Eighteen years had passed since the fall of the Arctic Empire.
On the northeastern outskirts of the Kingdom of Deogon, near the border with the Kingdom of Eshmore, nestled within the county of Reida in the Duchy of Westvale, lay a crowded farming town known as Canos.
Blessed with fertile soil and mild climate, Canos thrived. Its lands were so abundant that it became one of the food suppliers of Deogon, providing food to nearby towns and cities across the kingdom.
The town was home to a small fraction of peasants and commoner and majority were slaves, all working in fields to sustain the kingdom's growing needs.
Though Canos might appear to be a peaceful town from afar, beneath the surface lay a harsh reality. Discrimination and cruel treatment ran deep, driven by the rigid social hierarchy.
With the majority of its residents bedding peasants or slaves, the village functions more like a labor camp than a true community, roughly overworked, and neglected by the nobility it served.
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"Listen up ! We need five of you to help us carry supplies into the forest."
A knight commander barked at the order he halted near a shaded rest area, where a group of weary farmers had gathered for their midday break.
"Gather outside the shade and wait. We'll return after speaking with the Knight Order."
With that, the commander turned on his heel and marched off, leaving the farmers in tense silence.
After a short pause, one man stood up, fury etched across his face.
"As the leader of this group, I'll go. Anyone else ?"
"...."
"You all know they'll just force us if we don't volunteer, so instead–"
"- but we'll be killed!"
Another man suddenly shouted in desperation, covering his head with trembling arms.
"Those soldiers won't protect us.. I saw it with my own eyes. They let our friend get eaten by those beasts, we were nothing but bait."
The silence deepened. His words stuck everyone with fear.
"I know, Ken…"
The first man, Hex lowered his voice and glanced at the others.
"..but if we don't go, you know what they'll do next. Instead of 5 people –"
"I'll go !"
A young man with black hair raised up his hand, a determined light in his eyes.
"I guess I have no choice then…"
Another man stood up and volunteered as well, joining the young man.
Hex recognized him instantly.
He knew who that young man was.
"... Thanks, everyone. Let's wait outside."
The five volunteers gathered in front of the shaded rest area, standing in a quiet line.
Hex turned to the black-haried man and gave him a firm pat on his back.
"Hey, Alex. Thanks for stepping up."
"Ah … it's nothing" Alex replied, brushing it off.
"But are you sure ? You've got a sister … and your whole life ahead of you" Hex asked, lowering his voice.
Hex knew all too well what it meant when soldiers asked for volunteers.
Most who went with them never returned, or came back in pieces.
And if anyone dared to disobey their orders, harsh punishment would fall upon the entire group.
As the leader, it was his duty to step forward first. But he hadn't expected Alex, the youngest in their group, who had just turned eighteen this year, to volunteer so readily.
Especially not with a younger sister waiting for him but a long life still ahead.
Yet, Hex had always known there was something different about Alex. Despite his age, the boy possessed remarkabl;e strength, his physical abilities were no joke. More than that Alex carried a quiet maturity, a kind heart and a calmness rarely found in some so sound.
Hex had always admired that. To find someone like him among the peasants was rare, almost unbelievable.
"All right ! Grab those bags and move out !"
The knight commander barked.
"Yes sir !"
He had returned with ten armored soldiers and several heavy supply bags slung over their shoulders. Without wasting time, he called out to the volunteer farmer, gesturing toward the treeline.
"Let's go. We don't have all day."
The five volunteers including Alex and Hex stepped forward silently and followed behind those soldiers.