I'm not a lord

Chapter 192 I will never keep this glory to myself.
Marcel and his fellow part-time salt smugglers were merchants who held a certain status in Three Rivers City, but not a very high one.

Most of them are in the upper-middle tier of their respective business guilds, but are still some distance from the guild leader.

For this reason, the industry taxes they need to pay are generally the highest among their respective guilds.

Autonomous cities like Sanhe City distribute taxes among various guilds, and then the guild leader collects the taxes from the merchants.

Marcel and his ilk made a lot of money but had a relatively low political standing, so naturally they should pay the lion's share of the taxes.

To meet their tax obligations, they often have a greater thirst for money than other businessmen and are more easily tempted by high amounts of illicit income.

Long before Lynn began selling smuggled salt, the black marketeer Leon had a long-standing and stable partnership with these merchants.

Weapons, armor, spices, and even human beings and human skull powder—anything with high profit margins and prohibited goods—can be smuggled and suitable buyers can be found through the black market.

Last year, when Lynn approached Leon to discuss the smuggling of salt, Leon immediately thought of his old partners with whom he had worked for many years.

In terms of commercial and political standing in Three Rivers, these merchants were all superior to Leon.

Moreover, they violated just as many laws as Leon, and were not lacking in the crime of smuggling salt. Therefore, they quickly reached a cooperation agreement with Leon to smuggle salt.

Thanks to their extensive commercial network spanning the three duchies, the salt mined and refined by the wastelanders could be quickly sold to various places and converted into large amounts of gold coins to fill Lynn's financial gaps.

With a monthly output of only two hundred tons, it is simply impossible to meet the huge demand from various territories. It can be said that as much as is dug up, it will be sold.

It was through their network of connections that Leon was able to act as a go-between for Lynn, delivering Lynn's letter to the Duke of the Valley at White Eagle Keep.

In an era of decentralized and chaotic power, the strength and influence of the merchant class should not be underestimated.

If Lynn wanted to take over the entire Three Rivers City, he would certainly need the assistance and support of the city's merchants.

"My task for you is very simple: to transport small batches of grain and timber to Sanhe City regularly, according to my instructions."

I've already reached an agreement with the city council; they won't dare inspect your boat, so smuggling some salt is permissible.

Although it was Lynn's first time meeting these merchants, he didn't hesitate to order them around.

Although the merchant was of high status and ability, he was no match for the powerful earl who held a strong army.

Besides, the price he asked for wasn't low.

Excluding the two thousand serfs who are begging for food in the city, Sanhe City currently has seven thousand citizens and three hundred cavalrymen, consuming a total of over four hundred tons of wheat, rye, and oats every month.

With grain prices at four times the normal rate, just one month of grain trade could bring Lynn over two thousand Northern Gold Shields in income.

Even if the merchant in charge of transportation only gets 10% of the profits, that's still a huge sum of over 200 gold coins. Besides, it's normal for the price to be increased again during the transport of grain.

In short, given the current market conditions, getting grain into Sanhe City is essentially equivalent to getting sacks full of money, even faster than picking up money on the street.

This doesn't even include the cost of the timber.

"Everything is done in accordance with the Earl's wishes."

As Marcel, the leader, bowed and accepted the order, the other merchants followed suit.

Due to the existence of the illicit salt trade, these merchants have formed a strong community of interest and criminal activity with Lynn.

If the Earl of Shirakawa were to fall from power, they would certainly not be able to escape the Duke of the Marsh in the future.

The Duke of the Marshland had close ties with the Saltworks family and naturally could not tolerate the existence of smuggled salt dealers.

But Marcel and other businessmen did not feel regret.

Smuggling salt is a gamble; you have to accept the consequences. As long as you don't get caught, you can make money without lifting a finger.

Is it possible to run such a highly profitable business, with the terms clearly stated in the law, without taking any risks?
"Get up," Lynn said, stepping forward and personally helping Marcel and the other merchants to their feet.
"As long as you remain loyal to me, once I take over Sanhe City, I will share everything in Sanhe City with you."

When it comes to the ability to make empty promises, Lynn is definitely among the best in the entire Northern Kingdom.

This is mainly because he always manages to hit the other person's sore spot.

If we're talking about breaking the law, which prominent figure in Sanhe City hasn't broken the law?
Is it that Mayor Jürgen doesn't embezzle or accept bribes? Or is it that Bishop Rothegi doesn't misappropriate public funds?
Even Kuno, the militia leader who constantly talked about city safety, secretly collected large sums of dirty money from brothels, taverns, and other places.

The higher the position of a person in power, the more they like to talk about laws and regulations.

Because these are all tools they use to control others.

As the rule-makers, they have nine ways to manipulate the law and regulations.

The biggest pain point for businessmen like Marcel is their lack of strong protection from powerful figures, which makes them constantly fearful of being purged by the city's top leaders.

But because they pay more taxes, the city council bigwigs turn a blind eye to them.

This is also Leon's biggest weakness as the head of the black market.

Earning money but not being able to enjoy it is definitely one of the most painful things in life.

Lynn promised them that he would not keep the glory of conquering Three Rivers to himself.

This is exactly what Marcel and others desire most.

Power, real power.

"I swear to be loyal to the Earl forever!"

Marcel was very perceptive and immediately knelt down on one knee to swear allegiance.

Other merchants naturally followed suit.

Inside the castle hall, hymns of loyalty resounded continuously.

It's possible that there aren't any city council spies among these businessmen, but it's also somewhat unlikely that there aren't any city council spies.

However, Lynn didn't care about this; he wouldn't reveal his core plan to these businessmen.

The next day, the merchants left Kawanuma County satisfied, taking with them over a hundred tons of grain and over three hundred tons of timber, and also smuggling over two hundred tons of smuggled salt in a hidden compartment.

Half of the grain was oats, which were meant for the warhorses.

Such a small amount of food is destined to be a drop in the ocean for Sanhe City.

But for the lowest-class citizens in the city and more than two thousand serfs, this food was absolutely a lifesaver.

Before the ships even docked, the wharf of Sanhe City was already crowded with ragged serfs.

They could not fill their stomachs by stealing and robbing.

Moreover, the wealthy citizens of Sanhe City were not to be trifled with. These citizens always kept weapons and armor at home, and if they encountered any serfs who sneaked in, they would simply kill them.

Now, no one knows who leaked the news, but these serfs know that grain ships will arrive at the dock today.

News of the serfs' riot quickly reached the ears of the city council and Earl Blackfurn.

(End of this chapter)