"Assault, you're too soft-hearted again," said the leader of the knight order, looking at one of his knights with a resigned expression. "You've barely earned any money, and yet you keep giving it all away. What's the point of you joining the slave-catching business with me?"
"Just doing what little I can," Assault replied with a silent smile. He knew these people would be sent to a land far from the ravages of war. While he couldn't stop the war itself, he could at least help some people escape it.
"Stop pretending to be a saint. If you're so keen on doing good, go join the church as a holy knight. What are you doing here in this shady business? No matter how many good deeds you do, no one will know, and no one will sing your praises. Your name will remain unknown—what's the point?" someone muttered disdainfully, unable to understand Assault's demeanor.
"Enough! No more talking. Everyone, get to work and gather all the villagers in one place," the leader of the nameless knight order shouted his orders. "By the time we arrived, the orcs had already killed everyone in this village. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!" the knights responded loudly.
"This way, the official records will show that everyone in this village died," Assault sighed as he watched the scene unfold before him. He had lost count of how many times he had been part of such operations.
With the powerful influence of certain factions within the Guishuang Kingdom, every move the orcs made in this area was meticulously tracked. Even which village they would attack next was known in advance.
The knights would wait until the orcs had caused some damage, then rush in to slaughter the orcs and take the surviving humans away to an unknown location. Officially, these people were recorded as having been killed by the orcs.
...
"Sir Knight, where are we going?" Ann, unafraid of strangers, ran up to a knight clad in bronze armor, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"You brat, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm a ruthless slave trader. Don't get close to me, and don't try to get friendly, or I'll hang you from my lance."
"I don't believe you."
Assault didn't respond with words but instead used his actions to make a point. He deftly swung his lance, grazing the boy's neck before hooking the back of his collar and hoisting him into the air, dangling him on his shoulder.
"Sir, please..." Ann's mother, her face full of anxiety, stepped forward, pleading with the knight.
"Don't worry, I won't harm him. I just want him to behave for a while," the knight said, reassuring the woman slightly. But even as she relaxed, her eyes remained full of worry and a hint of reproach toward her son.
"Sir Knight, where are we going?" Ann, despite being hung up like a sack, continued to question the knight. To him, Assault was no mere slaver—he was the hero from the stories.
"I'm taking you to a place with no war, no hunger, and no cold."
"Is it heaven?" Ann asked, his eyes full of wonder.
"Something like that," Assault sighed softly.
"Wow, what's that?" The group of refugees, who had lost their homes to the orcs, was soon greeted by the sight of a massive airship hovering above the ground.
"That's the ship to the promised land," Assault said as he looked at the airship, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He gently set Ann back down.
"Sir Knight, aren't you coming with us?" Ann asked, helping his injured father onto the ship with his mother. He turned back to see the knights standing in formation, silently watching as they boarded.
"Kid, that's a ship to paradise. We knights, who reek of copper and greed, have no place on it."
One of the knights responded loudly, and with that, the knights turned their horses and rode away, their hoofbeats thundering as they departed. The airship, now filled with refugees from all corners, slowly ascended.
...
The foolish knight hadn't lied to him. This realization dawned on Ann after he and his family arrived at the Red Dragon Principality and lived there for a while. There was indeed no war, no hunger, and no cold. It wasn't heaven, but it was exactly how he had imagined it.
This peaceful life continued for a short time before a population census in the Red Dragon Principality brought significant change to Ann's life.
"Madam, your child has been identified as having exceptional talent for training. Please prepare him for the trip to the capital in three days for a willpower test. If he passes, he will gain unimaginable benefits," the official who had just tested Ann's potential said with a smile as he spoke to Ann's mother, whose hands were still covered in dirt.
"Sir, does that mean I can become a knight?" Ann asked excitedly.
"Of course. With your talent, as long as you enter the principality's academy and train hard, becoming a knight is a certainty," the plump official replied with a broad grin.
"However, before you enroll, you'll have to undergo a willpower test. If you perform well, you might enter an even more special place, where becoming a noble would be a breeze."
"Mother, I'm going to be a knight!" Ann exclaimed with joy.
"Sir, is it possible for my child not to go?" To Ann's surprise, his mother's eyes were filled with worry as she asked the census official this question.
"Mother?" Ann looked at her, stunned.
"Madam, this is an opportunity for your child to become a noble," the census official said sternly.
"But this opportunity requires my child to risk his life, doesn't it?" The woman stroked her son's head. "Our life now is good enough. I don't think my child needs to become a noble."
"You're a good mother, but aren't you thinking about your child's future? Besides, what makes you think you have the right to refuse? What do you think sustains your current life? If everyone thought like you, only wanting to enjoy life without taking responsibility, the principality would collapse."
"I understand," the woman said quietly, gripping her farming tool so tightly her knuckles turned white.
...
Three days later, Ann was sent to a bustling city. He barely had time to take in the dazzling sights before being ushered into a grand plaza. There, he saw countless children, just like him, their faces full of confusion and hope. The number of children was so vast that he couldn't see the end of them.
Ann watched as these children were guided by strikingly beautiful young men and women to walk down a road filled with strange carvings. The children staggered as they walked, some collapsing and being quickly dragged away.
Others, unable to bear the immense pressure, stepped down from the road voluntarily, only to be met with cold stares. Only those who made it far enough before collapsing were met with approving looks.
"Kid, if you want to become strong and start from a higher place, then keep going. Even if you die, keep going until you lose consciousness," a handsome young man with teal hair and an emotionless face instructed Ann. His tone was devoid of feeling, and he looked at Ann as if he were nothing more than an ant.
"Got it," Ann said, though he was uncomfortable under the boy's condescending gaze. He didn't show any displeasure, sensing the youth's overwhelming strength.
With anticipation and determination, Ann stepped onto the path adorned with dragon-shaped carvings. As soon as he set foot on it, he let out a muffled groan. A strange pressure settled on him, accompanied by a sudden fear, making him want to turn back and run. But Ann fought the urge.
Following the beautiful youth's instructions, Ann resolutely walked forward. With each step, the pressure on him increased.
As he continued, he noticed fewer and fewer children around him. Some collapsed under the strain or stepped down voluntarily, only to be taken away.
Others clung on, only to collapse from the pressure and be dragged off as well.
Gradually, the number of children around him dwindled, and the pressure on Ann grew heavier. He was panting heavily, his labored breathing sending sharp pains through his lungs. His limbs felt leaden, and every part of his body screamed at him to stop.
But Ann ignored the signals his body sent him, disregarding the blood seeping from his pores. He focused on one thing—moving forward. Forward, forward, always forward! Eventually, his mind began to blur, leaving only one thought: to move forward, gain power, and become a knight.
"Thud!"
At the end of the road, designed to weed out the weak, Ann, now drenched in his own blood, collapsed heavily to the ground. Beneath him, a majestic six-horned golden dragon, shimmering with faint light, silently began a transformation, subtly altering his body.
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