MILE CHAPTER 191: KAMEN GIRL AGAIN 2
ã...finishedã(Mile)
ãO, Oh...ã(Captain)
17 farmers were tied and lined up in front of the soldiersâ eyes.
Because they were loud and noisy, Mile also put cloth on their mouths.
And 11 soldiers were dumbfound, looking at the scene.
Apparently, 9 of them are general soldiers, one is a commissioner, and the last one is an officer.
Perhaps this is a squad of soldiers, plus a commissioner and a officer.
Well, it was unlikely that the lord would send only general soldiers to the task that required to make important decisions.
ãSo, I have a favor to ask ...ã(Mile)
ãIs it about reward?
Indeed, if you didnât help us, my subordinates and the farmers might get injured,
No, there might even dead people if we couldnât handle it well.
We almost mistook you were their reinforcement, but you were a great help.
Besides, the farmers had tried to resort to force, it was a miracle when there were no injured people on both sides.
n.o.body was hurt and there was no ãbattle actionã, itâs all thanks to the sudden appearance of a mysterious little girl.
So of course, you have the right to receive grat.i.tude and reward from our Lord.
However, there are circ.u.mstances we need reporting to our lord, so I would like you to accompany us ...ã(Captain)
The captain replied to Mile.
Yes, there certainly wasnât a battle action.
Actually, the previous one wasnât something that could be called aãfightã
However, Mile shook her head to the captain.
ãNo, I do not mind accompanying you, but itâs not about reward.
I thought about asking all the farmers that I caught if they were voluntarily dispatching, And somehow ... it seems more like a pilot...ã(Mile)
Mile thought
it was strange for farmers to argue with the Lord Army and the side to started it.
Even if the tax has risen, or even if the tax is higher than other territory,
Neither their wife nor their kids were harm, people could still live.
Tax refusal without caring about consequences is unthinkable
ã...Ah yes, they are still the citizen in our territory.
We canât just capture and imprison without knowing the details.
If we are doing so, the tax revenues will be reduced and it will not benefit for our lordã
The captain was somewhat talking this lightly.
Mile didnât expect this.
Of course, normally it will not be like that.
Itâs quite normal to dispose mercilessly those rebeled again the lord, for the sake of avoiding other villages followed. Either this captain or the lord is a good person.
The villagers are now tied, and canât say anything with their mouth tied.
But unless Mile and the soldiers let them speak, the story will not progress.
The captain decided to speak only with the leader of these farmers, and removed only the cloth in his mouth.
Other farmers were quiet, as they thought that their leaders would talk about what they wanted to say.
ãWell then, will you speak
First of all, are you sure that you are the leader of this group and are you the representative of the village?ã(Captain)
A farmer about 40 years old answered the captainâs question.
ãOh, thatâs right.
I am the village chiefâs son,
Because my father was ill and rested,
I am acting on behalf of the mayorã(Village)
ãSo why did you suddenly demand the lord to lower the tax rate?
That kind of thing canât be acceptã(Captain)
ãI will not be deceived!
If the farmers
farmers become aggressive, the lord will have no choice but listen to the farmersâ demand,
I know it real well!ã(Farmer)
ããEh?ãã(Mile + Captain)
The captain and Mile unintentionally leaked their voice to the farmerâs words.
Other soldiers didnât make a voice, but everyone had a blank face as well.
ãNow you can see the truth,
Look like I hit the bull-eye (Zubos.h.i.+ (å³æ))!ã(Villager)
The farmer had a smug face as he said that.
But it was not surprised that Mile and the soldiers were surprised, because the farmer never hit the bull-eye ( Zubos.h.i.+ (å³æ))
ãWell, what in the world are you talking about, this man ...?ã(Captain)
ãI... I do not understand. Can you tell me what kind of reasons you have that idea?ã(Mile)
ãEhee. Okay. Let me tell you about what we knowã(Villager)
And the leader of the farmers began to talk.
ãListen carefully.
The lord lives with the tax collected from us, farmers.
And he used it to pay the tax to the country, pay the wages of all soldiersã(Farmer)
There are various other commercial-related taxes, toll taxes, etc.
Well, for now, itâs indeed right. The captain and Mile nodded silently.
ãSo, what if we demand the lord toãLower the tax rateã?ã(Farmer)
ãIt wonât be acceptedã(Mile)
Mile answered immediately.
ãSo, what if we tell the lordãwe will not pay tax anymore unless the lord lowers the tax?ãã(Farmer)
ããSubjugation corps will be dispatchedãã(Mile + Captain)
Mile and the captain asnwered at the same time.
In fact, the troops was already dispatchedãright here and nowã
It was this soldier squad with a commissioner and a captain.
And it seems that this captain is trying to reconcile by persuasion,
when normally, the troops will annihilate the rebellion villagers without thinking.
ãAnd that is just what think.
Thatâs just a mere threat.
If the lord army truly capture or kill us,
kill us, the lord will not get any tax.
But if the lord listens to our demand and lowers the tax rate, he will still get a little profit that better than zero.
Thatâs why, isnât it still better if the lord accepted our demand?
Even back then, the soldiers didnât really dare to attack us but just tried to threaten us with swords, unless we really attacked them.
Do you get it yet? Now, release us quickly!ã(Villager)
ãã..................ãã(Mile + Captain)
Mile, the captain and other soldiers lost their words.
ãAh, about that...ã(Mile)
And, Mile somewhat reluctant talked to farmers.
ãWell, if you do such a thing, that rumor will spread and all the villages will demand the same, wonât they?ã(Mile)
ãOh, we actually planned to spread it after thisã(Farmer)
ãã............ãã(Mile + Captain)
ãOh, that would mean the tax revenue from all the villages will fall if the lord really did as your demand.
However if the lord captured the villagers who first requested and sold them as criminal slaves, other villages would not dare to ask about it anymore.
Killing you would really lower the tax revenue but selling you as criminal slaves will make a profit...ã(Mile)
ãHuh...ã(Villager)
This time, the farmers and the Mayorâs son were surprised.
ãNo, no, I has been listening about it properly, I will not be deceived with this!
Long ago, in the village Robuton, they made such a request.
And the lord lowered the tax rate to zero in the first year.
And after that years, the tax only raised to 30% ...ã(Villager)
ãVillage Robuton?ã(Captain)
The captain didnât seem to know about it, but somehow Mile was familiar with that name.
ãRobuton Village... I think I read about it in a book before ...ã(Mile)
ãSee! See!ã(Villager)
The farmer leader had a face just like an Ogreâs head (鬼ã®é¦: Ogreâs head (鬼ã®é¦: Oni no kubi).
However, Mileâs story hasnât ended yet.
ãThere seems to be a village with such a name in other country.
All the men in that village were completely annihilated from infants to old people as a result of requesting an unreasonable tax reduction.
And that village only had the old ladies, wives and girls left.
The wives became widows, girls lost their fathers and brothers while they were still children.
And they must manage the village with only females left...
And because that village was recovering, in the first year, the lord of that land exempted the tax for that village,
Three years after the first year, the lord took the tax rate only at 30%,
And it should have become normal rate after the fourth year.
In other words, the story of the village of Robuton isnât a story of being able to lower taxes,
Itâs the story about the punishment of a village that dare unreasonable asking about tax redution...ã(Mile)
ãHuh............ã(Villager)
As they heard that, not only the son of the village mayor, but also the other farmers had a blue face.
ãSo, in that story, us soldiers are the military force for thatãKill every menã...ã(Captain)
ãEeeeeeeeehhhhh!ã(Villager)
ããããããMmhmhmmhmhhmmhmhmhmhm!ãããããã(Other villagers)
As they heard the captain said that, the leader was screaming while other villagers sharted shaking.
Well, in fact, itâs the hard way is the story ãwhen the persuasion failedã
But with this lord and soldiers, even in that case, the rebellion villagers only got sold as criminal slaves rather than completely annihilated.
If you kill the villagers, you will not get a single coin, but if you sell them as criminal slaves, you will get money.
The lord here is a gentle one, he is doing fine with money...