David sighed deeply, pushing himself up from the filthy ground with aching arms. Around him, the other men slowly began to stir while rubbing the sleep from their eyes and muttering curses under their breath.
“Great. Just the way I like to start my day; seeing my owner.” One grumbled annoyedly.
David didn’t respond but shared the sentiment. The “master” hadn’t shown his face since they’d arrived, but his presence was always felt. The magical chains that bound them ensured no direct rebellion could happen, no matter how much they despised him.
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“Come on lads, let’s get this over with…” the older man said, dragging himself to his feet. “If we don’t, Ronan will have us digging ditches by noon. That’s not even mentioning what punishment the master might throw at us.”
They all gathered what little dignity they had left and made their way outside. The early morning sun was already glaring down on the camp. As they stepped out of the tent, they saw their fellow slaves emerging from the nearby tents, all of them sharing the same expressions of dejection.
The camp itself was a barren, desolate place- a few shabby tents surrounded by the beginning stages of structure foundations they’ve managed to lay in a day, a few water barrels, and stacks of crude tools scattered about. It was as lifeless as they felt.
Ronan stood at attention nearby with a grin that was as wide and enthusiastic as ever. The man was a strange sight, always smiling despite the dire situation he was in. David could never understand it. Next to Ronan, their master loomed, towering over him by a head and radiating an air of authority.
He wore dark robes, looking like a professional killer, though he did not wear a mask or hood, making his face visible. ‘Is our master a criminal?’ David thought. If he wasn’t a noble it made sense that he would earn this many coins with underhanded methods.
On the other side of the master stood Iselda, the only woman in the camp and second overseer who was equal in rank to Ronan. She was stern, with sharp eyes and an air of coldness that made the other men avoid eye contact with her. Some of the others had already tried to woo her, likely out of desperation rather than any genuine affection, but every attempt had ended in brutal failure.
David had overheard some of the whispers- complaints about how emotionless and unapproachable she was, but he didn’t blame her.
The men were dirty as well as her direct subordinates.
The group of slaves shuffled closer, lining up in front of their master as Ronan gestured for them to hurry.
“Let’s move like you’re alive! Our benevolent master is here!” he chirped, oblivious to- or just plain ignorant of their grim faces and emotions.
David joined the line, standing with the others as they faced their master. His eyes briefly flicked over to Iselda, but her face betrayed no emotion. Her arms were crossed as she stood beside their towering master. David didn’t have thoughts of trying to flirt with her because his heart still belonged to his beloved Dorothy.
“I wanna fuck her so bad man…” a desperate man whispered beside him. “Why didn’t he bring the cute oriental girl with him? She was such a beauty I would do anything just to see her again…”
David said nothing to the man’s desperate cravings, and just stared ahead, examining his new owner who finally spoke to them for the first time. “Greetings. My name is Quinlan, the man who bought you.”
He paused there for a second before continuing, “I know that all of you are unhappy with your current living situation. Well, maybe not this guy.” He said wryly while glancing at Ronan.
“I’m very happy, boss! I never worked on a project of this scale with the creative freedom I’ve been granted!”
Quinlan chuckled amusedly while shaking his head. “Yeah. Anyhow. I thought it was time I talked with you all before you spiral into crippling depression. Let’s start with the basics. You’re my slaves, you work for me, and that’s a cruel but true fact.
Never forget that I hold your life and death in the palm of my hand.”
‘Threats right off the gate? Masters usually say that they treasure us all and then soon reveal their true colors… This approach is new.’ David commented inwardly. As he glanced around he could also see a few differing emotions. Some were still trying to come to terms that they were slaves, others were surprised like him, while a few were angry at the harsh statement.
“However, I’m not going to torture you and the like just because I feel like it. You’re my valuable subordinates, and while I might be cruel to my enemies, I treat my allies well. Of course, I do believe in the effectiveness of harsh, public punishments should you step out of line.
I would say that being my slave is a double-edged sword. I will give you benefits other masters would decree stupid while laughing at me, saying I’m wasting my resources, but I know better. However, in exchange, I expect you to work hard, hence the double-edged metaphor. Any questions thus far?”
“Why did you not bring the sexy petite girl with you?” The man who craved her presence earlier spoke up. David had an urge to facepalm. ‘This man must be brain-damaged’, he thought. He wasn’t alone as multiple heads snapped in his direction.
“Hmm?” Quinlan questioned softly, though none of his previous jovial thoughts could be seen on his features.
“I asked-” before he could repeat, the older man slapped the back of his head and forced the blabbermouth to bow alongside him. “Master Quinlan, I apologize for this one’s antics. He is an amazing worker but isn’t the brightest tool in the shed.”
“You don’t say? I never would’ve guessed.” Quinlan replied amusedly. He didn’t seem to be overly furious.
“Let me announce the first rule of my household, something you all must follow like it’s your divine law; my women are mine and mine alone. You are forbidden from even lusting after them, let alone attempting to touch them. Understood?”
“Yes, Master Quinlan!” The older man replied hastily.
“Good. Make sure something like this won’t happen again.” He said, then turned his head to the stupid man. “As a light punishment due to it being your first offense, you shall be forbidden from visiting a brothel when I take the well-behaved ones with me.”
Huh? All of the slaves’ eyes snapped wide open when they heard his sentencing. Brothel visit? Was it one of the perks he said he would provide? It was certainly something David’s older master didn’t do, but he also wasn’t interested.
The offender’s confident grin evaporated. He was ready to accept any physical punishment since he was used to them, but this… He dropped to his knees and planted his head on the ground. “Please show mercy on this stupid fool!”
He was desperate to get laid since he’d only enjoyed the company of his right hand since becoming a slave more than a decade ago.
“My words are final. Do your best to bolster your image in my eyes so that I might let you come along sometime in the future.”