Day 15.
The Blast Furnace had cooled down. The first batch of tools—rough, cast-iron pickaxes and shovels—lay in a pile. They were ugly, but functional.
But Rian didn't send the new workers to grab them immediately.
Instead, he walked into the "Recovery Room" (a converted storage hall) where the 25 sick slaves and the mute girl were staying.
The air inside smelled of sickness and old sweat, but it was warm.
When Rian entered, the room went deadly silent.
The slaves huddled together, terror in their eyes. They had been fed wolf-meat soup for three days and allowed to sleep. In their experience, masters only fattened up slaves for two reasons: hard labor until death, or to sell them as fodder for monsters.
"Stand up," Rian ordered gently.
They scrambled to their feet. Some were still coughing. The mute girl with the scarred face (ID: 890) stood in the back, trembling, hiding her hands.
"Do you know why I bought you?" Rian asked, pacing slowly.
A brave old man stepped forward. "To... to dig the mines, Master? We can work. Please, just don't stop the food."
Rian laughed softly. "Dig mines? Look at you. You would collapse in an hour. Buying you for manual labor would be a waste of my gold."
The slaves looked confused. If not for muscle, then why?
"I bought you because you have brains and hands," Rian said.
He walked over to the mute girl. She flinched, expecting a blow.
Rian gently took her hands. They were calloused but slender. The fingers were long and steady.
"What is your name?" Rian asked.
She opened her mouth, but only a rasping sound came out. She pointed to her throat, tears forming in her eyes.
"She has no name, My Lord," the old man whispered. "We call her 'Mouse'."
"Mouse," Rian nodded. He pulled out a small, complex gear made of clay that Kael had failed to assemble properly. It required delicate precision.
"Mouse, put this together."
She hesitated, then her fingers moved. Fast. Precise. She aligned the tiny clay teeth and slotted them together in seconds. It was perfect.
[Ding! Talent Confirmed: Dexterity A+]
Rian turned to the group.
"Listen to me!" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried authority.
"In the South, you were cattle. You were property. But here... in Fort Blackiron, I don't feed cattle."
He looked them in the eyes.
"I offer you a trade. I will give you warm clothes, three meals a day, and a salary of 2 Copper Coins a month."
Gasps filled the room. A salary? For slaves?
"In return," Rian continued, "You give me your loyalty. You work where I tell you. You build this city with me. If you work hard, in one year, I will burn your slave contracts. You will be free citizens."
Silence.
Then, the old man fell to his knees, sobbing. "Free? We can be free?"
"Only if we survive the winter," Rian said grimly. "So, eat your soup. Get strong. Tomorrow, Mouse goes to the assembly line. The rest of you... you learn to make bricks."
As Rian walked out, he didn't need the System to tell him the result.
[Ding! Loyalty Update]
Group Loyalty: 10 (Fear) ➔ 75 (Devotion).
Effect: Production Efficiency +20%.
They weren't slaves anymore. They were believers.