Rest and Celestine walked through the desolate fishing village.
As nobles, countless gazes from the villagers pierced into them from all sides, but perhaps word had been spread beforehand, because no one came up to speak to them.
"U-Um!"
"Hm?"
And yet... amid all that, someone came running toward the two of them.
She was a young girl, likely around the age where one might or might not enter elementary school.
"P-Please help me... Noble, please, you have to help me!"
"Hm? This child is...?"
"Don't get close to Celestine-sama!"
Seeing the girl draw near, Celestine's bodyguard—who had been following at a short distance—cried out.
The female bodyguard quickly rushed over and wedged herself between the child and Celestine.
"Insolent wretch! Back away!"
"I'm so sorry! Please, please forgive us...!"
At the bodyguard's furious shouting, a woman who appeared to be the girl's mother came running over in a panic.
"To think such rudeness toward a noble... Please, we beg you, forgive us...!"
"Bwah..."
The mother shoved her daughter's head down and prostrated herself on the ground.
"Please, we beg you, at least spare her life...!"
For commoners, nobles could sometimes be objects of sheer terror.
Arrogant nobles were sometimes the type to execute commoners over trivial matters.
(In truth, if it had been Rodele or his cronies, they probably would have cut them down without hesitation...)
"That was a child's doing. Elena, stand down."
"Hah..."
When Celestine spoke in a calm tone, the female guard stepped back.
However, her gaze remained vigilantly fixed on the mother and child, as well as their surroundings.
"I am not offended. Please raise your heads."
"Ah, thank you... my lord..."
The mother, relieved, nonetheless hesitated to lift her head.
No matter how magnanimous the response might be... after all, nobles were nobles. Commoners were commoners.
"More importantly... what did that child mean by 'help'?"
"E-erm... well, you see..."
"Daddy got hurt... help him, okay...?"
The girl said through her tears.
The mother moved to scold her again, but Celestine stopped her.
"Let her speak. Rest was..."
"I'd like to hear it too. It doesn't sound like a small matter."
As the two pressed her... the mother frowned in distress and began to explain.
"The truth is... lately, monsters have started appearing in the sea around here. My husband... this child's father was a fisherman, and he was attacked... he got injured..."
"Injured... is it serious?"
"No, no, it's an injury that should heal within a month."
The woman waved her hand dismissively.
"However, he won't be able to work during that time, so financially, it's going to be tough... I'm sorry! I shouldn't have brought up extra things!"
"It's fine."
"More importantly... what kind of monsters are they?"
Rest interjected from the side, and the mother considered for a moment before answering.
"Probably... something like sharks or sea serpents. No one has clearly seen them in the sea..."
"Daddy's boat... flipped over..."
"Don't interrupt when adults are talking... Large monsters are flipping over boats and dragging fishermen into the sea. Fortunately, no one has died... but the catch has decreased, and I'm not sure if we can pay this year's taxes..."
The mother stroked her child's head, looking troubled.
If they couldn't catch fish, income would drop. If income dropped, they couldn't pay their taxes. In the worst case, they might starve.
Even if the monsters hadn't caused any deaths yet, the blow was just as severe.
"If you ask the lord, won't he exempt you from the taxes?"
When Rest asked... the woman shook her head.
"This village has already received considerable favor from the lord from the start. Thanks to the late Shoko-sama, who once took a liking to us."
Sanada Shoko... the queen dowager.
It was said she had frequently visited this village during her lifetime.
"He's already being generous, so the lord says he can't permit any more concessions... If Shoko-sama were here, she would listen and offer advice..."
"...So, she's already passed away."
Rest fell into thought.
Rest had inherited the surrounding land, but his position was merely that of a major landowner — the lord was someone else entirely.
If the taxation was based on legitimate authority, he had no standing to intervene.
(Still... seeing the people of this land, whom Shoko loved, in such distress — I can't just turn a blind eye.)
He had only met Sanada Shoko once, and if someone asked whether they were friends, he would have tilted his head in uncertainty.
However... she was the first Japanese person he had actually spoken to since coming to this world.
He also felt a certain sympathy for the circumstances she had been placed in.
"If I'll do... would you let me help with the monster subjugation? Don't worry, it's my specialty."
That was why such words had left Rest's mouth so naturally.