The Necro-Industrial Revolution

The next morning.

The castle courtyard was packed tightly with every single person living in the fief. Villagers were exchanging nervous whispers with each other.

"Why did the Lord call us all here?" a woman muttered to her neighbor, glancing up at the closed castle doors.

"How should I know?" the man replied. "I asked the Old Miller when he came by this morning, but his lips were sealed."

On the opposite side of the courtyard, intentionally keeping a few paces away from the villagers, the slaves stood in their own tight clusters. They conversed in even quieter, more cautious tones.

"I wonder what this is about now?" a heavily built man whispered. He looked down at an older man standing beside him, who was only in his forties but wore the weathered, exhausted face of someone much older.

"We've been doing our work every day," the older man reasoned, his voice lacking energy. "I don't think we're here to be punished for something we didn't do. At the very least, this Lord doesn't seem that cruel."

"What do you know?" sneered a younger, cynical slave standing behind them. "All these nobles do is spout lies. You shouldn't trust a single word that falls out of his mouth." The cynical man spat on the ground. "I'm pretty sure that after making us do back-breaking labor for our twenty-year contracts or something, he's going to hand us over to some big-shot magician to increase the contract tenure, and they'll make us work even harder until we drop dead."

"I disagree," a quiet, analytical voice interrupted. It was Corin, the engineer. He didn't turn his head, but his eyes darted toward the castle doors, where the Old Miller stood waiting alongside Barnaby and Giles. "Yesterday, that old man was asking us very specific questions about our pasts. What we used to do before we got in chains. Don't you remember?"

"Whatever," the cynical man scoffed, rolling his eyes dramatically. "A trick to see who can swing a pickaxe the fastest, nothing more."

Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Everyone, silence! Lord Jack is arriving."

The heavy wooden doors of the keep groaned open. Jack stepped out onto the landing, adjusting his coat against the morning wind. Karen walked half a step behind him. At a flick of Jack's wrist, the castle maids filed out as well to stand quietly among the slaves in the courtyard.

Jack then looked to Giles, Barnaby, and the Old Miller, gesturing with his hand for them to leave the landing and join the crowd as well.

With his team integrated into the people, Jack handed his cane over to Karen. He didn't actually need it to walk anymore—his body had recovered immensely—but it was a useful prop for projecting authority. Now, stripped of it, he stood tall and unassisted, looking out over his subjects.

"Everyone," Jack began, his voice carrying easily over the silent crowd. "You are all the people of this valley. The people of the Frost Grip fief. I know our history. After the mines collapsed years ago, the situation in this valley started to decay, year after year. And after my father died and I fell deeply ill… I know things were at their worst."

He paused, letting the heavy truth settle over them. "Many people abandoned their homes and left the valley. I want to make one thing clear: I do not despise or hate any of them. It was their choice to stay or leave to find a better life. Honestly, it was a logical decision. Who would want to stay here just to freeze or starve to death during the winter? No one."

The crowd remained dead silent. A few villagers lowered their heads, remembering friends who had packed their bags and fled in the dead of night.

After a brief, respectful silence, Jack's tone shifted, growing firmer and louder. "Last winter, we went through the absolute worst. But no more. We are going to make this valley an easier, safer place to live. In fact, we are going to make it the most prosperous valley in the entire northern region. Won't we?"

His raised voice echoed against the stone walls, carrying a raw, infectious confidence. A ripple of genuine emotion washed over the crowd. Even the slaves, who didn't truly belong to this land and were only bound to it by chains, felt a strange stirring in their chests.

I guess that was a bit too theatrical, Jack thought inwardly, watching their wide eyes. But it's getting the job done. "But I cannot do it alone," Jack continued, his gaze drifting deliberately toward the slaves on the far side of the courtyard. "To achieve this, we must all work our hardest, and we must do it together."

He swept his arm out. "Look around you. Even if we just compare today to last year, we are in a vastly better place. We have newly built houses. The coal mine is open and producing again. We survived the winter beasts last year by relying on our own strength. Our relationship with the Church is mending, and we even have our own mages to protect us."

At that cue, Jack gestured toward the entryway of the castle. Karen respectfully stepped aside.

From the door, two tall figures clad head-to-toe in heavy, imposing metal armor marched out. Their heavy boots struck the ground landing in perfect unison. They came to a halt right beside Jack.

A collective sigh of relief swept through the villagers. Over the past few weeks, rumors had spread like wildfire. Many thought that since one of the mages had died protecting them last winter, the surviving ones might have just packed up his companion's remains and abandoned the valley. Since one of the remaining two had already left, and the villagers hadn't seen the other one for a while now. Seeing them both standing there—imposing and silent—lifted a massive weight off the peasants' shoulders.

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Although it was tragic that their brother died protecting us, an old woman whispered tearfully to her husband, they still stayed to help us. They must have been training brutally all this time… and now there's two of them again!

"And as a result of their brutal training they even managed to get a breakthrough." Jack commanded the armored mages to give a slight bow to himself. After they dipped their heads, Jack waved his hand casually. "There is no need for such formalities."

The villagers didn't truly understand the mechanics of magical cores or what a 'breakthrough' entailed, but if their Lord presented it as a triumph, they believed it. A scattering of applause broke out, quickly swelling into the joyous clapping of hundreds of hands.

Beneath the heavy helmets, one was obviously Elias, the skeleton fire mage. But who was the other one? The second wasn't Bones or any other skeleton, but the other Iron Core Layer 1 wind mage Jack had found in the crypts. Jack had finally decided to animate her, partly to boost the morale of his people, and partly to test his own growing capabilities after weeks of passively training his core through mining.

Jack let the applause run for a few minutes before raising a hand to quiet them. He turned his body slightly, focusing entirely on the slaves.

"I asked the Old Miller to speak with you yesterday," Jack said, his voice ringing out clearly. "To ask about your pasts and your professions. Last evening, he gave me his report."

Every slave in the courtyard unknowingly held their breath.

"Trust me when I say this," Jack stated, looking them dead in the eye. "I see you people the exact same way I see the other villagers of this valley."

Instantly, fierce whispers broke out among the free villagers, scandalized by the comparison. The slaves shifted nervously, terrified of the backlash.

Jack shot a piercing glare at the villagers and raised his palm sharply. The whispering died in an instant. Satisfied, he lowered his hand and continued.

"I have read the reports. Most of you were professionals in various trades and fields before your debts took you. Letting master builders, weavers, and farmers break their backs hauling rocks and carrying water is a total waste of your talents. It ends now."

He paced a few steps across the landing. "From now on, I am assigning you to do what you are best at. Construction, textiles, farming, forging—whatever your craft is, you will ply it here. If you are unskilled, you will be apprenticed to those who are, learning a trade while you assist in the mines, fields and other works."

Jack paused, letting the silence stretch. "And in return, I am lowering your slavery contracts. From twenty years… down to five."

A collective gasp echoed from the slaves.

"But I will not do it blindly," Jack warned, his voice turning strict. "I will test your loyalty for the next two years. Anyone who works their hardest and gives their best effort to this valley will earn that reduced contract. And yes, these two years of labor will be counted towards that five-year total."

In the back of the slave crowd, the cynical man leaned over. "See? Lies," he hissed. "He's just dangling a carrot to make us work until our bones crack."

Before he could say another word, the heavy-set slave beside him grabbed him by the collar. "Shut your mouth, or I'll break your nose right here," the big man whispered viciously.

Jack turned his attention back to the center of the crowd, addressing everyone. "Furthermore, I am completely overhauling the valley's economy. I will be introducing a new wage system starting next month—just ten days from now. All the free food and freebies you have been receiving from the castle will cease."

Before the panic could set in and the whispers could start, Jack raised his voice, a commanding boom that demanded absolute attention. "Listen to me first! As long as you work hard, you will earn wages. Good wages. More than enough to buy your food and live a comfortable life. But hear me clearly: I will not accept laziness or incompetence from any of you."

Jack narrowed his eyes, adopting a heavy, burdened tone. "I am giving everything I have to make this place a sanctuary for us all. To fund this, I had to take a massive loan from the Church. Two hundred thousand gold coins. The interest on that debt is crippling. I am risking my life and my title for this valley, so all of you must give it your all, just like I am."

He gestured to the stone walls behind him. "I have not bought a single piece of luxury furniture for this keep. My castle is just as empty and barren as your homes; the only difference is the size of the walls. Every copper I have is being spent on you and this land."

He let the reality of that massive sum sink into their minds. "You will receive salaries based on what you do and how well you do it. Those who excel will receive promotions, managing others and earning more wages. And there will be absolutely no discrimination from my side regarding who gets promoted."

He looked pointedly at the free villagers, then at the slaves. No one dared to speak. The heavy, serious tone in Jack's voice commanded total respect.

"Which brings me to my final point," Jack said, his gaze locking onto the free villagers. "Even though I have strictly prohibited physical abuse in this valley, I know some of you do not view the slaves as your equals. You mutter insults. You spit at their feet. Let me make this a law right now: if I hear of any discrimination, verbal abuse, or mistreatment toward any worker in this valley, the offender will face severe deductions from their new salaries."

The atmosphere, especially on the villagers' side, instantly became thick with tension. A few men looked away, grinding their teeth.

I knew this wouldn't be easy, Jack sighed internally. Changing deep-rooted class prejudices takes time, but hitting their wallets is the fastest way to force compliance.

With the heavy announcements out of the way, Jack spent the next several hours doing something unexpected. He stood in the courtyard and called up every single slave, one by one. Publicly, in front of the entire village, he asked them their names, where they came from, what trade they practiced, and the circumstances of their debt. It was a calculated move to humanize them in the eyes of the villagers and prove he genuinely cared about their individual skills.

By the time the last person was interviewed, the sun had crossed its zenith. It was mid-afternoon.

Jack clapped his hands together, signaling the end of the assembly. "That is all. The new rules and wages will be implemented next week. For now, everyone return to your homes, have your lunches, and get back to your assigned duties."

The massive crowd began to shuffle toward the gates, murmuring excitedly about wages, five-year contracts, and the heavy burden of their Lord's massive debt.

As the courtyard began to clear, Jack pointed his finger toward the retreating crowd.

"Hey. You there," Jack called out. "Your name is Corin, right?"

The young engineer froze in his tracks. He turned around slowly, his face pale, his mind racing to figure out if he had done something wrong. "Y-Yes, My Lord," Corin replied, his voice slightly shaky.

"Come here," Jack commanded, gesturing toward the castle steps. "I need to talk with you regarding a few things."

Corin swallowed hard, stepping away from the departing slaves, while Jack waved his hand to dismiss the lingering guards. "Everyone else, go back to your work."