Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 243: The Villagers’ Petition
Rest and Celestine walked through the quiet fishing village.
As nobles, they drew the gaze of many villagers, but it seemed that word had been passed around beforehand, as no one approached them directly.
“U-Um!”
“Hm?”
However, amid the silence, someone ran toward them.
It was a young girl, probably around the age of an elementary schooler.
“P-Please help…! Noble-sama, please help us!”
“Huh? This child is…?”
“Stay away from Celestine-sama!”
At the sudden approach of the girl, one of Celestine’s bodyguards, who had been following from a short distance, shouted.
A female guard rushed forward, stepping between Celestine and the child.
“You insolent brat! Step back at once!”
“I-I’m so sorry! Please, forgive her…!”
As the guard yelled, a woman—likely the girl’s mother—came running in a panic.
“H-How dare you show such disrespect to the nobles…! Please, I beg your forgiveness…!”
“Sniff…”
The mother pressed her daughter’s head down, forcing her to bow deeply.
“Please, please, at least spare her life…!”
For commoners, nobles were sometimes a source of fear.
There were arrogant nobles who would have a commoner executed for the slightest offense.
(If it were someone like Rodel and his cronies, they’d have cut her down without hesitation…)
“She’s just a child. Elina, stand down.”
“…Yes, ma’am.”
Celestine’s calm voice made the female guard withdraw, though her sharp gaze remained fixed on the mother and daughter, as well as their surroundings.
“I am not offended. You may lift your head.”
“T-Thank you… Noble-sama…”
Even as relief spread across the mother’s face, she was hesitant to raise her head.
No matter how kindly a noble acted, the hierarchy remained absolute—nobles were nobles, and commoners were commoners.
“More importantly… What did your child mean by ‘help’?”
“Uh, um… well…”
“Papa got hurt… Please, help him…”
The young girl sobbed as she spoke.
Her mother moved to scold her again, but Celestine gently held her back.
“Tell me the details. Rest-san, you too…”
“Yeah, I’d like to hear more. Sounds serious.”
As the two urged her, the mother hesitated for a moment before sighing and beginning her explanation.
“Actually… Lately, monsters have been appearing in the sea around here. My husband—the father of this child—was attacked while fishing and got injured…”
“Injured…? Is it severe?”
“No, no, it’s not that bad. He should recover in about a month.”
The woman shook her hand as if to dismiss the concern.
“However, he won’t be able to work in the meantime, which means… we’ll struggle financially. Ah! I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have said such things!”
“It’s fine.”
“More importantly… What kind of monster is it?”
Rest interjected, prompting the mother to think for a moment before answering.
“It’s probably… something like a shark or a sea serpent. No one has seen it clearly, since it stays underwater, but…”
“Papa’s boat got flipped over…”
“Don’t interrupt the adults… Large monsters have started capsizing boats and pulling fishermen into the sea. Luckily, no one has died yet, but our fish catch has dropped. At this rate, we won’t be able to pay this year’s taxes…”
The mother gently stroked her daughter’s head with a troubled look.
If they couldn’t catch fish, their income would drop.
If their income dropped, they wouldn’t be able to pay their taxes.
In the worst case, they might starve to death.
Even if no one had died from monster attacks, the damage to their livelihood was devastating.
“Can’t you ask the lord to reduce the taxes?”
Rest asked, but the woman shook her head.
“Our village already receives special treatment from the lord, thanks to Shouko-sama’s past generosity.”
Sanada Shouko—the late Queen Dowager.
During her lifetime, she had frequently visited this village.
“Because we’re already receiving preferential treatment, the lord refuses to offer further leniency… If Shouko-sama were still here, she would have listened to our concerns, but…”
“…But she’s gone now.”
Rest fell into thought.
Although he had inherited the estate in this region, he was merely a landowner, not the governing lord.
If the taxation was being carried out lawfully, he had no authority to intervene.
(But… I’d feel guilty turning my back on the people of the land Shouko loved…)
He had only met Sanada Shouko once.
They weren’t close enough to be called friends.
But still—she was the first Japanese person he had a real conversation with in this world.
He also couldn’t help but sympathize with the difficult position she had been in.
“If you’re okay with it… I could help with the monster problem. No need to worry—this kind of thing is my specialty.”
The words left Rest’s mouth naturally.