"Send the next one in," Zeke ordered with a tired voice.
A moment later, the door to the study opened, and a large Chimeroi with bull horns and a nose ring walked in. The man would probably tower over an average human by at least two heads, and his massive muscular frame gave him an intimidating air. However, Zeke didn't even look up, focusing on the document in front of him instead. The Chimeroi, for his part, stopped in front of his desk and waited in silence.
In the quiet of the study, the only thing that could be heard was the giant's loud breathing and the nervous fidgeting of his hooved feet. To any observer, it would appear as if he was far more afraid of the boy sitting in front of him than the other way around.
"Your name is Blackhorn?" Zeke asked without looking up.
"Yes, Master," the man replied.
"And you were a guard before?"
"Yes, Master."
Zeke finally looked up, meeting the man's eyes. "Did you ever torment, abuse, or kill anybody without being ordered to?"
The man remained silent for a long time, thinking. "No, Master," he replied eventually.
Zeke eyed him for a moment longer before returning his gaze to the page in front of him. He added a few lines before asking his next question. "How did you end up as a member of the Ember Scar Cartel?"
Blackhorn frowned and hesitated. "…Wanted to fight …In the Rings … Signed a contract… Firebrand School."
Zeke nodded in understanding. "How long have you been working for the Ember Scar Cartel?"
"Long time," Blackhorn replied.
Zeke nodded and finished the last line on the paper. He then put it down and looked at Blackhorn with a severe gaze. "I am going to make you an offer, but you have to give me an answer right now, understood?"
The Chimeroi nodded.
"My offer is for you to join the new force I am creating and for you to work for me from now on. This position comes with three large meals a day, a place to stay, and 50 copper a month in wages."
Blackthorn's eyes bulged comically.
"…Furthermore, I want to make a change to the Slave contract between you and me," Zeke explained. "Afterward, you will no longer be bound so heavily, and you will no longer die when I die."
The Chimeroi remained silent, well aware that Zeke wasn't finished.
"The downside is that it will be impossible to transfer your contract to anybody else ever again. This means you will most likely have to serve me until the day I die."
Blackhorn stared at Zeke for a moment longer before speaking up. "Is all?"
Zeke nodded. "That is all."
Blackhorn didn't hesitate. "Accept!"
Zeke smiled and closed his eyes for a moment. In his Soul-Form, he grabbed Blackhorn's Soul fragment and shoved it back into the Chimeroi. The giant staggered, shook his head, and stared at Zeke in wonder.
"It is done," he said warmly. "You can go down to the large hall and grab something to eat."
Blackhorn nodded, far more relaxed than earlier, and turned to leave.
"Ahh, one more thing…" Zeke called after him, making the giant freeze in place. "Welcome to the team." Blackhorn's momentary panic eased, and a slight smile appeared. After a quick nod, he exited the way he came.
The moment the Chimeroi left, Zeke's smile slipped, giving way to an expression of profound exhaustion. "Send the next one in," he ordered in a tired voice.
<table border="1" class="chapter-table" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 99.9581%">
<tbody>
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<td style="width: 98.8805%">
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)"> [Notice] </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)">There are no others.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Zeke blinked rapidly, unable to comprehend the words. Then, his brain caught up, and he quickly examined his Soul, only to find that Akasha had spoken the truth. Not a single fragment remained.
With a contented sigh, he leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes, taking a long, liberating breath. "Finally," he murmured.
Zeke had anticipated that addressing each of his Slaves individually would be an arduous task, but he had underestimated the enormous amount of time it would consume. Despite his efficiency in conducting each interview within minutes, the sheer volume meant that even a brief interaction multiplied by over a thousand amounted to several days of work.
But finally—finally, he was done.
"Give me the numbers, Akasha."
<table border="1" class="chapter-table" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 99.9581%">
<tbody>
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<td style="width: 98.8805%">
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)"> [Answer] </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)">The original count was 1452 Slaves.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)">45 died in battle.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)">83 were executed for their crimes.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)">123 demanded to be sold.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)">1201 decided to join.</span></p>
</td>
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</tbody>
</table>
Over twelve hundred people! Had it really been that many? With such a force, his plans for this place might actually be achievable.
Zeke fell into deep thought, planning his subsequent actions. He had told Ravi he planned to establish a presence in Undercity, replacing the Ember Scar Cartel. That had been true—at the time. However, with such a force behind him now, expansion seemed possible as well. The only problem was the three other large forces: The Spectral Dominion in the South, the Blackthorn Covenant in the East, and the Venomous Cabal in the North.
Zeke didn't think the Spectral Dominion, led by a single enigmatic figure, would pose much of a problem. The Death Mage was known to keep to himself and never bothered anybody who didn't disturb him first. However, if it came to a clash, this person might be the most challenging opponent, as he held such a position as an individual without an organization.
The Blackthorn Covenant was even less of a problem, in Zeke's opinion. After all, the merchant organization controlling the East was after money first and foremost. And money was something Zeke had in spades. Even though he wasn't confident in his ability to buy an entire district in Tradespire or even Swarnaloka, Undercity was a different matter. A single gold coin went a long way here.
The only real problem was the Venomous Cabal in the North. It was an organization consisting solely of Chimeroi. From what Zeke had heard, they were fiercely opposed to Slavery and had a hatred for humans. There was even talk of open rebellion. Seeing the state of Undercity, such a mindset was quite understandable. Zeke would also harbor resentment against the people responsible.
Even so, their goals and ambitions were naive, like children throwing a tantrum. They severely underestimated the forces of Korrovan if they thought they had a chance to rebel. The moment they started to pose even the slightest threat, the Raja family would squash them like a bug. Remembering the Lightning Exarch, a shiver went down his spine. That was a being on a completely different level. Shaking his head, Zeke dispelled the image.
No matter how misguided their efforts, reaching an agreement would prove challenging. With his absorption of two organizations comprised solely of Slaves, it was now too late to backtrack. In sheer numbers alone, Zeke likely owned more Slaves than anyone else in Korrovan. The realization left him grimacing. How had things escalated to this point? He doubted that a mere explanation of his circumstances would suffice to sway the members of the Venomous Cabal, no matter how justified he had been at the time.
Even so, if he wanted to develop in peace, he would need to find a way to get along with them, as they were the most violent and militaristic of the four forces. What a headache.
The door to his room swung open, and somebody stepped inside. Zeke didn't even have to look in order to know who it was. In the current Ember Scar Cartel, there was only a single person who would dare to barge in like that.
"There's news," Leo said in a cheerful tone. Following behind him, Zeke saw Ripper enter, far more reserved than Leo had been. Zeke's brows furrowed, and a slight smile spread across his face; the two of them had spent a lot of time together lately, and his senses told him there was something more going on. Even so, he wasn't going to pry into his brother's affairs.
"What news?" Zeke asked, returning his attention to Leo.
"The men returned…"
Zeke nodded, waiting for the rest of the explanation. Leo was most likely referring to the people he had sent out to chase after the remnants of the Firebrand School. It would be good if they had managed to catch them. At this point, only two people remained at large.
"They caught the head instructor. He refused to surrender and was killed in the ensuing fight," Leo said.
That was good news. Of the remaining two, he was definitely the larger threat. Even so, Zeke was far more interested in the last one. "What about Jaihar?" he asked.
Leo grimaced. "They found him too. However, they weren't able to bring him back."
"Is he dead?"
"No. He sought refuge with somebody we didn't dare offend casually."
"Who?" Zeke asked curiously.
"The Varun family."
Zeke's eyes narrowed. The Varun family was the wealthiest in Korrovan, owning the Treasure Pavilion and many other affluent businesses. They were indeed somebody he wouldn't dare to offend. What's more, it was questionable if he could get to Jaihar even if he threw caution to the wind. After all, such a wealthy family was certainly not weak.
More importantly, he needed to maintain a good relationship with them for the moment. After all, he still intended to buy Snow at the auction in a few days. It had been delayed by two weeks due to the storm, but the new date was swiftly approaching. Even so, he wasn't willing to give up on Jaihar just like that. The man had made an attempt on his life, and Zeke had sworn to have his revenge.
The question was… why were they even helping him?
As far as he could tell, siding with Jaihar wouldn't be beneficial to them. On the contrary, they were even going against several powerful people who wanted his head—Zeke, Ravi, and the Nair family. It didn't seem to be a wise move. There had to be something going on that he didn't yet know about. Did Jaihar have a secret backer?
Well, whatever. He would deal with this matter after the auction; if this led to a falling out with the Varun family, he would prefer it was after he had already acquired Snow.
He nodded at Leo, signaling his brother that it was fine. Understanding his meaning, Leo turned to leave. However, before he could take a step, a new visitor entered through the open door in a flash.
Zeke frowned at the interruption. Since when did people barge in here like that? However, he reserved his rebuke for the moment, seeing the flustered state of his visitor. The Chimeroi had come to a halt in front of his desk, fidgeting and staring at him with a penetrating gaze.
Zeke raised a single brow. "What is it, Kraal?"
"Master, we have a visitor," the woman said, her voice full of tension.
"So?" Zeke inquired, his confusion mounting. Dozens of people visited them each day, either to inquire about their circumstances or to curry favor following the change in leadership. Yet, Zeke had not personally met with any of them.
"Do you remember how the old Master said he had called for an expert to deal with his 'illness'? This is him," Kraal explained.
Zeke was slightly intrigued. So, this was the person who knew about Soul damage? He would like to meet them, but it still didn't explain why Kraal was so nervous. Even if doctors and healers had a very high status, it shouldn't be a reason for her to be acting like that. "What else?"
Kraal hesitated for a moment, nervously stroking one of her tiny grey horns. "I-I am not quite sure, but I think I've met him before."
Zeke waited, eager to hear more about this. However, he wasn't prepared for Kraal's following words. "I believe he is the leader of the Spectral Dominion."
Zeke gaped at her, his brain grinding to a halt. What? Who was here? Slowly, the shock abated, and his thoughts caught up. Did he miscalculate after all? Did the man come to annex this territory? No, that was unlikely.
Damn that old man, calling such a person over before his death. Curses aside, there was no use crying over spilled milk. There was nothing left to do but to meet with the most powerful gang leader in Undercity.
"Lead the way."