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”Some better than others… the teleportation took a toll on those in lower grades, but the healers said that they just need time to recover,” she answered as she took his hand and put it on her slightly bulging stomach. ”We will be fine, okay?”

Holstred sighed again as he looked at his pregnant wife. ”I know.”

He felt her stomach before grasping her hand and squeezing it as they both looked at the sun together, and he couldn’t help but remember better times. Times before they became slaves… a time before they had been given away to a powerful religious figure on another planet. At first, Holstred had actually hoped that leaving their home planet and the strained environment there could turn their fates for the better, but… now he doubted that.

Hearing their new owner was someone known as the Chosen of the Malefic Viper had not meant anything to Holstred initially, as he did not know of this Malefic Viper they spoke of. Only later did he learn they would be under the rule of what was essentially the divine prophet of a god with a less-than-stellar reputation. That this Chosen was from an Order of poison alchemists. Learning that had sent a shiver down Holstred’s spine.

I just hope my people can survive.

The world he and his family had come from hadn’t been a paradise either, but… it had been the home. Their homeworld had been filled with strife for hundreds of years before the system even arrived, as war was a constant thing due to the three races being in neverending conflict. The human empire Holstred had been a part of had long been considered the weakest, with the dwarves and the Nirax – a scalekin race - both stronger. However, neither faction dared attack the human lands due to the fear of the other empire taking advantage of the opening. That was how a balance had been reached for centuries… until it was broken by the system initiation.

Holstred had been known as the Knight Commander in the lands of man. A grand title gifted due to Holstred’s strength even before the initiation, and with the arrival of the system, he had continued to prove his excellence. He had done well in the Tutorial, gained a lot of levels, and returned to their home ready to fight for his empire… but things went downhill from the very beginning.

Their emperor died in the Tutorial, and nobody had any idea who would take charge. Individuals who had gotten powerful began to cause trouble as dozens of minor factions sprung up, vying for control, and all the old nobles rebelled with the intent to take charge. They all saw the arrival of the system as their opportunity to become the new rulers of the empire, not even considering how that was only exacerbating the ongoing chaos.

They were fools who had never lived on the frontlines. Never known what a precarious state their empire had long been in. Unaware that should they show the slightest weakness, others sat ready to pounce.

So when the Nirax attacked, the expected happened, and they were not ready. Yet they fought back, Holstred on the frontlines from the very first day as even if the empire was not ready, he had been. War raged for nearly two years, with intermittent system events and World Congresses that only didn’t end in bloodshed due to the rules of the system. If not for that rule, that entire event would have been a slaughter, and with the rules, it just turned into a shouting match that further fueled the hatred between the races.

Eventually, the nobles got their internal issues resolved, and a temporary emperor was selected. A fool of a man who had then entered an alliance with the dwarves to fight back against the Nirax. Things finally seemed to be turning for the better, but Holstred knew it was all a mirage. The nobles did not see that the dwarves just used humanity as a meat shield to fight the Nirax for them while sending their own elites into dungeons or to fight monsters. They grew their armies as humans, and Nirax died on the battlefield. By the time they did realize… it was too late.

As expected, the dwarves had turned on the human empire the second the Nirax were no longer a threat. What followed next had not even been a proper fight.

The human armies fell, their top general was slain, and in only a day, Holstred had gone from a war hero to the commanding officer of a broken army. He had made the difficult decision to surrender, hoping they could avoid a massacre. They did… but the cost was high.

Despite being in early C-grade, Holstred was made to sign a slave contract. What he did not know was that in the background, the dwarves had joined a divine faction from the wider multiverse and taken in their teachings while expanding. The dwarves had long been an ambitious race, and they were showing that now by wanting to go beyond their planet.

Now, with the war over, Holstred had hoped things would calm. However, the dwarves faced challenges from within, for despite them being the victors, many still sought the total destruction of the humans and the Nirax. The enmity was simply too deep… their hatred too ingrained.

In the final battle, the entire Nirax army was annihilated, and the majority of the population was wiped out, with the remaining survivors now thrown into ghettos and camps. Humanity had been slightly better off, but their lives were far from good. Yet many internal factions within the dwarven empire still wanted them wiped off the face of the planet.

Many were killed during this period. Dwarves were the superior race, and some enjoyed taking strolls in the slums, acting however they wanted toward the humans and Nirax both. Executions on the street were normal, and people getting dragged off to scout dangerous areas was commonplace. Everyone, even the dwarves, knew that this was not sustainable.

That is when a dwarf offered an alternative to genocide… to sell off the surviving humans and Nirax as slaves to other factions across the ninty-third universe. He quickly got support from the merchant families, and with the help of the divine faction, they began selling off slaves. Humanity and the Nirax were split into segments and sold off, with Holstred being placed ”in charge” of this segment. Nearly a million people, ranging from F to D-grade, with only Holstred and a fallen noble – a former duke, now a Viscount according to the system - in C-grade.

”I should head back,” his wife said after a while. Holstred still looked worried as she gave him a hug.

”We will survive, alright? I believe in you; we all do,” she whispered into his ear as she gave him a peck on the cheek before she pulled back. ”See you later, alright?”

Holstred nodded as he stayed there, waiting. He would have joined her, but he had been called here.

Still staring at the warm sun. Holstred felt another woman approach. It was the one with the scarred face… Lillian was her name, he believed. He had only seen her once, and that was when they first arrived on the planet, and she handled their initial welcome.

”Holstred?” she asked, looking down at an odd flat metallic object with glowing glass.

”That is I, Ma’am,” he bowed.

After they had been brought to Earth only two days ago, they were put into temporary residences. In all honesty, the accommodations were better than the broken capital he had come from. The fact they hadn’t been treated too badly yet was a bit of comfort. That their new owner and many of the people in charge were also humans helped ease his worry slightly too. Though, to be fair, every segment of slaves that had been brought to this planet were treated well, regardless of race.

Even so, he did not hold much hope. They had no incentive to treat their new slaves badly right now, but neither did they have any incentive to treat them overly well. Initially, treating your slaves well was also a common strategy for many noble families back in the old empire, as that ensured they worked well for longer, as they hoped that through hard work, the good days could return. Back then, Holstred had seen them as naive… now, he questioned if they simply never had a better choice.

”Follow me, please. Miranda is ready to see you,” the woman called Lillian said, only briefly looking up from her odd magical device.

Holstred bowed and followed. Miranda… the one the Chosen had put in charge of his planet. At least, that is what he was informed before even arriving on this planet and by the woman walking ahead of him during the welcome. Outside of her identity as the current leader of the planet, she was also a direct disciple of the Verdant Witches, gods that made the divine beings the dwarven empire served pale in comparison.

It is time to learn of our fate,

Holstred told himself, trying to stay stoic. He knew what this Order of the Malefic Viper often did with slaves, and he hoped his people could avoid that. All he could hope to do was try and appeal to the woman’s humanity, though he doubted it would work. She was a witch, after all, a Path not known for mercy or kindness.

”Just inside,” Lillian said after showing him the way to a large tent with several magical formations around it. Holstred once more bowed, knowing not to speak out of turn lest he offend her.

Entering the tent, he saw the woman in question sitting at a table with several stacks of paper in front of her. She seemed busy but instantly noticed when he entered and looked up.

”Ah, there you are. Holstred of the Silver Knights, was it?” the witch asked.

”I was once known as such, yes. How may I serve my new Mistress?” he answered after kneeling. In a situation like this, he did feel lucky that his father had made him learn etiquette and he had practiced meeting the imperial family of old. He also knew that showing full subserviency would do him best… at least, he hoped so.

”No need for the courtesy. Please get up and take a seat,” his new Mistress said, looking like she was already tired of his way of acting.

”I apologize if I caused any offense,” Holstred tried again, but she once more waved dismissively.

”Please sit, then we can talk properly, alright?” she insisted.

”Yes,” Holstred said, biting his tongue just as he was about to call her Mistress again. He went and sat in the chair directly opposite her, something he did find slightly inappropriate. It appeared he had much to learn about this planet’s culture, and he truly feared he had offended her.

”So, I have read some basic information about where you came from, but my understanding is that you and the people with you are remnants of a fallen empire that lost a war. Is that correct?” the witch asked.

”It is as you say,” he confirmed.

”Alright. We already sent some healers to talk to people and make sure they are handling everything okay, especially the children. While we are all far more resilient both physically and mentally than before the system, it is still better to find and treat cases of trauma early on rather than delay,” she nodded. ”We also interviewed a few people from the same planet as you, and they all spoke highly of you, Knight Commander. You at least seem to have earned their respect and led them well during this time of strife, and I hope you will continue to do that as the coming time may continue to be tumultuous.”

”I shall do my utmost in whatever task we are given…” Holstred said, not sure what he should say. The first part about the children was also… was it to make sure they would be more productive? Did they need them to be clear-minded for some specific purpose?

”You aren’t given any tasks per-se. But you are given choice,” their Mistress said as she cleared away some of the papers and looked him in the eye. ”What do you want to happen next here on Earth? What kind of future do you hope for? Answer honestly, and don’t just say something to placate me. I have heard plenty try to do that already today.”

Holstred was taken aback for a moment, not sure what to say. But he did detect honesty in her voice, and he believed it unwise to lie. So he took a gamble. Gritting his teeth, he answered truthfully.

”I wish to ensure our survival. And… perhaps one day… freedom.”

It was truly a gamble to say to your new Mistress you wanted to get out of serving her.

”Be a bit more ambitious,” the witch smiled, leaning back.

”I… I am unsure. I do not think I can speak for everyone, only my own selfish desires,” Holstred shook his head.

”What are these selfish desires?”

”To rebuild some of what was lost… and find a new home for myself, my family, and all I hold dear,” Holstred managed to say.

”And do you believe those who follow you want that too?” the witch questioned with a raised eyebrow.

”Yes,” he nodded.

”All very doable,” the woman nodded with a smile. ”All I will ask of you is to draw up a plan for how you want to make this happen and ensure you have enough personnel to act autonomously. Considering the size of your group, I hope you have enough internally. If not, we may have to discuss bringing in others to make sure everything runs smoothly. If there are any competent people you recommend to help facilitate the transition, please bring them to our next meeting. We have people on our side handling surveying and finding a proper spot you can settle in.”

Holstred was confused as he looked at his Mistress as she went over some papers.

She noticed his confusion and looked back at him as she seemed to reach a realization. ”Ah, I totally forgot to mention it. Lord Thayne - the Chosen of the Malefic Viper - is not a fan of slavery, so we will be nullifying all of your slave contracts once we are done organizing everything. Ah, but let me fix yours right away. Where was yours again… are here it is.”

His Mistress took out a black book he had signed the slave contract in… and a second later, she was no longer his Mistress.

Holstred stared in utter confusion as she smiled. ”Congratulations, as of this moment, you are free. But do take this and remember to read it over. Not being a slave doesn’t mean you are free from the law, after all.”

His former Mistress handed him a small folder reading ”Welcome to Earth: Starter Guide,” and he had barely gotten it in his hand when the woman called Lillian entered again.

”Take Holstred here back to his group and go find me… what was her name again… that elven lady we talked about earlier,” the woman called Miranda said as she looked once more at Holstred. ”It was a pleasure meeting you, and I hope things work out well for everyone. Please spread the word to those under your influence. In a week, we will fetch you again, so have the plans ready for then, alright? We have high expectations of you and don’t worry, once things calm down, we will look into expanding to the political structure of the planet to involve you all.”

”I…” Holstred said, trying to control himself. He questioned so many things. Was this all a bad joke played on them? He did not understand… but if it was real…

”Tha… Thank you,” he bowed, this one with true sincerity.

”You have nothing to thank me for. I am just doing what I should,” she smiled radiantly as Holstred was led out of the tent, and he began walking back toward the small city of tents and temporary housing his old empire now occupied.

On the way, it finally hit him as he stopped mid-walk. The slave mark on his soul left by the contract… he felt for it… and it was truly gone. Looking down at his hands, he saw they shook. Taking a deep breath, he clenched them… but it didn’t help, and for the first time, his stoic demeanor broke.

I’m… we’re free?

Holstred had spent the last many months of his life fighting to accept his status as a slave… fighting for his family and all he cared about. Hoping that even if he lived as a slave, perhaps his unborn child would one day be free.

Only to be freed the moment his life as a slave was meant to truly begin. He just stared ahead of him as tears slowly welled up in his eyes, the realization finally sinking in fully.

We’re free…