Ch.324Side Story. Steam and Colony (7)

After the blood-red fog descended, amidst the turmoil surrounding what had happened to the high-ranking officials, this was a story that hardly resonated with Gabriel Parks (32, male), a factory worker in Dunrun, the capital of the United Britannia Kingdom.

This was partly because he was too busy just trying to survive, but more significantly because of the dumbing-down policies and information censorship implemented by the United Britannia Kingdom, which kept him largely ignorant.

Despite the fact that the United Britannia Kingdom was the most powerful among Europa’s great powers that exploited colonies worldwide, the privileged class here, just like in any other world, fattened themselves by exploiting the common people.

Come to think of it, nobles who enjoyed human hunting as a hobby in the colonies would have no reason not to exploit commoners from their own country.

Therefore, factory workers like Gabriel living in Britannia’s homeland, especially in the capital, were only slightly better off than others. In reality, their daily lives consisted of being oppressed and exploited just like the colonized peoples.

Moreover, to better control these workers, the United Britannia Kingdom had committed the insane act of limiting public education for ordinary citizens to only technical subjects.

What we commonly think of as public education was only available to the bourgeoisie or nobility who could afford expensive private schools. Public schools for commoners had become deformed educational facilities established solely to produce obedient workers.

Additionally, the cheap yellow journalism and media accessible to these people constantly gaslighted them by comparing their lives to the desperate existence of colonized peoples, making them believe their own lives were quite good. This deception, mixed with some truth, was impossible for ordinary citizens to see through.

Indeed, unlike most colonized people who couldn’t even dream of meat and subsisted on thin gruel, Britannia’s commoners could at least manage daily meals of canned meat and bread.

Furthermore, exhausted by the hard labor imposed on them day after day, these people lived mechanically without any interest in world affairs. In a sense, they had become excellent “parts” just as the leadership intended.

And so, even on the day after something had happened that turned Dunrun upside down, Gabriel Parks unfailingly set out for the factory.

There were some bloodstains and broken debris on the streets, but since it wasn’t much different from the usual scenery of the East End, Gabriel didn’t think much of it.

After walking for about a few minutes to reach his workplace, a tin can production factory, Gabriel tightened his worn-out coat before entering the building where people were gradually gathering…

‘…It’s warm?’

Immediately after, Gabriel was surprised by the unusually warm temperature inside, and then… he couldn’t close his gaping mouth at the sight of the drastically changed factory interior.

The factory Gabriel remembered was a monotonous landscape of dreary gray and black.

A bumpy concrete floor, walls made of reinforced concrete. Despite being daytime, it was dark without a single window, and the lighting consisted of just a few dim bulbs to save electricity.

Their job was to stamp out aluminum cans using machines that operated continuously amidst the black smoke emitted by the constantly running steam engines.

But… what on earth was now unfolding before Gabriel’s eyes?

The once drab concrete-gray walls had been neatly painted black and green, improving the interior atmosphere. The floor had also been coated with some kind of green paint, making the overall ambiance distinctly fresher.

The ceiling was equipped with numerous elongated bulbs (fluorescent lights) emitting considerable brightness, transforming the once gloomy machines into clean ones. Naturally, the various steam engines had also been completely revamped.

The rusty machines that had reeked of unpleasant oil were now at least outwardly quite clean, and chairs for workers had been placed throughout.

Most decisively, various machines presumed to be for ventilation and heating equipment had been installed, leaving the workers dumbfounded by the unbelievably clean and warm air.

“Hey, you lot! What are you doing standing there like idiots?!!”

But that didn’t last long. Only after a man who appeared to be a supervisor shouted something at the dazed employees did they hastily come to their senses and begin their assigned tasks.

Gabriel’s job at the factory was to move coal and feed it into the steam engines as fuel, so he started his work in earnest using the gloves he had prepared.

And a little while later.

“…Pardon?”

“Are you deaf?!! Rest, I said rest! It’s a 15-minute break starting now!!”

The employees were confronted with a drastically changed factory work environment.

※ ※ ※

“…Pardon?”

“Are you deaf?!! Rest, I said rest! It’s a 15-minute break starting now!!”

It began when the supervisor abruptly demanded that the employees, who had been working mechanically for about 45 minutes, take a break and turned off the machines.

In an era where 16-hour non-stop labor was the norm, the employees, who had never expected such a “break time,” rolled their eyes in disbelief. Regardless, the supervisor lay down on something like a reclining chair and only resumed work after 15 minutes.

The bewildered employees accepted this break with the attitude that a good thing is a good thing, but events that continued to surprise them kept occurring.

“You there! Show me your hands.”

“Y-Yes…”

“…They’re a mess! Take this! And if you need gloves, come over here quickly and get them! They’re free!”

For instance, the supervising monitor, after examining one worker’s hands, distributed strange cotton gloves from a box he had brought from somewhere. Remarkably, these gloves had rubber coating on the palm area, which was considered quite expensive.

“It’s lunchtime!! If you want to eat outside, return within an hour!!”

“…Pardon? We’re allowed to leave?”

“Of course! Just make sure to return within the allotted time!!”

Additionally, the factory owners now permitted outside meals, something previously forbidden for fear of employee desertion. Even the quality of the canned food provided as basic lunch at the factory was on a completely different level.

Originally, they would have been practically forced to purchase canned meat made of various low-quality meats thrown together and cheap hardtack. The hardtack was almost as hard as a rock, and the canned meat was disgustingly tough and fishy.

But the meals provided by the factory now cost less than half the previous price, yet the quantity was about twice as much, and the quality was extraordinary.

They were served hot stew made with rice and meat, seasoned with expensive spices like peppers and garlic.

Compared to the half-spoiled meat without even salt and hardtack, this was practically a feast. Gabriel eagerly scooped up the contents with a spoon, holding the hot can without concern.

Again, in this devastated environment, spices in general were so rare that their value was immeasurable, and food using plenty of garlic and peppers was certainly worth it.

“…We’re leaving work now?”

“Yes, and collect your bonus!!”

What surprised them even more was that the supervisor instructed them to leave at just 6 o’clock, and the daily wage they received was more than five times the usual amount.

Dazed by these phenomena that far exceeded his comprehension, Gabriel walked out of the factory and suddenly realized that his eyes were dazzled—

“—Oh.”

At that moment, Gabriel encountered a sight he had never seen before: a blue sky gradually turning red on one side, and what appeared to be flyers fluttering everywhere.

The sky, which had always been filled with pitch-black smog, now appeared incredibly blue, and as he stared blankly at the beautiful sunset beginning to form, a piece of paper flew into his hand.

Although Gabriel could read but could hardly be said to have good reading comprehension even as a polite fiction, the content of this flyer was simple enough for even him to understand—

“…Revenge… Order?”

It contained detailed information about a religious group and how that religious group had changed this world.