Unexpected Windfall

It took quite a while before their sobs gradually subsided.

The woman who had spoken first wiped away her tears, but an even deeper confusion and despair appeared on her face. "My lord, thank you, but... we don't know where to go. Our homes were wiped out by the Sauron people long ago. Even if we leave here, in this wilderness of the Northern Territory, we... we'll still be doomed..."

She abruptly raised her head, her eyes filled with one last plea. "My lord... please... let us follow you! We can do anything! Laundry, cooking, mending... We only ask that you give us a chance to live!"

Karl looked at their miserable appearances and hesitated for a moment.

Taking them along would undoubtedly increase his burden and introduce more variables.

But abandoning these women, who had just escaped from hell and had no one to rely on, in this wilderness—how would that make him any different from those goblins?

He sighed and nodded. "Very well. Follow my group for now. I'll find work for you and provide you with food and protection."

The women immediately burst into tears again. This time, they were tears of gratitude.

Just then, Richter came running out from deeper within the cave, his face alight with excitement. He leaned close to Karl's ear and whispered excitedly, "My lord! At the very back! There's a treasure chamber! We found something good! Lots of money!"

Karl's spirits lifted. He instructed Brendan, "Brendan, Roland, settle them down first. Find them some warm clothes and food."

With that, he immediately followed Richter deeper into the cave.

After passing through several narrow forks, they arrived at a cave barely concealed by a massive boulder.

By then, the cave had been brightly illuminated by torches.

The sight before him made even Karl draw in a sharp breath.

Several wooden chests sat conspicuously in the corner of the cave. Though old, they were quite sturdy.

The lid of one chest had already been pried open. Inside was a chestful of dazzling gold coins! The other two chests were filled with neatly stacked Silver coin!

The gold coins glimmered enticingly in the torchlight, while the Silver coin were piled like mountains.

Karl made a rough estimate. There were at least fifty gold coins in that chest, while the two chests of Silver coin contained well over a hundred coins altogether—and that did not even include any miscellaneous valuables that might be mixed in at the bottom!

This was a huge windfall! It nearly made up for half of what he had invested before, and would be enough to support his development for a long time to come.

Clearly, this was the wealth accumulated by the goblins of the Blacktooth Tribe through years of plundering. Now, it had all fallen into Karl's hands!

"Excellent!" Karl could not help slapping Richter hard on the shoulder. "Count everything carefully and take it all! Don't leave behind a single copper!"

With this unexpected fortune, Carnford's reconstruction and development would undoubtedly have another solid guarantee.

This fierce battle in the dead of night had ultimately brought a double harvest of population and funds, far exceeding expectations.

The troops soon regrouped at the foot of the hill.

Karl quickly counted their numbers, and the heavy stone in his heart finally dropped.

Apart from the few lightly wounded soldiers injured by the goblins' thrown weapons at the start, there had been no further casualties.

This nighttime encounter had ended with zero deaths, the complete annihilation of the goblins' main force, and a rich haul. It had been a thoroughly satisfying major victory!

The group escorted the five rescued women, carried the heavy chests of treasure seized from the cave, and returned to the nearby camp with the joy of victory and a touch of exhaustion.

On the way back, Karl could not help feeling worried. Every soldier had been deployed, leaving only a large number of slaves in the camp. After witnessing the fighting and chaos outside, would those slaves take the opportunity to revolt?

However, when their group neared the camp, the scene before them stunned everyone.

Torchlight shone brightly behind the camp's palisade.

The slaves, who should have been terrified and uneasy, had not caused a disturbance. Instead, they had formed several loose groups.

They were actually holding the crude short spears, wooden clubs, and cleavers the goblins had dropped, nervously and warily guarding the gaps and the areas behind the palisade.

Although their movements were clumsy and their formations crooked, their attempt to protect the camp was unmistakable.

When they saw Karl leading the army back in triumph, the slaves clearly let out a sigh of relief. Their tense expressions relaxed, and they lowered their "weapons" one after another, awe and curiosity showing in their eyes.

Karl was both surprised and delighted. He had never expected these slaves to organize themselves spontaneously without anyone forcing them, much less pick up weapons and attempt to "defend" the camp.

At that moment, the nine slave squad leaders he had appointed that morning

Otto, along with eight others whose faces Karl vaguely remembered, came before him.

As their representative, Otto rubbed his hands and stammered out a report, his voice full of unease. "M-my lord... w-we were the ones who told everyone to do this. We heard how fierce the fighting outside was and were afraid... afraid some other monsters might sneak in during the chaos, so we had everyone pick up those things the green-skinned shorties dropped and make do with guarding the camp. We didn't have any other intentions, truly! We're just slaves. We just... just wanted to help a little..."

They lowered their heads, afraid to meet Karl's eyes, terrified that their act of "taking matters into their own hands" would bring punishment.

However, Karl's reaction completely exceeded their expectations.

Not only was he not angry, he strode forward with undisguised praise on his face.

He went straight to Otto first. Without the slightest trace of a nobleman's arrogance toward a slave, he extended his right hand, grasped Otto's hand—covered in calluses and grime—and shook it firmly!

Otto froze completely. He stared in disbelief at the hand Lord Karl was holding tightly, his mind blank. The surrounding slaves and soldiers were all stunned as well.

"Otto! You did very well." Karl patted him firmly on the shoulder.

Karl went from one person to the next, asking for their names or designations, firmly shaking their hands and sincerely patting their shoulders, giving each of them brief yet profoundly meaningful words of affirmation and encouragement.

These slave squad leaders had never been treated like this before.

Throughout their past lives, they had known nothing but scolding, beatings, and indifference.

Now, Lord Karl had not only refrained from blaming them for using the weapons without permission, he had treated them like meritorious soldiers, personally shaking their hands, patting their shoulders, and praising them!

This equal respect and recognition struck them far more powerfully than any monetary reward could have.

Excitement, elation, disbelief, and an indescribable sense of loyalty instantly overwhelmed them.

Some trembled all over with excitement, some had reddened eyes, and some grinned foolishly, yet none could say a word. They could only nod desperately.

Karl looked at them and raised his voice to ensure that all the surrounding slaves and soldiers could hear him. "You all saw it! Otto, Morgan, Fenn... the nine of them, along with all the brothers who took up weapons and actively defended the camp tonight—you did extremely well! You exceeded my expectations!"

His gaze swept across all the slaves holding their breath. "I said that as long as you served loyally, there would be rewards and a future! Tonight, you proved your loyalty and value! I'll remember this achievement!"

He paused, and his voice became even more solemn. "I promise you! Once we arrive in Carnford and settle down, everyone who took part in guarding the camp tonight will receive extra food as a reward!"

"And these nine squad leaders, along with those who performed exceptionally well, will be personally rewarded by me according to your contributions! Perhaps more food, perhaps better clothing, or even... the Freemen status you desire most!"

"Boom!"

The crowd instantly erupted! The slaves burst into enormous cheers.

Freemen status!

It was something they had never even dared to dream of!

At that moment, the way these slaves looked at Karl completely changed.

They no longer saw him as a distant and terrifying Lord, but as a leader who could guide them toward hope.

After a night of bloody battle and an unexpected test of loyalty, the slave group's cohesion had become stronger than ever.