John was extremely tired from searching for work since morning. His head was throbbing from the heat.
He was obsessed with finding a job because he knew that if he didn't find work, tomorrow would be even harder for him.
This was already a problem, and now he was caught in another one.
"Hey… beggar… you've been following me all the way to Milltown and even to my factory."
"I won't let you go this time. Last time, I let you off thinking you'd improve yourself."
John, who had been standing still, turned around upon hearing a familiar voice.
It was the same old man he had encountered near the store yesterday. Hearing his threats, John became scared, even though he hadn't done anything wrong. His legs started to tremble with fear.
Looking at John with disgust, the old man approached the two men John had been talking to and started yelling at them.
"What are you doing sitting here, allowing thieves and beggars like this to reach the gate and talk to you?"
Hearing the old man's words, the two watchmen quickly got up and began explaining.
"No, sir… we are always vigilant at the gate. We stop anyone who comes and ask for their details. We were just about to do that when you arrived," one of the watchmen explained, fearing for his job.
At this point, John nervously started speaking in a low voice, "No, sir… you've misunderstood me… I came here… to ask for work… and yesterday, too, I was near the store… asking for work… that's why I was there…"
He tried to explain with a bit of confidence, but the man in front of him was in no mood to listen. Ignoring John's words, he yelled angrily,
"I am the owner of this factory, Dante Ward! How dare you speak like that?"
"I know people like you well. You target rich men like me, deceive them, and then rob them."
"And you even found out where my factory is to rob me," he said, fuming with anger.
John was terrified by his words and stammered, "Sir… it's not… like that, sir… I really… just came here… for work… please, sir… believe me… please…"
When a rich man hears the word "please" from someone, he feels superior, thinking that he is above everyone else. That's the kind of arrogance that comes with wealth.
Seeing John's pleas and helplessness, Dante Ward didn't feel any compassion. Instead, he felt a sense of pride and said,
"Hmph… you think I don't understand your so-called 'please'? Your act won't work on me."
With that, he reached into his pocket, took out a small whistle made of wood, and blew it.
At the sound, two soldiers in golden uniforms appeared, each holding a sword.
The king had sent two soldiers to guard each of the large business factories to ensure their safety because Milltown had become a major hub for the textile industry, supplying goods to other towns as well.
So, security was necessary, which is why two soldiers were stationed at every factory, and now Dante Ward had called them.
"Yes, sir, is something troubling you?" one of the soldiers asked.
Dante Ward replied,
"This beggar standing in front of you came here to rob me. Yesterday, when I went to Oakville to visit my relatives, I went to a famous store there to buy something. When I was coming out, this guy was standing at the gate.
I called the manager and told him about this, and he handled it. And now, he's followed me all the way to my factory to rob me."
He said this while glaring angrily at John.
John was in a terrible state, sweating, trembling, his heart pounding so fast he could barely stand. It felt like he could collapse at any moment, so helpless was he now.
Because now, no one would believe anything he said, and he couldn't even find the words to explain himself. Whatever he said would have no value here.
After hearing Dante Ward's words, the two soldiers drew their swords and started moving toward John.
"If you try to run, it won't be good for you," one soldier warned, grabbing John by the arm.
John mustered some courage and tried to plead,
"Sir… please… just listen to me… Dante sir… you've misunderstood me… please give me a chance to explain… please, sir…"
But his plea fell on deaf ears. The soldiers only listened to Dante Ward.
One of the soldiers said, "Stand still, and shut up. There's no misunderstanding. Whatever Dante sir says is the truth."
Even if John's words were true, the soldiers would only believe Dante Ward's version.
Why?
Because…
That's power… and right now, Dante Ward had that power. Whatever the master says, the servants must obey.
John was born poor and never had the opportunity for an education, nor was anyone willing to give him a chance.
John was an orphan, living in a dilapidated house in a beggar's area, a place where even the dogs of people like Dante Ward had better living conditions. That was John's hard life, which he had been trying to survive for 20 years with his uncle Tom.
"Sir, you don't need to worry. We'll take care of this thief now," the first soldier assured.
Dante Ward, hearing this, replied,
"Good… now I can relax. After you take him away, come to my house this evening; your rations for the month are ready."
With that, he started walking back inside.
Hearing Dante Ward's words, the two soldiers looked pleased and both called out to him as he walked away,
"Thank you, sir…"
John's eyes widened in shock. He had come here today thinking he would go home after finding work, but now he was trapped in an entirely different problem.
"Sir… please… trust my words… I came here just to find work… please, sir… I'm telling the truth… I never even thought about robbing Dante Ward, sir… please, someone believe me…!"
But as he was speaking, blood started to come from his mouth. One of the soldiers, angry, had punched him and shouted,
"I told you to shut your mouth, didn't I? Didn't you understand? Come on, I'll make you understand!"
At that moment, the other soldier intervened, holding back the first one's hand and said,
"That's enough… let's go. We have other places to be. Didn't you hear what Dante Ward said?"
John lost consciousness from the soldier's beating, blood streaming from his mouth.
"Tchh... this dirty blood got on my hand," the soldier who hit John muttered in disgust.
"Then why did you hit him?" the first soldier asked.
"It was necessary to do it in front of Dante sir. If I hadn't, we wouldn't have gotten this month's rations so quickly. You should be thanking me," the soldier replied.
"Yeah, katz , you're right. This time Dante sir called us for rations earlier than usual. Maybe he liked our behavior," the first soldier agreed, as he began to lift John.
"What do we do with him now, Alex?" Katz asked, standing up and grabbing John's other side.
"What else? We'll just dump him in the usual spot," Alex replied as they started moving forward with John's body.
"How do you think so quickly, Alex?" Katz asked as they moved ahead, holding John lightly.
"Katz, you know I was top of my class at the academy when it came to finding solutions," Alex said with a smirk.
"That's why I'm with you, Alex," Katz replied.
"You're clever, Katz."
"And so are you, Alex," Katz responded, and they both burst into loud laughter.
One hour later...
Katz and Alex stopped at a large ravine, both exhausted.
"Damn... This guy looks like skin and bones, but he weighs three times as much," Alex complained to Katz.
"Yeah... you're... right... this guy... is really... heavy... I thought I'd... stop breathing... hufff...," Katz, who was more out of breath than Alex, replied.
Katz continued, "Alex, why can't we just throw him in jail?"
Alex replied, "You're so naive, Katz. If we threw him in jail, he'd be out in two days and back in front of Dante sir, making him mad at us again."
"If we want to live a good life, we have to solve powerful people's problems once and for all. Only then will they keep us in their good books, and we'll benefit more." With that, Alex began lifting John's body, which was lying on the ground.
"Man, Alex, you think so far ahead. I feel proud to be on your team," Katz said, standing up after taking a short break and grabbing John's other side.
"Let's finish our job and then go collect our rations," Alex said as they prepared to throw John's body into the deep ravine.
"Hmm... This month's good earnings are thanks to him. May your soul rest in peace,"
Alex remarked as they began walking towards Dante's house.
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See .... Yaa.. next Chapter [ New Beginning ]