Some time ago I read a story where if a man saved a woman from sure death had to marry them. As I recall it was on a different planet. Single shot guns (muzzle loaders?) were present but m MC had a revolver. Swords were used also.
As I recall it was similar to (but not) the Barsoom series by Burroughs. I think is was on SoL.
Either Tai-pan (set in Hong Kong) or Shogun (Japan) (both by James Clavell, dead-tree), had the expectation (in either Hong Kong or Japan; I forget which) that if you saved someone from death, you were responsible for that person's life thereafter. But that was on planet Earth.
I don't think that was Shōgun.
One of Argon's stories had a twist on that plot - a woman saved a man who had been condemned to death by marrying him then and there. As an aside, he had killed 6-7 people including her parents and her brother.
https://storiesonline.net/s/58363/joerg-isebrand
Going back to the actual question, this was a story on SOL (or the inadequate competition) or was it dead tree?