Farming in a Parallel World and Becoming a God
Chapter 429 - 368: Surrender_1

Chapter 429: Chapter 368: Surrender_1

"That’s reasonable," Supreme Commander Oudes agreed. "In addition, we must thoroughly understand the background of this upstart newcomer. Councilor Kendrick, I heard that your eldest son Mickros organized a mercenary group called Silver Raven, which is very adept at gathering information. How about entrusting this task to them?"

"Damn old fox!"

Kendrick cursed inwardly, realizing that Oudes was using Mickros to push the Selcok family to the forefront of the confrontation, noticing that his own attitude toward Weizemay Manor had been too mild.

However, in such a circumstance, he had no way to directly oppose the Supreme Commander’s orders and could only grit his teeth and agree, "I will personally discuss this matter with Mickros."

"I hope that the apple does not fall far from the tree, and that Mickros will seize this opportunity to truly demonstrate his capabilities," Oudes said with an expression that showed great expectations for Kendrick’s son, then addressed the other Merchants Council members, "Given the substantial power demonstrated by the other party, no one should act recklessly without further intelligence. Otherwise, they will bear the consequences.

At the same time, let’s economically blockade them, cutting off all trade with them. I want to see him try to develop without being able to buy a single resource, even with all his wealth."

This was also a customary tactic of Sambiya’s merchants, and they had the power to do it.

Once the Merchants Council gave the order, not only the Sambiya’s merchants would respond, but even those who traded with Sambiya would have no choice but to comply.

Kendrick couldn’t help but sigh internally.

This economic blockade came a bit too late.

If it had been in place before the auction of the Ghost Grape Wine, or even if the auction itself had been disrupted, it might have put a great deal of pressure on them.

But now, they had already amassed a mountain of various resources, many of which had even been transported by themselves.

A blockade now would likely not see any effect for two or three years at best.

Such undermining thoughts were naturally not to be voiced at the moment; he could only agree with the other Merchants Council members, though what each individual was secretly plotting was known only to themselves.

"Let’s end the meeting here for today," the Supreme Commander gestured, concluding the urgent conference.

The military conflict in the Three Rivers Region was merely an additional tale for the citizens of Sambiya to discuss over tea after dinner, especially the tales of the nine-ring Revenge Storm and the Dragon Slayer.

Gaven had officially gone from being an obscure nobody to becoming a minor but recognized nuisance.

And that was that.

For now, they simply lacked the means to fully consume him.

Gaven’s influence on them, on Sambiya, was far from sufficient.

Even if he was stationed at the strategically critical junction of the Three Rivers, did he have the audacity to obstruct Sambiya’s merchant ships?

If he did, they would then have a justified reason to dispatch a massive hired army.

What kept the Sambiya merchants tossing and turning at night was the thought of a juicy slice of meat lying right at their doorstep, visible but out of reach.

For the mercenaries captured by Duke Gryphon Hill, sleep was equally elusive as they fretted over their future fate.

After their capture, they had been stripped of all gear, save for their undergarments, and herded into the newly built village.

The newly constructed sewer system of the village came into use, serving as a makeshift confinement area.

The sewer tunnels were dug deep, about three meters, with a width of two meters, all set into the rock layer, with accumulated rocks from the excavation lining the sides, making the pits seem even deeper.

The captured mercenaries were herded into these pits and then completely ignored; not even their hands and feet were bound.

In the absence of specialized shackles, confining so many people together meant they could help each other escape even if they were tied up, so it was decided not to bother with it.

Although their clothing was scant, it was the peak of July and the heat wasn’t hard to endure. The true horror lay in the mosquitos and flies, especially the former, which swarmed in dark clouds, boldly attacking humans, leaving hands bloody with a single slap.

Their only defense was to rely on the rocky walls of the sewers to repel the pests.

"Why are there such large rock tunnels here? What do they plan to do with them? They’re not planning to bury us alive, are they?"

"Certainly not, such deep and lengthy tunnels, even with the assistance of Enlightened Trees, couldn’t be dug in a day or two—who prepares graves for their enemies in advance?"

"I took a closer look just now, these rock tunnels are dug very neatly, reminiscent of the direction of town sewers. The rocks that were dug out haven’t been discarded indiscriminately either; they’re processed very neatly and stacked orderly. If I’m not making a wrong guess, they intend to build a village or town here."

"Building a village or a town? The area here isn’t small. If turned into a village or town, it’s not about accommodating a few hundred people; even a few thousand wouldn’t be a problem. Do they have that many people?"

"That’s not our concern. You’d better worry if you can survive until tomorrow," said one mercenary.

"Don’t worry, if they wanted to kill us, they wouldn’t need all this trouble. They could have settled it by the riverbank. At least in the short term, our lives are safe."

"Not necessarily. Didn’t you see? The one who accepted our surrender was clearly a Dwarven Ghost Knight, no, a Ghost Mage. When we were driven from the battlefield, she was casting undead manipulation spells, summoning all the spirits of the dead, transforming them into ghosts, and leading them towards the manor. Perhaps, this is the fate that awaits us."

"Hiss... Are you sure you didn’t see wrong? Impossible to be mistaken, I wasn’t the only one who saw it that time, those behind us saw it too."

"Yes, I saw it too!"

"I saw it as well!"

"Those damnable merchants lied to us, saying that Ghost Manor was haunted just to play tricks and scare people. Many went in to see, but here there are not only Ghost Knights but also the power to turn the dead into ghosts. Those scoundrels should be made to come and see for themselves, no, they should be transformed into ghosts directly."

"They didn’t deceive you; it’s we who were deceived by Duke Gryphon Hill. After the Ghost Grape Wine Auction, I personally entered the Ghost Manor, and indeed, it only seemed to use a combination of various effects like music, screams, Illusion Techniques, and magic to scare people. There were no actual ghosts seen."

"How can you be sure that what you saw inside was an illusion and not an actual ghost?"

"(⊙o⊙)... Are you saying that the illusion isn’t really an illusion but a ghost disguised as one?"

"It’s very likely. These big shots are all wicked at heart, filled with nothing but malice!"

"So what should we do now? If all else fails, let’s run away! With just those few Enlightened Trees, it’s easy for us to escape by climbing over from here!"

"Shh... Keep your voice down. There may only be a few dozen Enlightened Trees, but how can you be certain that there aren’t members of the Fae Race hiding invisibly among us? The multitude of Entangle Spells earlier suggests that there’s a significant number of them around. Our conversation right now might be crystal clear to them!"

"Hiss..."

The surrounding mercenaries couldn’t help but inhale sharply, falling into silence.

This was not mere speculation but a very real possibility.

The mercenary, somberly said, "The most important thing is, once we escape, how do we leave this place? Are you planning to go back upstream via the Ashaba River or walk for hundreds of kilometers through the wilderness to return to Sambia? Whichever it is, first listen to the noises outside!"

The intermittent howling of wolves served as a backdrop to his words.

"What’s your name?"

"I’m Archer..." Just as the mercenary revealed his name, he realized something was wrong. The voice wasn’t coming from beside him but from above, a strange voice.

The voice did not belong to one of the captured mercenaries.

The mercenary sprang to his feet and looked up where the voice had come from, unable to stop himself from gasping.

In the light of dawn, a figure gradually materialized from nothingness. The face that came into view was young, clean, and handsome, slightly gaunt, not from actual thinness but due to the Elf-like shape of his face, with a tall and sturdy frame, reminiscent of a cheetah.

His whole being radiated an intangible charisma that made people involuntarily relax and settle down.

Many immediately recognized who he was.

Duke Gryphon Hill, owner of Weizemay Manor, Dragon Slayer, Gaven Nort—the man who held their lives in his hands.

Under the weight of his many titles, his stature seemed immense, compelling them to look up in reverence.

No one knew how long he had been standing at the edge of the pit or how much of their previous conversation he had overheard, leaving them anxious and uneasy.

"Archer Lahn sees Mr. Duke." The self-identifying mercenary knelt on one knee and expressed his submission and respect to Gaven.

Those who could see Gaven followed suit.

"Good," Gaven nodded and said, "I hope that afterward you remain as clear-headed as you are now and recognize what choice is best for you."

After leaving these cryptic words, his Energy Dragon Wings unfolded, lifting him into the air. As he rose about ten meters, he had finished donning his Combat Armor, which emitted a blinding white light that overshadowed the dawn’s glow.

He captured the attention of all the captured mercenaries and spoke slowly, "Since you chose to accept the contract and attack my territory, you must be prepared to face the consequences of defeat.

But I am a merciful man and now I can offer you a new choice.

Accept my employment and serve me for three years; after three years, you will be free to go.

During these three years, you’ll be provided with food and lodging, and wages will be calculated according to the market rate of Odulin, with different occupations receiving different rates. A farmer has a farmer’s wage, and a specialist has a specialist’s pay; if you are an exceptional craftsman or Combat Profession Practitioner, the price is even higher.

Wages will be settled monthly, not handed to you directly, but sent to your families.

So, later when you fill in your family’s address, make sure it’s accurate, or if the wages don’t reach them or go to the wrong person, you will be responsible for the consequences.

Now is the time for free questions. Feel free to ask anything, no matter how excessive, and I will forgive you."

One thousand eight hundred might seem like a large number, but crowded together, they only occupied three to four hundred meters of the sewer tunnel.

With a slight use of Magic Force, Gaven’s voice could reach everyone’s ears.

His words were like a bombshell, exploding amid the captured mercenaries and causing their breaths to grow involuntarily heavier.

The employment rates of Odulin alone were significant enough.

What is Odulin?

The capital of Sambia.

It is the only inland city among Sambia’s six core cities, the most populated and the busiest.

A place of legend, where one is never worried about not finding work.

Unless, of course, you’re too lazy.

The wages there are thirty percent higher than the other five cities and several times higher than rural towns.

And the rates offered in Sambia aren’t just the highest in the vicinity but among the highest around the entire Sea of Fallen Stars.