"You're out of your minds! You gave a bunch of lowborn scum Magic weapons!"
The bandit leader's sudden hysteria and outrage made Annan curious. He stopped Jack from gagging him. "Why shouldn't we?"
"Those mudbloods are barely better than slaves! They don't deserve Magic weapons!" shouted the bandit leader, who was only a Mage Apprentice himself.
The Recruits around them looked indignant, though some lowered their heads.
A few full meals could not erase this world's Rules. Besides, they had yet to receive Common Tongue Proficiency.
Annan glanced around, then had an Earth Elemental lift a floor tile.
"See that? It's mountain copper."
"You... Your... But this isn't a Floating City." The bandit leader stopped struggling.
"Who says mine isn't a Floating City?" Annan asked, puzzled. He took the man to see the Arcane Core.
When that glorious symbol of human wisdom appeared before him, the bandit leader lost all will to resist. His lips trembled. "Then... why aren't you floating...?"
"Is there a rule that says a Floating City has to float?"
Done showing off, Annan returned to camp and spoke loudly enough for every recruit to hear. "Now, to answer your question: they're worth it."
The Recruits raised their heads.
"If Magic items can bring Soldiers home safely from the battlefield and reunite them with their families, I'll pay for them without hesitation. I'll send them to school, too, so they can learn and understand the world. They won't face discrimination, and they won't discriminate against others."
It was a simple speech.
But no Noble had ever said such things, let alone done them. From the Elf Calendar to the Saint Laurent Calendar, ordinary people had always been expendable scraps in war, like slave rats in a Rat Plague. The spotlight always belonged to Professionals.
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