Chapter 194 Slaves
"Hey! Did you see it this afternoon? This year, they sent more than just the Lord. The other one is Lord Lu Yi, right?"
In a dim corner, several servants and butlers gathered together to play cards.
I don't know who brought it up first, but the people who were drawing the cards obviously slowed down their playing speed.
"Isn't it! This is the youngest son of Duke Klein. I heard that he is actually the most favored child of the Klein family. Not only does he get doted on by Duke Klein and Madame Klein, but even the queen loves him very much!"
"Hiss - then according to what you said, is there any deeper meaning behind sending him here this year? This little Klein just came of age last year, and this year he has been following the Lord..."
"Tsk, who knows? It's not our turn to comment on the master's affairs!" someone said casually.
"You're right. No matter how the world changes, it's not our turn to make decisions."
"Yes! We are all insignificant people. Look at some people who are born to enjoy everything, while others have to work hard all their lives!"
"Hey, at least it's better than those slaves, don't you think?" said another person, nodding in the direction behind them.
The people living there were all slaves kept in captivity on Klein Manor.
Sure enough, the complaining person's facial expression looked much better, and the look behind him was half relieved and half arrogant.
"Tsk! If I become a slave, I'd rather die!"
"Come on, you are talking without any pain. Look at those slaves, how many of them really don't want to live? Can you stop them from dying? Aren't they still insisting on living no matter how hard or tiring it is! You can just show off your strength now, haha!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone burst into laughter.
Amidst the laughter, a servant came running over in a hurry and said in a panic, "Manager Leon! It's bad! Those slaves are fighting again!"
Leon, who had complained earlier, suddenly changed his expression and said angrily, “It seems that I was too lenient last time!”
"Go on, no need to wait for me!"
The remaining few waved their hands, and one even shouted, "Old buddy! How many times has this happened this month? I told you a long time ago! You really should discipline those troublesome slaves under your command! Especially the new one who came last time!"
"That's right! Show him some color!"
"Ignore them, let's continue! Who will deal the cards in the next round..."
…
…
The second day was still busy with official business.
The morning bell in Inle City rang at five o'clock, and Lu Yi was awakened by Astor at six o'clock.
He washed up with a wooden face, had breakfast, and was then pressed down at the desk by Astor.
Thick books were stacked layer upon layer, and their height was almost reaching Lu Yi's shoulder height.
Astor smiled kindly: "Come on, there's not much left."
This so-called "not much" took up the entire morning of the Klein brothers.
At twelve o'clock noon, only the last two thin booklets were left on the desk.
Lu Yi raised his eyes and glanced at Aster opposite him. After exchanging glances, the two of them lowered their heads tacitly and continued to deal with the final finishing work.
This is not over yet.
After a short lunch and nap, it was time for another field trip.
Astor said that he only needed to follow behind him and watch carefully, and he didn't need to do anything. Lu Yi really just followed him obediently.
The servant in charge of the manor bowed and led the way in front, and the wizard's servant who came with them followed closely behind the two of them.
Astor was talking seriously with the servants, while Lu Yi was daydreaming and listening intermittently.
"Why did so many slaves die last quarter?" Astor asked.
"My Lord, it's like this. Winter is the peak period for the death of these slaves. In addition, the epidemic that broke out last year also affected us to some extent. The number of slaves who died is indeed much higher than in previous years, but this number is still within a safe range! A batch of slaves was added a few days ago, and another batch will fill the gap..."
Astor nodded slightly.
"Didn't the epidemic last year only break out in remote countries?" Lu Yi asked in confusion, "New Victory and the surrounding empires should not have been affected by the epidemic..."
Lu Yi dared to say that no one knew the scope of the epidemic better than him. After all, every city-state that recovered was one that Rant had personally experienced.
"Master Lu Yi, you don't know that although the plague did not spread to Inle City, the impact it caused was far more than the plague itself! The dead labor force needs to be replaced, and the resources and manpower of each territory cost money everywhere. Winter is the most difficult time. Last year was the coldest year in the past decade. The money allocated to the slaves cannot ensure that every slave can survive the winter. Those who are not so strong will die!"
The first second the servant answered, Lu Yi realized that he had asked a stupid question.
But even so, after hearing the servant's answer, Lu Yi couldn't help but fall into silence.
No matter what happens, the people who are most affected are the lowest groups in society.
The people at the bottom of the Isaiah continent are not ordinary farmers, but slaves who have no human rights.
Only then did Lu Yi realize that Lant had visited so many city-states ravaged by the epidemic and saved so many residents.
But among those rescued, there was not a single slave.
All the slaves were executed on the first day of contracting the disease, so naturally they would not live to see the arrival of Saint Lantus, the Son of Heaven.
[Why not add some money?] 857 asked doubtfully, [Although prices have risen, if it is just basic warmth and food, it won't cost too much money. At least this investment cannot compare to the income generated by those slaves in the future!]
The topic of slave death was only mentioned briefly. Seeing that Astor and the servant had already talked about other topics, Lu Yi withdrew his gaze.
After a long time, until 857 thought Lu Yi would no longer answer its question, it heard his faint answer.
[“Because life is cheap.”]
[“It is far better to buy new slaves in the spring than to invest money in unnecessary sunk costs.”]
[“What should be compared is not the profits they can generate in the future, but the cheaper money from buying and selling slaves.”]
It's always like this, year after year.
…
The topic of dead slaves did affect Lu Yi's mood to some extent. He stopped interrupting the conversation afterwards and instead mobilized the elements in his body and silently honed his magic power.
Although Lu Yi can actually exert the power of the fourth level, he is only a second-level peak magician on the surface, which is far inferior to his pseudonym Lant.
This time, the small size has steadily surpassed the large size.
You need to practice more to cook!
As he practiced, Lu Yi discovered that something was wrong.
Within his perception range, he discovered a somewhat strange aura of magic.
It is said to be strange because Lu Yi has almost never encountered such a vague and elusive power.
It was not the aura of a real wizard. It was as if there was a thick layer of frosted glass, and even the faint aura of magic was barely noticeable.
If Lu Yi didn't have the bonus of "three high buffs", it would be difficult for a fourth-level mage to detect that extremely faint breath.
This subtle incongruity immediately aroused Lu Yi's interest.
He stopped and looked in the direction of the aura.
Astor kept his eyes on Lu Yi, and when he saw him stop, he stopped too.
"What's wrong, Lu Yi? Is there something wrong over there?" Astor asked.
Lu Yi nodded, pointed in that direction and asked, "What's that place over there?"
The servant at the side immediately replied: "That's where the slaves on the manor live."
Slaves again.
Why is he having trouble with the slaves today?
Lu Yi's expression remained unchanged, and he asked again: "Are there any slaves in the manor who can use magic?"
His words frightened the servant who answered the question.
No one knew whether it was because of Lu Yi's slightly exposed magic power, or because of Aster who was standing behind him and frowning slightly, but the servant immediately fell to his knees with a plop.
"Absolutely not! Master Lu Yi, the servants in the manor always remember their duties and responsibilities, and it is absolutely impossible for them to let these lowly slaves come into contact with magic! Besides, those slaves are not qualified to be baptized, and it is impossible for them to have magical talents out of thin air!" the servant argued.
Slaves do not enjoy human rights, and naturally they are not even qualified to be baptized or learn magic. This is the absolute control that slave owners have over slaves in the entire Isaiah continent and cannot be challenged.
Astor said calmly: "So you mean Lu Yi sensed it wrong?"
"Your Lordship, that is absolutely not what I meant!" The servant's body trembled even more violently.
"Just go and see what's going on."
Astor raised his eyebrows, and the direction of everyone's progress changed.
But this time it was Lu Yi who led the way.
Lu Yi led everyone closer to the location where the aura was.
The closer they got, the simpler their environment became.
Finally, Lu Yi stopped in front of a dilapidated straw house.
It would be a stretch to call the residence in front of me a straw hut. Strictly speaking, this small house is just a dilapidated thatched hut.
In front of this thatched hut, Lu Yi could clearly feel that the breath was only a hair's breadth away from him.
The closer the distance, the more accurate Lu Yi's perception became. What was extremely weak and tending to disappear was not only the magic power of the person in the house, but also the vitality.
"It's in here." Lu Yi said confidently.
Immediately, a servant stepped forward and pushed open the fragile little wooden door.
The scene inside the house was thus revealed to everyone.
The room was filled with dry straw and dead leaves, and in the only available space was a man huddled in a stained, rag-covered body.
The man's face was obscured by greasy, curly hair, and his facial features could not be seen clearly. The part of his body that was exposed outside the rags was extremely dry and skinny, like a corpse that had been dried out for a long time.
The only thing that distinguished him from a mummy was the bloody whip marks on his body. Those whip marks were inflicted with so much force that it seemed as if even the blood had drained out.
This was clearly a fatal move.
The man was already breathing weakly, with more air coming out than coming in. If it weren't for Lu Yi's sudden impulse, he would definitely not survive this night.
"Although he is just a slave, I remember that in the Klein family, even if you punish a slave, there should be a reason." Lu Yi said faintly.
To put it bluntly, the real owner of these slaves is Klein, they are all Klein's property, and the servants on the manor are merely managing them on his behalf.
"What crime did he commit that deserves the death penalty?"
Lu Yi narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the servant behind him who was shaking like a sieve.
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