Volume 1 - Chapter 10 – TAX COLLECTOR ARRIVES (2/2)

Once again, Jin examined the woman on horseback. She had a petite body with a baby face. Her hair was a colourful light brown, her eyes were also the same colour. No matter how you look at it, she had yet to turn into an adult.

「Umm, Lithia-san, excuse me but what is your age?」

「Eh? Umm, I’m 15 years old! I-Is it funny?」

Jin wryly smiled,

「What is funny? I don’t know what you’re asking, it’s just that it is an unusual sight」

「Ah, ha, hai~! This is my first job for serving the kingdom」

「Oh, your first job serving the kingdom. You must be very nervous. Though you should try and relax a bit」

「Ye-Yes, thank you very muth…」

she stuttered.

Jin remembered a child from the orphanage preparing for a high school exam that was similarly nervous.

「M-my house is a house of new nobles, I’m not used to things like this」

「New nobility? Is it?」

Jin unintentionally repeated the unfamiliar word to remember it.

「Do you know about it? For the future, the King got rid of the defective nobility, and the prosperous commoners, or soldiers who had done a meritorious service were given the vacant positions of 《Baronet》 and 《Ritter》」

「It’s the first time I’ve heard of this」

「I guess that’s right, this was a story that was spread within the castle」

It was a story people didn’t know and some chatterbox just talked about it he thought, well even if it were just a rumor Jin would keep quiet and listen. Thanks to that, Lithia’s nervousness and the strain in her speech was gone.

「My father, he made a meritorious service at the conflict with bordering southern countries and was promoted to 《Ritter》. His daughter that is me, was also raised to 《Ritter》 and because of that I was given this job」

「Haa… you must have a lot of troubles」

Having authority means various troubles, Jin recognised this once again.

「Ah, this is the village chief’s house」

Talking while going through the small village, they arrived at the village chief’s home.

「Ah, thanking you for helping me out, Jin-san」

「It’s nothing much, with this I’m done」

he told her, and returned back to Martha’s home carrying the bucket of natural rubber.

「I’m back」

「Welcome baaack, Jin-oniichan. Did you collect more rubber?」

Hanna welcomed him home. Jin looked forward to making a variety of things with the rubber. By the way, he inserted rubber into his pants making them more comfortable to wear.

「Oya, welcome home, Jin」

Martha also welcomed him home. To that Martha, Jin,

「I just met the tax collector, and guided them to the village chief’s house」

saying that, Martha tilted her head,

「Eh? That person should know this village well though」

she said. He thought she’d say that so Jin,

「That is, a new person has taken over this year. The person this time is a 15 year old girl. A new noble she told me」

「Oya, I see now. I guess it isn’t impossible then」

tsun~ looking to see what pulled on the hem of his jacket, he saw Hanna with a puffed out face,

「Was that person beautiful?」

「Eh?」

「Was she beautiful, the person you guided?」

This had Jin at a loss for an answer but,

「Th-that’s not it. Sure she was pretty but……!!」

Hanna pinched him.

「If there’s a person in trouble, you can’t ignore it can you? That’s how it is」

「That’s right, if Hanna is in trouble I’ll lend you a hand too」

Martha then gave him some timely help, to coax it over,

「Both me and Martha are here for you if you’re in need of help」

with that, Hanna was just barely convinced and released him from her hands.