Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 370 Lower District Hymn Square

Evading taxes would result in an inspection, and the method of tax inspection in this era was very simplistic. At the end of each month, City Hall would spend a month organizing accountants to verify one-tenth of all the tax filings from the previous month, checking whether there had been fluctuations in the amount of taxes and discrepancies in the names of items. If there were significant fluctuations and problems with the items, a specialized City Hall official would pay a visit to conduct an audit, or they would check things like gas meters to calculate production costs.

Although it sounds complicated, in reality, only units like Detective Agencies that weren't convenient for accurate business verification needed to pay special attention. There certainly were some loopholes for tax evasion, but Shard had no such intentions, after all, he was running a legitimate business.

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It took half an hour at the tax department next to Blackstone Security Company to complete the tax filing process, where Shard declared the taxes for the past two months, paying a hefty sum of 7 pounds and 14 shillings.

This was no small expense; if Shard could earn this much every month, he would just about reach a three-figure sum in taxes per year, exceeding the income level of most of this city's residents.

It seems that the job of a detective, in fact, does have prospects.

"Where did you buy these malt sugars?"

The tax office in the Northern District was right next to Blackstone Security Company, and Shard had also been there to find Iluna before, so it wasn't his first visit. The cat on the first floor of the security company was still very enthusiastic toward Shard, but to prevent his own cat at home from getting upset, Shard did not hold it this time.

Iluna met Shard in the lounge on the first floor of the security company, where he was clutching a magazine in his left arm and holding an iron box filled with yellow, gelatinous malt sugar in his right hand. There was only a small amount of sugar at the bottom of the box. The box had no lid, the corners were slightly rusted, and inside were two short wooden sticks that were thicker than chopsticks.

"Also, weren't you supposed to go resolve a commission? The way you look now, it's as if you have been loitering all morning."

Iluna eyed Shard's appearance with a suspicious glance.

"The magazine I took from that haunted house. As for these sugars, if you pay a one-time tax over a certain amount, you'll receive some gifts. This includes, but is not limited to, two copies of this morning's newspaper, a box of malt sugars, three raw eggs, a wooden pen holder, a bookmark stamped by City Hall, and a brass whistle. Oh, the last one was out, otherwise I would have taken the whistle; it would probably be good for teasing cats."

Shard replied.

These gifts were meant to encourage paying taxes; anyone who paid over five pounds on the spot could choose a gift at random. The value of the gifts was not equal—for instance, once Shard finished the sugar, the tin box could also serve as a pen holder. He just grabbed a box of sugar casually, but seeing Iluna interested, he handed it to her.

"Shard, do you think I'm still a child?"

The seventeen-year-old girl said with a smile, taking the sugar and placing it on the table beside her, looking pleased.

"And the magazine? Why would you be interested in a magazine about women's fashion? Is that also a reward for paying taxes?"

As soon as she said it, she reached for the magazine that Shard was carrying. Shard instinctively wanted to hand it to her, but then he remembered its contents.

"No!"

He raised his voice slightly:

"This is... a book I borrowed from the Black Raven Library! Yes, it's not for others to see."

Iluna nodded, just slightly puzzled by Shard's strong reaction.

Afterward, Shard briefly explained his schedule for the morning and told Iluna about the two cases he had already resolved.

As for the deceased young ghost, Iluna had no particular feelings; such events were not uncommon. And the issue of voyeurism was also a headache for Iluna:

"We can't meddle in the affairs of ordinary people, but since the party has approached us with a commission, I think the captain will find a way to resolve it. Honestly, money is not easy to earn."

"What methods will your captain use?"

"That's hard to say, it mainly depends on whether the other party is cooperative."

Thus, Shard no longer inquired, as the rest had nothing to do with him.

Out of the three commissions that Iluna had given, now only the last one remained, which was about the spice merchant who peddled his wares in the northern part of the city.

The merchant didn't have a fixed shop, instead, he appeared like a small vendor of Saint Delan Square, somewhere in Tobesk Northern Area.

The first two commissions weren't a big deal, so Shard treated the third one as a routine matter, just another part of his day out.

After bidding farewell to Iluna, he took a carriage to his destination at a leisurely pace. Along the way, he even chatted with the coachman about recent price changes. With the height of summer coming to an end, the prices of affordable fruits like apples remained stable, and children from common families could occasionally enjoy them.

Tobesk Hymn Square is one of the busier squares in the northern part of the city district. It is said that it was named to commemorate a bishop of the Peace Church who composed a hymn here during the city's early days, but for some reason, the square wasn't named after the bishop himself.

Northern Tobesk City is what one would typically call the Lower District, unlike Saint Delan Square, which is mostly residential; Hymn Square is the largest trading center of the Northern District. The square is accessible from all sides and is surrounded by establishments like the Three Cats Inn, Hunter Bookstore, the "All Disease Cure" herbal shop, Mrs. Shulan's Dress Shop, and even a blacksmith's shop with a sign for the 'better people,' helping to mend pots, sharpen knives, and scissors. As for the square itself, vendors selling a variety of general goods and foodstuffs, loan sharks from gangs, and all sorts of performers are a common sight.

The people from villages around Tobesk, like Mr. Copus's village which provides corpse materials for Circle Sorcerers, tend to converge on Hymn Square when they come into the city.

High society is high society, and the poor and villagers from the countryside might share the same space with them, but definitely not the same kind of life.

Though it is a Lower District, Hymn Square is even livelier than the city center's district. Instead of noble ladies or fashionable gentlemen, one sees people in patched clothes bustling about.

Women with headscarves and aprons are going around with baskets, comparing the goods they want to pick; children who look like they haven't washed their faces in a long while run barefoot around the streets, dodging strangers with a hint of fear; rough men in black shoes carry bottles of alcohol, complaining about their ill fortune to their companions; and beggars at the walls seem to exist in isolation from the noise and clangor of the smithy, curled up on straw mats, moving only when the owners of the homes curse at them.

For the Outlander, this was his first visit here, and he was somewhat overwhelmed by the various scenes. Despite the wear and tear, the streets and squares were bustling with life. Compared to the residents of Saint Delan Square, life here seemed like it was in an entirely different world.

"So Tobesk has places like this as well."

The Outlander widened his eyes, standing at the edge of the square and craning his neck to take in everything around him. The smell of cheap tobacco, fermenting food, and rotting straw mixed in the air, while a myriad of sounds assaulted his ears, creating a complex backdrop of noise.

In the past, he had only seen this place on maps left by Detective Sparrow, which were dense with information and even indicated how to find the Willow Warbler, loan sharks, and entrances to underground gambling dens in the vicinity.

"If I wanted to experience more of this world, I really should come to places like this more often."

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The shock of the scene before him was no less than when Shard first stepped out and saw the sights of a foreign street.

The Ring of Fate within his soul began to slowly rotate, and the brass color of the Enlightenment Element was gathering. This indicated that the scene was imparting additional insight into civilization to the Outlander, who was still unfamiliar with this world.

Compared to the people of this world, the Outlander had a unique advantage in contemplating and understanding civilization; however, this advantage was not like Dorothy and Princess Lecia's application to literature and fairy tales, but more like Old John's comprehensive understanding of civilization as a whole.