Adjutant to the Ice Executioner
The slaves being conscripted in Mortrak, the executor of the frozen lands, were a reward bestowed upon the executor by the War Council of the Colonial Empire. True to the Eisenreich Colonial Empire's strict meritocracy, the War Council had footed the bill for these slaves to honor the war hero who felled the Sword Saint of the Yellow Path 12 Palaces from the Holy Empire's imperial capital.
Seven hundred. An enormous number. Slaves were exorbitantly expensive consumables. They boasted unparalleled labor power that could be exploited until death. Moreover, exceptional intellectuals with advanced education, or异族 slaves possessing eternal youth and breathtaking beauty, fetched astronomical sums. For the War Council to purchase seven hundred slaves and grant them to the executor of the frozen lands showed just how sincerely the Eisenreich Colonial Empire honored its war heroes.
All the conscripts heading to the frozen lands are young men and women. If it were just about labor, they'd have rounded up only the men... Are they planning to settle emancipated slaves as freedmen in the cities to solve the frozen lands' chronic population shortage?
I watched the procession shuffling in, their hands bound in iron chains. All slaves. Five hundred men. Two hundred women. And twenty shaggy beastkin. The beastkin slaves seemed like bribes offered up to the executor of the frozen lands by Mortrak.
"If you can just survive in the frozen lands..., you'll get to live as a freedman!"
"I don't need emancipation! I'll serve as a lowly servant my whole life, so please, don't send me to that hellhole teeming with starving monsters!"
The slaves showed extreme reactions. Some chose the perilous chance at becoming freedmen. Others were content with the bare minimum of food, clothing, and shelter, preferring to remain lowly servants. The allure of Colonial Empire freedmen clashed fiercely with the terror of the white hell swarming with monsters, forming a tense standoff. But for those already conscripted, there was no choice—they had no option but to yield to the sharp whips.
Freedman status... Worth risking your life for.
Emancipation to freedman granted numerous benefits. Personal property ownership. Access to jobs like bureaucracy. And the children of freedmen would be recognized as legitimate citizens of the Colonial Empire. Those who accepted the freedman opportunity had staked everything on an uncertain future; those who chose to remain servants had embraced a secure present. Watching their reactions, a flicker of pity stirred in me amid the mix of hope and fear.
"Line up! Stay in formation!"
"A noble presence will grace the estate! Keep your heads down!"
"If you cause any disturbance or commotion..., I swear by the empire's war god, I'll whip you until your flesh peels from your bones!"
Crack! The sharp whip lashed the dirt ground. A sound symbolizing violence. The slaves reflexively ducked their heads at the whoosh. Burly overseers with imposing physiques and rugged muscles menaced them with threatening cracks of the whip. Meanwhile, the elderly matriarch and merchant lords representing Mortrak swallowed dryly, tense as battalion commanders receiving field guidance from a brigade leader.
How much time passed? A shrill call announced the inspection by the noble presence.
"It is the inspection of Judge Leonora Elua Edelgard, heir to one of the ten founding families of the Colonial Empire, Grand Marshal overseeing the frozen lands, and former military commander of the War Council! All loyal servants of the empire, bow your heads in submission!"
A litany of honorifics prefaced her noble status. Then, knights clad head to toe in white full plate armor and armaments appeared. Clearly the elite of the frozen lands. They must boast records of hunting the countless monsters inhabiting the snowfields. Their mana, honed to perfection like steel from a forge, and their overwhelming presence rivaled the Holy Empire's central knight order.
"It's been a while, matriarch."
"For the humble merchant of Mortrak to be remembered by the executor of the frozen lands... I could die without regret, truly moved!"
The silver-haired beauty emerged, escorted by knights each worth a hundred men. The site, packed with hundreds, fell utterly silent—not even the faint clink of chains on dirt could be heard.
Beautiful silver hair evoking eternal snowfields. Crimson eyes sharp as snow leopards. A black coat and white uniform in stark monochrome contrast. She exuded an untouchable nobility and refined elegance. A stunning beauty in her mid-twenties.
They say true beauty judges not by status. Even the chained slaves let out admiring sighs upon beholding her.
"So you're the Holy Empire's mad dog."
"Yes, Your Excellency. Kailun von Valtenstein."
Your Excellency. A highly deferential title for the executor of the frozen lands. Pleased by it, perhaps? The silver-haired beauty flashed a faint smile.
"Leonora Elua Edelgard. You heard the resounding announcement just now, but I'm the Grand Marshal overseeing the frozen lands for the Eisenreich Colonial Empire and a judge of the War Council directing the wars. It's an honor to meet the infamous mad dog of the continent."
"You're too kind."
Was I really that famous? Especially since defecting to the Colonial Empire, the hype had been nonstop. Maybe because the bloodline-obsessed Holy Empire belittled me, while the merit-focused Colonial Empire showered me with favoritism and perks.
"To cut to the chase, my proposal: become my adjutant."
"I'd gladly accept Your Excellency's offer, but... do I have veto power?"
"No. You're already mine."
"......"
If the War Council was involved, it was as good as decided. No veto power. Just confirming my intent. Leonora eyed me with a mischievous glint, like a playful child.
The frozen lands. I'd half-expected this posting. Why send me to a slave city? Why the hero's welcome with privileges? And why the pitying looks from that dark elf beauty during our journey? I'd been notified of my new role as deputy intelligence officer under Bellesra and left the slave city without a proper goodbye to her. I shrugged, recalling it.
"Will the mad dog's reputation shine in the frozen lands too?"
"Of course."
"The Colonial Empire's northernmost frontier is brutally cold. You'll need to learn to endure it first."
"I hate the cold, but..."
The silver-haired beauty extended a hand. I clasped it without hesitation.
* * *
Orbital Transition. A high-level 6th circle movement spell, Spatial Fold, enabling vast spatial relocation. Fitting for the expansive Eisenreich Colonial Empire, orbital transitions—reserved for royalty and nobles—existed in every city.
Roughly 160 miles. The distance per transition. Fourteen times. We'd crossed half the continent to reach the frozen lands at the empire's northern tip.
The conscripts from Mortrak were handled by the knight order escorting Leonora. She returned to the frozen lands via transitions with me and a few close aides in tow.
"Hmmm..."
Stepping from the orbital transition magic circle, a fierce cold greeted this Holy Empire defector. My face stung. My nose burned. White breath clouded with every exhale. The compounded chill from repeated transitions battered my body. Without the field coat prepared beforehand, I'd have been shivering pathetically.
"Welcome to Nilfheim, the heart of the frozen lands and direct territory of the Edelgard family. The icy core pulsing with fierce vitality amid murderous blizzards. Our fearless northern warriors stand vigil at the frozen barrier, watching the world's darkness."
"Nilfheim..."
The silver-haired beauty stepped forward, leading. I followed as her attendant.
Creeeak. The grand doors of the transition station swung open. White. A world of pure white unfolded. The merciless cold and blinding brilliance forced my eyes shut.
"Before I show you Nilfheim..., let me explain your role as adjutant. Lead the knights and soldiers from the Magal Palace who defected from the Holy Empire. I expect the Valtenstein detachment's undefeated fame to shine here too."
"......"
Why had the executor of the frozen lands invoked the War Council's authority to claim priority on the Holy Empire's mad dog? The answer came.
