The persuasion

"So ladies, how many of you have decided to work for me? For our new security Guard business?" Queried Arthur with great anticipation rushing in his heart.

Looking at the crowd of women, expecting a lot to agree but still sinking in self doubt, what if they didn't get convinced?

Even though what he offered was indeed big compared to any other job taking base in the Iron boot Alliance, judging from the salaries and working hours.

He wanted to offer more but for now this is all he can provide, when the business expands he will be able offer more of course.

He wants to help these people but he can't risk for all of his other businesses to meet an economical collapse due to over funding this new project. He wants to help these ladies with unfortunate fates but wants to help himself too.

This business taking off and bringing profit will lead to opening more businesses in the future and helping other people, each person that worked for him are financially stable now after all.

"Me!"

"Me too!"

"I want to join!"

"I'd be stupid not too!"

"Who wouldn't actually want to join?"

The self doubt in Arthur's heart arose and left completely once he heard those cheerful replies, self doubt got replaced with overwhelming joy.

So many people seemed to be eager to chase this opportunity, not one of them mentioned things like 'this is a job for a man' or 'we aren't cut out for this' or even worse, 'this is a scam'.

Naturally men are physically stronger and bigger, these are noticeable physical differences. But with enough training a commoner can't simply hurt a woman without getting his face swollen, arm broken or worse.

With enough training fully capable castle Guards would have it hard to face these ladies, ruling out chances of success as well.

More importantly Arthur has a good training plan for these ladies, the higher levels they reach during training, the more their pay increases so that's a good system to yield motivation.

"Alright ladies, I can't tell for sure how many of you agree to this job so we will do something to help us keep count. Are all of you on board with that?" Asked Arthur with his tone rising in enthusiasm as he was speaking in front of the class of 27 women.

They had a good night sleep, a couple of great meals and their mind is a bit more clear now so they should be able to decide.

"Sure."

"Let's do this."

"I want that salary."

"I have to make them fear me."

"No, I want that citizenship."

"People, this isn't about power."

"Thank you, lady." Interrupted Arthur as he raised his hand, gently asking for the class to be quiet.

"Whoever agrees please stand up and go to Classroom 17." Arthur would be pleased if at least 50 are on board, of course getting all 80 is better Income-wise.

One woman stood up, then did the other, then the other and most of them started marching out of class without hesitating.

They even had trouble forming a good line as if someone was rushing them, most made their way to classroom 17, except 8 women.

All 8 of them were looking at the desk with embarrassment, some scared and expecting the worst.

With the people who agreed to be part of the project waiting in another classroom, could the pitch black buyer become more hostile to the disagreeing ones and silence them after?

He sat at the teacher's chair, laying his elbows firmly over the desk and holding his forwardly leaning head with his hands, portraying a strict and curious posture.

He started becoming a bit stressed about the number of disagreeing women but feels like he can talk it over with them, persuade them.

Even has a theory or two about why they chose to leave which will help him form appropriate sentences to say.

He called for one of the eight women to approach and sit near a desk in front of him, to ask her why she decides to leave this place, missing such a life changing opportunity.

"Hello, you know me as the pitch black buyer but let me introduce myself. My name is Arthur Hare, owner of 10 businesses and the wealthiest merchant in Hawk city." Status can be set as a good base here because it comes with promised protection.

The lady in front of him doesn't really care about how powerful this seemingly 6 foot man really is.

Noticing her expressionless face, Arthur got nervous and dropped a sweat, feeling like his collar's getting tighter.

"Sure. I'm Alseen Oaks." She coldy butchers with a lifeless tone filling this room.

Arthur spots that Alseen has sunk into depression, likely a rape victim so her mood and expressions are understandable. Some would even consider suicide but she is up on her feet even though feeling weak.

"Hello Alseen, can you please tell me why you chose to pass this great opportunity? You would be set for life and you are more than capable to do this job." Praising an individual is a good perk to use when one aims to persuade.

And since forceful fear isn't an option at all for Arthur, praising is a grand alternative. "Why have you chosen to abandon this chance?" Looking at her, she seemed to be in her twenties.

Her body is at an age of pique physical strength, she can be an inspiration to others with enough months of work invested on herself as a well deserving individual.

She along with a lot of other soon to be female Guards can show to other women that they don't need to do housework unless they choose to.

They won't need to get out of the house in fear anymore, but it will take a lot of work to lead 18,000 people towards a different more gender equal mindset.

"I just want to leave this hellhole... the traumas." She said under a low tone while avoiding eye contact with Arthur, innocently looking at her hands above the desk she is sitting near at.

"I understand you but you need to understand that this project isn't just to make myself wealthier. Opening this business will only help me offer the same opportunity to other ladies in the future." He knew that simply talking about how this project can benefit him, won't nearly convince her to stay.

Tad irritated how gold is still in the topic, Alseen replies. "I don't see where that would help me and I'm just one person, it wouldn't make a big difference."

Pointing behind the lady and placing his arm back on the desk, he weighs in a key fact. "Behind you are 7 more women who might think the same. One person won't make a drastic difference but 8 women passing this opportunity will just make helping other women, a slower task."

"And how would that link to us?" Feeling like she is speaking for all the 7 women behind her now, Alseen found it appropriate to use sentences that would portray a unified stand instead.

"You supporting this project will lead to more Income and with profits from exporting, importing and local businesses being under my control. The King will have little choice but to listen to my recommendations." He understands that these ladies who possibly had no experience at all in being a merchant, didn't care about profit.

But the last part of the sentence got them a bit interested, more emotionally invested.

"Recommendations?" She repeats feeling tad confused about it.

Building up the conversation to this fine point, Arthur slowly lays down. "Yes! Just working for me gives you protection. Imagine what I can offer when soon most of the businesses are under my control! The rules can be how we make them."

Hearing what Arthur had to say, they got a bit more interested in the topic but not enough for their minds to be changed, their ears became more willing to listen though.

Seeing them having tremendously little hope towards this project, he has to use something that would emotionally trigger them more.

Arthur did not want to resort to this but the base roots of his attempts are firmly good willed, he doesn't want to quit.

Bit louder on the tone so all 8 ladies can hear it, he offers. "I'm guessing that you want to take revenge upon those who touched you, I can help you with that in the near future."

"How?" 3 of them asked at the same time.

"I see that revenge interests them." He thought and proceeded to use this situation more.

A good base of this offer, is antagonizing the authorities so therefore he cites. "You can take revenge and I can make the authorities turn a blind eye, like they did when you and the rest reached this city."

Enhancing their anger, he adds. "They didn't just turn a blind eye, to them slaves have just enough rights as an animal. Now do you think that's fair?"

Looking at them with a firm serious face, noticing the further expressed emotion now compared to earlier when they barely cared, Arthur started to understand that this is working.

"It isn't fair! I have traumas that will never go away and I never hurted any of them!" With a higher tone and a couple of tears dropping from her green eyes, hollered a lady and got comforted by another who's tapping her back.

"You didn't but take other ladies into consideration. There are citizens here who aren't slaves but face a life like one." Seeing that he is succeeding, to completely win this, a decision to sink in deeper to the subject has been made.

Carefully and slowly so all of them can understand the severity, he cites. "Ladies here can't walk in the streets alone. Patrol Guards sexually harass them, attack them and even rape them."

The ladies did figure that such fate is similar to the one they had once getting here, and Arthur isn't failing to describe further. "The raped woman would end up being blamed and might even be tossed on the streets. Apart from that they have trouble from other perverts."

Getting back to the base of his plans, he recites. "With you helping me to form this business stronger, in time we can have enough power to end this madness. What do you say?"