Chapter 249 - Sentence
A faint light appeared on the horizon.
On the left side of the temporary camp, nearly 300 slaves gathered and trembled. There was a group of fierce and ferocious pirates in front of them. A scream rang from a distance, and then two big and bulky pirates came, one single-handedly carrying a slave, the other raising the slave. It was apparent that both slaves were indigenous people. Behind them were four ferocious pirates, each holding a stake, and then erecting a rough cross in front of the slaves!
“This is what happens to those who escape!”
The half-elf first mate’s face was not looking good. He was just about to perform in front of Soran, but he did not expect that there would be slaves running away the next day. It was like a tight slap on his face, telling Soran that he could not handle things properly. That was why he did not have a shred of goodwill towards the escaping slaves at all. He even wanted to skin them alive. The half-elf first mate looked at the slaves in front of him coldly, looking at their frightened expressions, and said in a deep voice: “For all those who dare to escape, you will end up like them!”
Pa-da.
The half-elf first mate took a look at the side, and then two big pirates came with two indigenous slaves who were beaten. Then the man missing his left eye stood up grinning with a hammer and a nail in his hand. Because of the current technology, the nails in this era were not the ones we were familiar with, but the tapered nails that were as thick as our fingers. The Cyclops gave a wink to the man next to him, and then someone forced the two slaves to spread their limbs and fixed them on the rough cross.
“No!... No!..... Please, I beg you!....”
The two indigenous people seemed to have known their fate, and their whole body was shaking. One of them seemed to speak a little common language, crying and pleading constantly, and the slaves below did not dare to watch. However, no matter how he begged, the Cyclops raised the hammer with a grim smile and positioned the nail at the palm of the slave’s hand. With the thumping sound, a nail that was as thick as a finger passed through the palm of the indigenous slave just like that and nailed into the cross behind him.
The shrill scream sounded!
The scream was deafening. A stream of blood flowed from the nail in the palm to his fingers and dripped onto the ground. The two indigenous slaves who were about to be executed were trembling all over, and their voices had changed a little. They were still begging while expressing their repentance and ignorance. At last, they did not receive any sympathy. The Cyclops continued to nail their other hand to the cross.
But this was just the beginning!
This sentence would use nine nails in total. The first was to nail the palm, then the elbow, then the sole, and then the knee.
As for the last nail.
It was only used at the end of the sentence. When the victim was about to be drained of blood or was close to death. The executioner would pick up the last narrow nail and drive it in the forehead of the criminal. Generally, the last nail was not required, because it was a kind of sentence that carried a forbidden curse. Many places thought that if a nail was used to drive into the forehead where the criminal was finally executed, the soul of the sentenced might be nailed to the cross. Then there was a chance that the person would become a terrifying vengeful spirit.
Undeads were after all extraordinary creatures!
Even the professions did not dare say that they were able to defeat the undead. After all, they could travel between the spiritual world and the material plane.
Soran watched the entire execution.
As for these acts of escaping, he had to stop them, or else, these slaves would become more and more unmanageable. He was a man who respected the rules and had no sense of historical mission to abolish slavery. Even with the technological level from his previous life, slavery was not abolished until a long time later. The prosperous feudalistic economy at that time was completely supported by slave labor. The last complete abolition of slavery in his previous life dragged until the 20th century. It showed how amazing the power of this system was.
There was a reason for its existence.
Although it might not have been a good thing, slavery could not be contested at present, because many Godly Temples still supported slavery.
Fresh blood kept trickling down.
The two indigenous slaves, who had been nailed to the cross, had begun to breathe faintly. Their first shrill screams had changed, and now, they were almost hoarse. But the whole process was not over yet. The blood would gradually coagulate because it was not a fatal wound, they still needed to be exposed to the sun for a period of time before they eventually died. The sentence would not end with their death. After their death, their corpses would still be nailed to the cross. Then, the smell of blood would attract many scavenging animals, such as crows.
In the end.
The crows would start feasting on the corpse until only the skeletons were left!
The procedure of this sentence would last for a week. It mainly depended on the number of crows attracted and the mood of the master who ordered the sentence.
Some of the slaves below were already terrified!
Just like that, the two indigenous people were bloodied crucified and erected in front of them. Next, the pirates began to shout and command them to work. Because of the live demonstration, the slaves worked very hard. They stopped occasionally to look at the two nailed to the stake. Sadness would fill their eyes.
However, others were gloating. After all, half of the slaves were indigenous and half were mainlanders. Only the indigenous people would want to escape because the Overseas Islands was where they originally lived in. But the mainland slaves would never want to escape because they could not survive.
If it was not for the scarcity of mainland slaves and the relatively high price of docility, Soran wanted more.
“Older brother?”
Vivian’s figure appeared not too far away. The little girl wore a black princess skirt. She raised her hand and rubbed the corner of her eyes. Then she said: “What just happened? I think I heard someone screaming!”
The little girl slept for a very long time yesterday.
Recently, she seemed to be very sleepy. But at present, she did not know why. Even Soran was not very sure.
However, Vivian was currently in a normal state, and her physical condition was also very good. Something more obvious was that she was much stronger than before. Currently, she had the strength that was nearly a twelve to thirteen years old teenager.
Maybe it was because the little girl was going through puberty.
Soran felt that she was about a centimeter or two taller than she used to be. She might have been a little taller than Aladdin now.
But Aladdin was really short!
Vivian seemed to have just woken up. She rubbed the corner of her eyes in a daze. Then she blinked and looked around. When she heard the explanation of what had just happened from the subordinate next to her, she could not help but pout and said seriously: “That should be the case! As my brother’s personal property, they dare to escape? They should be nailed to death! ”
“Let’s see if dare they run away next time!”
Soran was a little worried at first. That she, who was naturally kind-hearted, would reject this sort of sentencing, but hearing what the little girl said made Soran smile.
This was his Vivian!
The little girl who said, “If you killed, I would set fire for you.”
Kindness could not solve problems.
At least—most of the time, kindness could not solve problems, and would only make things worse.
Soran couldn’t be kind right now.
On the Overseas Islands, people were treading on thin ice. There were many dangers and countless troubles ahead. He would never allow his slaves to cause trouble for him.
Vivian seemed to be very brave today!
She raised her hands to straighten out her beautiful black princess skirt, and then tied her hair into a pair of ponytails. At times a single ponytail, at times double. The little girl seemed to have a good time playing. She tilted her head and looked at the two bloody indigenous slaves nailed to the stake. Then she turned around to see the other busy slaves. Two of them knelt immediately after seeing her, and kowtowed with an excited expression, they seemed to be the two guys whom she had helped cured with magic.
The little girl nodded rather demurely, looking down on them like a noble princess and said, “Work hard!”
“I remember my brother saying it before. As long as you guys work hard, some of you would be given your freedom. Brother’s words always count. I believe you will be free soon!”