Different World Business Symbol-Chapter 4: citizenship

MTL: uniquegasuki

Editor/ Proofreader: (not proofread)

The next morning, Haruto awoken in a good mood . As usual, he goes to washing his face at the water well, there he was greeted by Hannah .

「Good morning, Asuma-san . I heard from my husband, yesterday, about that amazing dirt and grime remover . 」 (Hannah)

「Are you talking about soap, this thing . 」 (Haruto)

Haruto shows her the soap that he is using to wash his face .

「Yes, that . Will you not give me some? Of course not for free, I will pay you for it and I’m also willing to offer you a discount at the inn . 」 (Haruto)

「Sorry, but I don’t have much left . I’ll sell you some the next time I make a batch, okay . 」 (Haruto)

Upon hearing Haruto clear cut answer, Hannah showed a slightly disappointed expression . Anyhow, it was as he thought; soap does have merit .

「I see, then next time, right . 」 (Hannah)

Hannah said what she needed to and then left . Haruto dried his face with his towel .

◆◆◆

「Umm, do you happen to have any more of that soap thing?」 (Marceau)

As Haruto eats a skewer, Marceau asked about the same thing Hannah did .

「Now that I have used soap, I can’t bring myself to go back to using lye . 」 (Marceau)

Haruto gave Marceau the same response he gave Hannah . Although Marceau looked disappointed, when he heard that Haruto will be selling more later, Marceau seemed relieved .

「Excuse me, do you mind telling me where the public office it located?」 (Haruto)

「Public office? It is in the central plaza . You will immediately be able to tell which place it is by looking at the signboards . Why, do you need to know…… ah! Are you perhaps going to apply for a license to open a street stall? If so, I would be glad to help . Please, feel free to ask me anything . 」 (Marceau)

Marceau seemed hyped up . Thinking this was a saving grace, Haruto took the chance to ask Marceau several questions .

「Is it really necessary for me to receive permission before opening a street stall?」 (Haruto)

「Yes, you must first receive permission from town-hall . However, there is a sales tax; it is 1% for citizens and 5% for foreigners . 」 (Marceau)

As expected, there is a sales tax .

「Then, is it better to get my citizenship?」 (Haruto)

「Umm, citizens have a 10% income tax . But, if you plan to settle in this country it is better to become a citizen early so you don’t have to pay the foreigner tax . 」 (Marceau)

Now that Haruto thought about it, he recalled a talk about a tax for staying more than 3 months . Because there is no certainty of him finding a way home, it is best for Haruto to get his citizenship before any possible trouble can occur .

「Well, you are a wandering traveler so you probably aren’t going to stay in this country for long . But, do please consider becoming a citizen here . This county’s taxes are low and the food here is delicious . Also, immigrants are very welcome here . Besides, it would make Maria happy . 」 (Marceau)

Marceau laughs loudly . While feeling happy, Haruto thought that this family is good people .

「Haha, thank you very much . I will consider becoming a citizen here . For now, I will go to the public office . 」 (Haruto)

Haruto pays for his meal .

「Hey, thank you for your patronage and take care . 」 (Marceau)

◆◆◆

As he traveled to the central plaza, Haruto thought about getting his citizenship . He knew of no method to return home . The world is fairly big so if he were to receive his citizenship, Haruto could possible travel the lands in search of a way home . However, Haruto doesn’t have a strong desire to go home . If there were a way for him to make a living here, it might not be such a bad things for his bones to eventually be laid to rest in this country .

(Well, for the time being, I should go and have a talk with the public office . Perhaps, there might be a duty to serve in their military . )

As he thought about it, Haruto arrived in the central plaza . He saw a large fountain and children running around . Haruto looked around and noticed plenty of large buildings . One by one, he checks the signboards .

(Courthouse, citizen’s assembly, the slave trading firm looks quite grand…… ah, over there is the public office . )

Having found the public office, he enters . Inside it holds the same serious atmosphere that a government office would have . While feeling nervous, Haruto starts a conversation with the male attendant that looked the youngest .

「Excuse me, I am here for permission to open a street stall . 」 (Haruto)

「Ah, okay then . Please hand me your entry permit . 」 (male attendant)

As he was told, Haruto took out his entry permit .

「Haruto・Asuma, correct? Okay, confirmed . Will this be your first street stall?」 (male attendant)

「Yes, that’s right . 」 (Haruto)

Upon Haruto’s reply, the man gave him a sneering smile .

「I see, then I will give you an explanation . A street stall is allowed to operate from sunrise to sunset . Without exceptions, a license has to be requested before a street stall can be opened . And, without exceptions, to operate after sunset a license has to be received from town hall . Now as for sales tax…… Asuma-sama, you are a foreigner, therefore, you will have to pay a 5% sales tax . In the case that you falsify information, you will serve 5 years in prison or be fined 3 million Doraria . If you happen to operate without the necessary permit, you will be fined 50,000 Doraria . 」 (male attendant)

The explanation about penalties ends . Haruto etched it into his mind so that he would not forget as the fines were not low at all .

「Do you want your permit issued today?」 (male attendant)

For the time being, Haruto is not yet prepared . It would be pointless to have it issued today .

「No, I am fine for today . I would like to ask about another matter?」 (Haruto)

「Okay . First shall I explain about social positions . In this country there is a 1st-class citizen・2nd-class citizen・3rd-class citizen・foreigner’s are in the 4th category . Should I stop here?」

Haruto has heard of the term citizen and foreigner but he doesn’t know about 1st-class and 2nd-class citizens . The duties and obligations that these social positions have, Haruto doesn’t know .

「I would like to hear more…… can you start from the beginning?」 (Haruto)

The man shows an unpleasant expression and doesn’t response .

「Yes, okay . First off, the term 1st-class citizen refers to the average citizens of Clarice . They pay a 10% income tax and are obligated to serve in the military . Although the draft has not been in use for ages . However, there is a draft exemption tax; in times of emergencies, Clarice will use the money from this tax to hire mercenaries . As such there is nothing to worry about . The exemption tax is about 50,000 Doraria per year . 」 (male attendant)

Upon hearing this, Haruto felt relieved . He didn’t want to die on a battlefield in another world .

「Next, as for 2nd-class citizens . They are people who have not paid their residence tax and income tax for the past 2 years . They have been deprived of their entry permit and citizen card . In certain cases, those who have committed minor crimes will be dropped to a 3rd class citizen . If they were to commit a serious crime they could receive the death penalty . 」 (male attendant)

In other words, they are people without a family and are unemployed . Haruto assumes that Lora is probably a 2nd-class citizen .

「Next are 3rd-class citizens . To sum it up, they are slaves . As I previously mention, a 2nd class citizen that has committed a crime or a 1st-class/ 2nd-class citizen with an unpaid debt will be dropped to this class . They will then become a slave and sold on auction at the slave market . The market price for a healthy adult male is about 2 million Doraria . Although slaves are not fundamental treated humanely, it is prohibited to use injustice violence against them and minimum necessities & wages must be paid to them . Again, the slave owner must pay 5% of the slave’s purchase price as a slave tax every year . However, if a slave goes against their owner they will receive the death penalty . By the way, a slave can buy his/ her freedom, or an owner with good intentions can release the slave . 」 (male attendant)

The slave system is nothing like modern-day slavery, but more comparable to the ancient Roman and Greek slave system . Haruto was slightly relieved to hear it .

「Lastly, foreigners . This is Asuma-sama’s current social position . If you were to stay for more than 3 months you will be obligated to pay 100,000 Doraria in tax . And, as for taxes…… the sales tax and the slave tax will be higher . If you were to commit a crime, the punishment for foreigners has a tendency to be fairly heavy . 」 (male attendant)

This it the first Haruto has heard about affairs pertaining to criminal offensives . Upon hearing the information, Haruto felt relieved . As he thought, it would be less restraining if he became a citizen .

Haruto considered getting his citizenship . There are too many demerits for being a foreigner in this country . It is it probably better for him to get his citizenship early .

「How do I get my citizenship?」 (Haruto)

Hearing Haruto say this, the male attendant showed a delightful smile .

「Do you wish to immigrate to our country? We will offer you a warm welcome . Ah, you are required to be able to write this country’s characters . If you are able, I can fetch the official documents right away . However, you will not be able to give up your citizenship for 10 years . In case you do abandon your citizen prior to the 10 year grace period, you will be fined 10 million Doraria . 」 (male attendant)

The citizenship is not unconditional and the terms are not particularly strict . Haruto decided to acquire his citizenship .

「Then, I would like to become a citizen . 」 (Haruto)

「Yes, thank you very much . Now then, fill out this document, please . 」 (male attendant)

The document asked for one’s name, age, place of residence, occupation, and other such questions .

While filling out the document, Haruto was glad that he had learned the written characters at the library .

Haruto hands over the document he completed and then the male attendant passed Haruto a metal plate .

「This is your citizenship card . You citizenship card can be reissued during the time taxes are collected; however, I ask that you please don’t lose it . 」 (male attendant)

Haruto tucks away his citizen card in his pocket . He has now officially become a citizen of Clarice .

After expressing his gratitude, he exited the building . 4 days ago, never in this wildest dream did Haruto expect that he would be transported to another world and then became a resident there .

After expressing his gratitude, he exited the building . 4 days ago, never in this wildest dream did Haruto expect that he would be transported to another world and then became a resident there .

For now, Haruto needs the necessary funds for opening his business . Perhaps the 300,000 Doraria he has now is sufficient but Haruto wanted as least 500,000 Doraria just to be sure .

(Okay, should I go sell the 1 yen coins?)

A 1-yen coin…… to be accurate, Haruto is referring to aluminum . Nowadays, the cost of aluminum is very low as it is mass produced for use with electricity . Although, in earlier times, it was regarded as valuable and trading it was considered high-end business transactions . It just happens that Haruto has 20 or so these 1 yen coins as he isn’t the type of person who was bothered with carrying small change . It would normally be troubling to have spare change in one’s pocket but in the case of being in other another world, these 1 yen coins are treasures .

First off, he needs to verify the market price at the library . Haruto flips through a picture book with information pertaining to rare metals and found the page about aluminum . It says 1g is worth 100,000 Doraria . Personally, Haruto thought the value was too high; although, the amount he would end up receiving is going to be more than enough . He closed the book and then placed it back on the shelf before exiting the library .

Haruto’s goal now is to find a place to sell the 1 yen coins . As this is a big city, there is bound to be a shop that will purchase these coins . If possible, Haruto wanted it to be a well-established shop .

He went to the central plaza and searched for a store that specializes in precious metals . After searching for a little while, he discovered a showy signboard . There were wealthy looking people coming and going from the shop here . Haruto thought “this it the place”, as he went inside .

「Welcome, okyaku-sama . What do you need?」 (store clerk)

Haruto saw the store clerk directing a broad sneering grin towards him . The currently Haruto looks poor and thus he appears out of place .

「I would like to have some precious metals appraised . 」 (Haruto)

「I see, is it a ring or perhaps a necklace?」 (store clerk)

Haruto shakes his head no and then took out a 1 yen coin .

「In the east, they use light silver coins . I would like to convert these into the gold coins that are used here . 」 (Haruto)

For a moment, the store clerk was surprised but then the person’s broad grin returns .

「I see, then I will have a look…… ah, this is aluminum . Is this all?」 (store clerk)

「No, I have about 20 of these . 」 (Haruto)

Upon Haruto’s reply, the store clerks eyebrows moved .

「I see…… by the way, is this another country’s currency?」 (store clerk)

For a second, Haruto was troubled but then he recited a name .

「Yes, from the country of Cipangu it seems . 」 (Haruto)

Haruto replies to the store clerks question .

「This will be difficult . Can you wait awhile?」 (store clerk)

That is natural as each 1 yen coin is worth at least 100,000 Doraria .

「Yes, that is fine . 」 (Haruto)

Upon Haruto’s reply, the store clerk went to the back of the shop . Chances are, he is going to weigh the coins and check up on the country called Cipangu . In the first place, the country called Cipangu doesn’t exist in this world .

A short while later, the store clerk returned from the interior of the store .

「Yes, it is indeed aluminum . How about each one for 90,000 Doraria . 」 (store clerk)

That is below the market price . Besides, there are times when hard-currency has additional value . The market price should be a bit higher . The store clerk is probably thinking Haruto is an ignorant foreigner .

「No, that is too low . The market price is at least 100,000 Doraria; although, I think the current value should be a bit more . 」 (Haruto)

That is below the market price . Besides, there are times when hard-currency has additional value . The market price should be a bit higher . The store clerk is probably thinking Haruto is an ignorant foreigner .

「No, that is too low . The market price is at least 100,000 Doraria; although, I think the current value should be a bit more . 」 (Haruto)

Upon Haruto’s answer, the store clerk seemed a little troubled . Haruto carefully listens to the store clerks attempt to bargain .

「Then, how about 110,000 Doraria?」(The current market price is about 140,000 Doraria; although it could probably fetch for 150,000 Doraria . )

For a moment, Haruto doubted his ears when he heard the overlapping voice . “Just where is it coming from?”, he thought . As an experiment, Haruto tried raising the price .

「Huh, I think the current market price is about 140,000 Doraria . Wait, that was careless of me . I think I could probably sell it for about 170,000 Doraria, so how about for that much?」 (Haruto)

As Haruto say this, he watched as the store clerk’s expression collapsed . Afterward, Haruto carefully listens to what the store clerk says .

「That is too high . Besides…… it’s only worth about 150,000 Doraria . 」 (Why…… if he knew the market price, he should have just said so from the start . Just when I thought I could beat down the price . Whatever . I can still make plenty of profit for 150,000 Doraria . )

As Haruto assumed, he can hear an overlapping voice . Perhaps, that voice was the speaker’s true intentions . Haruto decided to utilize this ability for the time being, showing that he is fairly capable of adapting to this world .

「Then, please confirm the trade, 20 coins for 3 million Doraria . 」 (store clerk)

Haruto counts the gold coins that enter the pouch . Certainly, there are 30 gold coins .

「Thank you very much . When I have the chance, I will be sure to purchase a few of your expensive goods . 」 (Haruto)

「I will be looking forward to it . 」 (Saying that in such a good mood, don’t you dare come back here again……)

The moment Haruto left the store, he instantly felt tired . Although he isn’t sure how to use the funds, the negotiation went in his favor . And thus, he decided to use it the best he could .

With a large amount of money in his custody, Haruto headed for the inn . While half way from the inn, he arrived near the slave market . In front of the slave market, there was a loud commotion . Wondering what was happening, he when over to look and then overheard people speaking .

「Like I was saying, I didn’t steal it . It is the truth!! Please, believe me . Let me go!!」 (Lora)

「Liar! There is no way an orphan like you can have a wallet with money in it . In the first place, why should we trust the words of a bread thief!!」 (???)

Lora has been arrested……

====

Expenses: 400

Income: 3 Million .

Remaining Balance: 3,351,900