The Tax Official of the Barony

As Claire delivered her impassioned speech, Robin listened intently from below, cheering along with the crowd.

After the speech, Robin returned home and felt restless, a burning sensation coursing through him. It had been building ever since Claire started speaking.

"What's wrong? You've been like this ever since you went out," his wife, Linda, noticed her husband seemed preoccupied.

Robin looked at his beautiful wife, gently took her hands, and said softly, "It's nothing. Maybe the weather's just too hot today, making me feel a bit restless."

"Don't I know you well enough?" Linda squeezed Robin's hands. "I'll support you in whatever you want to do. Are you thinking of serving the Viscount? I think he's quite a decent fellow..."

"Stop," Robin interrupted his wife. "We agreed before that we wouldn't serve nobles anymore."

Linda fell silent for a moment before replying, "Okay, I'll listen to whatever decision you make."

That night, Robin felt a fire burning within him, as if it would burst through his chest. Before sleeping, he recalled Claire's words from earlier.

"But this isn't realistic for me alone... I hope you'll join me in building this homeland that belongs to us. Are you willing?"

Robin suddenly woke from a dream. Although he couldn't recall the specifics, he vaguely saw the Viscount's figure in his dream. At this moment, he felt he had to do something!

He rolled over.

"What is it?" Linda was also awakened.

Robin, on the other side of the bed, remained silent. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"I'm going to the Viscount's manor."

With that, he turned over, got out of bed, put on his best clothes, and walked out the door.

"It's only four o'clock. You can sleep a bit longer..." Linda called out from behind.

But Robin, already outside, couldn't hear her. Even if he had, he couldn't suppress his inner conviction any longer. The burning passion within him had fully ignited. Robin felt this would be the most correct decision he had ever made, bar none!

"Young Master, someone has come to apply for a clerical position," Regan said as Claire descended from the sixth floor.

"Bring them over to see. Also, prepare some breakfast for them. The interview will be in the dining room," Claire replied before going to wash up.

In the dining room, Robin sat down, feeling a bit awkward about the food before him. He was no stranger to fine dining, but he had never seen food like this. The aroma wafted towards him, making his mouth water uncontrollably.

However, Claire hadn't arrived yet, and he felt it would be impolite to start eating. He could only stare at the delicious spread, swallowing his saliva.

"Drip, drip, drip."

Hearing approaching footsteps, Robin looked up. The moment he saw Claire, he immediately stood up.

"Greetings, Viscount!"

Claire returned a kind smile. "Please, sit down."

After they both sat, Claire noticed the dark circles under Robin's eyes and asked first, "Your complexion doesn't look very good, sir."

Robin awkwardly scratched his head. He had waited outside the Viscount's manor for two to three hours before Regan finally got up. "Thank you for your concern, Viscount. It's nothing. Your speech yesterday was incredibly inspiring, and I couldn't fall asleep, which is why my complexion has suffered."

"Oh, I see," Claire nodded. "Let's eat first, and we can talk as we eat."

"Okay... Okay!" Robin seemed a bit nervous, but he picked up his cutlery and began to tackle the food before him.

The moment the piece of meat entered his mouth, it was exquisite! The taste was far better than any delicious food he had eaten before!

After quickly stuffing a few more pieces of meat into his mouth, Robin finally remembered the purpose of his visit.

He straightened his posture and said with a serious expression, "Viscount, I'm here to apply for the clerical position advertised in your recent announcement."

"Mm, do you meet all the recruitment requirements?" Claire asked.

"Of course. I can read and write, and I'm not just proficient in arithmetic; I used to be an accountant. I should be able to meet your needs for a clerk."

An accountant? Claire's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected to find such talent in Nafu City.

However, he didn't agree immediately. Instead, he asked, "Since you meet the requirements for the clerical position, why didn't you come for an interview when I first announced the opening?"

Robin hesitated for a moment, reluctant to speak.

"It's alright, I was just asking. It's fine if you don't want to say," Claire said.

"No, it's just... a little difficult to say," Robin explained. "I used to be an accountant in the Earl of Rigin's territory. Frankly, my family lived quite comfortably there. Not extravagantly, but much better than most people. However, the Earl of Rigin repeatedly issued decrees demanding high taxes, causing many people in the territory to suffer and die. I couldn't bear it and resigned my position, wandering here. From then on, I vowed that I would never serve any noble, even if it meant starving."

"Then why did you suddenly change your mind? I'm also a noble, as you call it."

"You are different, Viscount," Robin's eyes gleamed. "The first thing you did upon your return was to reduce taxes. I was moved then, but I remembered the vow I had made, so I didn't come forward. But yesterday, your speech truly struck a chord with me. You said that relying on yourself alone isn't realistic and that you need our help, and you asked if we were willing to help you.

I thought about it for a long time. It's true, as you said, that it's very difficult for you to do this alone. So, I'm willing to become your assistant, to build our homeland together, just as you said yesterday."

"Aren't you afraid I'm just a noble who speaks falsely?" Claire asked with a smile, his eyes narrowing.

Robin became excited. "No. Those nobles high above are too lazy to even lie to the common people. But you're different. Since you returned to the Viscount's territory, people's lives have genuinely improved. I'm Yuna's neighbor, and I heard from her just before you arrived that you helped her mother recover from her illness. All these actions show that you are a true lord who loves his people like his own children."

Claire smiled, stood up, and walked over to Robin, extending his right hand.

Robin blinked in a daze and extended his right hand to meet Claire's.

Claire said softly, "Then... welcome aboard! I now appoint you as the tax official of the Griffin Barony!"

Robin's face lit up with excitement upon hearing that. He had originally just wanted to help Claire as a supporter, but he never expected to become a tax official?!

Although shocked, he instinctively knelt down halfway and thanked her, "Thank you, Your Excellency!"

Claire smiled, turned her head to look at Regan, and said with a laugh, "Now we have enough people, don't we? I'll leave him to you. It's time to start investigating that administrator."

As she spoke, a flash of red light flickered in Claire's eyes, "Find out exactly how much money he embezzled!"

Night fell. Five days had passed since the last transaction. Claire lay on a lounge chair on the top floor as usual, gazing at the deep blue moon outside the glass window.

She habitually opened the transaction panel. It was much like her previous life, where she'd open her phone screen out of habit to see if anyone had contacted her, even when there was nothing going on.

However, unlike before, the transaction panel had changed. The transaction points, which usually appeared once a week, had miraculously appeared now.

Claire sat up from the lounge chair in shock. "The time interval has shortened..."

"What's the reason?!" Claire's mind raced. "The only change during this period was that I advanced to Intermediate Mage and my mental power greatly increased. Could it be that mental power is the key to condensing transaction points? When I traded cultivation methods with Chen Han before, he mentioned that he could only trade once a year. So, it's probably because his mental power wasn't strong enough that the interval was so long."

After much thought, Claire couldn't determine if her idea was correct, as there was simply too little information. However, the shortened interval for acquiring transaction points was a good thing.

Claire didn't make a transaction right away. Since the time interval had shortened and she didn't have any urgent needs for trading at the moment, she decided to wait until next time. She'd save up two transaction points, and if she encountered anything worth establishing a regular trade with, she could even add them as friends.

Thanks to "Dust of the World" and "Guangxi Lu Family" for the two monthly passes!!!!