Chapter 370 – The Cotton Field
A person’s expression is a window to the mind. If you are not conscious of it, your state of mind is revealed through your face.
The expressions of the women who worked while putting cotton on the drying rack in the warehouse were very comfortable. Some even worked with a coy smile and chatted with others.
It was a bit embarrassing.
No matter how much money you work for, in the end you must be forced to do it to make a living. Why are you making such a happy face?
“I’ll be passing by for a while!”
A cart came in with a rattling sound from behind. The inside was filled with cotton that appeared to have been freshly harvested.
The number of women working here has increased. Even so, the women were still moving with bright smiles, without wrinkles on their faces.
I thought of the slaves who worked in my textile mills. The guys do their job with a statue to die for. Of course, as the working environment was improved a while ago, the production volume increased and the atmosphere was better than before, but they do not look happy like the people who work here.
“The faces of the slaves are bright.”
“Are you a slave? Haha. No. These people are villagers, not slaves.”
“Hmm? Oh, was it? Where are the slaves?”
“The slaves are harvesting cotton in the cotton fields.”
“Uhm…”
After hearing the village chief’s story, I could roughly guess why the workers in the warehouse had bright faces.
It’s much better here than working outside in the cold wind.
Of course, the people who work here know that. So, the expression is bright.
Because people find comfort in seeing those who are in a worse situation than themselves.
“Hmm, check out the other warehouses.”
“Yes. This way.”
I got out of the warehouse where the cotton was drying and went into the warehouse next door. There was a rattling noise coming from inside, and the sound of wood hitting.
“Weaving looms and looms.”
I know that there are similar things in our textile mill. At my murmur, the village chief nodded.
“Yes. You’re right. Here, the seeds are sorted from the dried cotton and the cotton is processed to make cotton fabric.”
The people who work in this warehouse are the same as those in the warehouse next door. Everyone has a bright expression.
“I will continue to guide you.”
Arrived at the last warehouse. When I went inside, the thickly piled blankets caught my eye. I could see the seamstresses filling the duvet with cotton and sewing it.
“Here, I make bedding such as blankets and clothes. We are currently making bedding for the Countess of Denevalve in Westway.”
“Hmm. I know that.”
I opened my eyes and looked at the seamstresses. They also have bright faces. It was hard to hear what they were talking about because of the distance, but it was clear that they were talking about something pleasant.
“Hey, hey. Han Sung-ah.”
The old man, who had been quietly watching from behind, stabbed me in the side.
“Why?”
“Hey, look at that.”
“What? Like what?”
I looked at where Roin’s finger was pointing. The pure white fabric was piled up tightly. Feeling strangely familiar, I tilted my head and looked at him, then approached him.
“Sheriff?”
As I approached the materials, the village chief followed in bewilderment.
“This…”
I carefully lifted the top piece of the fabric that was piled up. This soft texture, neat color, and tight composition. It was something all too familiar.
“Fabric made from spider webs… ?”
No matter how you look at it, it is the same thing as the fabric made in my factory. Ajio Village is a village that grows cotton. There’s no way there’s even a giant spider that can pull out a spider’s web?
“Chief. Is this fabric made in your village?”
“Oh, you mean that? No. It was delivered.”
“Delivery? To whom?”
“Didn’t I tell you that we decided to make bedding and supply it to Count Denevalve? Originally, we always made bedding with cotton made in our village and delivered it, but this time they brought it to us, telling us to use this fabric instead of cotton.”
“Who brought it to you?”
“Yes? Uh, it was probably a middle-aged man named Smith.”
“Smith? Could it be that he is a fat, short, middle-aged man with a messy mustache?”
“Yes. You’re right. Do you know someone?”
“Hmm…”
Ignoring the village chief’s question, I fell into thought.
Smith. It is a very common name. Of all the people I have met in this world, there are only three people who use the name Smith.
The name of the person in charge of the Arpagon logging camp was apparently Smith. One of the servants of Seirwin, a magician who handles electricity, whom he met while exploring ant burrows, was also Smith.
But now those two smiths have nothing to do with this. The Smith I am thinking of now is the Smith of the Black Moon.
He had been in the organization for the longest period of time among the executives of the organization, and before the organization passed into Germi’s hands, he was third in the hierarchy after Hergel and Johannes.
He recalled a report he had read a while ago. Obviously, Smith had confirmed that he had landed some big contracts. Because I bought a lot of fabric.
Just what the contract is. He couldn’t figure out where the delivery was, but seeing it with his own two eyes, he was sure.
“Have you lined up the administrator…”
Most executives would be like that, but Smith in particular is the one who has been in the organization for the longest time.
It is highly likely that Smith was also involved as the organization was involved in the corruption of the former guard, who was Tricker’s aide.
Was that kite going beyond the guards and reaching the administrative officers?
Perhaps, it is connected.
Right now, the bedding supplied to Count Denevalve’s family in this village is being made under the direction of the administrator.
However, since Smith provided some of the raw materials for the bedding, it must be seen that it is related to the administrative officer.
The reasons to burn this place increased.
Silky, it’s not just because of the order of the lord.
These fabrics were bought by Smith from me. The quantity is substantial. If you burn all of these, you will be able to deal a considerable blow to Smith.
“Sheriff? Do you have any problem… ?”
As I was fiddling with the fabric without saying a word, the village chief who came next to me was restless.
“It is nothing. I think this is enough. How are these warehouses managed? Anyway, wouldn’t it be better to take a break from work at night? Do you just leave it alone at night?”
“No. At night, village vigilantes take turns guarding the area around the warehouse. It doesn’t matter if there is any problem.”
“Vigilante corps? Not the guards?”
“Although the guards are constantly patrolling, protecting a place like this is the responsibility of the villagers themselves.”
“Right.”
I got out of the warehouse while listening to the village chief’s story. Arriving around noon, looking for the guards and being guided by the village, the sky turned orange before I knew it.
Returning to the village chief’s house, she was served dinner, and was escorted into her room by her maid. I thought the house was quite spacious, so they assigned one room for each person.
As I was lying on the bed for a while, I heard a knock. It was Natalia and Roin who entered. As soon as Roin entered, he sat down on the bed and lay down with his head resting on my body.
“What do you want to do?”
“What?”
“I mean ‘work’. First of all, let’s take a walk tonight and see how the guards stand.”
“That would be nice.”
From what I checked during the day, it doesn’t seem easy to set fire to the warehouse.
To access the warehouse, you have to pass by private houses, but it will not be easy to avoid the eyes of the numerous houses. If I had to pick a time, I would prefer early morning when everyone is asleep.
Even during the day, people are away to work, but there are workers in the warehouse during the day. It would be difficult to start a fire avoiding the eyes of the workers, and even if they did, it would be easy to suppress the fire because of the river in the back.
“As expected, there seems to be no time zone other than dawn. How can I wait until dawn?”
“It won’t take too long, though.”
Natalya, who was sitting at her bedside, spoke carefully.
“Wouldn’t that take long?”
“It’s the time when people sleep. People in rural villages like this go to bed as soon as the sun goes down because of work, so no one will be awake after three or four hours after dark.”
“Okay? Hmm…”
I listened to Natalia’s words and looked out the window. Perhaps because winter was approaching, the sky quickly wrapped itself in a navy blue cloak.
Perhaps realizing my intention to tell the time, Natalya took out a pocket watch from her bosom.
“One or three more hours and people will definitely fall asleep. Today, let’s go out during that time and just do some scouting.”
“You have to wait three hours…”
His gaze moved to Natalya’s chest.
It is said that an object with a large mass has a strong gravitational force. I think I heard a story somewhere. Powerful gravity sucks everything in. It seems that there is probably an interest in it.
