Chapter 78

"It wasn't that big of a deal. It was mostly about management and finances. Even though he cares about the coal mining village, it's not his only responsibility."

It is a problem, but my lord is right.

Since he oversees this entire area, he can't focus solely on one issue.

"If that's the case, my lord must have investigated various things on his own. How is that going?"

"It's a tricky situation. As you might have noticed, it's a very closed-off village. Sending someone in to investigate isn't a good idea; it would only raise suspicion."

"Like a merchant—"

"Only a few specific people usually go there. If someone suddenly shows up, they will definitely be suspicious."

I understood that as well.

I wanted to investigate, but it was clear that it was difficult at the moment.

"Still, we can't do anything without any information."

Saying that, he took out another document.

It seemed he had done some investigating, despite his complaints.

I would like to ask him to share everything he knows.

"Regarding the village's internal affairs, it takes time to investigate since we can't do it from the inside. However, the village has some connections with surrounding villages and towns, so we have gathered some information. It's clear that the standard of living has changed dramatically over the past ten years."

"Indeed..."

I didn't know the details from ten years ago, but when I asked around, it seemed that the purchase of luxury items, which were not particularly difficult to buy before, had stopped.

Of course, if it was just one household, it might not seem unusual, but for the entire village, it was suspicious.

"It seems that all the alcohol is sold in bulk to the tavern. Of course, it's not just alcohol; the same goes for food. The tavern is the only store."

I didn't know that.

"But why?"

"Why what?"

"Why is everything sold in bulk to the tavern? Bulk buying can indeed save costs, but there's no need to sell it to the tavern. If they sell it to the tavern, it involves a middleman, which would be more expensive than buying directly from merchants. The villagers should realize this. It feels like they don't want to let outsiders in."

"Exactly. While it might not be accurate, there are probably many things they don't want to be known outside."

Since they are involved in criminal activities, reducing the opportunities for outsiders to come in makes sense.

"It's like an organized crime."

Otherwise, it would be impossible for no information to leak out. It started with the epidemic, then debts, and job placements that seemed like forced labor.

"The story is getting bigger. What do you plan to do?"

"Do you know that the easiest way, using the authority of a lord, is to start from scratch?"

My lord smiled, and his words made my mouth twitch.

I understand, but it's scary when you say it with that face! You know, a good-looking face makes evil words even more powerful!

"Why do you have that look? If there is a clean territory, I would like to know. If it's a breeding ground for crime, it's easier to eliminate it. Moreover, this time it's quite limited and not difficult. Can you say that your family's territory is clean?"

"...I would rather not comment on that."

My lord probably understands that his statement is an answer in itself. I know very well, even without him saying it. I know about my family's territory and that other territories are similar. I don't think there is a territory without crime. At least, there are crimes in my family's territory.

However, if left unchecked, it could lead to problems. The best and quickest way is to crack down and keep the issues within the territory. If it leaks out, it could become very troublesome. Nobles can lose their reputation quickly with a small mistake.

So, my lord's statement is not wrong.

Not wrong, but...

"I would appreciate it if you could handle it more peacefully."

"I'm just saying it's the quickest way. If we can't have a proper discussion, it might get a bit rough, but that's unavoidable."

I sighed lightly as my lord shrugged.

"From Reisha's impression, I don't think it's impossible to have a discussion. I don't know if they are involved in crime or if they are genuinely unaware, but they don't seem to be running away."

"That's true... Speaking of running away, it seems that the higher-ups have all disappeared."

"Do you think they let them escape?"

This time, he returned with a truly evil smile.

Scary! This person is genuinely terrifying when he's your enemy. Even though it's not directed at me, I got chills down my spine.

"Since Rockdel is gone and the dukedom has changed hands, I was being underestimated. I was thinking it's time to teach them a lesson."

Yeah, who is that directed at? I know I shouldn't dig too deep. I didn't hear anything. So, my lord... please don't treat me like an accomplice...

I hid my face behind the document I was holding, pretending not to have heard, and started reading it again. I was curious about how he was looking at me, but I was too scared to look up.

"Oh, I see, the residents are managed."

"That's part of the administrator's job, and it's a common system for taxes. Instead of collecting from each household, they collect from the entire village. I think this is quite accurate."

In small villages, it's hard to grasp the income of each household. Also, there's a high possibility that they engage in collective enterprises, so such arrangements are sometimes made.

"It hasn't changed for a long time."

"That's strange, isn't it? It's odd that it has continued for over ten years without any issues."

Taxes change every year. Some years are good, and some are bad. That's normal.

"Given the interference, it must have been very difficult."

My lord must have known, but I know the situation was far from ideal. Now that things have settled down, he has returned to tighten the reins on the territory.

Indeed, it makes a big difference whether there is a lord overseeing the land or not.

"You have investigated the tavern owner in great detail. If this is true, I would like to know why you didn't tell me earlier."

I looked at my lord with a frown, but he didn't seem remorseful at all.

"I thought it would be better without preconceived notions."

You have a way with words, my lord!

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