After eating at the merchant Adela's shop, Kevin went around selling the salt they had brought in the square at the center of town. At first, nobody bought any, so they had to lower the price again and again. By sunset, they had finally earned a few coins, but they had definitely sold at a loss.
Even so, there was still something they had no choice but to face.
"Tax officer, sir! We only made this little money in an entire afternoon. Please, show us some mercy and waive our taxes."
Kevin and the others humbly pleaded with the tax officer who had come to collect their money.
The tax officer shook his head and said firmly, "I don't care whether you earned a lot or a little. As long as you do business in this town, you have to pay taxes to the lord. Don't think you can escape my notice."
"Sir, we're salt workers who make our living by boiling salt. Since the salt fields were established, we've had to lower the price of the salt we boil ourselves again and again just to sell it. We've already suffered a huge loss by earning this little. If you take some of it as tax, this trip will have been for nothing."
The tax officer still kept a stern face. "I don't care about any of that. As the tax officer of Franklin Harbor, I can't break the rules because of one or two people's special circumstances. Rules are rules. Without rules, how could Lord Greiman rule his territory?"
Kevin and the others still refused to give up. They begged in every possible way until they finally annoyed the tax officer. With a wave of his hand, several tax collectors from City Hall surrounded them.
"I don't have time