Thomas walked out of the hidden tunnel holding the bandit's leader's head. Discovering the presence of Thomas, everyone in the open area had their eyes set on him. Recognizing the bandits head in his hand, their jaw dropped.
Zara looked at Thomas, she was not surprised by the outcome of the battle. She had only been concerned by not being able to see the bandits leader before he died.
"How was it?" Thomas asked while walking closer to Zara.
"Everything had settled. None of the bandits escaped and every slave had been released." Zara answered with a beautiful smile on her face.
"Are there any useful things in here??" Thomas questioned.
"None, the bandits only had some daily necessity materials in their store. Since it is not useful for us, I had given it to the slaves."
"Hmm hmm"
Thomas nodded.
"What about the slaves?" Zara questioned while looking at the slaves.
The slaves looked at both Thomas and Zara with a pleading look. Some of them had already lost hope, some had bruises and a deep scar on their body, only a few still had the radiance on their face.
"They can choose whatever they want to do, nobody is stopping them. They have been seriously abused by the bandits, only they know what's better for them. But I'll have advised them to stay here to regain their luster, better still as a family." Thomas explained.
Hearing this, everyone was in deep thought about what Thomas said.
"Why did you say that? Your Highness." One of the slaves inquired.
Thomas turned to look at the slave who uttered the statement. His eyes were cold and expressionless.
Thomas released a little out of his cultivation aura, suffocating the slave.
The slave shivers, her leg turned into jelly. The atmosphere was tense while everywhere remained quiet.
"When did I give you the right to talk to me?" Thomas asked in a cold voice, looking straight into the slave's eyes.
The slave took a step back, trembling. She quickly averted her gaze from Thomas.
Thum!
She kneels with her face on the ground.
"Your Highness! Forgive me! It won't happen again," She pleaded in a trembling voice.
Zara stood there like a pole, she dared not utter any word. She knew that when Thomas was furious, she had no right to meditate in it. She can only hope that Thomas did not decide to slaughter all of them, because no one can predict what he was thinking.
After a brief moment, Thomas withdrew his cultivation aura and looked at Zara.
Seeing Thomas looking at her, she panicked.
"Will he ask me to slaughter all these slaves," she thought.
"What do you think?" Thomas asked.
Hearing this, Zara breathed a sigh of relief.
"Whatever you do, I shall follow" she answered.
"What do you say?" Thomas faced the slaves. "If you decided to go out now, some of you may be lucky and not be ridiculed. But most of you will be ridiculed and scorned when they realize you have been abused by the bandits. Moreover, you will regret your action then and may even be reduced to a plaything that has no value other than a dirty ragged. However, if you stay together, you can help each other out while regaining your strength and healing the scar on your body and soul."
Listening to what Thomas said, the slaves were dumbfounded. They looked at each other's faces, not knowing what choice to make.
They turned their face back to Thomas wanting to utter some words but dared not talk without receiving permission from him.
Seeing their expression, Thomas said "You can speak"
The slaves that had been kneeling, stood up and faced Thomas with an appreciating gaze.
"Thank you for your help. What you said is right, nobody will accept us when they know we have been abused by the bandits, including our families. So, whatever you think is right for us shall be done by us."
She bowed.
Another lady among the slaves stepped forward, she bowed. "Your Highness, whatever we are before are nothing now. Since we can't face the ridicule of the outside world, most of us will try to commit suicide after you had left. However, if you're going to accept us as your slave, we will do anything you ask us to do, including leaving in the forest."
Listening to what these slaves said, Zara had empathy towards the slaves. Most of them are from noble families or merchant families but now they have been reduced to this. However, since this world is a world where the strong dominated the weak, the weak had to accept their fate.
'If not for Lordmaster, I may end up in this kind of situation.' She thought.
Thomas did not have any expression on his face, he stared at the slaves in silence.
"For what I care! If you die! I don't care!" Thomas shrugged. "Your life had no value to me"
Baum!
The word echoes in the slave's heads, none of them expect that kind of reply.
The room turned silent, none of the slaves knew what to say again. What Thomas said was true, he had no responsibilities toward them.
Rescuing them had already made him do enough for them.
Noticing the awkward situation the slaves were in, Zara had a missed feeling toward them. Since she was also a lady, she could understand the agony they were passing through."
Zara walked toward Thomas at a slow pace while her gaze was fixed on Thomas
"Lordmaster, can you give them a chance under me? I will be responsible for them." She said in a low voice.
"Why?" Thomas questioned.
"I know they have no value to you, but I don't want them to live a miserable life. I know you can place them in some department that will be useful in the nearest future."
Thomas remained quiet, he looked from Zara to the slaves without uttering a word.
"I'll agree, but this will be your last time you are involved in whenever I am talking. Is that clear?" Thomas glanced at Zara.
Hearing this while Thomas was looking at her, Zara had a cold sweat on her back, she held tightly to the hem of her clothes.
'Why did I have to intrude in his conversation! I should have just let him do what he wanted to do.' Zara thought.
The slaves were happy, every one of them had a beautiful smile on their face.
They all kowtowed.
"thank you" they chorus.
Shortly, after the slave stood up, Thomas's gaze moved from one slave to the other, "You'll live inside this forest until you are strong enough. Before you can leave this forest, five among you must be in essence building realm. Preferably, intermediate essence building realm. "
Seeing the enthusiasm on their face while most of them are from fallen noble families but are turned to slaves. However, the hope of getting strong again, to avenge their families added a spark to their eyes.
'I'll never allow my family to be reduced to this!' Thomas thought.
"Can you archive this?" Thomas asked.
The slaves all nodded.
Swiss!
Thomas brought out scrolls from his storage ring and looked at the slaves.
"These slaves contract, drop your blood on it to bind it to your soul."
Immediately, the slaves started to drop their blood on it while binding the contract to their souls.
After every one of the slaves bound their soul with the contract, Thomas said
"Since you have done that, you are now all under her" he pointed to Zara.
"Mistress"
The slave's chorus and bowed.
Thomas brought out multiple cultivation manuals and martial art manuals they received from the noble families in the merchant arena.
"These are all high-grade manuals, choose anyone you like and keep it in your future library."
The slaves had a beautiful smile on their faces. They could not believe that one day they would be liberated and have a chance to practice high cultivation manuals.
"Now come let me unseal the seal on your bodies," Thomas said.
Shortly, after a few minutes, all the seal placed on their cultivation had been unsealed by Thomas.
Most of the slaves are in the early bodybuilding realm, only a few are in the intermediate bodybuilding realm.
"Now you will be responsible for intelligence gathering. Open an auction pavilion where you buy and sell." Thomas ordered.
The slaves nodded.
Thomas faced Zara "What should be their name?"
Zara smiled "Flora maidens. You've once been a withered flower before, now you flourish."
"Hmm, hmm"
Thomas nodded.
"Choose three leaders among yourself who will be responsible for the three sections. The intelligence, buying and selling and auctioning."
Three out of the slaves stepped out, they are the most beautiful ladies out of the slaves. Their charms are different though they are in ragged clothes, yet, their charisma could not be hidden.
Seeing the three, Thomas nodded.
Thomas gave the three ladies a lot of gold coins. Zara looked at the three leaders of the group.
"Divide the remaining ladies among yourself. But remember do not fight among yourself, you only serve the Lordmaster for the rest of your life." Zara said in an imposing tone.
The ladies nodded with a radiant smile on their faces.
"Remember, You're now the flora maidens. Your pavilion will be called flora peak. If you need anything come and meet me at the Imperial Academy. My name is Zara"
She gave one of the leaders her identity token.
"Is there anything else?" Thomas questioned.
"Nothing again" Zara answered.
Noticing that Thomas and Zara are about to leave, all the ladies kowtowed with their faces on the ground.
"Let's return to the academy."