Your Majesty, Wonders are Harmful to the Country!

On the beach, numerous pits of varying sizes were being dug by the serfs.

But this time, Old Ford did not stop them. A thought had begun to take shape in his mind… Perhaps the lord's method of sun-drying salt might actually work.

Of course, the main reason he did not interfere was that stopping them would be pointless.

Nearly half of the serfs originally responsible for boiling salt had been reassigned to speed up the excavation of salt ponds.

Fortunately, a few salt ponds had already been completed, allowing Bruno to begin his experiments as soon as possible.

After all, practice is the only criterion for testing truth. Although Bruno had studied the steps of seawater salt production, he had only ever written about it in exams. When it came to actually doing it, he still felt a bit nervous.

The seawater first entered the evaporation ponds, where it would be concentrated to increase the salt content. At this stage, people often added pre-made salt to accelerate the saturation process.

So, when Bruno threw a large heap of salt into the pond, the watching servants and serfs all flinched—this was… such a waste!

Old Ford's expression darkened. If this failed… the loss would be devastating. After all, calling salt "as valuable as gold" was not just an exaggeration!

Once the saltwater reached saturation, Bruno had the workers open the simple sluice gate beside the pond, allowing the saturated brine to flow into an adjacent crystallization pool.

Sun-drying salt is a long process. The brine in the crystallization pool would take several days to fully evaporate and form crystals.

Since there was no rush to return to the city, Bruno decided to stay temporarily in a small coastal village, waiting for the brine to crystallize.

He had already read the letter from Shabi and was quite satisfied with his efficiency. In response, Bruno wrote back to praise him and even ordered the castle's cook to prepare his favorite black pudding.

Bruno imagined that when Shabi saw the black pudding, he would surely feel deeply grateful.

Having spent several days at the seaside—first harvesting seaweed, then fishing with Lopida, and overseeing the serfs digging salt ponds—Bruno finally had some free time.

With leisure at hand, his thoughts naturally turned to food. After all, the flavors of his past life were not so easily forgotten.

He filled a clay pot with fresh water, added freshly harvested seaweed and a few eggs, and sprinkled some salt over it—thus, a pot of fragrant seaweed and egg drop soup was complete.

Some villagers were skeptical about the seaweed. When freshly harvested, it looked messy and dirty. However, since the Earl himself was using it for cooking, they figured it must be safe.

Just as he finished, Lopida arrived. Bruno personally scooped a bowl and handed it to him, which moved Lopida deeply.

"I'm just a servant… yet the lord himself is serving me a bowl of soup?" For a moment, Lopida felt an overwhelming sense of loyalty—A man should be willing to die for the one who truly values him!

"Master, you should have some too…" Lopida said, his voice trembling with emotion, trying to hold back tears.

"No, you first," Bruno said with a smile. "After all, it was your idea to look for food along the coast. You're the top contributor here."

Lopida was so touched that he didn't even hesitate. He took the bowl and drank it in one gulp.

"Hiss… It's… it's a bit… hot…"

Seeing that Lopida had drunk it without issue, Bruno wasn't in a hurry. He patiently scooped him another bowl.

"If you like it, have some more."

Lopida didn't hold back. Ignoring the heat, he gulped down another bowl.

After all, the Earl himself had yet to drink any but had served it to him first. He had never received such an honor before. This meant that he was the most trusted person of his lord!

One bowl after another, Lopida drank until he was so full he could barely move. Only then did Bruno feel reassured enough to pour himself a bowl.

After all, if Lopida could drink so much and still be fine, it meant that the seaweed in this world was the same as in his previous one—edible and non-toxic.

It wasn't paranoia. There was so much seaweed on the shore, yet the local fishermen still went hungry. Without someone testing it first, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

The dark green seaweed mixed with the pale egg strands—it wasn't the most visually appealing dish, but the taste was pleasantly fresh. Even the children watching nearby were drooling.

Bruno took a small sip—it tasted just like the seaweed from Earth.

Meanwhile, the grilled fish was also ready.

The fish had been freshly caught, making them extra delicious.

Ever since Bruno taught the fishermen a new method of fishing, they had been tirelessly working day and night, driven by hunger. The catches were abundant.

There was no concern about overfishing. The vast ocean was teeming with fish, and with the limited number of people, it was nearly impossible to deplete the fish population.

Moreover, the technological level of this world was far behind Earth's. The fishing nets had gaps big enough to fit a fist through—not only did smaller fish slip through, but even the smarter ones could escape through the holes.

Though fish were delicious, eating them every day could become monotonous. Waiting for the brine to crystallize was indeed dull, as even in the heat of summer, it took three to four days. At this time of year, it would take even longer.

Fortunately, the seaside had pleasant scenery. When bored, he could practice horseback riding—having only recently transmigrated, he was still a bit rusty.

Each day, Bruno visited the salt ponds. By the time the salt ponds had been fully dug out, the brine in the earliest crystallization pools had also solidified.

At Bruno's command, the waiting serfs opened the sluices, draining the remaining bitter brine back into the sea. What remained in the crystallization pools were salt grains mixed with residual brine.

Using wooden boards and discarded oars, the serfs scraped the scattered salt crystals into piles. The crystallized salt now formed small white mounds, glistening under the sunlight.

It looked just like the piles of grain after harvest—except instead of golden wheat, it was pure white salt.

Was it really that simple?

Salt was already produced?

The gathered serfs and commoners were dumbfounded. They thought back to how they had to toil for an entire day just to boil a tiny bit of salt. But now…

All it took was digging a pond, and they could easily collect heaps of pure white salt. The stark contrast left them speechless.