When Belmerre returned to the town at the foot of the mountain with Nojiko and Nami, Captain Mouse and his subordinates had already started a banquet under Adjian's hospitality.
There was a barrier between the Marines and ordinary civilians. Even under Adjian's enthusiastic invitation, Captain Mouse and his men had chosen not to come ashore, instead holding their banquet aboard their own ship.
The politeness Captain Mouse had shown Adjian and the others earlier had been nothing more than lip service.
In their eyes, merely setting foot in a poor place like Cocoyasi Village was already uncomfortable. Even while eating and drinking what the villagers provided, they still looked down on the common people of Cocoyasi Village.
After preparing some food for the Marines, Adjian gathered the entire town in the square for a "villagers' meeting."
Fulfilling the Marines' demands was simply impossible with the wealth of any single household. If they wanted to send these people away, every family living on the island had to contribute their share.
"I think everyone has already seen what happened today."
"This time, we'll still follow the usual practice from previous years."
"Those with spare money will contribute money. Those with less money will contribute grain."
"In short, I hope everyone can work together and get through this hardship."
"If we give this much, we can secure a safe living environment. No matter what, things won't get any worse."
Cocoyasi was a typical farming village. Maritime trade was underdeveloped, and each household barely supported itself through farming, fishing, and hunting.
Fortunately, Cocoyasi Village had fairly favorable weather and abundant land resources. As long as people worked hard enough, filling their stomachs was not a problem.
Some farmers who grew cash crops could even save a little money to buy furniture or guard against