“What about the salt industry?”

The Western Region had many mines, so it wasn't strange that the mining industry was the mainstay of the fortress. However, this was the first time he'd heard about the salt industry. The Fourth Prince's memory was blank regarding the local specialties, and Roland had also presumed that salt production was mainly the business of coastal cities.

“The fortress and the territories of the Moose and Honeysuckle families each have a salt well… In fact, the three wells are very close to each other, basically located at the borders of the territories. It is said that more than two hundred years ago, the civil war in the Western Region often took place in this area, lasting on and off for nearly fifty years before a victor emerged,” Barov said, stroking his beard.

So, the three noble families that seized this place became the biggest winners in the Western Region? He asked with interest, “What is the output of these salt wells?”

“Besides supplying the Western Region, it is also sold to Fallen Dragon Ridge and Clearwater City, as well as small villages along the way,” Barov said, flipping through the records in his notebook, “It accounts for about one and a half percent of the fortress’s revenue.”

“So little?” Roland said in surprise, “The price of salt on the market is not low.”

“It’s too difficult to get the salt out of the deep wells,” the chief steward shook his head. “I knew a noble in Silverlight City who owned a salt well in his territory. The wellhead was only the size of a head, and even a wooden bucket couldn’t fit down. When collecting, they had to pour water into it first, and after the salt dissolved into the water, they would scoop it up with a hollowed-out bamboo pole.”

“Why not widen the wellhead?”

Barov revealed a proud smile, “Your Highness, because the salt layer is too deep. If you dig it like a water well, I’m afraid the inner wall will collapse before you dig very deep. According to him, that salt well has been mined since his grandfather’s generation, and the depth of excavation is now almost as high as a royal capital’s clock tower.”

So that’s how it is, Roland pondered. It seemed that, limited by the depth of excavation, people in this era used the method of soaking brine to collect well salt. This was an effective method, but there was obviously a lot of potential for improvement in the process—whether it was using Lian's power to lift the salt ore or using a steam engine to extract the brine, the collection efficiency could be greatly improved.

If he could obtain a sufficient supply of salt, it would not only bring a lot of profit to Neverwinter City, but also healthier and more delicious refined salt could be popularized to every resident’s home—knowing that what they currently ate was still crude salt and salt blocks mixed with various impurities and foreign objects.

“I understand,” thinking of this, the Prince nodded with satisfaction, “You may leave… Don’t slack off on the population expansion work either. The Evil Moon has just passed, and the refugees who have lost their land should be in a difficult situation where they have no food to eat. This is a good time to recruit people.”

“My thoughts are the same as yours, Your Highness,” Barov said, patting his chest. “The new envoy group will be departing soon, and I think their harvest this time will far exceed last year’s.”

After the chief steward left, Roland was about to plan how to utilize the fortress’s mineral resources when he heard a tapping sound outside the window.

He turned his head to look and saw a kestrel landing on the window bars, a strip of paper tied to its claw.

Nightingale opened the window and let the messenger in.

This was a secret letter from Longsong District, written by Pero Helmon.

Roland quickly scanned the contents of the letter and couldn’t help but smile wryly. It turned out that after Nightingale returned to the Border Region with him, the work of combating crime there had suddenly become difficult. The information reported by the masses was varied, and it was difficult to distinguish which were true situations and which were rumors fabricated for the sake of the bounty. The number of people applying for work was less than half the original number of rats, and Rein Mede, the newly appointed Minister of Justice, was overwhelmed every day but could not suppress the rise of the underworld forces. If this continued, there was a risk that the security would deteriorate again.

Pero wrote at the end of the letter, hoping that His Highness the Prince could provide assistance in terms of manpower and technology. Although he did not specify names, Roland knew that he wanted Nightingale and Wade to go and help Earl Moose.

He handed the letter to Nightingale, who frowned after scanning it, "They can't hold on so soon?"

"Because he simply doesn't have any experience fighting rats. Forming the Blazing Fire Gang before was just to enjoy the war game of being followed by a hundred responses. Changing to catching rats, he can't do it well." Roland smiled, "I expected this situation long ago. Combating rats is a long process, and there will be constant ups and downs, but as long as you ensure the intensity of the crackdown and provide a better way to live, they will disappear sooner or later. Once they are on the right track, they will not easily be infected with evil diseases again. This is true for people, and it is true for cities."

"Are you going to send me over?" Nightingale sighed.

"Don't forget, Longsong and the Border Region are now one city, don't divide them so clearly." He shrugged, "Didn't I say at the expansion meeting before, one day we will be able to have breakfast in the Border Region in the morning, and handle affairs in the Longsong District half an hour later. And you are the head of the Security Bureau, so naturally you have to travel frequently between the two places to inspect the various tasks in the territory."

"What will you do if I leave?" She shook her head, "Don't say you won't encounter danger. Timothy and the Church now regard you as a thorn in their side. If they send witches to assassinate you, only I can stop them."

Roland wanted to say that he had God's Stone of Retaliation, and ordinary witches couldn't pose a threat, but he realized that what the other party was concerned about was probably not this, "Listen to me..."

"No matter what you say, I can't agree. Wendy and Scroll will definitely stand by my side. You are the most important thing to the Witch Union—"

"I'll go with you too."

"Cough cough, is, is that so..." Nightingale choked for a moment, then turned her head away in a panic, avoiding his gaze, "Since the other party has entrusted this matter, only I can handle it."

The Prince couldn't help but laugh, "Take Asha with you too. It's time for her to learn how to apply her abilities in practice."

In addition, he had to add Sylvie and Soraya. While exploring the mine, he could also establish the ID card system together. It would be even better if he could establish a lower-level city hall along the way. He wondered how those nobles from Longsong Fortress were training.

...

Three days later, Roland led the witches and fortress nobles onto the ship heading to Longsong District.

Looking at the cement paddle steamer slowly moving in the Clearwater River and the coal slag remaining in the gaps in the deck, he sighed helplessly. Arriving at Longsong Fortress in one day seemed almost impossible in the past, but now it was still too slow for him. After all, as the saying goes, time is money, isn't it? Roland thought to himself, silently adding the construction of his own exclusive luxury high-speed ship to the production plan. (。 )