Chapter 35 - 35. The digging started (1/2)

She looked at the older man with firepower. He smiled at her and she knew that it's fine to talk. He turned around and looked at the group of people that were still stiff scared from all that happened.

”Dear nobles. This kid has been given permission to speak so be quiet.” they looked at him. They are not crazy to speak after all this.

Kendra went to the older noble that was sitting and gave him a polite bow.

”Sir may I ask your name, please.” she really wanted to know his name.

”I'm Tally, ” he said and stood up to bow to the child. She gave him a smile and continued.

”Sir Tally, I am just a child that has absolutely nothing to do with nobles. Could you explain to me how comes everyone here lives in the nobles circle for free?”

”After the big war in north our land was destroyed and we had to leave. On our escape, we met the grandfather from the current Lord and he gave us permission to live in the city.”

Kendra smiled at him and he understood. He nodded at her as support. She then turned around to the Lord that stood there and smiled with mischief.

He got excited. This child found a hole where he never taught about. He went up to his table and sat down with a serious face.

She turned to the crowd that was standing and looked at them with a curious face.”I need to ask that these high nobles, is that true. Just nod your head if yes and shake if no. ”

They looked at each other and nodded. Kendra went one step towards them and then turned around to look at Sir Tally.''Sir does that mean that all of you lived in this town something about 40-50 ish years. Right?''

Sir Tally had to admit.''Yes. Our whole families live here for more than 40 years.''

''Hmmmmm. Is that so. That is quite interesting. I am a child so I'm a bit curious. Since I came to this town I had to pay for the house, that I bought with my own hard earned money. Then I paid taxes for it. Then I bought a city house, again with my own money AND paid again taxes. And I live here just a few months. So I guess all of you did buy the houses you live in and paid regularly noble taxes like everywhere else. Even nobles in the city pay their own. Right?''

The nobles started moving but still didn't dare to utter a word. Only that noble that was close to that sleazy baker was about to say something. The old man with firepowers moved but Kendra stopped him with a wink. ''Let him speak. I wonder what this person has to say.''

They all looked at the man. He was full of confidence. Now they gave him the right to speak and he has to say so much.

''So little boy is curious. You shouldn't be curious to much. There is saying 'curiosity killed a cat', don't you know?''he said while chuckling.

Kendra looked at him indifferently.''I can be curious. I am not a cat. But if I were I would have sneaked up to you and used the claws to dig out those disgusting eyes of yours.''she said while smiling brightly.

He got angry.''Do you know who I am?''

She looked at him up and down and shook her head.''Are you relative to the current King? Or maybe relative to the Lord?Hmmmm anything else is not good enough to be important to me.''

He got choked up from anger. His face turned red and he started pointing a shaking finger at her and yelling.''I am the current minister of defense, his wife's third cousin.''

She rolled her eyes without even an ounce of respect.''Woooow. Aham. So the current minister of defense is more important than the current King or our Lord?''

He couldn't give an answer to that. He started shaking from anger even more. ''I never said that!''

''It seems you got so old your ears don't work well. Anybody else than the King himself or the Lord means nothing to me whatsoever. Everyone else is just people. Some with more name and respect some with less. I hope you won't take offense on my rude words.''she turned to Sir Tally and bowed at him. He took it with a smile and wave of his hand. He felt that this child will make out of small flee big flaw. Better being on his side or he will end up worse than those that are standing. They seemed to be doomed.

''You, you disrespectful little brat. I know you have no parents, so you don't know how to behave with people with a higher standing than you.''he started yelling.

The Lord looked at Kendra with worry but saw that on her face bloomed even bigger smile than before. Ughhhhh. That stupid nobleman will be roasted now. That smile doesn't seem to be something good.

''Soooo, you think you have higher standing than me?''she said while smiling evilly at him.''Then tell me in the last 40-50 years did anyone in your family paid the house you live in or the tax?''

He looked at her like she was the dumbest person in the world.''Of course not. He gave us permission to stay here.''

She nodded and then turned around to the Lord winking at him with a big smile. She turned to Sir Tally.''Sir Tally, I kind of like you and it seems you like me as well. So you will probably answer my next question truthfully.''He nodded and saw a glint in her eyes that sent him cold creeps in his spine.''Since you came and lived here no one paid any living expenses or taxes to the Lords of the city, right?''

''Yes. We indeed never paid anything. Even the food and clothing, everything is paid by the city.''he said while getting where her line of taught is going.

''Nice, nice. So the nobility of this town lived on expenses of the Lords for free including clothes, food and probably jewelry as well. Am I right?''He nodded. He understood that they all really live like parasites of the city lord for so many years not contributing anything.''Now one last AND most important question! Did you ever get a promissory note that everything is for free from any of the Lords that were the heads of the city? Anything written, any doc.u.ment with the seal of the city that says that all that is for free. Anything?''

He crunched his back in shame so did rest of the man on chairs behind him.''No. He never gave us anything written, we just took it as granted and thought this is ours forever. He actually planned us to be just for a few years here and buy it off bit by bit. But none of us ever paid even a coin for it. Soon after that, he got really sick and his son took over. And he as well never gave us anything written. We just took it for granted as it seems. I feel ashamed.''he said and stood up from his chair. He turned to the young Lord and went on his knee. The others did the same thing.''Please forgive us,''they yelled in a unified voice.

The nobles that were standing started looking at each other and then looked at the man that was kneeling with disgust. After all, they were nobles, they shall not knee under someone like him. What a mistake...