62 New manpower
~
It took another an hour or so before the king decided to end the session for today. A few of them were called out at the end of the session. Some seem happy while others have a suspicious look on their face.
I don't really care what is going to happen to them, and I honestly do not want to know. Ignorance is bliss as they say. Probably not a good idea to be ignorant but I have people that will help me to find out about it.
I'm still naive huh…
Someday I will regret having this kind of decision. But I am in a situation where I do not want to be in trouble due to my curiosity. I rather wait… Sh*t. Isn't that just procrastinating, sigh* What am I doing?
Shana and Emelia followed me out while walking back to the orphanage building. They started muttering among themselves after checking around to see if there's anyone within the vicinity.
It is hilarious, and I feel comforted when my thoughts are almost exactly the same in what they are saying. I'll not bother about the reason why they decide to say out these words out loud when I am nearby.
Both of them tends to be able to read my feelings so it might be just her plan to indirectly comfort me in another way. I shouldn't react, that way I might win. Hahahaha…. My mind is unstable now.
~
"Master, there isn't enough manpower to gather the fruits and vegetables before are rotten."
Yes, this is my current problem. No matter how much refugees and villagers that I have taken in. One doesn't simply be able to provide enough food for more than a hundred thousand people in a daily cycle. In total, I have only had about almost five thousand people under me.
It sounds a lot, but I don't think it is manageable for them to work day and night in order to provide food for the amount that is nineteen times. Moreover, that is just a sum I have calculated after the population of the kingdom has gone down to twenty percent.
Meaning that initially, the kingdom has a total population of half a million. I do not mind having more manpower, but I am already under watch by various parties. If I were to take the wrong step. Everything might crumbles and rather than having a kingdom we might see an abandoned kingdom.
I have an alternative plan, to make use of the demon and monster in order to overcome the manpower issues but thinking about it. All of them would hate me for it. As it seems that they are helping their enemies that they have been fighting all along since they had born.
It will end miserably.
Thus I do not have any other plan other than waiting for the population to diminish. It's cruel but what can I do? Do I scam the people outside thinking that they are going to another dimension and a god is trying to help us out? It could work, but then again we are currently against the priest. Who knows what the people within the kingdom would say.
There could be religious wars if I do this carelessly. Debating which god currently helps the kingdom. No matter how much I hear, I doubt everyone would worship the human god and goddesses.
I believe everyone has a choice, no matter which god they believe. It wouldn't surprise me if they said that they are not worshipping anyone right now. Similar to the modern world, everyone has the freedom to decide whoever they want to believe in.
"As for now, it can't help. Calculate the number of fruits and vegetables that we have been able to gather every day and use it as a goal for each people."
"U-Understood master."
The maid nodded her head and walked away with unsteady feet. No matter how many times we met, they still unable to throw out the feeling of fear for me. It is good for both ways as I know that they will follow my instructions but my there won't be any real connections with them.
No friendship
No relationship or whatsoever.
If they could choose, who to serve I doubt anyone would go to me.
"Master! Aria has some news."
"What kind?"
Shana suddenly appeared running out from the building. She was just behind me… I acted calm and answered her without hesitation.
"Master, we have captured a number of human spies that is not under the king."
Aria is the one that answers my question as she is naturally following behind Shana all along.
"Ohh. Lead me to them."
She nods her head, showing an expressionless face as if to say that it is something not worth saying. Usually, I would have told her to deal with them herself but this time is special as not long ago we have finished the meeting within the circle alliance.
It is not mere coincidence to suddenly have people that tried to sneak inside the building. Should I eliminate them all?
~
Upon entering the illusion room, Aria went inside a separate building inside. A building that has a spiky fence and of course barbed wire in order to stop people from escaping the building. I create the building in case something happens, and we have a place to put all of the prisoners.
I didn't think that we would be using it much earlier than I anticipate it. The door opens by itself upon detecting Aria. After passing through multiple doors, we came to a large room where more than thirty people chain to one of the steel bars that is located near the side of the room.
No one was saying anything to each other. Clearly shows that they do not know one another. A way to force someone out from the alliance circle. It is not wrong for someone to want to know this crucial information but everything should have a limit, and the moment someone overstep their boundary, they should be punished.
No matter they are innocent or not. In order to show that the King has the authority to do so. Well, that is something I have learned when I am previously in the modern world.
Seriousness aside, we should separate them to their various factions.
"There are only two options for all of you. Either confessed who are you working for or become a slave and worked for my day and night."
Almost all of them frown, there are others sigh in relief thinking that they would be killed or starve in hunger while they are chain inside the room. Obviously, they have realized that there's no cannibalism involve and they didn't care much about betraying their owner.
Which is more important freedom but having no food to eat or become a slave in this difficult period but are able to eat food that is healthy. There are those after much consideration decided to betray the person they are working for. Purely due to the fact that they have family back at home to feed.
The temptation of food can force someone to even betray their loved ones. A few of them weep silently while deciding to stay put and become a slave.
Meanwhile, the people that decided to betray their owner has been transferred to another room. I will let Sara asked them, before allowing her to slowly check each and every one of them using her power. Just to be sure that they are telling the truth.
Anyone that was found out to be lying would be sent to Aria where they… Honestly, I got no idea why Aria ask for them. I don't think it will end great for them.
A total of fifty-six people has decided to become a slave. Emelia immediately forces all of them to be a slave under me while glancing at me once in a while. She is really making preparation to not allow me to know how to do it.
Shana is by my side, once in a while pulling me away from Emelia. Geez, the two of them is making me crazy. I already have two women for me to take care. Why do you think that I would want more?
After the ceremony, I allow them to eat the fruits and vegetables that we have farmed. It is to motivate them before giving them work to do. There is no difference between them and the people that are currently working. In order to show that even though they are a slave, the work and how others view them is the same.
The only reason I force them to become a slave is to oversee and avoid having any escapee that could destroy everything that we are trying to build.
Only after entrusting them to one of the maids, I went out from the illusion room to have my rest.
Emelia frown as she wasn't able to have her fun once again while Shana has disappeared for some reason. I wonder what happens between these two ladies.
