Chapter 343 - Slaves or Workers
The academy was mainly used to train students and also for the elders and Master knights to hold regular meetings. While the rest of the city was formed of mostly regular knights.
These knights, similar to the students, were also grouped into sash categories depending on their skills. However, the one colour sash that had been removed was the Red sash.
A sash that before showed you didn't specialise in anything. Instead, this was replaced with orange.
The army had grown ever since they started to recruit more guild members plus the additional members from the Underdog guilds.
They also now had an increase of regular citizens from the towns nearby. Those that worked in trade, farm, servants or any other casual type of work not related to the army, were now handed an orange sash.
At the moment, Wilfred along with Sir K where Infront of 200 of the members that came from the Black Ring guild. One of the strongest guilds in the whole of the Alure kingdom. They were surrounded by a group of white sash knights and were out on an open field just outside of the city. Each of them cuffed with their hand's behind their backs.
Wilfred walked forward and used his Ki to project his voice out loud to the group stood in front of him.
"Why did you all chose to join your guild? Or better yet. Why do you follow your leader?"
The group started to chatter amongst themselves. They were wondering what they were even doing here in the first place. When they arrived, they expected to either be turned into slaves or even killed. But right now they were being asked questions by an old man.
"Because our leader is strong!" Someone shouted.
"Yes, he created the strongest guild."
"He provided for us."
Wilfred then held up his hands to silence the others, they continued to chatter, but when the white sash knights drew their swords, they quickly became quiet.
"Those are all valid reasons, but when the guild was nothing, I believe you didn't join because of that. You had a goal. Perhaps to provide for your family. To earn a coin for the knight. And maybe some of you were even noble enough to do it to protect the city. Those who joined later, perhaps sought fame and fortune but at what cost?"
Wilfred then drew his sword and stabbed into the ground, causing a small fissure to form. The ground even slightly rumbled.
"But what excuse did you have to take from those townsfolk. You, at one point, grew up like them. They all are the same as you. What makes their lives any less than yours? Maybe you will say you are free to do what you wish. Perhaps you will say it was an order from above. Anyway, enough of my ramblings, our leader has been kind enough to give you all a second chance."
Suddenly, the ears of the prisoners started to prop up even more.
"The rules are simple, you say you are the best guild in all of Alure, you say you are the strongest. Then prove it to us. You are to battle with either myself or Sir K. If you are to win then, you are free to leave this city. If you are to lose. Then you shall follow our commands and fight for our cause against the shadow. Those who do not wish to even take the challenge will be forced to work the fields."
Most of them were confident in their skills. Before yesterday they would have probably said there weren't many in the whole of the kingdom that could beat them. But yesterday they had come across monsters, people from the Redwings.
"They can't all be that strong though, right?" A member said.
"Yeah, the six we went up against before, they must be like their leaders or something."
But then they remembered the fissure that Wilfred had just caused and even he looked immensely powerful in front of them. So then, the only option they could pick was Sir K, who looked slightly bored standing to the side.
A brave young man yelled out, a Rank C adventurer named Sam. "Please, I would like to try!"
"Oh, our first volunteer." Wilfred then pulled out the sword from the ground and readied himself.
Sam gulped at the sight of Wilfred. "Please, I wish to fight the man by your side."
"Yes, what a smart move." A member said.
"They probably thought we would pick the old man looking at the two, but out of anger, he showed us his real strength."
Pointing at himself Sir K, looked slightly surprised. 'Looks like my plan of looking weak worked. Let's have some fun with these guys shall we.'
As Sir K moved forward, he pulled out his dark purple curved blade and Sam was uncuffed and given a weapon of his choice as well.
The others looked at Sam with hope. He was a hopeful young new member of the guild who hadn't been with them long. But they knew he was skilled. Mainly since he carried the Rank of C. If Sam could win, then perhaps they would all have a chance.
"Are you ready?" Wilfred asked.
"Wait, how do we determine a winner?" Sam said. "I do not wish to harm him."
"Oh, don't worry about that, all you need to do to win is to touch one of us with your blade," Wilfred explained.
"Do these people think we are that weak!" they shouted.
"They must be out of their minds."
The guild members were proud of who they were and the suggestion that they couldn't even touch one of the Redwing members, felt like an insult to them.
But Sam felt differently as he was stood opposite Sir K. The smile going across the man's face gave him chills.
"Begin!" Wilfred shouted.
Sam chose not to rush in but to defend. Hoping to learn his opponent's skill first, but one second, he had blinked and Sir K was nowhere to be seen.
"Smart move, but your opponent is just out of your league." Sir K whispered into his ear.
Before Sam realised it, a blade was already pointed at his neck.
The people watching from the outside had even struggled to see what happened. Only a few saw glimpses but still in their head it didn't make sense.
As they kept on seeing more and more impressive people at the Redwings, they couldn't help but think why they ever agreed to go against them in their first place.
No amount of coin was worth them fighting against these team of monsters.