The nobles who had thrown in their lot with the Blade of Freedom at the last moment found themselves in an awkward position.
The New King did not want them, and they had betrayed their old master. They had nowhere to go but Free City.
Never cut off your own way out—that was the lesson they were living.
They soon discovered there was no place for them in Free City. Castles and manors were out of the question; even a detached house cost money, and there was a waiting list. Their status meant nothing, either. No one stepped aside for them, called them "my lord," or offered up a daughter.
Worse, the Servants who had come with them had picked up some supposedly absurd ideas somewhere. They came to say that Free City did not uphold slave contracts and that they wanted to leave and start new lives.
One hot-tempered noble beat the servant who said it half to death on the spot. Before long, the Guards beat the noble half to death and threw him in prison.
The already restless Servants grew even harder to contain. Some ran away every day. When the nobles went to the Guards, the Guards pointed to the Free City Code and told them slavery was indeed forbidden in Free City.
So they took their grievances to the City Lord's Mansion.
"We can't just leave the nobles to fend for themselves," Annan said. "If their resentment builds, they're liable to do something drastic."
"They'd dare?"
Jack folded his arms and leaned back in his chair with a snort. "Femi, what do you think?"
"Kill them. And the officials who put this on the agenda. Kill them too."
Luoxi, seated as straight as a drawn Fine Sword, gave a soft cough. "Don't say that. They