I Regressed to My Ruined Family Chapter 15

#When I returned, my family was ruined (15)

Three days passed quickly.

In the meantime, Ethan was able to plant a pair more fire essences in his chest.

Wrist Arm Shoulder Chest.

One pair on each side.

A total of eight fire essences were blazing. It’s not enough that my achievements are increasing day by day.

I was able to hear from Hans about the corruption the Baron was committing.

“It is said that the maximum number of private soldiers that a baron, a vassal, can have is 500, while the total number of private soldiers that Baron Helmut currently has is close to 1,500.”

One thousand five hundred.

For a baron from a small kingdom, the number of troops was considerable. How was it possible to collect such numbers?

Ethan thought deeply.

‘They must have created several organizations like the Red Scorpion.’

They are like bugs who do all kinds of dirty work within the territory and suck up money.

It was clear that there were more than just one or two such organizations. In fact, Hans’ report was the same.

“There is a reason why we were able to increase the number of enlisted soldiers so drastically. I found out that the soldiers were distributed to various places called ‘workshops’. “To organizations like the Red Scorpion that I visited last time.”

“okay?”

For some reason, I felt like they had their own level of moderation and discipline for a group of back alley thugs.

Ethan smiled.

I’m starting to get a sense of how to slowly put the Baron to death.

“Other than that, in terms of taxes… the marginal tax rate stated in the contract is collected as a general tax, and additional taxes are collected as a protection tax using the workplace.”

“What happens if I don’t pay the protection tax?”

“It is said that in the case of stores, business is disrupted, and in ordinary homes, the thugs they saw last time come in. Of course, the ‘official’ baron’s private soldiers are ignoring them.”

Ethan nodded.

Collateral 10.

Among them, the Baron couldn’t have acted like this. The other nine families probably also circumvented the restrictions of the vassal contract in this way.

‘They’re trash.’

Although it was part of the duchy, the territories ruled by the 10 collateral families ultimately belonged to the duchy.

This means that the more these bug-like guys squeeze out the people of the territory, the more the family’s power will inevitably weaken.

Of course, there is no way idiots like the 10th branch would have thought that far before making their moves.

‘There is one key point.’

Whether it is possible to prove the connection between that workshop and the Baron.

This was most important.

Of course, Ethan already had evidence.

A red scorpion that was one of the workshops.

Because the scene where they and the Baron had a friendly conversation was safely stored in the memory crystal ball.

All you have to do is trample the remaining workshops one by one. If you break it like that, you will be able to catch another tail.

Ethan looked at Hans.

“Who manages the village below?”

“This is Heims, one of the semi-nobles. It is known that he collects taxes from the chiefs of several villages, including Veros Village, and then delivers the money to the Baron. “He is one of the Baron’s close associates.”

He’s a close associate.

If so, you probably also have a ledger related to taxes.

“Where is it?”

“It’s time to come collect taxes, so we would have reached Beros Village by now.”

Ethan got up.

“Guide me.”

“yes.”

The two people left the annex.

* * *

Heims.

As a semi-noble and one of the estate’s tax collectors, he toured several villages, including Veros Village, once a month to collect taxes.

Accompanied by twenty soldiers and a knight, there was no one from the territory to block his steps.

A group of troops headed to the house where the chief of Beros Village lived.

“Hey chief! “Open the door!”

“Oh my gosh, are you here!”

The old-faced village chief bowed his head as if afraid.

Haims, who moved from village level to knight, was no different from a walking disaster.

“I guess you collected all of this month’s taxes on your own, right?”

“Well, that’s…”

“What.”

“I think that amount is a little insufficient, tax collector.”

“Hey chief.”

“…Yes.”

“Do you know how many times I’ve already heard that bullshit?”

“….”

“The backlog is already over 20 gold coins, so how on earth are we going to resolve this?”

The village chief sweatdropped at his question.

Thirty silver coins per household.

It was an amount that the residents of a small village could not easily afford.

Moreover, when the Barony counted the number of people paying taxes, even children who were not yet adults were treated as adults.

A structure that naturally leads to a high tax rate. Of course, there was no way the requested taxes could be met.

The amount of overdue taxes alone was close to twenty gold coins.

The village chief said with a feeling of despair.

“There was also a protection tax paid last month…”

“Hey, village chief! Do you think I came here to listen to that bullshit? If you don’t want to die, pay taxes! “Everything that was left behind!”

“Well…”

“Not only do you think feeding and putting you to sleep is free, but letting you live here is free? Where are you doing this? Besides, the Red Scorpion was also killed by our baronial soldiers! Hey James!”

“yes! Administrator!”

One soldier raised his hand.

“You said you were there when we defeated the Red Scorpion, right?”

“yes! They were very vicious people. “I had a hard time subduing him.”

“Can’t you see that the soldiers worked so hard to move? What would the Baron do if he listened to the complaints of the people of the territory? “They are such scum that they can’t even pay their taxes properly.”

The village chief looked shocked at those words.

‘What a bunch of bastards!’

Although it was known externally that the Baron’s soldiers had subdued the Red Scorpions, the village chief knew that the truth was completely different.

This was because some of the villagers had witnessed the Archduke living in the hunting annex entering their hideout.

After that, it was the village chief and villagers who moved the fallen gangsters.

However, because the Baron’s soldiers were keeping their eyes wide open, they were unable to publicly spread the word that the Archduke had taken care of it.

“Whew. It’s troublesome if the village chief acts like this. You always said it. “Paying taxes is very important.”

“If you give me just a little more time….”

“No. It’s too late now. I have to take your daughter first. “Maybe because they are low-class people, they don’t listen to me when I say nice things to them.”

“oh my! Tax officer, please at least have my daughter…!”

“this guy! “Something so lowly can put its hands on something and be damned!”

Heims gave the village chief a strong push. The old village chief collapsed helplessly.

“Take him!”

“yes!”

“Taxman! please!”

“So when you’re told to pay taxes, you have to pay them properly!”

It was right then.

“young master! “It’s him!”

A voice came from far away.

The gazes of Haims and other party members turned. Some guy was pointing his finger at himself and shouting loudly.

Haims narrowed his eyes.

Immediately his eyes widened.

‘Hans?’

Hans.

He was someone who had applied for an administrative position in the barony like himself. Then, he made a mistake and was assigned to a hunting annex in the remotest part of the country.

Next to him stood a young man who looked a little thin.

Step by step. Step by step.

The young man started walking.

For some reason, the sound of those footsteps seemed to echo like thunder.

“What is it?”

Haims trembled under the strange pressure.

Deikan, the three-star knight who was protecting the customs officer, was also feeling that pressure.

‘what?’

Deikan, who had increased his eyesight by collecting mana around his eyes, was shocked.

Mana was stirring around that young man.

Roaring as if it were a hot fire.

‘Obviously the amount of mana itself is low…’

What on earth is this pressure?

His hand automatically went towards the sword sheath. Ethan got closer and closer to the group.

‘They’re trash.’

The conversation just now had entered his ears without any filtering.

This was because mana was used to enhance hearing. When my father ruled the duchy, this was unheard of.

At that time, the family law was strictly followed.

‘Heimsra.’

Just by looking at his cheeks that looked like they were about to burst, you could guess how he lived. He probably squeezed out the hard work of countless residents under the Baron.

It would be right to impose a punishment more painful than death.

That was the moment he took his first step.

“Stop! If you come any closer, I will understand that you are interfering with the Baron’s official duties!”

A knight blocked my way. When the former tax collector persecuted the village chief earlier, he was a man who did not keep his mouth shut.

I was able to quickly figure out the level.

About the beginning of a formal article.

He’s just that kind of guy.

Ethan grinned and took out his sword. The knight was angry at that sight.

It was no different from blatantly ignoring his own words. Even if he were a baron, he wouldn’t laugh at the article so openly.

“dare! “Do you want to die?”

“You will be the one who dies.”

It was the moment when Ethan, who answered indifferently, turned his mana around.

His new model got closer to Deikan in an instant.

The flashing two-handed sword was being slashed to cut the knight in two.

‘fast!’

Deikan also diverted mana in the same way.

He held the sword tightly with both hands and lowered it at an angle.

‘If I hit it like this!’

The plan was to immediately throw away the great sword and then launch a counterattack.

That was when I raised the sword above my head.

Deikan tilted his head.

‘uh?’

This was because the sword that was coming down as if it was going to cut down on the head suddenly stopped in midair.

Even so, it is a huge two-handed sword.

It took tremendous strength to stop him from hitting me with all his might.

How can you do that with such a skinny body?

I couldn’t help but be shocked.

Meanwhile, a sword curved like a snake struck his side.

“Wow!”

The Daycan, which had floated up, fell into the distance. They were overpowered without even being able to compete properly.

The soldiers, including Haims, gaped at that sight.

What kind of thing is an official article?

It was a level that could only be reached by holding a sword and training fiercely for many years.

For ordinary soldiers, a formal knight was like a disaster. Such a knight was overpowered without even being able to swing his sword properly.

I couldn’t help but feel dumbfounded.

‘I’m a high expert!’

I don’t know who he was, but he was a person with great skills. Quite naturally, the young man who put away one of the official articles began to approach Heims.

“Stop it!”

Haims was horrified and scolded the soldiers.

‘shit! ‘Who doesn’t want to stop it?’

The soldiers’ faces were crumpled as if they had chewed shit. I want to run away without looking back, but if I do that, I will never be able to return to the Barony again.

The soldiers held out their spears and looked at the thin man.

“Stop coming closer!”

“Are you pointing a weapon at me because you know who I am?”

“Who are you?…”

“These guys! This person is the grand duke of the Ardan duchy! “Can’t we just put down our weapons!”

Hans, who intervened at the right time, shouted loudly. The soldiers tilted their heads at the loud voice.

“Grand Duke…?”

“No way…”

Archduke of the Ardan duchy.

I already knew that he lived nearby.

The soldiers swallowed their saliva.

The Archduke was a person well known for turning the members of the Red Scorpions into anti-inferiors.