A spacious yet simple wooden house stood, with neatly arranged bedding on the distant floor.
A few chairs and tables were placed on the other side, and in the very center of the house hung the Sacred Emblem of the Candlelight Church.
Kyle sat dazedly on a chair, his eyes lifeless as he recited prayers.
His robust body, strong as a bear, appeared sowhat sluggish.
Beside him was a group of similarly numbed workers.
They were all dressed in uniform linen garnts and sat around the sacred scripture on the table, reciting it in unison.
They had originally worked in a factory in Rhine but were suddenly captured by the Holy Guard of the Candlelight Church and transported here.
Although they were provided with food and drink along the way and did not suffer interrogation or torture, they still appeared exhausted and dispirited.
They had no idea what they had done wrong. It was said to be because of Hughes, their forr coworker, who used to tell all sorts of strange stories every day, which they had rely treated as amusent.
The priests of the Candlelight Church declared that Hughes was a heretic, which genuinely surprised them.
He neither preached nor asked them for money, he rely told stories to entertain them in his free ti. Was that considered heresy?
So workers were indignant about this. Factory owners had driven workers to death or insanity, yet they remained lawful citizens, while soone who told a few stories had to be executed. How was that fair?
Those who voiced their objections never appeared again.
The remaining workers beca much more obedient.
They followed the instructions of the Candlelight Church, reciting prayers day after day, atoning for sins they did not understand.
The chanting continued for a while before gradually stopping.
The day’s atonent was complete.
The workers glanced around, and upon seeing that no one was giving orders, they began to disperse.
They did not speak loudly. Occasionally, a few of them would huddle together and whisper.
A thin man approached Kyle. "Big guy, what day is it today?"
Kyle slowly turned his eyes away from the sacred scripture and emblem. Only then did a trace of life return to his face. "I don’t know anymore… Thirty? Fifty? I can’t rember."
The man sighed softly and said no more.
Kyle hesitated for a mont but then spoke to comfort him. "Hodge, don’t worry. Lina will be fine."
The surrounding workers gradually gathered, their expressions complicated.
Lina was Hodge’s younger sister.
More than a decade ago, they had lost their family in a disaster and fled to Rhine, where they relied on each other to survive in the lower city.
They had relatively good luck. Although Hodge was thin, he was physically intact and quick-witted, allowing him to establish a foothold in Rhine.
The siblings soon realized that factory work was a decent opportunity.
The pay was slightly better, and although factory labor was grueling, poor people in these tis died even faster.
After discussing it, they decided that Hodge should take the factory job.
But getting into a factory wasn’t easy. Hodge had to bribe a supervisor with a bag of coins to secure a position as a boiler stoker.
That bag of money had been borrowed from a local gang.
The gang was ruthless, but they kept their word.
The interest was high, but the siblings could barely afford it.
Hodge and Lina had done the calculations. As long as he worked at the factory for a year, he could pay off the debt.
Another two years, and they could save up a small sum, perhaps even move out of the slums.
By then, Lina wouldn’t have to make a living washing clothes.
Maybe she could find a job at one of the shops in the lower city, those stores never hired people from the slums.
Hodge could then learn a trade and earn a decent living without toiling in a factory.
They were both young, healthy, and clever. There was a chance they could build a life in Rhine.
Unfortunately, not long after Hodge started working at the factory, he was taken away by the inquisitors of the Candlelight Church.
What would happen to Lina now that her source of inco was gone?
Hodge didn’t dare to think about it. The money she made from washing clothes wasn’t even enough to cover the interest. The gang wouldn’t be so lenient.
Moreover, the slums were full of their informants. Even if Lina wanted to run, she wouldn’t be able to escape.
Hodge sat blankly in his chair, staring vacantly at the sacred scripture of the Candlelight Church.
He was a sinner. Everyone here was a sinner. Every person bore sin.
But so had to atone, while others did not.
The workers placed their hands on Hodge’s shoulders, and the room fell into silence.
Suddenly, noises ca from outside. The people inside stiffened before quickly standing up, pressing themselves against the walls in a line.
Before long, the door swung open, and a crisp female voice rang out.
"Look, they’re all here. Are you taking them directly over?"
Taking them over? Where to?
The workers anxiously turned toward the doorway.
A young girl in a nun’s habit entered, scanning the room before turning back. "They’re all here. The numbers match."
"Then let’s go. The testing grounds aren’t far from here."
A man’s voice responded from outside, causing a stir among the workers.
Testing grounds?
The term gave them an ominous feeling, as if it implied danger.
"Revered Sister, I… I don’t think I’ve finished atoning for my sins yet," a worker forced a smile and spoke.
"If you were done atoning, wouldn’t that be sothing? Even saints carry sins." The nun coughed lightly. "Anyway, there will always be chances to atone, but opportunities to make money are rare. Co on."
"M-Make money?"
"Yes, you now have an opportunity to earn money."
Chloe frowned at the workers’ increasingly uneasy expressions. "What are you all thinking? Of course, it’s to work in a new factory. Damn it, what has the Candlelight Church beco?"
She muttered the last two sentences under her breath, but Hughes still heard them.
At this mont, he was observing the weary workers in the room, feeling a surge of emotions.
The last ti he parted with them, he had promised he would return soon, yet that had turned out to be a final farewell.
Or perhaps not, Hughes the worker could indeed return, as long as they didn’t mind the gaping hole in his chest.
Seeing these familiar faces stirred complicated feelings within him.
Not long ago, he had cursed the factory owner and supervisor alongside these workers.
And now, he was the one sending them to a factory.
In a strange twist, he now held power over the fates of many. The only restraint was his own conscience.
"Workers, this is Castel Island. I am its lord, the Frontier Count. I have negotiated with Sister Chloe of the Candlelight Church, your atonent is temporarily suspended. So factories require your labor for operation and maintenance. I will provide you with wages, food, and lodging. Co with ."
The workers hesitated, but then, Hodge suddenly stepped forward. His voice trembled as he asked, "My lord, may I request an advance on my wages?"
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