Ember Dragon-Chapter 243: George’s Ordeal (Part 1)

Chapter 243: George's Ordeal (Part 1)

"George! Stop daydreaming at your station, it's almost lunch!"

The young man called "George" felt a heavy slap on his shoulder, finally snapping back to reality. He turned to see his coworker, Howard, holding a stack of this morning's "Kingdom Daily."

Howard grinned, "Come on, let's see what's new today."

George quickly nodded in agreement and followed behind him, while many of the other workers also rose from their stations, their faces full of eager smiles.

Workers like them, living in poverty, could hardly afford to buy a newspaper. Besides, "Kingdom Daily" was the most expensive newspaper in the country, reserved for wealthier citizens. One copy cost several copper coins, almost half a day's wages for George.

Of course, Howard had bought the papers while running errands for the factory supervisor.

As a reward, the workers could enjoy listening to the scribe read aloud while they were on break.

"Hurry up!"

"Do you want me to come down there myself?"

A gruff, deep voice barked from upstairs.

The workers' supervisor, who managed this entire food factory, had an unusual identity—an ogre named "Big Head," rumored to be a trusted subordinate of the chief minister, Langpu. Everyone in the factory respected him, but the proportion of "fear" far outweighed the respect.

When George first arrived here, he was so terrified of the ogre supervisor that he nearly wet himself, afraid that he might get angry and eat him.

But as time went by, he grew used to it, and even the sight of a three-meter-tall ogre in the factory no longer seemed strange. It felt almost normal.

After all, why would Big Head want to eat someone as scrawny as him when he feasted on meat every day?

George often thought about it like this.

"Sir, your newspaper."

"Scram!"

Howard nodded and bowed, delivering the newspaper to the supervisor's office before being chased out.

However, there was no hint of anger on his face. Instead, he stood expectantly, leaning in to listen, while the other workers gathered at the door in the same manner.

"Stop crowding."

"I was here first, and he saved me a spot."

George quickly squeezed in, getting a good position with Howard's help.

Soon, the scribe's clear voice began reading from the office, and everyone perked up their ears.

"Kingdom Daily" was rich with content, from policy updates to strange stories from various places. What they loved most, though, were the anecdotes, which often made them laugh out loud, slapping the floor in enjoyment. It was one of the few entertainments in the monotonous lives of workers, and listening to the paper being read was the highlight of their day.

"Commander Dolo conducted joint exercises in the suburbs."

"Kingdom's economy hits record high growth."

"Lord Langpu gave important instructions, calling for a deeper integration of magic and industry."

Howard grumbled, "Why is today's so long? I wish those newspaper folks would write less of this boring stuff."

George softly reminded, "It's good enough we get to listen at all, don't disturb the supervisor."

Sure enough, before he even finished speaking, an irritable roar came from the office: "Do you still want to listen or not? Make any more noise, and I'll kick you all out!"

George awkwardly pulled back his neck and continued listening intently.

"Yesterday, two citizens displayed great courage, reporting a spy from the Bosk Duchy to the kingdom. They were personally commended by Lord Langpu."

"As a reward for their loyalty, they received fifty gold coins, a luxury house in the center of Northwind Fortress, and an opportunity for a precious dragon bloodline blessing. Citizens, let this be a reminder: it is everyone's duty to protect the kingdom!"

Howard clicked his tongue, "Look at those lucky guys. I heard that those blessed with dragon blood can live over a hundred years. Compared to that, the gold coins and the house are nothing."

The workers began chatting amongst themselves, their words filled with undisguised envy.

"Yeah, if only I could catch a spy."

"If it were me, I'd quit this job, take the gold, buy a shop, and start my own business!"

"Heh, stop daydreaming."

George didn't join in this discussion full of wild fantasies; he simply kept the news in mind.

Soon, the workers' favorite section came on, and they quickly forgot their previous conversation, their faces lighting up with excitement as they listened to the jokes.

"A boy got possessed by a demon, so they took him to the Lackman family's church for an exorcism."

"The priest said: 'Damn demon, get out of this child's body!'"

"The demon replied: 'You should be the one to leave!'"

"Hahaha!"

The workers burst into laughter, and rough laughter echoed from the ogre's office as well—a rare moment for them to laugh without restraint.

Howard laughed so hard he rocked back and forth, slapping the floor.

"Those folks in the church sure are something! No wonder they got kicked out!"

George, however, was still thinking over the earlier story and hadn't caught what the scribe said, so he just followed his coworkers, putting on a laughing face to blend in with the lively atmosphere.

The workers stayed busy until late, only getting off when the sky turned pitch black.

George said goodbye to a few familiar coworkers, dragging his weary body along the street. Few people were out now.

"Another day over."

George licked his lips, as if still savoring the taste of the "gruel" he'd had for dinner.

He lived in the city's simplest basement housing—a tiny room that could hold more than ten people, but it was all he could afford.

George was one of the tens of thousands of freed serfs who had come to Northwind Fortress three years ago, still alone to this day.

His mother had frozen to death one winter ten years ago, and his father had starved to death six years ago during a famine. He didn't feel much sadness about it, as such things were commonplace on the manor. He was merely an insignificant "gray beast," living each day numbly, worrying about his survival.

But now, in Northwind Fortress, he had seen many new things, filled his stomach, and even had new hopes.

Big Head once said something profound: "Once you're full, you start thinking about women."

George agreed, believing it wholeheartedly.

He secretly glanced at the houses along the street, seeing silhouettes of people sitting together in the brightly lit windows, and small figures of children—a family enjoying a lovely candlelit dinner.

George wanted to have a family of his own in Northwind Fortress.

But that dream remained only in his mind.

He knew full well that for someone with his meager wages, it was nothing but a fantasy.