Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest-Chapter 41 - 10 Rebellion, Nobles, Salt, Slave_3

41: Chapter 10: Rebellion, Nobles, Salt, Slave_3

41 -10: Rebellion, Nobles, Salt, Slave_3

This inconspicuous salt purchasing channel had brought him substantial profits.

The acquisition price for 100 catty of salt was 2 silver coins, while the selling price was 1 gold coin, only cheaper than iron.

Sige Town couldn’t consume all this salt, and Roman hadn’t planned to either; he had just asked casually.

“Slaves, what about the price of slaves?”

Daken was taken aback, a bit unclear about Roman’s purpose, and could only respond, “Ordinary slaves are over 1 silver coin each, they only have some brute strength.

Some who are physically stronger or more special can fetch a price between 2 silver coins to 5 silver coins; you know, some slaves are quite skilled, and charging gold coins for them wouldn’t be unreasonable.

Those of poorer quality only need 8 copper coins or less—such slaves usually aren’t worth the transport.”

“Is that so…” Roman slightly closed his eyes, then said, “When can you bring the slaves here?”

“How many slaves do you need?”

“How many can you bring?”

Daken was again startled, “I can bring about twenty.”

Roman said, “I’ll give you the price of 20 gold coins, how many slaves can you bring me then?”

Daken immediately grew solemn.

“I can bring you at least one hundred, no, one hundred twenty slaves!”

In theory, 20 gold coins could buy two hundred slaves, but transportation was a hassle, especially the remote location of Sige Town, requiring a large detour, naturally necessitating an extra premium; slaves costing 1 silver coin would at least have to be increased to 1.2 or 1.5 silver coins.

But this was a big order, Daken felt he could take it on, and there was profit to be made.

Roman nodded and asked, “How long will it take?”

“At least one month, you know the reasons…”

The biggest issue was transportation.

It was a barbaric era, with constant warfare, and human life was cheap, hence the generally low price of slaves.

But that didn’t mean they were everywhere.

Especially in Black Iron Land, there hadn’t been a large-scale war in decades; one would need to leave this land and go to others to purchase slaves.

“I’ll prepay you 10 gold coins, whether or not you can get the other 10 depends on how well you do.

The commercial tax in Sige Town from now on will be one-twentieth for all goods, no objections, right?”

Daken nodded repeatedly, praising, “Your generous policies will certainly resonate throughout the upper and lower reaches of the Bro River.”

Commercial tax was also one of the income sources for the nobles, but their attitude towards merchants determined the scale of commerce in their territories.

And this land did not lack such shortsighted people.

One-twentieth for merchants was indeed very favorable, meaning they sold goods worth 20 copper coins, they only had to pay 1 copper coin in commercial tax.

Most nobles maintained a ratio of one-tenth, some even an astonishing one-sixth.

Basically leaving no room for merchants to survive.

In such places, commercial trade naturally wouldn’t thrive.

Of course, depending on the goods, this tax rate could increase or decrease.

And most nobles unanimously agreed on the salt tax—that was to heavily extract tax.

It was never less than one-sixth, reaching up to one-third at most.

This meant that for every 10 catty of salt sold making 1 silver coin, he had to pay the local nobles 3.3 copper coins, and that was just for one aspect of the salt tax, not to mention the purchasing customs duties.

As a salt merchant, after all the hard work, one could only earn the cost price, with the majority of profits going to the nobility.

Yet the new Lord of Sige Town very generously charged only a 0.5 copper coins salt tax, which was quite astonishing.

Roman waved his hand, signaling Seth to take Daken to get the money.

He had only met Daken once and had thrown out 10 gold coins, which could be said to show his sincerity.

Roman wasn’t worried about Daken taking the money and not doing the job.

If he wanted to make it in this area, he had to do his work well and beautifully.

Only nobles dared to take money without providing services to merchants; a merchant who took money without serving nobles had never appeared.

And even a loss of 10 gold coins, he could still afford.

Sige Town also had merchants, but with a weak commercial foundation; they were okay with buying and selling food, but such large-scale slave trades were simply out of their control.

After Daken left, Roman continued chopping trees in the northern forest with Gwivelle.