Chapter Twenty-Seven: I Can't Hear! I Can't Hear Anything at All!

“You have obtained ‘Servant’ x1.”
“You have obtained ‘Servant’ x1.”
...
The notifications continued to appear, one after another, until there were sixteen in total and then finally stopped.

Colin sat behind the desk, watching as one shadow after another took form not far from him, marveling silently at the magic of it all.

“We greet the new Lord,” the servants rasped weakly.

Colin nodded, but before he could say anything, several of the servants wobbled and collapsed onto the ground.

Ah, this...

Colin was momentarily stunned and quickly opened their status panels. He saw “Severely Starving” displayed, and their satiety was down to just 1!

Not only that, but a whole host of debuffs had appeared—“Dizzy,” “On the Verge of Collapse,” and others.

If ten minutes more passed, Colin suspected he might witness someone starve to death right here and now!

Those who sold these servants must have already been driven to desperation. As lords themselves, they were already starving and had no surplus food to feed others.

So, by the time Colin had purchased them, their hunger had reached its absolute limit—even standing was a challenge.

“Feed them, quickly!” Colin ordered at once, using the synthesis table to make oatmeal porridge with a bit of meat, and had Number One and Number Two bring it over.

After some frantic effort, the servants finally recovered.

Seeing this, Colin breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t want the people he had just brought in to die before they could even be put to use—what an ill omen that would be.

“Thank you, Lord, for saving our lives!” the servants exclaimed, eyes red and faces brimming with gratitude.

To save their worthless selves, the new lord had actually given them such luxurious and delicious food.

Just like Number One and Number Two before them, these new servants’ memories were filled with the taste of stale, sour, gritty black bread. Upon tasting this, their jaws tingled with surprise.

And within, they could even taste meat!

Meat—something even their previous master could not afford!

Of course, if their former master could have eaten such fare, he wouldn’t have needed to sell them.

After letting them rest for ten minutes, seeing that they had mostly recovered, Number Two smiled and said, “As long as you work hard for the Lord and follow him faithfully, you’ll have porridge like this every day!”

“The Lord is fair with rewards and punishments. If you achieve merit, you’ll be rewarded with meat!”

“R-really?” one servant could not help but ask. But as soon as he spoke, he felt a jolt of fear at daring to question the Lord’s subordinate.

Number Two was about to reply, but Colin raised his hand to stop him.

Colin leaned forward in his chair, his arms crossed on the table, chin resting on his hands.

Remembering something a survivor had said in the chat channel, he decided to borrow those words.

“I’m not one for long speeches or fancy words. I’m a simple man. If you work for me, do your duty, then I’ll give you food and treat you well.

“Of course, I won’t risk your lives lightly. I value life—mine and yours alike. Do you understand?”

Colin’s voice was calm and steady.

“Yes, Lord…” the dozen or so replied, voices timid and scattered.

Colin frowned, saying nothing. Did he recruit a bunch of old-timers off a city bus?

At that moment, Number One stepped forward, shoulders squared, chest out, voice booming as he glared fiercely. “From today, you are the first subordinates Lord Colin has taken! And you can call me Number One! That’s Number Two over there! We’re your friendly big brothers!”

“I’ll repeat the Lord’s words!

“As long as you work for him, he’ll give you food and treat you well.

“If you have any questions, ask us now! You have three seconds! Three! Two! One!

“Good, looks like there are no problems!

“Now, I’ll say it again! Did you understand? If you did, say: Yes, my Lord!”

“Yes, my Lord!” This time the reply was a bit more unified.

All of them looked at Number One with a certain apprehension—his voice was like thunder.

Though also servants, it was obvious he was twice as strong as any of them! The swell of his muscles, the giant bloodstained wagon wheel on his back—it looked as if he could kill them with a single punch!

But Number One caught Colin’s lack of reaction from the corner of his eye and frowned.

He knew what the Lord wanted: presence, determination, strength!

“That’s pathetic! Can’t hear you! Are you all mute? Speak up! Again!”

Number One roared.

“Yes, my Lord!”

“Can’t hear you! Not at all! Have you really eaten? Even a dog can bark louder than that! Again!”

Number One stood with hands on hips, eyes blazing, radiating authority.

Even Colin was somewhat surprised—this Number One was a real talent.

Servants could be trained—there was no telling how far they could go. The thought stirred something in Colin’s heart.

“Yes!! My Lord!!” The shout was louder.

Yet, they still weren’t up to standard—their awkward stances, the way they stood, all wrong.

Most importantly, Colin didn’t see the “Inspired” status appear in their panels!

“Can’t hear you! Not at all! Again! You think you can serve the Lord with voices like that? And you—straighten your back! Stand as I do!”

“Let me tell you: today’s lunch was meat porridge, but! If I can’t hear you, if your feet aren’t steady, if you keep slouching—then you’ll all go hungry today!”

Number One shouted.

As a servant himself, he knew only too well what they feared most—hunger!

Beatings and scolding didn’t matter, but going hungry was their nightmare!

“Yes!!! My Lord!!!”

At the mention of hunger, everyone panicked—their faces flushed as they bellowed in unison.

After all, what Colin had given them was only enough to keep them alive—they were still fundamentally hungry, just not on the verge of collapse.

“Good,” Colin said, taking over from Number One, clapping his hands when he saw “Inspired” appear across their statuses.

Only then would they not be frightened out of their wits during their upcoming exploration.

Seeing their empty hands, Colin quickly traded for some materials from the market.

[Iron Ingot x1 + Wood x1 + Correct Posture = Axe.]

Colin swiftly synthesized over a dozen axes, along with a shovel, hoe, and other tools.

He had everyone come forward and take one.

Soon, all nineteen present had an axe in hand.

The Mist Axe Gang—should I do an axe dance or something? Colin mused with a trace of irony.

Then he looked at the group before him and said, “Number One, Number Two, organize the teams. I’ll make preparations. Before we leave, I’ll see that each of you eats your fill—don’t let me down!”

“Yes!!! My Lord!!!”

Well, this might be a bit much… Colin’s smile was awkward but polite.

Next, Colin unfurled the sheepskin scroll and opened the regional channel to see if there was any new information.

Being prepared was an essential skill for surviving in the mist.

After all, hints were not omnipotent.