Even Dragons Have to Pay Taxes

[Planned start: October] [Grumpy, poker-faced, adorable office-worker hero x scatterbrained idea king, money-loving black dragon] After defeating the Demon King, the triumphant hero Ailian was received by the king. The king asked, "Honored hero, what kind of reward would you like? I can grant you anything, be it a noble title, wealth, or a beauty." The hero said, "Do you have a secure job with regular hours, on-time pay, and one that makes my parents proud?" The king looked puzzled. "There are still vacancies at the Kingdom Tax Bureau. Would you be willing to take a position there?" From that day on, people were reminded of their fear of being ruled by the Tax Bureau. From nobles and tycoons to underworld bosses, everyone had to pay taxes, no matter whether their income was legal or not! Dare to evade taxes? See that over there? That's Hero Ailian's big sword! Do you know what criminals in this country fear hearing most? "Knock, knock, knock. Open up, we're here to check your tax forms!" One day, the black dragon Yeyan awoke from a long slumber and was shocked to find humans had entered his lair. Yeyan flew into a rage! He swore to teach these arrogant fools a harsh lesson and show them the might of a dragon! Then he got beaten to a pulp. Yeyan cried out in indignation, "Impossible! Since when did humans get so strong? Who are you?" The human at the head of the group, a handsome man with silver hair and blue eyes, held up his badge. "The Kingdom Tax Bureau." "I'm a dragon. Why should I pay taxes to a human kingdom?" "According to the Kingdom Tax Code, you were born within our borders and automatically qualify as a citizen. Even dragons must pay taxes in accordance with the law." After leaving his lair, Yeyan discovered that the world had gone completely mad and was nothing like he remembered. To avoid taxes, a necromancer turned his mage tower into a magical vocational school. The Demon King and his Four Heavenly Kings founded the Four Heavenly Kings Accounting Firm. The Hero wiped out an evil god's cult after its leader evaded taxes. A vacation company built a cruise ship that would drift forever in international waters so it wouldn't have to pay taxes. A gossip-loving brass dragon became an undercover reporter and exposed money-laundering scandals... To protect his treasure, Yeyan began desperately searching for legal ways to avoid taxes. He bought a farm, invested in stocks, made charitable donations, used space magic to set up shell companies in pocket dimensions, and founded a nature reserve for wild dragons... As tax day drew closer and he ran out of options, the black dragon decided to take his final measure: "I heard that heroes and their spouses are exempt from taxes for life. Is that true?" [Bonus Scene] One day after they were married, the hero said to the black dragon, "I suspect you're guilty of tax evasion." The dragon panicked. "But aren't we already tax-exempt?" The hero smiled. "Then let me give you a thorough audit." And that night, he got a very thorough "tax audit." [Please Note] * The dragon is a real evil dragon who used to rob and plunder. The hero is a real hero who beat him up in the name of justice early on. If that's not your thing, feel free not to read. * A lighthearted, ridiculous story about two idiots going through all sorts of adventures and falling in love. * The setting includes transmigrators, but they are not the protagonists. * Contains lots of jokes about the American tax bureau and accounting hell, along with other hellish jokes. * Character details and plot may change before the story begins. Feel free to remove it from your favorites if that's not to your taste. Theme: Paying taxes is glorious