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墨書 Inktalez
"Hey, ferryman! I want to cross the river!"
That day, a loud and arrogant spirit arrived.
As usual, I extended my hand toward the other party in a formal manner.
"Ferry fee, one gold coin."
I saw him impatiently click his tongue and casually toss a gold coin into my hand.
"Here, take it!"
Silently accepting the gold coins, I gestured for him to board the ship.
Just as he was about to step on, he suddenly noticed the deceased sitting beside a pile of stones, lost in thought, and then a look of disdain crossed his face.
"Hey, you poor thing, why are you huddled there looking so pitiful? Can't afford to cross the river, huh?"
After a while, the deceased slowly came to his senses and turned his head in confusion to look at the loud voice.
"Hmph, I suppose I'll show some mercy and do a good deed by sending you on your way!" With that, he generously tossed a gold coin in front of the deceased.
Clink!
The deceased paused for a moment, then slowly raised an eyebrow and silently bent down to pick up the fallen gold coin.
I spoke softly, "This boat can only carry one person at a time." It was an unspoken rule.
"Oh, is that so? Then I'll be on my way. You wait for the next one!" With that, the loud man swaggered onto the boat.
I grabbed the pole and pushed the boat away from the riverbank, letting the current guide us down the River of Souls.
Before leaving, I couldn't help but glance at the riverbank, watching as the deceased played with the gold coins in his hand.
For some reason, it caught my attention...
Upon returning to the riverbank, I silently watched the deceased who was still toying with the gold coin.
"…Do you want to take a boat?"
Hearing the voice, he stopped the repetitive action of flicking the coin up from his thumb and catching it in mid-air, looked up at me, and habitually flashed a smile.
"You've returned," he said, shaking the gold coins in his hand. "So it turns out that the ferry fare can also be obtained through the generosity of others?"
"Some people's relatives provide them with more abundant supplies, so naturally, they can exchange for a larger amount of gold coins. However, regardless of the circumstances, the ferry fare only requires one gold coin. Once you board the ship, the remaining coins will turn to ash and disappear; you won't be able to take them with you," I explained.
"Eh? Isn't that quite a pity?" He displayed a look of regret. "After all, these are the heartfelt intentions of relatives..."
"...There was once a deceased person who felt the same way as you, lamenting over it because he received several gold coins from his family's offerings." Remembering this, I suddenly smiled. "To avoid wasting those coins, he insisted on staying here for a while. Whenever he encountered a deceased person like you, who had no fare for the ferry, he would give them one coin to help them board."
"Oh, he really is a good person!" he couldn't help but exclaim.
"Good person?" I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "He just doesn't want to waste those coins, he doesn't really want to help others. Can that still be considered a good person?"
"But he did help those who couldn't cross the river; doesn't that count as kindness?" he asked, puzzled. "Besides, being able to receive so many gold coins from his relatives means that many people must remember and appreciate him, right? Someone like that should have had quite a good reputation while he was alive, don't you think?"
"Is there an absolute conclusion to that?" I tilted my head, skeptical of his reasoning. "So, do you also think that the loudmouth who gave you that gold coin is a good person?"
He was suddenly stunned, speechless.
After a while, he gave a bitter smile.
"At least his intentions were good," I shrugged and didn't argue.
"So, do you want to take the boat?" I asked again.
He held the gold coin in his hand, wearing a troubled expression.
"I'm sorry, but I don't want to board the ship just yet. However..." He held out a gold coin in front of me. "Here, take this. It should help you accumulate some penance, right?"
I didn't take it; I simply shook my head lightly.
"If you don't board the ship, this gold coin will ultimately turn to ashes in my hand, and it will mean nothing."
"I see..." He looked at the gold coin in his hand with considerable distress.
Seeing this, I sighed helplessly.
"I say, since you have no intention of returning to the world to collect supplies, just hold onto it for now. Perhaps one day in the future, when you change your mind and want to board the ship, it will come in handy."
He stared at me blankly for a moment, then revealed a complex smile.
"That's true..."
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