Chapter 170 The Fallen One (1) Slave

The night is cold in the north, but the slave collar on my neck is particularly the one that makes it colder. As the winds blows bringing the coldness of the north, the coldness absorbed by the collar made my neck cold enough to blow away my drowsiness. This coldness in my neck is as if the world is trying to remind me that I have become a lowly slave and fallen from being a pure flower into a tainted one.

But even though the coldness is supposed to give me pain in my neck, it feels like my heart aches more than the parts that should be hurt. It feels like it hurts enough that it won't be strange for my chest to be bleeding profusely, but no matter how many times I stare at it, there is no sign of blood from it.

"It's cold... Just like that day..." Looking at the cloudy sky, the memory of the traumatic day got rewinded inside my head.

On the days before the tragedy, I've known. The moment our Kasmira Kingdom got visited by the nobles from the Verandia Kingdom, my Father and I had already known about the faint plan sowed by the nobles.

The agreement for an alliance with the Astellia Kingdom is something that had already been formed since a long, long time ago. It's part of the pact between the two countries to help each other in war, and it was supposed to be a piece of information known only within the country.

At that time, the royal faction of the kingdom that supported the royal family held a great power that the noble faction could of the kingdom could not compare. But despite of Father's great devotion to the royal family, at that time when my father voices his concern about the suspicious moves in the west, the king disregards his opinion.

'My dear Marquess Credia, let us not be distracted by the predictable movements of our western adversaries. Our focus must remain steadfast on the raging war on the plains surrounding our ally's kingdom. It is of the utmost importance that we lend our support to our allies in this time of need, don't you think so too, Marquess?'

It's a decisive statement. There's no longer any room for Father to change the king's decision. The frustration does not come from the king's rejection, but it's from his reason for doing so.

Getting driven by greed, the king and the rest of the royal faction bites the bait of joining the war with the Astellia Kingdom and helping the flames of war on the plains get fanned, only to be the fuel of the fire instead.

The Verandia Kingdom started their assault when most of the army had already got sent far away, and we lost severely. My father left our territory to me while departing with only four knights of the family to join and protect the royal family in the capital.

We fought hard, it would not be a lie that we sacrificed our sweat and blood in order to protect our territory, our life, and our peace. But what could we do, no matter how long I trained inside the academy, I doubt I will get a way to win a battle where only 500 soldiers have to fight against 4000 men of the Verandia Kingdom.

And such as so, I lost.

I lost my territory, my family, my dear servants, my people, and my own honor.

The last knight I crossed my sword with was too strong, but he does not even kill me. Without even showing the slightest interest, he threw me to his master, and I ended up getting sold at a high price as a slave.

"A slave... huh..."

As I continue to move my feet, I am constantly reminded of my new status as a slave. The cold iron collar around my neck marks me as property, and the constant stares and jeers from the people passing serve as a constant reminder of my lowly position.

Despite my valiant efforts to defend my country and my people, I find myself alone and abandoned in this foreign land. My once proud and noble status has been stripped away, leaving me nothing but a mere slave to be bought and sold at the whim of my masters.

The days are long and grueling, spent laboring in the fields or performing menial tasks for my masters. The nights are even worse, spent huddled in a cramped and dirty slave quarters, with nothing but the cold iron collar around my neck to keep me company.

But it's fine.

It's fine.

Despite the hardships and the constant reminder of my lost freedom, I refuse to give up hope. I hold onto the memory of my people and my country, and I vow to one day escape this slavery and reclaim my rightful place among the nobility.

They may have taken my freedom, but they will never take my spirit. I will fight on, day after day, until the day I am free once more. And when that day comes, I will make sure that the memory of my people and my country will live on forever.

I swear upon my name that I will do so.

I swear upon my name that-

Slap!

A powerful force ran through my cheeks. The force and momentum are powerful enough to send me to fall backward.

It hurts.

"You fucking, idiot slave!" The man who slapped me said while he pointed his finger at me. He was wearing a red robe and a black hood that covered most of his face. His voice sounds masculine and rough.

"W-Why?" I asked as I can't comprehend the reason for the powerful slap I have just received.

He laughed out loud. "You don't even understand why you got hit? Oh well, it doesn't matter."

My eyes widened. I suddenly feel fear running through my veins. Fear that told me something bad is going to happen soon. I look back at him and saw that he had an angry expression. There's no telling what he might do next.

The man's words sent a chill down my spine. I could sense that he was a powerful and dangerous individual, and I knew that I needed to tread carefully if I wanted to survive. With this damn collar on my neck, and the slave crest on my back, I wouldn't even be able to muster a single drop of my mana.

I try to stand up, but my legs were shaking. I try to speak, but my voice was trembling.

Hahaha... So much for being the best student at the academy... I'm so powerless...

"You're going to be sold to the highest bidder, slave. And if you're lucky, you'll be bought by someone who knows how to discipline a slave properly. But if you're not, well, let's just say that you'll wish you were dead." He said with a sneer.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The thought of being sold off to some unknown master was terrifying. I had heard stories of the brutal treatment that slaves often received, and I knew that I would be no exception.

But I can't let him see that I'm scared. I mustered all the courage I had and looked him straight in the eye.

"I am Wilhelmina, a fallen noble. I will not be treated as a mere slave. I will not be broken by the likes of you." I said with as much conviction as I could.

He sneered again and said, "We'll see about that, won't we?" And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me alone and trembling in the streets.

I knew that I had to be strong and keep my spirits up if I wanted to survive in this harsh and unforgiving land. I knew that I would be facing many challenges ahead, but I was determined to overcome them all.

The days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months. I was sold and resold multiple times, each time to a new master who was worse than the last. I was beaten and punished for the slightest mistake, and I was forced to work labor from sunrise to sunset.

Determination...

Overcome...

Strength...

What was those things are again?

___________________________________________________________________________

Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore

Occupation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary

Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers

Weapon: Magic Glaive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow

pαпdα Йᴏνê|,сòМ Equipment: Black leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastplate, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials

Grimoire's Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12)

Grimoire's Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army