Anastasia didn't care about this level of probing at all. She blinked her eyes playfully and asked, "What else can I do? Of course, I'll sell it to the nobles of Linton City.
How about it? Are you interested in joining us?
You should know that I have even better refined salt. "
After saying this, she directly waved to the guards behind her. Not long after, two tax collectors brought over a completely sealed wooden barrel.
Anthony didn't say anything else. He immediately drew his longsword and stabbed a hole in the top of the barrel, instantly revealing the fine white salt inside.
This was the salt that Anastasia had filtered and purified according to André's method. On the surface, it looked very similar to the sea salt sold in supermarkets. However, due to the limitations of the craftsmanship and conditions, there was no way it could be produced on a large scale. Thus, she was prepared to go for the high-end route. She was taking it out now to impress the most powerful duke in Linton City.
"My god!
This … This is … This is the cleanest and most delicious salt I've ever seen in my life!
Where did you get them? "Georgie's eyes lit up after he licked a little of them.
As a qualified noble, he realized in a short moment how much profit such high-quality table salt would bring. It might even lead to a trend, just like the silk, tea leaves, tobacco, and so on that were shipped back from overseas.
One shouldn't underestimate the spending power of nobles and their competitive nature. As long as one of them took the lead, the others would rush to follow suit. Anyone who didn't use the finest refined salt would be seen as a pauper or a country bumpkin.
To the nobles, using the best quality goods as much as possible was a display of their strength. At the same time, it was also an act of showing off. Otherwise, how could they show off the nobility of their noble bloodline?
How could they just rely on their mouths?
It was obvious that the nobles had chosen to package themselves in all aspects, from clothing, food, housing, transportation, etiquette, culture, and knowledge. They would definitely not mistreat their mouths when it came to food.
Duke Georgie could already imagine how big of a commotion this fine salt would cause once it was released to the market. When that time came, even the refined salt produced by Rhine City's salt lake would slowly be squeezed out of the high-end market.
In his opinion, these fine white grains weren't salt at all. They were buckets of gold. If he could get his hands on them, it wouldn't take long for his family's strength to rise to another level.
Seeing the greed in the duke's eyes, Lady Anastasia's lips curled up slightly. She reached out a finger and gently stroked the beard on the duke's chin. "Oh … My dear Georgie, it's not the behavior of a gentleman to pry into other people's family's secrets. Besides, I've finally found a trade route to make a fortune. You're not thinking of swallowing me whole, are you?" She replied in a half-joking tone.
"Hahaha!
Of course not. Even if I had to fight with the other three dukes, I wouldn't covet the wealth of a beautiful lady. I'm just curious about where can produce so much high-quality salt. You know how curious I am. "
Georgie Bridle, whose thoughts had been exposed, did not panic at all. He laughed heartily and brushed the matter aside.
He knew very well that he might be able to swallow this mature and beautiful duchess, but he wouldn't be able to swallow the entire Mariel family. He quickly gave up on the idea of using force.
After all, as someone who stood at the top of the noble system in Lincoln City, he didn't want to ruin his family's reputation for money. Otherwise, he might be able to gain some temporary benefits, but he would have fewer and fewer allies in the future. It wouldn't be worth it at all.
Anastasia let out a sigh of relief when she noticed the greed in Georgie's eyes slowly disappearing. She pointed at the wooden barrels behind her and said seriously, "Georgie, you know I'm not one to beat around the bush, so I'll tell you the truth now. I'm going to reserve 30% of the salt for you and 50% of the refined salt. I promise you that there won't be a second person competing with you in this city.
As for the rest, we'll split it into three parts. One part will be given to the other nobles, another part to the merchants, and the last part will be sold by us. I believe this doesn't infringe on your interests, does it? "
Hearing that not only would his interests be protected, but he could even make a huge profit, a satisfied smile appeared on the duke's face. He nodded lightly. "Indeed, it doesn't. It's a perfect distribution.
But I want to know if the ratio will always be like this, or only this time.
Also, how often can you supply the salt? What's the price? Can you increase the quantity of refined salt? "
"It'll always be like this. Even if there's a need to adjust, your share won't be affected.
As for the price, I'll hold a banquet in a few days. Everyone can sit down and discuss it then. I promise it'll be cheaper than any other supplier on the market.
The production can be increased, but it'll take some time. It's not easy to gain the trust of the natives. Besides, I don't have that many ships. "
Lady Anasta didn't hesitate at all as she spoke her mind.
She knew that her foundation in Lincoln City was too shallow to monopolize such a huge profit. Instead of waiting to be ostracized, it was better to take the initiative to share the profits. In this way, the nobles who benefited from it would become natural allies.
After all, she and Andre were the only ones who knew how to make salt from seawater and purify it. If anything were to happen to the two of them or if they were to escape, this business that was tantamount to robbery would be over. No one wanted such a huge profit to disappear for no reason. Even if it was for their own interests, they had to protect the two of them at all costs.
It could be said that as long as the secret wasn't leaked, the two of them would have an extra layer of insurance. Anyone who wanted to do something behind the scenes would have to consider if it was worth it to offend such a huge interest group.
Georgie Bridle saw through the thoughts of the countess at a glance. He smiled and shook his head. "Nass, you don't have to work so hard. As long as you marry me, I can protect you legitimately. As for your niece, she'll naturally have her fiancé to protect her. You should know that the power of a potion master and the successor of the president of the Mage Association is not something that anyone can afford to offend."
"A potion master?
The successor of the president of the Mage Association?! "
Anastasia was shocked. She turned around and stared at André with her eyes wide open. It was as if she was trying to find something from his face hidden under the hood.