Otherworld Metal Factory (Patreon)

Chapter 69

It was late in the morning. Unusually, the factory was quiet.

In the factory where not a single machine was running, Channing was organizing plastic boxes onto a wagon.

A short while later, the Factory Manager came out of the office and shouted at Channing on the wagon.

"Are you all set?"

"Yes! I've got everything."

Channing shouted from atop the Aspur wagon, and the Factory Manager, pulling out a cigarette, said.

"Then let's get going quickly. You guys have to prepare for the festival tomorrow, right?"

"Yes. Well, since we're just taking the things we've already made, there's not much to prepare, but we should go early and set up our spot. They say if we're late, we won't get a good spot."

The Factory Manager climbed onto the wagon and gestured.

"Then let's get going."

"Yes. Let's go."

Channing pulled the reins and started the wagon. The Aspur tied to the wagon pulled it with a brisk pace.

"So, think they'll sell well?"

"So-so."

The Factory Manager asked, taking out a cigarette, and Channing nodded.

"Hmm. Well, seeing as you made them well, you'll have some fun."

At the Factory Manager's nonchalant words, Channing smiled softly.

"More importantly, tell Oscar quickly that you and Richel aren't anything. The kid's face is getting thinner and thinner. His wife, on the other hand, is thrilled."

"I want to tell him, but the atmosphere... Richel isn't denying or confirming anything about the rumors the women are spreading, making it even more ambiguous, so the rumors are spreading even more. Sigh. It's a headache for me too."

"If that's the case, just close your eyes and marry Richel. Richel is a good catch. The kid is kind, hardworking, pretty, has a good figure..."

As the Factory Manager's compliments continued, Channing gave an awkward smile.

"Well, it's not that Richel is bad or anything, but it's not something I can control, you know."

"Well, I guess... That's true."

The Factory Manager closed his mouth at Channing's words.

"More importantly, I'm not even thinking about marriage yet. I need to have something before I can get married."

"Who said you need money to get married? You make it after you get married."

"How is that possible? I need to have at least enough money to get a room before I can even think about marriage. The ceremony itself can be simple with some help from the neighbors, but I can't just start on the streets, can I?"

The Factory Manager looked at Channing with surprised eyes.

Channing, seeing the Factory Manager's reaction, asked.

"Why?"

"I'm wondering how a guy who thinks like that spends all his salary on alcohol and gambling."

"Ah. It's not like I haven't saved anything at all. I have some savings deposited with the Autonomous Committee. It's just not enough to get a house."

"Well, if you ask Oscar, he'll probably get you a room. They have a spare room in their house."

"Oh, come on. You want me to live with Uncle Oscar even after I get married?"

"I guess Oscar would hate seeing you too."

"More importantly, you're talking as if marrying Richel is a given. Above all, do you think Richel would say yes just because I want to? With her personality?"

The Factory Manager laughed heartily and looked at Channing.

"Hahaha! That's right. The question is whether Richel would marry you. Just because you like her doesn't mean she'll like you back."

"Ah. You're making it sound weird again. I'm not bad, am I?"

"Hey, you just said it yourself. What's good about a guy who doesn't even have the money for a room?"

Channing shrugged.

"You just said I could earn it after marriage, and now you're changing your tune. Did you have a lot of money when you married Master?"

The Factory Manager stopped laughing and closed his mouth.

Seeing the Factory Manager's reaction, Channing smiled softly and carefully opened his mouth.

"See? You're only saying that to me."

"Damn. All talk and no action. Hey! I'm saying this because I married without a penny and lived well. I'm just thinking about you because it seems like you'll never get married."

Channing burst out laughing at the Factory Manager's outburst. The Factory Manager grumbled, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

Channing glanced at the Factory Manager and asked.

"By the way, how did you end up marrying Ms. Oran? I heard she was the daughter of the Master who taught you."

The Factory Manager didn't say anything for a while. Channing also didn't ask any further questions at the Factory Manager's silence.

Silence continued for a while.

"Well, it's an old story. I had an older brother above and a bunch of younger siblings below, a farmer's son who could barely feed himself. So I spent my childhood helping my father with farming, and then I thought, 'I'm going to die anyway, so I might as well die in the big city.' You heard about how I stole a bus from town and came to Seoul, right?"

"Yes?... Ah! Yes! I heard that."

Channing answered as the Factory Manager suddenly started talking.

"There's a pretty long story that starts from there."

"Well, it's a good story to tell while we're on the road."

The Factory Manager nodded.

***

Oran came down to the factory after the Factory Manager and Channing had left. She seemed to be going out, wearing jeans and a thin linen shirt, with a small handbag on her shoulder.

Oran, wearing a hat with a brim, glanced at her wristwatch and shouted.

"Girls! Are you all ready?"

"Yes. Just wait a moment."

Tehez and Illia answered from upstairs.

A little later, Tehez and Illia came down the stairs. Illia was wearing a cotton skirt and a button-down shirt, the kind children wear, and Tehez was wearing jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt.

Both of them looked a little awkward, perhaps because they weren't wearing their usual clothes.

"It feels a bit awkward. Haha..."

Tehez said, looking at the t-shirt she was wearing.

Oran smiled softly and looked at Tehez.

"You look pretty, what are you talking about? Let's go."

Tehez and Illia followed Oran as she led the way.

The three of them stood at the front door of the factory. The front door that the Factory Manager had said they shouldn't go out of. The front door that Oran had come in through.

Tehez gulped with an unknown tension. Illia also held Tehez's hand tightly and stood behind her.

Seeing them, Oran grabbed the doorknob.

"Don't be nervous. This is just another place where people live."

Oran smiled softly, opened the front door, and walked out with long strides.

Illia quickly followed behind.

A moment later, Tehez also held her breath and stepped outside.

"Whoa!"

Tehez was startled by a car suddenly passing in front of her and stepped back.

Ignoring Tehez's surprise, the car sped away, and Oran came over and pulled Tehez along.

"Be careful. People drive recklessly in this neighborhood."

"Wow... The... wagons... are moving without horses?"

"Yes. They all do. Come on, let's go. Illia, hold my hand. It'll be a big problem if you get lost."

Oran, holding Illia's hand, walked with long strides. Tehez followed behind, overwhelmed by the incredible scenery.

Square and neatly built buildings lined up, and the unreadable letters hanging on them, the clean signboards, overwhelmed Tehez.

And the cars and motorcycles whizzing past were also enough to surprise her. The most surprising among them were the stores with one wall made of giant glass.

Tehez had never seen such large, clean, flat glass before.

"Tehez! You'll get lost!"

Oran shouted at Tehez, who was standing there blankly.

Tehez quickly followed after Oran.

"This is amazing. It's so... developed."

"Well, it's more developed than that side. Come on, let's go in here first."

Oran opened a glass door and went inside. Tehez followed.

Countless glasses came into Tehez's view. Glasses of numerous designs were neatly arranged inside glass display cases, and Tehez couldn't take her eyes off them.

"Welcome."

"Yes. I'd like to get glasses for this child."

"I see. Can you show me the glasses?"

Tehez took off her glasses without thinking and handed them over.

The optician was surprised when they received the glasses.

"Oh my... I've never seen glasses like these before. Wow. This is interesting, isn't it? I guess there are still people who make glasses in this old-fashioned way."

"We're from a faraway country. Please do an eye exam and let us buy new frames too."

"I see. Please come this way."

The optician guided Tehez to the examination room. Tehez sat down on the eye exam machine.

"Now, please rest your chin and look straight ahead."

Tehez rested her chin on the machine and looked at the lenses as instructed. A blurry image came into view.

"Can you see well?"

"Hmm. It's a little blurry."

"Your Korean is very good. Just a moment. How about now?"

As soon as the optician finished speaking, something moved in front of her, and the image became clear.

"Ah! It's clear."

"Good. I'll adjust it a little more."

While the optician and Tehez were doing the eye exam, Illia was looking at the glasses displayed in the showcase.

As she looked at the glasses of various shapes with curiosity, Oran smiled softly and patted Illia's head.

"They're fascinating, aren't they?"

"Yes. I've never seen so many glasses before. I heard they're very expensive."

"They would be on that side. They're not that expensive here."

While Oran was talking with Illia, Tehez and the optician came out.

"Now, would you like to choose your frames?"

"Wow... There are so many, I don't know what to choose."

Tehez carefully examined the area where the frames were gathered. She was overwhelmed by the sheer number of frames, having to choose just one.

After looking at various options for a while, Tehez found a frame that caught her eye.

"Do you like that one?"

Oran came over and asked as Tehez was carefully looking at the frame. Tehez nodded.

Oran picked up the frame, took off Tehez's glasses, and put the new one on her, then held up a nearby mirror.

"It's pretty."

"It suits you well."

As Oran and Illia said that, Tehez smiled bashfully.

Red horn-rimmed glasses. She was drawn to them for some reason, and Tehez turned her face this way and that, looking at herself in the mirror.

"Then please make me two pairs, this one and this metal frame."

"You don't need two!"

Tehez was surprised by Oran's words.

Oran smiled softly, took off the frame Tehez was wearing, and said.

"Are you going to wear these pretty glasses while working? They'll break easily. Metal frames are better for work than plastic horn-rimmed ones. So wear this metal frame for work and this one for everyday use."

Oran handed the metal frame and the horn-rimmed frame to the optician.

"They'll be ready in 40 minutes. Will you wait?"

"We'll be back."

"Okay. Please come back then. What's your name?"

"It's Tehez."

Oran finished talking with the optician and led Tehez and Illia outside.

"Good. Now let's go buy some clothes."

"Clothes?"

"Yes. You should dress up nicely for the festival."

Tehez waved her hands.

"No! You already gave me these clothes. And you bought me glasses. I can't accept clothes on top of that..."

"When an adult offers you something, you say thank you. Come on, follow me. Let's buy Illia some clothes too."

Oran grabbed Illia and Tehez's hands and walked out with long strides.