Chapter 53: Just because you are poor, it doesn’t mean you’re a good person (2)
I could guess how Jung Hayan and I must have seemed to them.
Jung Hayan even seemed to be pampered in skincare products because of the difference in fairness. That was how large the difference was.
However, I knew that with me in the mix, it would also seem like we were a young couple who had wandered into the slums because we were curious about it.
In the end, though, I knew that whatever prejudice was held against us, the poor would not dare to face off against us entirely. In the Free City of Lindel, wearing neat clothes meant that you were strong, powerful, and had a lot of gold.
However, it wasn’t just the poor looking at us with eyes filled with hostility.
‘This…’
It was not good news that Sun Hee-young was among those who looked on with disapproval. This was backed up by the fact that Kim Hyunsung was interested in her. Meanwhile, Jung Hayan had only now realized what mistake she had committed.
Sun Hee-Young eventually broke through the crowd and began to stride in front of me. I didn’t know if it’s an appropriate expression, but it felt like a church sister for some reason.
With long hair and big eyes, she looked like she had never before endured distress.
Sun Hee-young immediately opened her mouth before Jung Hayan could avoid thinking about dealing with this situation while evading her gaze.
“Apologize to them.”
“…”
“Apologize. No one here deserves to be insulted by the likes of you.”
The guild scouts immediately backed up her words. I had to laugh at this absurd situation. Of course, they would take her side.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but I think you should apologize.”
“I want you to cancel that rant immediately.”
“Are you from the Blue Guild?”
Red Mercenaries and other large guilds were not among them. Was this really how those of the smaller clans dared to talk to us?
It was understandable for someone like Sun Hee-young to address us in this manner, but them? The audacity!
‘A selfish, ambitious person.’
‘Computational a.n.a.lyst.’
However, I knew that whoever saw this scene would think that we were the biased couple, and they were the bringers of justice. It was a situation where the good and the bad were divided - and warped.
‘A mistake?’
No.
This could never be called a mistake.
I didn’t know when that recruitment war had been going on and how much progress Kim Hyunsung had managed to make so far, but there were so many compet.i.tors in the first place that there was no way we could make a good recruitment offer.
Anyhow, her top priority seemed to be to help the poor. Since she was adamant about it, there seemed no way for her to even think about joining a guild.
It was in that instant that a whole new way for her to join us came to mind.
I slowly opened my mouth as I pulled the white shoulders, which seemed a little dead to this side.
“I will not withdraw the statement.”
“What?”
“I said I would not withdraw.”
“Why is that…”
“I don’t think it’s wrong to say that they are like dog pigs when they do nothing and eat what others give.”
“What are you talking about? You… You’re from Blue Guild!”
“My affiliation and my words have nothing to do with it. It doesn’t matter if I’m from Blue or not. It’s a very, very personal thought that has nothing to do with what my guild stands for.”
“There are things you can and shouldn’t say. You don’t know anything about this place. You don’t deserve to blame them simply because you’re in good clothes and are in a good position!” At this point, I knew Sun Hee-young was gaining momentum from the way she spoke.
“They are not here because everyone is good. They were forced to flock together because of their own circ.u.mstances. A small mistake on this continent can cost you your life. There is no way a person who has a special talent like you, who is being contacted by a good guild and is living well, can understand them.”
When a special talent came out, I had to hold in my laughter. If only she knew.
“It’s funny.”
“Yeah?”
“I haven’t been here for a while, but at least I’ve lived ten times more intensely than those over there. I can probably say the same for all of you here. The same goes for the guild member you see over there. He must have earned that position not only by risking his life to go hunting, but also by indulging in nasty or hard work. No one wants to die. Likewise, no one wants to work.”
“Ah…”
“The same is true of me. Overcoming the risk of dying many times, I was able enter Blue. But what about these other people?”
“It’s not like that. These are…”
“Yeah?”
“…”
“I think I know roughly why they are like that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It is you who made them that way.”
Sun Hee-young’s expression was dangerous. But if one were to think about this calmly, they would see the logic in my words.
“It is you who have tamed them. You who tamed them, who provided a place to feed and gave them clothes to wear. You made them losers.”
“Do you know what you are talking about? You just said that you haven’t been here for a long time yet. Knowing the exact state of the city… If you say something like this so recklessly… It’s not because of me that the people here are living like this. It’s because of people like you.”
Sure, I didn’t know about these people in detail, but I knew just what type of humans they were.
“Ahhh. Like me? You mean those who choose to work hard to be able to live.”
“I am not talking about a person who works hard. When I say people like you, I mean people who ignore and despise those who are below you. You are what makes Lindel rot.”
She wasn’t entirely wrong, either. However, her resolve was naïve.
“I’ve never done anything wrong to others. Maybe some humans might feel that way, but I have never done that to take advantage of them. It is not the people here that you need to help. There are adventurers who risk their lives on expeditions, and workers working in difficult places.”
Of course, I was not dissatisfied with the idea of volunteer work itself. I respected these people and what they stood for. However, this woman’s method was wrong.
‘Did she think she was the ideal volunteer?’
“I guess I know what you’re talking about. It’s obvious that you don’t give them fish, but tell them how to catch fish… You want to do it. You, at least doing nothing, don’t deserve to say that. You don’t do anything for these people… Words aren’t convincing.”
“I came to act.”
“What…”
I slightly raised my hand and opened my mouth.
“All these people here, I will hire you.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll hire everyone here. It won’t be dangerous, but it could be hard work. You don’t have to worry too much. Those who can move their bodies can do it. The hourly wage will also be above the basic hourly wage.”
“What…”
“It’s an opportunity to get out of your current state and recover. We cannot provide accommodation, but we do provide lunch.”
“What are you trying to do?”
“It is up to you to choose whether you will remain here as people who continue to depend on others, or become a true member of a stately society. It’s time to get up on your own, everyone.” I quietly started looking around.
The whole place had become silent.
However, a question came from someone who dared to ask. “What’s the job about?”
“It’s very simple and not dangerous. We can promise that there will be absolutely no risk. It would be comfortable to think of it as simple labor.”
“The hourly wage…”
“I will give you 1 gold. If additional work is incurred, we will be able to pay a separate allowance. It would be better to set the working hours to be 8 hours a day.” At my words, I could hear murmuring all around.
“If you can’t believe it, I’ll take this person here,” I gestured to Sun Hee-young, “as an advisor to our company. This will serve as your a.s.surance.”
“I never said I didn’t!”
“Shall I have you watch what I’m doing?”
“That… That’s…”
“It’s an opportunity for you. Even those who are not entirely physically able can do it.”
It would have been quite decisive to have Sun Hee-young as an advisor to the company. People slowly started to raise their hands.
“I’ll do it.”
“That… I will do it, too.”
“Me, too…”
“If you leave me in charge, I will definitely work hard.”
It felt good to have all these people raise their hands in response to my offer. Sun Hee-young and the other guild scouts continued to look at me with absurd expressions.
“I will start work right from tomorrow. It’s a simple task, so you just need to come by 9 o’clock tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, okay.”
At this point, Sun Hee-young seemed to have been embarra.s.sed by what she had just said. However, her expression also indicated that she didn’t entirely believe me.
It didn’t matter whether she believed me or not.
As she stroked Jung Hayan’s hair, the latter seeming to be a bit alert to Sun Hee-young’s presence, and turned without regret, she quietly approached this side and very slowly opened her mouth to me.
“Well, what should I say… I don’t know what to do, but… Thank you for work. Nevertheless…”
“I can’t understand what you’re grateful for. There is no need to be grateful. anyway.”
Only
“…”
“There won’t be much difference.”
“What are you talking about…”
“I told you before.”
“What?”
“It is you who tamed them.”
It doesn’t matter whether those people were tamed by Sun Hee-young or not.
What mattered was that she would eventually think she did.