Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 381: Welcoming the shadows

Chapter 381: Welcoming the shadows

Any hope Alpheo harbored for reaching a satisfying agreement with the Veritia envoy evaporated like morning dew under the harsh glare of reality. The envoy's proposal was not only disappointing but borderline insulting, offering terms that failed to reflect the risks and resources Yarzat would be expected to commit.

The crux of the offer—just 8% of the annual toll revenues collected from the ships passing through Harmway, plus no taxes from any ships bearing the royal seal of Yarzat —was a laughable offer.

It was an amount so negligible that it couldn't even begin to justify the hazards of sending Yarzat's fleet into battle.

Contrary to what many might assume, the crown of Yarzat didn't command vast caravans crisscrossing the lands.

Yes, their goods were coveted far and wide, found in markets from the glittering capital of the Romelians to every southern princedom—but they weren't the ones lugging those wares to distant lands. They weren't merchants; they were the source.

Their wealth came not from selling to foreign buyers directly but from selling to the merchants who flocked to Yarzat's gates, eager to play middleman for a slice of the profit.

This dynamic meant that the promise of tax exemptions in far-off lands was about as useful as offering a fish a golden saddle. Sure, it sounded nice, but it didn't change a thing.

The royal coffers didn't fill by dodging duties abroad; they overflowed because Yarzat's merchants happily paid a premium for the chance to resell its prized goods. Tax-free trade routes? A charming gesture for traders, perhaps, but for the crown? It was like handing a man a bucket to fix a sinking ship—it didn't even scratch the surface of what they needed.