Another World Metal Factory

Chapter 26

“Hey! Tehez! I told you to be careful with the hand grinder! You need to put more strength in your hand!”

“So… Sorry!”

Tehez started grinding the weld with the hand grinder while listening to the Factory Manager’s scolding.

The Factory Manager frowned as he watched Tehez, who was wearing a transparent protective mask covering her entire face, carefully holding the hand grinder body and the vertical handle, grinding the weld.

The hand grinder started to vibrate and bounce slightly. Seeing that, the Factory Manager shouted.

“Put more strength in your arm! If that thing bounces, you’ll be in big trouble!”

“Ah… Okay!”

At the Factory Manager’s shout, Tehez put strength in her hands again.

Sparks started to fly along with the sound of metal grinding. The hand grinder moved more stably than before. Seeing that, the Factory Manager nodded.

“Now you’re getting the hang of it.”

The object Tehez was diligently grinding was a metal frame to be attached to a wagon wheel. Wagon wheels are originally made of wood, but the current work was to attach iron to the outside to increase durability.

Because Channing, who had been drinking all night, couldn’t wake up properly, Tehez was diligently helping with the work with her unfamiliar hands.

The sharp sound of metal grinding when the heavy hand grinder was brought to the metal, the loud noise of the motor running, and even the vibrations she felt in her hands for the first time were all bothering Tehez.

However, the unknown fear that she might get seriously hurt if she let go made Tehez more nervous and grip the hand grinder tighter. This was because she was not used to this kind of work.

The Factory Manager, who was watching Tehez, opened his mouth.

“This time, you put in too much strength! If you put too much strength in your arm, it’ll be harder. Be tense, but moderately.”

The Factory Manager spoke, but his words were lost in the noise of the machine and didn’t reach Tehez’s ears. When the weld was sufficiently ground, Tehez turned off the hand grinder and raised her hand.

After placing the stopped grinder on the workbench, Tehez rotated her shoulder. The Factory Manager approached and examined the ground area.

“See? You put in too much strength, so you ground the steel plate below the weld as well. If you’re not careful, the weld could break or the original object could be ruined.”

“Haa… It’s harder than I thought.”

“Still, you did well for this much. It’s usable.”

As the Factory Manager praised her and removed the circular frame that was clamped in the vise, Tehez smiled and wiped the sweat that had formed on her nose with her gloved hand.

“You just need to learn little by little. Do your best.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“Ugh…”

Meanwhile, Channing walked into the factory. Staggering with his whole body and unable to even properly zip up his work clothes, Channing plopped down on a chair.

The Factory Manager sighed and flicked Channing’s head.

“Oh dear. How much did you drink to be in that state?”

“Ah… Really. The Factory Manager and the others kept pouring me drinks. I thought I was going to die. I still feel like I’m going to die.”

“Oh dear. Anyway, just go inside and rest. You’ll cause an accident if you touch the machines in that state.”

“It’s okay. If I drink some water… Ugh!”

Channing jumped up from the chair and ran out the back door.

When the sound of him vomiting could be heard, the Factory Manager grimaced, and Tehez burst into laughter. Meanwhile, Illia, perhaps worried about Channing, quickly ran to the back door.

“Oh dear… That… Tehez! That guy is useless today. Grind the next one!”

“Okay!”

Tehez smiled and pulled down her transparent protective mask, then lifted the hand grinder. As the switch was turned on, the vibration was transmitted to her arm again.

While Tehez was grinding the metal, Channing and Illia came back inside the factory.

Channing entered with a haggard face, dragging his feet, and Illia sighed deeply, shaking her head. Channing looked like a zombie from a zombie movie.

Channing gasped and opened his mouth.

“Ugh… If I drink again, I’m Illia’s younger brother…”

“Stop saying weird things, brother! Seriously, you threw up all over the garden I worked so hard to cultivate!”

“Ugh… Think of it as fertilizer.”

Illia punched Channing in the waist, and Channing clutched his sore waist and sat down on the plastic chair.

“A young girl has a strong hand.”

“The problem is a grown man drinking and acting like that. Do you know how much effort I put into making that garden usable?! You didn’t even help!”

At Illia’s complaint, Channing took a gulp of water and sighed deeply.

“Channing, just go to your room and lie down! And stop talking nonsense! Or go out and clean up your vomit.”

Finally, unable to stand it any longer, the Factory Manager scolded him, and Channing struggled to get up from his chair and dragged his feet up to the second floor. The Factory Manager sighed deeply and looked at Tehez.

“Tehez, I have high expectations for you…”

“Ah… Yes…”

Tehez looked at the Factory Manager with a hesitant expression, and Illia also looked at Tehez and said,

“This is how we live. I’m so glad you came, sister.”

When Illia said that too, Tehez glanced at the stairs and looked at the Factory Manager and Illia.

“What in the world does Channing do to make everyone react like that?”

“I wish he wouldn’t cause trouble for even a day.”

“And I wish he wouldn’t play pranks.”

When the two answered at once, Tehez looked at the stairs to the second floor again.

5.

Dawn.

Inside the Red Rooster, which looked like a storm had just passed through, Chelline, the owner, sat down on a chair and groaned.

“Ugh… Seriously. Having a drinking party in the middle of the night…”

“Ah. I don’t know. I’m going to sleep… Mom.”

Chelline, completely exhausted, sighed and leaned back in her chair, and Richel went up the stairs.

“Here. Have a cup of tea.”

A moment later, another woman came out of the kitchen with a cup and Chelline reached out and took it.

“Still, it was a relief that you were here, sister. Waking up in the middle of the night because of this commotion. Ugh. And then that man just passed out. I guess we’ll have to close the shop today.”

“The people in your neighborhood are amazing too. Having a drinking party in the middle of the night.”

The person sitting across from Chelline was a woman who looked similar to her.

She looked old, but she also had a dignified air about her. She smiled and brought the teacup to her lips.

The two enjoyed a brief, quiet silence. It was the brief silence before the hustle and bustle of the morning, after the commotion of the night had died down.

The woman put down her half-empty teacup and said,

“By the way, that pot is amazing. It cooks food so quickly.”

The woman asked her younger sister Chelline while drinking tea, and Chelline also sipped her tea and answered.

“Ah. That. The black-haired man who brought the people last night, you know. He made it.”

“Really? Is he a blacksmith?”

“Hmm. He calls himself a Factory Manager. He says he’s not a craftsman like a blacksmith. Anyway, I like everything he makes. The metal dishes and beer glasses we use are also made by that Factory Manager. So is the cup you’re holding right now.”

The woman looked at the cup she was holding. The metal cup was very neat and clean.

“Really? He’s a very skilled man.”

At her older sister’s words, Chelline smiled and looked at the teacup. It was a teacup of the exact same shape as the one her sister was holding.

Chelline took another sip of tea and continued speaking to her sister.

“By the way, sister. Isn’t it okay for you to come here when your inn is busy?”

“Busy… It’s been empty for years since my husband died. I’m thinking of closing the inn and coming here soon. With Marsha. That’s what I came here to look into this time. To find out about housing prices and things like that.”

“Hmm… Your brother-in-law too… I didn’t know he would go so suddenly after having a child after more than 10 years of marriage.”

At Chelline’s words, her sister just smiled. Chelline could feel a bit of sadness in her sister’s smile.

Chelline’s brother-in-law.

Her sister’s husband was a good man, but he didn’t live long and left behind a young daughter and wife. And all that remained was an old inn.

Chelline knew well that her sister had been raising her daughter alone and keeping the inn for all these years. So, when her sister said she was going to close the inn, she felt a little sad.

Her sister looked at the teacup and opened her mouth.

“Well, that was his fate. Anyway, I might have to impose on you for a while if I come here.”

“Impose? We’re family. We’re the only ones left in the world after our parents passed away. We’ll help each other out.”

Chelline quickly said that to her sister.

“It would be great if you could come and help out at our restaurant. We’ve been quite busy lately with the increasing number of customers.”

“But your husband and Richel help you out, don’t they?”

Chelline waved her hand.

“Oh dear. Oscar is always busy drinking, and Richel is always thinking about how to avoid work and play.”

At Chelline’s words, her sister smiled and finished the tea in her cup, then stood up.

“Okay. Then let’s quickly finish cleaning up and go to bed. You must be tired too.”

“Okay.”

Chelline also replied and stood up.

“Thin metal plates, cups, and a pot that cooks food like magic. You must have paid a lot for them.”

Her sister said while collecting the empty plates, and Chelline, who was carrying the empty dishes to the kitchen, replied.

“Well, it wasn’t that expensive. The plates were about the price of three sacks of wheat, and the cups were five sacks of wheat. The pot was free meals for two months.”

“What?! These things are that price? That’s ridiculous! They’re cheaper than wooden plates?! And they’re made of metal?”

“Well… what was it… It’s not just any metal… I don’t know the name, but it’s the kind that doesn’t rust.”

At Chelline’s words, her sister was surprised and looked closely at the plate she was holding. After carefully examining the silver, shiny plate, her sister sighed and put it down.

“I think our inn would have done better if we had these. I guess I’m still attached to it even though I’m going to quit.”

Seeing her sister like that, Chelline felt a pang of sadness. She thought it was natural for her sister to be attached to the inn she had worked so hard to run.

She thought about how heartbroken she would be if she had to close her restaurant now, and it was only natural.

Chelline thought for a moment and opened her mouth.

“Hmm? Should we ask the Factory Manager? To go to your inn and take a look?”

“Would that be… possible?”

Chelline nodded.

“Well, he’s the type who works if it’s interesting. He might be interested in your inn. I’ll talk to him.”

At her younger sister’s words, her sister smiled.

“Okay. Please ask him. I hope the inn will do well, even if it’s just because of that.”

“You don’t want to quit after all, do you?”

Chelline said, and her sister nodded.

“That’s right. If it does well, I can continue running the inn.”

“Okay. I’ll tell Richel to tell the Factory Manager to go take a look. If he says he won’t go, I’ll drag him there by the collar, so don’t worry and rest for a few days before you go.”

“I have to go by lunchtime tomorrow. I need to hitch a ride on the merchant wagon that came from our village. Anyway, thank you.”

While talking like that, Chelline and her sister quickly took the remaining dishes to the kitchen.