After finishing up everything I needed to do in the village, I prepared to head back to the Royal Capital the following day.
I had accomplished more than enough here.
By visiting this fishing village, I felt as though I had finally gained a glimpse into the true nature of the Queen Dowager—Shoko Sanada.
She had led her grandson, Rodel Aiwood, down a dark path and sown countless seeds of conflict throughout this country... and yet, I couldn't help but feel a certain kinship with her.
I found myself reluctant to brand her a simple villain.
While many had suffered because of her machinations, I felt that I, at the very least, could mourn her as a fellow traveler—as a friend.
(This fishing village really was a wonderful place... Maybe I'll bring Viola, Primula, and Yuri here next time.)
I would likely be worshipped as a god all over again, but I was sure it would make for a fun trip. I could already see myself being flustered by them barging into the hot spring... but even that would surely become a fond memory for us to share.
And so, with these various thoughts swirling in my heart, I prepared to leave the fishing village behind.
"My Lord! My Lord! Please, you have to come quickly!"
...Or so I had hoped, but reality had other plans.
On the morning of my departure, someone came pounding on the inn's door to see me. It was the young girl who had been the first to seek my help when I arrived.
"What is it...? It's so early..." I muttered, rubbing my sleepy eyes as I addressed her.
"A—A scary person has come to the village! He's screaming at the Village Head, and everyone is terrified!"
"A scary person...?"
"What seems to be the trouble?"
Celestine appeared, likely drawn by the commotion. Unlike me, she was already fully prepared for the day, dressed in impeccable traveling attire.
"An altercation?" she asked.
"Let's go find out."
Taking Celestine with me, I headed toward the fishing village plaza.
When we arrived, we found a man at the center of the square, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Confound it! I told you to hand over the money already!"
"B-But my Lord, that money was a donation given to us..."
The focus of the uproar was the Village Head and a man dressed in fine, expensive clothing. He was a portly, middle-aged fellow with a thick beard. Several soldiers stood around him as guards, making it easy to guess that he was a noble.
"Is that...?"
"Most likely, he is the Lord who governs this land," Celestine whispered.
This village was part of a certain Baron's territory, so naturally, it fell under a specific jurisdiction. I had heard that this Lord had done absolutely nothing but watch from the safety of his manor while the village suffered under the monster's attacks.
"I know for a fact this village has come into a massive fortune from the sale of monster materials! Pay your taxes this instant!"
"B-But... that beast wasn't caught by us. It wasn't part of our fishing haul, so surely no tax applies..."
"It was taken from my sea, so of course you're going to pay! Now shut up and hand it over!"
"Wow... so that's how it's going to be, huh?"
This was hardly a pleasant way to start the morning. The man—presumably the local Lord—was after the proceeds from the Sea Serpent I had donated for the village's reconstruction.
In a fishing village like this, taxes were apparently levied on the income from selling fish. The Village Head was arguing that the donation was tax-exempt, while the Lord was simply demanding his cut.
"Hey, Celestine. How does the law handle something like this?"
"Taxes on the peasantry are generally levied against crop harvests like wheat, but in villages with a thriving fishing industry, an exception is made to allow taxes on the sale of fish. However... as the Sea Serpent was slain by you, Lord Rest, and not the villagers, no tax fundamentally applies."
Celestine provided a cool, clinical answer to my question.
"Even so, there might have been a legal loophole if the villagers had sold the materials to the merchants themselves... but to avoid such trouble, I ensured the sale was recorded under my own name. Since the proceeds were a donation intended for disaster relief, there is no legal basis for taxation."
"In other words, he's not just operating in a gray area—he's completely in the wrong."
If this had been a legitimate tax based on the laws of the land, then as a Count, I wouldn't have had the right to interfere in another noble's internal affairs.
But... if he was breaking the law, that was a different story. I wouldn't be able to sleep soundly if I left these people to be preyed upon by a corrupt Lord.
"So, there's no problem if I step in and stop him?"
"None at all. Please, proceed."
With Celestine's official endorsement, I walked into the center of the plaza to put an end to the nonsense.