Chapter 362: The Extinguished Ember
"Another noble lord?"
"Huh? A marchioness this time?"
"Which is higher, a marchioness or a count?"
"Is she going to send us to the mines too?"
Hearing these remarks, the peasants began murmuring among themselves, creating a commotion.
Sparks broke into a cold sweat—he knew that the elite hobgoblin soldiers present could wipe them all out. He couldn't bear to see his comrades, who had fought alongside him, die in vain.
Gritting his teeth, Sparks stepped forward.
"Lady Darenna, what brings you here?"
Darenna responded, "I'm here to bring the kingdom's goodwill. You've done well."
"Goodwill?"
Sparks was momentarily dumbfounded.
Darenna covered her mouth, letting out a soft laugh, and continued, "Of course. You are pioneers in resisting the decayed Northern rule. Even Lord Langpu has heard of your deeds."
"He even mentioned you personally in a meeting, giving verbal commendation and expressing high recognition for your activities."
Sparks felt puzzled but still uneasily asked, "So... does the kingdom have any plans for us?"
Under the dual pressure of the elite army and Darenna's noble status, he unconsciously lowered himself.
This brought a hint of satisfaction to Darenna's eyes.
"The kingdom has made arrangements."
Finally, the main act was about to begin!
Sparks held his breath.
Sensing his unease, Darenna smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry. The kingdom does not shortchange anyone."
Darenna took out a document from her pouch and calmly announced, "Brave warriors of Fireseed, you will be granted citizenship of the kingdom and assigned stable, fulfilling jobs in factories across various cities."
"Does this mean... we'll get to eat?"
A peasant timidly raised his hand to ask.
"Of course."
"In the Ember Kingdom, everyone has sufficient food. No one dies of hunger. That's not even a problem."
Darenna answered lightly, even nodding slightly to the peasant.
"Is that possible?"
"Even freemen don't always get enough to eat!"
"No one starves? My god, does such a place truly exist?"
The peasants were once again in uproar, astonished. For those who had lived their lives starving, this seemed like a dream—something straight out of paradise.
"Will we have clothes to wear?"
"Will we freeze to death in winter?"
"Will we stop being beaten?"
"Will we have homes to live in?"
The peasants, emboldened, bombarded her with questions, dreaming of a "better life" where they could simply survive.
These questions, so basic they bordered on absurdity to modern minds, seemed like a vision of Eden to the peasants.
"Clothing in the kingdom is affordable and well-made."
"The kingdom's mages ensure that the cities remain warm."
"Assaulting others is against the law. Even a duke cannot violate the kingdom's codes."
Darenna patiently answered each question, her demeanor so warm that the peasants felt completely at ease.
"Perhaps a more direct demonstration would clarify things," she suggested.
"Clap."
With a light clap of her hands, her guards presented a wooden box containing a magical crystal.
Darenna activated the crystal, projecting a translucent image into the air. The peasants gasped in astonishment, craning their necks to see.
—The image displayed a laborer with a peasant brand on his neck working on an assembly line in a clean, orderly environment—a stark contrast to the filthy, dilapidated huts the peasants were used to.
The laborer's task was simple: inspecting products and stamping them with a machine, seemingly effortless.
"Is this what our work will be like?"
"This... this is work?"
"He eats so much and only does that?"
The peasants were in disbelief. Accustomed to backbreaking labor like plowing fields and mining, they had never imagined such light "work."
Seeing their astonishment, Darenna continued to entice them: "This is what it means to be a worker in the kingdom. You'll receive excellent treatment and only need to do the simplest tasks."
Conveniently, she omitted the detail about "at least fifteen-hour workdays."
"This marchioness is a kind person!"
"Yes, to offer us jobs like this!"
"Such good conditions!"
"She even answered my question personally—completely different from Northern nobles!"
The peasants were abuzz with excitement, already full of admiration for Darenna, oblivious to how deliberately she had guided their opinions.
"I... I want to be a kingdom worker," muttered Chai Gun, his face full of longing and reverence.
Sparks looked around, hearing the peasants' hopeful chatter and noticing how they once again referred to their new benefactor as "master." Their admiration for Darenna left him feeling bitter.
"This isn't how the world should be," he thought.
He had just led these peasants to break free of their oppressive chains, yet now they seemed ready to accept new, invisible ones.
But did he have the right to deny them their pursuit of a "better life"?
Could he lead them to build a world free of oppression in Anzeta?
The answer was clear: no.
This was an open conspiracy.
The members of Fireseed would be scattered across various cities, becoming ordinary workers, and the name "Fireseed" would fade into obscurity with time.
Fireseed, perhaps, had already been extinguished.
After a long silence, Sparks asked, "Is this what you all want?"
"Yes."
"Being able to eat every day without being beaten—what more could we ask for?"
"Yeah, it's like a dream come true."
"I'm tired of fighting."
The peasants responded eagerly, fully accepting the kingdom's arrangement.
Darenna maintained her kind smile and nodded slightly at Sparks, as if in acknowledgment.
"Once these peasants are scattered across the North, my reputation among humans will rise even further."
"I must carefully maintain this political image as a champion of human interests within the kingdom—only then can I climb higher."
The pureblooded snake-person, still disguised as a human, thought this to herself.
The peasants, completely swayed by the kingdom's propaganda, ceased their months-long resistance and began cooperating with Marchioness Darenna's directives to hand Denar City over to the hobgoblin forces.
Sparks distanced himself from the exuberant crowd, lost in thought.
Nick, his first follower, patted him on the shoulder and said quietly:
"The South—there are still many oppressed people there. Slavery might not yet have been abolished. We can reignite Fireseed there."
Finally, Sparks clenched his fist, gazing at the distant horizon, and said resolutely:
"Alright, we'll head South."
"Fireseed will never be extinguished."
However, he did not know that Marchioness Darenna had deliberately advised Nick to send those unwilling to give up on Fireseed to the South, to the Fadlan region.
There, they could pursue their ambitions to their hearts' content and let Fireseed burn brightly.