The first light of dawn filtered weakly through the fabric of the tent, casting everything in a dull, gray hue. Around him, the others were beginning to stir, groaning and grumbling as they too woke up to face another day of forced labor. David didn’t want to get up.
His body felt like it was made of lead, but worse than the physical exhaustion was the weight in his chest- the suffocating hopelessness that gnawed at his heart.
He rubbed a hand over his face, wiping away the grime that seemed permanently etched into his skin. His eyes burned, but he refused to let the tears fall. Not here. Not in front of these men. They were all broken in their own ways, but showing weakness- crying- was a sure way to invite mockery or worse. Instead, he swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to push the despair down.
But it was hard. So damn hard.
His life had become a hollow, endless cycle of hard labor and misery. There was no future for him now, just days of backbreaking work under the command of a master who cared little for his well-being. His throat tightened as memories of the life he once had flooded his mind.
He had been a younger man, full of hope and love, ready to start a life with his fiancée, Dorothy. They lived in a modest village. Their life was simple, but it was good. The day he proposed to Dorothy had been the happiest of his life. They dreamed of starting a family, living peacefully in the village and growing old together, watching their children grow to up be happy adults.
That dream shattered the day the local baron’s son, a vile man named Tristan, took notice of Dorothy’s beauty. Tristan was known for abusing his status, taking what he wanted with no regard for others, and when he laid his eyes on her, their fate was sealed. Tristan demanded Dorothy for himself, and when she refused, he threatened to take her by force.
David was desperate to protect her, thus he stood his ground, confronting the nobleman with nothing but his bare hands and his boundless love for Dorothy.
The confrontation cost him everything.
Tristan, enraged by David’s defiance, claimed that David had attacked him- an unforgivable crime against an aristocrat. Within minutes David was stripped of his rights, sentenced to a life of slavery, and dragged away from the only home he’d ever known. He never saw Dorothy again. Tristan had taken her, and David did not doubt that she had been forced to submit to him.
He had been sold to a construction business owner where he began working tirelessly to build estates for nobles and wealthy commoners. He was constantly beaten and abused for the smallest mistakes. The endless hammering, digging, and carrying had broken his spirit. He endured it in silence, each day hoping that somehow, some way, he might find a way to escape and to see Dorothy again.
That hope faded even further when his former master went bankrupt. The greenskins had invaded the county, ruining trade routes and businesses, and in desperation, his master sold off all his slaves, including David. That was when he was bought by him- the giant muscular man of a master. There was no escape now, no chance for freedom.
The master somehow teleported all his slaves to the middle of nowhere, where only forests and beasts surrounded them. Even if they could attempt to run away, they had nowhere to go.
David still remembered the two people who bought him, and how strange they were. His master was one of the most intimidating men he’d ever met, but his lover was just as curious of a sight. Not because she was staring at him rudely or anything like that, but because of how petite of a woman she was.
David didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy the company of the fairer gender because he kept his chastity for the marriage which never happened, but even he understood that she was a real champion to be able to have such a hulking boyfriend and to keep up with him in bed.
There was an enormous height difference between the two, and while height didn’t necessarily translate to male member size, David couldn’t imagine a reality where his new master packed a small lance. He somehow seemed to be a born winner. There’s no way that the Goddess would curse him in such a way, he thought.
David shook his head. ‘Enough thinking about those people…’
The man’s hands trembled as he wiped away the tears that had welled up in his eyes with a defeated sigh. Now, all that remained waiting for him in life was the crushing weight of despair. As he looked at the other men in the tent, he realized that they were all as dejected as he was. They might put on a brave front, a mask to veil their true feelings, but he could see their real thoughts.
They all lost everything.
David closed his eyes and did his best to remember Dorothy’s alluring scent in his mind, her warm embrace, her soft voice telling him everything would be alright.
But now, all he had was this- the stink of sweat, dirt, and fear. A life of servitude, until his body finally gave out while his fiance would be ravaged senselessly by a boy born with a golden spoon in his mouth if he didn’t already discard her.
“It’s going to be alright, son.” An older man whispered while watching David’s dejected expression.
“Even you don’t believe that, old man. We’ve been dragged to the end of the world to work as labor slaves until our last dying breath.” Another spoke up.
The old man sighed, “All we can do is place our trust in the Goddess and the mercy she shows to her believers.”
“… That’s somehow not very reassuring.”
Before David could join the conversation a voice rang out from outside their tent.
“Wake up, men! Our master has come to visit us and he wishes to see all of you!” David recognized the voice to be that of Ronan, their direct boss who was the only overjoyed person in this place. Every time David glanced at this strange, eccentric man he would be smiling from ear to ear, musing under his breath about how good life is and the like. Continue the excitement on freewebnovel
David then focused on his statement. The master was here… to see them