Damn, I recarneted As A Judge in Fantasy World

"Do you pay such high taxes just to fund tribute to the Empire?" Abel asked.

"Of course. How else would we fund the military force necessary to subdue a place like Yeats?"

At first glance, the answer seemed logical. The Empire did try to subjugate all surrounding countries.

But these people only knew half of the truth, not the whole picture.

"You are wrong. The military power of the Empire is the same before and after the annexation of the Yates Territory."

"What does that mean?"

"There is no reason to collect more taxes. Besides, the Marquess of Yates was exempted from taxes for five years as a first-class contributor's fief."

"… … ?"

The crowd just stood there, blinking. In fact, it couldn't be helped. This was information they had never heard before, and the content was quite groundbreaking.

So, Abel emphasized the point again.

"When was the Yates Territory incorporated?"

"It's been over eight years."

"Even though the exemption period has passed, the Empire did not demand payment of taxes. They gave us three more years of benefits."

"But why did you send them now?"

"I foolishly thought I would do it myself, but I haven't heard anything, so that's why. Besides, I've committed a crime and am no longer a public servant, am I?"

"How can we believe that?"

"Let's bring Seri from this estate."

When Abel made the request with a confident expression, people's eyes focused somewhere.

Perhaps someone had the answer to this question. Abel stared blankly at the person who had been pointed out—a man dressed quite nicely, unlike the rather shabby-looking wage earners. Judging from the wide-brimmed, colorful hat he was wearing, he seemed to hold quite a high position.

'Who are you?' Abel thought.

===

**<Person Information>**

**Name:** Toby Urquhart

**Status:** Viscount

**Position:** Tax Officer

**Relationship:** No acquaintance

**Status:** Embarrassed at having his intentions discovered, secure in his hidden wealth, loyal to no one, no sense of guilt, willing to cheat.

**Overall Ability:** B

====

It was an information window full of amazing content. A person who felt no guilt and cared little about the means to achieve success. Viscount Urquhart was the perfect fit for that.

'What is this, a typical sociopath?' Abel wondered.

Perhaps because his level had increased due to the item summoning ticket, more information was displayed than before. It even revealed that Toby had hidden his assets and was a fraud. In the past, it simply said 'evil deeds.'

Anyway, now the cause of this incident had become clear.

"Can someone tell me who that person is?" Abel asked.

"He's from the tax collector's office."

"Ah! You're Viscount Toby Urquhart."

"Do you know that person?"

"Of course. He is someone I absolutely must meet. As you all know, I am the head of the collection delegation."

"Oh, I see."

"But how did you know the identity of our group?"

"Well… … ." The man who had been answering absentmindedly trailed off. Then he stared at Viscount Toby Urquhart, as if asking with his eyes, 'You told me.'

Abel smiled meaningfully. If this kept up, the game was over.

"Count Urquhart, obey the Emperor's command!"

"Huh? Huh?"

When Abel shouted with a solemn expression, the viscount looked flustered and panicked. He probably hadn't expected to receive the Emperor's order in front of so many people.

Abel opened up the scroll he had kept in his bosom. It seemed to glow momentarily in the sunlight, and a golden light spread out.

"Why don't you set an example?"

"Oh, I understand." Viscount Toby Urquhart fell to his knees on the floor, confused.

But what should Abel do with this? There was no imperial edict given to him. Abel had only been given the authority to collect taxes. This was just a show to prevent the situation from getting out of hand.

"Viscount Toby Urquhart."

"Yes!"

"You are under arrest for embezzlement."

"Huh?"

"Why do you pretend not to know? You have been collecting taxes from so many people and hiding it somewhere."

"That, that kind of thing… … ."

Viscount Urquhart stood up hesitantly. He quickly backed away, as if he wanted to escape.

Chin!

But there was no more room to retreat. The angry crowd had completely surrounded the area.

"Didn't you say the last time you were collecting additional taxes that you couldn't do anything because of the Empire's tyranny?"

"If you can't explain it properly, you'll have to be prepared."

It seemed likely that the revolution would first break out in the Marquisate of Yates, not in the Empire. Abel quickly stepped in to mediate the situation, just in case people tried to beat Count Urquhart to death.

"Okay, calm down. We haven't even properly investigated the case yet."

Only then did the blazing heat seem to subside a little. Abel nodded to the guards, signaling them to move forward. The knights came to capture Viscount Toby Urquhart.

"Eww! These guys are scammers! They couldn't have received the imperial order! Why aren't you saving me right away?!"

At last, Toby came to his senses and began to struggle, but no one agreed with him.

"He really is crazy."

"You told us you were part of the collection team, but now you're saying you're not?"

"Who does this guy think he's fooling?"

Leaving the crowds behind, Abel and his group headed towards Yates Castle.

'Okay, shall we take a look at everything from head to toe?' Abel thought.

### ***

Inside the Yates Estate Office, Abel let out a hollow laugh as he looked through the documents.

"Huh! How is it that there isn't a single proper document?"

If it looked sloppy even to Abel's non-expert eyes, it must have been written very carelessly. Although the administration of this era was quite old-fashioned, this was almost like a pocket money ledger. The tax collectors from the capital who had been dispatched together were also speechless and sighed deeply.

"There's no way to understand the flow of money with this kind of garbage."

"Yes. It was just hastily calculated, and even that doesn't add up."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, if you look here… … ." Seri explained, making the holes in the ledger obvious.

But since the ledger itself was a mess, nothing could be figured out.

As Abel was trying to get up with a dejected expression, he heard even more distressing news.

"I don't know where the stuff was taken. The warehouse is completely empty."

It was a report from Cordell McNeill, who had thoroughly searched the castle and the estate office. In this case, even extreme methods could not be used.

'But what is that?' Abel thought. 'It doesn't matter how much that bastard Toby Urquhart stole. We'll just collect it.'

Seri Jang's corruption was something for the lord to deal with. All they needed to do was receive the money. But now that things had escalated, the lost property had to be recovered.

"What did Viscount Toby Urquhart say?"

"He's holding on to it until the end. We can't just beat it out of him, and it's frustrating."

If Abel used more aggressive methods, he could get a confession right away. Even highly trained spies would eventually crack. But he had no intention of resorting to such barbaric methods.

'Oh, wait a minute. I don't know where the embezzled money is, but the embezzlement itself is true, right?' Abel thought. Besides, it didn't seem like Toby Urquhart had done it alone. There were only ten tax collectors working in the Marquisate of Yates. There must be some connection between them.

With a meaningful smile, Abel said, "Let's return to the capital with only Viscount Toby Urquhart."

"Huh? Is that okay?"

"There's nothing we can do. We can't solve the problem of someone else's house being robbed. As for the taxes, we can collect them when the warehouse is full again."

"Now that I hear it, that's true."

Soon, they quickly prepared to leave—except for one person: Cordell McNeill.

As Abel and his team prepared to leave the Yates Estate, a strange tension filled the air. The townspeople had gathered once again, murmuring anxiously. The news of Toby Urquhart's arrest had spread like wildfire, and everyone wanted to witness what would happen next.

Seri Jang, one of the older tax collectors, approached Abel with a worried expression. His wrinkled face and the nervous glint in his eyes told Abel that he was hiding something.

"Sir Abel, are you really going to leave without solving this matter entirely?" Seri asked, his voice trembling slightly. "The people… they are expecting more than just an arrest. They need assurances."

Abel glanced at the crowd, then turned back to Seri. "You're worried about what happens next, aren't you? Whether they'll revolt once we're gone."

Seri hesitated before nodding. "Viscount Urquhart's corruption runs deep. I suspect he wasn't working alone. Many of the local officials were in on it. If you leave now, they might retaliate against the common folk in secret, making things worse."

Abel rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He knew Seri was right.