"Zejimal, how is the training going?"
"Hmm..."
I've been trying to train these youngsters with everything I got, but they are nowhere near ready! They wouldn't be able to stand 10 seconds against the king, even with all them ganging up. Even if they trained 100 years like this they will never be ready, that power just wasn't human. Hmm... I even moved into this estate to train the troops, and this is the result.
"If you're worried about them matching up with the king, don't. Leave that to William's Golem."
Am I that easy to read? Even if I am, this damn Sorcerer! Hmm...
"You trust him that much?"
I can't trust him. What do you see in him that I don't? It’s my gut feeling, something about him is just off.
"I don't know how to explain this to you because you never saw it."
...What didn’t I see now? Speaking in puzzles, this Sorcerer.
"Just spit it out Sorcerer."
"Let me try to explain. I have a very powerful item that if I were able to use, I believe it can kill the Red King."
"What!? The-then why-"
"Let me finish. I can't use it, I don't have enough mana to use it. When William came to me, he had a similar item. Now if that person says, he has another item that is just as powerful and can be used, would you not be inclined to believe them. Now the only real mystery is how he was able to get it, those glasses for that matter as well."
Hmm...
"I see. That makes sense. You aren't considered a genius for nothing." What's with that smirk…? Don’t let the word genius go to your head. "I am curious about how he got his hands on these items, and how he's able to use them. Whether he wants to tell me or not is up to him. What’s important to me right now is taking back our country."
"You say some nice words, Sorcerer." Don't pat my shoulder, I’m not a youngster anymore. My pupils are watching. Hmm... I know you're older than me, but we look about the same age now. "Then there are no problems Sorcerer. The Red King’s batch of untrained fools, and slaves he calls his soldiers are no match for my men."
♦♦♦
"They're spreading those posters everywhere." The lady with the bun hair complained in a half-whisper that let everyone in the bakery here.
"Oh honey tell me about it, my little boy came home with one of those 2 days ago saying he wanted to join. I had to break down crying, to get him out of it." The one with the large breasts and short blonde haircut voiced her worry.
"Imagine if the king starts conscripting." The skinny black haired one said, trying to excite the conversation with newer fears, in an attempt to seem sharper than the rest.
"That's terrible!" The large breasted lady took the bait as she considered the possibility. "Why do we need so many soldiers all of a sudden?" She continued to inquire the state of the country she suddenly found herself in.
"Haven't you heard? The Omron Church is demanding the slaves back, we might go to war." The women with the bun hair enlightened the rest in her half whisper.
"Aren't we allied with the Beastman nation: Jak; don't they know fighting us will just get the beastmans mad too." The skinny one said intellectually as if to now calm the situation.
"The beastmans aren't that happy with the king either, taking in the human slaves that run into our country. We're helping slaves escape from both sides, so even if the beastmans’ are allied with us for freeing some of the beastmans, they still wouldn't send their soldiers over." The bun-haired lady gave her insight, in her half-whispered speak that seems to suggest everything she ever says is gossip.
"We should just give them their slaves back." The large breasted lady said having had enough with the slaves.
A tray was slammed down on the table in front of them, the contents of the tray wobbled and spilled, but nothing broke.
"Here's your tea Madams!" Ms. Camelia can be quite naughty when she wishes.
The talk of the commoners upset her, for they know not the plight of slaves.
For some moments the women stared at her in silence as Ms. Camelia walked away, a bit shocked. This silence was broken by the large breasted one.
"I'm just worried about my boy. I don't want him getting conscripted!" She hollered her motherly concerns to the woman who vanished into the kitchen.
Soon the conversation started a new, the topic has changed to complaints of customer service. Questions such as "Is this how they treat their customers?" seemed to float in the air and ripple.
"The King isn't going to conscript." A voice came from across the café bakery. A young woman who had red hair, wore black square framed glasses and dressed in adventuring gear looked at the 3 women, chewing her Jum cubes. "He's just looking for volunteers." The women assured them again, having finished her Jum cubes. She went on to say, with a smile and what can be considered a woman's charm; energetic and optimistic. "So you mothers don't have to worry."
Their anger calmed a bit by the girl's charms and was replaced with quizzical expressions.
"How can you be so sure?" The large breasted one inquired, and behind her two bobbleheads nodded along with the same thought.
"Umm... Because I knew him from before he became a king, I guess. Though I haven't seen him in a while, but I just don't think he'll do that." She replied in a casual tone, making a show of putting her finger to the side of her lips and tilting her head, as a joke.
The ladies seemed a bit shocked and delighted, having talked to a person in touch with the biggest celebrity in this country.
"You know the king, The Red King. King Tinkula?" This time the skinny one inquired before the big breasted one could.
"Yeah, but like I said I haven't seen him in a while."
"That's amazing!"
"How did you meet him?"
"Yeah, what’s he like?"
All three of them suddenly bombarded her with questions. She smiled and waved her hands to dismiss them, trying to play down the whole thing. Even some of the cafe employees were getting into it, asking her all kinds of questions. Some of the kids that hung around the café staff started getting excited too, having sensed the atmosphere more than anything. They shouted things out loud, disregarding the line of questions.
"How strong was the king?"
"Does he have a pet?"
Their questions seemed to range to everything and anything on their minds.
Having had enough, the old man sitting in the corner trying to read his book got up. Returning the porcelain cup, he left the cafe without saying a word.
♦♦♦
Today I’ll spend some time with the girls, take it easy, maybe go to the beach and bathe in the sun, the possibilities are endless. Did tea always taste this good?
Such innocent thoughts floated through my mind as I watched Grayson give me his usual serious stare.
"Today's my day off Grayson. Why're you here?"
That annoying stare, I must ignore. Today I ignore.
"Being your butler means being with you even on your days off your Majesty."
True, butlers are there to help their master. I'm a master. Gi gi gi.
"Is that so?"
I am feeling good about today, maybe Grayson is finally learning to be a true butler.
"But that's not why I'm here today."
I knew it! I knew it was too good to be true, lying bastard.
"Well, whatever it is I'll look into it tomorrow. Today's my day off."
The king has spoken! Now go away.
"King's don't have days off your Majesty."
"Then why did I sign up for this job!? Huh? As the king, I declare that from this day forth king's shall have days off! Well there you have it, I have passed a new law. Now that that's settled, good day Grayson."
I wave to him away, but he doesn't go away. I shoo at him but he still doesn't go away, annoying fox. Ignore, ignore, ignore all the bad things in life.
"Your Majesty, the guards say there might be movement within the city."
Movement within the city?
"The Nolybab are in the City!?"
Holy Christ, is the war already here. A sneak attack! I threw my porcelain cup into the dish washing area breaking it, but it wasn't the time to be worried about that, I must get ready.
"No, your majesty, it isn't the Nolybab."
What's going on!?
"Then who's attacking?"
"No one your Majesty."
"I broke my tea… The sun is barely out. I had to sneak here without the maids noticing, all to enjoy a normal day. So explain to me slowly what's going on?"
This better be something serious. Wait. No, that would be bad.
"I didn't think your majesty would react like that. You broke your cup."
What's with the smirk asswipe.
"Ha~ Hu~ Yes as I was saying, your Majesty, the guards suspect movement within the city from the rebellion. They aren't sure who the leader is, but they suspect it might be the Core Sorcerer."
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The Core Sorcerer. Oh him, he was always talking to the old king; he never talked to me, though. He was also there for the festival.
"Why does he want to rebel? I never did anything to him, I even left the nobles untouched, and they’re the ones who wanted to leave after I made slavery illegal."
I know there was some other complicated political stuff, but I still left his estate alone, didn't I? That freaking huge estate.
"Your Majesty, you can't be serious. The Core Sorcerer: Danial, was one of the closest friends to the previous king: Kcuftaf. Not to mention he was one of the most influential people in this city before your Majesty took over. He lost his powerful position, his slaves. He’s also well known for being cruel to the slaves, and his hatred towards beastman."
He stopped speaking, but he was giving me a look that said 'need I continue'.
"Alright, alright... I see. Then why wasn't he exiled like the princess or imprisoned like the others who committed these crimes?"
He gave me a look like 'are you seriously asking me that?'
"Are you seriously asking me that?" Oh, he actually said it. "You're the one who pardoned them, your Majesty. If I remember your words correctly, you said something along the lines of 'as long as they are willing to follow my rules from now on we'll give them a second chance.' Then something like, 'Grayson discrimination is born from ignorance. As humans and beastmans learn to work together and get to know each other they will realize the differences between them are insignificant. So let's give them a second chance even if they committed some crimes before.'"
What I said that, well they sound like good words in theory, but people are assholes. As I'm growing older am I getting more cynical or wise?
"Then why did I imprison some people?"
"Because they broke your law, your Majesty."
I see, second chances not third. Now he's giving me look like 'Am I serving an idiot?'
The sun is barely out man. I'm still feeling like shit and I didn't get to have enough fluids in me yet. Give me a break, man.
"Alright, let me have some breakfast first."
Then I'll think of something. Worst possible time for this shit to happen, my day off. Fuck.
▼▼▼
They were both waiting for me in my office, ready to work, always ready to work.
I took my seat at my desk, and Emali took her seat at her small desk beside my large desk. Grayson, if he was a good butler he should stand beside me, but he sits on a chair in front of my desk. Since Emali is the one who reads all the documents to me, brown files are stacked on her desk and on the floor surrounding her desk while my desk is clean enough to eat off of.
The maids are doing a good job.
"Should we start with the report that the guard sent in?"
When Emali asked, she looked to Grayson.
"No, let's not. I want to start with how the recruiting is going for the army. I know we only started, but how are the numbers looking? Do we know?"
Rebellion or whatever is problematic, but I'm facing 10 times the people over there.
"Ha~ um..." She hummed as she went through the stacks of files, flipping open the cover one after another just to check its contents. "Let's see, ah~ here it is. It says here that we have... recruited 321 volunteers."
It’s only been about a week or so, so it isn't that bad right?
"The total is 10,321 armed forces."
You didn't need to add that part. When you add that part, it loses meaning!
"Is it improving, are more people joining every week? Why aren't people joining? Is the word just not gotten around yet? What the hell is going on!?"
Emali is giving me a weird look, a scared look. I'm shouting, she hasn't seen me shouting before, I never had to in this world. The last time I shouted like this was probably when I argued with the previous king, and it all ended eventually with me killing him.
I, a single man, holds a lot of power in this world, this weird world. Of course, it would frighten her if I shout. But those eyes, she must know me by now, there is no reason to be frightened of me like that, don't look at me like that.
"Sorry, I shouted, I shouldn't have done that. I..." Panicked. "...was out of line. Sorry. So only 300... Is there any way we can improve those numbers?"
I asked them both because I can't come up with anything. This is the biggest obstacle since I took over this country, but a good leader doesn't panic. I guess I have a long way to go before I become a good leader.
"I would say we should hire mercenaries on a large, but given how our treasury is running dry that's isn’t advisable... So the only thing I can think of is, asking the Beast King for assistance."
Our relations with them is purely based on trade, they won't help us fight our wars. That said there is no point giving up before trying.
"Alright, I doubt they're going to help but there's no harm in trying," I said probably sounding a bit cynical, but I know I shouldn't act cynical when it comes to these things. "Grayson, get Robert, he'll be our messenger again. Emali write the best, 'I request the assistance of...' I don't know just make asking for help sound good. I know it's a hard job, so don't worry about all of this..." I pushed back my chair, got out of my desk, went to hers, and removed the stack of paper on her desk to mine. "Don't worry about any of that, it's not important, we can deal with that later. And Grayson, get some guards to go over to the Sorcerer’s estate, tell them to check it out and report anything they find suspicious. If they don’t find anything, invite the Sorcerer to the castle for some tea, I don't care when let him decide. I just want to have a talk with him. You two do that while I try to figure out… something..."
I burst out of my office, speed walking I make down the hall. The maids flinched as I whooshed past them. I heard footsteps follow me, he was almost sprinting to catch up with me.
"Your majesty where are you going!?"
Grayson shouted from behind, failing to keep up. I stopped suddenly, to turn and look him in the eye.
"Grayson, I want you to go get Robert, and pass my message on to the guards."
He looks a bit hesitant to follow my orders, it seems he has a question some question at the tip of his tongue. But not right now, I don’t want deal with that.
"Grayson that's an order."
I gave him that final push.
"Yes! Your Majesty. But you're not thinking of taking a day off?"
Huh?
"Gi gi gi, of course not. You think we have time for that now. Thanks, I needed that, I was feeling a bit tense. Now go do your job."
"Yes!" He replied and hastened off.
Am I that lazy that he thinks I'll take a break even in this crisis? For the past week and a half I been relaxing too much thinking the volunteer program would work, but not anymore. I haven't felt like this… since then. A year ago when I had to free the slaves, now I have to defend the slaves.
▼▼▼
In this castle, at the corner, even past the doors down to the wine cellar is a very nice ebony double door, which fits in well with this castle. Within those doors at the other end of the room is the eeriest and most archaic door in the whole castle, and it leads to my most hated part of this castle.
The door itself is a beauty`, black and brown, rusted corners, with enough scratches and dents to make a boxers punching bag worry.
"Open it," I commanded the guards in front of it.
As soon as it opens, the stench of feces, urine, and death invade my nostrils. Everything mixes in the air to make even me, who has poison resistance, feel dizzy and nauseated. Winding stairs, lit only by dim lanterns spaced too far apart to provide any comfort lead to what is this castle’s dungeon.
An area for prisoners of the nation to be locked up and tortured. This country had capital punishment, and they used it plentifully before my rule, so you could imagine why they send people here.
Down below, the rusted jail bars, unidentified dripping liquids, plants that don’t need sunlight, and puddles of shit and urine greeted me.
Most of the cells are empty now. After I came into power, I freed most of the people that were locked up here, for who knows how long, and banned its use for the most part.
That being the case, there are still a few people here that I just didn't know what to do with. Their cells were in the deepest parts. Their cells were cleaned regularly under my orders. I even allowed lighting, and books, if they wanted it, most were illiterate though and books are an expensive commodity. My hope was to turn this dungeon into a regular prison on earth, but I hated visiting this place because I know that will never happen. This is where nightmares are born.
The people in the cells were an odd kind if I can put it that lightly. They were slaves, but for unknown reasons tried to protect their masters, their cruel masters. They opposed my rule and wished to remain their master's slave. They were scarred from beatings and whippings.
I remember one of them had an eye missing, a present his master's child.
I learned quite a bit about their condition before I locked them up here, and the only word I could use to describe them was insane.
They must have heard me coming this way for when I passed their cells they were by their bars staring at me. Some extending their arms through the gaps to reach me, they pleaded for their masters back, and as I passed them ignoring their pleas their words soon turned into crude insults and angry barks. I left them in their state of chaos to head further down, to the deepest part of this dungeon.
There behind those bars, in the last cell, was a beastman, a kind of dog beastman. He had fur all over his body, it was of a dark yellowy-gold, his face resembled a bulldog at best, but that dark golden fur made him look uncategorized.
When he saw me he closed his book and put it to the side.
"I knew something different was coming when I heard the others get all excited, but the king himself. Ba ba ba…"
He got up and walked towards me, his body was one of those fat but strong builds, a round belly, and thick arms. There's a stub where one of his ears should be, chopped off in a ragged way.
"Hey Flubo, it's been a while."
"Yes, it has. So what does his majesty wish of me?"
Flubo the Slave, Slave Maker; that's what he was called. It’s just as the name says, he was a slave himself, but he was also a man who trained new slaves. If you can use the word trained to describe the things they did. You could say he worked up the company ladder to the highest position a slave could hold.
The others that were in the same position as him, I had the new citizens decide their punishment. The others were all humans, they were part of the merchants, the slave market; I couldn't show sympathy to them, no I didn't want to show sympathy to them. Maybe it was hypocritical of me to let the nobles and lawmakers who made all this possible go while I punished those people selling and torturing people, but that's just how it happened, and I don't regret it.
Flubo was an exception from both, he was a slave, who helped make slaves. Interrogating him didn't reveal anything new, but he wasn't like the rest of the slaves down here, there was intelligence in his eyes. He said he did everything to help himself, for selfish reasons; he betrayed his kind to get a slightly better life. That was all.
"The Nolybab Kingdom wants war."
"Bababababa... And what do you want from me?"
"Just your opinion, nothing else. Just need something to jog my mind."
"Ba ba ba, as funny as ever king. Sure, sure, I'll oblige. I’ve been getting a bit lonely down here anyway; books can only do so much. How about you send a few bitches over in return for my humble 'opinion'?"
"No."
"Ba ba ba, I was only joking, no need to be so serious. Bababawaba..."
"Flubo, I'm trying to recruit soldiers for the army."
"Oh, how is that going?"
He had a smirk that said he knew the answer.
"Not well."
"Babababab... I expected as much."
He said after he finished laughing.
"There are slaves running here from both sides, our population is increasing at an alarming rate." Or it did for a while now it's slowed down a bit. Probably because of measures, that were taken by the other countries to keep their slaves in. I'm disgusted by myself that I could feel relieved by it.
Flubo was looking at me with a 'so what?' expression.
"I'm wondering why more people aren't joining the army since our population has increased so much."
Flubo appeared to be thinking as he rubbed his chin.
"You want to know why the slaves aren't joining."
Since you’re an expert when it comes to this, I thought I’ll ask you.
I think I already know the answer, and what I really want to know is how to attract more ex-slaves to the army.
"Babababa... You’re a bigger idiot that I thought you were king if you have to come to me for that."
"Will you stop fucken laughing!"
"Did I make the king angry?"
He said playfully, clearly to anger me.
"If you don't want to help me that's fine," I said calming myself, knowing full well losing my anger would not help me here. "Yes, I want to know why there aren't more ex-slaves joining. Or maybe in other words, why aren’t they more angry with this world."
Flubo was looking down on me that was the feeling I got, like if he knew something I didn't.
"Why aren't there more jumping at this chance, the chance to get their revenge? Would that be more accurate?"
“Yeah, that might be it."
I believed Grayson when he said he wanted to fight and that there would be more ex-slaves like him. But 300 is too small, with the rate of immigrants coming into the country.
"Babababab...." That horrible laugh again. When he stopped his laughing he walked back to his seat and plopped down. "Well, you came to the right guy. But, I don't know if I can~ just help you for free."
I just turned around right there, if this fat-ass didn't want to help I wasn't going to try to convince him. I just didn't have the time for that. Robert should be waiting for me back at my office.
"Wait! Wait. Alright, I'll help, I was just joking don't take everything so seriously." Fine, go ahead enlighten me with your words. I took back the few steps I had taken back. "I was just going to ask for some fried fish.” His expression changed instantly. “Do you think it's that simple?" His tone changed drastically with that question. "You see those people back there, they're the finished product." He said pointing to something behind me. "That was my job. That was what all of us working for the merchants were trying to create. A loyal slave." He sighed deeply. "They might be able to run and hid behind you, cower behind you, but they're nothing by themselves. They're whole ability to live freely depend on you, you a single being."
"That’s going a bit-"
"Oh don't pretend like you don't know, your new citizens, the old slaves. They might seem free but up here, there not." He said poking at his own head.
“That might be true for some of them. Yes, some might still be scared, but millions. That's how many slaves that have immigrated to our country in the last year."
"I don't think you understand me." He said looking impatient with me, which annoyed me. Today has been an annoying day.
"Do you know how to get more slaves to join the fight or not?"
"You’re asking too much king, I don't even know, if you know, what you're asking me. How would I know, how to inspire a bunch of slaves to stand up for themselves. Well if the slave 'trainers' were as good as I was, you should give up. That's my only advice."
This has been a very unproductive talk, I thought him being a former slave and a slave 'trainer' as he put it, his insights might help in the recruiting process, but I suppose I was wrong.
"Thanks for nothing."
I turned around and left, I heard a delayed "you're welcome" shouted back at me. Followed by his stupid laugh.