The following morning, Aqua rallied the girls, "Alright ladies, let's hit the road for our grand adventure!"
"Absolutely, Master Aqua!" the girls responded, their faces glowing with excitement.
"But when will you be back, Master?" Angie asked, her eyes sparkling with a mix of excitement and sadness.
"I'll be back before you know it, dear," Aqua reassured her.
As Aqua and the rest of the group made their way to the gate, Maya, the leader of the women's plaza, remarked, "Looks like we've got quite the crowd joining us."
"Indeed, they're the 100 slaves I received from the king," Aqua explained.
"A hundred?!" Everyone gasped, realizing the king's high regard for Aqua.
"Oh, Mr. Shiki, here are your 100 slaves, all ready to go. And in that royal cart the king sent especially for you, there's a million gold coins," the minister announced.
"Thank you, Minister, for all your generosity and assistance," Aqua said, reaching into his 4D box and pulling out a bottle. He handed it to the minister.
"Mr. Shiki, what's this?" the minister asked.
Aqua leaned in and whispered in the minister's ear, "It's a lubricant, my friend. Let me explain how to use it and its… ahem… benefits."
The minister was overjoyed by the lubricant and thanked Aqua profusely before leaving with a big smile on his face.
Aqua laughed heartily, "It seems men have the same problems in every world!"
"Mr. Aqua, we're here," Mr. Brawn and his wife announced, their bags packed with shop items.
"Wow, that's a lot of luggage, Mr. Brawn," Aqua commented.
"Well, if I'm going to craft in your village, I need to bring my best equipment. So, it's a bit full," Brawn chuckled, hoisting the luggage over his head.
"Hahaha, Mr. Brawn, you're a hoot! Someone, please help Mr. Brawn with his luggage and put it in the cart," Aqua instructed.
"Yes, Master," Aqua's slave responded, assisting Mr. Brawn with the luggage. Aqua noticed Brawn's wife standing and looking at the city with tears in her eyes.
"Missing the city?" Aqua approached her and handed her a napkin.
As she wiped her eyes with the napkin, she began to speak, "My mother and I used to live here. Then I met Brawn, we fell in love and got married. I admired his passion for his work, so I decided to support him and opened that shop. But it wasn't easy. We faced many challenges. Once, a nobleman tried to force himself on me, but Brawn, fearless of the consequences, gave him a good thrashing. Luckily, we managed to appease him by crafting a weapon for him. Those were the moments of my life, filled with happiness, sadness, and everything in between. And now, leaving the city behind, I'm excited for a new beginning."
Aqua responded with a comforting smile, "Then keep the hankie with you. Remember, you guys always have me to lean on."
As Aqua passed through the gate, he handed gold coins to the soldier who saluted him until he was out of sight.
"Master, you are quite wealthy," remarked one of the women sitting with Aqua in his chariot.
"Hmm, yeah, I guess I do have a fair amount of gold coins," Aqua chuckled, glancing at his box.
Days passed as Aqua and the chariot slowly made their way towards the village. During their stops, Aqua reassured everyone that they were free to go anywhere they wished and he removed their slave crests. Impressed by his charisma and leadership, the people decided to trust him as their new king and chose to live as citizens in their new village. They were all looking forward to this fresh start.
"Looks like we've finally arrived at the village. It's been a week-long journey," Aqua commented as the cart rolled into the village. "Next time, I'll delegate this task. I just need my magic carpet."
"Master, why is your village so quiet?" Maya asked, looking around at the silent buildings.
"Hmm, that is odd," Aqua mused, furrowing his brow.
"Master, that despicable tax collector is in the village. I can smell him," Night exclaimed, her nose twitching.
Earlier that morning, when Subedar arrived in town, he noticed the unusual crowd. "What's going on? Why are there more people than usual?" he asked a soldier guarding the gate.
"Lord, a few days ago…" the soldier began, recounting recent events.
Meanwhile, Tien and the others had reached the village. "So this is Master's village - our new home," helina said, the seven elites and three hundred people disembarked from the cart.
"This is our new home," the crowd whispered among themselves.
"Yes, this is where Master Aqua lives and rules," another woman replied.
"But where is Master Aqua?" a sudden voice rang out.
"Everyone, please remain calm," Tien tried to soothe the crowd. Just then, he saw Maria and other villagers approaching them.
"Hello, Tien," Maria greeted him as she came forward.
"Hello, Chief. I hope Aqua has informed you about everything," Tien replied.
"Yes, we've agreed to make him our king," Maria said with a smile.
"Oh, thank goodness. So where is he?" Tien asked.
"Well, he hopped on his magic carpet and went to the capital. He said he had some work to do," Maria explained.
"Oh, that boy! He made me endure this back-breaking cart trip while he's off enjoying the capital," Tien grumbled.
Just then, Helina came forward and greeted Maria.
"You must be Helina," Maria said.
"Yes, how did you know?" Helina asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
"The king told me that you represent the Human-Beast Brigade as their representative leader," Maria explained. "I was asked to work alongside you to make this a better place for everyone here."
"I will be glad to do so. The whole Human Beast Brigade will be honored to live with you folks and will work our hardest to achieve our lord's dream," Helina replied, her eyes shining with determination.
"Alright, folks, let's head inside!" Tien announced with a wave of his hand.
"We've prepared a party for you all, as the king informed us of your arrival," Maria shared, her smile warm and welcoming.
"Really? Listen up, everyone! The villagers have thrown a party in our honor! Let's enjoy ourselves tonight because from tomorrow, we'll be working hard!" Helina declared, her voice echoing through the crowd.
"Yay!" The cheer rippled through the group, their faces lighting up with excitement.
Meanwhile, subedar , a sly smile playing on his lips. "So, this is what's been happening behind my back. A stranger from an unknown country brings in all these people, and these naive villagers treat him like a king. Hahaha, let's crash their party and see how they like that," he mused, his eyes gleaming with mischief.