FULL NOVELXO contemporary romance
Chapter 1827 The Promised Land
Tilda swept her gaze across the heated room, "I will not force any of you into anything you do not want. If what I've said is heavy, we will gladly send you out." "However, if you agree to join my family, I swear an oath to the heavens that I will treat you all well, provided you do not cross my moral grounds!" With that, the impressive lineup of guards surrounding the room now stepped forward. "Please, do not be afraid. If you do not wish to join, now is the time to step forward, and my people will gladly send you out. And for those willing to join me, please step back and rest. Because after this, we continue our journey to my Promise land."
–Silence– For a moment, everyone stood in place, no one making obvious moves now. But just a second later, a few wise men, especially an older man with a staff, calmly stepped out of the group and moved to the far back right to cross his legs and lean against the wall, as though sleeping. Hey… they have made their choice.
Time seems frozen in place as countless beads of sweat slid down the faces of many. This seamless action caused a trigger effect. And soon, everyone else took to their feet, finding their way.
"Please, do not feel ashamed or guilty for your decision," Tilda was gesturing to those who stepped forward, wishing to leave. To put your life on the line for a cause, is a very brave act on its own. Big everyone was built for it. In the crowd, roughly 67% of people wished to leave. They had already gone through so much, and didn't feel brave enough to make a stance, even though they had boundless hatred in their hearts. No… What they wished for now, was a peaceful life in some village or place where they can be forgotten. That was their decision, and Tilda respected it greatly. It's just that what these slaves didn't know was that it was actually safer for them to stay with her. Understand that once they eventually head out into society, only about 5% of them will eventually succeed in staying hidden. When people start asking their origins, some of them will break down and leave clues behind. Their bodies are so battered and crude that no one will believe they were not runaway slaves. Tilda sighed, letting her men lead them to another room. There, they will be given food and rum before they head out on their journey out. But… it's just that after the meal, they won't remember how they got out. Yes.
When the rescued slaves were brought in, they were blindfolded and kept in specially designed wagons that didn't even allow a single bit of sunlight in. They were never to know the direction they took to get here. To make it even more chaotic to remember, the secret underground tunnel road here was purposefully made to mimic all sorts of terrains, making confusing for any military masters trapped in the wagons to guess where they were. 'Eh? With the way the wheels are moving, are we passing over sand?'
'Now gravel?' Mud? Where going up a steep slope? Gushing water? Stones? This… where are we? No matter how people like the ex-military old man tried, they couldn't figure out where they were. So if they were blinded when coming in, how can they leave them go without blinding them again? Only this time, they chose to put sleeping powder in their rum. The food they prepared was delicious, but a little dry, with some spicy, to ensure they drank their rum. And 30 minutes after drinking it, they should pass out for 2 whole days. Using their impressive underground channels, they plan to move in stealth and drop these people in batches across the various villages around. Of course, before allowing them to eat, they had to figure out who was family and who wasn't, so they could group them up and drop them at different points. They can't very well leave everyone in one place or else it will raise even more suspicion. Every 4 hours, they will drop off a batch of people and move on. Thinking of Landon, her mentor, Tilda chuckled, planning to leave several prices of copper and silver coins in everyone's pockets..
That's right. They didn't just rescue these slaves, but they also robbed the slave Entertainment establishment too. Sure, the treasures had heaps and mountains of coins, so they couldn't very well rub it all. But at least they got a sizable chunk to finance their military. Tilda sighed, feeling it was unfortunate that they left 99.9% of the wealth behind. But what Tilda didn't know was that Landon had always been monitoring her situation. And when she finished looting what they could carry, Landon warped over and sucked everything, leaving the place spotless. He did this during his trip back from Mirvanna. Heh. How can he leave the enemy with so much money? Landon took it all, seconds before he felt the ground underneath his feet weaken. Sure enough, Tilda's group had set up all the black powder in the slave base, destroying the foundation, weakening the underground soil, and allowing the massive stone pillars and floors to crack and fall. Any enemies injured who planned to crawl out and escape, would now be buried to death. Everything came crumbling down in a flash just before Landon vanished. Tilda didn't know it yet, but before she reaches the main campsite, A.KA, the promised land, she will receive a letter from Landon informing her that enough gold and silver will be sent in later to finance her operations. He will send the money with the next batch of Baymardian soldiers coming into Dafaren to aid her. After all, as her top backer, how could he not finance her operations when she was just starting out? …
For those leaving, Tilda planned to leave a few coins to get them started.
Think of it as spreading goodwill. Plus, she genuinely hoped they survived in this cruel world. With that, the men lead those who wanted out, to head towards a massive dining area one floor below. But for those who chose to stay, they were instead led to another room on this same floor. Eat, drink and sleep well. Because after tomorrow afternoon, they set off to the <Promised Land>. But while Tilda was merry about her accomplishments, the same couldn't be said for a certain nobleman who got wind of the matter.