Chapter 12: Collecting Taxes from Another's Village

"But it's not time to collect taxes yet, sir," a farmer wailed.

Sam replied with a stoic expression, "Due to the invasion of zombies, it takes a lot of effort to protect you. We need more resources. If you have any objections, we can help you straight to hell."

Field's task for Sam was to collect taxes. If they were caught, they could just loot the village instead. After all, these people weren't from Nightfall Domain; who would know them?

Collecting taxes was the safest option, as the slaves were weak fighters. If they clashed with the militia, unexpected accidents could happen.

"Pay! Pay the full amount!" The village chief gritted his teeth, ordering everyone to bring out livestock and grain, while flashing a fawning smile. "And the girl the baron requested, I'll present her as well."

A girl?

Sam frowned. Field hadn't mentioned anything about this, clearly Bull Baron had. A slave guard was about to refuse, but Sam quickly stopped him. Refusing would expose them.

"Fine, bring her along."

Soon, Oxhorn Village was in an uproar, like boiling water poured into an anthill. They handed over two oxen, four sheep, numerous chickens and ducks, five large carts of grain, and a total of seven gold coins, twenty-three silver coins, and fifty copper coins. The village felt like it had been gutted, with cries and pleas filling the air. Half of their year's wealth vanished overnight.

"Being a noble is terrifying," Sam thought. He had become a slave because he couldn't pay taxes.

Whether the villagers had been evading taxes didn't matter. This was a windfall.

"So many livestock?"

Field was busy directing slaves to move military equipment and magical items. In another bunker, he had found the mist-dispersing lamps the bearded officer had treasured—three in total—and numerous magical potions, mostly for wound healing, worth an estimated 200 gold coins.

Despite this bounty, Field was still surprised by the taxes Sam brought back.

Field hadn't expected a small village to yield such substantial taxes; the tax rate must have been astronomical. Sam had only looted one village, and twenty men couldn't carry everything.

Even oxen and sheep were included, so at least they wouldn't starve for meat in the cursed land for a while.

The only downside was that Field had essentially looted a village.

"Stop being a saint; you need to survive," Field muttered, tapping his head. Modern morality didn't work in this brutal medieval world.

He was barely surviving; why should he care about others? Only by surviving could he achieve anything. Nightfall Domain was a buffer zone for Bull Baron's domain, so these "contributions" were justified.

Feeding his own people was the top priority!

"Great, each of you will receive a silver coin," Field said with a smile, generously rewarding Sam. "If you accumulate a gold coin and give it to me, I will grant you freedom and make you free men of Nightfall Domain."

The slaves cheered like a tsunami, feeling genuine hope for the first time.

"Sir, let's collect taxes from other villages!" Encouraged by Field's "bonus," Sam was now fully on board, his earlier sympathy discarded.

The villagers of Bull Baron's domain were being looted; why should Nightfall Domain's people feel sorry for them?

"Of course, squeeze them dry! Let's aim to finish by tomorrow morning. Time is short, so get to it. Keep pretending to be Bull Baron's guards collecting taxes, and I will reward you."

Field knew they had to act quickly. Other imperial cities wouldn't be as weak as Richard; they would soon notice the crisis and send an army to eliminate the corruption. He couldn't afford to be caught.

"Sir, we also brought this girl." Sam presented a girl in a simple robe, about twelve years old.

Do I look like a creepy uncle? They even brought a little girl!

Field was momentarily stunned, wanting to scold Sam, but seeing his fearful expression, he suppressed his anger and asked, "Why did you bring a child?"

"The villagers offered her to Bull Baron. I didn't want trouble, but to avoid suspicion, I brought her along. Please punish me."

"No need for punishment, Sam. That was smart. You'll lead the guard from now on," Field said, grateful for his patience.

The girl wasn't special, just a bit pretty. Field asked a few questions and decided to keep her. She knew too much to be let go, and returning her would likely cause her more harm.

The next morning, under the gentle sunlight, Asheena listened to the noise of chickens, ducks, and cattle outside, her eyelashes fluttering as she lazily yawned.

The fatigue from yesterday's battle was gone. Asheena had slept soundly on a soft cushion with a faint scent of gardenia, a far cry from the cold iron cage.

"Thank goodness the master chose me as The Chosen. Field is truly a great man."

Rubbing her long legs together, she enjoyed the moment but quickly got up, remembering Field's plan to enter the mist that morning.

"How did you sleep?" Field asked as Asheena approached, nearly losing his composure.

"Very well, thank you, my lord," Asheena replied, standing obediently by his side.

The Northern Province was vast, including Nightfall Domain, once filled with prosperous cities and villages, now corrupted and infested with monsters. The heart of Nightfall Domain was a grand estate once owned by Lady Baroness Sophia Starry. Her Starry Night City was visible from the estate.

"With my current strength, building a castle from scratch is a fantasy. The best plan is to take the estate and use it as a base to slowly reclaim Starry Night City."

Field's map was seven years old.

Many pioneering knights had dreamt of reclaiming the Northern Province, but few returned, and those who stayed became monsters.

"They might even be bosses now, adding to my troubles," Field muttered. "So, the strategic plan is promising, but the risks are hair-raising."