"Now tell me, what's the matter, brother-in-law? Why did you drag us here by force?" Derek asked nervously, looking at Clara.
"I told you, just have some patience. I've answered the same question ten times on the way here!" Victor replied in an irritated tone to Derek.
"Victor, didn't you tell my brothers?" Clara asked Victor.
"I didn't say anything because they wouldn't believe me and would start asking unnecessary questions. So, I directly brought them here by force," Victor explained to Clara.
"Yes, sister, brother-in-law suddenly showed up and told us to come with him. When we asked what was going on, he got angry," Dylan said, standing next to Derek.
"I told you, you'd find out after getting here. But still, you kept asking the same question!" Victor started getting a bit angry at them.
Seeing Victor getting angry at her brothers, Clara interrupted, "Forget all that. I'll tell you what's going on."
"Alright, sister," Derek said as he started moving closer to Clara.
"You three come here too. Do you expect me to explain everything to each of you separately?" Clara called out to Brody, Blake, and Dylan, looking in their direction.
Hearing Clara's words, the three of them also came closer, and once everyone was gathered, Clara began explaining everything in detail to her four brothers. After a while, Clara finished speaking and asked, "So, what do you all think about staying there?"
"This is wonderful news, sister! We will definitely come, and no one in the village will know about it from the four of us," Derek said confidently.
"Sister, can I eat that potato now?" The youngest, Brody, asked hesitantly, as he was eager to taste the new food source but was still a bit afraid of and respected his elder sister, just like his other brothers.
"Not now, Brody. When we get there, I'll personally cook it for you, alright? We're in a hurry now," Clara explained to Ben.
Victor looked at the four of them and said, "First, get to know John. This is the first time you're all meeting him."
"Okay, brother-in-law," Derek said as he, along with his three brothers, moved towards John. One by one, they introduced themselves, and John, smiling, shared about himself as well. Slowly, they all began to form a friendship.
"Then it's decided. The four of us, along with your four brothers, will go there," Uncle Tom said as he stood up, looking at Aunt Clara
"Alright then, let's go," John said as he was talking to the twin brothers when he heard Uncle Tom's words.
"Wait a minute, Victor. Now that these four are coming with us, did you inform their mother?" Uncle Tom asked, looking towards Victor and Clara.
"Yes, I told my mother-in-law that these four will stay with me for a few days," Victor replied.
"Then it's fine," Uncle Tom said after hearing Victor's response.
"There's a lot of stuff; it might take two trips," Victor said, looking at the luggage.
"It won't take two trips, Victor. There are eight of us now. Everyone will carry their share, and my brothers will handle the heavier loads," Aunt Clara explained. She knew her brothers wouldn't have much trouble with the weight because, at the factory, all four of them often carry heavy bundles of cloth on their heads all the way to the capital.
Saying this, Clara looked towards her brothers and started instructing them, "Brody and Blake, you two pack the clay pots and pick up that box, and Dylan and Derek, you two carry the big wooden box."
"Alright, big sister," all four brothers said together and began packing the items into the boxes. Clara, Victor, Uncle Tom, and John also started packing and tightly securing everything with ropes made of hemp.
"Is everything packed?" John asked after finishing his work.
"Yes, it's all packed," Victor replied, looking around.
"Then let's go," John said, lifting his belongings.
Everyone picked up their own belongings—Derek and Dylan carried the heavy box with Victor, Aunt Clara lifted the box with clothes and lighter items, and Uncle Tom carried the box with everyone's smaller items. They started walking out of Oakville village.
Most of the villagers leave early in the morning to work in town and return late at night, so no one saw John's group as they left.
Milltown, at the same time...
Ward Textiles...
"No, this old bastard is lying, sir! The factory timings are 2 hours longer compared to other factories, and from tomorrow, it'll be another hour longer!" The man with 5 copper Sol shouted angrily at Dante Ward, glaring at Max.
"Oh... Is that so? Then I'd like to hear more details," Max said with a slight smirk, looking at Dante Ward.
"Officer, don't believe this old Dreg's words!" Dante Ward said, glaring angrily at the 5 copper Sol Dreg and calling for the manager. "Manager, fire this old Dreg immediately! How dare he falsely accuse our factory!"
The manager heard Dante Ward's words but chose to ignore them, which further infuriated Dante Ward. He felt like dealing with both of them right away but controlled his anger in front of the officer, deciding to handle the matter later and trying to remain calm.
"Why are you getting angry at this poor old Dreg for raising his voice, Dante Ward?" Max said as he walked forward and sat down on a wooden chair.
"Officer, listen to me. I had a bit of an argument with this old Dreg, and now he's trying to get back at me by lying in front of you," Dante Ward said, stepping closer to Max, trying to explain. Max knew the truth of the matter but was using the opportunity to demonstrate his authority over Dante Ward.
"Be quiet. I will decide what is true and what is false," Max said angrily to Dante Ward. He then turned to the 5 copper Sol Dreg and asked, "So, tell me the whole story."
"Yes, sir. This factory has 405 workers. They are made to work day and night for very low wages. This man here loans money to the workers and then charges them double the amount. If they can't pay, he keeps them working in his factory for life and the factory's working hours are 2 hours longer than other factories, which he has kept hidden. Moreover, if anyone is even a little late, their entire day's wages are cut," five Copper SOL Dreg explaining factory situation as if a savior(Max) had arrived to rescue them from this devil, hoping for a detailed explanation.
As the tension in the factory hung in the air, Max's sharp gaze shifted from the old man to Dante Ward. The truth had been exposed, and now, the pieces were all falling into place. The workers remained unaware of the storm brewing beneath Max's seemingly kind demeanor, but they would soon realize the depths of his cunning.
With a final, calculating glance, Max turned away, leaving the old man trembling on the ground. "Let's see how this plays out," he thought to himself, a satisfied smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
The factory's doors closed behind him, but the echoes of his presence lingered, a reminder that in this world, nothing is ever as it seems.
"Shit... Shit... This damn old Dreg told the whole truth. I won't let him get away with this," Dante Ward cursed angrily at the 5 copper Sol Dreg. At that moment, Max asked, "Dante Ward, you've hidden a lot from the government."
Dante Ward was shocked and frightened when he heard Max's words. He knew that if a Patrician deceives the government, all their assets are seized and they are sentenced for life. This fear made him pause for a moment.
"What's wrong? Stuck on something? Answer me," Max demanded with an authoritative tone.
Dante Ward thought, "I recognize that smirking face well. I understand what kind of smile that is." Seeing Max's grin, Dante realized what kind of trouble he was in.
"Officer, can we talk privately?" Dante Ward requested, forcing a smile.
"Why not?" Max said with a laugh, quickly getting up and heading towards Dante Ward's office and Relieved to finally hear the answer he had been hoping for
The workers, left in confusion, watched as Max and Dante Ward went into the office.
"That poor old Dreg had the guts to tell the truth in front of the officer, but his efforts went to waste," the manager thought, glancing at the five copper Sol Dreg. He understood that since Max and Dante Ward had gone into the office, it was likely for discussions that would benefit for Both.
After a while, the office door opened, and Dante Ward stepped out, holding the door. From inside, Max emerged, laughing as he came out.
When Max's companion saw his smiling face, they understood that Max had managed the situation smoothly, just as he had described earlier.
"Max, what do we do with this old Dreg now?" Luke asked as he approached Max.
Before Max could answer, the five copper Sol Dreg shouted angrily, "You bastard, you were just pretending all along! Acting like a good guy ." He glared at Max with disgust.
"Luke, deal with this pest," Max said, completely ignoring the Dreg's accusations.
"Yes... I've wanted to do this for a while. Just hearing this pest's talk made me sick," Luke said, drawing his sword and stepping forward.
As Luke approached, the five copper Sol Dreg realized that he had become nothing more than a pawn in their game. His eyes widened in terror as he saw Luke drawing his sword. Before he could react,
Luke swiftly severed his head with a single clean stroke.
Suddenly, a voice rose from among the workers, crying out in despair,
"No... Uncle Ben!"
----------------------------------------------------
" Leave some comments, guys. Let me know how you're finding the story so I can understand my work."
See..yaa... Next Chapter
[ " The Cost of Belief "]