Chapter 11: Slave Quarters

A week after her rebirth, Xuma and the girls woke up before dawn to assemble in the slave courtyard.

Three middle-aged females in palace servant clothes walked by them, touching their bodies and measuring their hips in a crude manner.

"This one is too small to bear healthy offspring."

"This one's facial features are too ordinary."

"Prince Rimon likes the delicate type. This one is too tall."

The slave girls shifted on their feet. They were discomfited by the way the elder women treated them like merchandise, but didn't dare to voice a complaint. A month of lashing from the road of their homeland to this empire had taught them what their current status was.

In this foreign land, they were nothing more than the spoils of war from a defeated nation.

"The laundry department is in need of extra hands. Send the skinny ones there." An older woman in dark green clothing emerged from a chamber in front of the courtyard. The moment she appeared, the three middle-aged women dipped into respectful bows.

"Head Servant Fasha..."

"Hm." Sweeping her gaze over the nervous slave girls, Head Servant Fasha randomly pointed at a few, and said, "Send them to the Slave Quarters. They'll be of use for the banquet tomorrow."

"Yes, Head Servant!"

With a satisfied nod, the Head Servant turned and headed back into the chamber.

"Alright. The slaves pointed out, come with me. Your residence will be the Slave Quarters until you catch the attention of a dignitary, or a royal." One of the middle-aged women with a gray outer-coat, beckoned with an impassive expression.

It was that time of year when a gust of wind chilled one's nose. As one of the outer-court servant chiefs in charge of the servant quarters, the material of her clothing wasn't thick enough to block out the cold.

As such, she was in a foul mood.

Impatient to get rid of the new burdens, she gestured to the stone building sandwiched between a horse stable and a chicken coop, and left without giving them further instructions.

The slave girls looked at each other with confusion and uncertainty. They were new here. Ushered to this land they knew nothing about. After experiencing a few hardships, they were afraid to take a wrong step that would lead them to their death.

"What do we do now?"

"I don't know. The Slave Trainers said we can't bend or walk without being told. So…I don't think we can enter the building without being told. What if we're being tested?"

"Then do we just stay here?"

Deaf to the whispers of her nervous companions, Xuma stared at the familiar building with nostalgia and sorrow.

Once, she had abhorred the very appearance of this structure. With her homeland flattened to the ground and her father gone, hatred and a desire for revenge had blazed in her heart.

She wanted to avenge the deaths of her people, rid the world of the vile presence that were the Stone Emperors, and reclaim her nation's Erlan Stone.

For that, she had trained in secret. Practiced archery and sword welding in the night, while learning horse riding during the day.

She couldn't even remember if she had ever had a full night of sleep.

From the moment she entered the Slave Quarters, she had a goal, a mission. And to achieve it, she had been willing to make any sacrifice.

'I don't want revenge anymore. I don't want to learn archery or sword welding. This time, I want to understand the culture of this empire.'

A week.

That's how long it took for her to come to terms with her rebirth. How long it took for her to sort out her emotions and decide on a course of action.

In her past life, she had been filled with the venom of vengeance. She killed Emperor Ghazeyh without considering the consequences of her actions. She didn't think about the bloodshed, chaos, and destruction the rebel army would cause.

The discord the empire would be thrown into if it lost its Stone Emperor.

Simply put, revenge consumed her mind, blinded her sight to the ruthless nature of the rebel army, and led her to sentence millions of lives to a fate worse than death.

Yes, she killed Emperor Ghazeyh. She had also reclaimed the Erlan Stone.

However, until her very last breath, she hadn't been able to escape the walls of the Stone Palace. When death came, her ghost was cursed to float over Frost-Flame City and witness the horrors her act of vengeance had unleashed on the weak and innocents.

As a mother who lost her child, Xuma didn't want to sentence such a nightmare on any child.

As a woman who fell prey to the whims of men, she didn't want to subject any woman to the feeling of hopelessness and despair.

And as a reborn soul who had burned in the flame of hatred, she didn't want to repeat her past mistake. She didn't want to destroy herself in a quest for revenge.

She didn't want to condemn millions of lives to the same nightmare.

Though she was unsure of the purpose behind her rebirth, this time, she wanted to take another path.

"This time, I'll pursue a path of knowledge." And maybe, just maybe, she might be able to make a difference. Inhaling a deep breath, she lifted her foot and walked towards the Slave Quarters.

The Stone Empire was nothing to fear. She had survived behind its stone walls once.

She vowed to do it again.