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Vol 02 Chapter 50: Border Conflict II

「Rock salt… that’s wonderful.」

I remarked while inspecting the newly discovered mine.

Rock salt sells for a high price overseas. The Adernian peninsula is rich in rock salt, so it’s not very expensive here, but it’s always in short supply overseas. Both the Kirisian countries and the Persis Empire have large populations, so they need salt.

「My, my, this is amazing!! Really! To think that you would find rock salt! By the way, there’s an efficient method for mining rock salt. I can teach you that in exchange for…」

Mr. Ainz approached me, rubbing his hands together.

But then Ismene cut in.

「No, my lord. There’s no need for you to buy the technology from this merchant. I know how to mine rock salt.」

「Ha, an architect knows about mining? Someone who couldn’t find a job and fled to the Adernian peninsula shouldn’t be so arrogant…」

「Aren’t you in the same boat? You really wanted to trade with the East, with Persis, but the competition was too fierce, so you fled here and settled for buying salt in the Adernian Peninsula to sell it in Kirisia. Am I wrong?」

Sparks flew between the two.

「Hey, Akira. Are merchants doing business on the Adernian peninsula considered losers?」

When I asked, Akira gave a wry smile.

「Well… it’s true that trading with the East brings in more money… But for a large trading company like Ainzworth, it might not make much difference. If anything, entering a less competitive market early and making a profit… wouldn’t that make them winners? The salt trade is profitable, you know. Bringing salt from the Adernian peninsula to Persis can sell for ten times the purchase price.」

Ten times, huh? Even considering transportation costs, that’s a huge profit. I see. So, the only loser here is Ismene.

「Ismene, do you really know how to mine rock salt efficiently?」

「Yes, of course.」

Ismene puffed out her chest.

Well, if she really knows what she’s doing, then there should be no problem no problem.

「There you have it, Ainz-san. We’ll talk about trading mining methods some other time… but,」

I leaned close to Ainz-san’s ear.

「I’ll favor you as much as possible.」

「That is… thank you very much. I’ll also give you a discount next time you need my services.」

We laughed together.

「Wow, that’s a wicked smile…」

Ron looked taken aback.

「But it really is good news, isn’t it, Nii-san?!」

Roswald was excited.

Well, it is good news, but…

「There’s a problem…」

「What problem?」

Soyon tilted her head.

「Is it a problem to have too much salt? Like the market price dropping? But it’s not like we can mine that much, right?」

If we could mine enough to offset any potential price drop, that would solve the problem… But we can’t mine that much.

「This land was originally part of Dibel territory.」

Tetra pinpointed the issue.

◇

「Now that I think about it, wasn’t the eastern part of Aris territory originally part of our Dibel territory?」

Rigal said this after calling his aide Belmet and his closest relative, Gilbert.

「Now that you mention it, that land was indeed Dibel’s property.」

「Indeed… it was territory taken by King Ferme.」

The two nodded in agreement.

The eastern part of Aris territory. Originally, it was not part of Aris territory.

It was a place seized by King Ferme when he invaded Dibel territory after taking Aris territory. It remained under King Ferme’s control for a long time. Later, the former lands of King Ferme were transferred to Almus.

Therefore, it could be argued that the Dibel family originally owned the eastern part of Aris territory. However, this interpretation was somewhat forced.

Ownership of territory is all about war and actual effective control. This is why no one had brought up territorial issues until now.

However, the discovery of a rock salt mine changed the situation.

「Many of our people were taken there during King Ferme’s era.」

They fled there rather than being taken, but that was a matter of how you phrase it.

What was important is that the eastern part of Aris territory was originally Dibel territory and many former inhabitants of Dibel territory lived there.

「It was impossible to reclaim it when King Ferme was alive… but now, perhaps it’s possible?」

Rigal asked the two.

About five years ago, King Ferme attacked Dibel territory, and Rigal fought against King Ferme. And he was disastrously defeated.

The defeat was so severe that Rigal ended up crying and defecating himself. By the way, Rigal was ashamed of this incident, and bringing up the topic of defecation in front of him was taboo, as it could get you killed.

At that time, King Ferme laughed and made a secret non-aggression pact with Rigal. From King Ferme’s perspective, Rigal Dibel could be defeated at any time. However, being threatened from behind was dangerous. If Rigal Dibel refrained from raising troops, other patricians would also refrain from mobilizing.

This treaty stemmed from such considerations. It also had the intention of stirring King Rosais’ distrust towards Rigal Dibel and his posse for not deploying troops despite sharing a border with King Ferme.

Anyway, Rigal was terrified of King Ferme. However, King Ferme died rather easily.

Now governing Aris territory was an unknown kid in his teens, who some peasants called by some exaggerated names like the son of the Griffon or the son of the god of War. Reclaiming the territory seemed easy enough.

「Let’s protest, Rigal-sama!! If they refuse, we can simply invade and take it back. They are illegally occupying our land!!」

Gilbert raised his voice to advocate for the seizing of the mine. It was a somewhat forceful approach, but the rock salt mine was very appealing. Rigal seemed inclined to agree, but…

「Please wait!!」

Belmet intervened.

「Please consider this calmly. That land was just bestowed to Almus Aris by King Rosais. Thus, we can consider our connection to it severed. Furthermore, they have a justified claim. Almus Aris is in effective control, and in any territorial dispute adjudicated by King Rosais, it’s clear he will favor Almus Aris. It might be better not to protest. Using military force would surely lose us credibility.」

Generally, in conflicts, the side that resorts to violence first is the one faulted for it, regardless of their reasons.

Villages along the border fighting over water sources, escalating into armed conflict between lords, was a common scenario.

However, in King Rosais’ Country, territorial disputes were, as a rule, settled through negotiation and mediation by King Rosais. Resorting to force was a last resort.

Moreover, while disputes over water sources might end in mutual punishment, seizing a rock salt mine and claiming victory made mutual punishment impossible.

「Moreover, I believe it’s best to avoid a hostile relationship with Almus Aris.」

「Why is that?」

Rigal asked Belmet. He didn’t find any appeal in Almus Aris’ continued existence and even wanted for his demise. There were also several patricians who were displeased with Almus’s sudden rise and Rigal believed he couldn’t possibly lose to him.

「We should look to the future. If you become king, the most powerful patrician in this country will be Almus Aris. It’s better to build a friendly relationship. Fortunately, it seems Almus Aris lacks ambition and appears to be trying not to antagonize us.」

「So, you suggest we grovel at his feet?」

Gilbert looked at Belmet with disdain, he always considered Belmet a coward for his cautious approach.

But Belmet, ignoring Gilbert, pressed on to Rigal.

「Please understand, when you ascend to the throne, the country will inevitably face some disturbances. It’s an unavoidable situation… During this turmoil, there’s a risk that Almus Aris could invite King Domorgal into the country. Thus, we must not become enemies with Almus Aris. On the contrary, having him as an ally could be a significant advantage for us.」

Rigal was conflicted. He preferred Gilbert’s plan, which was easier to understand and more in sync with his thought process.

Rigal was confident he wouldn’t lose to Almus Aris. There was no basis for this belief, but he was sure of victory.

However, Belmet had been a loyal servant who had supported him all his life and whose capabilities he recognized.

Following Belmet’s advice had never led him astray. But…

「They’ve harbored fugitives. Doesn’t that make them hostile?」

「That is true, but…」

「I cannot befriend him. He is an enemy. I want to diminish his power. I wish to seize the rock salt mine somehow… can’t you think of something?」

Rigal declared his stance, prompting Belmet to inwardly sigh deeply.

Politics requires the ability to deal with both the good and the bad. One must engage even with those they dislike.

In fact, King Rosais didn’t condemn the Dibel family, even though they didn’t send any reinforcements when King Ferme’s Country attacked.

Compared to this, the issue of harboring just two hundred fugitives… was a minor matter. Getting worked up over such trivialities could lead to antagonizing numerous patricians once Rigal became king…

Moreover, the mine couldn’t be easily seized. In court, a loss was almost certain. Attempting to take it by force would invite criticism, which ultimately would lead to relinquishing it in the end

However, Rigal seldom changed his mind. Perhaps it was best to devise a secondary plan.

「What are our chances if we bring a lawsuit to King Rosais?」

To Rigal’s question, Belmet responded.

「Extremely low… Losing the case would undoubtedly tarnish our reputation.」

「Then we have no choice but to take it by force.」

Gilbert said, full of zeal, as if ready to lead troops into battle right away.

But…

「That would make us the violators.」

「Then what do you suggest we do?!」

Belmet answered his question.

「Let them fire the first shot.」