What to do?

What can we do?

The villagers, whose faces were full of anxiety and annoyance, expressed their confusion in silence.

Where do they get the money to pay taxes, and the output of the fields every year can only barely make ends meet after paying all kinds of taxes, and where is there any surplus?

If they did not pay taxes, they would be captured by the tax collectors in the city and sold as slaves to the nobles.

As for escaping, they did not fail to think that no matter where they fled, they would eventually be arrested by the tax collector and put in the city for public torture.

O great god of cool officials, please let the nobles reduce their taxes, and pay the taxes again, because the children in the family will have no food to eat.

Some believers with children prayed in their hearts, hoping that the gods would save them, just as the gods save believers in the church texts.

"Ten silver coins a month is too much, and we don't have that much money at all. A hunter who often went up to the mountains to hunt reluctantly said, "The big men in the city do not collect taxes, but our lives." ”

"So what can we do?"

The village chief took a breath and sat down on the ground, "If you don't pay taxes, you will be captured as a slave." ”

"If you are lucky, you can be a servant of the nobility, although you have lost your freedom, but at least you have something to eat, but if you are unlucky and are sent to mine by the tax officer, you will not live for a few years. ”

Mining is much harder than farming, and digging holes is often connected to the underworld, and there are often particularly ferocious creatures running out of it, which is very dangerous.

"We can try to believe in the god of agriculture. Derek, who had been silent, spoke.

"The god of agriculture?" the village chief looked at him with strange eyes, Derek can't be stupid, believing in other gods will have to pay double the tax.

"Yes, it is to believe in the god of agriculture. ”

Derek explains, "My cousin is in Burgunchester, and she believes in the god of agriculture and doesn't have to pay taxes. ”

"If you believe in the god of agriculture, you don't have to pay taxes? The village chief's wrinkled brow furrowed even more.

"Actually, I've heard that the god of agriculture doesn't have to pay taxes. ”

Someone in the crowd said that he knew more than Derek, "The doctrine of the god of agriculture is to protect us peasants from the nobles who oppress us. ”

"The tax collectors of Burgunchester were beaten out by the peasants when they went to collect their taxes. ”

There really is such a good thing!" the village chief thought about it seriously

"Shall we try then?"

"I went to inform the other villages, and everyone believed in the god of agriculture and did not pay taxes. ”

I hope I don't have to pay taxes anymore.

......

At dawn, two suns rise from the horizon.

Sert, the tax collector of Tadelgada, put on a dark uniform and rode a straddle horse, and ran out of the city.

Whenever it was time to collect taxes, the tax officials would go door-to-door to collect taxes, and in order to collect taxes more efficiently, the nobles divided the places that needed to collect taxes into several areas, and let the tax collectors draw lots to decide which area they were responsible for.

Unfortunately, when Celt drew lots, he was drawn to the village of Shakui.

Shakui is a village far from Tadelgada, and it is not only far away, but also poor, and the tax collector who went to Shakui village last year to collect taxes almost sold himself to the nobles because he did not receive the full amount of taxes.

Damn, why did I draw Shakui Village...... I hope they pay their taxes in full, or I won't be as merciful as the last hap...... Celt shook the gray hat in his hand and placed it on his head.

The tax collector in Tadelgda will have to pay out of pocket if he doesn't collect his taxes, and he won't fill the hole as soft-hearted as the tax collector last year.

It didn't take long for him to arrive at the village of Shakui, where the gray-haired village chief and the villagers were already waiting for him at the village gate.

"I'm here to collect taxes. ”

Celt took out the documents issued by the nobles and said coldly, "This year, you need to pay 37 gold coins in Shakui Village. ”

"But we only have 3 gold coins...... "Listening to the amount told by the tax officer, the gray-haired village chief, who was already in his fifties, was full of helplessness.

Only 3 gold coins...... Selt's face changed, and he glanced at the adult in front of him a few times.

Seeing his action, the village chief became nervous,

"Lord Tax Officer, we really don't have any money, you know, we don't have much land in the village, and there are no medicinal herbs and animal skins purchased by the mages in the city in the nearby mountains......"

"What about the children in your village, call them all out for me to see. Celt interrupted the village chief.

Hearing the tax collector's words, the blood on the faces of the people with children in the village began to fade and became pale.

"Your Excellency, the Tax Collector. ”

The village chief's lips were pale, and he forced out a smile and said, "The children in the village have gone out to play...... My lord, wait for next year, next year we will pay the tax in full in Shakui Village. ”

"Next year? hand over this year's first, and then talk about next year. "Call your children out, or I'll have to go back and inform the guards in the city, and I'll have to send more than a few children to slavery." ”

The village chief's face suddenly turned gray, he looked at Celte, and wanted to plead, but Celt glared at him, so he had to swallow his words back.

"Perhaps...... Sending the children of the family to the noble servants may be a way to live, at least without worrying about starvation. The village chief, who had a straight back, suddenly became craggy.

One villager said weakly, "But you have to worry about being beaten to death by the nobles or sent to mining." ”

The village chief paused, shuffled back to the village with heavy steps, and in a short time all the children of the village were called out.

A dozen children, large and small, asked in an unknown voice,

"Grandpa the village chief, is the tax officer gone?"

"Grandpa, the village chief, my mother said that we can't come out if the tax collector doesn't leave. ”

"Grandpa ...... the village chief"

Listening to a slightly innocent voice, the village chief's eyes froze.

Selter's gaze swept over these children, but unfortunately there was no valuable girl in them,

"This, this, and these others, come out. He said, pointing to the girls.

If there is no value, you can only rely on quantity.

"Grandpa ...... the village chief"

The girls are terrified of the unfamiliar tax collector.

"Village Chief!"

Hunter Allen looked furious.

"Dad. ”

The eldest son of the village chief was very anxious.

Listening to the shouts, the village chief made a final effort, "Your Excellency the tax collector, we are ...... to believe in the god of agriculture."

"Believe in the god of agriculture and pay double the amount of taxes. Without the slightest hesitation, Celt spoke out of the rules laid down by the god of cool officials.

The blood on the village chief's face disappeared cleanly, his head bowed, and he did not speak again.

Celt frowned, and went up to prepare to take the girl he had chosen out.

The next moment, he heard the sound of the wind that drowned out all sounds.

With a snap, the head in the gray hat fell to the ground.

。