Getting over it
The next day, I wake up to Rayla shaking me awake, “Hey oko, good morning. It’s five a.m., time for breakfast.”
“Already? Cough“
“Yeah, but if it’s too hard to get up you can just keep sleeping.”
“No, it’s fine. I need to get to work.”
“Are you sure? You don’t look that great…”
“I’m fine, just tired and sore.”
“Is the work not too hard?”
“It’s fine…I would have no problem with it if it was me before I reincarnated, but now I get tired so easily. The problem isn’t really the work, it's just staying up for that long…”
“I see…Well, don’t push yourself too much okay?”
“I won’t. Cough Where is Scarlet?”
“In the bath, she should be done soon.”
“Let’s go eat breakfast then.”
It’s a bit hard to get up because I’m so sore but after a minute or so I finally manage to stand up and we sit down at the breakfast table where Sher Aka and John are already waiting.
“Yo Thoma Ahad, you look like absolute shit.”
“Thanks John, those are just the words I need to hear, haha. Cough”
“Seriously though, are you okay? You’ve been coughing the entire night.”
“Yeah, apparently it’s pretty normal when you work as a shoveler.”
“Huh…So what exactly do you do there all day?”
“I shovel iron ore into one of the furnaces.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah. cough”
He seems impressed, “Damn, no wonder you’re exhausted, that sounds both monotonous and tough.”
“Eh, it is what it is.”
Sher Aka speaks up, “Were you able to find anything out?”
“Nope, they weren’t there yesterday. The only thing I found out is that the job is a debt trap and they’re exploiting people cough by making groceries and such cost way more than they earn.”
“I see, how about your cover? Does anyone suspect you?”
“Nope. cough Most of the people there don’t look at me twice and the ones I work with didn’t seem like they thought I was weird in any way.”
“That’s good. We didn’t find out anything more than what Mr. Clarkson told us either.”
Looking at the clock, I quickly eat my breakfast, a big plate of sausage, bacon and eggs and when I’m about half way done, Scarlet comes into the room, “Good morning Rose! Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah, you?”
“Great of course! How could I not sleep well next to my baby sister?”
“Pfft, am I really that soothing to be around? Cough cough”
“Of course! There is nothing more calming than sleeping next to you!”
I give her a big hug and say, “Thank you manya, I really like sleeping with you as well.”
John then spits out his tea “Pfft, cough cough.”
And Scarlet in an annoyed tone tells him, “Get your mind out of the gutter, you know what she meant,” She then brushes through my hair and says, “I love you Rose.”
“Thank you, manya. And thank you for being my sister.”
“Pfft, there is no need to thank me for that, it’s just how things are, kikikiki.”
I shake my head, “If we were just blood related I wouldn’t think of you as my sister. Cough You’re trying really hard for me and you care a lot. You could have just left me alone or treated me coldly but you don’t do that, you’re a really warm person. So…From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being my sister, I know it’s not easy. cough cough”
“Daaw…Rose, thank you so much. It makes me feel really happy and proud that you feel like this. You’re making it really hard for me to let you go into the factory again.”
“Should I try to say something mean then to make it easier for you, haha? Cough”
“Pfft, sure be as mean as you can.”
“Really? As mean as I can? Are you sure?”
She has a mischievous grin on her face, “Sure, give me your best, kikikiki.”
“Hmm…As mean as possible…”
“...”
“I regret having you, you’re nothing but trouble. Cough Why couldn’t your brother have been born from her? Your mother doesn’t deserve a child like you. Cough You’re a shame to this family, now leave my sight. I wish to be with my real children.”
There is an awkward silence as Scarlet, Sher Aka and John look at me with a shocked expression interrupted by Rayla who asks, “What did he say? I only understood like half of it.”
John quickly answers her, “Something really fucked up, I’ll tell you later.”
“Rose…Did someone say that to you?”
“Said what?”
“What you just told me.”
“Huh? Sorry, I don’t remember it.”
Sher Aka interjects, “Then it probably wasn’t that important…Anyways, don’t you need to go work?”
“Shoot, you’re right! Cough I’ve got to go, see you later.”
I then quickly put my work clothes on and leave, arriving about ten minutes before work starts at the factory where Roland and Jerry approach me and Jerry jokes, “Yo Tom, you’re kinda shit with money aren’t you?”
“Hmm? What do you mean? ”
“Aw come on, I saw you go with that prostitute yesterday.”
“Prostitute? Who are you talking about?”
“The fox girl. With the six tails?”
“That wasn’t a prostitute, she’s my big sister. cough”
Roland then bellows out a roaring laughter and slaps Jerry on the back, “You just can’t go a day without making yourself look bad.”
“Wh-That obviously wasn’t my fault! How am I supposed to know that’s his sister? They don’t look related.”
“Well…You’re right that we aren’t siblings by blood but we are siblings of the heart.”
Rolan puts his hand on my shoulder, “Don’t mind him Tom, the kid’s about as sharp as a doorknob. Did you meet the fox sister in the slums?”
“No but she did help me get out of it. I'm really thankful to her.”
“You’re a real family man, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess I am, haha. Cough cough”
The bell then rings and we go through the brief of the night shift. After that’s done we get to work. The bad air together with me being sore makes the work a lot more exhausting and painful. When the bell rings and the first three hours are over I already feel half dead. But seeing Scarlet in the break room makes me feel a little better.
“Thoma, how are you doing? You look horrible.”
“Well, to be honest I don’t feel great but I’m still okay cough. Seeing you already made me feel better, haha. Cough cough”
“Alright…Do you want to stop working?”
“No, I think I can do this.”
“Okay, here I brought you food. I saw they had some pig hearts so I brought you three and some vegetable sandwiches.”
“Thank you manya! Cough cough”
I then open the lunchbox Scarlet brought me and while everything looks well assembled the hearts seem to be still raw, “Uhm did you forget to cook the hearts? cough”
She smiles, “Nope, they taste better raw. Personally I like to eat them like an apple but in case you want them cut into pieces I also brought some cutlery.”
“Oh, no, that's fine. Cough I want to try them how you like them. Cough cough.”
“Alright…I’ll come back and visit you for your lunch nap then.”
“Okay, see ya then, manya. Cough”
“Yeah…Make sure you take a break early if it gets too much.”
“Will do! Cough cough.”
Scarlet then gives me a hug and leaves. Trying the pig hearts they taste great! I especially like the fatty parts. Looking around though it seems like I’m the center of attention, “Is something wrong? Cough cough”
Jerry answers, “Bro, you’re eating raw pig hearts. Of course they’re staring. It’s one thing to be frugal but this is hardcore.”
“They’re good though cough. Would you like to try one? Cough cough”
“No thanks, how about you? I don’t have much either but my food is at least cooked.”
“Oh no you don’t have to cough.”
“No, seriously it’s fine. Here have some fish.”
He then puts some cooked fish in my lunch box and shortly after, different guys walk by and put a bit of their food in my box, completely ignoring me when I tell them they don’t have to. In the end I end up with a big pile of different food which I gladly eat, trying to be careful not to eat any of the garlic and onion bits.
“Hey Jerry, can you eat garlic and onions? cough cough”
“Yeah, why?”
“Do you want to eat the rest of my dishes then? cough Garlic and onions are poisonous to my race and I don’t want the food to go to waste. cough cough”
“Oh, sure yeah, I’ll eat it. What kind of race are you?”
“I’m mixed. Cough”
“Well yeah, obviously. I’m not blind. What I mean is what’s in you?”
“I’m not sure but I think my grandma was a lizard beastkin. cough ”
“Aren’t you from Berk? I thought lizard beastkin are from the warmer regions?”
“Uh…Yeah, I told you already that my parents live far away right? cough”
“Oh yeah that’s right, you did mention that.”
The bell then rings, saving me from deeper probing into the matter.
Despite being well fed, the work is extremely challenging. About two hours in, it feels like I’m about to pass out but I still continue on another fifteen minutes when suddenly I give off a glow and I feel less exhausted.
Jerry taps me on the shoulder, “Nice, minor boost endurance?”
“No, moderate. cough”
“Damn, you don’t have a very healthy body huh. Either way, good job, you should feel better now.”
“Yeah, a little cough cough.”
We continue to work for another hour until I notice that I’m bleeding out my nose, quite heavily at that.
Roland, noticing this, pulls me to the side, “Go take a break until the bleeding stops. You’re not useful to us like this.”
“Alright cough cough.”
I walk to the bathroom, wash my face and apply pressure to my nose. About fifteen minutes later the bleeding stops, I clean myself off and return to work and after another two hours of exhausting work the bell rings.
Going back to the break room I ask Jerry, “Do I still have any blood on my face cough? Do I smell of blood? cough cough”
“No and probably not. It would be really hard to tell since we stink off iron.”
“Okay perfect, please don’t tell my sister about it, I don’t want her to worry.”
“No problem, our lips are sealed.”
Entering the breakroom, Scarlet approaches me, “Hey how are you doing? You look a little less exhausted but still pretty sick.”
“Yeah, I’m getting better. cough I unlocked moderate boost endurance so it’s easier now.”
She seems angry, “So you were pushing yourself! To your limit at that!”
“I…Uhm…cough I guess. Cough But the work is a lot easier now! Cough cough ”
She crosses her arms,“No, I’m taking you back.”
I plead, “Please don’t Scarlet! cough cough I’m better now that I have the boost. Please let me try at least another day. cough cough If I’m still not good tomorrow when you visit me I’ll stop. Cough”
“Just listen to yourself, you're coughing really bad and you don’t look great either.”
“But you said it yourself that I look less exhausted, right? cough cough So, please give me another chance. I just want to help. cough cough”
“Sigh…Fine, I’ll let you try a little longer but If you don’t improve by my first visit tomorrow I’m getting you out of here.”
“Alright, thank you, manya. cough cough”
“Yeah, yeah, now go to sleep.”
“Alright. Cough Oh! Before I forget, could you buy some chocolate with the money I made yesterday?”
“Sure. Now go to sleep.”
“Okay. cough cough”
I then take a nap and an hour later go back to work. The work is still very hard but it goes a little better than before. When the bell rings a final time I wait for my money, leave and manage to walk back to the inn before passing out in bed.