“Should I call for a doctor?” he suggested.
“No need,” I snapped. “I’m talking about taxes.”
“But, my lord, the taxes imposed on the Lightless fief abide within the laws of the kingdom. While I admit that they are by no means insignificant, they are not particularly higher than other territories.”
“What? Are we not taxing them heavily?”
What in the world? Will the taxes suddenly rise in the next few years?
“You’ll one day be in charge of the land, so I suppose it is good that you are interested in these affairs,” Carlos said.
“But our family possesses a vast amount of land,” I countered. “Are you sure everyone is paying the same standard rate?”
“Of course, taxation rates change based on the region. And professions such as trade, farming, and fishing each have their own rates. When a merchant makes a sale, they’ll be taxed based on their reported profits, and farmers will be taxed on their crops. Fishermen are taxed on their haul.”
“Argh, enough with the complicated explanation. What you’re saying is, the Lightless fief isn’t overtaxing anyone, correct?”
“Indeed, my lord.”
Then I guess there’s nothing I can do for now. But...in the first arc of my dream, I visited a dying fishing village. A massive monster had suddenly appeared one day, and the village couldn’t catch nearly as many fish. The story’s primary focus was on the subjugation of the monster, but there was a subplot about bringing to justice an official who had been forcing heavy taxation.
That fishing village...belonged to the Lightless fief, didn’t it? I quietly pondered over this possibility. Crap. If I let that village be, I’ll definitely be killed for it in the future. Ugh, think! What was the name of that village again? It was...
“Roguebert...” I muttered.
“Pardon?” Carlos asked. “Did you just say something?”
That crazy blonde sailor who hated me so much came from Roguebert, didn’t she? That was her hometown... Ugh, just remembering her pisses me off. The way she cut me down while insulting me was an unforgettable experience, even if it was only in a dream. Is she suffering because her hometown is heavily taxed? That sounds delightful to me, but I don’t want to be killed for that. I suppose I’ll have to make a trip to Roguebert.
“Carlos, what’s my schedule for today?” I asked.
“Today, my lord?” he asked. “You have practical training with your magic instructor in the morning, lunch, and then you’ll study economics, magical studies, and etiquette in the afternoon. You have a rather busy day.”
“So, it’s nothing special. Cancel it all and prepare a carriage immediately.”
“Pardon?! My lord, what are you...”
Practical training with magic was always unnecessary for me, and I had nothing to learn from my lowly magic instructor. I’d endured his lessons while I had to take them, but now clearly wasn’t the time for such silliness. There were more important matters at hand.
“Make haste,” I ordered. “We shall head for Roguebert.”
“Please wait, my lord!” Carlos cried. “How can we possibly cancel your schedule? Your instructor is already here!”
“Indubitably!” a voice boomed.
A middle-aged wizard wearing a pointy hat stood in front of me and my butler—my magic instructor, Lezard.
“Lord Lofus, it’s time for your practical training,” Lezard bellowed. “Wherever are you off to?”
I silently produced a massive Dark Ball and hurled it toward Lezard. My spell headed to the right of my instructor and gouged out the area in front of him. The blast blew his hat off before it gently fell on the ground, and Lezard stood there, speechless and petrified with shock.
“Out of my way,” I ordered.
Lezard trembled as he gingerly stepped aside. “M-M-Most impressive, Lord Lofus! You performed a chantless spell! I suppose the morning p-p-practical training is—”
“‘Chantless’? That was a nonverbal spell. I have nothing more to learn from you. Flatten out that ground in front of you and then make yourself scarce.”
I ignored Lezard, who quivered and fell to the ground, before I walked ahead. All the while, Carlos covered his face with his hands as though to hide his exasperation.
“Lord Lofus...” he muttered.
“If memory serves, he was the third-eldest son of a baron, wasn’t he?” I asked. “I find it oddly humorous that he dares to try to teach me with his low skill level. Fire him by the end of the day.”
“How many instructors have you fired already?”
“How should I know? It’s your duty to hire a better instructor for me.”
In general, the higher the noble’s rank was, the more mana they had. Every now and then, there were lower-ranked nobles and commoners with high mana, but they were exceptions rather than the rule. I hailed from the house of an honorable marquess and was blessed with massive amounts of mana to boot; a man like Lezard, who came from the household of a lowly baron, could hardly stand a chance against me.
“We have offered a handsome salary, but new teachers just don’t come swarming to our ads,” Carlos replied. “And I can’t blame them, what with the frequent switch of instructors and all...”
“If that’s your attempt at thinly veiled criticism, I’d like to point your complaints to whoever hires these failures,” I scoffed. “I mean, really, how do you expect a man who doesn’t know the difference between a chantless and a nonverbal spell to be my teacher?”
“Sir Lezard is a very skilled instructor, you know. Especially compared to the average person. A nonverbal spell is a highly advanced technique, and the fact that you can do it as easily as you breathe is not the fault of your teacher. He really must feel like his position is untenable.”
“If that’s all it takes to be considered ‘skilled,’ then the kingdom’s standards for magic must be abysmal.”
All the while, Carlos and I climbed aboard the carriage, and I rapped the ceiling with a cane to signal the vehicle to creak forward.
“Go forth,” I ordered. “Our destination is Roguebert.”
The carriage slowly groaned to start when the coachman snuck worried glances at me.
“What? What’re you staring at?” I demanded.
“Er... My lord, do you know about Roguebert?” Carlos asked.
“Me? Of course not.”
“I thought so. It’s a remote fishing village in the countryside, located on the frontier. Even I only know its name.”
“Huh, so it really must be out in the sticks. Our march is quite vast, so I’m not surprised. Is it far away?”
“Most certainly, my lord. It takes a full four days by carriage to reach it.”
“Four days?!”
I sat there in astonishment, completely unsure of what to say. I don’t want to stay in a cramped carriage for four days... I didn’t think Roguebert was that far away.
“This distance is far too much,” Carlos said. “This coachman couldn’t possibly handle it. I recommend hiring a coachman suited for long rides, in addition to a few guards. We must also prepare ample food and other supplies and adjust your schedule as well. And since we’re leaving the house for more than four days, Lord Lightless must be informed.”
“Hm...” I mumbled.
There’s too much to do. Usually, I would’ve given up by now, but my life was literally on the line. If I solved whatever issue plagued Roguebert, I felt like one of the factors leading to my death would be nipped in the bud. I would much rather push my limits here so that I could save myself in the long run.
“Carlos?” I said.
“Yes, my lord? Have you decided to abandon this endeavor?” he asked.
“You’ll act as my coachman and my guard.”
There was a long pause. “Pardon?”
I knew that Carlos had once been the knight commander within the Lightless fief. He might have grown older, but he was still plenty powerful and had ample experience camping outside. For a mere four days, I knew that he wouldn’t need to sleep a wink as he stood on guard. He wasn’t a man of caprice, prone to becoming the dark butler on a whim during the second arc of my dream.
Carlos looked utterly dumbfounded, but I knew that this request wasn’t completely unreasonable for a man of his caliber.
“Make haste and grab necessities as we prepare for our journey,” I ordered. “Worry not about money. I shall pay for it from my own funds.”
I took out a sack filled with gold coins from my pocket and tossed it over to Carlos.
“But Lord Lofus...” Carlos protested.
“As for our schedule, well, don’t worry about it,” I said. “Leaving this house for five days or so is no big deal, and I’ll report back to my father after the fact. Rest assured, I shall be the one to report to him.”
“M-My lord! You mustn’t! We can’t simply leave because we wish to! We must at least ask for Lord Lightless’s permission—”
“Silence!”
I unleashed a wave of powerful mana, silencing Carlos at once. The air, thick with my mana, caused the carriage to creak, and the coachman fainted as he foamed at the mouth. Cold sweat dripped down Carlos’s forehead as he gritted his teeth and managed to cling onto his consciousness.
“I don’t remember asking for your opinion, Carlos,” I growled.
My butler gave a kneel of resignation. “Of course. I was out of line, my lord. I shall make preparations at once.”
“Very good. Go on.”
I noticed Carlos’s lifeless eyes as he carried the coachman off the carriage and went out to buy some supplies.