Areth wasted no time opening each of the cells where the slaves were kept. When hundreds of them had gathered outside, every single one stared at the man wearing the master's ring with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
Areth looked over the crowd before him. His gaze moved across them one by one. Hundreds of people. Weak, broken, conditioned yet still alive. Still usable. There was no hope in their eyes. That was a good thing. Hope was a variable that was difficult to control. Fear, however… fear could be directed.
Areth stepped forward. He could feel the weight of the ring on his finger. This ring was an advanced slave-control seal, one that governed the slaves lined along this long corridor.
Before speaking, he took a deep breath. If he wanted everyone here to hear him, his voice had to carry authority.
"Borgath is dead!"
His words did not echo through the room. But their effect spread.
A subtle ripple passed through the crowd. Some eyes widened. Some lifted their heads slightly. Most simply stared. People caught between belief and disbelief, the chains of habit still hanging around their necks like an invisible weight.
Minds that had submitted to the same authority for years could not accept the concept of freedom with a single sentence. Areth hadn't expected them to. He did not look for a spark in their eyes; instead, he measured their reflexes, micro-reactions, and most importantly, their inclination toward obedience. Whose head bowed involuntarily, who was weighing what they heard, who still held their breath out of fear… he noted them all, one by one.
Areth slowly raised his hand, making the ring on his finger visible. In the dim light, the fine markings etched into it pulsed faintly; this was no ordinary symbol, but an authority engraved directly into the nervous system. There was no one who did not recognize it. A few people in the front rows bent their knees slightly by reflex, while others lowered their heads even further. This was not a conscious decision. It was the result of years of conditioning.
"I give the orders now," Areth said, his voice this time more controlled and deeper. He didn't need to shout; the certainty in his tone carried the weight of his words. "And my first command will be simple."
He let a brief pause settle. The silence allowed his words to sink deeper into their minds.
"Raise your heads."
It was a small command. But it was also a test.
A large portion of the crowd hesitated. Neck muscles tensed, eyes trembled. For people who had been forced to look down for years, even this simple act was a boundary. First a few, then more slowly lifted their heads. They avoided direct eye contact, but they still obeyed. A faint hint of satisfaction touched the corner of Areth's lips.
Rosavelle stood silently behind him, but her mind was active. She could feel the shifts within the crowd, sensing that the direction of fear was changing. Where there had once been blind panic, there was now focused attention.
Areth spoke again, choosing his words more deliberately this time.
"You are not free," he said plainly. "Not yet."
Contrary to expectation, this did not create disappointment. Instead, it brought a vague sense of relief. Because freedom was not a familiar concept to these people. But rules… rules could be understood.
"Borgath used you. Broke you. Tore you apart," Areth continued. His voice was neither angry nor empathetic; it was simply factual. "I am no different."
This time, the crowd listened more carefully.
"I will use you as well."
At this point, a few people's breaths caught. But no one objected.
Areth stepped forward once more.
"But there is one difference," he said, slightly raising his ring. "Things that are useful are not wasted."
For the first time, these words found a meaningful resonance within the crowd. There was a subtle shift in their eyes, almost too slight to notice. It wasn't hope. But… it was a possibility.
Areth let his gaze sweep across them one last time before speaking again:
"Those who follow me will survive. Those who oppose me…" he paused briefly, "…won't live long anyway. The moment you leave here, you will be hunted by other slavers. But if you remain obedient under my command, I promise I will not allow anyone to harm you."
Areth did not let his final sentence hang aimlessly. The silence that followed was more effective than words; within it, each of them weighed their own fate. To flee, or to obey? But they all knew what escape meant. Even if they broke free of their chains, the cruelty of this world would grind them down far faster. Obedience, at least, was familiar.
And the familiar was safe ground for broken minds.
An old man standing in the front lines forced his hunched shoulders to move and stepped forward. His eyes were still lowered, but his voice, though trembling, could be heard.
"Order… what?" he asked. This was not a challenge. It was the reflex of a mind seeking direction.
Areth's gaze locked onto him immediately. This man mattered, because the others would watch his reaction. A herd always needed a lead. If this man was guided properly, the rest would follow.
"Simple," Areth said. His voice was lower now, but sharper. "I intend to form a mercenary company. For that, I need people of all kinds of abilities and skills. From simple roles like cooks and cleaners to demanding ones like fighters… I need all types."
The man raised his head a little more. Even that small movement showed that the chains were loosening.
Areth continued, "From this moment on, everyone here will be divided into groups. The strong will step forward. The weak… will be made useful." He paused briefly, his gaze drifting toward the back of the crowd. "None of you are unnecessary. But none of you are indispensable."
His words settled heavily over the crowd. This was less a threat than a framework; a world with defined boundaries and rules. The human mind detested chaos, but order, no matter how ruthless, could be understood. Areth knew this. He was not offering them hope; he was offering them structure.
This time, the movement within the crowd was more pronounced. A few broad-shouldered men at the front took involuntary steps forward, then seemed to catch themselves. Toward the back, those who appeared weaker instinctively shrank away. This division was not natural; it was the result of roles imposed over years. But for Areth, it was enough. Because how people saw themselves mattered more than what they truly were.
Areth raised his hand again, but this time not to display the ring, but to halt movement. The crowd froze instantly. The response was faster than he had expected. The conditioning was still deeply ingrained.
"No," he said, short and clear. "Whatever hierarchy existed among you until now is no longer valid. You are all zeros. Whether that zero becomes negative or positive will depend on your efforts. Naturally, those with higher scores will gain more advantages and rewards."
This time, his words did more than establish order, they initiated a system. And this system was different from the one-dimensional fear they had lived under for years. Obedience alone would no longer suffice; they would have to prove themselves. This created a new kind of tension within the crowd. Sharper. More personal.
For the first time, something different appeared in some of their eyes. It wasn't hope but competition.
Areth noticed.
"The rules are simple," he continued, his voice carrying the same measured severity. "Every task you are given, every success… earns you points. Failure…" he paused briefly, letting his gaze sweep across them, "…reduces your value."
At this, a few people straightened involuntarily. For the first time, they were hearing that their actions would have direct consequences. This was different from blind obedience. This was a system. A measurable and understandable system
Areth slowly lowered his hand and took a step back.
"And most importantly…" he said, his voice now lower but more threatening, "those whose score falls below zero… become a burden."
The sentence was not explained.
It did not need to be.
A faint wave of inhalation passed through the crowd. Everyone understood the same thing. Burdens were not carried.
Areth stepped forward again.
"That's enough talking for now. It's time to leave this place. Borgath's men may still be outside. Experienced fighters will move at the front. Women and children will follow at the rear. And once we leave this place, no matter what happens, do not cause trouble…"
After emphasizing his final words, he watched as some of the slaves quickly, others clumsily, fell into formation.
One of the most significant and controversial laws in the free trader city of Olnalend stated that if a person killed another, they could claim that person's slaves as their own property. The reason this law had endured for centuries was simple: it contributed significantly to the slave economy and helped preserve the capital of slave traders. After all, most people would take a few slaves for themselves and sell the rest.
But it was clear that Areth had very different plans...