Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 132 Tax Amnesty

Since the reign of Henry III, rebellion against the Church had become one of the most unforgivable sins in the empire, little different from outright rebellion.

Not only would the rebels be publicly executed, their heads would be chopped off and hung on the city walls for up to a week as a warning to all future generations. It was also from Henry III that the ecclesiastical power in the empire gradually reached its peak and gradually reached a level equal to that of the royal power.

Henry III has received mixed reviews from later generations. He was the king who executed the most rebels in the history of the empire. This record was broken at the end of the reign of Henry VI. Since the War of the Corruption, the current Pope has caught up with his "predecessor" in just two years.

The turmoil in Darkfurnace City is no exception.

Everything stems from the contemporary interpretation of the Holy Codex by the Chief Pastor of Darkfurnace City. This Chief Pastor was promoted by the current Pope. In less than two years since he took office as Chief Pastor of Darkfurnace City, he has drastically completed many reforms, including the "tax exemption" that is being vigorously promoted this time.

This talented chief priest read through the holy scriptures and believed that all life in this world originated from the gift of the Goddess of Life, but people today were unaware of sharing this glory. So he implemented a law called "Tax Amnesty" in Darkfurnace, the most important agricultural city in the empire.

The bill states that all citizens of Darkfurnace City must pay one-fifth of their income as taxes to the Church in order to seek forgiveness from the God of Life. This bill applies to everyone, regardless of whether they believe in the Goddess of Life or not.

"A few days ago, the citizen representatives of Darkfurnace City raised objections to the Church. Winter is about to come, and the 'tax amnesty' will crush many families and leave them starving in the harsh winter."

The shepherd said bitterly, "But the Church not only did not listen to public opinion, but also imposed severe punishment on the ten petitioners. They will send these ten people to the guillotine in public tomorrow and hang their heads on the city wall."

This is clearly the way to treat traitors.

"Some people fled Darkforge City, and some residents took up arms, intending to resist when dawn came."

Ethan asked, "How did you know that?"

"The only advantage for people like us who live at the bottom of society is that we are better informed."

The shepherd lowered his head and tightly grasped his purse. "Thanks to you, sir. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have survived this winter."

"Most of the people in the Vatican probably know what they are planning."

Ethan was not even surprised by the "tax amnesty". Now that Henry VI was dead and his successor was still young, he no longer had the power to compete with the church. Compared with the Lophik Consortium, the Holy See was not good at doing business. For them, the easiest way was to take money directly from other people's pockets.

The law promulgated by Darkfurnace City was equivalent to a test of obedience. He felt that the Church even hoped that the local residents would revolt. They urgently needed to establish their prestige and announce to the Empire the consequences of rebelling against them.

"How about moving to Hearth Bay?"

Ethan suddenly said, "My store happens to need some help."

"Sir, are you kidding?"

The shepherds couldn't believe their ears. In principle, Hearth Bay was a place where people were not allowed to live. Even if there were exceptions, they would not be the exceptions for small people like them.

"No kidding, you can live in my shop. There are supplies for your living there. It should be safer than Darkfurnace City."

"Thank you, thank you so much!"

The shepherd's eyes were a little red. In fact, after Heisenberg became famous, he thought that the other party would never come back. After all, with his current fame, he didn't need a bartender like him to help with advertising. While he was happy for his former "partner", he also felt a little lonely.

What’s worse is that once the “tax exemption” is implemented, it will be a heavy blow to them. His younger brothers and sisters are still young and weak. If they get sick in winter, it will be difficult for them to survive this severe winter.

"You guys can move in tonight. When they have nothing to do, they can go to the front counter to help look after the store. If there are customers, they can record their requests."

Ethan considered that all the service staff in the store were assigned by the Lofik Group, so he should recruit some staff himself.

Since he considered the bartender as his partner when he opened the shop, he would not do something like destroying the bridge after crossing it.

"Of course, of course! We will try our best!"

Ethan waved his hand.

As for what was about to happen in Darkfurnace City, he didn't have a good solution.

A rebellion that was not well prepared and known in advance was doomed to fail. If one wanted to change the status quo of the empire, it would not be solved by simply killing a chief priest.

There was no time for business trips, and the focus of their next work should be on strengthening the defenses of Creekwood Town. Baron Gladin gladly took out his family fortune and purchased the first batch of electromagnetic crossbows to arm his private guards. At the same time, he also funded Hagrid to set up a shooting club. The main purpose was to improve the archery level of the guards, but the club was also open to the public, and any Creekwood resident who was interested in archery could participate.

The Baron mentioned that Hagrid had said a lot of nonsense to him after he went back, saying that swordsmen were useless and that the era of crossbowmen would come from now on.

Although Baron Gretin's own abilities are very limited, his greatest advantage is that he is willing to listen to advice and let professionals do professional things. This is also the reason why Ximu Town has always been a relatively peaceful and prosperous place compared to many towns in the empire.

After saying goodbye to the shepherd, Ethan returned to the scroll shop to draw a new batch of lightning chain scrolls for sale tomorrow. When he returned to the apartment yawning, it was already late at night.

As soon as I entered the door, I saw Lin Dong leaning on the kitchen cabinet, communicating with Miss Chloe.

Seeing Ethan come in, he waved at him.

"what happened?"

Although Lin Dong looked serious today, the scene in the kitchen was a mess. Ethan saw a mess as soon as he entered.

This is not an adjective, but a real situation—the golden feathers were scattered all over the ground, Miss Chloe had lost a lot of weight, and the potion brewing in the crucible always gave Ethan a weird feeling.

He looked at Miss Chloe's neck, which was broken, and felt distressed. "Why did you pull out her hair?"

"I didn't pull it out. She plucked it off herself."

Lin Dong immediately stated that although she liked to play pranks, she was not so cruel as to pluck Miss Chloe's feathers. Moreover, after spending a long time with Miss Chloe, everyone would be infected by her gentle personality, and no one would have the heart to do such a brutal act.

"Is this... the molting period?"

"She is consulting me about some alchemy issues. Miss Chloe seems to think that her feathers can be used to make potions, but this is a recipe that has never appeared before, and I am not sure what will be brewed."

Winter said, "You usually have a lot of clever ideas, and she has established a soul connection with you, so you can just share your opinions."

(End of this chapter)