Chapter 186 – The person to lead them

Noah waited for the peak of commotion to settle down, before standing up and calling them all to calm down in a pacifying manner.

“Please. Don’t be afraid. I know this unsettled you quite a bit. But unfortunately, this is something that can not be avoided. It may not be very clear but you have to know that this forest is not just somewhere deep in the woods. This is the Great Tree Labyrinth. And we are inside one of its levels. Many of you know that Labyrinth levels are often some kind of separate space that was artificially made. And such spaces are not made to sustain a large population.

Unfortunately, this is exactly the situation here. While most of you were asleep, this world and the spirit beasts ruling it could manage to sustain you all. However, as you now start to wake up, it grows the strain on the ruler of this space. And the more of you wake up the harder it will be.” Said Noah.

“This is the reason those who wake up would have to leave eventually. No one is saying that it must happen immediately. There are not so many of you to strain Her Majesty Dryad Queen right this moment. But this is something that would inevitably come and you would have to prepare yourself.”

“Why are you the one explaining this?” Asked one of the women from the crowd with a defiant gaze. "You trying to make yourself a leader here or what?"

"He is the the person that rescued you from the Red Bull clan.” Said Dahlia standing at his side. “No one asked him. Count McDaniels simply decided to do this on his own. He saw your peril and came to your help. He could simply kill those who captured you and leave. Let you live from then on however you want. But he felt it was wrong. He wished to truly help you. So he took upon himself the responsibility of taking you all in. To feed you all and to provide you with all the necessities.”

“But it’s Dryads that are helping us…” Said The woman now a lot less defiant.

“It is by his deal with the Dryads that we agreed to take you all and provide help. But make no mistake it is Count McDaniels the one providing for you all, as at the end of the day he is the one paying equal price to all the help that we are providing you with.” Said Dahlia opening their eyes to the situation and the price of everything around them.

“Why? Why do you help us?” Said the woman still keeping her defiant posture but it was clear that tears were coming to her eyes.

“I felt it wrong to just pass by without doing anything. My conscience did not allow me to just close my eyes on your suffering. Countless nobles should have taken responsibility, and should have come to your rescue, they were truly responsible for you. You all were their subjects. Yet they failed you. I did not wish to be such a noble. I decided to take responsibility for you. You all are now my responsibility and Dryads acknowledge this. While you all here all your actions would influence me and I would be accounted for them. At the same time, I am responsible for paying the price for your livelihood at least until you are capable of doing it yourself and ready to start your lives anew.” Said Noah making all women go silent pondering on his words.

“So this is the end? You will throw us out now?” Asked another woman.

“This is the reason that I am standing here before you today. I did not come here before to not unsettle you with my presence, but this matter is very important and I want you all to be assured that no one is throwing you away. So I came to you to explain everything to you all face to face. Let me tell you all I want, then you can ask any question. I will try to give an answer to all your worries.”

“First of all, we would have to decide who and when would need to leave and prepare a spot for them. No one will throw you out tomorrow. And of course, some of you would have to stay here to take care of your tribeswomen that are still asleep or will wake up in the future. This is also a job that you may take.”

“The second thing is whether you wish to return to your country or not. Currently, we are in the West of Central Cathedral country - Moonstar Kingdom. Life here is different than you may be used to. Many of you might not have been even as far away as the town next to yours, so I will explain some of what you have to expect in the world outside.”

Noah started his long speech, starting with the Western country, and the situation with beastmen outside their country. Then he tried to make them understand their situation and how they were plunged into it. He spoke about the situation that he found in their towns. He talked about the Dark Association and the targets he thought they were after. Uniting the crime world and ruling it. Bringing security to unlaws and robbing people of any hope to seek justice and fight the unfairness of this world. He told of wicked deals between the Red Bull clan and that organization. He told them of the myriad of corruption that led them to their current situation. He spoke of black markets and the cruelty he saw there. Told them of the situation in the world outside right now. He was absolutely open with them.

As Noah spoke Firria looked around the room watching the disposition of women around her change a lot. Where before they were unsettled and worried, now hope was burning in their eyes. The men before you had that air about him. An air of a true noble. A responsible person who could provide help and answers. A man with answers and solutions. A man with a plan. A noble most people of their world would wish to follow yet could not find as it was common knowledge that nobles were unjust, dishonest, and dishonorable. Yet here stood a man who filled them with the sense of nobleness from stories and myths. A legendary man that others look up to in times of need. A person to lead those who are lost. A hero. A hero that came to save them. Just like in the books that Firria loved to read when she was young.

Firria wiped away a tear struggling to flow out of her eye and continued to listen to his voice. A voice that seemed to abate all fears in her. The voice of a person that led her out of darkness.

The women appreciated Noah’s long lecture-like explanation, but the fear and anxiety rose in their midst even higher than before. There was so much darkness, so much cruelty in the world. They just could not comprehend how they lived without noticing it before. And it scared them.

Noah saw that and once again called them to attention.

“I understand that most of you now have nothing and have nowhere to go. You have nothing to even start your life from. But I assure you, I will not let you suffer from it when you go out. I have several solutions that I hope most of you will find passable.” Said Noah.

“Right now my household and the household of Duchess Threadweaver that assisted me in your rescue are getting up on our feet. We are going to open an Alchemical company. Right now we have support from my Dryad friend.” Said Noah pointing toward Dahlia. “But there will be a need for many hands in the field where we are going to grow herbs and ingredients.

We are going to need many helping hands in factories. Where we would produce our potions. And once the demand for our product grows we will need many shop workers when we open shops in different towns and countries. We would need help in the territories that we manage. I would gladly take you all in. And provide for you justly. I swear to pay you fairly without asking or demanding anything that would unsettle you. I swear this upon my name of Count McDaniels. As for safety, I assure you that if you decide to work under me, I may provide you with hidden places to live, far away from society if you wish, or I can provide you with sentries that would guard you from the darkness.”

Noah saw some of the women raise their hands to ask, but he urged them to hold their questions.

“I understand that not all are happy with this arrangement as well. So for those who do not wish to work for me or wish to leave somewhere else, I will provide any assistance no less than those who stay. I will help to discuss work conditions and places to live, I will help search for better works more suitable for your skills and knowledge in other territories through my connections. You are not bound to me. I don’t demand you to be my subjects. You are all free to decide for yourself. I will assist you in any of these decisions. Now I want you all to think for a few days on this and come find lady Dahlia here to give your replies once you have a decision.”

“Now let us come to the questions but please raise your hands and I will pick you all one by one.” Said Noah.

“You crossed the path with that organization that you called Dark Association. What will you do now that they would want to take revenge?” Asked one woman without raising a hand. She was quite a muscular woman and had a firm posture, so Noah suspected that she could be a warrior in past life.

“Kill them all.” Said Noah gazing firmly into her eyes that she held for a time before nodding her head.

“Then I don’t need a day to make a decision. I want to fight this war beside you.” She said.

Noah nodded at her approvingly. Yes, he needed workers, but he also needed warriors. He did not mention it to not spook the women. However, she was right. The fight with the Dark Association was inevitable once they realized who was the one to thwart their plans. There was no way they would not come for a payback. And right now Noah’s power was far less than enemies.

“Me too.” Said another woman raising her hand

“And me.” Said a third one.

Looking at them Noah realized that there was an army of criminals in the underworld. But there were legions of people that they hurt. People who would assist anyone who offered them to take revenge on those who brought them pain and suffering. All these people just needed a person to lead them.