Do ratmen dream of the sacred tree of spirits?

Chapter 117 Check-in

At 9 p.m., when work ends, long-term skilled workers with silver name tags walk directly out of the workshop, while temporary apprentices with bronze name tags need to return their name tags and pick them up again when they start work the next day.

Fafner returned the bronze work badge to the foundry foreman. Surprisingly, he didn't feel particularly tired, and his physical strength hadn't been greatly depleted, but his hands and feet felt extremely sore and swollen.

Although he started work late today, the foundry foreman calculated his working hours for half a day. Fafnir needs to accumulate 28 and a half days of working hours over the next 29 days to earn 100 copper coins. He cannot be late, leave early, or take leave without permission, as each absence will result in a deduction of 10 copper coins. Of course, since today was his first day, he was not considered late.

"Fafner, you've had a great day," Luke praised. "I've seen many other apprentices who are afraid to even approach the Machine Machine, terrified of the noise it makes when it cuts through iron. By the way, have you ever worked with a Machine Machine before?"

"No, teacher, this is the first time I've seen these machines."

"Haha, Fafnir, you have a strong learning ability. To be honest, I'm happy for you. You were able to cut a horizontal surface on your first day. In the days to come, I will teach you how to cut simple grooves and a complete part. Of course, accuracy must be guaranteed. Don't be greedy for speed. I will tell you a few things about accuracy every day."

Luke, the skilled worker with the silver badge, didn't leave immediately after work; he waited for Fafnir to go with him.

Rook carefully reviewed today's lessons and future plans with Fafnir, who listened attentively until the two walked out of the mine factory gates.

"Fafner, where are you planning to stay?" Luke asked.

"Teacher, I don't know much about this place—I stayed at a church three hours away yesterday, and I know nothing about it." Fafnir was about to ask this question when Teacher Luke brought it up on his own initiative.

"Come with me. It's a 15-minute walk from the gate. Most of the workers live there. The cost isn't too high, thirty copper coins a month. If you go any further, you won't be able to work there in time."

The two chatted on and on, following a large group of people who had just finished work to a residential area.

How crowded it was—Fafner saw the two- or three-story buildings in front of him, crammed together, with only enough space between them for three people to walk side by side. In the darkness, the clotheslines were densely packed, covered with faded shirts and trousers.

"Follow me, I live here," Luke led the way, and the two squeezed into a small alley and stopped at a three-story house.

As soon as Luke entered the small building, several workers who had finished their shifts greeted him. "Come on, Fafnir, let's go to the third floor first. My room can still fit a bed. Tell the landlord that in addition to the monthly rent of thirty copper coins, you also need to pay a deposit of thirty copper coins. If you don't have that much money, I can lend you some in advance."

Fafnir followed Luke to the door of a room on the third floor a while later: "The landlord used to be a foundry foreman at the factory, but he retired later. He was a good man—"

"That's right, right here, Fafnir. Haha, isn't the hallway a bit messy? Everyone's like that. There's nowhere else to put anything in the room except the bed—"

Fafnir arrived at a room on the second floor, where Luke had lived for several years. Pushing open the door, he saw a kerosene lamp illuminating the small space, which was only a few square meters in size. There were two bed boards covered with hay, and between the two bed boards was a small table. There were no chairs.

It's good that there's a window. This small window is tightly closed because the weather is already cold, and it's even more important not to open the window at night to let the cold air in, Fafnir thought.

Oh—and there's a little guy sitting on a bed board, his face all black, like he's covered in coal dust that he can't wash off—

"Haha, Fafnir, this is my son, Luca—Luca, come and say hello to your brother Fafnir."

"Hello, Brother Fafnir!"

Fafnir smiled and nodded at him: "Hello, good evening."

"Fafner, you'll sleep on the other bed board. Luca and I will share a bed. Just a month ago, this bed board was occupied by someone, a former porter from the mine factory. Sigh—he worked too hard and sometimes wasn't careful. He injured his hands and feet and had to leave the factory."

Luke thought back and said as he pondered.

"By the way, Fafnir, are you hungry now? I still have some leftover soup from lunch in my lunchbox—"

Luke placed the lunchbox on the table. Fafnir was very hungry, but considering that Mr. Luke hadn't eaten either, and his son was also staring longingly at the lunchbox, he couldn't refuse the hospitality. He took a sip of soup and tore off a small piece of mixed wheat bread. "Fafnir, tomorrow morning, when we have breakfast, you can buy a cheap and durable lunchbox."

"Thank you. By the way, teacher, do we have breakfast?"

"Of course," Mr. Luke replied, "You can't have any strength without eating breakfast; you have to eat something before you go to work."

After a moment of silence, Luke turned the kerosene lamp up a bit. "Keroli isn't hard to get in the factory, haha, that's probably our only advantage."

A halo of light spread across the small room, illuminating the table and a few worn-out porcelain cups. Luke reached under the bed and pulled out a thermos with a wooden stopper. He uncorked it, poured more than half a cup of hot water into each of the two porcelain cups, and pushed one of them towards Fafnir.

"Thank you." Fafnir held the cup with both hands, the hot water scalding his palms through the cup. The water was a little hot, but after drinking it, he felt warm all over. Fafnir felt his dry throat was soothed, and he felt extremely comfortable.

"Teacher, how long have you been here?" Fafnir asked, holding up his cup.

"It's been almost ten years," Luke said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and holding a cup in both hands. "I couldn't stay in the cellar city, so I came here. For the first few years, I worked in the mines, covered in coal dust every day. Later, I came to the factory and slowly gained a foothold."

"What was your cellar city like back then?" Fafnir asked.

"Back then—the houses were low, the streets were full of us ratmen, life was tough, everyone knew each other, then I don't know when a war broke out, when the conscription order came, young people ran away, and I ran away too." Luke lowered his head and took a sip of water.

Although we only spent one day together, Mr. Luke was very kind to me, and I was lucky, haha—Fafner thought to himself as he slowly closed his eyes in bed.

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