Merchant Noble is out (2/2 chapters for today)

 

 

Second Town (2)

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The day’s inspection ended without incident. After lunch, Arc focused on the inspection to ease Guselb’s increasing unease. At the same time, he found an excuse to send Yuna out to search for the hidden fields. By evening, they returned to the mansion and awaited Yuna’s return while having dinner.

The Tadont couple retired early, and Yulia was in another room polishing her sword. Only Yanna and Arc remained in the hall, waiting for Yuna in a somewhat heavy atmosphere. According to Tadont’s calculations, it was almost certain there were hidden fields. This was not a matter of “suspicion” about whether the dishonesty was true or false. It was merely a countdown to witnessing the deception of the future subjects.

Night deepened. Yulia, who had been staying up out of consideration, was sent to bed. Yanna and Arc remained silent, allowing the sound of insects outside to become prominent. Despite the insect noises, there was no sign of Yuna’s footsteps. Suddenly, a cough startled them, and they turned to see Yuna standing rigidly by the door.

“Welcome back.” (Yanna)

Yanna helped Yuna out of her robe and wiped her sweat. Arc brought over the night snack and water Yulia had prepared from the kitchen. After ensuring Yuna had drunk some water and caught her breath, Arc asked,

“How did it go?” (Arc)

Yuna nodded once.

“…It was on the other side of the mountain.” (Yuna)

Arc felt the blood drain from his face. Yuna continued, delivering another blow.

“…A massive field.” (Yuna)

“Massive?” (Arc)

“…Twice the size of the area we inspected this afternoon.” (Yuna)

“I thought it might be just a small hidden stash. But that’s the main area, isn’t it?” (Yanna)

Yanna held her head in her hands. It seemed the townspeople were evading taxes on twice the amount they were supposed to pay.

“Good job, Yuna. Get some rest.” (Arc)

After sending Yuna off, Arc collapsed into a chair. So, they did have hidden fields. Arc had anticipated this possibility, but facing the reality left him in shock. Did they distrust the lord that much?

There was a vast rift between the lord and the residents of this town. The root cause lay in the exorbitant 70% tax and the self-centered attitude of the previous lord and his officials. Arc wanted to restore the residents’ trust in their lord and make them proud members of the Warden domain. To achieve this, he needed to clean up the mess left by his foolish predecessor.

“What do you think, Nee-san?” (Arc)

The day’s fatigue overwhelmed Arc, and his mind had ceased to function properly, prompting him to seek Yanna’s advice.

“Isn’t it best to pretend we don’t know? If we forcefully try to collect taxes and provoke a rebellion, things will get out of hand. The Warden Household hardly has any soldiers now.” (Yanna)

Yanna put her hands up in a gesture of helplessness and said in a half-resigned tone. Her opinion was indeed reasonable. If they exposed the hidden fields and confronted Guselb, the relationship between the town and the lord would become irreparable. If a conflict ensued due to forced tax collection, the Warden Household, lacking military strength, would undoubtedly lose. However, if Arc gave up now, the relationship between the town and the lord would remain strained. To solidify the foundation of the Warden domain, Arc needed to earn the residents’ trust at any cost.

“You’re right. Besides, the Warden Household isn’t trusted here yet. The previous lord seems to have left a lot of bad experiences.” (Arc)

Clenching his fist tightly, Arc continued.

“But that’s exactly why. The Warden Household is different. We need to show them that we are not like the previous lords.” (Arc)

The next morning, while having breakfast, Guselb came to visit Arc. Not wanting to engage in a lengthy conversation, Arc met him at the entrance rather than inviting him inside.

“Good morning, Milord.” (Guselb)

“Ah, Guselb. You’re up early.” (Arc)

“Today is the day you depart for the next town, isn’t it…?” (Guselb)

“Yes, that’s the plan.” (Arc)

Although the inspection was scheduled to end today, Guselb’s insistence on confirming it gave the impression that he was eager for them to leave. This impression was strengthened by the previous night’s report from Yuna about the hidden fields. Casually and as if by chance, Arc asked while looking at Guselb.

“Is there anywhere else to see?” (Arc)

“I have shown you everything. There’s nothing special in this town that can’t be seen in a day.” (Guselb)

“All the fields we inspected yesterday, that’s all of them, right?” (Arc)

Guselb froze at Arc’s pointed question, creating a moment of silence between them.

It seemed Guselb was wondering if this persistent questioning indicated that the lord was aware of the hidden fields. Yet, if he confessed while the lord was still unaware, he would dig his own grave. He appeared to be deeply conflicted, torn between admitting the truth and hoping the lord remained oblivious.

After a while, Guselb, with a clearly pained expression, managed to squeeze out a response that was markedly different from before.

“Y-Yes…that’s all of them.” (Guselb)

“I see…” (Arc)

Ultimately, Guselb chose to lie to the lord.

“Gather the town residents in the square. I want to greet them as the new lord.” (Arc)

“Understood.” (Guselb)

By the time the noon bell rang, all 3,000 residents of the town had gathered in the central square.

“They said the new lord is coming to greet us. That’s what the mayor said.” (??)

“The new lord? You mean that young guy from yesterday?” (??)

The residents, who were suddenly gathered that day, were puzzled, and Guselb also appeared.

“Good morning, Guselb-sama.” (??)

“Good morning. Has everyone gathered?” (Guselb)

“Yes! Everyone should be here… Wait, five people are missing.” (??)

With only 3,000 residents, most were familiar with each other. The absence of five people aroused suspicion, and families and neighbors began asking about their whereabouts. Soon, they spotted five people carrying a large log towards the square.

“Hup, hup, hup.” (??)

The five men parted the crowd and brought the log to the center of the square, setting it upright in unison. Guselb, baffled by their actions given the impending arrival of the new lord, hurriedly questioned them.

“Hey, you there! What are you bringing in?” (Guselb)

“We were asked by the lord to bring this log.” (??)

At that moment, the crowd parted again. Arc appeared on horseback, followed by Yanna, Yulia, and the Tadont couple. Yuna, who sometimes engaged in covert activities, didn’t show herself in front of the crowd. She was likely observing from a rooftop with a good view of the square.

“Is everyone here?” (Arc)

“Milord, what is this for?” (Guselb)

Arc raised a hand to silence Guselb’s inquiry about the log and began addressing the crowd.

“I am Arc Warden, the new lord of the Mikanda region. I have come to inspect the town as I will be governing it from now on. I look forward to working with you all.” (Arc)

At Arc’s signal, Yulia, holding a small box, stood beside him and loudly explained to the people.

“As part of the inspection, we will hold a contest. Anyone who can carry this log, which was brought here by the five men, all the way to the other side of the town by themselves will be rewarded with ten gold coins. We encourage all the strong men of this town to take on the challenge.”

A sideshow? Carrying a log? 10 gold coins? 10 gold coins??

The residents, initially baffled by the sudden announcement, began to grasp the situation and were astonished. In an instant, the crowd of 3,000 became agitated.

“10 gold coins!? No way!” (??)

Despite some time passing, no one stepped forward. They couldn’t fathom why the new lord would give away such a fortune just for carrying a log. 10 gold coins could let someone live leisurely for years.

“What’s wrong? Is there no one in this town who’s strong enough?”

Arc said, a hint of provocation in his voice. He and Yulia stood there calmly, watching the agitated crowd of 3,000. This only added to the people’s confusion.

“There’s no way we’ll actually get the gold coins. And 10 of them?” (??)

“If we stand out, we might get killed.” (??)

“I’ll do it.” (??)

At the sudden voice, everyone turned to look. A stout young man stood there, seemingly determined, and approached the log.

“Don’t do it!” (??)

“You’ll just get laughed at for taking this seriously!” (??)

People shouted warnings in unison. Although the promise of ten gold coins had everyone in a frenzy, seeing someone actually attempt it brought them back to reality. They had endured harsh rule under previous lords for years and expected this one to be no different. They believed the new lord wouldn’t keep his promise, and the young man would only end up being mocked.

“Uooohhh!” (??)

“He’s lifting it!” (??)

The crowd cheered as the young man, with considerable effort, managed to lift the log that five grown men had carried. He struggled to balance it and began to stagger forward. Despite occasionally dropping the log, he picked it up and continued, step by step.

People gathered around, cheering him on. The distance from the square to the other side of the town was about a ten-minute walk. The young man, carrying the log, took about 20 minutes to cover it.

The crowd returned to the square, cheering like it was a festival. Arc pointed at the young man who had carried the log and motioned for him to come up to the platform. The boisterous crowd fell silent again, eager to see what would happen next.

“You there, young man. Come here.” (Arc)

Arc took the box from Yulia, opened it to show the contents, and handed it to the young man. Inside were exactly 10 gold coins.

“As promised, I give this young man 10 gold coins.” (Arc)

For a moment, the square was silent. The lord had simply kept his promise, yet the people were dumbfounded.

“Re-really? I actually get them?” (??)

Promises were meant to be kept. The townspeople, who had never experienced a lord honoring a promise, seemed to realize this basic principle for the first time. It was a paradigm shift for them. Seeing that the people had grasped the fact that a lord could indeed keep his word, Arc began his speech.

“Everyone, listen well. I don’t know what the previous lord did to you. But seeing your distrust of me, I can imagine the harsh rule you’ve endured. There’s something I want you all to understand. A ruler should love their people and earn their respect and affection.” (Arc)

The townspeople were astonished. Arc was crying, tears streaming down his face. The young lord, moved by his concern for the people, was earnestly conveying his feelings. This deeply touched the townspeople.

“I do not lie. If I say I will give 10 gold coins, I will give 10 gold coins. I will love and cherish you as your lord. So, I want you all to open your hearts to me!” (Arc)

After delivering this heartfelt speech through his tears, Arc called the town mayor, Guselb, to the platform.

“Guselb.” (Arc)

Startled by being suddenly called, Guselb hesitantly stepped up.

“What was the tax rate under the previous lord?” (Arc)

“70%.” (Guselb)

“I’m reducing it to 20%.” (Arc)

Arc replied without hesitation.

“!!” (Guselb)

“I do not lie to the people here. If I say 20%, it’s 20%. Is there anything else you haven’t told me?” (Arc)

Guselb was silent for a while. Both the townspeople and Guselb were thinking about the hidden fields they had kept from the lord. The atmosphere suggested that the townspeople were beginning to trust this new lord. However, Guselb had previously denied the existence of the hidden fields. Admitting to them now would mean confessing that he had lied to Arc. He would surely face punishment.

Guselb, having made up his mind, took a deep breath and spoke.

“There are fields behind the mountain.” (Guselb)

“Very well. The tax on those fields will also be 20%.” (Arc)

“Huh?” (Guselb)

Guselb couldn’t help but question Arc’s immediate response. Arc made no mention of the previous deception, maintaining a strictly businesslike demeanor. Did this mean he was forgiving the hidden fields? Did it mean there would be no repercussions for Guselb’s lie?

“Is there something else?” (Arc)

“No, thank you. Thank you very much.” (Guselb)

Humbled, Guselb bowed deeply. Yulia helped him stand back up.

Arc began to descend from the platform, signaling the end of his speech. As he mounted his horse, he casually added,

“Oh, one last thing. In honor of my appointment to the Mikanda region, this year’s tax will be waived.” (Arc)

The people couldn’t believe their ears. No taxes? Did that mean they didn’t have to pay anything?

“R-really?” (??)

“I told you, I do not lie.” (Arc)

When Arc responded, the residents went wild. It was the result of all the gratitude they had felt towards Arc that had been building up up until that point exploding.

“Long live our lord! Long live our lord!” (??)

“This man is Arc-sama!” (Tadont)

Tadont, who had blended into the jubilant crowd, shouted enthusiastically. Besides mapmaking, Tadont was just a cheerful old man.

“Long live Arc-sama! Long live Arc-sama!” (??)

“By the way, Guselb, I forgot to ask. What is this town called?” (Arc)

“Ooren.” (Guselb)

Amid the people’s cheers, Arc asked Guselb the town’s name. Guselb, wiping away tears, responded. Arc planned to manage his territory systematically, starting with the town’s name. It would begin from the first town.

“From today, this town will be known as Mikanda’ Second Town. Please do your best and treat it as if it has been reborn as a new town.” (Arc)

Arc’s words made the residents excited again. There was no need to be so happy just because the town’s name had changed, but right now, they seemed so excited that they would get excited no matter what. Arc raised his hand and chuckled at the unexpected response.

“Arc-sama! Please visit the Second Town again.” (??)

“We’ll invite you to the harvest festival. It’s the pride of our town!” (??)

The residents competed with each other to shake hands with Arc and came all the way to the outskirts of town to see him off. The distrust they had felt when Arc first arrived was gone, and the atmosphere was filled with respect, admiration, and excitement.

“Thank you. This is far enough for the farewell.” (Arc)

“Long live Arc-sama! Long live Arc-sama!” (??)

At Arc’s words, the townspeople halted, replacing their steps with a resounding cheer as they bid him farewell.

Tadont and his wife beamed at the crowd’s cheers, Yulia waved proudly, and Yuna had already left for the next town shortly before Arc’s departure. Yanna drew her horse close to Arc, whispering so no one else could hear,

“You’re getting good at faking tears, Arc.” (Yanna)

“Hmm. I wonder what that means.” (Arc)

Arc replied with a sly grin.

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