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墨書 Inktalez
Recently, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of souls crossing the river, to the point where some have to wait in line.
"What kind of disaster has occurred?" During a brief moment of free time, he hurriedly seized the opportunity to ask. "There seem to be many more souls coming to board the boat lately."
"Oh, it's nothing serious; it's just the banquet. The annual feast I mentioned to you before has begun, so naturally, more souls who can gather the fare for the ferry have appeared."
"I see, it’s already been a year..." He suddenly looked around with a sense of reflection.
I glanced at him thoughtfully.
"If you have any plans, you should seize this time to go back and gather your fare properly. After all, during the banquet period, there are anonymous offerings everywhere; collecting a gold coin is really not that difficult."
Upon hearing this, he paused for a moment and then forced a smile. "Yeah, I understand. I'll think about it..."
Seeing his still complicated and conflicted expression made me unable to suppress a sigh.
Not long after, several more souls rushed forward, eager to board the boat. I was busy mediating and had no time to think about him, so I temporarily set aside my concerns.
****************************
"Ferry fare: one gold coin."
"Huh? That's too expensive! I only have silver coins!" one soul protested unhappily.
"Then please return to the living world and gather your fare again. To board the boat, it must be gold coins," I replied flatly.
"Who says it has to be gold? In any case, that money ends up in your pocket; you're just trying to extort us!"
"Ferry fare: one gold coin," I mechanically repeated.
"I don't care! I only have silver coins; boarding is my right! I want to board!" The soul began to act stubbornly.
"Shut up! If you don’t have enough money, get out of the way and stop wasting others' time crossing the river!" A burly man behind him rudely grabbed him and pulled him aside, then stepped forward and handed over a gold coin. "I want to board."
Without hesitation, I accepted the gold coin and guided him onto the boat.
"Hey! Wait a minute! I was here first!" The deceased man, having been pushed aside, stumbled back a couple of steps and protested indignantly.
"Hmph! If you don’t have any money, shut your mouth! Go back and gather your coins!" The burly man flashed a victorious sneer at him.
"Hey! Is it fair to cut in line like this? Is this reasonable?" The deceased man turned to me to voice his complaint.
"Ferry fare, one gold coin," I replied mechanically as usual.
Ignoring his outcry, I immediately pushed off from the shore.
****************************
"Ferry fare, one gold coin," I extended my hand toward the next in line.
Just as the deceased man was about to place the gold coin in my hand, another figure suddenly darted out from the side. This new arrival shoved a handful of gold coins into my grasp.
"Step aside! I’ll pay ten times the price; I’m going first!"
"Hey! Just because you have money doesn’t mean you can skip the line! Follow the rules!" The man who had been cut off complained angrily.
"What’s it to you? If you’re capable, offer a higher price! If not, shut up and stop embarrassing yourself!" The wealthy deceased retorted arrogantly.
"Hey! You need to be fair here; can he really just cut in line like that?" The aggrieved man protested to me.
I silently closed my hand, letting the remaining coins clatter to the ground, leaving just one still in my palm.
"Ferry fare, one gold coin," I said expressionlessly.
"Hey—" The man who had been cut off was about to protest further when suddenly a commotion erupted from the crowd behind him.
"Hey! Look over there! Money! Money! Quick, pick it up!"
The orderly queue instantly descended into chaos. Seizing the opportunity, I guided the man who had paid onto the boat and slowly pushed away while under the resentful gaze of the protesting deceased.
Why am I not responsible for maintaining order?
Why do I let those line-cutters run rampant?
Well, you see, I’m just a simple Ferryman who takes money to ferry souls across the river. Whoever pays me gets to cross; what the deceased do to create their own karma is none of my concern.
Moreover, this is the afterlife, a place inherently chaotic—how can one even talk about order here?
The busy and chaotic days feel both long and short. In the blink of an eye, the time of feasting is coming to an end.
After sending off the last soul waiting by the riverbank, I couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.
Finally, it’s over...
“...Thank you for your hard work.”
The sudden voice caught me off guard, and I slowly turned to look in its direction—
He was still there.
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