NOVEL FROG 44. All Work And No Pay…?
Announcement: Since most of you wanted longer chapters, that's how it shall be, future Barons of Tiranat! That means, while the release schedule will remain the same, ie 3 new chapters every week (Mon-Wed-Fri), but the length of the chapters will rise from 1500 words to 2000 words!
That's a 33% increase in the length of story you get to read every week! And not just that! It also means that after Patreon catches up with ten longer chapters, then while the number of chapters by which Barons of Tiranat (patrons) are ahead will remain 10 for now, but the number of words by which they are ahead of Scribblehub will rise from 15,000 words to 20,000 words. That means after Patreon catches up with the longer chapters, patrons will enjoy 33% more content as well!
Now, the story is already written till chapter 56 right now with a chapter length of 1500 words (including the advanced chapters on Patreon - till ch-54). So all the new chapters that I will write from now on, starting with chapter 57, will be around 2000 words long. So, while the Barons of Tiranat on Patreon will start to receive the longer chapters from the next week itself (when I publish ch-57 on Patreon), the readers on Scribblehub will have to wait until the story reaches ch-57 here. Or, you know, you can join Patreon and read the longer chapters much sooner as well!
Also, when I started to publish this story, I only published around 2000 words every week, then I slowly increased it to around 4000 words every week, and then to 4500 words, and now it will be 6000 words every week. But since I am not a full-time writer, it is not easy for me to give that many hours for writing. So your support by joining as the Baron of Tiranat on Patreon will be really helpful for me to continue writing at this pace for a long time. And, of course, you will get to read 10 chapters, ie 20,000 words ahead as well!
A chorus of angry shouts erupted from the assembled villagers after hearing that. The announcement, far from the news of opportunity they had craved, was met with an immediate uproar.
"We have to risk our lives without pay? How are we supposed to feed our families?" a man shouted in protest, his tone laced with anger and despair.
"It doesn't make sense! Why would we work for free?" a woman's voice shrieked in disbelief. Frustration and desperation boiled over as others continued to voice their concerns.
Tesyb's heart sank as disappointment clawed at him. Truth be told, he wasn't surprised by the lack of coin. The manor wouldn't have been able to sell any coal in the recent months after all, without any traders coming here. But the spark of hope he'd clung to - a chance at a steady income, a way to provide for his family - vanished like smoke in the wind after hearing the harsh reality of no coin payment. He stood rooted to the spot, the weight of the announcement settling heavily upon him, as he waited to hear if there was more to it.
Kerel held up his hands, palms facing the crowd, in a desperate attempt to quell the rising tide of anger. The air crackled with frustration, the villagers' shouts echoing off the houses that surrounded the square. Once a semblance of quiet had returned, his voice, roughened by years of service, cut through the tension.
"Hold on, everyone!" he bellowed. "There's more to the announcement. I'm not saying that you wouldn't be compensated for the work! Instead of providing coin, the Baron is offering the new guards a regular allotment of grain and coal - enough to feed their families and keep their homes warm through the coming winter."
A lone voice, laced with suspicion, cut through the fragile calm. "But why not coin?" the man hollered. "Grain and coal are all well and good, but we need coin for other things - clothes for our children, repairs to our homes…"
Kerel locked eyes with the speaker, his gaze unwavering. "It is not for me to explain the reasoning behind this decision," he admitted. "I'm simply here to deliver the message. The exact amount of grain and coal each guard will receive will be determined once we've chosen our recruits."
With that, Kerel hopped off the bench, his job complete. The crowd, however, remained abuzz. Tesyb, his heart pounding in his chest, knew what this meant. With the mines shut down, this was their only chance to put food on the table. Only a dozen new jobs for the whole village wasn't much, but it meant a dozen families would have a chance to survive the harsh winter. Every unemployed miner in the village would be vying for these guard positions. But he wouldn't let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
Tesyb, a broad-shouldered former miner himself, felt a surge of adrenaline course through him. He scanned the crowd, his eyes locking onto other burly men, their faces a reflection of his own desperation. The air crackled with unspoken tension as everyone shuffled forward, jockeying for position, each pushing to be the first to reach the guards. Heaving himself onto the balls of his feet, Tesyb used his broad frame, honed by years of laboring in the mines, to his advantage.
He waded through the throng, shoving and jostling his way towards the guards, determined to be among the first considered. Every other able-bodied man in the village seemed to have the same idea. Elbows started to fly, shouts erupted, and a tense silence punctuated by the heavy thud of boots on packed earth filled the air. The promise of food and warmth had turned neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend, all in a desperate bid for a sliver of hope in a bleak future.
Kerel's voice boomed through the square. "Hold it right there, all of you! Reaching the front first won't guarantee your selection. We need disciplined men, not brawlers!"
His words, laced with authority, gradually penetrated the haze of desperation. Slowly, the initial frenzy subsided, replaced by a tense calm. Many villagers - those too old, too young, or simply unfit for such a role, drifted away from the center of the village square. Their faces were etched with disappointment and a hint of resignation, as they moved towards the outskirts of the square to keep watching. The women, some of whom were cradling toddlers or infants in their arms, retreated to the periphery of the square, casting worried glances at their husbands and sons still vying for a spot. Even the children, initially curious about the commotion, lost interest and wandered off to play amongst the few stalls.
The announcement, while offering a glimmer of hope for some, only served to highlight their own helplessness. As the crowd thinned near the center, only the young men remained near the well - those with a strong build and a look of determination etched on their faces. Tesyb scanned the faces around him - a sea of former miners, their calloused hands and sturdy builds a testament to their past profession. Yet, the despair of unemployment had brought them here, ready to trade the darkness of the mines for the uncertainty of a guard's life.
They were all competitors now, vying for a limited number of spots. He estimated close to a hundred men still standing to be chosen as a manor guard, a number far exceeding the dozen guards the Baron required. A cold knot of anxiety formed in his stomach. Only a select few would be lucky enough to be chosen, leaving the rest to face the harsh reality of empty bellies when they returned home.
He straightened his back, a steely resolve hardening his features. He couldn't afford to dwell on the odds. He had to make a case for himself and prove his worth. This was his only chance, a chance for survival, not just for himself, but for his parents who depended on him. Even if the pay wasn't in coin, as announced earlier, the grain and coal would be enough to keep his aging parents fed and warm through the harsh winter. This was his only chance, and he wouldn't let it slip through his fingers.
With a newfound determination, Tesyb focused his gaze on Kerel. Now that the initial mayhem had subsided, the guard seemed to be waiting for something.
Once Kerel noticed only the young, able-bodied men remained, he cleared his throat and addressed the remaining hopefuls. "Alright, lads," he announced. "Now, you have to wait. The guard captain himself will be coming to assess the recruits."
A murmur of anticipation rippled through the crowd as they waited. Tesyb took a deep breath, his nerves frayed with a blend of apprehension and determination. He had to be ready. The future of his family depended on the impression he made on the guard captain.
The tension in the village square remained thick as the minutes stretched into an hour. Based on the temple bell which was rung twice during that time, he guessed that more than an hour had passed by as they kept waiting, marked only by the occasional cough from an older villager and a muttered curse from the gathered men. Some of the villagers had found places to sit, usually on the ground where they were standing. Tesyb shifted his weight from one foot to the other, anxiety gnawing at him.
Then, a commotion arose from the edge of the square. Tesyb craned his neck for a better view. A group of villagers parted, revealing a familiar figure - Duvas, the Baron's majordomo. Flanking him was another guard, a man Tesyb recognized seeing with the baron's caravan yesterday. This new guard, however, was impossible to miss. Armed with a sword on his back, he was a giant of a man, his heavy boots thudding on the packed earth as he walked. This man was built like an ox, his broad shoulders straining the seams of his leather armor, as his height towered over the villagers. Even Tesyb, known for his stature amongst the miners, paled in comparison.
The newcomers walked towards the well, the crowd parting easily around them. After a brief conversation with Kerel and the other guard, the giant of a man strode towards the well, his gaze sweeping over the assembled hopefuls with a critical eye. Tesyb felt a tremor of apprehension run through the crowd. This seemed like the new guard captain, and his approval was the key to securing the coveted position of a manor guard.
The huge man reached the empty bench beside the well and hoisted himself onto it with surprising agility for his size. Finally, the man cleared his throat and addressed the assembled men.
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