Chapter 135: The Reluctant Lumberjack [2]

Water poured out through several holes in the walls, filling the communal shower room of the Carriers' Duchy worker quarters.The floor and walls were densely packed with tiles, adding to the room's clean and luxurious appearance. Trevor stood there, dumbfounded by what he saw.

"This is crazy…" he muttered, still in disbelief.

Trevor could understand why lumberjacks worked for an hour and rested for 30 minutes—their work was incredibly difficult and dangerous.

He understood the need for work clothes, protective gear, and tools; these were all essential for cutting down trees efficiently.

But this luxurious shower room was another matter entirely.

When he pulled the handle, warm water poured out for a while, allowing the workers to wash away the sweat and dust from their bodies and even lather up with soap.

"There is no such thing as nobility," Trevor thought, stunned by the level of comfort.

It would be difficult to find bathing facilities this clean anywhere else in the empire. The tiles on the floor and walls were incredibly smooth, making Trevor wonder how they were made.

It was not a facility one would expect for ordinary wage earners.

"What are you doing? You have to hurry so the next person can wash too. Hurry up and clean up," Bernard said, snapping Trevor out of his daze.

Bernard poured a thick liquid on Trevor's head, and after rubbing it with a rough cloth, it foamed up quickly.

"Okay, I'll do it," Trevor said hastily, taking over. He didn't like other men touching his body, so he quickly moved his hands to wash up.

After finishing his shower, Trevor stepped out, only to be met with another surprising sight—a variety of dishes served in the restaurant on the first floor of the accommodation.

Bernard picked up a plate and began piling on food, taking quite a large amount.

Trevor asked with a puzzled look, "Can you just take it like that?"

"Just enough to eat. I'm pretty big, so this much should be enough. Mr. Trevor, hurry up and get yours," Bernard replied.

"Yeah, yeah," Trevor answered, still struggling to understand.

In Trevor's experience, letting people serve themselves would usually result in chaos. Unless the group was highly disciplined, fights would break out over food.

But contrary to his expectations, the restaurant was peaceful. People lined up one after another, leisurely scooping up food.

"This can't be happening…" Trevor mumbled, tilting his head in disbelief.

In the Western Corps, distributing food often led to chaos. Soldiers would fight, claiming they deserved more.

But here, the atmosphere was completely different; it was like a noble banquet hall. Only those who lacked worry about food could maintain such elegance.

'Hmm? Come to think of it, is it like that here too?' Trevor thought.

He decided to be a bit more honest with himself. He had been in situations where he was served fancy food in luxurious settings.

But for the soldiers of the 1st Western Corps, even as a regular imperial army, the supplies were poor. Soldiers received weapons and armor, but maintaining them was their responsibility, and the costs came out of their pockets.

"Wait a minute, who's going to pay for the meals? And the lodging?" Trevor asked.

"His Highness the Duke provides it so we can work hard," Bernard replied.

"Even so, people quickly become lazy…" Trevor muttered.

"There's no way that will happen. People who don't do their jobs properly get fired," Bernard explained.

"How does he figure that out? There's no one watching," Trevor challenged.

"His Highness just knows everything. You'll see today; everyone did their best without exception."

Trevor nodded slowly. It was unbelievable.

The work was hard, yet everyone was enthusiastic. Even in the Imperial Army, where soldiers were heavily armed with mental discipline, there was no unit quite like this.

Despite his skepticism, Trevor picked up a spoon and fork, but the laborers around him were using something else.

"Why are you holding two of those long sticks?" Trevor asked, pointing.

"Oh, this? They're called chopsticks. This is how you use them," Bernard said, demonstrating deftly.

Trevor watched as Bernard picked up food and ate it with ease. It was an unfamiliar tool, but it seemed surprisingly effective.

However, since he wasn't used to it, Trevor opted to stick with a fork.

The food consisted of flatbread, stir-fried meat, and salad with dressing.

Normally, Trevor wouldn't have paid much attention to such simple fare, but the scent alone was incredible, making his mouth water.

Wagjak―!

Trevor wrapped the stir-fried meat and salad in the bread and took a bite. The crunchy texture filled his mouth, and he paused, surprised by how delicious it was.

Despite being ordinary food, it tasted extraordinary, not just because he had worked hard and sweated all day but because the ingredients were fresh and the dishes were prepared with care.

"Are you okay?" Bernard asked.

Trevor was unable to respond. Discover hidden stories at M V L

'Ordinary laborers eat this kind of food?' he thought in disbelief. Compared to the serfs in Warren County, the difference in treatment was like heaven and earth.

After finishing their meal, everyone dispersed, leaving Trevor with nothing to do.

He grabbed Bernard, eager to understand more.

"Where is everyone going?" Trevor asked.

"Now that work is over, it's free time. Those who want to play can play, and those who want to study can go to night school," Bernard explained.

"Evening class?"

"Night school."

"Why study?"

"We can't be a lumberjack forever. As we get older, we need to find work that doesn't rely on physical strength." S~eaʀᴄh the nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"He make a commoner do that?"

"Anything is possible in the Duchy of Carriers," Bernard said with a smile.

"Haa!" Trevor let out a hollow laugh.

In the Earldom of Warren, the serfs barely worked properly. They would drag themselves around like zombies until someone picked up a whip.

Trevor had always believed that only strong pressure could keep people in line. But this place was different.

Everyone moved on their own, and everything ran smoothly without a supervisor in sight.