My job list is full of alien girls.

Chapter 22 The Adventurers' Guild is unfair, deducting from their hard-earned money!

"No need for that trouble, just pay up."

As soon as Rhodes finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent instantly.

Everyone stared at him in disbelief, even the old village chief was stunned, opened his mouth but couldn't say a word for a long time.

"Huh, huh?"

Don Quixote and Susanna were clearly still in shock, and even Milan raised an eyebrow, looking at Rod with some surprise.

Milan thought he would enjoy being surrounded by people like Don Quixote, but he didn't expect him to ask for money directly.

"Lord Hiro..." The old village chief snapped out of his daze, a troubled look on his face. "Twenty silver coins...we...we can't raise that much money right now..."

This small village was already poor, and John and his two companions had taken all their savings. Now, they couldn't even come up with two silver coins, let alone twenty.

"It's alright," Rhodes waved his hand, as if he had expected this. "No need to rush to give me money. You can just help me collect some medicinal herbs from the forest in the future."

"We'll take as many as you have, and calculate the price according to the market rate in Misty City."

"Then... how should I give it to you?" the old village chief hesitated. "We might not be able to go back to the city for a long time, I'm afraid..."

He Rod thought for a moment: "You don't need to deliver it to Mist City. I will come to the village to pick up the goods regularly."

The old village chief suddenly raised his head, his eyes instantly lighting up.

He stared blankly at Rod, and it took him a while to react.

This isn't about asking for money; it's about giving them a way to survive!

Twenty silver coins was indeed a huge sum of money for this poor little village.

The medicinal herbs that can be collected are different. Although the herbs in the forest are hard to find, as long as you are willing to put in the effort, you can always find them.

More importantly, they don't need to send anyone to risk their lives to deliver the goods to Misty City. As long as the adventurer comes to the village regularly to pick them up, he might also take the opportunity to clear out the monsters and beasts near the village.

This isn't a creditor, it's practically a benefactor!

The surrounding villagers gradually realized what was going on.

Several middle-aged men carrying hoes breathed a sigh of relief, and relieved smiles appeared on their faces.

What they fear most is owing favors that they can never repay in their lifetime. Now that the money and goods are settled, they feel much more at ease getting along with each other in the future.

Several young people in the crowd, who had been eager and ready to fight, suddenly became dejected.

The boy who had narrowly escaped back that morning was already awake. He had been clenching his fists, intending to rush up to the group and beg them to take him to Misty City to become an adventurer, just like them, and to become a great hero who saved the village.

When he heard Rod bluntly demand payment, he paused, then slowly lowered his head.

So even heroes don't save people for free.

So it turns out adventures aren't just about passion and glory; you also have to talk about money first.

He touched the wounds on his body that were still throbbing, and thought of the goblin cubs in the cave that were gnawing on flesh and blood. The reckless impulse in his heart instantly cooled down, and he became much calmer.

The other teenagers who also wanted to go and explore looked at each other and silently suppressed their longing.

Now that the village is burdened with such a debt, it's best not to trouble others any further.

The old village chief saw their reactions and patted their heads: "Now you know how dangerous and difficult it is to be an adventurer, right? Go settle those two brats down, then come with me to take stock of the village's inventory."

After the old village chief and the others left, Don Quixote finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Sir, how can you ask for money!"

She moved closer to Rhodes, asking with a puzzled look, "Helping the weak and oppressed, saving lives and healing the wounded—isn't that the duty of knights and adventurers? How can you ask the villagers for money!"

"Why can't I ask for payment?" Rod tilted his head and asked, puzzled. "I saved those two children, and they gave me payment. It's fair."

"But, Mr. Hero..."

Susanna, standing beside him, was also puzzled by his request:

"We've wiped out so many goblins, including the goblin leader, that's enough to earn us a considerable bounty. You shouldn't be short of twenty silver coins, so why burden the villagers with such a debt?"

"Doing this doesn't seem like we're doing a good deed; it makes it seem like we're only going for the money." Her voice trailed off.

"Just because I did a good deed, does that mean I have to give up the reward I deserve?" Rhodes retorted, leaving her speechless.

"Oh?" Milan stood to the side with her arms crossed, raising an eyebrow with interest.

She also wanted to hear what kind of answer this unpredictable wanderer would give.

"But, but, in those heroic tales, they all do good deeds without expecting anything in return..." Don Quixote stammered, trying to refute.

"That's not right," Rhodes shook his head, "Those heroes often receive unimaginable rewards and gains after accomplishing great feats."

"Huh?" Don Quixote was taken aback upon hearing this and fell into deep thought.

"Don't you know?" Rhodes said, stroking his chin. "Many heroes embark on their legendary journeys by helping a village, eventually obtaining divine weapons like the Village Sword or legendary treasure maps."

"It seems...it really is true?" Susanna recalled those legends.

"So, you're the ones who broke the rules," Rhodes asked, pointing at them. "Rewarding good deeds encourages others to do good, and accepting rewards motivates more people to become adventurers and do good, right?"

"If everyone assumes that doing good deeds will bring no reward, and might even get you into trouble..." Rhodes tilted his head, "Wouldn't that make people afraid to do good deeds?"

Don Quixote scratched his head, pondering his words carefully, and the more he thought about it, the more sense it made.

"I see. So Lord Hiro wasn't after money, but rather wanted to spread the spirit of doing good deeds..." Susanna suddenly realized, and then a look of guilt appeared on her face.

"As expected, I knew this guy wasn't that simple..." Milan nodded slightly to Rod, feeling a growing sense of approval for him.

In her view, this chivalrous knight was far more reliable than those who spouted righteousness and morality but were actually full of scheming.

"So," Alina suddenly asked quietly in the consciousness space, "you charge everyone ten silver coins each?"

"Yes," Rod replied.

"Then why only charge ten silver coins, or charge less or more?" Alina was even more puzzled.

"We can't disrupt the market price," Rod thought for a moment. "If we charge less, it will make our competitors unhappy."

This price was determined after he and Father Galen researched the local situation.

Admittedly, ten silver coins is a huge sum for an ordinary person, but it's not impossible to save up in half a year if you grit your teeth.

Not to mention that when Rhodes was collecting corpses in the Misty Forest, the clients he encountered were mostly adventurers and hunters.

For these people, ten silver coins might be a painful expense, but it wouldn't be enough to bankrupt their families.

"So I'm not that special after all..." Alina muttered to herself, unsure whether to be happy or disappointed.

Not long after, the old village chief returned in a hurry with several villagers, carrying a bulging package.

"Lord Hiro, I'm so sorry, but these are all the things we have left in our village."

The old village chief opened the package and laid it out in front of Rod, his face full of helplessness. "This is dried hemostatic herbs and wild chrysanthemums from last year, as well as a few pounds of homemade smoked meat. Please take this to tide you over."

"We'll go into the mountains in a few days to collect more medicinal herbs and make up for the money we owe you as soon as possible."

"No rush," Rhodes shook his head, "Medicinal herbs also need time to grow."

Carol, who had come over from the side, also handed over a finely woven wicker basket: "Lord Hiro, this is a basket I wove myself. It's perfect for carrying things. Please don't find it too bulky."

Rod took the wicker basket, tidied up his belongings, put them inside, and nodded to her, "Thank you."

He pulled a crumpled piece of scrap paper from his pocket, took out half a charcoal pencil, and squatted down to start drawing and writing rapidly.

"These should be the main medicinal herbs that grow nearby," Rod said, pointing to the crooked patterns and handwriting on the paper and explaining them to the old village chief one by one.

"This is a hemostatic herb. You need to dig it up with the roots intact, preferably with whole leaves. Store it by drying it in the shade. Do not expose it to the sun, or the medicinal effect will be lost."

"This is a blue thistle. It only blooms with blue flowers. Make sure the petals are intact, and don't touch its thorns, as they are poisonous."

"And this one," Rod pointed to the last pattern, emphasizing his words, "this is called a devil mushroom. It has a grayish-brown cap and usually grows under rotten wood. You can simply dry it."

"Why are you still thinking about that thing!" Alina couldn't help but complain in the consciousness space, but Rhodes naturally ignored her.

After Rod finished giving his instructions, Milan, who had been waiting for a long time, finally spoke impatiently:

"Alright, now that things are more or less resolved, we should head back to Misty City."

"If we dawdle any longer, the city gates will close and we'll have to spend the night outside the city."

Upon hearing this, the villagers who had originally wanted to persuade them to stay longer opened their mouths but had no choice but to change their minds and wish them a safe journey.

"Yes, yes, it's time to go!" Don Quixote quickly slung his greatsword over his shoulder. "When we get back to Misty City, we'll treat everyone to the finest ale! To celebrate our resounding victory!"

Susanna smiled as she packed up her healing staff and waved to the old village chief and the villagers.

"Farewell, heroes! May you have a safe journey!"

The old village chief and the entire village escorted them all the way to the village entrance, waving goodbye repeatedly.

As the sun gradually set, light and shadow intertwined.

The four people could no longer be seen.

……

……

Misty City, Adventurers' Guild

A burly man with a thick beard roared at the woman behind the counter, spittle flying everywhere, drawing stares from those around him.

"My brother and I risked our lives to kill those three goblins, what right do you have to cut my bounty?!"

His hoarse roar shook the entire guild hall, even making the ears of the few incomplete goblins on the counter vibrate.

"The goblin bounty has been increased to 90 copper coins per goblin, but you're only giving me 50! Aren't you just bullying an honest person?!"

"I'm sorry, adventurer."

Receptionist Catherine sighed and patiently explained, pointing to the several severely damaged and visibly rotten goblin ears on the table, "According to regulations, incomplete and obviously aged goblin left ears cannot be counted..."

"You should be very aware of the quality of these ears; this price is the limit I can offer..."

Before she could finish speaking, the bearded man interrupted her loudly:

"Look at this! Is this how you, as an adventurers' guild, exploit us adventurers?"

He pointed to the bandages on his hands, which were still bleeding, and the tattered cloth armor, and tried to elicit sympathy from those around him:

"This money isn't even enough to treat my injuries. How am I going to explain this to my brothers when I get back?"

"If you don't give me justice today, I'm not leaving!" He simply plopped down on the ground, blocking the counter.

The surrounding adventurers craned their necks to watch the spectacle, but not one of them stepped forward to dissuade or speak up for them.

Exterminating monsters is no easy task, let alone preserving their bodies intact, which is even more difficult. Often, what people bring back are only incomplete parts.

Those seasoned veterans were all eager to see if the guild would budge. If this scoundrel could ask for more money, they could follow suit and get even more rewards in the future.

Just then, the doors of the Adventurers' Guild were pushed open.

crunch--

The sound of the old wooden door opening and closing was not noticeable in the noisy hall at this moment.

A ranger dressed in cyan-gold soft armor walked in silently, his long shawl fluttering slightly behind him.

Just as the sun was setting, Rod led Milan and the others back to Misty City.

After entering the city, the two sides parted ways. Milan was in a hurry to do his research, and despite Don Quixote's objections, he and Susanna forcibly dragged him away.

Seeing a bearded man sitting on the ground throwing a tantrum and demanding an explanation, with Catherine looking helpless behind the counter, and the adventurers around pointing and whispering, was quite a novel sight.

"What's going on?" Alina asked, puzzled, in her consciousness space.

"have no idea."

Rod didn't want to get involved and immediately decided to avoid the bearded man.

Seeing this, the bearded man, who had been crying and making a fuss, glared at Rod and immediately lay down, blocking Rod's way.

Rod paused for a moment, then strode over him and walked to the counter.

"You actually... just skipped over it like that?" Alina couldn't help but complain about Rhode's provocative action, marveling at his obliviousness.

The bearded man on the ground instantly turned pale.

"What do you mean?!" he roared at Rhodes. "The Adventurers' Guild is unfair, withholding our hard-earned money, and you're aiding and abetting them at this time!"

"Hello," Rod said, ignoring the voice behind him, "please help me calculate the bounty."

Catherine never expected that someone would dare to directly intervene in their conflict at this time.

"Yes, adventurer, please show me the monster you hunted..."

Before she could finish speaking, she saw Rod place the basket next to him on the counter.

"There might be a lot of stuff..."