Twenty-seven years

After being stunned for more than half an hour, Vallak put out a cigarette, stood up from his desk, and walked into the simple darkroom built in a small room. Without worrying about whether the exposed film would be invalid, he directly tore open the impervious fabric used to block the window.

The light shone into the room, causing the room that had never been in contact with sunlight since Valak became a photographer to have a glimmer of light again.

He pushed open the window in passing. The sky was gray, the steel mill rumbled in the distance, and the damp air was filled with a nauseating stench.

Returning to this harsh environment that he hadn't seen for a long time, Velak, who had an exceptionally cold expression, didn't change his expression at all. He only looked at the endless dilapidated slums with flickering eyes.

It was hard to believe, but he had indeed returned to two months ago.

He didn't want to think about why such a strange thing happened, because he would have died in a conspiracy that was deliberately faked as an accidental death two months later. At this moment, gratitude completely overshadowed fear.

Today was July 15th, 1433, Saturday. Saturday was his weekly rest day in his years as a photographer. July 15th was the day that changed his life.

If all of that was not a dream, tonight, a group of people from the capital, Leyzein, would find him and bring him to Leyzein to pretend to be the eldest son of the Thomas family and resolve the financial crisis.

He remembered what happened that night very clearly, so he easily estimated that in another four or five hours, the Thomas family would come to his door and take him to Razena under half-coercion.

" Nord, Dempus…" The names of two good friends appeared in Velak's mind.

When the Thomas family came, Nord and Dempsey happened to be there. Originally, the Thomas family wanted to get rid of these two people who were of no value to them to prevent the news from being leaked. However, under Velak's strong request, the two of them were taken to the capital, Lezerin, and eventually died together in that conspiracy.

Just as the names of the two people rose in his mind, there was a knock on the door.

Standing in front of the window, Vallak came back to his senses and turned around to open the door.

Outside the door was Nord, who had one hand in his pocket and the other holding his meal. He was wearing a beige windbreaker and grinning. He was four years younger than Velak and was only twenty-two this year." Dempus said he's going to take a shower first. He'll come back after he's done."

On Saturday, most workers in the Republic of Bressi could leave work a few hours earlier. As the only free time every week, Nord and Dempus would usually use this time to eat and drink in Velak's room, enjoying a rare relaxation.

"Yes." Vellak remembered what would happen to Nord and Demps in two months. He slowly took the takeaway and placed it on the long table. He reminded," Your boots are too dirty. They're all muddy. Take them off at the door."

"Being obsessed with cleanliness in a place like this is a fatal flaw, but I like it." Nord was already used to Velak's request, and he swiftly took off his boots at the door. After walking in barefoot, he caught a glimpse of the light from the window." Why did you open the window?"

"I'm going to seal it again while I'm resting," Vallak, whose mind was in a mess, casually prevaricated.

"Oh." Nord didn't suspect anything. He sat at the table and looked around." Where's the wine I brought the other day?"

"Above, find it yourself." Vellak sat in front of his desk, smoking.

Nord got up and found a bottle of wine he had brought a few days ago on the partition. He poured half a glass and drank it leisurely." Why do I feel like you have a lot on your mind?"

"You're thinking too much." Vellak shook his head slightly, thinking about whether he should escape this place to avoid another tragedy.

"Is that so?" Nord held a glass of wine in one hand and rested his other hand on the back of the chair. He crossed his legs and looked at Velak's back.

Soon, Dempsey arrived.

Dempus was thirty years old this year. He was a robust youth with a thick beard. Like most of the people in the slums of Zward City, he worked as a steelmaker in the nearby steelworks. If he wanted to have dinner with Vallak after work, he had to take a shower first. Otherwise, Vallak, who was a bit of a germaphobe, would mercilessly reject him.

Three tall men squeezed into the small room, instantly making it even more crowded. Although it was difficult to even turn around, no one complained. This was because the area was only seven to eight square meters, but the annual rent was as high as 2,400 copper grams, which was equivalent to two-fifths of Valak's annual income. It was already the best living environment in the slums.

The layout of this palm-sized place was very simple. There was a slender table on the left side of the door, and two high chairs were placed beside the table. On the right was a bed that contained a desk and wardrobe. In front of him was a simple dark room for developing photos, which was close to the window and occupied nearly half of the room. The area was tightly covered with impervious cloth.

Everyone in the slums envied and envied everything that Velac had. In fact, as long as he entered the door, he could see everything at a glance. It was as if he could see his entire life from there.

Vellak also moved the chairs in front of the desk, just enough for the three of them to sit.

Tonight's dinner was rye pie and cabbage soup. The price was average, six grams for three people.

"Oh right, the newspaper." When he was about to eat, Nord suddenly remembered something. He took out a few folded newspapers from his windbreaker pocket and handed them to Velak.

The newspaper was the only medium for Velak to understand the outside world.

Ever since Nord became a waiter in a restaurant in Zward City, he would bring a few newspapers left by customers for him to read every day.

Of course, newspapers were also sold in the slums, but it was not as cost-effective as Nord getting free ones. Moreover, the slums only had Zwod Daily, while the city had Bressi Business News, Political Weekly, World News, Western News, and other well-known newspapers. The things published by the two were on a completely different level.

Velak held the newspaper, but he couldn't concentrate on reading the contents. Because there was not much time left, he had to make an important decision that would completely affect the rest of his life before the Thomas family came.

Nord enthusiastically poured a glass of wine for Dempus, and the three of them started eating.

" What?" Nord glanced at Velak, who was reading the newspaper." Look at your life. It makes me want to rent a single room too."

"Isn't the single room opposite Vellak still empty?" Dempus asked as he gobbled down his food. But can you fork out so much money?"

"If I work hard at the restaurant, I should be able to earn 6,000 copper grams a year. If I save some money, I can rent a single room." Nord looked like he was calculating carefully, trying to make his idea look mature and feasible.

"That's what you say, but you won't be able to save it." Dempsey snorted heavily, dismissive.

He knew very well that Nord was a spendthrift. It was impossible for him to save 400 grams, let alone 2,400 grams.

"Then…let's think about it." 2,400 copper grams was not a small amount for them. Nord hesitated for a moment, took a sip of wine, and comforted himself." Actually, the room for eight people is not bad. It's only 800 copper grams a year. Other than the accommodation, which part of my food, drink, and clothes are not good enough?"

Upon hearing this, Vallak, who had been silent, sneered and interjected,"The economic newspaper published a set of data. Last year, the average annual income of Blesi was 151 grams of gold, which was 15,100 grams of copper. You haven't even reached half of the per capital income, and you still think you're living a good life?"

"At least it's not bad in our slums. If you compare me to those rich people in the city, you're far from it." Nord retorted awkwardly.

Hearing this, Vallak froze.

" Speaking of which, you're a high-income person here. We don't even have to pay for our photos..." Nord said with a smile.

Before Velak could say anything, Dempsey cut in first." Come on, I can't even take a photo once a year. I'm not as smug as you. You come here to take photos every time." If Vallak really gives you a free meal, I'm afraid you'll have to return to an eight-person room next month..."

After dinner, Nord and Dempus drank and talked about the new things that happened in the slums today. Velak took the basin to the bathroom to wash up.

As soon as he stepped out of the door, he could smell the smoke, alcohol, sweat, and vomit in the corridor. The smell mixed together was nauseating. It had been difficult for Vallak to adapt to it, and now it was even more difficult to accept.

And this feeling of vomiting was even more intense when he entered the water room.

Because the bathroom was connected to the toilet, the smell of vomit, feces, and urine came from here. Therefore, the smell here was several times stronger than in the corridor, almost reaching the limit of human tolerance.

After washing up and enduring the stench, Vellak quickly returned to the house with a basin. In the house, Nord, who was drunk, was arguing loudly with Dempsey about who should pay for the dinner that cost six grams.

The noise in his ears, the lingering stench of the corridor, the simple and narrow room, the end of his life…

Velak, who had lived in the capital Lezerin for two months, could not stand such a life, even if he lived in the best environment in the slums and was engaged in almost the best job in the slums.

In the midst of the argument, he quietly took out six coppers to pay for the meal. Velak, who had originally considered escaping the slums to avoid being found by the Thomas family, decided to stay here and wait for the Thomas family to find him.

This was the most dangerous choice, and the only choice he could make to change his unchanging life.