[He has to admit that it is better, less nerve-wracking, to tell Hayame the truth about his role while her hand is clasped so tight and warm around his. The closeness helps to bleed off some of the sting, just as he supposes it's meant to bleed off the chaos of Discord muddying his shard.]
Essentially, yes. Do not mistake me; it is a necessary job. I take pride in doing it well.
But it is not necessary to be a good man to be a good taxmaster. In fact, it is hard to be both a good taxmaster and a good man.
[Sometimes, the solution to his church's problems involved measures that the church would not be pleased to have associated with them. Officially, it didn't condone these sorts of solutions — but failing to cover his tracks properly in the past had only ever earned him a slap on the wrist. He had not been so clumsy in many, many years, but he's sure that committing such a gaffe now would be all the excuse his temple needed to strip his rank as priest from him, and return him to being little more than the church's dog.]
An exemplary taxmaster eliminates threats to the faith without wavering, even if they must sin to do so.
no subject
Essentially, yes. Do not mistake me; it is a necessary job. I take pride in doing it well.
But it is not necessary to be a good man to be a good taxmaster. In fact, it is hard to be both a good taxmaster and a good man.
[Sometimes, the solution to his church's problems involved measures that the church would not be pleased to have associated with them. Officially, it didn't condone these sorts of solutions — but failing to cover his tracks properly in the past had only ever earned him a slap on the wrist. He had not been so clumsy in many, many years, but he's sure that committing such a gaffe now would be all the excuse his temple needed to strip his rank as priest from him, and return him to being little more than the church's dog.]
An exemplary taxmaster eliminates threats to the faith without wavering, even if they must sin to do so.