"Brothers, I persuaded the pirates through negotiation! From now on, we will no longer live in fear of death and violence as we did before!"
"Although we still have to work hard, it won't be because the pirates are oppressing us, but to fight for our families and a better tomorrow!"
"We will live with dignity!"
"We have won!"
The laborers' heads buzzed as though they were dreaming.
Had they really won?
Gaburu silently lowered his weapon and wearily returned to the village.
"Go home, everyone. I'll tell you the details of the negotiations before tonight."
"Captain Gaburu."
The laborers watched Gaburu. Somehow, his retreating figure seemed full of desolation, making their hearts ache.
But Captain Gaburu's declaration of victory also gave them something to look forward to.
"Let's go home first!"
Night fell, and Gaburu gathered representatives of the laborers from every town and village at the tavern to explain the details of the negotiations.
Laborers who wanted to earn money could work at the weapons factory, rent farmland, or dig in the mines. They had several options.
The rent for farmland was extremely high, requiring them to hand over more than seventy percent of the harvest. What remained was nowhere near enough to support a family, so additional work would be necessary.
The weapons factory and the mines operated on twelve-hour workdays, with half a day off each week. Although the wages were low, together with the harvest from the fields, they were enough to support a family of four, though their standard of living would be very low.
Those who wanted to earn more could also work overtime, putting in an extra two hours a day at one and a half times the normal pay. There were also bonuses for performance, perfect attendance, outstanding employees, and more.