3.2 Picking up the Pieces

"The older girls in the orphanage did this to me once," the girl... Lise, was it? Adorably regaled her reasoning for her actions. "It helps make the bad feelings go away."

I couldn't help but weakly chuckle. I'd have to thank those girls for teaching this adorable munchkin proper soothing techniques then.

"Thanks, Lise."

"No problem, sir~" she beamed, her smile seemingly lightening up the drab room.

God... Was I actually squeeing in real life?

"I'm no sir," I snorted, mostly to myself. "I barely even qualify as a proper man at the moment."

"But you're a grown up," the petite brunette whined, her cheeks puffed up like steaming hot rice buns. "I wish I can grow up to be as big as you."

A reluctant smile showed itself on my face as I ruffled the girl's hair in gratitude and appreciation. I felt that statement of hers in my heart. It was almost enough to let me forget that it was still my fault my... parents got murdered right in front of-

*SLAM*

I sluggishly turned my head towards the telltale sound of a wooden door being slammed open. There was a guy in full armor standing on the doorway. Maybe we were being taken away now.

"Out of the room, trash!"

I sighed as I slowly forced myself off of my makeshift bed. My wounds weren't fully healed yet as far as I could tell, so I gritted my teeth in preparation for what was to come. It was no use fighting back against authority right now. No matter how much I wanted to slug this tin can's face in for calling us trash, I just didn't have the power for it at the moment. Beside me, Lise visibly looked distressed at our captor's orders.

"Let's go, Lise."

The petite girl nodded as she held onto my hand, keeping pace with me as she walked just behind me.

"Hurry up! The Empire's time is too precious for you to waste!"

"I'm injured, tin can." Fvcking idi-.

*Smack!*

"URGH!"

I tasted blood as I felt my stomach cave in at the sudden impact of his halberd's pole.

"Rouge!"

"I don't know what you just called me, Dirt Eater, but don't you dare talk back to your betters!"

My knee hit the ground as I struggled against the pain, my bandages already turning red as my wounds opened up again. At least I'm still alive, I guess.

I waved off the worried Lise beside me as I pushed myself up to stand on my own two feet once more, my knees shaking as we slowly made our way out of the shabby room. I gave the tin can a brief glare as I passed him.

He'll have his day. Of that I was sure.

"Where to next, sir?" I asked sarcastically as the armored man closed the door behind us.

"Follow, Dirt Eater."

The halberd-toting tin can didn't even spare us a glance before walking right past us towards some destination I still didn't know about. The passageway we found ourselves in was stoned to perfection, with torches lining the walls illuminating the various other doors littered throughout the hall. Seeing as we didn't have much of a choice, I led my charge behind me as we followed the tin can to wherever he wanted to lead us to.

So... Dirt Eater, huh. Haven't heard that insult in the extensive years I've surfed the internet. And here I thought I've heard of every possible insult in the book.

"Where is he taking us?" Lise asked, apprehension marring her youthful tone.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully. It wouldn't do for me to answer definitively to something I didn't know the answer to. "But we'll find out eventually."

The girl nodded, the torchlight making some of her tears shine against the dark confines of the hallway. I held her hand reassuringly, if to at least give comfort to this kid that was surely not ready for what may yet to come.

After a few moments of silence, the armored man stopped at a large door in front of us. Already, I could see an orange glow seeping underneath from the crevices as well as a residual heat emanating from the large wooden doors blocking our way.

"Go inside, Dirt Eaters," the tin can ordered, his voice booming as he stood by the door. "Make yourselves useful for the Empire."

I swallowed a lump as I pressed my hand on the wooden door. Immediately, the heat made itself known as my left palm sweated simply from laying it on the door. With a push, I slowly opened the door, the creaking sounding a tad too ominous for my liking as the identity of the room revealed itself to me.

*CLANG!! CLANG!!*

"You two will be staying here from now on. With the rest of the Dirt Eaters."

*CLANG!*

The echoes of metal beating on metal rang in my ears as I took stock of what seemed to be a medieval sweatshop from hell. Gigantic furnaces as far as the eye could see, I saw other people, probably Nenners working on their own anvils. Some were shirtless, even the few women that I could see, as sparks flew from their hammers with each swing.

Behind me, Lise did her best to hide behind what little rags I still had left on me as we let ourselves into the blisteringly hot room.

*SLAM!*

I didn't look back as the door closed behind us, only focusing on the literal hell furnace that we'll apparently be living in for the foreseeable future. Inside me, the fires of spite grew even bigger at the mere fact that I was going to be subjected to such kind of labor. But that wasn't even the worst part...

These guys were essentially 'drafting' minors into what essentially amounted to child labor!

I wiped the sweat off my brow as I led us deeper into the glorified workshop, the pain in my stomach the furthest thing on my mind as I tried to find a place for us in this oven. If this was how they treated the people that made their weapons, then I'm surprised there hadn't been a revolution yet-

I paused in my tracks, a brief flash of what I hoped to be brilliance entering my mind.

"Rouge?"

"It's nothing, kid."

A revolution... Now that was an idea I'd wholeheartedly support.

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