Abel's Escape Plan (Part 1)

Two Half-Elf miners jogged into the mine and met another Half-Elf miner who was also pushing a minecart out of the mine. They talked about how they had regained their freedom.

The two Half-Elf miners simply didn't believe it and questioned:

"Varos, did they force you to say that?"

"... It's true, we're free!" the two Half-Elf miners exclaimed eagerly.

The Half-Elf miner pushing the minecart cautiously looked around, and only after confirming that there were no overseers in sight did he speak with a slightly more audacious tone:

"Tch! Two months ago, those Silver Moon Elf Warrior said the same thing to us, and what happened? They ran away, while we stayed behind to be punished!"

Another Half-Elf miner chimed in, "Exactly! Maybe Abel sent them to test us! Calm down, wait a bit longer, observe carefully, it's never wrong to be cautious..."

Upon hearing what their companion said, the two half- Half-Elf miners who had relayed the message immediately wavered.

They hesitated, wondering whether to go out of the mine and push the minecart parked in the backyard back, but fearing they would be seen by the Half-Elf Warrior waiting outside, they braced themselves and said:

"No matter what, a group of Half-Elf Warrior has come outside. Surely our compatriots wouldn't lie to us!"

"The Half-Elf miner argued."

"Are they a group of Half-Elf Warrior from outside?" The two Half-Elf miners pushing the minecart were somewhat surprised.

"Um."

An older Half-Elf miner immediately said, "Let's go out and see what's going on..."

Just as the four Half-Elf miners were whispering at the mine entrance about whether or not to go out, Roy had already walked into a row of stone houses built next to the mine.

It's clear that this is the dormitory for the Half-Elf miners. These stone houses are almost entirely made of waste ore, with the gaps between the ore stones filled with mud and ash.

These stone houses only have doors, no windows. The roofs are covered with wooden planks and a layer of moss.

Stepping into the dormitory, it was pitch black inside. The rooms were also divided into small cubicles, but they didn't even have wooden doors. You could see all the furnishings inside from the doorway. Each room was crammed with six bunk beds, leaving no extra space.

The bed was covered with tattered linen sheets. Roy didn't see a blanket on the bed. This was the northern part of the Pagisto Plateau, and the temperature outside was very low. The dormitory was also very cold.

At the head of each wooden bed was a wooden food dish, and almost all of the dishes were clean.

Roy only saw half a muffin on a plate.

Stepping into the dark and cold room, Roy picked up the half-eaten muffin from the plate, smelled it, and found that in addition to dried mushrooms and unknown Black Berry, there was even some sawdust. He broke the muffin in half with his hands, and found that it was not even as good as the mushroom cakes made by the Gray Dwarf he had seen in the mines of the Second Mine.

There were twelve Half-Elf miners living in one room, and their meals were so poor. No wonder the Half-Elf miners who worked were as thin as sticks and had withered faces.

Such a magnificent castle was built, yet the miners' dwellings were even inferior to the tree hollows where the headhunters lived...

Roy then discovered that not every room was in such a dilapidated state.

After walking through ten rooms, Roy saw a slightly better one. The room not only had a wooden door, but also a lock on the outside.

Roy hesitated at the door for a moment, and the Half-Elf Warrior behind Roy took two steps forward and kicked the wooden door open.

'boom...'

The wooden door was broken, and there was only a bed in the room. There was even a table against the other wall, with Carbide Lamp emitting a dim light on the table, and a water glass.

On the innermost wall hung a leather whip and a rod.

There were not only sheets on the bed, but also a wad of old blanket, and a pair of old boots under the bed.

Roy realized that this was probably the room of the foreman or the mining leader, and had nothing to do with the ordinary miners.

Further inside, it was the same; every ten rooms there was a room for the overseer, but this time there wasn't a single elf to be seen in the dormitory.

Roy walked to the end of the stone house and looked down at the stone steps. He was surprised to find that there was a basement inside.

The basement was filled with a foul stench and a musty smell. Roy hesitated for a moment and did not intend to go in.

Just as he turned around, he heard faint moans coming from inside. Roy frowned, took out a handkerchief to cover his mouth and nose, and stepped inside.

A Half-Elf Warrior a shield rushed into the basement, followed by another Half-Elf who took out a torch from his pocket. Before he could light it, a faint light appeared on Roy's fingertips.

' Glimmer Illumination Spell '

Although this glimmer of light couldn't travel very far, it at least allowed Roy to see the steps beneath his feet.

Under the light, the chilling atmosphere emanating from the basement quickly dissipated.

What appeared before Roy was not a basement for storing supplies, but a prison cell, presumably prepared specifically for the Half-Elf miners, with the cells separated by iron bars.

The voice came from a half- Half-Elf hanging from the ceiling. He had disheveled hair, dried bloodstains on his body, and his head hung limply. He wore a blood-stained linen robe.

After walking a few steps inside, I discovered that behind the iron bars, there were also several half-elf Half-Elf in cages.

The bloodstains on the cell floor had dried, and the entire room reeked of blood and stench...

Under the illumination of the holy light, Roy could even see many vengeful spirits floating in the cell. They were just drifting aimlessly in the basement, not awakened, and still in a state of unconsciousness. They were usually only attracted by resentment.

I reckon quite a few Elf Slaves must have died here...

The fact that the souls of these elves did not return to the embrace of Elune, the Moon Goddess, after their deaths, nor did they transform into sprites in the Spring of Life, means that they could not be reborn.

Roy sighed. Although this place didn't have the hellish mines of the Spinel Mine, it was by no means much better than the three Spinel Mine in the Southern Plateau. No wonder Commander Helik was so unwilling to accept the three mines in the Kaltim Mountain Range. He guessed that the miners in those three mines must not be very good either...

Roy skillfully drew a divine rune in front of him with one hand.

Jasper taught him this magic. Jasper had hoped that Roy would learn it and then they could take on some side jobs to earn some extra money.

Who would have thought that Jasper would have been lying in the West Suburb Graveyard of Castleton City for several years now...

A Divine Light appeared before Roy, who was now the same Novice Priest Roy. The holy glow was so intense it resembled a white flame.

The vengeful spirit, hurt by the white flames, unconsciously scurried away, as Roy softly chanted a spell.

'purification'

One by one, the vengeful spirits were transformed into pure souls under the scorching white flames. However, the suffering and resentment that those spirits had endured in their previous lives flashed before Roy's eyes like scenes from a fantasy movie.

As the vengeful spirit in the torture chamber gradually faded and disappeared.

Roy felt like a lot of negative emotions were accumulating inside him, and he was getting a little frantic, so he quickly closed his eyes to relax...

At this moment, the Half-Elf Warrior had already rescued the Half-Elf hanging in the cell, and some Half-Elf opened the iron gate of the cell and helped the Half-Elf lying inside out.

Once outside the cell, Roy even forgot to treat the wounds of the Half-Elf.

He walked straight to the door at the end of the corridor. The iron door was actually locked. Roy looked at the Half-Elf Warrior who followed him.

The Half-Elf Warrior immediately understood, but instead of drawing his longsword, he pulled a War Blade from his baggage and slashed at the iron chain without hesitation.

This War Blade was likely seized from the headhunters, and it was probably forged with some Magic Black Iron, giving it excellent strength and rigidity.

The blade struck the iron lock, sending sparks flying, and the lock was severed by the War Blade...

The Half-Elf Warrior immediately pushed open the iron gate, which led to a separate small courtyard.

This courtyard, enclosed by high walls, is planted with a large area of black Iron Caltrop.

Only this cold-resistant Iron Caltrop can grow wildly in the climate of the Northern Plateau. The vines of the Iron Caltrop are almost black with only a few leaves, and the vines are covered with Black Berry, the same Black Berry that Roy saw in a muffin.

This type of Iron Caltrop has a slight toxicity, which can be reduced to a minimum after drying.

Although the Iron Caltrop is cold-resistant, it prefers fertile soil.

Roy reached out to pluck a black berry from the branch of the Iron Caltrop in front of him. Through the thorny vines, he was shocked to see a piece of white bone protruding from the soil. It should be a forearm bone, and it was an elf's bone.

Roy's anger was reignited by the scene before him...

It took the Half-Elf Warrior some time to gather a large group of miners in the clean and tidy little square in front of the castle.

There were Dark Moon Elf miners, Half-Elf miners, and Gray Dwarf miners, all filthy and stinking. These miners filled almost the entire space of the small square, forming a huge, dark mass.

Almost all the Half-Elf miners were thin and emaciated, looking like skeletons being held up by their clothes.

The Dark Moon Elf miners were in the same predicament, even worse than the Half-Elf, because their ankles were bound with chains and stone balls. Several Half-Elf Warrior were squatting at the edge of the small square, removing the chains from the Dark Moon Elf miners' feet.

Roy walked into the small square with red eyes. He squinted as much as possible and walked silently to the high platform in front of a screen wall in the square.

"... Here!"

Let me first explain to you that we are the guards of the Pagisto Plateau Mine Guard. Our first purpose in coming to the Wochak Mountain Mithril Mine is to rescue all the elven miners. From now on, you are free!

You can leave this mine at any time.

Of course, if anyone feels that the wilderness in the Northern Plateau is too dangerous, they can also leave with our caravan and go wherever they want. Those who want to leave can pick up a travel bag at the warehouse entrance later. This is my last little bit of help to you.

My name is Roy, and I will be the Mine Owners of the Wochak Mountain Mithril Mine. The mine will continue to operate, and if any of you wish to stay and continue working, you are welcome to do so, but you must pass our medical examination.

One more thing: the Gray Dwarf miners will not be freed; you will need to continue working as miners. That's all I have to say!

Roy maintained a cold expression throughout his speech, but the more he acted this way, the more the Half-Elf and Dark Moon Elf miners believed it was true...

The elf miners finally believed that they had regained their freedom.

Happiness came somewhat suddenly, even leaving everyone a little bewildered. Many elves stood in the small square, discussing the matter with their familiar companions. Some clever elves went directly to ask the Half-Elf Warrior nearby, but no one dared to disturb Roy.

Sabrina was leading a group of Half-Elf Warrior to apprehend the Mine Private Army, Moira was also following Vice Captain Tennyson into the castle to investigate the true situation inside, and Woods was leading a team of Half-Elf Warrior up the City Wall to quickly set up defenses in the mines. Everyone had their own duties and were extremely busy.

The Mine Owner Abel stood nervously on the castle steps.

He had already disarmed all the armed forces in the castle and had surrendered voluntarily, so he thought that this Roy Mine Owners should be as friendly to him as the Silver Moon Elf Officer had come here last time, and that the restrictions imposed on him in all aspects were extremely lenient.

When he saw Roy emerge from the alleyway near the mine and publicly announce in the small square that all the elven miners were free, he knew that the Mithril Mine was doomed.

But he didn't think Roy would do anything to him, after all, he was a Silver Moon Elf.

Seeing Roy approach with a stern face, the Mine Owner Abel, assumed that Roy hadn't received any benefits. He thought that if Roy opened the warehouse and saw the Mithril Ingot stored inside, he would probably smile...

"Lord Roy..."

Before Mine Owner Abel, could even remind Roy to take a look around the warehouse, Roy interrupted him rudely, "Mine Owner Abel, you have committed the Trading Slaves Crime in the Silver Moon Elf Kingdom and are suspected of abusing and killing elves. I have no authority over you, so someone will take you and your family back to the Padesto City Tribunal tomorrow morning. You have one night to make some preparations before your departure!"

Abel stood there, stunned.

His smile seemed a little stiff. He couldn't quite understand how the person in front of him had suddenly decided on such serious crimes for him. However, he knew he couldn't argue, lest he make things worse.

"Okay, I'll go back and prepare for the trip."

The Mine Owner Abel lowered his head and said something.

In his heart, he cursed Roy to the core, thinking that this Half-Elf Mine Owners was truly heartless.

However, the Mine Owner Abel, breathed a slight sigh of relief when he remembered that Roy had given him a night to prepare, thinking: at least there is still a chance to make some arrangements.