A few more islands formed inside Pef's inner world during the trip, as he was digesting the newest kills.
The avatar announced to the freed slaves their destination, the elven world of Mi'ridalor, where they'll be released to live their lives in freedom.
A number of elves were familiar with that planet, and came forward with information about the Free Elven Army and how to contact them. They weren't sure how everyone else would be received, since tauren and morloks weren't friendly with the elves and other races barely tolerated. But anyway, anywhere was bettter than being a slave in the demon mines.
"Don't worry, everyone. The Soultrader Guild has agreed to sell me that planet, so if I say you can all live there, then my word is law." Pef announced through his avatar, calming the spirits.
"But if the elves resistance..." a smarter slave asked with a small voice.
"I'll deal with them. May need to twist a few hands, if they won't cooperate." Pef replied with a serious tone.
Hopefully those elves were only freedom fighters and not religious nuts. Exterminating another zealot cult was getting tiresome, even if was necessary.
Same as back home or Ardenia, Arden's planet, sects and churches and other cults tended to become exploitative and entrenched, abusing their cultivation and knowledge and keeping the populace under theocratic terror.
A clean slate was necessary, as well as establishing Legion bases to train new recruits. In a few generations the new order would become normal, the abuses of the past mere legends and museum notes.
Simpy done by dispensing the Legion's indoctrination to the more promissing white aura recruits, and the Emperor level secondary cultivation to the majority of the Guards. Not a perfect system, but worked well enough.
The Legion's indoctrination prevented most of the problems of the civilian cultivation, such as infighting, betrayals and abuse of power, by having hardwirded military codes integrated into the recruit's mind and soul.
Also, the newest itteration of the Legion's cultivation contained within all the newest discoveries, such as formation arrays and pill crafting, metalworking and medicine and up to magnetism, electricity and the radio. Enough technology to allow for a planet wide civilization, but little more.
If people wanted more, they had to research and discover for themselves.
Advanced discoveries like lasers and gravity technology was kept separate, as were spaceships and gigatonn range weapons based on qi. No need to give civilians ways to murder each other by the billions.
The Soultrader's ship jumped into the Mi'rilador system exactly on time, and stopped.
In the distance, Pef noticed a spacestation of sorts, parked in orbit above the planet.
'The Guild maintains a defense platform here, to prevent the rebels from spreading to other places.' the trader sent via a mind pulse.
'Excelent! I want it as well. Should serve me well as a command outpost.' Pef sent back, while observing the planet below. Magical formations covered most of the planet with thick mists, and barriers of different types could be felt at the edges of his mind.
The Soultrader hesitated for a minute. Perhaps he didn't expect the request.
'If the rebels escape and spread out, it would be on your head, human. They are contained now, but it took the Guild thousands of years to reach this point. As for landing, you can see for yourself it won't be very safe. Few brave demons manage to survive even a week when they go hunting.'
'But I'm not a demon, am I? Order the demons on the station to evacuate, while I inspect my new planet' Pef sent back, then sped towards the surface.
In a minute, he landed at the edge of a mystic array, and gently knocked on the shimmering barrier.
There seconds later, he knocked again, using the pattern the grateful elves had given him.
Then he sat down to wait, as the locals made up their mind.
A few hours passed, then an opening shaped like an arc appeared in front of him.
'Enter and step forward three steps, human. No more.' a wary voice sounded in his mind.
He did as instructed, passing through the barrier then stopping.
A glade of verdant beauty appeared around him, contrasting greatly with the grim and desolate scenary behind him.
"Hello everyone. Name's Pef Xi. New owner of this planet!" Pef proclaimed with a wide grin.
Spears and swords glowing with magical energies were immediately pointed at him. A hundred warriors of various powers were glowering at him.
And among them, two elves of Tier 2. Man and woman, with long platinum hair and similar features. Brother and sister, most likely. Perhaps married, if they emulated many of the human monarchs.
"Mi'rilador has stood free for eons, human. We resisted even Greater Demons and the Soultrader Guild. No human is going to own us." the elf man proclaimed as the other warriors cheered.
"And yet the Soultrader Guild has agreed to sell me this planet. Perhaps you should take it up with them. The Soultrader's ship is a just short flight away, that way!" Pef replied with a charming smile, then pointed towards the sky in a careless gesture.
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The elven woman giggled, and pointed in a different direction. "That ship is now loading the demon guards from the station. It seems they are preparing to leave."
Our hero glanced towards the new direction, confirming his location. "Well, I bought the station too, but have no need for their demon guards. I have my own forces to use it. So, where is a good place to settle two million people? This glade is pretty, but I'd prefer somewhere with farmland and rivers." Pef asked with curious voice.
The elves glowered at the outlander, and Pef felt his mental shields strain under their collective might.
"You're not amusing anymore, human. Time to turn back and go." The female elf said in a less amused voice.
"Not an option, I'm afraid. I have two million people to resettle, and this planet is mine. However, I'm willing to let you guys live here too. If you stop giving me headaches." Pef muttered while massaging his right temple.
The attack stopped all of a sudden, as the elves stared at his hand.
"The queen's diadem! You dare wear it like a bracelet?" the male elf yelled with an angry voice.
Pef glanced at the mystery chain, then smiled widely.
"It did seem to girly for my tastes, so I decided it fit my hand more. What? You have a problem with my taste, you ugly elf?" Pef yelled back at him.
"He's trying to rile you up, and make you lose your composure, brother. Succeeding too. But old artifacts aside, the planet is not for sale." the elf goddess said in a softer voice, while patting her brother on his shoulder.
Pef sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Okay then. If you prefer getting hunted by demons and living under terror of the Guild, what can I do? I'll have to accept another planet from the Soultrader, and tell the poor elven slaves that their own race doesn't want them back..."
He turned away and started walking slowly and dejectedly towards the exit.
Pef didn't get very far, as expected.
The goddess stepped in front of him, her eyes measuring Pef with concentration.
"Show me!" she said after a long minute of deliberation.
Pef took her hand, and she vanished inside his inner world.
With a single glance, the woman swept the beaches and the islands, full of slaves trying not to step on each other.
"Barely a tenth are elves. An entire planetary workforce, I guess?"
"Yep, the Green Mine. I looted that planet on a whim, then used the green jade to buy this planet. However..."
"No place to live, I can see that. But my people won't like the tauren refugees, nor the morloks. Bad blood."
"Well, as I said. They come as a package. Plus these people are used to work together. See any fights or bad blood among them?" Pef asked while gesturing towards the teeming masses.
"Let's say I agree and take these poor people in. But the planet is really not for sale."
"One. It actually is. There's a contract and all. Two. I'm not staying. I have some more business to take care, then I'll leave this galaxy. But if I do own this planet, under the Guild's laws..."
"The demons can't return. No more hunters and slavers coming to raid..." the goddess mused in a soft whisper.
"Three. More slaves will arrive, as I change the demons' economy and how they work. Slavery will soon become uneconomical to maintain, and if someone is buying the now useless slaves, they won't be just killed." Pef explained with a smile, then ejected the goddess back into her glade.
She walked towards her brother and touched foreheads, probably retelling what she just saw.
The man still glared at Pef, but no more attacks came.
"It's okay people. This human brought back thousands of our elven brothers, saved from slavery. And more will return, in the future! The demons are leaving as well, tricked by this human. It's a good day today!" He proclaimed heroically, and the warriors cheered on command.
Pef sped away, leaving the barrier and emerging in orbit. Another blink, and he met the Soultrader as he was collecting some magic gear from the station.
"Arazmodel! Are you stealing my property?" Pef yelled in outrage.
The demon sheepishly dropped some magical items to the floor. "Ah, human. Inspection is over?"
"Indeed it is. The elves seem very nice, and will continue my arrangement, as you replace more weak slaves with strong demon miners. Just unload your old slaves here on the trade station, from now on. You may prioritize their fellow elves, as well as humans." Pef explained with a wide smile while going over the recovered magical artifacts. Some kind of delicate scanning arrays, it seemed. Might be useful one day.
"You work fast, human. One day I might even ask your name." Arazmodel said with a pleasant smile. He wasn't pleased at all then.
"I'm sure we won't stay in touch for that long. I have many galaxies to visit, and only a lifetime to do it." Pef answered with a careless shrug.
"Yes, yes. The young are brave and bold, I know. Ready to sign the contract?" the Soultrader asked with a polite tone.
They sat at a table to go over the details, arguing like lawyers over the tiniest details.
The glove made sure to correct Pef on any and every flaw in the contract, like extra commas and other punctuation marks. The demon's forehead started sweating as more and more flaws were being corrected. Soon, the contract became an inescapable prison, for the Soultrader.
"How can you know contract law so well? You're a demon in disguise!" the demon accused him in a fit of honesty.
"Well, thank you, my friend. But no need for flattery. Now take your vow, or forever be silent." Pef said while dusting his shoulder of invisible dust.
"I, Arazmodel, vow to abide this contract or else I suffer hellflame." the sad demon whispered, trying hard to stop his tears. The violet binding flew over the contract and the demon, making him cry a small tear.
Pef placed his finger on the page and glanced at the Soultrader. "I promise to enforce this contract to the end of times. Neither god nor demon shall stand in my way. My soul for the Legion!"
He pulsed a wave of sword ki, emulating the demon's vow in shape if not spirit.
"A brave vow to take, human. Certain you are, to enforce such vow." the Soultrader whispered in awe.
"On the contrary, demon. This is just an excuse to slaughter anyone stupid enough to break it. Helps me feel good about myself, should I need to murder a few millions vow breakers." Pef explained, then burst into evil laughter. The contract flew into his hand, then vanished.
"You're worse than a demon. Evil incarnate!" the Soultrader wailed, shuffling back in horror.
"Go wait on your ship, trader. Your smell stinks up my station." Pef replied and pointed towards the docks.
The Soultrader ran, holding his red robe awkwardly, like evil spirits were chasing after him. As he ran, the demon began throwing away all the stolen bits, fearful of getting caught stealing and losing his soul.
Pef waved away the foul air, and smiled grimly.
'You're certain the contract can't hurt me?'
'Almost certain. As long as it stays inside storage, I can block even a Tier 6 entity. But anyway, you shouldn't be seen breaking their contract. We may need to fool more demons.' the glove advised him in a stern tone.
'Alright then. Time to settle the refugees and start another Legion base here. We have almost a thousand white aura recruits to indoctrinate.'
'Indeed. And then we go and get our gun.' the glove replied as a promise.
'And then our gun!' Pef proclaimed as well, as he blinked himself on the surface.
"House elves! I'm baaaack!" Pef yelled at the barrier, and it soon opened into an arc.
"What's a house elf?" the guard elf asked curious.
"An elf who lives in my house, obviously." our hero answered with a kind smile.
The guard stared after his new owner with confused eyes.