The slave trader, nicknamed Golden-Eyed Piggle, was brought in. He was a fat man with shrewd eyes. Like most slave traders of this era, he wore vulgar decorations and meaningless seals on his body. Slave traders were usually very rich, sometimes even comparable to the small nobles. However, according to the laws of various countries and the traditional beliefs of most churches, selling slaves would make one's soul dirty. Therefore, no matter how rich a slave trader was, he was not allowed to have aristocratic status, even if he donated money to become a "Hollow Knight" or "Honorary Knight." Therefore, these rich fellows liked to wear a pile of gorgeous decorations and seals of their own design on their bodies to show off their status and at the same time to chat.
Two serfs, a man and a woman, were brought in with Golden-Eyed Piggle. One of them was the elder brother and the other was the younger sister of the dead serf, Sam. The three siblings were sold here together, but before they could eat a mouthful of hot soup, their brother died on the dock.
However, on the faces of the brother and sister, fear and nervousness completely suppressed the grief that should have been there.
It was sad to lose a brother, but what was more frightening was the punishment that might befall the living. They clearly knew and agreed with the fact that in the eyes of the nobles, serfs were not human beings. A slave exploded on the dock, which was an unforgivable loss for the nobles. Not only did the nobles lose a slave, but they also dirtied the ground.
Therefore, they were fearful and worried about the wrath that was about to befall them. They believed that the reason why the Lord called them here was to punish them. It would have been better if he only asked two people to do the work of three people. What they were really worried about was the whipping and hunger. In this era, these two things could take the life of a slave who made a mistake.
The slave trader named Golden-Eyed Piggle was also in fear, and his fear was even greater because he was the one who brought in the serf who was turned into a living bomb by witchcraft. The gold and silver all over his body did not make this fat man feel the slightest sense of security. He knew what his identity was, and he also knew how easy it was for a duke to execute a slave trader if he had a good reason. In this matter, no one would defend him.
"Golden-eyed Pager?" Gwen opened his mouth. As soon as he opened his mouth, the fat man, whose body was covered in gold and silver pieces, looked like a terracotta soldier, shivered in fear. "You brought Sam here?"
"Yes... yes, my lord." Pigel nodded fearfully. "But I have no ill intentions, my lord! It's impossible for me to be associated with any Evil Sorcerer or cultist! I'm just an honest businessman. I've never done anything … "
Knight Philip tapped the ground with the sheathed sword in his hand. "Answer whatever I ask you!"
Piegel quickly shut his mouth and looked down at the tip of his shoe. Gwen continued to ask, "Who did the deceased come into contact with before they were brought here? What did he eat and what did he use? Is there anything unusual? "
Pitman had already checked the slave trader's magic reaction and did not find any trace of Druil's magic. And it was unlikely that the slave trader was a follower of the cultist. He was most likely used as a tool. This was something Gwen could tell.
Piggle wiped the sweat off his forehead. "My... my lord, the serf was locked in the house for a few days before he was brought on board. He ate and used the same things as the others, all the same …"
"You'd better tell us the truth." Amber, who was standing behind Gwen, said while twirling the dagger in her hand. "We have sorcerers, Druil, and the Shadow Grand Master here! We can even extract your soul for interrogation. Don't cause any trouble. "
Gawain glanced at the half-elf without batting an eyelid, but he did not expose the half-elf's nonsense. On the other hand, Piegel was already sweating profusely. His cold sweat formed a line like a Korean fighter. For ordinary people who did not understand magic, they could not tell the difference between the different extraordinary professions, nor did they know what the field of soul magic was. The mysterious magical professions were mostly omnipotent in their minds, and Amber's nonsense threat was effective on him.
"Yes … my lord, I'll tell you the truth!" Piggle hurriedly replied. "Actually … actually, the serf named Sam is a little special …"
Gwen knocked on the table. "Special?"
"Yes, I originally planned to send him to Viscount Andrew's castle to work," Piggle said. "But Master Knight, who you sent to town, bought a large number of slaves at a higher price. I don't have many slaves, so … so …"
"So you brought in the serf who was supposed to be sent to the castle?" Gwen frowned. "Why do you want to send a serf to the castle?"
"Sam is a diligent and flexible serf. He not only knows how to do farm work, but he also knows how to feed the horses and clean the barns. Viscount Andrew just happened to need a new servant …" Piggle said sadly. "This is also a way out for him. You know, when a serf is in my hands, he can be a serf, a slave worker, or a contract slave. But once he is in the hands of the manor owner, he will always be a serf. But if he can be sent to the castle, he may become a servant …"
"But Byron Knight paid four more silver coins, and you brought Sam back to the slave ship." Gwen interrupted Piggle and turned to Sam's siblings. "Look up, don't be nervous. Before you came here, did your brother act strangely?"
The brother of the two seemed to be braver. He was the first to answer. "Yes, Sam has been saying that he is very sleepy these days, and he often stops talking halfway. Sometimes he will suddenly fall asleep while standing."
Gwen looked up at Pitman, who had a thoughtful look on his face. Then the old Druil said, "When did this happen?"
The sallow and emaciated sister said, "Seven days ago … or eight days ago, no more than ten days ago."
They could not be expected to remember the exact time.
Gwen asked Heti, who was standing on the other side of him. "When did Byron announce the purchase of slaves in Tanzania Town?"
Heti's face was serious. She had already thought of some possibilities. "Four days ago."
"In other words, the serf Sam was already acting strangely before Byron arrived in Tanzania Town. At that time, he was probably under the control of witchcraft. He was supposed to be sent to Viscount Andrew's castle …" Gawain said as he slowly looked around. "It was just an accident that he was sent here."
Heti took a deep breath. "I'm afraid our neighbor is in trouble."
"His trouble will soon become our trouble," Gwen said slowly. "The Cult of All Things Will Die originated from the Druil. Their witchcraft evolved from the magic of the Force of Life and Nature. Living people are not only their magic materials, but also the carriers of many witchcraft plagues. There are too many people in Tanzania Town, and it's too close to us … In any case, Byron Knight is still in Tanzania Town. He hasn't sent any news yet, we can't just leave him alone."
Heti looked worriedly at the only Druil in the territory. "Pitman, do you think they will spread the plague in Tanzania Town? Sending the infected into the castle is more like dealing with the Lord … "
"It's hard to say. The brain structure of the cultists is different from normal people. Their brain is mainly made of rotten meat and mud in the gutter." Pitman said with a serious face. "We have to prepare for the worst."
"We can't wait for the kingdom's support here. We have to do it ourselves." Gwen stood up. "We have to get rid of the source before things get out of control. But now we can't be sure how many enemies we have and how strong they are. "
Pitman said, "I can make a rough estimate in this regard. Sam was turned into a living bomb by the witchcraft 'Summon of the Dead'. Judging from the power and the residual aura at the time, the spellcaster is no more than a mid-tier. It is very likely that he has just reached the level of a Level 5 Dark Druil. And there won't be many of them. The Cult of All Things Will Die rarely organizes large-scale operations, especially when it comes to destroying towns. They usually send one or two elite members, relying on cunning schemes and strange witchcraft to cause particularly great damage. "
Gawain pondered for a moment. "That's why we might only be facing one or two Dark Sorcerers at or below level-5. Numbers aren't a problem. What we really need to worry about is the weird spells of the Dark Druids. In the worst case scenario, Viscount Andrew might even be controlled by the Dark Druids. Controlling living things is what the Dark Druids are good at."
After a brief silence, Gawain first waved his hand at 'Gold-eyelid Garl', who was almost dehydrated from cold sweat. "You can go now, but I suggest you stay away from Tanzania Town for the time being. Go further north."
The slave trader left trembling, leaving the serf siblings standing on the ground with their heads down. They were so nervous that they were about to faint.
But Gwen did not know what they were thinking. Even with the memory he inherited, even if he had stayed in this era for a few months, he could not fully understand the thoughts of the people in this world. He did not think that the siblings were worried about being punished. He just comforted them according to his own thoughts. "Your brother is dead. The dead cannot be brought back to life. My condolences. I have already asked people to collect Sam's … remains. He will be buried in the cemetery next to the forest. You can live well on this land and work hard to earn your freedom. The Cecil family will protect your safety. "
The siblings raised their heads in shock and looked at Gawain as if they couldn't believe what they had just heard.
Although in Gawain's mind, what he said and did was merely following the simplest logic, Gawain did not care.
The siblings left in confusion. After they left, Amber could not help but say, "I thought you would just let them become free people, as compensation for their brother's death or something."
Gwen looked at her, amused. "Why would I do that?"
"Because you are kind," Amber said matter-of-factly. "I know you're a good person, so isn't it normal for you to be kind?"
Gwen shook his head. "It's okay to be kind, but it can't be random. I can't let them think that by sacrificing a family member, they can exchange their freedom for themselves. I can't let other serfs, who don't know the inside story, think so. Freedom must be earned with your own hands. I have made a system in this regard, so even I have to follow the system. Only in this way, there will be order. "
Amber looked at Gwen, a little surprised. "So you insist on letting the slaves go through a two-month 'buffer' in the territory, and let them continue to work in the territory as serfs. They must work enough before they can be free, instead of directly announcing the liberation of all the slaves?"
"… Actually, there are a lot of problems with your understanding, but it's generally good." Gwen laughed. "I do need to let them realize that freedom is hard to come by. But maybe one day, I will directly announce the abolition of slavery, instead of making small changes like now."
Amber was stunned. "You have such an idea?! Then … how long will it take? "
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