Britz was in the thick of development, but the farm district sat apart on the outskirts. Naturally, even the wind direction had been carefully considered so that the saltpeter farm's dreadful stench wouldn't sweep over the residential area.
Yet from the moment I set foot in Britz's side streets, the stink made me wince. This was unmistakably the same smell I'd caught near the slums of Breisburg. It seemed there was no keeping it out entirely.
Münster, who had been glancing around, spoke up.
"My lord, there seem to be quite a few taverns around here."
"I abolished the liquor tax for Britz alone, so of course they're multiplying."
"Th-the liquor tax? I see!"
The liquor tax was a fairly steep one. That was why home-brewed moonshine circulated on the sly. But in this area, even poor laborers could get their hands on drink easily.
All of it was for the sake of the saltpeter farm on the outskirts.
In essence, I had built a human toilet.
"Hmm, then we could save on liquor costs."
