I went to my room as soon as we arrived at the mansion. I took off my officer's tunic and laid on the bed. I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and saw a message from Cess. I opened it and saw something that made me angry. What the fuck!? Why do problems keep on popping up one after the other.

I got up from my bed and put on my uniform and headed to the communications room. From there, I contacted the SAS teams following Johan and my classmate's group.

"Command to bravo team, command to bravo team. Do you read me? over." The radio operator said.

We waited for a few seconds before we got a reply, " *Krshk* This is Bravo-1, I read you loud and clear, over."

I took the radio operator's headset and put it on, "This is command, there might be possible tangos in your AO. Prepare for possible encounters. Has the Alpha team already rendezvoused with you? over."

" *Krshk* Affirmative, we're prepared for any possible enemy attack. Alpha team's still *Krshk* enroute, over."

"What's their ETA to your position, over." I asked.

"Alpha team *Krshk* is around half a day away from us. *Krshk* They're trying to reach us as fast as they can. No ETA for now, over."

"I see, contact me once they rendezvous with you. We'll also try to contact them on our end." I said.

"Copy that, Bravo-1. Out."

After our radio exchange, I ordered the radio operators to contact Alpha team and report their conversation to me. I left the comms room after I gave the order. Outside the room, I saw Leah standing there.

"Sir, the slaves are now ready to be freed." She said.

Oh crap, I forgot to break the collars of the non-criminal slaves. I looked straight at Leah to hide the fact that I almost forgot about them and spoke in a commanding voice. "I just had some important business to attend to. The Bravo team might encounter tangos so I contacted them. Now that's done, I was actually on my way to break the slaves' collars. Since you're here, accompany me there."

"As you wish, sir." Leah replied. "By the way, the girl you freed yesterday is still with the group."

We started walking and continued our conversation while we're on the move, "That's understandable, she might just be confused right now since she might've only known slavery."

"Of course, sir. How will you use the slaves?" Leah asked.

"I'll have them work on the fields I'll be creating for now, but they'll have to find other jobs they can do in the near future." I answered, "They can't keep on depending on us and we can't keep on giving all the jobs to them. We still have a town filled with people that need jobs too."

"I have a suggestion, sir." She said.

"Go ahead, I'm listening." I replied.

"Sir, can we recruit them if they have the potential to be soldiers?" She asked, "We can have them join in with the Nareña Defense Force or create a new unit for them."

"Hmmm." I stopped walking for a second, "I don't see any problems with that. Go ahead and recruit those who are willing and those who have the potential. One more thing, try to find and recruit some auxiliary personnel among the slaves and the townsfolk."

Leah also stopped, "Yes, sir. We’ll conduct the recruitment in a few days."

"Good, let's go free some slaves then." I said before continuing to walk.

We arrived at the courtyard after a minute or so. Several soldiers greeted us and gave salutes as we passed by, we returned their greetings and moved on. We went to the slave's temporary area on the corner of the courtyard. When the slaves saw me, they dropped whatever they were doing and ran up to me then prostrated themselves.

"Thank you for sparing us, my lord." One of them said to me, Wait, I'm no Lord. Well, technically I am since I'm running this town.

"Uh yeah, it's no big deal." I replied, "And besides, freeing you is only the first step. What comes after is now in your hands. You are now free to return to your old lives or start anew in my town."

"My lord, what about those who only knew of slavery ever since they were born?" The same sla- former slave asked.

Crap, I didn't think of that. "For those who only knew slavery, we will guide them until they can live by themselves." I answered.

The girl that I freed yesterday stood up and came to me, "Please free my mama and papa too." She begged with tears in her eyes.

"Even if I could, I don't know where they are." I replied.

"T- *sniffle* -they're at the capital." She said as she held back her tears.

The capital huh? Well, we still have several prisoners to deliver so why not? "I will not promise anything, but if we do find them. I'll try to free them." I replied and turned to the other former slaves, "To those who also have families or relatives in the capital as slaves. I will try to free them too."

"Th- *sniffle* -thank you, my lord" she said, the other former slaves soon said their own thanks. After all of them have finished expressing their gratitude. I broke their collars one by one until everyone's collars were broken. After breaking the last collar, I felt an intense pain in my head and fell to the ground.

"Sir! Sir! Medi- "

Leah's voice was the last thing I heard before my consciousness faded away.

+ + + Cess + + +

We've travelled for a whole day again and the sun is already beginning to go down. Johan said that we'll stop here and make camp. They made camp earlier than the previous days. Usually, the convoy will stop right before the sun has completely set. But now, the sun is just beginning to set but they're already making camp. I have a feeling that something's gonna happen.

My classmates got off the wagon as soon as one of Johan's men called out that dinner was ready. None of them even thought that something was amiss. Merchant convoys like this should always try to reach their destination as fast as they could, right? I mean, time is money.

Even my friends just got off the wagon and went to the campfire in the middle of the camp. I was still sitting on the wagon when they called out to me. I simply nodded and followed them.

Around the campfire, my friends and classmates sat around. But I didn't see any of Johan's men. C'mon guys, can't you feel something is amiss!?

"Where's the food!?" Jose protested. "Dinner's ready my ass. There's not even food here."

Richard placed his hand on Jose's shoulder, "Bro calm down."

Some moments have passed and Johan joined our group. "Dinner will soon be served, please wait for a little longer." He said while looking at Jose.

I called Johan and asked him a question, "Where's Tia?"

"She's still not feeling well." He replied nonchalantly.

I know that she's not actually not feeling well, but tied and gagged on one of Johan's wagons. I looked him straight in the eye, "Is she really not feeling well? Or is she just bound and knocked unconscious in one of your wagons."

Johan's expression distorted for an instant but he quickly recovered and showed us his normal smiling expression, "Whatever do you mean, dear hero?"

Rika even rebuked me for my action, "Cess! That's no way to talk to the people who helped us."

"Helped us? Do you think he'll just help us for free? Guys, he's a merchant. They'll do anything for profit." I explained.

"I owe my life to Gabriel and I promised him that I'll bring you to the eastern duchy safely. So that is what I'll do." He replied.

My friends and classmates bought his explanation and sided with him. "Cess, that's going too far now. I think." Rika said.

"Yeah, we did hear him promise that he'll get us to the eastern duchy to safety." Richard added.

Jose stood up, puffed out his chest, and proudly said,"I'm the leader here, right? So I say we follow Johan to the eastern duchy or wherever he's dropping us off."

I pulled out the gun Ian gave me and aimed it at Johan, "Tell us what you really wanted to do with us."

Johan didn't react to the gun pointed at him. Maybe he doesn't know what this is? My classmates on the other hand stood up in surprise.

"C-cess, do you even know how to use that!?" Richard asked.

"Yeah, Ian's taken us to a gun range once or twice for his birthday." I replied while keeping the gun aimed at Johan.

Johan grinned and clapped his hand, "I don't think that's a good idea."

Several of his men came out of the wagons with weapons in their hands. One of them also carried Tia over his shoulders, Tia looks like she's still unconscious.

"W-why're you doing this!? Didn't you promise to Ian that you'll escort us safely to the eastern duchy?" Jose asked.

"I did promise him that and I will fulfill that promise. I don't intend to break that promise, you know." Johan began to explain, "After 'safely' escorting you to the eastern duchy's border. That is when we will take you to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in the border town of Centaria. He is currently helping with the defense of the town and thus he requires additional troops. What better troops can I give him than the heroes who escaped, right?"

"Why're you telling us your plans!?" Jose asked again.

"There's no point hiding it anymore, right? And besides, you're too weak to fight with all of my men." Johan boasted. "And besides, I already sent a messenger hawk to the Crown Prince after we arrived at the Capital. His reply came the following morning and it said that he’ll send 150 knights to this area. That is why we stopped in this place."

Tsk, I knew something was wrong.

"Youuu!" Jose screamed as he pulled out his sword. But before he could even take a step forward, an arrow pierced his shoulder and he fell to the ground limp.

"Wh-what did you do to him?" Rika asked.

"The arrowheads are coated with a potent mixture that instantly paralyzes and knocks out anything. He won't be able to move within an hour." Johan said, "You choose your next moves carefully now. Either you surrender and come with us unharmed or attack us and end up like that boy."

Johan's men were now slowly encircling our group. All I could do was keep my pistol aimed at Johan, but I couldn't pull the trigger. I never really intended to fire it in the first place. All I wanted was to scare him away. My hands were trembling, my whole body was trembling.

“So, what’s your next move, heroes?” He asked with a grin.

Kelvin and Carlo pulled out their swords but were instantly pierced by an arrow. They immediately fell to the ground limply. My other classmates panicked and they all took out their weapons, but they too were all hit by arrows and fell down to the ground. The only one who didn’t take out her weapon is Rika. The two of us were the only ones left standing.

“Looks like it’s just the two of you now.” Johan said, “Well, what’s your move?”

“Cess, what’ll we do?” Rika asked with panic and fear in her voice.

“I-i don’t know.” I answered. I really don’t know what to do in this situation.

“I guess that means you’ve already given up, am I right?” Johan said with a smile still plastered on his face.

I looked behind me and saw that Johan’s men have still not fully encircled us. I tugged at Rika’s clothes and whispered to her ear, “Let’s run for now. Run on my signal.”

I scanned the men encircling us trying to find the archer, there you are. I changed my target and aimed at the archer. I pulled the trigger and hit the archer’s shoulder. The archer fell to his knees and Johan’s men were stunned for a second by the sound of the gun, but they quickly recovered. That 1 second is all we needed, I pulled Rika’s hand and we ran as quickly as we could. But before we could even get far, I felt a sharp pain on my shoulder and my body was becoming heavier by the second. I still ran a few meters before collapsing to the ground.

“Cess! Cess!” Rika’s voice was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

+ + + + +

Johan ordered two of his men to retrieve the two knocked out runaways. “Hey, are you still good?” he asked the archer that Cess hit.

“Dammit, what the hell was that, boss!?” The archer asked.

“I also don’t know, but I think it works using mana.” Johan answered. “Well, whatever that was will make a fine additional gift to the Crown Prince.”

“I’ll need to rough that bitch out later. This fuckin hurts.” The archer said.

“Yeah sure, just don’t rough her out too much. The Crown Prince will have your head if you do.” Johan reminded him.

“Yes boss.” The archer replied before leaving Johan.

“Tie those heroes up and place them on a wagon together with this girl.” Johan sain as he pointed at the still unconscious Tia, “We’ll camp here for now and leave at first light.”

His men all responded with a “Yessir” before continuing their tasks.

I can’t wait to see what rewards the crown prince will bestow upon me. Johan thought to himself with a smile full of greed plastered on his face. Little does he know that 4 pairs of eyes are currently watching him.