The next day, Karl gave the newly recruited City Defense Army soldiers a day off to settle personal affairs, say goodbye to their families, and make preparations for departure.
He himself did not idle around. He brought Brendan, Roland, and Old Morrell, who was eager to prove his worth, back to the chaotic and oppressive Slave Market in the West District of Fran City.
Before leaving, he had to solve the labor problem. Rebuilding Carnford required a huge workforce, and the few soldiers under his command were nowhere near enough.
The system notification that rang out in his mind at just the right moment confirmed his thoughts:
[Daily Quest Updated] [Quest]: Purchase one hundred slaves. (Incomplete)
Karl quickly calculated. He currently had nearly seventy soldiers, including both his original troops and the City Defense Army.
Based on the experience that one soldier could manage three or four slaves without anything going wrong, he could purchase at most two to three hundred slaves.
The system quest required one hundred. That was only the minimum; in reality, he needed far more.
As he entered the market, all kinds of hawking and pleading once again assaulted his ears.
Karl directly ignored the prisoners of war and those who looked unruly. His goal was clear: find people who looked honest, could work, and preferably had become slaves because of debt or minor crimes.
The market price for a male slave was around eight silver coins, while female slaves cost four.
Rebuilding the fortress was undoubtedly heavy manual labor, so male slaves would form the main workforce.
But Karl knew full well that if he bought only young, able-bodied male slaves, gathering three hundred men who had nothing and were filled with resentment would itself be a huge ticking time bomb. They would be extremely difficult to manage and highly prone to rebellion.
Introducing a certain proportion of female slaves was necessary. Not only could they handle some lighter physical labor and logistical work, but they could also exploit human nature, causing the male slaves to compete and divide themselves over the women, which would actually make them easier to manage.
Moreover, once the male slaves formed families with the female slaves, those with families to worry about would behave much more obediently.
After a round of selection and bargaining, Karl finally decided to purchase two hundred and seventy male slaves who looked fairly robust and whose eyes were relatively numb rather than savage, along with thirty healthy-looking female slaves who appeared capable of work.
That made three hundred in total, right at the edge of his management capacity. The expense was considerable, costing nearly three hundred gold coins, but he believed it was a necessary investment.
Old Morrell played a tremendous role during the selection process.
Relying on his memories and connections from the past, he actually recognized several familiar faces among the slaves.
They were engineers and craftsmen who had once participated in the Carnford construction project, but had been held responsible and stripped of their status after the fortress fell, eventually becoming slaves!
"My lord! Look! That's Hans, the finest stonemason back then!"
"That's Vali. He's extremely knowledgeable about timber and building structures!"
"And that one... yes, that tall, thin man is Firth. He's an expert in waterworks!"
Upon hearing this, Karl immediately separated the technical workers and redeemed them on the spot.
After regaining their freedom, the men looked at Karl and Old Morrell with complicated expressions. There was gratitude, confusion, and even a trace of fear in their eyes.
When they heard that Karl intended to take them back to rebuild Carnford, their faces filled with disbelief and concern.
"My lord... Carnford... has already fallen three times..." Old Hans, the stonemason, rasped out a reminder, evidently still haunted by the memory.
Old Morrell immediately stepped forward and gripped his old friend's shoulder excitedly. "Hans! Vali! Firth! Listen to me! This time is different! This is Lord Karl! He's completely different from those noble lords of the past! He's brave, wise, and respects knowledge! He's willing to invest real resources and trust us! This is our only chance to return to our old professions and wash away our shame! Do you really want to rot to death in this cage?"
Old Morrell's words, along with Karl's earlier act of freeing them, had an effect. The craftsmen exchanged glances, then slowly nodded one after another.
No matter what, following a lord who was willing to make use of them was ten thousand times better than remaining slaves.
Seeing this, Karl solemnly announced, "Hans, Vali, Firth, and all of you, from this moment on, you are no longer slaves! Like Old Morrell, you are now engineering consultants for my Carnford Territory, and you will receive the treatment and respect you deserve! I hope you will devote all your knowledge and experience to the great cause of rebuilding your homeland!"
His words completely dispelled the craftsmen's final doubts. Tears of emotion welled in their eyes as they bowed to Karl one after another, declaring that they were willing to serve him with all their strength.
[Quest]: Purchase one hundred slaves. (Completed) [Reward Information Issued]: [Information]: In a corner of the "Camel Bell" Market in the South District of Fran City, a small private caravan from the Northern Territory is secretly selling a magical crystalline powder called "Northern Wind Breath." Produced deep in the snow mountains of the far north, it is highly effective at stabilizing and purifying a low-tier knight's Battle Qi and assisting with breakthroughs past minor bottlenecks. The caravan does not wish to attract attention and must be contacted privately.
Karl's eyes suddenly lit up! This was exactly what he needed most at the moment! Brendan and Roland had been stuck as First-tier Knights for a long time and urgently needed a breakthrough to increase their strength!
He immediately instructed Richter, "Richter, take the newly purchased slaves back to the barracks and keep them under unified supervision. Give them a full meal, but guard them strictly as well. Don't let anything go wrong. Brendan, Roland, and I have something to take care of."
"Yes, my lord!" Richter accepted the order and began directing the soldiers to drive the huge slave convoy forward.
Karl, meanwhile, took Brendan, Roland, and several attendants and hurried toward the "Camel Bell" Market in the South District.
This market was somewhat more orderly than the Slave Market in the West District, consisting mainly of traveling merchants who came and set up stalls.
Following the information's instructions, they found the small, travel-worn caravan in an inconspicuous corner, with its camels resting nearby.
The caravan leader was a shrewd man. When he saw that Karl and the others were well dressed, he immediately came forward to greet them warmly.
Karl wasted no words and asked in a low voice, "I heard you have some Northern Wind Breath?"
The leader's expression shifted slightly. He warily glanced around, then lowered his voice. "You're very well informed, sir... We do indeed have a little in stock, but it won't come cheap."
"Take it out and let me see it. As long as it's genuine, money isn't a problem," Karl said calmly.
The leader nodded. From a sealed satchel on the back of a camel, he carefully took out a small leather pouch. When he opened it, it revealed a fine powder that seemed like crushed ice crystals, shimmering with a faint blue glow. The moment it was exposed, the surrounding air seemed to turn several degrees cooler, and a trace of pure energy could be faintly sensed.
Brendan and Roland felt the aura, and their breathing immediately caught. A fervent light burst into their eyes! They could sense that this substance would greatly benefit their stagnant Battle Qi!
"How much?" Karl asked.
"One price: fifteen gold coins. That's all of it," the leader quoted, naming an astonishing price.
Karl did not hesitate. He nodded at Brendan.
Although Brendan felt the pain of the expense, he immediately counted out the full amount of gold coins and handed them over. The sum was nearly enough to buy another twenty slaves.
Once the transaction was complete, Karl took the precious little pouch of Northern Wind Breath powder in his hand. He turned around, and under Brendan and Roland's intensely expectant and excited gazes, divided the powder into two portions and handed one to each of them.
"Brendan, Roland." Karl looked at them with sincerity in his voice. "You were my first knights, and you remain the knights I trust most. Your strength concerns the safety and future of the territory. I hope this Northern Wind Breath will help you break through your bottlenecks and become even stronger. This is my expectation and investment in you as your lord."
Brendan and Roland looked at the faintly glowing powder before them, then at Karl's completely unhesitating and generous expression. Overwhelming emotion and loyalty instantly flooded their hearts!
Such a precious and rare cultivation resource, and their lord had bought it for them without even blinking!
This trust and generosity far exceeded anything they had imagined!
The two men dropped to one knee and accepted their portions of Northern Wind Breath with trembling hands. Their voices choked with emotion:
"My lord... for such immense kindness... Brendan (Roland) will repay you with his life and loyalty! We will never fail your expectations!"
"Rise." Karl helped them to their feet. "Go back and refine it properly. Strive to break through as soon as possible. Carnford's future needs your strength."
Before you continue