269-241 Encounter (3)

I almost stopped, but Eckert poked me in the back.

"Hey, don't stop, okay?　If you show any sympathy, they'll come after you.

No, no, no.

No, no, no, no, no. They're the kind of people who'll cut off a child's limbs for a few coins.

Eckert said with a pained expression as if to spit, but it was true that the left arm of the fallen child was missing from the middle.

I thought that the reason why there are so many missing parts among the inhabitants of this place was because they were attacked by demons, but I wonder if that is actually the case.

It is possible that they are wounded soldiers, but they are ...... children. It's disgusting.

If it's a merchant's carriage, they'll throw you in front of the horses without a second thought, even if you're a child.

You don't jump in front of a nobleman's carriage because he'll cut you off without question.

If you're a merchant, it's okay if a child gets run over, as long as the carriage stops.

They will stop and ask for charity, and in some cases take it.

That seems to be the way of the place.

Nao, what do we do?

Guarding the Iliad.

"Yes.

Haruka didn't say anything more, but she was trying to tell him not to lose sight of that.

When she looked at Toya, she saw that he was holding her hand with his mouth in a tight line.

I hadn't seen this kind of slum in any of the cities I had visited so far, Rafan, Sarstad, Kergu, or Pinning.

Or is there some other factor at play here?

We reached the gates and entered the city with a sense of disappointment, but the immediate area was only slightly better than the slums outside.

The sanitary conditions were just as bad, and the air was even more stagnant and smelled nauseating than before, probably because the walls made it difficult for air to pass through.

What the hell is this town? ......

The area around the gate on the north side is like this. The area around the inn is completely different, so just hang in there.

The town is adjacent to Pining, so they must have been here before.

Eckert and the other Territorial Guard looked annoyed, but not surprised.

They seemed to have decided on the inn they were going to, and as Eckart led the way, they could see the town becoming more and more beautiful.

That's where we'll be staying today.

Eckart then pointed to a large stone building standing by the river.

At this point, the surrounding buildings were in about the same condition as the better areas of Pining.

"There's too much difference in the same city. ......

Eckert shrugged at my exasperated remark.

That's what makes it special. --"Master Ilias, we've arrived.

The door of the carriage opens and Arline and the other maids of honor step out, followed by Master Ilias.

Thank you for your help.

"No, thank you, Master Ilias.

Ilias called out to the guards and went into the inn, followed by Eckart and five others.

The rest of the guards moved their wagons toward the stables, and we went into the inn with Mary and the others who had come down last.

The innkeeper appeared and led us to our room.

We were assigned a room for the whole party.

There were about six beds crammed into the room at rather narrow intervals, as if the room was attached to the guest room, but the room was reasonably spacious, so it didn't feel cramped.

Naturally, the main guest room was occupied by Master Ilias and his attendants, and the soldiers seemed to be using the two surrounding rooms as we were.

However, Haruka and Natsuki are supposed to go to Master Ilias's room as guards when he goes to bed.

We don't have to stay awake in the city, but it's a precaution.

Huh. ...... I didn't know there was a town like this.

"Oh. It's a nice place, isn't it, Raffan?

When we were alone in the room, I couldn't help but let out a few words, to which Toya responded with a sincere smile.

It's a hell of a town, isn't it?

Yes, it is. I guess it's intentional.

The town of Mijara is located downstream from Sarstad, and is a river port town built beside a large river.

Like Sarstad, the town is built across the river.

Even though it is a port, there is not much fishing going on, and it is said that the main role of the port is to collect goods brought from the towns of Pining to the northwest and Django to the northeast, and transport them to the territorial capital of Crevilly downstream.

The road from Pining to Mijara crosses the river and leads to Crevilly, but since there is no bridge there, ferrying is also an important task.

However, as you can see from the condition of the road, there is little trade between Pining and Mijara at present, and most of the goods are brought from Django.

The goods from Pining will be gathered in the towns on the west side of the river, and the goods from Django will be gathered in the towns on the east side of the river, and the towns on the east side will inevitably be more developed. .......

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to get the best out of it.

The closer you get to the river, the smoother and more beautiful the surroundings become.

And if you look across the river from your room, you can see a beautiful cityscape that cannot be compared to this one.

Compared to here, the tumultuous Kerg looks like a town without any problems.

I look at the other side of the window, the side where the slum used to be, but of course I can't see anything on the wall.

"Nao, don't tell me you're going to help the kids in the slum, okay?

"No, I won't. And ...... we've already talked about that, haven't we?　Hey, Toya.

Okay. Mary and Mitya, that's what we're made of.

Yeah. ...... This place is worse than I thought.

Yeah. There's a difference between what you know and what you see in ...... real life, isn't there?

In the event that you've got a lot of money, you'll be able to use it for a lot of things.

And that since we can't help them, we need to abandon them.

If it weren't for them, the shock I received in this town would have been much greater.

We're so lucky. We're lucky to have been picked up by Haruka and the others.

"Well, to be honest, I wasn't sure if I wanted to help Mary and the others. Well, to be honest, I wasn't sure whether to help Mary and the others or not, but I think it was Toya's decision.

I think that's natural. In fact, no one from the town was willing to help us, and a badly injured child is just a distraction. That's normal.

In this world, from our point of view, children are treated very poorly.

For example, a farmer.

The eldest son, who inherits the farmland, is raised carefully, and the second son is treated reasonably well as a backup.

But after that, they are left with nothing. There is no land for them to inherit and no work for them.

It's not so bad if they're given some money and taken out of the house, but if they're thrown out naked, or if life becomes difficult, the children are cut off.

Such things are common.

If there was slavery, people could be sold into slavery, but in this country there is no slavery, and children are not worth money.

In this case, it is difficult to judge whether the lack of slavery is a good thing or a bad thing.

Because of such treatment, it is unlikely that a stranger - or even a person who is somewhat close to a stranger - would be able to pay tens or hundreds of gold coins for medical treatment in order to save a seriously injured child.

It is not a kind world where women and children are protected because they are women and children.

A father protects a child and dies in its place.

It may sound like a good story, but in reality, he loses his mainstay, and the remaining children die of hunger.

Abandoning a single child is the right thing to do.

Such is still the state of society.

The rest was Kerg, right? If I'd seen Mary and the others in this town, I wouldn't have done anything.

"That many people. There's nothing we can do about it. ......

It's too much.

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I don't think a little bit of money is going to help, but maybe we should donate a little more to the temple?

I think that would be best avoided.

Mr. Arryn: ......

We were interrupted by Mr. Arryn, who suddenly opened the door and walked in.

I'm sorry, sir. I'm sorry I came in without permission. I overheard something that caught my attention.

No, that's all right, but ...... why?

I'm sure you've all been distressed by the sight of the slums. ......

Yes.

It's not advisable to intervene, even half-heartedly. You may have heard that Baron Díaz is much wealthier than our family, and then there's this.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.

It's a good idea to take a look at the website to see if you can find anything that might help you.

You can't or won't be able to get by with a little money?

"The latter. In fact, there is no orphanage in the temple in this town.

Aren't they usually attached to each other?

No, sir. The temple is independent as a pretext, but it's almost impossible to run an orphanage without subsidies from the lord.

It's the lord's policy to do so.

If a single adventurer does anything to interfere with that, he will be noticed.

In addition, if they are the guards of Viscount Nenus, they will cause trouble for the Viscount's family.

That seems to be the case.

"Here, I'm intentionally making a difference to the people. And we're showing it. Do you know that?　There are no slums in Crevilly, you know?　All those who don't have money are thrown out.

Taxes here in Barony of Dyas are much higher than in Viscount Nenus and other areas.

This is one of the reasons why Baron Diaz is so wealthy, but the high tax rate inevitably increases the number of people who cannot pay.

When this happens, his fields and stores are confiscated without mercy, and he gradually falls into decline.

And the end result is slums.

The final destination seems to be outside the gate we came through.

The people are desperate to be shown this. They don't want to be like that. I hear the tax revenue is good because of it. ......

The use of the class system to deflect or tighten up dissatisfaction is a common practice, but when you see it in action, you'll see that .......

The temple also provides soup kitchens and some subsidies for them,......, but it's more to keep them alive on the edge than to help them.

I'm sure it's hard for Arline, who belongs to the Viscountess Nenus family, to accept.

I'm not sure what to say.

It's a tricky business for the aristocracy as well, because even with such a partner, they go out to celebrate with a smile and an expensive gift.

Isn't that a problem?

"No, it doesn't. It is the authority of the lord to decide the amount of tax. It is against the law of the land to enslave people because they cannot pay taxes, but it is a legitimate right to confiscate their fields. Even the king can't violate it.

"Even the nobles can't solve this problem, or even the king. There's nothing we can do about it.

Toya let out a heavy breath, looked up, and shrugged.

Strictly speaking, the king could do something if he exercised his power, but it would be difficult. He doesn't have the power to easily crush the nobility of his domain.

Arlin said, adding, "That's why the Viscountess Nenus is still here, though.

You know.

The dungeon we're exploring, there's a scandal about it.

Since the title is not confiscated, and the head of the family is only changed, and the younger brother is allowed to become the head, you can imagine the power relations in this country.

Therefore, I am sorry, but you must be patient even if you are dissatisfied. If something happens, our family cannot protect you. Unless, of course, it's something unreasonable and against national law.

"I understand. I'll keep that in mind.

Everyone, including Mr. Arryn, has the same unsettling feeling.

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