Chapter 377

The Household of Baron Degusal
After leaving the household of Baron Corst, we arrived at Baron Degusal’s domain in about three days.

As expected, there wasn’t a city developed enough to be called a capital.
The people were living within makeshift walls, as if just getting by.
Would they be okay like this?

"Welcome, Marquis Vardmoi! I am truly grateful that you would come all the way to such a rural place."

The one who came to greet us, Baron Degusal, was—if I had to put it simply—a thin old man.
According to Young lady Kou, he was in his late fifties, so he shouldn’t have aged that much.
Was the hardship of life taking its toll on him?

"It has been a while, Baron Degusal. Are you in good health?"

"My chronic ailments have eased considerably as of late. I am even considering passing the title to my son soon."

"Your son? How is he doing?"

"He is currently serving as the village chief of another settlement. However, it seems the development there is not going well either, and he is struggling."

So land cultivation was proving to be difficult everywhere.
I suppose that was inevitable.

"As promised, I have brought spider monsters that can aid in town defense and land development. This young lady is their tamer, Lily. She is also a Silver-ranked merchant."

"Oh! I deeply apologize for my rudeness!"

"Please, don’t worry about it. More importantly, will three Kiblinki Saltas be enough to protect this domain? From what I see, there are very few guards."

"I am ashamed to say that I lack the funds to hire more guards. I truly don’t know what to do..."

"In that case, Alizée, who manages my personal affairs, may have some insights. Would you like to hear her thoughts?"

"Hmm. I must admit, I’ve hit a dead end on my own. I would very much like to listen."

Alright, I managed to set things up so that Alizée could explain.

From there, I let her take over, explaining the appropriate tax rates and how money would flow if taxes were reduced.
It seemed Baron Degusal had never heard of such things before—he leaned forward, listening intently, while his subordinates hurriedly took notes.
By the time Alizée finished speaking, the Baron looked as if a great burden had been lifted from him—he even seemed a little younger.

"… I see. So nobles must not hoard too much wealth."

"Yes. Of course, nobles still require tax revenue, but if money stops circulating within the towns, commerce ceases, artisans lose their livelihoods, and they relocate elsewhere. When that happens, necessary tools and goods must be imported from other cities, which increases costs due to transport fees."

"Now that you mention it, there was a time when a lack of artisans caused great difficulties."

"I understand that household finances are crucial, but for the prosperity of the entire domain, it would be wise to reconsider the tax rates."

"This has been truly enlightening. I will quickly gather my people and discuss what the ideal tax rate should be…. But now I wonder—our domain does have a Trade Guild. Why haven’t they ever provided such insights before?"

Oh, now that he mentioned it… That’s a good question.
I glanced at Alizée—did she know the answer?

"The Trade Guild only operates where there is potential for profit. With all due respect, the Trade Guild in this town has likely only been performing the bare minimum of its duties. Moreover, I am able to speak directly to a noble thanks to Lady Lily’s backing."

In other words, the Trade Guild here lacked influence, and Alizée could only speak so freely because she had my support.
When she put it that way, it made sense.
It must be difficult for a guild member with no powerful backing to speak out against a noble.
This was actually a very educational experience.

What do you think about this chapter?