From Slave To Ruler

"So Ladies. How many of you have chosen to work for me? For our new Security Guard business?" Asked Arthur with great anticipation rushing in his heart. Looking at the crowd of woman, expecting a lot to agree but still sinking in self doubt, what if they didn't get convinced? Even though what he offered was indeed big compared to basically any other job in the Iron Boot Alliance (judging from a base of salaries and working hours), he wanted to offer more. But for now, it is all he can provide. When the business expands, he can offer more of course. He wants to help these people, but he can't risk for all of his other businesses to meet an economical collapse due to over funding this new project. He wants to help these ladies with unfortunate fates, and himself. This business taking off and bringing profit, will lead to him opening more businesses in the future and helping even more people. Each person that works for him are now financially stable. He helps people and himself with a wealthy lifestyle.

"Me!"

"Me too!"

"I want to join!"

"I'd be stupid not too!"

"Who wouldn't actually want to join?"

The self doubt in Arthur's heart arose and left completely once he heard those cheerful replies, self doubt got replaced with overwhelming joy. So many people seemed to be eager to chase this opportunity. Not one of them mentioned things like "this is a job for a man" or "we aren't cut out for this." Naturally, men are physically stronger and bigger, yes there usually are noticeable physical differences, that is true. But with enough training, a commoner can't simply hurt a woman without getting his face swollen, arm broken or worse. With enough training, fully capable Castle Guards would have it hard to face them with hopes of winning. More importantly, Arthur has a good training plan for these ladies. The Higher qualified levels they reach during training, the more their pay increases. Not to mention, they are trusted with more important jobs.

"Alright ladies. I can't tell for sure how many of you agree to this job. So we will do something that will help us keep count! Are all of you on board with that?" Asked Arthur with his tone rising in enthusiasm as he was speaking in front of the class of 27 women. They had a good night sleep, a couple of great meals. Their mind is more clear, they should be able to decide clearly. Most importantly, they got a taste of a better lifestyle this night. They have been camping in the Border for months now. A Great war broke between the two leading Bearblood Alliances in Makemis, The EarthRippers and EarthQuakers about 6 months ago.

"Sure."

"Let's do this."

"I want that salary."

"I need to make perverts fear me."

"No. I want that citizenship."

"People. This isn't about power."

"Thank you, lady." Interrupted Arthur as he raised his hand, gently asking for the class to be quiet. "Whoever agrees, please stand up, walk out of the class and enter Classroom 17. There we will be counting how many are on board, and here we will try to figure out why some of you(if any), aren't on board with this project. Whatever is bothering you about this plan, we can fix it." Arthur would be pleased if at least 60 are on Board, of course getting all 80 on Board is better  resulting in more profit. Most of these ladies are at pique physical form, while the small percentage who are a bit older or younger, they don't have much trouble catching up to the rest. Even if one of them disagrees to be a part of this project, it could lead to losing a few Gold Coins.

One Woman stood up, then did the other, then the other. Most of them marched out of the door without hesitating. They even had trouble forming a good line, as if someone was rushing them. Most made their way to classroom 17, except 8 Women.

All 8 of them were looking at the desk with embarrassment, some scared and expecting the worst. With the people who agreed to be part of the project waiting in another classroom, could the Pitch Black Buyer become more hostile to the disagreeing ones and silence them after?

He sat at the Teacher's chair, laying his elbows firmly over the desk and holding his forwardly leaning head with his hands, portraying a strict and curious body posture. He was a bit stressed about the number of disagreeing women, but he felt like he can talk it over with them, persuade them. He even has a theory or two about why they choose to leave, which helped him for appropriate sentences to say. He called for one of the eight Women to approach and sit near a desk in front of him, to ask her why she decides to leave this place missing such a life changing opportunity.

"Hello. You firmly know me as the Pitch Black Buyer, but let me introduce myself. My name is Arthur Hare. Owner of 10 Businesses, wealthiest merchant in Hawk Kingdom." Trying to use his reputation as a form of convincing her that she will be protected simply by working for him, it seems ineffective. She didn't care at all about how powerful this seemingly 6 foot man really is. Noticing her expressionless face, he got nervous and dropped a sweat. It felt like his collar was getting tighter. If his approach keeps being ineffective, he needs to think of a different approach. Since these women likely considered how safe they will be.

"Sure. Hello. I'm Alseen Oaks." She coldy said with a lifeless tone. Arthur noticed that she has sunk into depression. She was likely a **** victim. Her mood and expressions are understandable. Some would even consider suicide but she is up on her feet, even though she feels really weak.

"Hello Miss Alseen. Can you please tell me why you choose to pass this great opportunity. You would be set for life and you are more than capable to do this job." Praising an individual is a good perk to use when one aims to persuade that individual. And since forceful fear isn't an option at all for Arthur, praising is a great option. "Why do you choose to abandon this chance?" Looking at her, she seemed to be in her twenties. Her body is at an age of pique physical strength. She can be an inspiration to others with enough months of work invested on herself as a well deserving individual. She along with a lot of other soon to be female Guards, can show to other women that they don't need to do housework unless they choose too. They won't need to get out of the house in fear anymore, but it will take a lot of work to lead 18,000 people towards a different more gender equal mindset.

"I just want to leave this hellhole. I have too many traumas here." She said under a low tone while avoiding eye contact with Arthur, innocently looking at her hands above the desk she is sitting near at.

"Miss Alseen. I understand you very well. But you need to understand that this project isn't just to make myself wealthier, opening this business will help me open more businesses in the future." He knew that simply talking about how this project can benefit him, wouldn't nearly convince her to stay. But he was planting seeds for later to sow. Perhaps sympathy for other struggling women wound convince them. Each individual can have an impact to many after all.

"I don't see where that would help me. And I'm just one person, it wouldn't make a big difference." Feeling a bit more irritated, she sure didn't like how Arthur mostly considered his own personal benefits more. But Arthur expected that.

"Miss Alseen. Behind you are 7 more women who possibly think the same. Although 1, wouldn't make a drastic difference, 7 women who have the chance to be fully trained, indomitable forces to be reckoned with, avoiding to take this job can result into gold coins floating down the river. Gold coins which all of us can pocket and use them for good!" Planting these thoughts into their minds, he tried to approach this slowly. In aims of showing sympathy and good will. What he showed was pure even though it is part of the persuasion.

"And how would that link to us?" Feeling like she is speaking for all the 7 women behind her now, she found it appropriate to use sentences that would portray a unified stand instead of a rather selfish single individual stand.

"You supporting this project will lead to more profit, with profits from exporting, importing and local businesses being under my control, the King will have little choice but to listen to my recommendations." He knew that these ladies who possibly had no experience at all in being a merchant, didn't care about profit. But the last part of the sentence got them a bit interested, more emotionally invested.

"Recommendations?" She asked feeling tad confused about it.

"Yes! Just working for me gives you a lot of protection, imagine the amount of protection I can offer you when in the future, most of the businesses here are under my control, the rules can be how we make them." Hearing what Arthur had to say, they got a bit more interested in the topic but not enough for their minds to be changed. Their ears were more willing to listen though.

Seeing them having tremendously little hope towards this project, he had to use something that would emotionally trigger them more. He did not want to resort to this, but he means well after all and there is no lies behind his words. He wants to help them and many other women after them. This project is only the seed to his bigger plans. "I'm guessing that you want to take revenge upon those who wronged you. I can help you with that in the future."

"How?" 3 of them asked at the same time. They didn't care about the profit but revenge seems to interest them more. At least, 3 of them. "I see that revenge interests them!" He thought and proceeded to use this situation more.

"You can take revenge upon those who wronged you, and I can make the authorities turn a blind eye, like they did when you and the rest reached this Kingdom. They didn't just turn a blind eye! To them, slaves have just enough rights as animals, do you think that's fair?" Looking at them with a firm serious face, he did notice that they are showing more emotion now compared to earlier when they barely cared.

"Of course it isn't. I have traumas that will never go away. I never wronged any of them." With a higher tone and a couple of tears dropping from her green eyes, exclaimed a lady and got comforted after by another lady who was tapping her back and kept repeating "It's over. It's over. You are safe here."

"Indeed you didn't. You can also feel sympathy enough to take other ladies into consideration. Specifically, ladies that didn't come here and weren't forced to be slaves. They don't live freely as well, they are at constant danger here!" Seeing that he is succeeding to turn these ladies to his side, he decided to sink in deeper to the subject who seems to affect them.

"Why are they at constant Danger?" Asked the lady sitting in front of him.

"Ladies here can't walk in the streets alone without a male figure guiding them. Patrol Guards could s.e.x.u.a.lly harass them, attack them and there even are some cases of ****. The woman would end up being blamed at the end, apart from that they face trouble from other perverts who aren't Patrol Guards. With you helping me to form this business stronger, in time we can have enough power to end this madness. What do you say?"