Jake's words brought an immediate silence to the scene, and several people's faces darkened.
"What's going on? Is the situation really that bad?" Jake asked.
"Those three are physically okay, but they won't be able to return to the battlefield, and it's uncertain if they can even go back to farming," Adrian explained. Clearly, the three were severely injured. Although their lives had been saved, they were now disabled and unfit for combat.
Jake furrowed his brow slightly. He hadn't expected the situation for those three to be so dire. In the current society, a disabled family member could potentially burden the entire household, especially in families that were not well-off. If the disabled person had previously been the main breadwinner, the consequences could be even more severe, possibly resulting in the entire family's downfall.
"Captain, maybe you should talk to them later. I'm worried they might not take it well," Ben suggested.
This wasn't an exaggeration. When someone learned they were disabled and would become a burden to their family, choosing suicide was not out of the question. In fact, it was a very real possibility.
"Alright, I'll go see them later," Jake said. "Adrian, you and I will go together. We can also buy some groceries from the market. The rest of you stay here and tidy up a bit. We'll have a gathering tonight."
"Okay," the others agreed.
Later on, Jake took Adrian with him and left the tent.
"Why did you all suddenly want to be my personal guards?" Jake asked Adrian as they walked.
Although Brenton had mentioned wanting to be Jake's personal guard earlier, Jake had thought he was just joking. Becoming someone's personal guard essentially meant becoming a servant, similar to being a lord's vassal. Jake couldn't understand why anyone would willingly become someone else's servant, especially in a society where personal freedom was valued.
But Jake had forgotten that this wasn't modern times; it was a different era. Here, people didn't think about where to go for fun or what delicious food to eat; they thought about how to survive.
"It's quite normal," Adrian replied. "Becoming your personal guards means we won't have to go back home to farm. It won't burden our families, and we'll receive wages without needing to pay taxes. There are many benefits. Countless people would jump at the opportunity to become your personal guards. If the others in camp find out we've become your personal guards, they'd probably be envious."
Jake suddenly realized that he was not from this era and couldn't fully understand the mindset of the people here. From his perspective, compromising one's dignity should not be celebrated. But when facing a life-threatening situation, dignity might not hold as much value.
The two of them soon arrived at the tent where the three severely injured soldiers were staying. All three of them had pale and gloomy expressions. Jake knew that this wasn't just because of their physical injuries but also due to their concerns about the future.
"Don't let your minds wander. The situation isn't as bleak as you think," Jake reassured them.
"Captain, my leg is ruined; I'm a cripple now. In this state, I can't even go back to farming. If I had known, I would have preferred to die back then. That way, I wouldn't burden my family, and the government could have provided some compensation," one of the soldiers said with a bitter expression.
The other two individuals also had faces filled with despair, given their current condition, they felt they were better off dead. In their minds, they would only be a burden to their families, and since their families were not well-off to begin with, their injuries could push them to the brink of poverty.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Jake said firmly. "As long as you're alive, there's hope. I happen to have a house, and if you're willing, you can stay with me."
The three of them were visibly moved and grateful to Jake after Adrian reminded them of the benefits of becoming his personal guards. They even wanted to get up from their beds and kneel down to thank Jake.
Their situation was dire, and they couldn't return to farming. It was highly unlikely that other wealthy households would take them in. Jake's offer gave them a lifeline, saving not just their lives but also their families from destitution. Their excitement and gratitude were completely understandable.
However, they, including Adrian, misunderstood Jake's intentions. Jake had never intended for them to become household servants. He had simply offered to support them financially. Jake didn't want them to become lower-class servants, but he saw how excited and grateful they were for the opportunity, which made him hesitant to clarify.
After resolving the situation with these three, Jake and Adrian headed to the market. The location of the market had been shared with Jake by the steward. This market was unique; it didn't sell food, clothing, or other goods. The only commodity sold here was people. It was a gathering place for those who wanted to sell their children or even themselves.
While Jake had mentally prepared himself for this, seeing it firsthand still shocked him. Having grown up in a peaceful environment, he had never witnessed such open human trafficking. Even when he first arrived in this world, the Skylark Camp and Hidden Village had been peaceful. This market, on the other hand, felt like an entirely different world. It was a place where desperate individuals, forced by circumstances, chose to sell their children to ensure their families' survival.