Ⅶ
As Arthur and the Marquis of West Berlin discussed the details of their next collaboration, night had fallen completely, and the lighthouse outside Dordot Harbor began casting its light over the surrounding waters.
The laborers were still hard at work.
Though every one of them was drenched in sweat, smiles lit their faces.
The lockdown had lasted most of the day, but it had not stopped these laborers from earning money. In fact, they had earned even more today.
The merchants had raised their wages to ensure their goods stayed fresh and arrived on time.
"Thank the Eastern!"
"If only this could happen once a month!"
Many of the laborers were saying things like that.
Most of them were young.
The older ones remained silent.
They had long since given up their fantasies. All they wanted was to carry more goods and earn more wages, so their wives, children, and parents could have a little more to eat.
But Chet was different.
The second son of his family, Chet had lost his father long ago. His elder brother was seriously ill, his younger sister had left home, and his mother...
At the thought of his mother, Chet clenched his fists.
His mother was no longer the woman he remembered.
Ever since she had come into contact with the Inner River Church, she had changed completely.
Not only had she sold off all the family's possessions, but the money for his elder brother's treatment was gone too. His younger sister had left home because of it, and his mother had become a stranger.
It was as though he was not her family at all.
The congregants of the Inner River Church were.
He had tried to reason with his mother many times, but it had never done any good.
Time