Chapter 25

In the morning, after visiting the adventurers' guild for a casual drop-in and conducting a throwing knife test under the guise of mouse hunting, I washed my face and had breakfast as usual. The meals here are made by the old man, and they're really delicious. I wonder if he has a talent for cooking. It seems likely, doesn't it? Well, since I enjoyed a delicious breakfast, let's go pick up my rapier. I head to the blacksmith's corner in the free market and find the blacksmith I was looking for. He seems to have recognized me and starts talking to me.

"Hey, kid, the sword is ready. I made sure the balance is the same, but if it feels off, let me know. It's a weapon you'll entrust your life to, after all."

"Sure, let me try it out a bit."

I say, and I swing it a few times. ...Yeah, it seems fine. The balance is right at the hilt, and it handles well. The design is a bit different, but that's due to the blacksmith's skill and sense. As long as it's not too tacky, it's fine.

"...It seems to be fine. Thank you."

"Sure, it's my job. I didn't cut any corners. --Here, here's your well-maintained weapon."

I take the two rapiers and the mangoush and quickly leave the area to avoid being a bother. ...Well, now I have some free time. Two days in a row of mouse hunting is a bit much. ...Alright, let's go to the alchemy guild. I'll chat a bit with the receptionist there. Once I've decided, I head straight to the alchemy guild. Even if I'm enthusiastic, it's only a 10-minute walk from the free market to the central adventurers' square. I'll go ahead and greet them.

"Hello."

"Welcome. What can I do for you?"

"I came to chat."

"Oh, then I'll take a break. There are no other customers, so it's fine. What would you like to talk about?"

I'll ask about what I was curious about yesterday. I was thinking about it a lot at the inn, too. When you have free time, you tend to think a lot, you know. Well, thinking is fun, though. So, I'll start with what I want to ask.

"What's marriage like in the city? In the village, it's decided by the parents, so I was wondering how it works in the city."

In the village, marriages are decided by the parents. My brother Charlo and my sister Ludmila both had betrothals. They were around the same age and had the talent for farming. That's how village marriages work. When you turn 12, you decide whether to live together or how to manage the fields, but that's about it. So, I was wondering how it works in the city. Do people in the city also have betrothals among acquaintances?

"Marriage? It's just whether the two people get along, right? I'm married, but I only married because we got along. We didn't do anything special."

"But how did you meet your husband?"

"I met him through the documents at the magistrate's office."

"Documents?"

"Yes. When you decide to live in this town, you have to submit a resident registration at the magistrate's office, right? You also have to pay taxes. That's where you look for a marriage partner. What else is there?"

My brain can't keep up. Look for a marriage partner at the magistrate's office? What does that mean? I understand the resident registration since you have to pay taxes. We paid taxes in the village too, to the village chief. The village chief would then transport the resident tax to the lord. Well, most of it goes to the town's magistrate, who then transports it to the lord. I think a few people from the town's magistrate take the taxes to the lord. I don't know if they convert it to money, but the village chief might have converted it to money first. We mostly paid in wheat.

That's beside the point. What does it mean to look for a marriage partner at the magistrate's office? Is the magistrate's office a matchmaking place or something? Do they assign numbers and match them up? I don't understand.

"I don't understand. Do you look for a marriage partner at the magistrate's office? Even alchemists?"

"Yes. I'm not an alchemist, but it's the same for jobs, right? Basically, you post job listings at the magistrate's office. It's the same for marriage. I submit a notice to the magistrate's office saying where I work and that I'm looking for a husband. Then, people who want to marry me come, and I also go to look for someone who meets my criteria. That's how I met my current husband. ...What's wrong? It's not strange or anything, right? Sure, parents sometimes decide betrothals, but most people find a match at the magistrate's office, don't they?"

It's so shocking that even my past self is speechless. I understand that the magistrate's office has a function like a job center. In my past knowledge, something like a commercial guild in stories might fit that role. In this world, the magistrate's office seems to serve a similar function to a commercial guild. Since managing residents is part of their job, it might be convenient. But, does the magistrate's office also act as a matchmaking service? Isn't that too much for the magistrate's office? They would need as many people as a guild, right? If they handle both the commercial guild and matchmaking, they would need even more people than the alchemy guild. To clear my head, I'll ask a different question.

"Is the tax the same for everyone?"

"Of course not. It's determined by your profession. If you're an alchemy guild employee but not an alchemist, it's one small gold coin per year. I think it's about half of your income. They don't take much tax from food and essential industries. If they take too much tax from livestock, the price of meat would go up. The lord and the magistrate must be working hard to figure that out. My husband says they take taxes from where they can."

"Does your husband work at the magistrate's office?"

"Yes, he's always busy. But he says the amount of work is half of what it is in the border towns of the demon territory. They say the border towns are more prosperous than the capital. The prices are higher, too. Even adventurers take combined carriages to hunt monsters because they can't live on the prices in the demon territory. ...It's just a matter of using your head. If you buy in the cheaper area and live in the demon territory, your income would increase. But that's why it doesn't work. The people who realize this are already doing it."

"I see, so the adventurers who earn money are basically in the demon territory."

"I think so. Sure, there are adventurers who live off gathering, but hitting a big score in the demon territory is more profitable. Some adventurers live off selling materials to the alchemy guild, but there aren't many. About two people a day come to sell. The demon territory is more profitable, after all."

"Of course. Fighting is more valuable than non-fighting materials. There are plenty of cheap materials, but the main ones start at small silver coins. Goblins are a different story."

"But aren't the moonlight mushrooms and full moon mushrooms in the Rail Forest incredibly expensive?"

"You can't lump them together with exceptions. Moonlight mushrooms and full moon mushrooms are materials for ultra-high-grade potions. ...But, you shouldn't say that too loudly. Even professional gatherers don't know. Plus, adventurers who can't see in the dark can't gather them. ...Well, you can with night vision goggles, but not everyone knows about such convenient items. Many people who know have made a fortune and retired in some town. There are many in this capital, but especially in Nera Town. High taxes are imposed on people who don't work. They are forced to work. But, those who have enough to not be swayed by high taxes are often adventurers who do both. If they find one full moon mushroom every few years, they can live comfortably. They go gathering during that period and rest at home. There are such adventurers."

"By the way, how much tax is imposed on people who don't work?"

"I've heard one large silver coin outside the demon territory. It's different in the demon territory. But, if you sell full moon mushrooms to the alchemy guild, they buy them for eight small gold coins. If you sell to merchants, it's about five small gold coins. With that buyback price, one mushroom can make you comfortable, and two can let you live leisurely. That's why the tax is set this way. Oh, by the way, adventurers are not considered a profession even if they live in the town. Adventurers are considered the same as not working. Adventurers in inns and the adventurers' square are not considered town residents and are tax-free."

"Do people live in the demon territory because they can't fight anymore?"

"Exactly. Even in the demon territory, if you're charged one large silver coin a year, you'd dry up. The price is set to match the demon territory."

"But, it's really strict on the unemployed."

"Of course. The town is supported by the townspeople. Those who don't work are just a burden. They should become adventurers. Even those with disabilities can find jobs. ...By the way, being unemployed is allowed until 12 years old. The tax starts at 13. The tax for apprentices is nominal, but the main tax is from those who don't work. I've heard it's the highest tax. Being unemployed is proof that you have money."

"...By the way, what happens if you don't pay taxes?"

"It's a death sentence, of course. If you don't come to pay taxes, you're considered dead. If you're found alive in the town later, it's a death sentence. You're charged with the crime of bothering the magistrate. If you leave the town, it's fine, but if you're found, it's a death sentence. Remember that."

"Understood. By the way, what about taxes while I'm at the Alchemy Academy? If taxes start at 13, I assume they are charged even if I'm at the Alchemy Academy?"

"Basically, the tuition is in place of taxes. It's free for four stars and above. Well, since you can collect taxes later if you become an alchemist, it's fine. --Oh, we have a customer. That's the end of our chat."

"Oh, then please show me the sign of the magistrate's office."

"It's a pen on an open book. See you."

"Thanks for your time."

A customer has arrived, so I'll leave. My next destination is the magistrate's office, which is like a resident registration office, job placement office, and matchmaking service. It's also the workplace of the noble of this territory. The noble's residence is right next to the magistrate's office on the north side of East Street. The magistrate's office is between East Street and Northeast Street. The noble wouldn't have to cross the adventurers' square to go to work. I knew the location, but I should confirm the sign.

But, I don't really need to confirm the sign. You can see the noble's residence right behind it, so it's easy to find. However, I want to see it once, even though I don't plan to become a town resident. I didn't expect it to be a matchmaking service. It's like a gamble since you can't see a picture of the person.

So, I've arrived at the magistrate's office. It's a place I never thought I'd visit. I don't need it now, but I might in the future. Let's go.

"Excuse me."

It's natural to speak softly in a place like this. However, there's a counter in front, and the three sides—right, left, and back—are bulletin boards. The right bulletin board seems to be for job placements. Inns and guilds also post job listings here. The door side is also a bulletin board on both sides. The left side of the door is for men looking for women, and the right side is for women looking for men. ...There are a lot of postings. I guess these are people waiting to get married. The bulletin board on the left side of the entrance has forms for tax verification and resident registration procedures. This is a bulletin board for business announcements, which has the least postings.

And, it's been confirmed that literacy is required to become a town resident. The border towns of the demon territory might have an adventurer category, but in this town, at least, literacy is mandatory. If you can't read the business announcement bulletin, you can't even register. It also means that most adventurers from the town can read and write. Some might not be able to, but most town residents can, or they can't use the magistrate's office and won't even get the information.

However, the husband and wife recruitment bulletin board is surprisingly colorful. Most are regular paper, probably some kind of animal skin, but there are also slightly red, yellow, and blue papers. ...Why are the colors different? There must be a reason. Let me ask. The receptionist is a kind-looking older sister. She's definitely an older sister, not an old lady.

"Excuse me, I have a question."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Why are the colors of the papers on the bulletin board different?"

"Oh, those are for people with higher taxes. The colors, in order, are regular, yellow, blue, and red, with higher taxes for each. The red ones are the richest. There are few red ones, right?"

"On the contrary, if a red one is still there, does it mean the person has a difficult personality?"

"Ha ha, that's right. If a red one is still there this season, it means the person has a difficult personality. The good ones are already taken. The ones left might be hard to marry. If the person's personality changes with age, there might be someone who can get along. The regular ones that are left are mostly young people. There are various reasons, like apprentices, but they might turn yellow in the future. The good regular ones are already taken, and the rest are a few years away. There's no need to rush marriage. ...Well, it's best to get married by 20, especially for women. Older women can't have children. There are always some men who prefer older women, though."

"I see, do you have to write this yourself?"

"Yes, you do. Literacy is mandatory for town residents. If you can't, you can only be an adventurer. It's necessary to screen people to prevent the town from overflowing."

"Where do town residents learn to read, write, and calculate?"

"Basically, they learn at home to some extent. Busy families might send them to the church."

"Do town residents teach all their children to read and write?"

"It varies. Most do, but some might not. Even if they know adventurers need to read and write, some might not teach their children unless they want to learn. They might only teach the heir."

"...Do former villagers ever become town residents?"

"Probably not. I've never heard of a former villager coming here, though I don't know the circumstances."

"I see. Thank you."

"Sure, you won't be coming back, will you? You have that look on your face."

Well, I probably won't come back. I don't plan to live in this town, and a border town facing the demon territory would be better. It's unlikely to be in this Seleroles Viscount's territory. Who knows what will happen. And I have some free time again. It's probably close to noon. Two days in a row of mouse hunting is a bit much, so I'll take it easy at the inn today. I've learned a lot today, and my head is tired. Rest is important, too. So, I took it easy at the inn.

Whether you found it interesting or not, I don't mind.

I would appreciate it if you could include an evaluation.

If you could also provide feedback in your review,

I think it would help me, a layman reader, improve my writing.

...Probably.