CH 104

We did Nothing Wrong

It’s not that I did anything wrong, but it’s no fun if I am suspected of many things.

With that in mind, I will organize the materials and magical beasts to make it easier to count them.

Transparency is the selling point of Van’s governance. The motto of Van’s governance is “fair and honest”, “clear accounting”, “honest management”, “finishing touches”, and “delicious snacks”.

Well, I don’t know, but if you disclose everything and say, “Here you go,” you should be fine for the most part. He was so brazen, saying, “Well, I don’t know. There is no way such an honest person would embezzle or evade taxes!” I’m sure they will say, “Oh, no, there is no way such an honest person would embezzle or evade taxes!

Van, your plan is not crazy.

With this in mind, I quickly finished my preparations and was ready to come over anytime.

However, Bell’s expression darkens day by day, and more and more materials of magical beasts appear in the warehouse.

“Stone-scaled serpent roxcale, black-winged heavenly fish Freidel Hedge, forest giant troll…oh, there’s even a red-bladed tiger Red Saber. Wow, Black Drake, the Black Sub-Drake! It’s a lesser dragon!”

Step by step, the material of larger and larger magical beasts began to show themselves, and finally there was even a dragon.

As I was startled, Bell began to mutter in a small voice.

“…Well, the materials of these monsters and beasts have not yet been reported to the Royal Capital, nor to the commercial guilds…”

“Heh? Why?”

I raise a question mark, and Bell looks at me reproachfully with a tearful expression on his face.

“The adventurers are hunting monsters and beasts in the dungeons like fools, so the Adventurers’ Guild can’t handle them, so they go to our trading company, and Apkallu and the others bring rare ores to Van-sama, perhaps as tax money, so Espada-sama sorts them out and sends some to our trading company. In addition, adventurers rush to the weapons and armor that Van-sama makes so quickly… In the midst of all this, we cannot keep up with the materials for the magical beasts that are overhunted in the defense of the city… Even if we tried, we can only strip the materials off the beasts. You know…”

Bell appealed to us that he was very busy. As I recall, there were weekly reports about hiring new employees, but even so, they were short on staff.

If you look closely, you can see dark circles under Bell’s eyes and he seems to have lost some weight.

“Poor guy.”

“…I don’t think he has much heart…”

In response to my sympathetic voice, Bell, who had become completely distraught, made a comment that made me distrustful of people.

No matter how busy he is, he shouldn’t be like this.

“So the Belrango Chamber of Commerce, which is making a lot of money, has been mishandling a lot of sales.”

“We’re not cheating! So they just haven’t made it in time! Did you hear that?

Bell defended himself excitedly.

I laugh, apologize, and point at the materials.

“Well, why don’t you just say something like, ‘This material is to be reported’?”

I replied, and Bell crossed his arms and groaned.

“Ummm…the amount is just too much…I don’t know if they’ll believe me…actually, this is my first time receiving a survey from the Commercial Guild. If you want, I’ve never even talked to them face to face.”

“Oh, really? Is that how rare it is?”

“No, I think Mary’s Chamber of Commerce has had a surveyor come every year, but the higher-ups in the Chamber of Commerce handle it, so we haven’t had any…”

Bell said with a difficult look on his face. Indeed, it is quite natural when you think about it. It’s like the tax office coming to do an investigation, so to speak. The core of the organization must be the one who can explain the situation properly.

Well, it’ll turn out the way it’s supposed to turn out.

If it’s the first time, you don’t know what to think. I decided to give up early.

Then Bell let out a deep sigh, almost crying again.

“I’m going to do a few more bad trips. I will complete the ledger of materials so that I can prove that I plan to report. I’m not even halfway done yet, though…”

“That’s a lot of work. Then I’ll gather the paperwork so you can see how busy the Belrango Chamber of Commerce is over here as well. I’ll ask them to compile the monthly tax receipts from the Chamber of Commerce, employment reports, and sales reports on the weapons and armor I made.”

When I told him this, Bell let out a disgusted “Ah…” sound.

I looked at Bell, who was losing color and breaking out in a cold sweat, and muttered with half-open eyes, “No way.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been evading taxes or something…”

“No, no…it’s the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

I tilted my head to see what he was talking about, and Bell looked at me with a dry laugh.

“I paid more taxes…”

“Oh, really? Thanks a lot.”

I can’t believe you did that without telling me. Next time I’ll give Bell a wholesale order of new weapons and armor. Maybe I’ll make more money and he’ll cry with happiness.

I was thinking about that when I suddenly realized something important.

“Huh? So I’m the one to be suspected?”

I asked, and Bell’s face turned mysterious.

“…Number one is Van-sama, and number two is us for being cozy…”

“You, what have you done?”

“I’m sorry, my Lord!”

I complained in a turn of phrase, and Bell bowed deeply. I chuckled and waved one hand.

“I’m just kidding. You did it for me, so I can’t be mad at you. But next time, I’ll just pay the regular taxes, okay? I’ve already been paid more than enough.”

I laughed at that, and Bell nodded with tears in his eyes.

In fact, our Seat village’s revenue is huge, and the taxes coming from the Belrango Chamber of Commerce are certainly significant, but they are still a small part of it. To be honest, the profit from selling the magical beasts that the Seat Knights and Espa Knights defeat in defending the village to the Belrango Chamber of Commerce is far greater.

Incidentally, the weapons, armor, ballistas and arrows I sold were also a terrific profit.

As for expenses, I told the Belrango Chamber of Commerce to provide me with the necessities and consumables in the village at a loss, and the shortfall was covered by my own funds.

I also pay for the food, daily necessities, and sundries for Apkallu and his family, the operating costs of the knighthood, and the relatively high salaries of the knights and Espada. I also subsidize the farmers, whose income tends to be lower. Incidentally, I still pay the per capita tax on behalf of all the territory’s residents, which I don’t even intend to claim.

That’s how the territory is run, with far better benefits than other territories, but still overwhelmingly profitable.

I would like to say that this is Van’s wonderful management skill of the territory, but actually it is not.

This is because it does not cost much to build roads, walls, buildings, and infrastructure, which is the most difficult task for other fiefdoms.

This is a huge thing. It takes months and a large workforce to build a castle wall.

Therefore, our territory is making an unrivaled net profit.

“Hm…hmm? So, if I explain to you how this Seat Village is being run, we can make it work, can’t we?”

“You think so?”

I asked Bell anxiously.

No, no, Van, your calculations must be perfect.

“Leave it to me. As the lord, I’ll take care of the commercial guild’s investigators.”

I beat my chest, and Bell finally looked relieved.

Just two days after this exchange, a person claiming to be an investigator from a commercial guild had already arrived in Seat Village.

The clerks from the Belrango Chamber of Commerce, Espada, Tille, and Kamshin also cooperated, working day after day until midnight on the paperwork and filing.

This was a hardship that we did not expect.

I nervously went to pick up the researcher from the commercial guild.

I have not heard from him yet, but I wonder if Arte is doing well. I hope she is not overworking herself.