Chapter 379 – The Cotton Field
After taking a sip of water, the village chief seemed to catch his breath for a moment before replying with an awkward smile.
“Many people leave for the city because they want to do something more sophisticated. That’s why there are empty houses.”
“People who have spent their entire lives picking and processing cotton quit their jobs and take risks and leave for a city with no experience or foundation? Why?”
“That, I don’t know. I just respect people’s free will.”
I glared at the village chief.
Killing these guys right away, I ran straight to the cotton wool warehouse, calmed down my desire to set fire to it, and organized my thoughts for a while.
The reason I came to this village is to burn bedding for the winter season requested by the lord to block delivery, and to cause the administrator’s mistake to create a cause for the lord to interfere in his work.
The story is that a fire breaks out in this village and it is painful for the magistrate. Perhaps the magistrate will investigate in detail who is responsible for the fire and try to find a scapegoat to lay the blame on.
And in the process of investigating the fire, the magistrate will know that I have come to this town.
Isn’t it very unfortunate that we, who may be the lord’s aides, arrive in the village and soon there is a fire that can be said to be bad news for us, the opposing faction. Administrators can bite and hang on to that.
Of course, externally, it can be said that I came to this town as a sheriff to investigate how it became a crime-prone area.
But the problem is the things that the slave testified to me – the local guards and the village chief working hand in hand to turn innocent people into criminals. The strange circumstances found in the village coincide with the slave’s testimony.
These strange circumstances that I found out during my stay in this village for a few days should be able to find out enough for the magistrate’s aides. That fact holds me back.
If I don’t solve any problems, the magistrate will be able to openly question, and even raise questions about, my incompetence in coming to this town as sheriff, which gives him reason to attack Trician, who gave me the mandate to be sheriff. .
I can’t cause such a nuisance to my woman!
Therefore, I must dig up the truth of the strange feeling I felt in this village and the things that the slaves testified to me, and build plausible achievements.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to justify coming to this town as a sheriff.
I looked at the village chief again.
“Hmm… By the way, I don’t think there are that many children in the village.”
“Oh, is that so? Considering the number of residents, it seems like a reasonable number. So many households left the village…”
Also, this kid stinks. What I am saying now seems like gibberish, and it does not fit well.
“Didn’t I say it was a nice town to live in? It’s a nice town to live in, so why are you leaving?”
“Yes? I-I said that before, but I don’t know!”
The village head shuddered and raised his voice. It’s like his reaction when you poke a needle under his fingernail.
Seeing the village chief dare to confront me, I started to get annoyed. It is a world where the power that comes from power is stronger than accurate trials and evidence anyway.
With the local guards also taking the villagers by force and enslaving them, is there anything I can’t say?
If the sheriff’s power and the slave’s testimony were used well, wouldn’t it be possible to arrest the chief right away?
The thought came to her mind, but she shook her head immediately.
The village headman’s connections are connected to the administrative officer. If I can’t find clear evidence, the administrative officer’s influence is stronger than my power, so I can be freed.
There can be no strong effect on the testimony of such guys. Who will listen to the criminals?
In the end, finding evidence of the bribes given by the mayor to the guards would be the surest way, but did you know where the guards might have hidden the bribes they received and find them?
In addition, the faults of the guards give the administrator a reason to attack Trician. It is self-inflicted to reveal the faults of the guards in this village.
Ultimately, this is not feasible.
Neither this nor that. Annoyance rose from frustration.
“The village chief seems to have a healthy liver even though he is old. Do you dare to raise your voice at me?”
“Hey, that’s not it. Sorry. Just because you keep asking embarrassing questions…”
“I just ask questions. I don’t know why you’re in trouble. Anyway, earlier you said you were leaving for the city because you wanted to do something sophisticated, but this time you say you don’t know?”
At my question, the village chief broke out in sweat. His wrinkly face trembled slightly and kept smiling, suggesting that he would remain ignorant of my question.
“Eh, leaving the village is a personal choice. Even if you ask me why, I can’t answer something I don’t know.”
“It’s a personal choice! I mean, it’s really amazing. This town.”
“Uh, what about it?”
“The careless, lazy guards have a strangely high rate of arrests. Even though it is a nice village to live there, the villagers move to the city while abandoning their homes and economic base, and the generous village chief provides the vacant house that was created by chance to the slaves bought in the city. Isn’t it a strange coincidence in so many ways?”
“That, that… That…”
I glanced at the village chief. The boy’s eyes twitch. Breathing is rapid and eyes are blinking incessantly.
I also looked at the two sons of the village chief who were sitting at the table. The guys are looking at me while exchanging glances with each other.
If there is no evidence, why not ask the village chief about the strange situation in the village? Even the village chief can’t blame the discomfort I feel because of my mood.
“Chief, you’ve been sweating a lot since earlier, haven’t you? I don’t think the heating is excessive.”
“I-I don’t know. What is the sheriff wondering about?”
It is rather reprehensible to come out without knowing even after asking this far. Well, if it weren’t for this level of brazenness, I wouldn’t commit the crazy thing of enslaving the villagers.
“You don’t know what I’m wondering about? Didn’t I just tell you everything?”
“I think I have answered all three questions you mentioned about vigilantes, empty houses, and slaves.”
“…”
It’s like a snail’s inspiration. In no time, I regained my composure.
“Do you think your answer makes sense? The lazy guards caught all the petty thieves who hid in the village after hearing rumors of a lot of money in the village, the villagers abandoned their jobs and went to the city, and the village chief paid his own money to buy slaves, give them a house and a chance to become free people. Will you give me?”
“…”
The village chief shut his mouth in my irritation. However, the same impatience from earlier had disappeared from his face.
Rather, he has a relaxed smile.
“If that doesn’t make sense, what is the sheriff thinking?”
“What?”
“My old, stupid brain can’t keep up with the sheriff’s imagination. By the way, if you’ll excuse me, could you show me a little bit of the sheriff’s extraordinary mind?”
I was speechless at the village chief’s sudden change of attitude. Why is this bastard suddenly so relaxed?
“Perhaps, perhaps not, Sheriff? Are you sure you are not imagining something outrageous?”
“A wild imagination… ?”
“For example, my statement that the villagers go to the city is a lie, and the truth is that the guards label some villagers as criminals, send them to the city, make them slaves, and then I buy them. I guess?”
“…”
I was embarrassed by the village chief’s question, which suddenly hit the mark, so I kept my mouth shut.
“Hey, even if such a ridiculous and absurd thing actually happened, why would I have to suffer such a loss? Why would the guards do that?”
Even if the guards thought they could do as the village chief asked for by accepting a bribe from the village chief, why the village chief would do such a thing is a question that I also felt.
It would have been enough to just give the villagers a normal job and have them work, so where was the need to take such a risk while spending more money?
The village chief’s smirk looking at me is extremely distasteful.
However, as the village chief himself said, if you don’t know the reason why you are willing to accept such disadvantages, there is no point in putting more pressure on them.
No, it’s not that it’s meaningless, it’s impossible to pressure the village chief.
No matter what I say, if the chief goes on to say that he would do such a thing because there is some benefit to him, that’s it.
“Whoa…”
Don’t stop thinking The moment you stop thinking, you lose. You have to think a little more. Think about it and you will find the answer.
Why does the village chief spend money to bribe the guards and buy back the villagers who had been driven out of the village by enslaving them?
Why did you do such a dangerous thing?
“… !”
A testimony from a slave passed through my mind.
