novelraw Chapter 131: Even Monsters Must Pay Taxes
Chapter 131: Even Monsters Must Pay Taxes
The drizzle persisted as Brent wiped the mud splattered across his face for the third time. His expensive calfskin boots were soaked and caked with dirt.
This tax officer, a viscount of the Lothrian Federation, was full of complaints: “Damn wasteland… even the air reeks of beast dung!”
Behind him, five warriors disguised as caravan guards stood silently, their armor linings thoroughly drenched by the rain.
“Hurry up!”
“If the gifts for those beasts get ruined from the rain, heh, none of us will have a good ending.”
He cast a cold glare at the wild landscape veiled by the rain.
The wooden crates loaded onto the wagon held no trade goods at all but instead bore the golden lion wax seal of the “Serpentine Earth Rift Taxation Order”—the decree of his master, Viscount Iron Thorn, who was eager to fill the coffers by taxing this trade route.
The Lothrian Federation was a union composed of multiple duchies and kingdoms.
The Raymond Duchy, predominantly inhabited by human citizens, was one of them.
Viscount Iron Thorn was a noble lord of Raymond, known for his territory’s abundant iron thorn magical plants.The Serpentine Earth Rift was a branch trade route through the Ser Wilderness, developed by his family and assigned to him during his coming-of-age ceremony.
At first, Viscount Iron Thorn paid little attention to this side route, leaving it unchecked.
However, in recent years, as his lifestyle grew increasingly lavish and his heirs matured with similarly extravagant habits, his holdings gradually became insufficient to support his expenses.
He spent some time thoroughly inspecting all his assets.
Unexpectedly, he discovered that the Serpentine Earth Rift, which he had neglected, had surprisingly flourished—caravans came and went in great numbers, bringing in plenty of profits.
He then sent people to investigate further, disguising them as caravans operating on the route.
After consolidating the intelligence, he uncovered the truth.
A mysterious behind-the-scenes overlord had unified the monster clans around the Serpentine Earth Rift, and under this overlord’s governance, the trade route had gradually prospered.
Knowing the truth, Viscount Iron Thorn faced two choices.
One was to wage war, eliminating the increasingly powerful monster clans to show the merchants who truly owned the Serpentine Earth Rift.
The other was to turn a blind eye, allowing this overlord to continue managing the route’s growth while profiting from taxing the caravans.
He chose the latter.
He discovered this matter two years ago and chose to look the other way, letting the monster clans control the trade route for a full year.
This was the best approach.
Slow and steady wins the race—sustainable development.
But because his most favored eldest son was obsessed with magic and highly talented, and a top magical academy in the human empire of Halden had just opened study abroad slots,
Viscount Iron Thorn faced immense financial pressure and great expectations for his heir.
He began squeezing his holdings and even sold off much property.
The Serpentine Earth Rift once again caught his attention.
After a year of steady income, he decided to squeeze the monsters by imposing taxes on the monster clans.
The Lothrian Federation set limits on road taxes; although caravans were many, they couldn’t bring much wealth quickly.
But those monster clans were different—at least theoretically, he could seize all their wealth with this method, and there would be no legal protection for them.
Using his connections and resources,
He confirmed that the overlord behind the Serpentine Earth Rift had no ties to the Lothrian Federation and lacked a strong background.
Viscount Iron Thorn then sent out tax officers, planning to negotiate with the monsters first.
If negotiations succeeded, that was ideal.
If they failed, the trade route’s guards were not so easy to deploy, but he had not been a viscount for so many years without his own private forces.
Letting those ignorant, backward monsters feel the iron fist of the civilized world was also a decent option.
As for the overlord unifying the monster clans,
Viscount Iron Thorn did not take him seriously.
Avoiding the spotlight meant he was still weak.
If the monsters were truly powerful, he could have directly requested the Lothrian Federation’s military to suppress and eliminate them.
The dark leaden clouds covered the earth, and the air was gloomy.
Brent and his group rode in the disguised wagon, gradually reaching the Serpentine Earth Rift.
After driving slowly along the road for about half an hour, they spotted a tent by the roadside.
The tax officer narrowed his eyes and waved for the convoy to approach.
When the lizardfolk leader lifted the beastskin tent flap, Brent almost staggered back, overwhelmed by the stench of blood.
This creature stood three meters tall, covered in scales and claws, and eyed him with amber vertical pupils. Its forked tongue hissed, “New face?”
Though a monster, it spoke the common tongue quite fluently, pronouncing the few words clearly despite a slight tongue sound.
Five human warriors stood silently behind Brent.
The tax officer puffed out his chest, showing no fear of the monsters on his face.
He introduced himself loudly and proudly, “The one standing before you is Brent, tax officer of Viscount Iron Thorn.”
The monsters exchanged glances, showing no reaction.
Tax officer? They didn’t understand the word.
Feeling ignored, Brent grew a bit annoyed. When dealing with humans, he was always met with flattering smiles; never had he been so blatantly disregarded.
Suppressing his anger, he snorted lightly and explained again.
“This road beneath your feet belongs to Viscount Iron Thorn.”
“All caravans passing through must pay road taxes to Viscount Iron Thorn.”
Pausing, the tax officer continued in a low voice, “And you, monsters who profit from trading on this road, must also offer wealth to Viscount Iron Thorn!”
His tone was firm.
But the lizardfolk’s tail was firmer still, whipping sharply across the tax officer’s chest and sending him flying like a broken sack. He crashed into the mud, covered in filth.
The lizardfolk leader didn’t understand the term road tax.
But being assigned here to trade with caravans proved it was smart.
It understood the tax officer’s meaning—robbery!
If not for the strict orders from Iron Chancellor preventing arbitrary killing, the tail whip would have been replaced by a spear piercing the human’s heart.
“You, you all!”
The tax officer staggered to his feet, his face pale.
Only then did the warriors come to their senses.
Lacking experience dealing with monsters, they hadn’t expected the lizardfolk to attack without warning. Now alert, they immediately took defensive positions, shielding the tax officer behind them.
“Ignorant, savage monsters! Do you want to die?!”
The tax officer spat out a mouthful of blood and roared.
At his shout, two red glimmers lit up on the rain tarp covering the wagon, like a pair of eyes.
Ripping! The tarp tore apart.
A six-meter-tall humanoid metallic construct, forged entirely from steel, appeared in the storm. Rainwater slid off its cold iron body, shattering instantly.
It drew a massive steel greatsword from its back, glowing runes lighting up across its form, and its eyes emitted red light that swept over the lizardfolk.
The alchemical golem—the Dauntless.
The true guardian of the tax officer on this journey.
The Dauntless’s huge, heavy frame took steady steps forward and stood at the front.
The lizardfolk all sensed danger, tensing their backs and hissing with extended tongues.
From a deeper shadow some distance from the tent, tall figures began to emerge.
Armored ogres lifted their weapons, entering the tax officer’s field of vision.
The Dauntless’s red eyes grew more piercing; the ogres and lizardfolk tightened their grips on their weapons.
The tax officer took a deep breath, forcing down his anger.
These damned monsters had no manners! Rude, savage, damnable!
But he could not just start a fight.
The viscount hoped to resolve this through negotiation, without bloodshed.
They were not monsters; only at the last moment would they tear off the false mask and resort to violence.
The tax officer looked coldly at the lizardfolk leader who had just injured him. “Bring out your higher-ranking leader who actually manages things. You foolish, lowly creature, you have no idea what you’re doing! You can’t bear the responsibility for stirring trouble!”
A violent glint flashed in the lizardfolk leader’s eyes at the insult.
These creatures were always dark and evil in nature, warlike and brutal—not good folks.
But when it saw the steel giant standing in the storm, fear rose in its heart.
Remembering some clan rules, it suppressed its murderous intent.
Bringing an alchemical golem here meant these people were no ordinary foes—beyond its capability to handle alone.
The lizardfolk leader used a message stone to contact its superiors.
Cold rain poured from the sky. Humans, monsters, and steel constructs… all silently waited in the rain.