Another World Metal Factory

Chapter 38
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“We’re back!”

“We’re back!”

Kerta and Porta shouted loudly as they entered the tent, and Palamar, who was cooking, greeted them warmly.

“Mom! Mom! Channing fixed the watermill!”

“Fixed it!”

“Oh my, you two! Did you ask a guest to do that?”

Palamar shouted, but the twins burst into laughter and ran into the house, jumping into Kapuntar’s arms.

Kapuntar, who was drinking, was taken aback by the sudden attack of his daughters and fell backward, embracing them.

“Dad! The watermill is fixed!”

“Fixed it!”

“Oh?! He fixed it? Is it working properly?”

Kapuntar, his face flushed red, asked as he sat up, still holding his daughters, and Kerta and Porta nodded.

“Channing fixed it? He didn’t break it?”

“Factory Manager-nim… I’ve learned a thing or two, you know,”

“And I helped too.”

Channing said with a smile, and Tehez added, causing the Factory Manager to burst into laughter.

“Well, I suppose it would have been better with Tehez around.”

“Factory Manager-nim!”

“Hahahahahahaha!”

Channing yelled in frustration, and the Factory Manager started laughing again.

After laughing for a while, the Factory Manager asked Channing,

“So, did you satisfy the customer?”

Channing smiled at the Factory Manager.

“You can tell by looking at the twins’ faces.”

The Factory Manager glanced at Kerta and Porta, who were talking with Kapuntar, and took the glass of alcohol from Channing’s hand.

“You finally managed to contribute something! So, how much did you charge for the labor?”

The Factory Manager asked as he poured more alcohol into his glass, and the smile disappeared from Channing’s face. Seeing this, the Factory Manager burst into laughter and brought the glass to his lips.

“You idiot! You’re still half-baked! Hahahaha! I’ll deduct the cost of materials from your salary, so keep that in mind!”

“Uh… uh… no. Factory Manager-nim! That’s, uh…”

“Hahahaha! Channing’s face is hilarious!”

“Hilarious!”

Kerta and Porta burst into laughter at the sight of Channing sweating and pleading. Tehez also scratched her head with a look that said she had forgotten.

While everyone was laughing, Palamar approached.

“Now, everyone stop that and let’s eat.”

Palamar placed a huge iron pot next to them. It was a large iron pot with hot steam rising from it. A thick, red liquid was bubbling inside the pot.

“Now, let’s talk while we eat.”

“Let’s do that!”

The Factory Manager replied to Kapuntar’s words, and Tehez, Channing, Kerta, and Porta also brought cushions and sat around together. Palamar handed out earthenware bowls to everyone.

The earthenware bowls were filled with the thick food that had been boiling in the pot. It was a stew-like dish with a reddish hue.

“This smells a bit spicy, doesn’t it?”

The Factory Manager said, sniffing the aroma, and Palamar smiled and said,

“Do you like spicy food? It’s called Posole, made with corn, vegetables, and lots of meat, all simmered with a spicy kick. You can eat it with bread.”

“Mom’s Posole is delicious.”

“Delicious.”

Kerta and Porta replied to Palamar’s words, and the Factory Manager scooped up a spoonful of Posole with a wooden spoon. A slightly thick and spicy taste spread throughout his mouth.

“Whoa! This is a bit spicy!”

“Haa… It’s really spicy.”

While Tehez and Channing were surprised by the spiciness, the Factory Manager smiled brightly and brought the Posole to his mouth again. A spicier taste than Borscht spread throughout his mouth.

“Wow! This! Yes! If it’s going to be spicy, it should be this spicy! This is great!”

The Factory Manager exclaimed in admiration, chewing on the bread and scooping up more Posole.

The Factory Manager was tasting something familiar in the food of this world. It was the feeling of a rich and thick meat broth, like Yukgaejang or Bone Hangover Soup.

Of course, he could sense a slightly different aroma and texture from the spices, but the similar taste made the Factory Manager feel good.

Seeing the Factory Manager enjoying the Posole, Kapuntar burst into laughter and offered him a glass of alcohol.

“I’m glad you like it! Here’s a drink!”

The Factory Manager also raised his glass and took a sip.

The slightly sweet and tingling corn Takju blended with the spicy flavor in his mouth, further enhancing the savory taste. It was a combination that any Korean would love.

The Factory Manager also enjoyed eating spicy Bone Hangover Soup with Soju or Makgeolli, made with chopped Cheongyang peppers.

Since he was drinking a similar alcohol with similar food, the Factory Manager felt even better than before.

“Kyaaah! This is it! This is really good!”

“You’re handling the spice well.”

“It’s spicy, but it’s quite delicious. The chewy corn and vegetables are also tasty.”

Channing replied to the Factory Manager’s exclamation, and Tehez also commented on the taste of the Posole.

“It’s less spicy and tastes better when eaten with this bread.”

“I see. By the way, can I have a drink too?”

Channing, responding to Tehez’s words, spoke to the Factory Manager and Kapuntar. The Factory Manager and Kapuntar burst into laughter and filled a new earthenware bowl with alcohol, handing it to Channing.

“Here! Have a drink, young Elf!”

“Wow, this smells quite nice.”

Channing raised the glass with a smile and took a sip.

After cautiously taking a sip, Channing widened his eyes for a moment, looked at the alcohol, and then, with a bright smile, gulped it all down.

Channing, who had finished the alcohol that filled the rather large earthenware bowl, put down the glass with a sound that resonated from his throat.

“Wow! This is good!”

“Hahaha! You like it? Here, have another glass and try it with the stew.”

The Factory Manager said, pouring more alcohol with a ladle, pleased with Channing’s reaction, and Channing took a large spoonful of the stew and immediately drank the alcohol. Then, he frowned and let out a deep sigh.

“Ohhh… This is it. This is it! This is the food meant for this alcohol!”

“Hahahaha! I didn’t know an Elf would appreciate this taste! Here, have another glass!”

Kapuntar, seemingly pleased with Channing’s reaction, filled his glass again with a ladle full of alcohol.

Channing smiled and grabbed the glass. Just like that, he had downed three glasses of Takju in an instant. The Factory Manager and Kapuntar chuckled at the sight.

“Good! Now that it’s kicking in, let’s drink properly!”

“We were already drinking properly, you fool. If you keep drinking because it tastes good, you’ll be in trouble.”

“Alright! Honey! Bring another bottle of alcohol! We’re going to have a real drink today.”

At Channing and the Factory Manager’s words, Kapuntar shouted, and Palamar, tearing off a piece of bread, shouted back.

“Oh my. You guys are always crazy about alcohol!”

“The Factory Manager-nim and Channing are the same. Men can’t resist alcohol.”

Tehez also chimed in with Palamar’s exclamation, and the two burst into laughter.

“Hey… I’ll go get it.”

Kapuntar clicked his tongue at the sight and got up to get the alcohol himself, while Channing emptied the rest of the alcohol into his mouth.

5.

As evening approached, the Factory Manager stepped out of the tent and shook hands with Kapuntar.

“Thank you for the hospitality today.”

“No, I enjoyed it too. But I apologize that the young man who came with you ended up in that state.”

Kapuntar looked at Channing.

Channing, completely limp, was hanging onto Kerta and Porta’s arms. Kerta and Porta were holding his arms from both sides, and Channing could barely stand, unable to control his body properly.

The Factory Manager glanced at Channing, who was completely drunk, and sighed.

“It’s his fault for drinking so much of that Sitting Down Alcohol. Don’t worry about it.”

“Haha… Then I hope to see you again.”

“Yes, let’s go fishing together again sometime.”

The Factory Manager and Kapuntar finished their greetings and left the village. Channing, still unconscious, was being dragged away by Kerta and Porta.

“He’s an interesting fellow.”

“Indeed. He’s different from other humans. The young people who came with him are also good.”

Kapuntar replied to Palamar’s words and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

“By the way, since the watermill is fixed, shall we go take a look?”

Palamar gently pushed Kapuntar’s arm away and moved into the tent.

“We need to clean up quickly. I have to do the dishes too.”

Kapuntar quickly wrapped his arms around Palamar’s waist and lifted her up as she was about to enter the tent.

“Oh my! What are you doing?!”

“Come on, I’ll do the dishes later. Let’s go see it. Like old times.”

“Honestly, you’re drunk!”

Palamar burst into laughter as Kapuntar carried her on his back and walked.

“Alright, alright. I’ll walk, so put me down.”

Only then did Kapuntar put his wife down.

******

The two slowly walked into the forest.

The sun was gradually setting, painting the sky with colors, and the forest was exuding an even more mystical aura. It was getting darker, but for the Orcs who lived in the forest, it was nothing.

Just like that, the two arrived at the stream where the watermill was located.

“Is it fixed properly?”

“It seems to be. The axle has been replaced with iron.”

“To use iron even for this… Humans are truly amazing.”

Kapuntar replied to Palamar’s words, looking at the axle, and Palamar climbed up and pulled out a wooden plank. Water flowed out, and the watermill began to turn.

Kapuntar admired the watermill as it creaked and turned.

“Whew! That Elf youngster fixed it splendidly!”

“Indeed. It’s turning well. Now it’ll be much easier to grind corn and flour. The women of the village will all be happy.”

Palamar climbed down and entered the watermill house. Kapuntar followed her inside.

The creaking sound of the turning watermill echoed, and Kapuntar approached the gear that had been broken.

“Wow… This is also made of iron.”

“Then it’ll be even more durable.”

“Durable is good.”

Kapuntar moved the handle to engage the gears. As the gears meshed, the large millstone began to turn.

“It seems like the speed has increased?”

“He added something to the axle. I guess that’s why.”

Palamar marveled at the speed of rotation. It felt like it was turning faster than the old one.

“He must be quite skilled. That black-haired man.”

“I suppose so. His apprentice is this skilled. He said he came to fix the inn as well.”

“Come to think of it, wasn’t the person who built this watermill also a human? He also had black hair.”

Kapuntar shrugged at Palamar’s words.

“Well, my father said that craftsman was very skilled, but that was when my father was young. It couldn’t be the same person.”

“True. This has been here since we were born.”

Palamar approached the handle and pulled it down. The connected gear disengaged, and the turning millstone stopped. The grinding sound ceased, and only the sound of the axle turning remained.

“Anyway, it’s good that it’s fixed. It broke down badly last year, and we thought we couldn’t do anything about it.”

“We tried to fix it little by little, but we had our limits. We definitely need proper tools.”

As Kapuntar’s expression hardened, Palamar approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Now, now, stop worrying and let’s go home. The sun is about to set.”

Palamar pulled Kapuntar’s hand, but he didn’t budge. She pulled harder, but Kapuntar still didn’t move.

Palamar frowned slightly and looked at him, and Kapuntar smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Oh my! What’s gotten into this Orc?!”

“It would be a shame to leave after coming all the way here. It brings back memories.”

Palamar burst into laughter at the sight of Kapuntar’s mischievous smile.

******

The sun was setting, and darkness descended upon the forest.

The creaking sound of the still-turning watermill continued to echo softly.