Chapter 199
“Rumors? What rumors?”
Charlotte’s interest was piqued by Angus’s words.
“Count…”
Angus glanced at Priest Lotti and several former Demon Hunting Knights accompanying the caravan, carefully choosing his words before continuing,
“The rumor says that you betrayed your family, betrayed Castel, and in order to successfully inherit the title, you sold out the interests of the Count Castel Domain to the Church.”
Charlotte: …
Damn, what is this feeling where I want to refute but don’t know how to speak out?
“Was it the vow I made to the Church last year in Bold?”
Charlotte asked.
Baron Angus thought for a moment and said,
“It has something to do with it, but not entirely.”
Charlotte was confused,
“How so?”
Baron Angus respectfully answered,
“Your promise last year in Bold was well known throughout the Castel Domain. This had a significant impact within noble circles and met strong opposition from many families…”
“However, later on, the Great Priest of Bold was arrested and tried by the Judgement Court. Everyone knew that your vow then was an empty promise, so the matter gradually no longer came up.”
“Just that after you took over, this matter has been brought up again.”
“But this isn’t really the root cause, is it? Perhaps the nobles care deeply about who their seigneur is, but for most subjects, I think they do not mind whether they are ruled by the Church or by nobles, because… often the taxes under the Church Domain are even lower.”
Charlotte said.
After speaking, she looked again at Baron Angus:
“Not to mention, after I took the seat, I also hinted to the envoys who came to the domain that the unsubstantiated promises were merely a delaying tactic I used to balance the pressures from the Duke Mansion and other nobles.”
“Here lies the problem. Even today, including myself, the vast majority of nobles believe you don’t really plan to deliver Castel Domain to the Church in the future, but the fact that you stand with the Church is undeniable.”
Duke Angus said.
Charlotte was slightly moved:
“Oh? So, the nobles and subjects of Castel do not want to see me too closely aligned with the Church?”
Baron Angus nodded:
“Yes, the fact that you departed from Bold with a priest appointed by the Church was magically communicated to the Count Territory right when you started your journey.”
“Recently, there is a new claim. You don’t actually plan to give the Castel Domain to the Church in the future, but rather you intend to bring Castel back under the Church’s faith…”
“People are talking, as you assume your position, the Church will also reorganize the religious governance of Castel Domain, reintegrate tithing, and even pay off all past unpaid taxes in one go…”
Charlotte: …
She knew what tithing was; similar to a certain church in the Western history of the Blue Star in her former life, it was a religious tax levied by the Holy Royal Court on the residents.
The Holy Code explicitly stipulates that paying the tithe, which is one-tenth of the harvest of agricultural and livestock products, is the duty of every resident under the faith of the Holy Royal Court.
By the way, the Bold Duchy also has a tithing.
Not only the Bold Duchy, but any duchy or earldom Charlotte passed through along her journey had it.
Paying a tithe had become a routine for subjects in the world of Mireya. In some Divine Authority Domains, besides the tithe, subjects also had to pay the Church land taxes, transaction taxes, and various other taxes…
The Holy Royal Court is not charitable, and the Church’s protection requires gold tanas too.
But that’s not the point.
The point is the two other implications revealed by Baron Angus’s words.
One is that the faith in the Castel Domain isn’t entirely unified.
Two, based on this premise, it is very likely that the Holy Royal Court has not conducted any real religious governance here for many years.
“The faith in Castel Domain isn’t unified?”
Charlotte asked in surprise.
Such information was never mentioned in the records of Castel Manor!
“Yes, from ancient times, our Castel Domain has been on the fringe of the Holy Royal Court’s religious governance. When the first Count Castel developed the domain, indeed many were Holy Believers. But as the domain developed, more immigrants came from the inland and Northern Territory. Most of those from inland were opponents of the Church, and those from the Northern Territory… were originally non-believers and heretics.”
“To this day… the faith in the domain has become quite mixed.”
Baron Angus said.
Charlotte: …
No wonder even if she did not recognize last year’s promise, the Holy Royal Court still supported her as the lord; it seems the real situation in Castel was filled with heresy!
The “Divine Miracle” at her coronation ceremony was so magnificent, and the name of Saintess was nearly secured. With such a lord arriving, it’s no wonder she was seen with hostility by the locals.
“The Holy Royal Court… how long has it been since they collected tithing in Castel?”
Charlotte asked again.
Baron Angus scratched his head:
“I’m afraid… it’s been over a hundred years?”
Charlotte: …
Compared to the Church’s transcendent protection, the tithe is not heavy nor light.
But if the rumors say it would all be paid off at once, that hundred plus years’ worth of taxes… that’s somewhat exaggerated.