"Why don't you both come to our village for a rest? Let us properly thank you," the village chief said after learning that Gin was the adventurer who had killed the poisonous dragon.
The villagers, who had been wary before, now greeted them with enthusiasm.
"The poisonous dragon was defeated by Gin alone; I had nothing to do with it. I'm just passing through," Yosuke declared, maintaining his professional integrity, thinking the villagers wanted to reward them.
"No need to enter your village. I don't want to risk being ambushed. You're aware you lied about the mission's difficulty, so I'll be blunt. You need to increase my payment by fifty percent. If not, I'll report this to the adventurers' guild and inform your local lord."
The village chief didn't hesitate and handed over a small bag of gold coins. He had lied about the mission difficulty, thinking no adventurer could defeat the poisonous dragon.
The withheld funds were meant for relocating the village if necessary. But with the dragon dead, there was no need to relocate, and the funds could go towards the adventurer's reward.
As Gin counted the coins, he was about to leave when the village chief blocked his path.
"Do you have more business with us?"
Under normal circumstances, adventurers who defeated a powerful monster would be celebrated with a feast. It was a chance to eat and drink for free and enjoy the villagers' admiration.
But Gin wasn't following the usual script, and the village chief didn't understand why.
"Actually, we have one more favor to ask. While the poisonous dragon is dead, the polluted water sources won't recover overnight. Our village is close to running out of drinkable water. Could you…"
"So you want me to offer after-sales service and purify the polluted water sources?"
The village chief's request was cut off by Gin. "Sorry, but I don't know any purification magic. Even if I did, it would be another commission. The mission I took was to kill the poisonous beast. Anything beyond that isn't my responsibility."
If Gin hadn't overheard the village chief's previous conversation, he might have considered helping. But now, he had no intention of doing any favors.
These people saw adventurers' lives as expendable, so why should he feel any compassion for them?
Seeing Gin's determination to leave, the village chief sighed deeply. He knew they had offended Gin with their actions. It was already generous of Gin not to report them. Asking for more help was indeed pushing their luck.
"Yosuke, are you planning to stay? Do you really intend to help them with the water problem?"
Gin was ready to leave, but Yosuke remained standing.
"Gin, I think we should help them. Without a water source, this village will collapse. And there are many women and children here who probably don't know about the village chief's deceit."
Gin understood Yosuke's soft-heartedness. It was a common trait among isekai protagonists: their kindness, or as some might call it, their naivety.
Gin didn't consider himself a ruthless person. He had observed the village and knew the water issue wasn't immediately life-threatening; only the fields would suffer.
The polluted water would naturally dilute over time, and this could serve as punishment for their deceit.
But Yosuke, having experienced the hardship of surviving on rainwater, wanted to help.
"If that's your decision, then I'll take my leave. I hope your kindness is rewarded. Yosuke, one last piece of advice: this is another world, not a game. People here have their own thoughts and personalities. They won't treat everyone the same way NPCs do in a game. Helping someone doesn't always guarantee gratitude.
"I admire those who help the weak and agree with the principle. But not everyone deserves our help. I hope this experience teaches you well."
With that, Gin turned and left, believing Yosuke was still too naive. However, this wasn't entirely Yosuke's fault.
He was a seventeen-year-old who hadn't faced much hardship. Gin, on the other hand, had spent decades in the harsh environment of the Soul Society's Rukongai, learning that excessive kindness could be detrimental.
Some people, like the elf girl Sui, were worth saving. But others, no matter how much you helped, wouldn't appreciate it and might even repay you with malice.
Gin's experiences had taught him to discern who was worth helping. The village chief, who had shown his true colors, didn't deserve any more assistance.
(End of Chapter)