Chapter 482: Chapter 482
Du You had no special plans for these people; he didn’t want to cause trouble, given his limited time.
So along the way, the atmosphere was very harmonious, albeit a bit peculiar. Upon reaching their destination, Du You promptly settled the remaining payment. The merchants quickly took their guards and left.
Yes, they ran, as if fleeing. Du You couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.
"Alright, from now on, you are my slaves. If you perform well, in the future, I may grant you commoner status," Du You declared loud and clear, holding the various contracts in hand.
These contracts held no magical force; they were just ordinary Bonds of Servitude.
Every slave had a slave label on their head. Wherever they went, they would be seized, and the consequences would be dire. Even if they became free in the future, with this mark, they couldn’t go just about anywhere.
Du You noticed that his words didn’t elicit much reaction from these people and he didn’t bother explaining further. After all, once their lives improved, they would naturally realize that his words were true.
"Now, your job is to organize the goods, and then build some temporary residences over there. Before a proper house is built, arrange a place to live for yourselves."
Du You gestured for them to start working. Those with some organizational abilities began to coordinate the others. But seeing their lackadaisical attitudes, Du You knew these were people prone to shirk work.
After all, such indolence was normal for slaves.
At this time, that special large carriage had been pulled apart, and the cage had been opened. The sisters, Lin Yucha and Lin Yushi, had lifted their hoods. Since they were women, they found it easier to interact with the other people.
"Don’t be afraid, our master is very nice. Yes, our status is not much different from yours. See how well we live now." Their words and examples put the others at ease.
Finally, these people followed the sisters out of the cage-carriage, standing one by one beside Du You. Though they looked haggard and dirty, Du You had a moment of surprise. Indeed, these people were carefully selected by the slave traders. They were all beauties and thus fetched high prices.
However, Du You noticed the woman at the front. Her aura was entirely different from the rest.
Others subtly deferred to her, and despite her downtrodden state, she could meet his gaze. Such inner resolve wasn’t something anyone could fake. In contrast, the others fell considerably short.
"Who are you? From your appearance, you don’t seem ordinary."
Hearing Du You’s words, she respectfully offered a curtsey, displaying excellent upbringing.
"Greetings, Viscount Du You. You may call me Shaliya. Currently, I am but a slave," a flicker of desolation passed in her eyes.
Du You gave a slight smile, "Do you know why I bought you? The slave traders told me you are all beauties, but I didn’t plan on buying because in this place, beauties don’t serve much purpose."
Shaliya glanced around, "Indeed, the southern mountains of White Stone City is not a good place. No nobles have ever been able to successfully develop here." Shaliya seemed to view the location unfavorably, but Du You wasn’t surprised. If he didn’t have special items from the Professional, he wouldn’t have expected much from this place either.
"So what about you? Do you have any good suggestions? If you prove your worth, I will let you lead these slaves. To be frank, we can’t stay here forever, so we need a manager."
Du You’s candid proposition surprised Shaliya. Were there nobles ? Yet looking into Du You’s eyes, Shaliya found no hint of deception. She felt as if he didn’t attach any importance to this place.
After thinking for a moment, Shaliya finally said, "Princess Shaliya of the former Millet Flower Duchy greets you. The Millet Flower Duchy has now fallen, and we were captured while fleeing. If you need management talent, I believe I can fulfill this role."
Millet Flower Duchy? Du You had no impression of this, but he knew something about the duchies of this world. The leader of a duchy was a duke, so that meant Shaliya was actually a princess.
However, regardless of her identity, what Du You needed now was someone who could help him manage these slaves and even help manage his territory when he eventually leaves this world. Capability wasn’t something that could be merely spoken about, it had to be demonstrated. So, Du You knew what to do.
The slaves were conducting work disorderly in the absence of management, just following Du You’s directions haphazardly. Efficiency was lacking. This presented a perfect opportunity for Shaliya to showcase her abilities.
"Here’s a chance for you to demonstrate your abilities. These slaves are temporarily under your command. You can use them however you want, as long as you fulfill my requirements," Du You pointed to the slaves and said.
Sally voiced out, "Forgive my frankness, but this place isn’t suitable for developing territories. There are no natural resources, mineral deposits, and it’s unsuitable for cultivation." Shaliya went straight to offering her opinion.
"I know all that. I have ways to solve this, you don’t need to worry. Just do as I have instructed. You can state any other requests you might have."
Shaliya looked deeply at Du You, eventually giving up the hope that the man who’d bought her wasn’t a fool. Otherwise, they’d have to find a way to escape from this place. Unlike male slaves, as females, especially beauties, Shaliya and the others weren’t marked, as it would have driven down the price.
"Alright then, as you wish. I need the authority to freely appoint and dismiss managers. If I need suitable talents, I want the freedom to choose and appoint them myself," Shaliya temporarily conceded.
Du You didn’t mind. As long as he had enough strength, he wasn’t worried about any rebellion.
"Sure, as long as you do your job well, all this can be managed by you."
Shaliya was surprised that Du You was so willing to delegate authority. After offering her curtsey, she began her work, first selecting five women from the group who demonstrated some capability.
Having spent so much time together, Shaliya was well aware of their skills.
Once these women started working, the chaotic scene among the slaves quickly became orderly.