Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Slaves
Several horse-drawn carriages were parked on the clearing in front of the village.
The deafening sound of horses snorting echoed continuously.
A young man dressed in a loose fine wool robe jumped down from one of the carriages.
Beneath the brown-yellow long hair was a fair and handsome face.
The young man’s gaze swept over Red and Kuisi before finally landing on Lynn.
He hurriedly stepped forward to stand before Lynn, speaking respectfully.
"You must be Master Lynn, right? I am Grayson Brown, introduced by Mr. George, the Slave Merchant."
Lynn nodded, "I am Lynn."
Receiving Lynn’s affirmative response, Grayson visibly relaxed.
"Master Lynn, Mr. George mentioned you wanted to purchase slaves, but these slaves... they’re all from the Shar Khanate."
Lynn’s gaze turned toward the back of the carriages.
There, people with wheat-colored skin were sitting on the ground.
Clad in simple, worn-out coarse cloth robes, they couldn’t fully cover their tall figures, nor could they hide the whip scars on their bodies.
Beneath the tangled long hair were thin and weak faces with numb and bewildered expressions, their eyes filled with fear.
Transported by slave ships from the Shar Khanate by the slave merchant, they had endured much hardship.
Seeing Lynn’s sweeping gaze, these slaves quickly lowered their heads.
Daring not to make eye contact with this Lord.
Some of the slaves even started to tremble...
Clearly, Grayson had already tamed them on the slave ship.
Noticing Lynn’s glance, Grayson quickly explained.
"Master Lynn, you probably know the fierce customs of the Shar Khanate; it is impossible to transport them without whipping, isn’t that so?"
"But rest assured, Master Lynn, I can assure you on my merchant’s honor that their bodies are healthy, and they have no infectious diseases!"
Lynn nodded, speaking, "How many slaves are here? How are they sold?"
Grayson recalled for two seconds, "In total, there are one hundred and eight, but a few despaired and chose suicide on the way, and three starved to death..."
"Now there are ninety-three left!"
When it came to the price, Grayson hesitated, "Master Lynn, slaves from the Shar Khanate are stronger than ordinary slaves, so the price is a bit higher..."
Lynn said calmly, "Just name the price directly."
Grayson tentatively said, "Seven shillings per slave..."
Lynn nodded, "No problem."
Hearing Lynn’s affirmative response.
Grayson relaxed internally.
The slaves from the Shar Khanate have at last been sold!
He almost thought they would be left on his hands.
These slaves he’d bought from another slave trader.
Everyone knows the slaves from the nomadic tribes of the Shar Khanate are strong, some even able to do the work of two ordinary slaves!
Thus, they are welcomed by many lords.
Grayson chose to become a middleman.
But he didn’t expect that after transporting the slaves to the Fisherman’s Wharf in Kakasong.
After holding them for a month, no nobility was interested!
Primarily, the price was too high.
An ordinary healthy slave costs only four to five shillings.
And he had spent five shillings just to buy a slave from the Shar Khanate from the previous trader!
This does not include transport costs, market entry tax, and sales tax!
If not priced at seven shillings, he would make no profit, and directly suffer a complete loss.
In a month’s time.
Grayson didn’t know how much these slaves, with their large appetites and quick digestion from the nomadic tribes, ate up his shillings.
After learning from George that Lynn wanted to buy these slaves, he simply cut their food supply entirely!
Of the ninety-three slaves, sixty-two were adult men, twenty-eight were adult women, and there were three children.
But Lynn didn’t care.
Eventually, the ninety-three slaves were sold for thirty-two Gold Pounds.
Lynn looked directly at Grayson, saying, "I can give you two payment options, first is thirty-two Gold Pounds, second is thirteen hundred pounds of fine salt."
"You can choose!"
Grayson instantly widened his eyes, "Fine salt?"
Lynn nodded calmly.
Realizing Lynn wasn’t joking, Grayson was utterly shocked.
He wanted to look around and see where the salt mine was.
But remember, this was Lynn’s territory, and the Lord stood right in front of him.
Grayson abandoned that thought.
As a cross-regional trader, Grayson knew the value of fine salt all too well.
With the current chaotic situation, the market price of fine salt had risen to seven pence a pound, with a tendency to rise to eight pence.
This was just the general market price.
The further north, toward the Desperate Great Wall of the Siris Kingdom in the Northern Region, the higher the price!
The price had even stabilized at one shilling per pound!
Because of the freezing cold in the Northern Region, heavy snow falls every year, making it impossible to produce edible salt, and transportation is exceedingly difficult.
Transport ships cannot reach, and even carriages find it hard to move forward.
Only by relying on the snow horses unique to Northern Stegia, with iron-clad horseshoes or iron chains tied to the carriage wheels, could fine salt be transported in.
The transport costs are right there, so naturally, the price is high.
The Lord, whose territory seemed to be in the early stages of development, had a salt mine!
And could even turn rock salt into fine salt!
As long as Lynn was given enough time, he was bound to rise to power.
Without any hesitation, Grayson decisively said, "Master Lynn, I want the fine salt! I want thirteen hundred pounds of fine salt!"
Lynn nodded, "No problem."
Lynn never thought Grayson would opt for Gold Pounds!
The value of Gold Pounds is fixed, but fine salt is in short supply, its value currently on the rise!
Thirteen hundred pounds of fine salt, even a pig would know its value.
Grayson, looking at the generous Lynn in front of him, asked, "Master Lynn, I also have some iron and silk fabrics on my wagon, are you interested?"
Lynn raised his eyebrows, "How much do you have?"
Grayson said joyfully, explaining, "Five hundred pounds of quality iron, all silk fabrics from the Southern Region’s Portlands Empire, fifty pieces..."
"Altogether, thirty Gold Pounds, what do you think?"
Lynn didn’t hesitate at all, "Yes, according to your price."
The Southern Region of the Portlands Empire has many famous specialties.
For example, timber, honey, iron ore, and fur.
But the most famous is their silk fabrics.
It’s said that the textile craftsmanship of the Portlands Empire is so exquisitely delicate because it is inherited from the elves of the Forest of Oblivion!
Hence, the silk fabrics of the Portlands Empire are very expensive.
Priced so that a single piece could sell for ten shillings, hundreds, even thousands of shillings!
Only those Emperor of the Empire, well-established Lord Nobility, or Great Merchants could afford it.
According to Grayson’s price, each piece of silk fabric was only about ten shillings, not too expensive!
With the silk fabrics, Lynn could make a few sets of well-fitting clothes.
As a Lord, wearing clothes no different from the villagers.
It may look approachable, but loses the dignity a Lord should possess.
The trade with Grayson just emptied all of Lynn’s fine salt produced in recent days.
However.
Everything was worth it.