TL: Etude Translations
Vaolette’s face was steel-blue as he sternly admonished the newcomer.
“Do you know who I am entertaining right now? He is…”
The man named Hersch paused, surprised. He had thought Vaolette’s claim of hosting a guest was just an excuse to brush him off, but to his astonishment, there really were guests in the house: a young man with black hair and a beautiful woman with green hair.
Paul gestured for Vaolette not to reveal his identity, saying, “Vaolette, I believe Father Hersch must have something important to discuss. Let’s hear him out.”
“This… My lord, I assure you Hersch has nothing of importance to discuss. I’ll have him leave right away.”
Upon hearing this, Father Hersch loudly protested, “I assure you, I did not come for a trivial matter. Please allow me to explain.”
“Are you… a priest?” Paul’s interest was piqued. He had never seen a priest dressed so modestly before.
The village churches in the Northwest Bay are usually under the jurisdiction of the nearby town churches, so Hersch could be considered a subordinate of Vaolette.
“If you have something important to say, you may speak now.” Paul bypassed Vaolette, allowing Hersch to continue.
Vaolette, initially intending to dismiss the priest, could only relent, his face breaking into a sweat.
Hersch was momentarily bewildered. He had planned to plead persistently, but as soon as this stranger in the room spoke, Vaolette suddenly stopped trying to dismiss him. The stranger seemed influential.
But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. His thoughts returned to the real reason for his visit.
Sighing, knowing his chances were slim, he still felt he had to try.
“Lord Vaolette!” Hersch spoke earnestly, “I implore you once again to waive the tax for those unfortunate villagers for the next two years.”
“No!” Vaolette immediately refused. “Hersch, how many times must I tell you? At my level, I have no authority to decide on tax matters. I can only follow the orders from above.”
“Then, please go to Center City and present our situation to the Bishop.”
“You!” Vaolette seemed infuriated, flinging his sleeves, “You expect me to go to Center City… just for a bunch of lowly peasants? You should go yourself.”
Hersch stood his ground: “My lord, I have been there, but the gatekeepers wouldn’t let me in. I explained the situation to them, and they told me to come back to you.”
Vaolette closed his eyes, resigned. “Then my answer remains the same. I have no authority over this matter.”
Suddenly, Hersch knelt down, pleading with a face full of sorrow and anger: “Please, for the sake of the garment you wear, save those poor souls.”
“You!” Vaolette was enraged. Hersch’s words were a direct affront, accusing him of being unworthy of his priestly station, especially in front of a lord.
In truth, Vaolette could go to Center City and plead for Totor Village, but that would undoubtedly tarnish his image among his superiors, so he was determined not to do so.
Watching the scene, Paul roughly understood the situation. It seemed the villagers of Totor were unable to pay the so-called tithe to the church, and Father Hersch had come to Vaolette to plead on their behalf, only to be rejected. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel_fіre.net
Although this was a matter of religious affairs, as a secular lord, Paul felt it was his responsibility to alleviate the troubles of his subjects. He asked Hersch, “Which village are you from?”
“My lord, I am from the church in Totor Village, but it’s the only church for several nearby villages.”
“Is the harvest in your area very poor?”
Hersch spoke with a troubled expression, “It’s not that the harvest is poor, but in the past two years, several families lost their labor force due to the war with Emden, leaving only the elderly, children, and widows struggling to survive.”
“What did you say?” Paul felt a sense of foreboding and abruptly stood up from his seat.
Ladi, who had been silent since entering the room, spoke, “If I’m not mistaken, families of those who sacrificed their lives in war are usually granted substantial compensation by the lord. Even if it doesn’t last a lifetime, it shouldn’t be insufficient just two years later, right?”
Hersch became uneasy when the green-haired beauty suddenly addressed him.
He hesitated before saying, “The lord indeed provided them compensation, but… that was the beginning of a series of misfortunes for them.”
“Hmm!” Vaolette suddenly interjected, “Hersch, let’s stop here for today. I’ll find time to discuss this matter with you properly.”
“No, Vaolette, let him continue. I’ll stay here today and listen to Father Hersch explain the situation. You stay quiet for now.”
Paul’s face showed a hint of excitement, “Go on, why did the lord’s compensation bring them misfortune?”
“Uh… Yes, my lord.” Vaolette reluctantly fell silent.
Hersch grew increasingly amazed at the young man’s identity. A single sentence from him had silenced the high and mighty Lord Vaolette. Who could he be?
Could this be the chance to truly alleviate the villagers’ plight?
Wait, the young man with black hair, accompanied by a beautiful woman with green hair, could it be…
Oh, Hersch, how could you be so oblivious, not to realize this when you first entered?
Should he reveal the truth?
The village priest hesitated. Wasn’t this lord said to be the one standing behind them? But his reaction didn’t seem to fit the rumors.
The previously impassioned priest was now deeply conflicted.
“Hersch!” Paul glared at him, “Look into my eyes, what exactly are you worried about? You asked Vaolette for a tax reduction, which shows your kindness, but are you only kind but cowardly like a mouse?”
Stirred by Paul’s words, the priest raised his head high, his eyes wide open.
“I’ll tell the truth now.”
Ignoring Vaolette’s glaring signals, Hersch spoke to Paul, “If the compensation you provided was in money, perhaps it wouldn’t have been so bad. But it was land, prime land capable of yielding crops year after year, and this attracted the greed of certain individuals.”
As Hersch spoke rapidly, Paul heard a clichéd yet infuriating tale.
It’s one thing for others, as the world is such, but this time the victims were families of warriors who died in battle.
How dare they? How could they?
“I understand, Hersch.”
Paul sat back down, exhaling deeply.
The Port Fran priest hurried forward.
“I’ll cover the tithe for those people Hersch mentioned.”
The priest was startled, “I can go to Center City and explain the situation, ensuring a satisfactory outcome for you.”
“No, let’s do it this way.”
Paul made the decision with an authoritative tone, then walked out with Ladi, leaving Vaolette and Hersch staring at each other in disbelief.
After a moment of silence, an annoyed shout echoed in the room.
“You’re just a priest from a village church, why meddle in such matters? What if this escalates?”