Fantasy Lord: Starting with Daily Information

Chapter 21: Territory Construction 2

At dawn, when the morning sun cast its light, the cleared area saw a gathering of enslaved laborers. Compared to when they were first purchased, these laborers now had a healthier appearance due to the regular food supply over the past ten days, though this improvement was only physical. Most still showed a blank expression, their eyes lacking any light. The moment they became slaves, they had lost everything, with no hope or future in sight. Their existence was reduced to merely following orders.

Today was no different.

In the midst of this crowd, Thor appeared before the laborers. Despite his presence, the laborers showed no significant change in demeanor. However, as Thor raised his hand, several knights brought forward a fire pit and a wooden box. The box was opened to reveal parchment scrolls—slave contracts.

Seeing these contracts, the laborers' expressions finally shifted, stirring a commotion among the five hundred of them. Thor remained indifferent and gestured again. A knight stepped forward and presented some of the scrolls.

"Sabina, Borne, Linus, Somallet, Serade, Sebefia."

As Thor called out each name, the crowd became increasingly agitated, especially those whose names were mentioned. 

"Step forward if your name was called!" Steve instructed.

Amidst the panic, those named stepped forward, falling to their knees with expressions of astonishment and fear.

"Do not be anxious!" Thor reassured them. "Because of your outstanding performance, I have decided that from today, you will no longer be slaves but free citizens under the blessing of the Goddess of Life!"

"May the Goddess of Life be with you!"

Thor’s declaration was loud enough for everyone to hear, causing disbelief among the crowd, particularly those whose names were called. They wondered if they were dreaming.

"Is it true, my lord?" one laborer asked, trembling, looking up at Thor.

"Indeed it is!" Thor affirmed solemnly, tossing the contracts into the fire. 

The fire blazed, consuming the contracts instantly. As the flames roared, the laborers who had stepped forward felt a sudden lightness as the oppressive force of the contracts dissipated. Their astonishment was palpable, and their thoughts seemed momentarily disoriented. 

Only after a few moments did the crowd erupt into chaos.

"Oh my God, what is he doing?"

"My Goddess, this is unbelievable!"

"The contracts, they’re being burned!"

Voices of shock and amazement filled the air. The laborers, who had previously been numb and devoid of hope, were now overwhelmed with surprise and disbelief. Those who were freed felt a wave of exhilaration and joy. 

"Thank you, my lord!" one of them said, prostrating on the ground. "May the Goddess of Life be with you!"

"Your radiance shines as brightly as the sun!" 

Others quickly joined in, expressing their gratitude and devotion.

Thor watched with a smile, pleased with the outcome. His goal was to inspire and motivate the laborers, a stark contrast to the behavior of most nobles who would exploit slaves for their own benefit. 

To Thor, liberating the laborers was an investment in their productivity. For an initial expense of fifty gold coins, the return in productivity was well worth it. 

Without releasing all at once, Thor had created motivation among the laborers. The result was evident in their enthusiastic responses. 

As the crowd settled, Thor raised his hand to silence them.

"May the Goddess of Life be with you all. From today, you are the people of the Eagle's Ridge!"

"You will be given land, and for the next six months, I will provide you with food, seeds, and tools, and teach you how to cultivate them. You will only need to pay a regular tax to the territory. Everything else will belong to you. My people."

"To those not yet freed, you will also receive land. However, it will temporarily belong to me. I promise that if you perform outstandingly in this year's cultivation, each of you will have the chance to become a free citizen of the Eagle's Ridge, with land of your own."

"I look forward to the day you all become my subjects."

Thor signaled, and knights distributed wooden tokens. Each token was marked with values corresponding to land parcels. 

While the freed individuals received their land, the rest of the laborers still had their land under Thor’s ownership. However, Thor’s promise of future freedom and rewards was a significant incentive.

The reaction among the laborers was one of immense excitement and anticipation. Even those who only received tokens were thrilled by the prospect of future opportunities. 

The scene was one of disbelief and elation, a stark contrast to their previous despair.