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 who come 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 accept 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 accused 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 accusing 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 Village Five of the Demon King’s Kingdom.

In this newly established city…..no, in this newly established village, 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 more comfortable with my life, I also became more relaxed.

I was able to look at my own life in a new light.

……

How is the tax system in Village Five?

What I paid this year was something I voluntarily paid, capitation tax(a tax paid by those who live in the city or village. It’s usually the same amount whether you are a city dweller or a villager 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 village even survive with just that?

In a normal place, the capitation tax would be around 70 to 80 big copper coins.

And come to think of it, my store was never visited by a tax collector.

The tax collector should come 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 village and the system for tax collecting is not yet in place?

Or are there not enough tax collectors?

I am indebted to this village.

My family’s wandering journey came to an end when we arrived in this village.

Although I was tired of being a tax collector, I went to the village council meeting of Village 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 Village Five.

This was four years ago, two years after we arrived in Village 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.

-0-

Tax collection season varies depending on where they live.

It is usually spring or fall.

In Village 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 Village 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 can completely become 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.

-0-

Why am I doing this?

Isn’t it obvious?

Because I am a tax collector of Village Five.

A tax collector’s job is to collect taxes correctly.

Tax collectors will never cheat.

Tax collectors swore an oath to the acting village 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 Village Five, some residents will push taxes on you as much as they can.

I know what they are thinking.

The taxes in Village Five are so low that it’s worrisome.

Everyone wants Village 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 place.

However, we won’t accept 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 stipulated amount, that means I have to hand over the excess taxes I received to the village!

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 village, we will become tax collectors who fill their own pockets by illegally collecting taxes against Village Five’s order.

Therefore, we cannot receive more taxes.

Thus, tax collectors of Village 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 village chief thought so too, so she decided that tax collection must only happen when the sun is still up, which means when the night comes, 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 places.

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 onslaught 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 accept more tax than the amount set forth.

-0-

By the way.

My previous knowledge and experience as a tax collector is useless in Village Five.

Well, of course.

Village Five is too different.

However, I love this different Village Five.

-0-

Hih(Village Five Military): Isn’t that just playing tag around the city?

Loch(Village Five Internal Affairs): Yes, it is. The purpose of catching them is to pay more taxes but……

Nana(Village Five Spy): Tax collectors, they are better at escaping than legit spies. I’m surprised.

-0-

Village Five Councilor A: Sounds like fun!

Village Five Councilor B: This isn’t time to be talking. If we don’t think of a countermeasure, taxes will come pouring in!

Village Five Councilor A: Normally, we should be pleased.

Village Five Councilor B: We’re already having troubles dealing with it correctly. Or do you want to fatten your pocket?

Village Five Councilor A: I’m not thinking that. Also, I don’t like being doubted.

Village Five Councilor B: Then, let’s only collect tax that we can handle. We must not accept more.

Village Five Councilor A: Y-yeah.

-0-

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?

-0-

AN: The update will slow down as I’ll concentrate with working on the 17th LN Volume. Sorry about that.