Broken Tower Saga: The First Swordsman
Chapter 197: Operation Begins (1)

The artificial sun rose like any other day, but today it was colder than any other. The true winter was finally here, stiff wind rose from the east giving shivers to the men who left for work. But even with all that adverse situation, they still have to work and that two just when the sun rose. Even if they were not slaves literally, they were slaves metaphorically. Slaves of the system.

Even though the sun was not real, it was the only consolation they got, and it did not matter how gorgeous or beautifully it painted the world. After all, there was nothing beautiful about the place and even if there was, they were too weary and tired to look at it. All that mattered was how bright the sun was, how much warmth it could bring to them.

Three people walked on the path to the mining region of the House Rudyard. Their dresses were oily and dirty, even their face was weary and oily. Their shoulders were stiff and their spine was bent as they walked in the smog to reach the factory. The wind only got a few shivers from them and it could not stop them nor the others who were walking with a similar posture.

Abruptly, one of them stopped on the walk before getting chosen to the front gate of the mining region.

"This is my stop," the person whispered in the mist, though the sound found its way towards the other two. "Good luck." Just as the voice was lost in the smog, the figure faded into the mist as well. Only people with some superior eye quality or some supernatural sense would be able to notice the ghostly way that figure disappeared.

The other two did not stop, walked with stiff shoulders and weary bodies. There were a few other figures in the path with similar posture and clothing. All of them were approaching the gate of the mining region.

"Morning Jab, Morning Pilt," a voice said in greeting from behind the two men.

"Morning Dock," said one of the two, whose face was more rigid. He saw a few others approaching and greeted everyone else, calling out their names.

"Pilt, you looked a little out of colour today," Dock commented to the other man with an angular and weary face. Well, they all were weary with patches under their eyes and somewhat white skin that did not look natural, but the person known as Pilt was far more in that sense than they were. There was something else there, other than the usual sickly Pilt though they were too busy with themselves to notice it.

"I'm not feeling too well," Pilt said meaningfully. "I don't think I can work if this gets a little bad." Then the thin angular man started to cough and even some blood came out of his mouth and nose. He got on his knees, and then on his four limbs. Jab came to help as if expecting it.

"Maha save him," Dock said and a few others repeated. They all knew what was coming, and it was inevitable for everyone else, working here in the mining.

"You folks go on, I'll take care of him," Jab said and shouldered Pilt.

The folks left after conversing and commending Pilt for a while, and both jab and Pilt seemed to finally be relieved.

"I did not know you are this good at acting," Jab whispered, though his accent was much more different compared to before.

"How long are you working here?" Wrik asked in the voice of Pilt. He was impersonating this worker who was known as Pilt to everyone, while the person before him was not impersonating anyone else. The way Nirav was conversing with everyone else meant he was here for a while, working as a mining worker to get the information or the thing they needed.

"It had been quite long," Jab or Nirav personating as Jab whispered. He walked towards the main gate, shouldering Wrik. "Half a year or more, I reckon. If this job works out, then everything will be worth it."

Six months. Wrik sucked in a deep breath. It might not be that long, but it was enough for anyone to get the side effect of radiation poisoning. While his one arm was on the shoulder of Nirav, he looked at his face. This chill guy who seemed indifferent about everything other than alcohol was so stupidly ethical about his job. He got to see how serious they were about this gig, and how much they agreed to pay for its success.

For that reason alone, he felt the weight on his body a little heavier. he did not question the guy either about his conviction. Other than being busy with the job, he might not be able to handle it now.

Nirav sensed that, but he did not look at him. "I don't know why Master Higgs trusts you so much," he whispered. "But he thinks you are the only one who could do this job, and I'll bet everything on it."

Nirav paused for a little and liked he had more to say, but he did not. They arrived before the gate where the warders checked their identity with the retina scan.

"Your eyes looked all white, looks you do not have much time," the warder who was scanning his retina said out loud. "No problem here," he said, slapping softly on Wrik's shoulder.

Wrik looked at the warder. A little heavy man with tall stature. The face was similarly weary and unfamiliar, a little cold maybe. There was no way he could imagine this was Balat, the keeper of their inn.

They moved inside the mining area. Still, on the shoulder of Nirav, Wrik scanned the surroundings to replace how many warders or mahasayer were in place. He found few, but he believed there were far too many there. They got inside the first building that came their way, and he recalled Nirav was saying something important.

The first thing that appeared after they went through the first buildings were stairs that went down.

Nirav took the first step and said, "Your show now."

Wrik took in a breath and started coughing again, loud enough for the people in the surrounding area to hear. His cough rose even further, with the occasional blood oozing out of his mouth and nostrils. And after getting enough of the worker's attention, his legs stumbled on the stairs and he fell on the stairs.

Wrik rolled pathetically on the stair downwards and Nirav only watched it from behind. Only when he got more than a few bruises did the guy shout, "Pilt." and run after him.

.. .

A girl of late teenage years ran in the smog. Her face was dirty with dirt in her short black hair as she rushed towards the environment of the mining region owned by House Rudyard. The smog did not stop her as her eyes were on the tall chimney.

"This area is off-limits," a voice shouted abruptly as she suddenly saw a soldier with a shotgun and spear in his arms. The insignia of House Rudyard on his chest told her, she was in the right place though there was no reason why she would make a blunder there. After all, she had no trouble with direction, unlike a certain someone.

"Please, officer, help me," the girl yelled while crying. "My father, he forgot to take his medicine today. Can you help me get it to him?"

The soldier shook his head. "This is not a part of my job," he said. "Wait till evening only then you can meet your father."

"Please Officer, help me," the girl shouted, and tears and snots appeared in her eyes and noses respectively at the same time. She took out a small pouch and continued. "My father is very sick, very. If. .. if he did not have the medicine something bad might happen in the work. .. Please, Officer."

"Go back, girl," the officer said and was about to get back to his business.

Seeing the soldier leaving, the tearing girl became desperate. "Wait," she shouted and hesitantly took out a few tiny coins.

The soldier looked back at the coin. One of them was silvery, while the rests were brass or something else. It was not a lot, and It could only manage to buy him food for once, but it's still easy money. In the end, the soldier decided to help the girl.

"I'll deliver this inside," he said and walked up towards her. "What's your father's name?"

"he's called Pilt, Van Pilt." the girl said and gave the soldier the pouch containing the medicine. The soldier took all the coins and between he had not noticed or sensed his shadow moving from the girl to his shadow, enlarging it by some margin.

The soldier did not converse more, but the girl shouted again. "Please deliver that to him as soon as possible."