C6 The Arrival of the Third Mysterious Maid

When Ostar returned to the "Emerald Palace," Queen Marguerite III had already come back from the Empire's Hundred Flowers Festival, arriving ahead of him to await her son's homecoming. By her side stood a striking blonde girl, a newcomer Ostar had never encountered before—the very person who had previously unsettled Chris and Yulia with her mysterious presence.

This blonde beauty was on par with Chris and Yulia in terms of looks—a devastatingly beautiful troublemaker. Her smooth, golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her pure golden eyes radiated a divine aura, reminiscent of a goddess of light. She was clad in a golden priestly robe that, despite its conservative cut that concealed her skin, did little to hide her shapely and enticing figure. The robe, lacking the emblem of a holy maiden, was clearly temporary attire, indicating she was not a saintess of the Bright Church.

"Don't be nervous, Master! I'm here to protect you. And you two, there's no need to worry so much. If it came to a fight, I couldn't possibly take on both of you at once."

"Um... Sofia, you should just call me by my name, like they do. There's no need to call me 'Master'; it sounds a bit odd."

Sofia's face broke into a benevolent smile, attempting to diffuse the tension. In terms of power, she was in the same league as Chris and Yulia. A real confrontation would be impossible for her to handle both at once. Ostar later discovered from Queen Marguerite III that Sofia was taken in by his maternal grandparents—the formidable Emperor Gramat IV of the Rodmanos Empire on the East Continent, and his grandmother, Maria II, the twentieth Bright Pope of the Bright Church.

Sofia's origins were shrouded in mystery. She emerged in the Strange World around the same time as Chris and Yulia, all of them appearing abruptly at about six years of age. Sofia's abilities were nothing short of terrifying; even at six, she exhibited prodigious talent. Now, Sofia stood as the top contender in the Bright Church's hidden rankings, a master of healing magic capable of effortlessly invoking miracle-level forbidden spells.

Grandpa and Grandma adored their grandson. Upon learning from their daughter, Empress Marguerite III, that Ostar was set to venture to the Middle Continent for a lordship training, they eagerly sent Sofia to serve as his bodyguard. Ostar was somewhat resigned to the situation; with Sofia's formidable strength, it was clear she wasn't of the Human Clan. Much like Chris and Yulia, she hailed from a different race, rendering her another untouchable presence in his life.

"Rest assured, my lord, I shall execute your commands to the letter—any and all of them!" Sofia assured him.

Standing at around 168CM with a bust that seemed a solid C cup, Sofia's height fell between Chris and Yulia. Her golden eyes sparkled with mischief, signaling her sharp wit. Chris's expression tightened with wariness, instinctively moving closer to Ostar. Yulia, arms crossed over her chest, was on high alert, ready to draw a weapon at the slightest provocation. Sofia's voice, melodious and tinged with an ineffable grace, stood out distinctly from Chris and Yulia's, making her easy to identify.

"Now, you three, try to get along," the Empress chided. "I assure you, your status will be equal, regardless of how far things go with this mischievous lad."

"Mother, please, don't say such things. I... I'm not that kind of man."

"My dear boy, you're not getting any younger. Those fiancées of yours will be visiting soon, and without any experience, you'll risk the royal family's reputation..."

"Mother, I..."

In the end, it was Empress Marguerite III's experience that defused the tension. With her intervention, Chris and Yulia relaxed their guard and began to accept Sofia. Ostar now had another stunning girl by his side, with Sofia's role clearly defined: she was to be the support and strategist, complementing Chris's defense and Yulia's offense.

"Mother, Father has assigned me to govern the Bloomfield Region. Could you..."

"By the empire's rules, I can't offer you direct support. What's the matter? Aren't those three young ladies by your side the best support you could ask for?"

"No, Mother Empress, my thought was whether, in the future, I could perhaps have them..."

"I see. That can be arranged, but only after your domain is well-established. You... you're certain you have no ulterior motives?"

"Mother, I assure you, there are no odd intentions. They are my sisters, and I simply wish to place trusted individuals in key positions."

"I understand. Don't be so tense; it's alright to have ambitions, as per the customs of the West Continent..."

Ostar's request was reasonable; he simply hoped that once his territory was established, Empress Marguerite III would assign the six imperial princesses, his sisters, to his domain. Ostensibly, he wanted his royal siblings to hold significant roles within his territory. Whether Ostar harbored any special thoughts was something perhaps only he knew. In this Strange World Continent, unlike our world with its German orthopedics, certain taboo relationships could be altered under specific circumstances through special means.

Empress Marguerite III never denied her son's whimsical demands, and this occasion was no different. She only stood firm on not compromising when it came to appointing Ostar as a lord in the Middle Continent; all other matters would be addressed following his wishes. As for whether her son harbored any designs on his sisters, the Empress genuinely wasn't overly concerned. She had merely inquired in passing. In this Strange World Continent, there are times when bloodline concerns can be set aside.

Naturally, this condition depended on performance; only if the territory flourished would the princesses be sent to assist, one by one. Being Empire Princesses, if they couldn't ensure the basic safety of the territory, Empress Marguerite III would not dispatch them to support her son. Security was a fundamental prerequisite.

For his campaign, Ostar brought only three Exclusive Maidservants who also served as part-time guards: Chris, Yulia, and Sofia. Their combat prowess alone was sufficient, surpassing that of any additional companions. Other princes had to prepare for all manner of things, including troops and supplies, as if they were truly heading into battle. The Middle Continent presented a complex environment; the so-called frontier villages were rough, not like the West Continent where a few individuals could easily collect taxes. In the Middle Continent, without a proper force to enforce taxation, it was likely that villagers would resist paying taxes. For a lord, the use of force in tax collection was a routine affair.

In the West Continent, during the feudal era, taxation was primarily based on levy and sharecropper's rent, traditionally collected twice a year at harvest time. Tax rates varied according to three different brackets, reflecting the actual conditions of the harvest. To encourage farmers' productivity, those with yields exceeding the average per acre paid taxes on a fifty-fifty basis with the state. Average producers, or those slightly below the average yield, faced a tax split of forty-sixty, retaining only forty percent for themselves while the state claimed sixty percent.

In cases of poor harvests due to natural disasters or other calamities, the tax rate could be as high as seventy-thirty, with the state taking a mere thirty percent. In extreme situations, rates could drop to twenty-eight or even ten-ninety, and the most severely affected could be granted complete tax exemption for that year. Such exemptions were rare, with the minimum typically set at ten-ninety, as the state still needed its share to function, making total tax relief unlikely.

The bulk of the collected taxes, divided at a rate of forty-sixty, went to the local feudal nobility, who received sixty percent, while the emperor received forty percent. In his own fiefdom, the emperor claimed the entirety of the taxes. The Oberiske Empire stood out as a highly centralized state where the emperor wielded significant power, diminishing the influence of local authorities. Even enfeoffed nobles couldn't challenge the emperor's authority, resulting in a unique tax distribution of thirty-thirty-forty or thirty-seventy, with local areas and lords retaining thirty percent each, and the emperor taking forty percent.

Local tax revenues were untouchable by the nobility, including the enfeoffed nobles, who were required to follow directives from above. In regions without enfeoffed nobles, the emperor claimed seventy percent, leaving thirty percent for local retention. Essentially, the empire collected the entirety of the taxes in the emperor's exclusive territories.

Beyond the rent tax, there were also poll taxes, tariffs, and commercial taxes. As the West Continent was a feudal society with an agriculture-based economy, these taxes were less significant than the rent tax. The poll tax was collected only once, with a one-time payment made for each new citizen. In most countries, this tax was collected by the local feudal lords of the newborn's residence. However, in the Oberiske Empire, the poll tax was the exclusive right of the emperor, who alone had the authority to levy it, leaving local feudal lords without the power to collect it.

Regarding tariffs and commercial taxes, the emperors exercised a more relaxed control, delegating the authority to collect taxes to local lords and nobility. These regional leaders determined the rates and kept the proceeds without royal scrutiny. This approach eased tensions between the emperors and the nobles, allowing the latter to reap modest profits and line their pockets. Commercial taxes and tariffs thus became exclusive revenue streams for the nobility, typically not remitted to the empire. In the feudal era, the West Continent widely embraced the philosophy of valuing agriculture over commerce, often placing merchants' status below that of farmers. The emperor's strategy was a masterstroke, simultaneously appeasing the local nobility and avoiding the stigma of oppressing merchants, as the nobles themselves levied the taxes, absolving the emperor of any association.

Even within the emperor's own domains, officials were tasked with tax collection. Should any issues arise, these officials would bear the brunt, allowing the emperor to sacrifice the implicated officials, sell them off, and simply replace them with new appointees. Beyond these taxes, the state reserved the right to impose emergency levies in dire situations, such as the threat of foreign invasion or the imminent collapse of the state. Naturally, under a tyrannical or inept ruler, or if the local lords were particularly corrupt, such forced taxation could become a frequent occurrence.

On his journey to the Middle Continent, the Third Prince, Ostar, was accompanied solely by his three maidservants and guards—Chris, Yulia, and Sofia—without any additional entourage. He carried with him a letter of appointment from the Empire's Lord and roughly a hundred gold coins as seed money. Ostar was determined not to carry excessive funds, preferring not to be indebted to others. Many influential families, civil and military officials, especially those aligned with the Empress faction, were eager to finance Prince Ostar with substantial sums in hopes of currying favor and gaining political leverage with Empress Marguerite III.

Prince Ostar eschewed the preparation of a personal warship, unlike his royal siblings. Disguised as a merchant, he and his three maidservants embarked on a commercial vessel bound for the Middle Continent. Due to the prohibitive costs of the Teleportation Magic Array on the Strange World Continent, sea travel remained the only viable option. Prince Ostar's sole regret was his premature departure, which precluded a farewell to his sisters. He resolved to wait until he had secured stability in the new land before devising a plan to gradually reunite with the princesses.