Cutting off someone's money path has never been smooth sailing. Accustomed to tax exemptions, suddenly having to pay taxes naturally makes slave traders quite unhappy.
But lords have the right to levy taxes, which is a common practice across the Continent. Even those with backing cannot interfere with Snow Moon Territory's internal policies.
The five major families in the North dare to take a thirty percent tariff on major commodities. Master Hudson merely levies a thirty percent slave tax, which by all accounts cannot be considered high.
When you can't bend an arm to prevail over a thigh, ordinary businessmen just endure it. At worst, the next time they trade slaves, they'll select some with higher profit margins.
After all, everyone wears multiple hats. Beyond being slave traders, they also have identities as smugglers, pirates, and arms dealers.
All are lucrative businesses; a decrease in profit from slave trading doesn't stop everyone from making money.
