Chapter 5 - The immoral deal

When William woke up the next day he called for a meeting.

All the most important personalities of the villages assembled in the town hall. They sat down in the building‘s meeting place. A large robust wooden table stood at their center.

Around it elders, leaders, and business owners sat, ready to discuss, what the mayor called them in for.

The five elders and William himself were sat in the most intricate seats, representing their power. Close to them sat the guild master, Lucy, and some of the main professions‘ leaders. The head cook, head gatherer, head leatherworker, head tailor, and the priest of the local church.

William opened the meeting with some welcoming words but quickly came to the point.

William: “I assembled this meeting to discuss the future of the village.” “ In the half a week I have been here I have seen a lot of, Problems”

At this some of the leaders flinched, they lowered their eyes and played with what they had in their hands. Especially Banelias and Quilm looked around quite quickly, they tried to control it, but this was the realm of William. Nothing escaped his eyes in the matters of politics.

William: “ Though it were not only Problems I observes, opportunities too” “ But to clasp this chances we have to first get rid of some of the problems”

William: “Banelias, please rise”

Banelias rose slowly from his seat. His chair loudly slit over the smooth wooden floor. Pearls of sweat wet the floor beneath the elder and he had his mouth shut. His lips were slightly pale from the force of it.

William: “Throughout my observations of the village I was astounded by your talent.” “Because of this, I award you with the title of a lesser noble”

At this moment the surrounding guests had wide eyes and grim smiles on their faces. The stunned look on the other elders' faces was even visible for a blind man.

Banelias himself wasn’t able to utter a word for quite a while and just as he wanted to, William again broke the silence.

William: “Though, before you may achieve your title I ask for you to wed a wive, before your deity.” “She shall bear a child to be you, heir, so that your blood may run for long”

The fat man's face turned ashen grey and he trembled slightly. His fists were balled tightly and he had the look of a scared deer. The scribes behind him turned slightly red on the cheeks and looked at the floor.

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William just continued his meeting. Discussing with the others what he planed last night.

He established a group to set the farming of coffee into action. Ordered the twin elders to craft up plans for various entertainment establishments. Talked with the head cook about a banquet for the nobles and landlords of the surrounding. And invited Quilm into his office to discuss some business, involving the slaves.

At the last order, he sends the priest a look. Letting him know he was needed too. The priest, known as Merlin nodded to his lord's orders.

William then made a round through the meeting table. Asking every attendant some questions and discussing their trades.

He then dismissed the various leaders and went into his office. There he waited for Merlin and Quilm. The pair had something smelly going on behind their backs.

A knock sounded on the hardwood door and he invited his guests in. The two sat down before him, honoring their lord before.

William welcomed them and without beating about the bush immediately started his questioning.

He asked them various questions about their business with slaves. At first talking about the import and export of them.

Though he slowly got closer and closer about the beast slaves he invited them in to talk about. At first, Quilm tried to evade the question and ignore the lord's bickering.

The priest was wiser than the lanky man. Noticing the interested look in the lord's eye he began to spill the beans. With the holy man's old age came a good knowledge of body language and a wise mind.

Merlin: “My lord, I don’t know how much you know about Beast slaves, but I will try to explain them to you”

Quilm at first had large eyes and a stunned face, at the Priest revealing the secret. But knew to help with the explanation when he saw William listening with large ears.

Merlin: “To be precise my lord, the slaves we are trading are actually not beast slaves, but devil slaves” “A mixture between demons and beast kin”

Quilm went on to explain their unique selling points further. “They are powerful fighters, a mixture from the natural talent from the beast kin and natural cultivation of the demons”

Merlin then continued the explanation, going into detail about how they get into possession of them.

Down below the chapel in the peasant district, a large complex of catacombs lays. In there the priest leads a cult, praying to Asmodeus. The god of devils and master of the nine hells.

The lives of normals slaves would be sacrificed to follow a deal between the cult and one of Asmodeus's fallen angels. In exchange for the slaves' live, blood and soul they would provide the church with devil slaves.

Higher quality slaves would provide more powerful devils and sometimes even Baatezu. A more powerful and intelligent devil race.

Now finally knowing of the two‘s schemes full extend, the lord welcomed their idea. He discussed the buyers of the devil slaves and other things they were and could be used for.

Quilm and Merlin‘s tense shoulders sacked down at the lord's word. And a small smile adorned their mouths creating a dangerous look together with the greed in their eyes.

The Lord himself was completely neutral, his eyes as if he were talking about buying some bread. Realizing this the two devil traders were slightly perplexed, a small sweat breaking out on their foreheads. The room suddenly felt a bit warmer than before even though the two schemers were shivering.

Most men would be scared of what the two did. And some would have the same look like the two in the face of the immoral deal. But the scariest were those staying unperturbed in the face of death, torture, and evil.

William himself felt nothing at the deal, just a little happy from a good deal.

Practicality was a two-sided sword. It would achieve nearly every goal but could cut up what stood at the opposite side.