “You don’t need to regard me as an outsider, Lord Earl, you can call me Boris.” 

Xia Zuoyi, “I’m sorry, I don’t want to be so familiar. I’m afraid of strangers.”

Boris didn’t seem to feel embarrassed about being ruthlessly turned down.

He said, “I just want to get close to Lord Earl, after all, you are so lovely. At a young age, you can manage Wissas and Fort Comoy in an orderly way…”

“Oh, yes, there is also the Thorns Chamber of Commerce. The Rose salt dried from Cogit Sea is really very popular.”

Xia Zuoyi nodded more calmly, “I’m flattered. After I got such good salt, I already expected the extent to which it will be popular in the future.” 

“After all, everyone needs salt at home. Who doesn’t want refined salt with lower price and better quality?” 

“Is that right, Mr. Abel?” 

“Oh, I forgot to say that you are also very cute.”

…

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere in the room inevitably changed from silence to stillness.

Vincent sneaked a glance at Master Boris’ expression without a trace, and found that the corners of his mouth were slightly stiff and the arc paused.

Pfft.

Vincent couldn’t help lowering his head and pursing his mouth vigorously.

Boris gave a light cough, “…Lord Earl is really a joker.”

He went straight to the point, “The Rose salt sold by the Thorns Chamber of Commerce has seriously affected the sale of Nagabi salt. Although the sale of salt is only one of the profits of the Nagabi Chamber of Commerce, it can be…”

Boris suddenly frowned and clenched his right hand to his lips, as if he was holding back something.

After that, he continued, “However, Nagabi salt was forced to withdraw from Gadaat, which directly cost us nearly 40% of our profits.”

“Don’t Your Excellency have anything to say?”

Xia Zuoyi, “It’s nothing more than just business competition.”

“The choice of nobles, commoners, or slaves is beyond my control. What do you think of Rose salt? Can you still use coarse…Nagabi salt to cook meals after getting Rose salt?”

The people of Gadaat even began to think that the dishes made with Rose salt are the most exquisite and delicious.

Boris smiled unimpressed, “I don’t deny that at present, compared with Nagabi salt, most people will choose Rose salt to make food.”

“But once Nagabi salt can also be produced on a large scale, refined and purified…I believe it should be no worse than Rose salt.”

His right hand has been placed against his mouth, only moving a little when he speaks.

Xia Zuoyi stared at his face, with some considerations in his heart.

Seeing that he didn’t answer, only looking at himself with a pair of beautiful caramel eyes very seriously, Boris couldn’t help leaning back on his chair, with his eyes gleaming. He said, “Why don’t you speak, Lord Earl?” 

Withdrawing his small eyes, he asked, “How many days are you going to stay in Wissas?”

Boris, “Maybe one day, maybe two days or more. After we get what we want, we will leave. It all depends on what the earl wants to do.” 

The little earl looked at him and after thinking for a while, he suddenly turned his head and whispered to the butler beside him.

“Udit, go to my alchemy lab and get the potion I gave Toby before.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Across the long table, Boris didn’t hear clearly.

Udit bowed slightly and walked out of the study.

Xia Zuoyi then said to Boris, “Wait a minute, I have a good thing for you.”

Boris, “…?”

He found that the little earl didn’t cry when he bullied him, on the contrary, he felt choked in his own heart.

After a while.

Udit entered the room again.

Xia Zuoyi said, “Udit, give it to Mr. Abel.”

Udit heard this and put a corked jar on the table in front of Boris.

Then immediately walked back to Xia Zuoyi’s side.

“What is this?”

Boris raised his eyebrows and curiously picked up the jar and shook it gently. There was a sound of liquid sloshing inside.

He tried to guess, “Is it wine? Give me something to drink?”

Xia Zuoyi, “It’s not wine, it’s a medicine for treating cough and fever. Give it to you.”

Toby’s illness just got better.

This pot of medicine was also reserved by Xia Zuoyi to prevent Toby’s illness from recurring.

The shelf life of the medicine is not short.

He could see that Mr. Boris Abel was enduring a cough, his nasal sound was slightly pronounced, his face was slightly pale, and his brows were often inadvertently wrinkled, which should be uncomfortable.

Boris smiled a little and put the potion back on the table, “Is the earl so kind to all the people he meets for the first time?”

He has been ill since childhood.

Every time he gets sick, he never goes to see a doctor. He gets through it by himself. The lightest illness will get better in a few days, and the serious illness is nothing to him.

Boris hated doctors.

Xia Zuoyi glanced at him and said, “Not really.”

“But get treated as soon as possible. What if you get stupid at a young age.”

Boris, “…”

He always felt that there was something wrong with this sentence.

Boris, “Can I open it and take a look?”

“Yes.”

Boris pulled the plug out of the jar.

Suddenly, an indescribable weird smell that made people feel a little nauseous floated out of it.

Vincent stood behind, almost uncontrollably covering his nose. Fortunately, his good cultivation made him put down his hands.

Boris endured the unpleasant smell and glanced into the jar.

“…”

There was a dark liquid full of residue in the jar.

Boris’s expression has changed several times, which is hard to describe.

He looked at Xia Zuoyi as if to say—”Are you trying to poison me with a black hand1?”

Vincent couldn’t help but say, “Lord Earl, you are still young after all. Some things…may not be considered very comprehensively.”

“Although the Nagabi Chamber of Commerce is far away in Anas Empire, its contacts and power are beyond your imagination. Master Boris’s position in the chamber of commerce is also extremely important… I hope you should think about the advantages and disadvantages before you do anything.”

He’s afraid that the little earl in front of him, regardless of importance, intends to… He’s afraid he could not bear the anger of the Nagabi Chamber of Commerce.

Obviously, Vincent and Boris had the same idea.

Moreover, he looked warily at the two tall and mighty knights standing behind Desinia, fearing that they would suddenly rush over to suppress them.

Xia Zuoyi, “…”

You are really good at imagining.

He said, “This is a common plant medicine, which has a very good effect on the treatment of runny nose, nasal congestion, cough, fever, etc.”

Boris and Vincent obviously didn’t believe it.

Xia Zuoyi, “You can inquire in the castle at will. A few days ago, a boy named Toby contracted the above symptoms due to a cold. He took this medicine to get better.”

“Three days later, he was cured.”

Boris couldn’t help frowning, “How could it get better so fast?!”

Xia Zuoyi, “But that’s the truth. I won’t be stupid enough to kill someone who is not an enemy. After inquiring, you may as well have a drink.”

“When your illness is cured, we can have a friendly conversation again.”

I, must take the initiative.

Xia Zuoyi gave Boris a “friendly” smile 

Translator’s Note: