Chapter 67
(065) Border Town
Translator: Tseirp
Today, I will have to pay 2 types of taxes for a total of four times.
The town entry tax for the border town at Arundel Kingdom’s side.
Then, the cross-border tax paid to Arundel for crossing the border.
Furthermore, I have to pay for the cross-border tax to enter the country Dakyat.
Lastly, it would be the town entry tax for the border town at Dakyat’s side.
"So there’s a need to pay taxes 4 times … that sure is tough."
"Ichino-sama, you’re grinning though."
"That isn’t true."
It was true.
Well then, I’ll have to remember to change to Commoner.
Of course, gold is important so I will make use of Carol’s Peddler’s privilege.
Discount for the town entry tax.
Apparently, the amount differs between towns and the discount here was 30%.
It seems like the cross-border tax would be half-priced.
Even though it’s half-priced, it is still a substantial 10 times for me.
So naturally I couldn’t help but grin.
Of course, I’ve leveled up my Commoner job quite a bit so it won’t level up so easily now.
But, I want to reach level 99 and get the Peak of Commoner t.i.tle.
We could enter the town smoothly without the need to wait in line.
We were able to enter but … hnn ‒.
Carol called out to me when I was troubled.
"What’s wrong?"
"It’s painful how my level didn’t rise even by paying 105 sense."
I didn’t gain a single level.
105 sense, 400 times of that would equal to about 40 thousand sense worth of experience points.
In j.a.panese yen, it would be a tax of roughly 4 million yen.
"400 times of that would be … master, what is your Commoner level?"
"72."
Carol asked with her head tilted.
"Wha wha … just how much tax has Ichino-sama paid??"
"About 1.2 million sense."
"Hya … isn’t that an amazingly large sum …"
"Haru earned it in a day though."
It wasn’t a memory that was old enough for me to have to recall but I still muttered that while feeling a sense of nostalgia.
Haru who was on the coachman’s seat was wagging her tail and she said in a slightly excited voice.
"That was really fun. I want to go again."
"It’s better to be moderate in gambling. As expected, it would be bad for Gorsa-san if Haru seriously went for it."
But then, the current Haru also can’t beat Gorsa-san when he’s serious.
If Haru has superhuman dynamic vision, Gorsa has superhuman technique.
They’re incompatible.
Although I also want to enjoy playing the slots slightly more too.
"Now that I think about it, there were those slot machines right? Do you know who made those?"
"Carol doesn’t know. Carol heard that they’ve been around since about 20 years ago but Carol has not been in a gambling parlour before."
There were patterns on the slot machines.
Watermelons, melon, the word ‘BAR’ and the character ‘7’.
It’s a bit of trivia but the fruit patterns on the slot machines in Earth originally came from the patterns drawn on chewing gum vending machines.
It’s not that I particularly like gambling, I just recalled the knowledge my part-time era friend boasted about, however, if that really is true, then why do the slot machines in this world
If the slot machines were created in this world first before they were created on Earth, it could be explained by the subconscious intervention mentioned by Koshmar-sama but this time, the order is reversed.
In other words, the slot machines in this world were created by a Wanderer — that is to say, an Earthling.
I wonder why didn’t I notice it.
It isn’t a case where I can just go: Well, even if that’s the case, what about it?
I wonder just how many Earthlings have been to this world?
I’ve been told that most Wanderers hide their ident.i.ties and live their lives so I guess I will never know.
G.o.ddess-sama said that 1 person in a billion could reincarnate in the Otherworld.
It feels like a small number if you think of it that way but in actual fact, just like how I received blessings from Koshmar-sama and Torerul-sama, if a single pillar G.o.ddess-sama reincarnated 1 in a billion, with the 6 pillars of G.o.ddess-samas, it would be about 1 in 170 million people huh?
"Master, do we proceed to enter Dakyat?"
"Hmm. Carol, are there any attractions in the border town on this side?"
Carol’s knowledge comes into play in this kind of situations.
Since we’re already here, I want to see it if there is anything interesting.
"This town’s local attraction is the same as the one on Dakyat’s side, a stone bridge said to be the longest in the world that we would definitely have to pa.s.s through when we cross the border."
"A stone bridge as attraction huh? Well, it’s probably amazing."
I wonder what is the most popular stone bridge in j.a.pan?
Perhaps the Megane Bridge?’
Well, it would be suspension bridges after all if you think of bridges in j.a.pan.
The length of the Akas.h.i.+ Kaikyo Bridge, at least at the time I came to this world, is said to be the world’s longest suspension bridge.
"Yeah. It is staggering in a sense."
Hearing Carol’s words with hidden meaning that she said with a smile, I didn’t ask any further.
The way Carol said it meant that something would be able to surprise me.
I’ll obediently entertain her.
By advancing in a straight line all the way after the town entrance, there was a wooden door to the bridge.
Due to the door, I couldn’t see the entirety of the bridge but the width was very wide.
Carol and I alighted from the carriage and conveyed that we were Peddlers and the contents of our goods.
Lastly, Carol placed her hands on a crystal and it lit up green and we paid 300 sense for the cross-border tax.
【Ichinojo Leveled up】
Great, level up!
Commoner became Lv73.
"I have definitely received the correct amount. Also, I think it would be impossible but please do not shop on the bridge."
After the checking station door opened — at that time I saw —
"What the heck is that?"
I was truly surprised.
The bridge was about 10 meters wide and it’s length was about 2 kilometers long.
An outrageous sight was portrayed in front of my eyes somewhere on that huge bridge.
There was —
"Why is there a town … on the bridge."
A town lined with numerous stalls was spread before my eyes.
~Side Story Awakening~
Two days before Ichinojo and group arrived at the border town.
Centaur’s movements were extremely jaunty.
It was cheerfully eating the bait.
The 2 people riding on Centaur entered the territory of Dakyat.
And, the 2 people had outrageous appearances.
Jofre had a heroic figure with his body covered in golden armour and he had a golden sword.
And Elise was wrapped in a silver robe and held a metallic whip.
What happened to the 2 of them?
"My Hero’s ability have awakened, Elise."
"My Monster Master’s ability have also awakened, Jofre."
For the time being, the 2 of them laughed joyfully.