Chapter 59: The Miners of the Iron Mine (1)

The Master of the Iron Mine.

On the first day he was allowed to work by Jacob, the miners showed an unpleasant expression upon hearing the news.

"Is it true that Mr. Dmitri's son is going to work at the iron mine from today?"

"Roman Dmitri? Why?"

"I don't know the reason either. But for sure, he'll just pretend to work and then leave."

No one reacted positively.

It was natural.

If Roman wasn't going to provide real labor, his mere presence would be a nuisance.

He wasn't just an ordinary person but the eldest son of the Dmitri family.

As the heir of the family they served, how could he possibly work comfortably?

Predictably, the miners expressed their dissatisfaction.

Especially.

Morkan, a veteran miner, reacted particularly harshly.

"Lord Dmitri has lost all sense. It's good to educate his son as the heir, but if he had that intention, he should have done it long ago. Until now, he only cared about the blacksmiths and neglected us miners. The three heirs of the Dmitri family have been learning how to handle iron at the forge since they were young, but they have never learned how to work at the iron mine. This attitude is proof that Lord Dmitri discriminates against us."

"Isn't that a bit of a stretch?"

"Stretch? The backbone of Dmitri is the iron mine, yet all the glory goes to the forge, right?"

All this time.

Morkan had pent-up feelings.

Dmitri, known as the city of mining, was clearly dominated by miners, yet only the blacksmiths who processed the ore were recognized for their high value.

Of course, Baron Romero wasn't completely neglecting the miners. He did create a good working environment for them, but he showed a somewhat discriminatory attitude when it came to the heir.

The iron mine and the forge.

Both were the roots of Dmitri, yet the decision to send the heirs only to the forge was really not to his liking.

"Roman Dmitri might have been forced to come here to do something he doesn't want to do, but I don't intend to treat him well just because he's the son of the Dmitri family. Remember, the value of our work is determined by our attitude. So don't just bow your head and show Roman Dmitri how hard and difficult the work at the iron mine is. Only then will our voices reach the top."

"Got it."

"Morkan is right. Let's show Mr. Dmitri's son what we're made of."

Hendrick's thoughts were correct.

The stubborn miners of the iron mine.

They did not welcome Roman's presence.

* * *

Early in the morning.

Roman, dressed appropriately, headed to the iron mine.

There was no welcome ceremony for Roman.

Everyone was busy yawning from lack of sleep and putting on their hard hats with tired faces, lining up.

This was a common sight at the iron mine.

Soon, after a brief warm-up, the people followed Jacob, the master of the iron mine.

"Always remember. Safety is the top priority in the iron mine. First, second, and third, safety. We have come to this iron mine today to earn money, suppressing our fatigue. I will do my best to ensure your safety so that you can return home safely, and I hope you will follow the rules."

"Yes!"

"Understood!"

After the morning roll call.

The miners moved busily.

Roman thought he would be mining iron ore with others, but Jacob called him aside and said,

"Sir, please follow the transport team and help carry the dirt and iron ore. This is not a special favor. The task of mining iron ore cannot be entrusted to a beginner like Roman. Even if it's just a simple physical task, your help would be appreciated. If you try too hard and get hurt, it will be a problem for us. So please, work safely and carefully."

Roman's presence was as unwelcome to Jacob as it was to the others.

He agreed to let Roman work only after much persuasion, but he couldn't hide his unease while speaking.

Roman obediently followed the orders.

Here.

As Jacob said, he was just a beginner.

Roman followed the others, and after descending a long way through the mine shaft, they reached their destination.

"Come on, move quickly."

"We need to work hard to meet our quota."

Creak, creak.

The senior miners started loading the dirt and iron ore into the carts.

Roman silently helped them.

He went up to them and helped move the dirt and iron ore, and when the cart was full, he pulled it out.

From then on, it was a repetition of simple tasks.

At first, people felt uncomfortable working with Roman, but as he focused on his work, they soon returned to their own tasks.

'Surely, the system is well-organized.'

The city of mining.

It was not just a name.

People quickly carried the endless flow of dirt and iron ore, and those who loaded the carts and those who moved them worked separately.

Outside, they organized and moved the ore that was brought out to other places.

The division of labor was clear, and the safety of the mine shafts, checked during breaks, seemed to be in good condition.

Iron pillars and wooden supports were set up in various places to prevent collapse, and there were rails on the ground for pulling the carts.

Decades of history.

A place where the history of Dmitri was layered.

While working, Roman carefully observed and organized what he saw and heard in his mind.

'To plan for the future, I need to understand the land I live on. How the people of Dmitri live, how much power Dmitri has, and what I can do in this land. Experiencing the daily life of Dmitri will certainly help me.'

Experiencing daily life.

This was Roman's way.

Others might not understand why he did this, but Roman believed that this process was necessary.

On the first day, he didn't learn much.

Sweating and working, the day passed quickly, and the day at the iron mine was over.

* * *

On the third day.

Roman listened to an explanation about iron ore from a miner.

"The reason why Dmitri's iron is highly regarded is not just because it is well processed at the forge. The quality of the iron ore itself is top-notch, so people in the Kingdom of Cairo recognize the value of Dmitri's iron. And Dmitri does not trade iron ore. All the iron ore mined from the iron mine is processed and sold directly by Dmitri. Usually, there is a significant loss in the process of obtaining and distributing iron ore, but since Dmitri mines and processes the ore with the manpower of the estate, they can't help but make a lot of profit. Isn't it for a reason that your family is called a wealthy family?"

The miner's voice was full of pride as he explained.

What he said.

Was something Roman already knew.

But hearing it from a miner working on the site made him realize that the scale might be even larger than he thought.

'All the processes of obtaining and distributing materials are handled by the estate's manpower. Moreover, with the premium of top-quality iron ore and the processing by Dmitri's blacksmiths, Dmitri's iron is sold at a higher price than others. After decades of such a lifestyle, the wealth accumulated by Dmitri might be even greater than I expected. But the wealth of Dmitri is not mine. As the eldest son, there is a limit to the money I can receive, so I need to find something I can do for this land.'

It was the same as in his previous life.

Baek Jung-hyuk.

Used his status and background as the successor of the Black Sect to gain power and eventually reached the position of the Demon King.

It was no different now.

He didn't want to just wait for the crumbs that fell from his status as the heir but wanted to find something he could actively obtain.

That's why he came to the iron mine.

Dmitri's daily life would provide him with solutions, and he planned to use the results to build his own 'power.'

Something separate from the family.

Although it originated from the family, it was a foolish judgment to struggle alone with a great background.

He had many questions.

How much iron ore was stored.

What was the daily production.

Roman wanted to ask the miner more questions, but Morkan, who was passing by, showed an uncomfortable expression.

"Sir, this is not a place for idle chatter. If you want to work, do it. If you don't want to work, don't interfere with others and leave. We need to work hard to meet our daily quota."

"Hmm."

In response to Morkan's reprimand.

The miner who was talking to Roman left with an awkward look.

Morkan, thinking Roman might get angry, glared at him defiantly.

However.

"I'm sorry. I'll focus on my work."

Roman took a step back.

Perhaps because of the unexpected reaction.

Morkan couldn't take his eyes off Roman, who returned to his work.

* * *

A week had passed since he started working.

Every day, sweating profusely.

Roman worked side by side with the miners of Dmitri and learned a lot through the process.

But.

It was still not enough.

In fact, it was a problem that could have been solved through conversations with other miners, but no one was willing to approach him.

'Is this the territorial nature of this place?'

From the first day.

Roman knew he was being ostracized.

The miners intentionally kept their distance from him, and even when a few words were exchanged, others, as Morkan pointed out, interfered.

Whether it was territorial or for some other special reason, he didn't bother to find out.

No matter how much it was their territory, if they dared to ostracize the heir of Dmitri on Dmitri's land, it wasn't a problem that could be solved through conversation.

He just.

Endured it.

Since he came in to work first.

Roman chose to bow his head and work cooperatively rather than hold his head high as the heir.

Creak.

"Lunchtime. Everyone, come out!"

The break was sharp.

Baron Romero, being of commoner origin, understood the hardships of the workers and perfectly guaranteed their breaks and off-time.

At the sound of the break, people stopped what they were doing and went outside.

Roman did the same.

He didn't bring luxurious food from home but sat on the dirt floor and filled his stomach with coarse bread and soup.

At first, everyone looked at him curiously.

The food was somewhat meager for a noble young master, but Roman ate it all without a single frown.

'This is enough.'

In his previous life.

Roman had experienced even worse situations.

The Black Sect's training included a trial called the "Hunger Demon," where one had to survive a month without food, during which he ate anything he could, including insects and snakes.

Bread and soup? There was nothing better to fill his stomach adequately.

Roman stuffed the food into his mouth, and soon the soup bowl was empty.

At that moment.

Just as he was almost finished, someone plopped down in front of him.

"Can I ask you one question?"

It was.

Morkan.

When Roman nodded.

Morkan, who had been looking at Roman with a dissatisfied expression for a week, asked a personal question for the first time.

"Now I understand your sincerity. But, why are you working here?"

Over the past few days.

Morkan had to admit that Roman was different from what he thought.