Chapter 15 : Chapter 15
Chapter 15. A Heartbeat Up Close
The night sky above the Obsidian Territory was dyed orange-red by the enormous bonfires.
“I hereby announce!” Eli raised his voice.
“The forty-seven people named above are no longer slaves from this day forward! They are the Black Territory’s first freefolk!”
Some of those whose names had been called stood frozen on the spot, as if they could not believe their own ears.
Some clapped their hands over their mouths, tears bursting from their eyes as their bodies trembled violently with emotion.
Others erupted into cries of wild joy, rushing out of the crowd without a care and throwing themselves to the ground to kiss the earth beneath their feet.
Freedom!
Those two words crashed through the depths of their souls like thunder!
“Old John!”
“Kend! It’s Kend!”
“And A-Hua! A-Hua is free!”
“Long live Lord Eli!”
Cheers, sobbing, and cries of congratulations wove together into one.
The ecstasy of gaining freedom was like fire, igniting the souls of those forty-seven people.
Under the guidance of the soldiers, they moved to the area set aside for the freefolk.
There, rough wooden plaques symbolizing their change in status had already been prepared.
As they stared at the plaques in their hands, they still felt as though they were dreaming. On their faces lingered the dazed disbelief that followed overwhelming joy.
As for the many slaves whose names had not been called, they sank into deep disappointment and regret.
Looking at their ecstatic companions, their eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and profound remorse.
They regretted not working hard enough. They regretted ever having thoughts of laziness. They regretted not striving even more desperately to prove themselves.
A heavy, bitter atmosphere spread through the entire slave quarter.
Eli took it all in.
He spoke again. “Those who did not gain their freedom need not lose heart. From this day onward, at the end of every month, new places among the freefolk will be awarded based on work performance, loyalty, and contribution to the territory.
“As long as you are willing to work hard, you will have the chance to become one of the freefolk, and perhaps even own land of your own.”
The moment those words fell, it was like someone had poured a bucket of hot oil onto a fire that was about to go out!
The disappointment and regret in the slaves’ eyes were instantly replaced by the flames of hope, rekindled once more!
Their lord truly kept his word!
“Now!” Eli swept out an arm. “Eat! Tonight, everyone celebrates to your heart’s content!”
“ROAR—!!!”
“Long live Lord Eli!”
“Long live the Obsidian Territory!”
Their voices were hoarse and trembling, filled with uncontrollable fervor.
The young soldiers standing nearby were so stunned that their eyes nearly popped out.
With just a few words, one man had turned a group of numb, broken slaves into fanatical believers.
The atmosphere of the celebration reached its peak.
Standing atop the raised platform, Eli himself felt a little emotional.
Naturally, he did not approve of slavery, but every problem depended on circumstance. At present, he simply did not have the means to change everything.
In truth, in this place as it currently stood, the difference between slaves and freefolk was not that great. In the end, all harvests still had to be handed over for centralized distribution.
But dividing them into two classes and giving one of them a path upward made it much easier to stir their motivation.
The soldiers and knights, besides enjoying fine food, also received extra rewards.
There were simple leather boots, bracers, and even a few patchwork leather vests made from the beast hides they had collected earlier.
Many of the soldiers were still wearing tattered old boots. A new pair was something they had dreamed of.
As for Wolfgang and his people, their new home had been built inside the forest according to their needs, and they were currently in the middle of settling in.
Just as the revelry reached its height, several dust-covered warhorses came to a halt outside the crude wooden gate of the Obsidian Territory camp.
The rider at the head of them wore the House Black family’s signature black leather armor trimmed in red. It was Buck, Marquess Leon’s trusted confidant.
Buck and his men pulled on their reins and stared in dumbfounded disbelief at the carnival scene within the palisade.
“C-Captain?” One of his subordinates rubbed his eyes hard, his voice dry. “Did... did we come to the wrong place??”
Buck himself looked no less incredulous.
Instinctively, he raised his head to confirm the black raven banner fluttering above the camp.
Then he lowered his gaze to the coordinates marked on the map in his hand and muttered, “The coordinates are right... the banner is right too... but this...”
Collecting himself, he swung down from his horse and approached the gate with his men.
The soldiers guarding the entrance had already been itching to join the celebration inside, but duty was duty, and they still stepped forward warily to stop them.
Buck produced the House Black emblem and the Marquess’s token.
“Buck, Deputy Commander of the Black Crow Knights of House Black. Under orders from the Marquess, I have come to request an audience with Young Master Eli Black.”
At the sight of the familiar black raven insignia, the gate guard’s expression sharpened, and he did not dare delay. “Please wait a moment, my lord!”
At once, one of the soldiers turned and sprinted toward the largest lord’s tent at the center of the camp to report the news.
Soon, under the guidance of a soldier, Buck and his party passed through the noisy, boiling crowd and made their way toward that comparatively quiet tent.
Along the way, the bustling spectacle and the genuine smiles on people’s faces made those knights from the royal domain feel an intense sense of unreality.
Had the wastrel third young master, the one the family had “exiled,” truly built all of this?
Buck lifted the tent flap and stepped inside.
The furnishings within were simple: a wooden table, a few chairs, a campaign bed, a raven, and... a woman.
Eli sat behind the table, and the two men’s eyes met.
Buck froze on the spot.
The young man before him wore black-and-red leather armor suited for easy movement. His face bore the marks of wind and hardship, and his gaze was sharp and steady.
The raven badge on his chest gleamed brilliantly. Together with the raven perched on Eli’s shoulder, the two images gradually overlapped in Buck’s eyes.
“Y-Young Master?” Buck’s voice carried a trace of hesitation.
“Y-Your changes... are rather great.”
A smile appeared on Eli’s face. “Captain Buck, I remember you. A Gold Knight. One of my father’s most capable men.
“It cannot have been easy, riding all the way here from the royal capital. What instructions does Father have?”
Buck steadied himself and stepped forward.
“By order of the Marquess, I have brought you frontier subsidy funds, five hundred gold coins!”
Understanding flickered in Eli’s heart. So it really was the money mentioned in the intelligence report.
He gestured for Ella, who stood nearby, to step forward and accept the pouch of coins.
“Please convey my thanks to Father.”
Then he picked up two sealed letters that had long since been prepared on the table and handed them to Buck.
“There are two letters here. One is for Father. The other...” He paused. “Please deliver it to Royce personally.”
Buck accepted the letters solemnly. “Yes, Young Master! This subordinate will deliver them without fail!”
“Very good. Now that business is done...” Eli rose to his feet, a relaxed smile spreading across his face.
“It’s lively outside. You have all had a long journey, so go and unwind. There is plenty of meat and wine. Enjoy the Black Territory’s hospitality.”
“Thank you, Young Master.”
The tent instantly fell quiet, leaving only the crackle of the fire and the faint noise of revelry drifting in from outside.
The smile disappeared from Eli’s face. Letting out a long breath, he leaned back slightly against the chair.
Ella, who had been standing by in silence, looked at the weariness between Eli’s brows that he could not quite conceal. Gathering her courage, she walked lightly to stand behind him.
The moment her cool fingertips touched his skin, Eli’s body stiffened ever so slightly, then relaxed. He did not stop her.
With his eyes closed, Eli felt the clumsy yet sincere massage, and an amused curve tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Silence spread through the tent. Only the gentle pressure of Ella’s fingertips and the faint sound of their breathing remained.
After a long while, Ella finally could not suppress the question that had been building in her heart for so long, and she spoke softly.
“My lord, why... why did you choose me back then at the slave market?” She hesitated. “I was clearly... just an ordinary slave...”
Eli’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
So the moment had finally come. He chose to circle around the truth.
“Ella, do you... remember where you came from? Or rather, how much do you remember about your past?”
Ella’s fingers stopped moving.
“I... can’t remember clearly. It feels as though... I had a very, very long nightmare... and when I woke up, I was in a very remote little village.
“The ones who saved me were an old couple... They had lost their daughter, whose name was... Ella...”
Her voice softened. “They took me in. They cared for me... Those days were calm... and happy...”
“But... in my head... it always felt as though there was a voice... constantly urging me... ‘Go west... go west...’
“I didn’t know why, but that voice would not let me rest...”
“Later... I said farewell to the old couple and traveled west alone... but in the western frontier... I... I was seized by slave traders... and then I met you, my lord...”
Her voice caught with emotion.
When she finished, Ella’s gaze settled on Eli’s face once more.
“My lord... the way you looked at me then... was different... Did you... know me? Do you know who I am?”
The air inside the tent seemed to freeze. The struggle in Eli’s heart raged like a storm.
Tell her the truth? Tell her that she was the kingdom’s princess, burdened with blood-deep hatred and caught in a vast political whirlpool?
That would be no different from throwing a fledgling that had only just escaped a wolf’s den back into an endless abyss.
She had lost her memory. Perhaps that was the protection of the God of Light, allowing her, for now, to remain far from the darkness that would tear her apart.
Perhaps this was a kind lie.
Eli suddenly rose to his feet. Startled by the abrupt movement, Ella stepped back half a pace.
Then, in Ella’s astonished gaze, Eli reached out somewhat stiffly and gently drew her into his arms.
His chin rested against her gray-white hair as his low voice sounded by her ear.
“No.” He denied it with absolute firmness.
Then his tone turned extraordinarily gentle.
“I simply... fell in love with you at first sight.
“Your eyes were like a night sky with stars hidden inside. In that moment, I only wanted to take you away. That was all.”
He felt the small body in his arms go rigid in an instant.
“As for that voice telling you to ‘go west’...”
Eli’s arms tightened around her slightly.
“Forget it. We have already reached the farthest west. This is the end of the road.
“Ella, stay here. Stay by my side. You do not need to go anywhere else.”
“My lord...” Ella’s voice was muffled against Eli’s chest, thick with a nasal tremor and an almost unbelievable flutter of emotion.
The impact was so great that her mind turned blank.
Love at first sight? Stay by his side? Those words were like flames, burning her until she felt scalding hot.
A warmth beyond description, along with a sense of safety she had never known before, flooded over her in an instant.
The nerves she had kept taut for so long, and the fear she had buried deep inside herself, seemed at last to have found a harbor where they could come to rest.
Hesitantly, she raised a hand. Her voice was no louder than a mosquito’s hum. “My lord... I... actually...”
She wanted to peel away this layer of disguise and reveal her true face to him.
“Don’t move.” Eli’s hand pressed down on the wrist she had lifted.
“This is fine. Ella, you are Ella. Everything else is unimportant.”
Her hand froze.
She lifted her head and gazed up at Eli’s face, now so close at hand.
Firelight danced in his deep eyes, and within them was reflected her own small face, flushed and tear-streaked.
All her questions, unease, and fear of the past seemed, in that instant, to be soothed away for the time being.
She no longer wanted to think about any voice, any mask, or any past.
She only wanted to hold him.
And that was exactly what she did.
Burying her burning face deep against Eli’s chest, she lifted her slender arms and wrapped them tightly, tightly around him in return.
“Mmm......”
Outside the tent, the clamor of the celebration still shook the heavens, and the bonfires painted half the night sky red.
Inside the tent, under the wavering lamplight, the two of them stood in quiet embrace.
For the moment, every secret and every grievance had been shut out beyond the boundaries of that small, warm world.