Punishment

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

The landowner Biden was brought into the grand hall of the lord's manor.

He was a middle-aged man with a corpulent figure, a round face, and small eyes like green beans. Despite his efforts to appear as though he was in dire straits, occasional glimmers of greed still appeared in his eyes.

Upon entering the hall, he performed the proper etiquette for a commoner presenting himself to the lord.

"Respected and great Earl Grayman, your loyal subject Biden has come at your summon."

At the head of the hall sat the young lord, who, upon hearing his words, said nothing but stared at him with an impassive expression.

Biden's heart tightened, feeling a bit uneasy: Oh no, could it be that the lord has found out about the [war tax]?

The hall was silent, with only the ticking of the grandfather clock audible. Paul said nothing, and Biden could only stand there, feeling extremely awkward as he waited.

"Are you Biden?"

The lord finally spoke, and Biden almost collapsed from exhaustion. For someone of his build who was used to a life of comfort, standing for long periods was extremely tiring.

"Yes, esteemed Earl Grayman, I am Biden."

"Where have you been recently? After the riot was quelled, did you return home?"

"Thank you for your concern, my lord. I was hiding in a secluded farmhouse. I have already returned home… Ah, my home was truly a disaster, everything was looted, and several of my honest servants died."

When talking about the riot, Biden's face grew even more sorrowful as he incessantly complained about the actions of the salt miners.

Paul did not interrupt, allowing Biden to continue his complaints.

"… It's all the fault of those damned poor folks. Earl Grayman, you must uphold justice and execute those lawless beasts. They are nothing but living, breathing animals!"

Seeing that the lord showed no reaction, Biden's voice grew quieter.

"Ahem… Respected Earl Grayman, you must provide justice for us decent people and restore peace to the land of Alden."

The hall fell back into silence.

Paul then asked, "So tell me about this so-called [war tax]?"

"War tax? What war tax? I haven't heard of it."

"Oh? Didn't you collect a war tax from the salt miners?"

Biden feigned innocence and said with grievance, "My lord, please don't believe the words of those rioters. They will say anything to lighten their guilt and gain your sympathy. To these poor people, there is no sense of honor or shame."

Paul sneered, "But Biden, it's not only the salt miners who said you collected a war tax. Bring them in!"

As soon as the words were spoken, guards brought in a few individuals.

Biden almost fainted when he saw them. These were his tax collectors! How were they still alive? Shouldn't they have been killed by the rioters by now? Each of them had their heads bowed, their faces bruised and battered, clearly having suffered greatly at the hands of the salt miners.

Paul smiled faintly and asked, "Biden, do you recognize them?"

Biden hastily replied, "No… No, I don't recognize them. My lord, I don't know these people."

Paul turned to the tax collectors, "Biden says he doesn't recognize you. Do you recognize him?"

The man at the front said, "My lord, he is indeed our former master, Biden."

Biden quickly protested, "Nonsense! My lord, don't believe them!"

Paul gave him a stern look, causing Biden's fat to tremble in fear. "Enough, I will let you speak when I ask!"

He then turned back to the tax collectors and asked, "Did Biden send you to collect a war tax in addition to the head tax?"

The man in front glanced at Biden and answered honestly, "Yes, a previous group had been sent to collect both the head tax and the war tax, but they were driven back. Then Lord Biden sent us, instructing us to give the salt miners a tough time."

Paul looked coldly at Biden. "What do you have to say now?"

Biden was sweating profusely, trembling, and still trying to defend himself, "They… They… They must have been bribed by the rioters. They are all in cahoots with them."

"So you were indeed lying to me earlier? These people were indeed your subordinates?"

"I… I… Please see clearly, my lord!"

Paul chuckled, "I have some more people for you to see. Bring them in!"

Guards brought in another group of people, dressed as ordinary villagers.

Paul asked, "Did Biden impose a [war tax] on you?"

As soon as Paul spoke, the villagers' emotions flared up.

"Earl Grayman, you are right, he did force us to pay a war tax."

"In the time of your father and grandfather, we never heard of such a thing."

"Our income was already low, and with Biden's actions, our lives have become even more difficult."

The villagers complained one after another. They had realized that Biden was deceiving them, and their resentment was palpable.

Seeing Biden's pale face, Paul slowly took a sip of water.

"Biden, these are the residents from the villages in the area you were responsible for, and they are all decent people who did not participate in the riots. Do you still have anything to say?"

Biden's lips quivered. "I… I…"

Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he seemed to have an idea. "Earl Grayman! The reason I was blinded by greed and fell into temptation is all because of that Hansel Abbott!"

"Oh? Why are you bringing him up now?"

Biden, as if making a desperate confession, said, "That damned land-grabber, messing up with land transfers, turning my family's good land into bad land. He relied on the support of the manor, using his power arbitrarily and ruining us honest landowners."

"Other than you, does anyone else hold a grudge against him?"

"Yes, Earl Grayman." Biden said eagerly, "Many people are unhappy with him. We secretly call him the 'Skinning Baron.' Please ensure justice is served and remove this irresponsible agricultural supervisor to quell everyone's grievances."

During the land transfer process, it was inevitable to have some good land swapped for bad land. Balancing quality and quantity was challenging, and someone like Biden benefited far more from the transaction than he lost. His farmland had expanded significantly, which was advantageous for large-scale planting and irrigation. However, most people were focused on their own losses and took the gains for granted.

Moreover, Biden's hatred for Hansel was actually more due to another issue: During the land audit, the large areas of public land that Biden's family had encroached upon were discovered. This cost him a large sum of money and a lot of land he believed should be his. However, he knew he was at fault in this matter, so he only targeted the land transfer issue.

Paul's face showed a fleeting hint of satisfaction. He continued, "And how does this relate to your private collection of war taxes?"

Biden "complained," "It was precisely because I suffered significant losses during the land transfer that I came up with this foolish idea, hoping to recover some of it."

"Ah… no, no! This idea wasn't mine, it was my steward's!"

Biden suddenly remembered something and quickly changed his story.

"Your steward? Where is he?"

"He was hiding with me in the farmhouse. After going out to gather information, he never returned and must have been killed by the rioters…"

Paul appeared thoughtful. "Steward? Missing? Interesting!"

He recalled the interrogation report from Cecil. During the siege of Biden's residence by the salt miners, it was the steward who first insulted them and then incited his servants to attack with slings, which escalated the conflict.

"Alright, Biden, I don't have time to waste with you! Regardless, collecting war taxes privately without the lord's authorization is a violation of the law, and this riot was caused by your actions."

Paul stood up, clearly about to deliver the final decision.

Biden fell to his knees with a thud. "My lord, the Grayman family is known for its mercy!"

Paul ignored his pleas and continued, "You should have received the harshest punishment, but considering your family's service to the lord, I announce—"

"First, your tax collector's position is revoked. From now on, the tax collection in your area will be handled directly by the administrative office."

"Second, half of your assets are confiscated to compensate for the damages caused by the riot—excluding the damages to your own estate!"

As soon as Paul finished speaking, Biden's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed on the floor.

The guards quickly checked on him, finding his eyes half-closed, frothing at the mouth, and drooling uncontrollably, already unconscious.

It seemed the punishment had hit him too hard.

TL Note: Honestly, I think the punishment was too light... He should've been executed. What do you all think?

(End of the Chapter)

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