Chapter 62

Scolded by her mother, Misaki glanced sideways at the goats and then turned to face the villagers. Dozens of adults had their heads touching the ground.

Since the forest was far away, it seemed that no one had noticed the goats. Daewoo, however, had noticed them as he was wagging his tail. Caro and Korko, not looking in the direction of the goats, were likely unaware of their presence.

Apparently, the goats were trying to hide behind the trees, peering out from the shadows. However, their bodies were too large to be hidden effectively.

"Can you see them, Sara?"

When asked, Sara tilted her head as if to say, "What are you talking about?" and was scolded again by her mother, "Luria, be quiet."

Just as Sara was about to ask her mother about the goats in a low voice, a maid spoke up loudly.

"Let's hear their story."

"Yes, thank you!"

Since they could not directly address the princess, the villagers began their explanation by speaking to the maid.

It seemed that the water channel flowing from the lake had been blocked by a landslide, and the boulder was too large to remove. They had tried to reroute the water channel, but the magistrate had not given permission.

"Why hasn't the magistrate given permission?" the maid asked.

"The magistrate's son is the village chief of the village that receives the water."

Taking advantage of the boulder blocking the water channel, the magistrate's son was monopolizing the water. Naturally, the villagers protested, but the magistrate ignored them.

Even if they appealed to the Duke, the villagers did not know the procedures. They knew, however, that direct appeals were a serious crime.

"If you need our lives, we will give them. But please, save our village!"

The villagers seemed to fear that their direct appeal would fail, and they would be killed without their plea reaching the Duke.

"If this continues, we have no choice but to abandon the land that has been passed down through generations or die!"

Due to the decrease in rainfall over the past few years, the irrigation channel had dried up, and they could no longer harvest crops from their fields. Yet, the magistrate did not reduce the taxes.

"Please, please, we beg you on our knees!"

The villagers' wish was for permission to reroute the water channel and a temporary tax exemption.

After listening to the villagers, her mother told her attendant, "Investigate it."

Then, she turned to the villagers with a smile.

"So, is the boulder blocking the water channel far from here? You may speak freely."

"Yes! It's about a ten-minute walk from here!"

"Good. Lead the way."

With that, the villagers walked ahead, and her mother followed. The attendants surrounded us in a double layer, with indoor guards on the inside and outdoor guards on the outside.

As they walked, her mother said in a whispering tone,

"Sara, what do you think?"

"Poor everyone."

"Yes. As the lord, it's important to care for the lives of the people."

Her mother stroked Sara's head and then asked,

"Luria, what do you think? ... You've been staring at the forest. Were you listening?"

"I was listening properly."

It was true that the goats in the forest had been on her mind. She had been glancing at them from a distance but had also been listening carefully.

"The magistrate is suspicious."

"What do you mean by suspicious?"

"The landslide itself might have been caused by the magistrate."

When she said this, her mother smiled.

"There is a possibility."

"... Yes. Water is important for the village."

Not only in farming villages, but also in villages where livestock is the main industry, water is essential. Water is used to raise livestock and to grow fodder.

"Water has always been a source of conflict."

Water rights have been a subject of intense disputes since her previous life. The conflicts become more intense during droughts.

In her previous life, she had been called upon to resolve water disputes. She had made it rain to fill the reservoirs, accompanying the dance of the princess, the Holy Maiden.

"The villagers also said there has been less rain, right?"

Due to the decrease in rainfall and the reduction in the water channel's flow, the two villages could no longer meet their water needs. So, they might have blocked and monopolized the water.

"Hmm. Not reducing taxes might be to take the land, right?"

"Luria, explain your thoughts in detail."

"Well, if the magistrate lends money to the villagers who can't pay taxes..."

"To use their farmland as collateral and lend them money, right?"

"Yes!"

The villagers would not be able to pay back the money. The magistrate would then acquire both the land and the slaves who cultivate it.

"Luria, you are very smart."

"Really?"

"You might be the most like Graf in personality among your siblings."

Her mother smiled happily and stroked her head. Personally, she would have been happier if her mother had said she was more like her than her father.

"Although we need to investigate, there is a good possibility that Luria's hypothesis is correct."

Saying this, her mother slightly moved her hand to signal an attendant nearby.

The attendant bowed and ran off, likely to arrange the investigation.

"Has the magistrate betrayed us? If so, it cannot be forgiven."

The maid seemed angry.

"It's a common occurrence. No matter how hard Graf tries, perfect land management is impossible."

Her mother looked a little sad.

Meanwhile, she was looking at the goats in the forest. It seemed that their destination was close to the forest where the goats were. The distance between them and the goats was gradually closing.

"Wow, they're impressive."

The goats were very large, with magnificent horns and beards, and their golden fur was beautiful. They were looking at her and wagging their tails energetically despite their large size.

The pigs and cows were also very impressive and seemed happy. She wanted to pet them and hug them. It would feel good to be buried in their fluffy fur.