System: Build My Own Territory Chapter 924 - 280: Offering Loyalty (10,000) (3)

They understood this was more than a mere option; it was a direct threat.

If, at this juncture, they had been clad in armor and armed with their weapons,

they might have found the courage to confront such dangers.

However, stripped of their arms, their very limbs were now ensnared by chains and ropes.

The gazes of the prisoners darted, constantly seeking out their companions.

In this manner,

they harbored a hope of discovering a viable response amongst themselves.

Yet, every single captive found themselves in the same predicament.

Torn between allegiance and their very lives, they were utterly lost.

From behind Tyrone, a few hesitant voices emerged.

"Commander Tyrone... What path shall we take now?"

"Indeed, how are we to make this choice?"

"..."

Tyrone offered no immediate reply, his thoughts consumed by deliberation.

As hesitation rippled through the ranks, Tyrone advanced two steps, positioning himself at the very front.

He fixed his gaze directly upon Lynn, his voice a low rumble.

"My noble Lord..."

"You are aware that before our capture, we were soldiers, warriors who valiantly defended our homeland."

"Therefore, if you seek to win our fealty, we implore you to grant us the dignity we rightly deserve."

"We require your lordship to release us from these bonds."

"Allow us to convene, to engage in a thorough discussion."

Upon hearing Tyrone's measured words, a flicker of hope ignited within the captives' eyes.

Slowly, one voice after another joined in, swelling into a chorus among the prisoners.

"Dignity! Dignity!"

"Dignity! Dignity..."

These unadorned yet potent cries resonated like crashing waves, echoing endlessly across the Lord's Square.

The farmers engaged in processing barley paused, their expressions shifting subtly at the sound.

Nervously, they traced the origin of the clamor.

Their apprehension eased somewhat when they perceived their noble Lord standing alongside a contingent of armored soldiers.

With the noble Lord present, their worries began to dissipate.

Lynn listened to the surging shouts, remaining entirely silent.

Likewise,

he gave no command to Rose to quell the scene, nor did he bid the captives to quiet themselves.

Tyrone glanced back, observing the faces alight with anticipation, and raised his right hand.

The clamor gradually subsided.

Until, at last, an enveloping silence descended.

Having completed this, Tyrone turned once more to face Lynn, inquiring,

"Noble Lord, what are your thoughts?"

Lynn met Tyrone's gaze, his response devoid of warmth.

"My thoughts... are largely unimpressed!"

The moment those words were uttered,

Tyrone, and indeed the now-silent captives, widened their eyes in renewed astonishment.

Lynn continued, "The reason I presented you with a choice was to honor your former standing as soldiers!"

"Specifically, because you once stood firm to protect Pan Yan City, holding back fifteen thousand enemy troops for an entire week!"

"And because you were renowned as the Pan Rock Iron Guard!"

"However, there is one crucial detail you may have overlooked..."

"At this present moment, you are captives!"

Hearing these stark words, the countenances of the captives immediately turned somber and grave.

Lynn pressed on, "What, precisely, is a captive?"

Without awaiting their response, Lynn provided his own definition.

"Put delicately, it signifies an understanding of the overwhelming disparity in strength, and the futility of further resistance leading only to needless death."

"To be blunt, it reflects cowardice and a desperate fear of mortality!"

"Had you emulated the other two thousand one hundred Pan Rock Iron Guards who perished in the battle for Pan Yan City,"

"then your actions would indeed be celebrated and widely recounted amongst the populace."

"But, you opted to lay down your arms and surrender."

"You chose to yield when you still possessed eight hundred fit and healthy soldiers at your command."

"That was an act of cowardice and a surrender driven by the fear of death!"

"Do you genuinely believe that such actions afford you the right to negotiate with a Lord?"

"Hm?"

As Lynn's pronouncements concluded, his gaze swept over each captive before him.

Under Lynn's piercing scrutiny, which felt akin to the sharp edge of swords and blades,

the captives lowered their heads, unable to meet his unwavering stare.

A heavy blanket of shame and dejection descended upon the entire group of prisoners.

This included Commander Tyrone, standing at the forefront!

His body involuntarily shuddered.

Lynn remained silent, no longer speaking but patiently waiting.

To attain genuine honor,

one must either,

achieve victory against overwhelming odds.

Or,

fight valiantly until the very last breath, to the point of annihilation with no survivors!

That, Lynn implied, was true honor.

Since these captives clung to their actions at Pan Yan City as their ultimate pride,

then,

he would leverage their perceived greatest honor to utterly break their spirit!

Only then could they truly comprehend their current standing.

Only then could he instill a renewed sense of honor and belonging within these physically capable captives.

Only then could he cultivate their loyalty to serve him diligently!

Standing nearby, Rose observed the unfolding scene, a complex mixture of emotions swirling within him.

It wasn't due to these captives, much like his own past, being sold into Master Lynn’s domain by ruthless slave traders. Instead, it stemmed from a renewed sense of awe towards Master Lynn's formidable capabilities. As Grayson escorted these new captives towards the city walls, he had already discerned their distinct difference compared to the slaves transferred previously. Soldiers, having weathered the trials of life and death, naturally exuded an aura far exceeding that of common villagers.