Goliath, skilled in paperwork, quickly drafted the documents, signed his name, and affixed his seal, giving them legal validity on the surface, indistinguishable from other official documents. Whether the Council of Elders (Roman Senate) would ultimately recognize these documents was a matter for the future.
Linley handed one of the documents to Julian, saying calmly, "These slaves are now mine. I will release them and take away those who wish to leave. Those who wish to stay may work here in exchange for food and lodging, but you must not beat or punish them, nor may you kill them. Otherwise, you will be punished for murder as if you had killed a free man."
Julian could only reluctantly agree, "Yes, Lord Dionysus."
Though he had lost ownership of the slaves, the reality hadn't changed. The slaves still worked for him. Even if the slaves rebelled, Julian could remain uninvolved. The thirty horses, though not yet delivered, were secured with Dionysus's signature and seal.
Dionysus's power is eternal. As long as Dionysus lived, this promissory note would remain valid. The thirty horses, no matter how long it took, would belong to Julian. Even if he died, his descendants would inherit them.
Linley then said to Goliath, "I want to free my slaves, granting them freedom. Please draft the documents."
Goliath hesitated for a moment, then quickly finished drafting the documents and signed and sealed them. Linley also signed, making the documents legally valid, granting freedom to one hundred and twenty slaves.
Julian opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the slaves no longer belonged to him, but to Linley, so he had nothing to say.
"Do the same for the others. Who are the owners of the slaves in the church? I'll buy them all at a price of four slaves for one horse. If anyone refuses to sell, I'll simply release the slaves, without paying a cent! I will not allow these slaves to fall into the hands of Holiness and become a force against me." Linley said.
With Julian's example, other slave owners rushed forward to sell their slaves, afraid that Linley wouldn't buy them if they were too late. Goliath continuously drafted, signed, and sealed documents. Soon, Linley bought and freed all the thousands of slaves on Andros Island.
The island's slave owners treasured these documents. If fully redeemed, Linley would have to pay about three thousand horses, enough to arm several Roman cavalry regiments.
Of course, Linley didn't have that many horses. He set this price only to buy the slaves quickly. He had no intention of fulfilling this debt in the short term and would instead delay it for a long time.
Linley's death would render these notes worthless, forcing Julian and the other slave owners to support him. Even if they were to betray Linley, they had to get a good price for him, at least more than thirty horses.
Linley's price of thirty horses was already outrageous. Furthermore, the more slave owners who participated, the higher the price Linley could afford to pay. Each slave owner would demand their own price, eventually reaching an unaffordable amount.
Debt can sometimes bring unexpected benefits, as the saying goes, "He who owes a million is the bank's servant; he who owes a billion is the bank's master." Linley's massive debt forced the residents of Andros Island to support him.
"It's your time to shine," Linley said, handing a few documents to Empton Bach. "Go tell those slaves that, under the witness of Governor Goliath, they have been granted freedom and become full citizens."
"Me? Me go?" Empton Bach gasped, his eyes widening.
"What's wrong?" Linley asked.
"It's probably useless. They've likely already been freed by the priests inside," Empton Bach replied.
"Really?" Linley turned to Goliath.
Goliath said, "I don't know for sure, maybe. But I haven't signed anything yet. Even if they're free, they don't have full citizenship."
The term "citizenship" encompassed the right to vote and stand for election. However, exercising this right in practice proved extremely difficult. Other rights were easier to achieve, such as the right to serve in the military. However, Romans rarely recruited from Greek regions. They preferred Latins from the Italian peninsula or even barbarians from the Empire's fringes, who were more popular than Greeks.
Regardless, even if these rights were only theoretical, slaves who became citizens still needed to be officially registered in order to exercise them. Without the governor's approval, these people would remain slaves in the Empire's records. Even with Julian's support, the formalities had to be completed first.
Linley insisted on buying the slaves first and then freeing them, instead of letting Julian, the slave owners, directly release them, in order to show the slaves that he was their benefactor, not Holiness. If Holiness wanted to vie for this position of benefactor, he could only compete with Linley. Once the slaves gained freedom, they would be more cautious and wouldn't blindly join Holiness and become his fanatics.
"That… that is…" Empton Bach stammered.
"Forget it," Linley said. "Go contact your trading company people. Have them spread the word, tell everyone that, under the witness of Governor Goliath, all the slaves on Andros Island have been bought by me and granted freedom."
"Will… will this cause chaos?" Empton Bach asked.
"Chaos? Do you think it isn't chaotic now?" Linley asked back.
Empton Bach looked around and had to admit Linley was right. The entire island of Andros was engulfed in flames. Countless people wandered the streets, fighting with each other every now and then. They all wore the same clothes, wielded the same weapons, and had no idea who they were fighting.
"I'll go right away," Empton Bach said.
"Do a good job. I won't treat you badly," Linley said.
Empton Bach's hesitation to enter the church actually earned him some trust from Linley. After all, if he were a spy for Holiness, why would he be afraid to go inside? Entering the church would have given him the opportunity to report back to Holiness and offer new information.
Of course, it's also possible that Empton Bach is just a good actor, or perhaps he's a spy for another faction rather than for Holiness. Either way, it doesn't matter much. As long as he does his job well, it's better than him being a spy for Holiness.