Chương 161: 158. Unexpected Choices

~ Hyola ~ ~ Sitting near the fire in the quarry, just before sunrise ~ A short while ago, one of the guards - and not bandits, as Hyola had found out earlier - had sent one of their own to call up the last guard who was supposedly hiding somewhere nearby with all their supplies. Since then, all of the slaves had been milling around the area, not knowing what was happening, but Calubo had reassured them that they didn't need to worry.

But it was difficult to believe that anyone had good intentions if they came out of nowhere in the night and killed their slave masters without a warning, although they knew Calubo wouldn't lie about something like that. He was one of them... or at least, he had been.

However, some of the stonecutters had still been too scared of these new guards and had tried to run away, but the guards had stopped anyone from leaving, saying that firstly they would have to listen to what their leader had to say, and after that they would be free to go anywhere. And there would be free food just to listen to them. For everyone.

That last sentence was something which was difficult for anyone to believe, including her, but it was so unexpected that everyone had agreed to give them a chance to explain what they meant by that. Although there were still some whispers about escaping from these new masters later on, after they had gotten their free meal. After the battle, the guards had stripped the bandits of everything valuable, before dumping their bodies into the forest outside.

As much as she was happy to see those bastards dead, she still didn't know what to think about these guards, but she had to give them a chance to explain themselves. The guards had spent the time looking around to see what was available in the quarry, and had started ordering the slaves to do some simple tasks, while a few guards had even taken some slaves along with them to do some hunting in the area.

Seeing that the so-called guards had started giving them orders within an hour of taking over the quarry, she didn't know if these new masters were going to be any better than their old ones, but their promise for a free meal for just listening to them was enticing enough that nobody protested about any tasks.

She also kept looking at Calubo once in a while to find out more about how he knew the others, and it seemed like he was quite familiar with the other guards - if they really were guards, and not another group of bandits. No! She scolded herself while shaking her head. She had to trust him for now.

Soon after the first rays of the sun started to shine on the top of the towering trees surrounding the quarry, the guards gathered everyone near the fire, which was burning higher than it had in weeks, since they had used the help of the slaves to bring all the branches from the barricade to burn in the fire.

Some of the slaves had protested about that, saying that it would lead to dangerous beasts coming there in the night, but the captain of the guards - Hudan - had assured them with a grin that it wouldn't be a problem. She was still confused about what it meant, and about what Calubo had tried to say earlier about some other baron liberating them. But it seemed like they would be getting all their answers now.

A big cauldron which the guards had brought with them was sitting in the middle of fire, where some crushed wheat was bubbling in it to make some simple porridge for everyone, even though it had been a while since any of them had eaten even that. And the cauldron was big enough that there should be enough food to feed everyone. That was an unusual thought for her. Enough food for everyone... Was it even possible these days?

However, the small amount of meat which the hunters had returned with was also being roasted on some sticks above the fire. She realized that it was probably only for the guards themselves. Even so, all the slaves kept looking at that bubbling cauldron again and again, since even getting that porridge would do a lot to calm down their growling bellies. Before long, one of the guards started handing out some porridge in the wooden bowls they already had, along with a small piece of roasted meat.

When the first slave got that meat, he looked at the guard with surprise, and even asked to confirm if he could really take it. But the guard just smiled at the slave, and told him to enjoy it. It didn't take long before everyone was sitting around the fire in the early morning chill, with a bowl of warm porridge in their hands, coupled with some roasted meat. Enough food for everyone... Huh. Maybe it was possible, after all... Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

That's when the guard captain stood up and looked at all of them.

"Listen everyone!" he began.

"We are manor guards of Lord Kivamus Ralokaar, the Baron of Tiranat, and he has sent us to liberate all of you."

"What do you mean by that?" one of the slaves shouted.

"You have been ordering us just like the bandits!"

"Yeah!" another stonecutter supported him.

"How do we know you aren't bandits too?" Hudan raised his hand to stop the murmurs.

"Let me explain everything first, then you can ask whatever questions you have." There were still some grumbles, but everyone calmed down to hear the man for now. The huge guard captain continued with a smirk, "Most of the bandits - the ones who lived in this quarry as your masters - are dead now."

"Is that really true?" one of the older women asked with wonder while looking towards Calubo, since he was the only one they actually knew amongst the guards. Calubo gave a savage grin and nodded.

"It is, and I killed a couple of those bastards myself! The other guards took care of the rest of them. But two bandits are still alive, including Nokozal. And they must be on their way here." Immediately, the slaves glanced at each other with worried looks. Nokozal was still alive? He had to be! That huge bastard wouldn't die so easily.

Hudan explained, "You all might know that the bandits had gone to raid a village - my village - but the guards of Tiranat have killed most of them, apart from the two Calubo mentioned. And when he told us about the situation of the people in this quarry, Lord Kivamus sent us here to kill the remaining bandits and free all of you. There were other reasons as well, but those aren't relevant for you all."

"You still didn't explain what you meant by freeing us," one of the stonecutters asked, this time with genuine curiosity.

"I meant exactly what I said," Hudan replied.

"After this meal, you all have two choices - and every single one of you is free to choose either option. The first option is for you to leave this quarry and go wherever you want to. While we can't afford to escort you to another town where you can make a living, we will still provide you with enough rations for a week's journey. That will be enough for you to walk to either Cinran or Kirnos - it's up to you."

He added with a shrug, "I agree that it won't be easy to walk through these forests for so long, especially in this cold, but that's the best I can do if you choose the first option."

"But most of us are marked slaves!" a stonecutter protested.

"Who would employ us even if we did manage to survive that journey?"

"Yeah, exactly!" another one said with a nod.

"There would be bounty hunters sent after us immediately, especially since Nokozal is still alive. That bastard would rather kill us than let us go!" Hudan nodded.

"That's why we also have a second option for you." He continued with a grin, "You all can come with us to Tiranat as free people. You will get a roof over your head, and food in your belly at least twice a day."

"And what do we have to do in return for that?" Hyola asked with a frown.

"Nothing comes for free in this world." Hudan shrugged.

"That's up to you. There is a lot of work available in Tiranat these days. Most of the villagers work as laborers right now, but after the winter, there will be farming work as well." He continued, "Some of you might have heard that Tiranat is known for its coal mines. That has been paused for now due to some reasons, but once mining starts again, you all can work as coal miners as well.

And if any of you have any other skills like carpentry or blacksmithing, you can work as an apprentice to the village craftsmen as well." One of the stonecutters looked at Hyola, and spoke loudly, "See? Didn't I tell you earlier? This new baron just wants more slaves for himself!" An older woman nodded with a scowl.

"And without even paying to buy us as slaves! How crafty that baron is - just like all other nobles!" Hudan grinned.

"Weren't you all hearing me properly? I said you will come there as free people. Not as slaves. And you will also get a wage for working - the same as the other villagers of Tiranat."

"What?" someone asked in disbelief.

"How is that possible? You are lying!"

"Yeah, it can't be true!" another stonecutter spoke up. Hyola wasn't sure what to believe either. Those were certainly fantastic claims, and she had no special reason to believe these guards more than the other stonecutters did. But she trusted Calubo. And he wouldn't be supporting these guards if they were openly lying to the slaves, would he? No! She shook her head. She had to trust in him for now.

One of the older slaves stood up and explained in a raised voice, "The only way a slave gets free in this kingdom is when he pays up all his slave-debt, and it is always so high that none of us can ever pay it even if we spent all our lives working!"

He added with a shrug, "Although if we survive long enough to grow too old - which is rare anyway - or maybe if we break our limbs and are unable to work, then our slave-debt might be written off and we would be let go, since nobody wants to feed a slave if they can't work for their meals. But it would never happen otherwise! So how can you say that we will be free? None of us can afford to pay our slave-debts! We can't even afford to buy a single meal for ourselves!"

"Yeah, that baron just wants to take the coins from our pockets!" another slave protested loudly.

"He's just as greedy as other nobles!"