Chapter 75 Beta Tester
Baron Mikhail became a monster of capitalism.
The naivety of the past and the appearance of worrying every day for the prosperity of the territory disappeared somewhere, and his face was full of greed as he exploited the adventurers he had captured through slave contracts.
“As you said, thanks to the iron ore that pours out every day from the mines of Pagon Mountain, the economic situation of the territory is more prosperous than ever before. Incomparable to the past, many merchants pack bundles of gold and knock on the door of our manor every day.”
Iron ore piled up like a mountain on one side. A group of upper ranks that seem to have come from all over the continent. The group of upper ranks, each engraved with a different pattern, was busy moving iron ore to their wagons here and there.
“Looking at the scale, I don't think it would be possible to simply lure a few adventurers... What happened?”
Mountains of iron ore piled up in storage as if to symbolize the incomparable output. Looking at it, Jaeyoung asked with a suspicious face, and Baron Mikhail said with an evil smile.
“I was inspired by your words. The fact that what sustains our territory is the works made by true master craftsmen, not the half-baked idiots who rush to become blacksmiths. Other than them, in the end, they are just people who waste iron ore and make trash.”
“That means...”
“If you want to be exempted from paying taxes that these guys who can't even earn their own bread will never be able to pay, ask them to help in digging for iron ore. Thanks to them, the price of iron ore has stabilized, and the workshops run by artisans have disappeared, so I like them even more.”
Baron Mikhail's skill at eliminating all competitors and using them as labor to produce iron ore for the artisan's workshop was, surprisingly, quite effective.
“We've been hearing opinions about the relocation of master craftsmen's workshops scattered here and there. It's not all, but I'm going to select those who are worth it and bring them all.”
Territory is becoming economically richer than ever by giving all sorts of benefits to skilled artisans and providing convenience to large merchants. Of course, it was affluence that came from the bloody tears of those who suffered in the swamp of exorbitant taxes and were degraded to slaves digging iron ore without being able to escape, but few people paid attention to them.
“...Your lord, you were a scarier person than I thought.”
That tenacity to extract everything that can be extracted without blood or tears in pursuit of profit. When this was combined with that feudal idea of wielding authority over the lords' migration and freedom of occupation, claiming that they had the freedom to choose their occupation, a terrifying monster was created.
“What's wrong? didn't you tell me ‘Those who don't work, don't eat', ‘Those who do worthless things don't work', ‘Those who pretend to work should be punished'. I'm running the manor according to the advice you gave me. Is it not the tragedy created by the early capitalist era that caused the workers' uprising in the past ?
His ideology that makes a revolution come just by hearing it. However, Tan eagerly wrote down the story of Baron Mikhail somewhere and scratched Jaeyoung.
“Big. Aren't these the gems that every devil should know? Yes, that's what exploitation is all about. A mire that you slowly fall into without even realizing it and can't get out of it. That way you can corrupt humans.”
Looking at Tan muttering to himself what impressed him so much and writing down something quickly, Jaeyoung, who felt uncomfortable, quickly changed the topic of conversation while clearing his throat.
“First of all, I want to deal with the purpose of my coming here.”
The purpose of Jaeyoung's return to Baron Mikhail's estate. It was to meet a mysterious preliminary helper who was supposed to be in the Pagon Mine. And at Jae-young's request, Baron Mikhail had a slightly puzzled look on his face, but he readily accepted his request.
“I have already sent someone to the mine side. It's a little while, but if you ask, you'll be able to meet the miners working in the mine one by one.”
“Thank you.”
“I don't know what the reason is, but since I stopped by the manor, I'd like to stay for a while. See you again soon.”
Meanwhile, Baron Mikhail leaves somewhere while being waited on by an attendant to see if he has something else to do. He had been a little generous before, but now he had become so bloated that he led his body and waddled away somewhere. And as soon as Baron Mikhail left, Tan spoke to Jaeyoung in an urgent voice.
“Hey, master. Did you expect this to happen and gave such advice? How the hell did you come up with this inhuman, demonic, evil idea of not eating a bastard who doesn't work? huh? hey master Say something.”
A human more than a demon. The source of evil that corrupts normal humans to the bottom.
Jaeyoung, who was suddenly treated like that, stopped seeing it. It was a fleeting moment, but it was the look of El who was looking at him with contempt.
* * *
Caang. Caang.
The sound of a pickaxe echoing loudly here and there. After entering the Pagon Mine, Jaeyoung was shocked to see how different he was from before and couldn't close his open mouth.
“Can’t you move quickly? If I don’t fill my quota today, I know there will be no dinner!”
“it hurts? What to do if you are sick Shall I give you some medicine? You are going out for whip treatment, you bastard!”
“Hey there kid! Do you think I'll look after you when you're young? You are my special watch. Do it right.”
Numerous miners, shackled to their feet, wearing pickaxes in mostly worn-out rags. All of them were silently wielding pickaxes with dying faces on their faces.
“Wow...”
What Jaeyoung felt while looking at this place was just the scene of a crime. In the feudal society of the Middle Ages, it would be accepted as a matter of course, but in terms of the concept of a general democratic citizen enjoying the culture of modern society, if this was the case in reality, there was nothing to say about kicking a shackle right away, and the harsh labor that takes place in such an environment. If anyone was curious about the life of the slaves, Jaeyoung wanted to show the scene he was watching.
“From child labor to exploitation of the sick, to slavery... They eat the soul to the very end...” A
harsh working environment that made me wonder if this place was hell. Seeing a child who seemed to be less than 10 years old groaning and dragging a wagon the size of her own body made the revolution inevitable. And then, a middle-aged man appeared from somewhere and greeted Jae-young.
“Khehehe. hello. My name is Shylock, the manager of this mine.”
A man in a relatively luxurious outfit, introducing himself as Shylock and appearing with his waist stretched out. As soon as he saw Dex, he came over and rubbed his hands and guided him through the mine.
“By making the most of the methods Dex taught us, we have maximized the mine's output more than ever before. A mine that digs out such a large amount of iron ore is probably the first mine in the history of the continent.”
Shylock, proudly showing him this hotbed of exploitation. At his words, Jaeyoung wanted to refute even a little bit.
“No, it's not because of me, it's just because you guys treated me so inhumanly...”
“I too was very impressed by Dex-sama's words that workers are always beings who need to be squeezed. In fact, when I squeezed it to the point where I wondered if I could squeeze it this much, more hidden water came out! After all, that insight is amazing!”
“No, when the hell did I say that...”
“We are planning to install a monument next month at the entrance of the mine with Dex's name and gem-like quotes engraved on it. Dex-nim's view of management and personnel management will be deeply engraved in the hearts of future generations of managers and will be put into practice!”
“.....”
Shylock sets out to permanently stuff the evidence that he is the source of these heinous crimes. When you're thinking about how to do this. Jaeyoung noticed a mark on the head of a pickaxe man from far away. The naked sign he saw above Angelina's head. Seeing that, Jaeyoung asked Shylock.
“Who is that person over there?”
A boy in his mid-teens who works harder than anyone else with a handcuff. A number of guards with a particularly threatening impression gathered around him.
“Ah, you mean our Official Slave Number One.”
“Official Slave No. 1...?”
“I am the first adventurer who did not consider it an honor to work in our mine and dared to flee to another territory and was captured again. I’m setting an example and rolling harder than any other adventurer.”
At the word adventurer, Jae-young carefully looked at his back. And his eyes lit up as he dug up iron ore faster than any other miner.
‘At that speed... At least rank 5 or higher.....'
Jae-young, who has experience in mining himself. That's why he was able to be sure that he was not an ordinary miner just by looking at those skilled movements. That's also because the amount of iron ore falling here and there was more than twice that of other miners whenever his pickaxe hit.
“Can I speak to the author?”
“That bastard will continue to be pampered for a long time... Yes? Why are you doing this...”
Shylock asks with a puzzled look at Jaeyoung's words that he wants to talk. However, Jaeyoung, who continues to watch him with curious eyes, did not give an answer to his question.
“Hey Slave Number 1. It's a short break! Come here!”
rest.
The boy flinched at those words and stopped the pickaxe. He turned his face, covered in sweat and dust, to look at Shylock, who had called him, and Jaeyoung, who was standing next to him.
“What's going on, Administrator...”
A user who plays Arcadia. However, for some reason, he was held as a slave in the mine and devoted himself to endless mining every day. If you are a normal user, you probably quit the game early, but I was curious about why you did not give up and took the life of a slave every day in it, so Jae-young showed his teeth and said with a bright smile.
“Would you like to talk to me?”
“who....?”
A boy with a puzzled look at the sudden appearance of a user who wants to talk to him. Jaeyoung whispered softly to him.
“The one who will give you freedom.”
* * *
The first slave in the Hellven Mine.
It was a 15-year-old boy named Lee Joong-sik who signed a slave contract called an exclusive contract and fell into an endless mining slave.
He just became a sophomore in middle school. By chance, he was the first in the world to access Arcadia and enjoy the honor of being a beta tester. He fell into virtual reality faster than anyone else.
“I'm going to be a blacksmith...”
He always had a romance in production. So, naturally, he settled down in Baron Mikhail's estate and spent most of his time in Arcadia after going to school, repeating his daily routine.
“From today, you have to pay a fee to use the mine. But if you don't like that, you have to sign an exclusive contract. What are you going to do?”
But one day, a sudden change came. And at that time, the clumsy middle school student Lee Jung-shik's choice made his virtual reality life completely twisted.
“You will have to work for a long time as a miner in our mines.”
Jung-sik has fallen into a position where he can do nothing but mine. But that didn't stop me from quitting the game.
“Hey are you crying? Are you crying? Is this kid crying?”
“Hey, someone take a video.”
A world where you can escape from hellish reality in the hell of school and achieve something. Since virtual reality was an escape that brought him peace, Jung-shik worked harder than anyone else in mining with only the slightest hope that he would one day regain his freedom.
And a mysterious man who suddenly appeared. Hearing his words whispering with a bright smile, Joongshik felt an unknown desire burning in his heart.
“The one who will give you freedom.”
I am Yattongson, the first user and only beta tester of Arcadia, a virtual reality game.
His turbulent virtual reality story began like that.
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