Chapter 851: Idle Talk, Tax Collector
I am a tax collector.
I am a person whose job is to collect taxes.
Because I collect taxes, I am naturally a hated person.
The only people whoe to get along with me are those who think they can bribe me to get me to overlook their taxes.
I also wish I could have gotten along with them but I don’t take bribes.
I refuse to ept bribes, I refuse to distort rules.
Some tried to give it to my wife and son instead of me but my wife and son fully supported me so they did not take bribes.
I have a good family.
Until one day.
I was suddenly used of a crime that never happened and my family was thrown out of the city where we lived.
Apparently, I was in the way because I don’t take bribes.
My superiors didn’t even bother listening to me as my bribe taking colleagues were using me of all sorts of things.
I was lucky that they did not kill me.
With this thought, I left the city where I was born and raised.
After several years of wandering, I ended up in Vige Five of the Demon King’s Kingdom.
In this newly established city…..no, in this newly established vige, I started a store that sells small articles.
Fortunately, I was dexterous and considerably good at woodworks.
My wife and son also helped me and we were able to earn enough to save money.
As I became morefortable with my life, I also became more rxed.
I was able to look at my own life in a new light.
……
How is the tax system in Vige Five?
What I paid this year was something I voluntarily paid, capitation tax(a tax paid by those who live in the city or vige. It’s usually the same amount whether you are a city dweller or a viger and age doesn’t matter).
And that capitation tax was cheap.
A capitation tax for one person is only two big copper coins…..can this vige even survive with just that?
In a normal ce, the capitation tax would be around 70 to 80 big copper coins.
Ande to think of it, my store was never visited by a tax collector.
The tax collector shoulde once or twice a year to ask for tax based on the size of the store, right?
Is it because it’s a newly established vige and the system for tax collecting is not yet in ce?
Or are there not enough tax collectors?
I am indebted to this vige.
My family’s wandering journey came to an end when we arrived in this vige.
Although I was tired of being a tax collector, I went to the vige council meeting of Vige Five to express my feelings, hoping that my knowledge and experience would be of use.
Perhaps it was for the best but I ended up working as a tax collector in Vige Five.
This was four years ago, two years after we arrived in Vige Five.
Incidentally, being a tax collector is basically just a side job.
Tax collection season aside, there’s basically nothing to do.
Therefore, I kept running my small articles store.
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Tax collection season varies depending on where they live.
It is usually spring or fall.
In Vige Five, it’s fall.
Fall has arrived.
And I started hiding.
Yeah, I hide.
This is the main skill needed to be a tax collector in Vige Five.
I also disguised myself.
Depending on your normal look, you will either put on a beard or shave.
Dying your hair is also a must.
The most enthusiastic tax collectors even started hiding starting summer and changing their body shapes.
This is so that they canpletely be a different person.
I’m not that enthusiastic to even change my body shape.
I only paid a not so expensive amount of money to buy a mirror and practice some movements and all the things I won’t do.
Yeah, I’m trying to pretend to be someone else.
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Why am I doing this?
Isn’t it obvious?
Because I am a tax collector of Vige Five.
A tax collector’s job is to collect taxes correctly.
Tax collectors will never cheat.
Tax collectors swore an oath to the acting vige chief.
That is why tax collectors only collect the fixed amount of taxes.
Cold bloodedly.
Just as the sun rises in the morning and sets at night.
Only correct amount of tax must be collected.
That is why a tax collector will never receive more than the fixed amount of tax.
Yeah, even if you are given with a lot!
When they find out that you are a tax collector of Vige Five, some residents will push taxes on you as much as they can.
I know what they are thinking.
The taxes in Vige Five are so low that it’s worrisome.
Everyone wants Vige Five to be safe and secure for a long time.
Everyone doesn’t care even if the taxes doubled because of that.
And even if the taxes are doubled, it is still much cheaper than any other ce.
However, we won’t ept them!
That is our duty as tax collectors.
To put it simply, tax collectors are some kind of contractor entrusted with the task of collecting taxes.
If I receive taxes exceeding the stipted amount, that means I have to hand over the excess taxes I received to the vige!
Do you think they will take it?
They’re pushing it to the tax collectors because it’s impossible!
So that’s why they shouldn’t give it to us.
If we fail to give it to the vige, we will be tax collectors who fill their own pockets by illegally collecting taxes against Vige Five’s order.
Therefore, we cannot receive more taxes.
Thus, tax collectors of Vige Five disappear during the tax collection season.
So that no one can find them.
You also think tax collection is very overwhelming, aren’t you? The acting vige chief thought so too, so she decided that tax collection must only happen when the sun is still up, which means when the nightes, we will finally be safe.
Well, the most dangerous time is just before the sun rises so we have to act before the sun rises.
It is a seasonal tradition that tax collectors’ portraits are hung in various ces.
Kuh, that’s my portrait.
It’s a portrait of my current appearance.
I must change immediately.
Where did they find out?
Was it my wife?
Or could it be my son?
They’ve both wanted to pay more taxes for a long time.
N-no, I shouldn’t suspect my own family.
Perhaps there’s something wrong with my disguise.
「There he is! The tax collector!」
They found me!?
I must move quickly.
Hiding is a fool’s errand.
After all, they found me.
However, there were no pursuers.
I could see a group of people heading in a different direction.
It was not me who had been found.
Thank goodness.
And to the tax collector on the run.
Hang in there!
Do your best to escape!
Once caught, a tax collector will be in mortal danger.
You will be forced into a luxury inn from which you cannot escape and you will be subjected to an onught of entertainment from morning till night.
Yeah, until winter when the tax collection season ends.
They will surely gain weight.
It is already difficult to move in winter much more when you gain weight.
You will also have difficulty getting back in shape for the next year’s tax collection season.
If you can’t go back in shape then, perhaps you can only do it the year after.
Fuh.
I took a deep breath and braced myself.
I’m a cold blooded tax collector.
I will never ept more tax than the amount set forth.
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By the way.
My previous knowledge and experience as a tax collector is useless in Vige Five.
Well, of course.
Vige Five is too different.
However, I love this different Vige Five.
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Hih(Vige Five Military): Isn’t that just ying tag around the city?
Loch(Vige Five Internal Affairs): Yes, it is. The purpose of catching them is to pay more taxes but……
Nana(Vige Five Spy): Tax collectors, they are better at escaping than legit spies. I’m surprised.
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Vige Five Councilor A: Sounds like fun!
Vige Five Councilor B: This isn’t time to be talking. If we don’t think of a countermeasure, taxes wille pouring in!
Vige Five Councilor A: Normally, we should be pleased.
Vige Five Councilor B: We’re already having troubles dealing with it correctly. Or do you want to fatten your pocket?
Vige Five Councilor A: I’m not thinking that. Also, I don’t like being doubted.
Vige Five Councilor B: Then, let’s only collect tax that we can handle. We must not ept more.
Vige Five Councilor A: Y-yeah.
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This Chapter’s Tax Collector: I was a tax collector. I came to see if I could be of service to you?
Youko: Eh? Did you hit your head or something? Eh?
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AN: The update will slow down as I’ll concentrate with working on the 17<sup>th</sup> LN Volume. Sorry about that.