Chapter 26: Tax Collection

Allen came back with wounds everywhere. Theresia is relieved to see that he has no serious wounds. He was still carrying Albaheron on his back. He slowly placed the Albaheron on the dirt floor. Without its wings spread, it was just a little bigger than an adult. It’s not a big house, so its legs were sticking out of the doorway.

“Allen, what happened?”

“It came down out of the sky and I caught it, Mom.”

(I don’t think I lied. I didn’t aim for Albaheron in the first place.)

“That’s amazing!”

Kurena compliments me with a smile. She is not surprised by the Albaheron.

“Mama, I’m scared.”

Mash cried out when he saw Albuheron, and hid behind Theresia’s back.

(Hmm, Mash is scared. Mash, you will grow up to be a strong man, you know. Anyway, it weighs more than 20 kilograms. The edible part is about 10 kilograms. I think I can use its wings. Since it’s a magical beast, does it also have magic stones? Maybe we can sell some of this stuff like it’s skin.)

I make a rough guess about the materials that can be obtained from Albaheron. When you see a dead magical beast larger than an adult, it looks like food and material.

“What’s going on?” A voice from the back of the room suddenly came.

 Rodan, who was sleeping in the back, noticed us. Theresia explained the situation to Rodan. 

“What? That’s ridiculous!” said Rodan as he peeked out. He probably couldn’t see Albaheron because of the blind spot between the dirt floor and the bedroom due to the difference in levels. I grab the Albaheron by the head and show him.

“Ah, it’s Albaheron. Are you the one who caught him? With just stones and a wooden sword?”

“Huh? Yeah.”

He has a different perspective than Theresia and Kurena. The Albaheron’s right eye is crushed by a stone, and it’s neck is bent from being attacked so many times. He was analyzing how I was able to defeat it.

It was Rodan raised himself up and dragged himself to the dirt floor because he wanted to take a closer look.

“What? Father, you need to rest.”

I rushed up from the dirt floor to Rodan.

“Hey, hey, what are you doing?”

Then Gerda arrived.

(Hmm? Why is Gerda here at this time? He wasn’t even supposed to come today, and for that matter, Kurena wasn’t supposed to come either, but…)

Since the day Rodan woke up, I hadn’t played with Kurena because of the farm work. I told Kurena and Gerda that I couldn’t play with Kurena right now because I had things to do at home. However, two or three days went by, and unable to resist, Kurena barged in to see Allen.

The last couple of days, Gerda came home from farming and asked Allen to play with Kurena more than usual, which was harder than farming. When he couldn’t stop Kurena anymore, he let her go to Allen’s house, and not long after, Gerda came too.

Allen was staring at Gerda, but he won’t make eye contact with him. Apparently, letting Kurena come here was a deliberate act.

“Papa, Allen caught it! He’s amazing!”

Despite Allen’s speculation, Kurena praised Allen’s achievement to Gerda, who has suddenly arrived. Gerda looked at the captured Albaheron with a serious look on his face. He then turned to Rodan.

“You’re seriously injured. Anyway, take it easy. Go back to sleep. Rodan, I’ll take care of the rest, okay?”

“Oh? Yeah, that’s right. I’m sorry, can you do me a favor?”

(Hmm? What is it? You’re going to teach me how to handle it?　That would be great.)

“Let’s go, Allen.”

“What? Where?”

“To the Village Mayor’s house. We are going to give this Albaheron to him.”

“What? Give it to him? Why?”

(Seriously? You mean the magical beast belongs to the Village Mayor?)

He told me to follow him and he went outside. I follow Gerda out the door, holding Albaheron.

“And drain the blood, or you won’t be able to eat it.”

I cut his head with a machete that was in the dirt floor and let the blood drip into the canal by the house.

“Does this mean it belongs to the village chief?”

“That’s right. Even if a serf catches a magical beast, it all belongs to the lord. We will have to pay 60% as tax.”

 (Seriously, the 60% tax collection rule doesn’t only apply to crops, but also to magical beasts that we catch without permission?)

Apparently, if it’s just a rabbit with horns, they’ll let it go, but if it’s a D-ranked magical beast, not so much. I was told that I would be taxed properly. A horned rabbit is the lowest rank, an E rank magical beast.

I’m in shock.

“But this time, Rodan’s injury is partly the Village Mayor’s fault. There is room for negotiation. It’s your first catch. I’ll negotiate with him.”

Rodan was seriously injured because the Village Mayor had forced five inexperienced commoners into the hunting team. Since he owes us a debt of gratitude, Gerda wants to negotiate and pay less tax.)

“I see, so this is how I want you to negotiate.”

Allen made a request about the details of the negotiation. Gerda nodded, saying “Hmmm, I see”.

Gerda told Theresia that we were going to the Village Mayor’s house and will be back before the sunset.

Gerda carried Albaheron on his back and headed towards the Village Mayor’s house with Allen. Gerda’s house was in the same direction, so Kurena was with them as well.

“Hey, hey, can we play tomorrow?”

Kurena asked me if we could play together the next day.

(Hmm, now that I’ve finished digging potatoes, it won’t hurt to have some fun during afternoon.)

Kurena was nervously waiting for an answer. Gerda, for some reason, was also nervously waiting for an answer. Now that she is six years old, she has less time for naps and more time for play.

“Yeah, I guess tomorrow will be fine. Come on.”

“Yay!”

Kurena’s expression brightened up and she looked happy. Next to her, Gerda, for some reason, patted his chest and heaved a long sigh. Apparently, it’s hard to raise a Master Swordsman.

We dropped off Kurena and continued to the Village Mayor’s house.

As we entered the residential area, all eyes were focused on us as we brought a large Albaheron, but we continued on our way to the Village Mayor’s house.

“Is the Village Mayor here?”

We knocked on the Village Mayor’s door and asked the person who came out. We were permitted to enter. We walked with Albaheron on my back.

“Oh! This is a fine Albaheron. What’s the matter?”

The Albaheron was placed in the hall that was used for the banquet the last time the knights came. Perhaps it belonged to the mayor’s relative.

“Ah. I caught this with Rodan’s son when I went to visit him. So, I brought him to you.”

Gerda explained what he and Allen had discussed on the way to the village chief’s house.

“I see, I see.”

“Rodan can’t hunt so we only want to pay the feathers of the Albaheron as tax. Is it okay?”

“What?”

The feathers that grow on Albaheron’s bodies are used as raw materials for pens and decorations. So, not only the Albaherons, but even the feathers of a bird are valuable.

“That’s enough, isn’t it?”

“No, that’s not enough at all…”

Silence hung in the hall. Gerda was staring at the Mayor, waiting for him to concede, but it seems that feathers alone are not enough.

“We’ll pay the magic stone as tax too, then. How about that?”

“…”

“Oh, well, Rodan has a family of four. They all want to eat meat. But he can’t go hunting this year because he got seriously injured because someone said something reckless.”

“What? My Lord has ordered me to increase the amount of meat I deliver. You know that, don’t you?”

(Hmm? The Lord wants us to deliver more meat, so the Mayor wants more people to go hunting?)

“Yeah, I know. What about it? I’m talking about feathers and magic stones.”

“…Well, I’m indebted to Rodan. So be it.”

Gerda glanced at Allen. Apparently, it was Allen’s plan to add the feather and then the magic stone. After starting off with an obviously small amount the Mayor had to make a compromise.

“Thank you, Village Mayor.”

Allen answered with a smile.

“Mm-hmm. You’re going to be as big as Rodan.”

“So, if I catch one again in the future, I’ll just need to give feathers and the magic stone, right?”

“What? It’s…”

This is what Allen wanted to decide. Allen was still going to catch more Albaherons. All the meat, liver, and other internal organs that were usually paid as taxes were this time levied, which was less than the usual 60% payment. The Mayor wasn’t happy about it.

“What? Hey, hey, hey… what do you mean by next time you catch one? It was just luck you were able to catch tis one. Don’t fet ahead of yourself.”

Gerda joined in.

“Yeah, I guess so. Next time you catch one same rules will apply.”

“Thanks! I know it’s a lot of work to bring in the meat each time I catch one. So, can we pay it in December when you collect the taxes?”

At the same time, we have to decide how to deliver it. Bringing a whole body to the village chief’s house like this is a lot of work.

“Huh? Well, yes. That’s all right, Rodan’s son.”

I tried to be reluctant, but the mayor agreed with two words, as if he thought there would be no next time anyway.

The wagon to deliver the potatoes would come in early December. It was decided that we would deliver the feathers and the magic stone at the same time.

It was starting to get a little dark when we got home. The two of us hurried home, hoping to get home before it got dark. On the way home, Allen was repeatedly praised as Rodan’s son.