Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 16 16. The perfect balance between morality and utilitarianism

By the time the village elder of Oriden led Lan En out of the tavern, it was no longer raining, but the thick dark clouds were still hanging low.

When old Allen was leading the way, his face was so ugly that he seemed to have lost his wife at the gambling table.

But when he turned around to face Lan En, he immediately became attentive and eager.

Conflicting feelings.

It was like he had obtained a treasure that was hot and difficult to cash in, but he was reluctant to give it up.

The village is not big, and you can reach the place in just a few steps.

It was a slightly better house than the average in the village.

The wooden piles that make up the foundation are taller and therefore farther away from the wet water, and the walls of the wooden house are visibly stronger than those of the surrounding houses.

It is the village elder's house.

But to be honest, Lan En didn't expect much.

"This is my family's house. We can add another bed inside. You can rest here in the future."

Old Allen said, opening the door and bringing Lan En in.

The situation in the house was not what the young man expected.

There are only two connected rooms in total, one is the living room and bedroom, and the other is the kitchen and storage room.

The so-called bed is just a pile of hay mixed with rags, cotton wool, etc., with a higher integrity rag covered as a bed sheet.

This is already the bed used by the elder and his wife. The bed he added for himself will not be better than these two.

If Lan En had just arrived in Willen, he might not have been able to imagine resting on such a "bed".

But now, after looking around with his cat eyes, the young man nodded naturally to express his acceptance.

It's a shabby place, but at least it's clean.

There is even a fresh and beautiful garland hanging on the wooden wall, which represents the belief of the goddess Melitelli.

It also means that the hostess here is a careful person who works quickly.

Being in Willen, what more could you ask for?

In the tavern just now, Lan En reached an agreement with Old Allen, who represented the village.

In the name of the so-called "sacred tradition of witchers," the Bear School will make amends.

But Lan En patted the cotton armor on his body, which was so worn that it burst into cotton, and said that there was no need to think about giving him money. Everyone is living in a tight situation these days.

But it’s okay for a witcher to work hard.

Oriden is a fishing village, and the entire village's income mainly depends on the lake they are next to.

The two-wheeled carriage competition held by the nobles only uses this place. It is impossible for the villagers to take this opportunity to sell things to the nobles or receive financial subsidies.

If you want to support your family, you still have to work hard.

However, the harsh ecological environment of Weilun has resulted in the lake not only containing fish that can be sold for money, but also man-eating water ghosts and swamp witches.

These monsters severely limit fishermen's working areas and working hours.

For example, fishing at night is like feeding food into the monster's mouth, which in turn limits the village's income.

It's just that people don't usually die often, and the villagers can barely starve to death due to the current scale of the fishery, so there is no need to pay a demon hunter to kill monsters.

But Lan En's arrival brought a change to the status quo.

In the tavern not long ago, the shimmering cat eyes looked at Old Allen calmly.

"You are a rare knowledgeable person in this village." Lan En complimented before continuing.

"Based on the market price, the right ear of a water ghost can be exchanged for three orens, and the head of a swamp witch can be exchanged for five. Do you agree?"

Old Allen was holding a pipe in his mouth, his cloudy eyes instantly became cunning, and he subconsciously wanted to lower the price.

The nobility cares about prestige, the church cares about piety, and everyone cares about money. This saying is simply true.

It has become instinctive to lower the price first when talking about money.

But when old Allen glanced at those slightly bright cat eyes again, the determination and calmness in them inexplicably made him dare not play tricks.

So he could only nod his head blankly.

"You are right, Master. But, what does this have to do with the 'compensation' you mentioned?"

"Of course it does matter!" Before the village elder could finish speaking, Lan En interrupted him unceremoniously.

"The compensation that the Great Master sent me to give you is [Discounted Hunting]."

"During this period, you are responsible for my food, accommodation and logistics, and I will only receive one-third of the market price for my hunting results."

"The water ghost only needs one oren, and the swamp witch only needs one and a half. Think about it, elder, one-third of the cost."

Lan En's tone was obviously calm and cold, but to today's old Allen, it sounded inexplicably seductive.

And during this process, Lan En just spoke without even using any magic.

"In less than two months, the fishery in your village will be doubled. If you are lucky, you can find a few water ghost nests and uproot them. Your expanded fishery can even last for three or four years. How much will it cost?" "

"Gudu——"

Not only old Allen, but every one in the tavern is a fisherman.

The temptation to double the size of the fishery was too great for these people, and their eyes turned green.

"And all this can be accomplished as long as you meet the conditions for 'compensation'."

"What conditions?!"

"As long as the price for killing monsters remains unchanged, we can negotiate!"

The elders didn't even need to say anything, and the onlookers standing nearby couldn't wait to ask questions enthusiastically.

Lan En turned to look at them. This time, even under the slightly bright amber cat eyes, people only felt excited.

"My one-third of the hunting reward must be paid in cash, without any arrears or half a penny less. Moreover, your village must ensure the livelihood of the two victim families."

Lan En spread his hands seemingly indifferently.

"After all, the so-called 'compensation' is largely for the two victim families, and your village is just incidental."

This simple request isn't even a question at all.

In other words, Lan En's request for cash settlement put a bit of pressure on the village's depleted cash flow.

This is also the reason why the village elders put on a dead horse face when the young people can't see them.

But under the authority of old Allen, it is not a problem for every household to squeeze out a little bit. After all, the expansion of the fishing ground will also benefit the entire village.

So the agreement was successfully reached, and Old Allen even brought the guy he usually called a "mutant" to his home in order to express his gratitude and attention to the generous compensation of the master witcher.

It will serve as Lan En's residence and canteen for the next few days.

Old Allen went out to find hay to make a bed, and his wife was said to be picking raspberries and berries nearby to supplement the food.

In this clean hut, only Lan En and Mentos were left.

As soon as I thought of this, a neutral intelligent voice came to my mind.

"I have to admit, sir. First-class businessmen create demand."

"Safe practice objects, stable provision of food and shelter, and income. Whether your plan is based on morality or utility, in terms of results, what you get is more comprehensive than the plan I gave."

"so so."

The young man smiled modestly.

But in my heart——

I'm really awesome!

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