The Regressed Princess - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Removing Generals Before the Battle

“Would you please show me around the neighborhood?” The girl approached gracefully atop her white horse.

The noble girl was as beautiful as a fawn in the forest, but Meg only felt her heart stop as cold sweat poured down her face.

What to do, what to do! Our seamless plan is about to crack open!

She turned her head stiffly, squeezing out a smile that looked more painful than crying: “Haha… My Lord… it would be my honor.”

Meg certainly wouldn’t refuse Eleanor’s “request”; she knew the layout of this market better than anyone.

The locks, the secret doors, the underground passages… even the traders had paths they weren’t familiar with. Only Meg, who had intended to lead everyone’s escape from the very beginning, had painstakingly mapped out every detail.

Meg was different from mountain folk like Salin, who were violently captured by slave-hunting teams. She had, in a sense, grown up in this stagnant, dead-water environment from the start.

She was a little slave born to a slave, a piece of merchandise since childhood.

She led the little princess and the silent guards behind her through the market with ease.

The route she chose allowed for a clear view of every cage in the vicinity without needing to go deep inside. This was to prevent any fresh filth from accidentally staining the noble’s skirt even if the Princess didn’t necessarily intend to dismount.

Even a “natural commodity” like Meg possessed a yearning for freedom.

When she grew into a sharp-eyed youth, she immediately chose to join the ranks of the battle-slaves, using her naturally strong physique to strive for precious liberty.

Meg longed to walk a grand path, ideally earning enough money to even have a happy, successful family.

However, such a common yet luxurious dream was quickly shattered.

Meg was smart and “had connections.” She discovered a truth earlier than other slaves: the freedom they wanted could only be the freedom the slave owners were willing to bestow upon them.

It wasn’t the most capable fighters or the most hardworking slaves who were released first.

And those who did receive a pardon often “freely” chose to continue serving their new masters after “regaining their freedom.”

Why! Must we stay like this for the rest of our lives?

Meg was unwilling to accept this but had no recourse—until another group of people slowly gathered around her.

She could no longer remember who started it. Perhaps it was Salin, perhaps a persistent companion, or perhaps it was herself.

In short, a group of slaves who had met on battlefields and training grounds quietly broke through the restrictions of masters, regions, and nations. Through various exchanges, they tacitly confirmed each other’s intentions.

We want freedom. Real freedom.

This task was too difficult for one person, so they decided to work together.

They set the time and place for an interval between wars, in a large city with a sprawling network of roads.

As time passed, the target gradually narrowed down to the Nolana Royal Capital a very suitable area.

According to the original plan, they would rise up in the evening, aiming to only harm the slave owners and the “lapdogs” who refused to join them.

Then, they would split into two groups. The majority would coordinate with the slave legions stationed outside to attack the city gates from both sides and leave quickly.

The minority the injured, the elderly, or those with limited mobility—would leave through tunnels built by the merchants, escaping in different directions outside the city to draw away pursuers for one another.

They weren’t foolish enough to attack the Nolana Palace; running from the inside out meant they only had to deal with the City Guard and noble private armies for a short time.

In Meg’s view, slave owners, officials, and they themselves were all human. Humans had a natural instinct to fear their superiors.

The officials would surely want to suppress the news, trying to put down the rebellion themselves first to reduce the blame for poor oversight.

If any slaves successfully escaped, the officials might even actively pressure the slave owners to keep their mouths shut, lest any rumors leak out!

This line of thought was comforting, but as the moment approached, everyone was still uneasy: Would some accident happen?

Now, there was no need to worry about that.

“My Lord, look, these iron cages contain some dangerous slaves,” Meg said with a fawning smile, attempting to lead the Princess toward the central display area.

One must understand that the slaves planning to flee were actively preparing in various spots. If one or two key nodes were stumbled upon, heaven knew how to fix it.

Furthermore, the Princess’s presence itself was a massive threat. If the Princess were to encounter danger, no official no matter how powerful could cover it up. They would have to crawl to the palace and kowtow until their heads bled.

When that happened, the army would pounce like a pack of wolves. Everyone would die and die miserably, flattened into the ground until they couldn’t even be scraped off.

Just realizing this could make the group give up entirely.

Meg secretly clenched her fist.

She really didn’t want to choose to give up at the final hurdle; no one could be reconciled to that.

But she had to find a chance to get the word out and discuss with all the squad leaders before noon: Are we doing this, or not?

“Wow, she’s so tall.”

The little princess let out an exclamation nearby. Meg hurried to play along: “Yes, yes, the slaves here are all top-quality…”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she bit her lip: wasn’t the tall one attracting the most attention in the display area Salin?!

Meg stared nervously at the Princess’s face, praying wildly in her heart.

Please, whatever you do, don’t buy Salin. We’re about to rebel; what are you doing buying the leader!

“Hey” Things seemed to be heading in an even worse direction.

The little princess was very interested in the tall giant. With a “hey,” she hopped off her horse and walked around the cage.

Eleanor poked the cage with her finger and asked curiously, “What is your name?”

“Salin.”

The giant sitting in the cage looked up.

She had initially intended to act wild and untamed, slamming the cage to scare off the meddling customer. However, the girl before her had eyes that were clear… and not at all dislikeable.

“Good, I’ve noted it.” Eleanor smiled slightly as she watched the purple text gradually solidify above Salin’s head. After missing it twice, she finally saw the name clearly.

She turned toward the area filled with tents and raised her voice: “I want to ransom this person. Name a price!”

Ah.

Salin and Meg exchanged stunned glances: She didn’t even give us a chance to put on an act. Is she really this willful?

Meg quickly put on her “lapdog” smile and walked to Eleanor’s side to persuade her: “My Lord, this slave is coarse and stupid, and hasn’t been properly trained ugh?!”

Crack!

A whip lashed out from behind, viciously striking Meg on the shoulder.

“Get back!” A scarred elder walked over. She had delivered the whip personally, striking so fast and hard that she even hurt her own hand.

The strong thugs following the elder didn’t dare approach; they stood in the corner with their heads bowed like frightened chicks.

Scarface Doni barked Meg away and came to a halt a few steps from the little princess.

Even though the noble girls unsheathed their swords and pointed them at her, she didn’t show a hint of dissatisfaction, maintaining a completely submissive posture.

“My Lord.”

Doni knew her face was hideous, so she didn’t smile. She spoke very gently: “Everything here belongs to the Great King—and to you. No matter what you desire, we will ensure its best side is brought out.”

Scarface Doni.

When she saw this elder, Eleanor’s gaze was complex for a fleeting moment.

She certainly knew Doni, the owner of the largest slave legion in Nolana.

This person was less a slave trader and more like a mercenary commander who didn’t treat her members like people. She handled the slave business simply because it was more convenient to screen for combat talent through it.

Eleanor didn’t like her, nor did she like any slave trader.

However, in her previous life, she and this commander had indeed established a long-term cooperative relationship.

The reason was simple: as a warmonger, Doni was incredibly useful.

The previous Eleanor had many followers who could serve as officers, so she purchased and accepted many excellent veterans from Doni.

And Andra went without saying before she completely ruled Hetuya, she relied heavily on Enlin and the manpower from the slave legion.

Doni was blind in one eye, but her vision was incredibly sharp.

Like others, she saw the extraordinary nature of the two lovers at a glance. She very generously placed her bets early and submitted completely after Andra’s string of victories.

After submitting, Doni didn’t slack off. She keenly sensed the change in the wind: Angi (Eleanor) detested the existence of slavery, and Anya’s (Andra) powerful rule allowed her to forcibly implement decisions that “didn’t quite fit the era.”

Thus, the aging Doni retired at the peak of her success, becoming the only major slave owner to completely extricate herself before the storm arrived.

Not only did she proactively disband all her legions and unconditionally release all her “merchandise,” but she also encouraged her friends to follow suit.

This powerful support accelerated the collapse of the domestic slave system, which was a significant help to Eleanor.

And Eleanor’s second connection to Doni lay in Doni’s young daughter, Elsa.

She was a very, very lovely young woman.

She and little Elsa had met seven years later during the internal strife in the Royal Capital.

She hadn’t fled early with Doni; instead, she moved against the crowd to find her and Andra.

The girl’s long hair danced in the wild wind as she rode a flame-colored stallion, shouting loudly: “Your Highness, I want to go with you.”

After she had charged out with them, Eleanor seriously asked Elsa why she had done it, since they were essentially strangers.

Little Elsa’s initial answer was very solemn.

“I saw Your Highness and Lord Andra years ago. At that time, I felt a sense of longing… The two of you are like people out of myths. I want to be part of the legend!”

It wasn’t until much, much later that the no-longer-young woman whispered by her sickly bedside.

“Sister, you were the first person I ever saw who was unwilling to whip slaves or scold commoners, yet could make them treat you with their whole hearts. So, I was once very curious.”

“Are you still curious now?” Angi on the bed endured a cough and gently stroked her forehead.

In a nation where slavery had already perished, the former beneficiary smiled and shook her head.

Even just imagining Elsa’s former smile made Eleanor return the expression, which allowed the Doni in front of her to breathe a sigh of relief.

The little princess walked to the cage and patted it. “Good. Then, how much must I pay to ransom her?”

Doni didn’t offer her for free; instead, she quoted a very favorable price: “100 gold coins will be sufficient.”

100 gold coins could buy ten adult slaves; for a noble-blooded “giantess,” it was naturally far from enough. This was Doni’s unabashed attempt to curry favor.

Eleanor nodded. “Alright. My mother just gifted me a large estate~ I am short of many hands here. We can go into the tent to have a good talk. As for her… find someone to send her outside first. My people will watch over her.”

“Yes.” Doni walked respectfully in front.

Eleanor watched her back, silently calculating her next move.

Judging by the results of her previous life, Doni lived for a very long time, which suggests that today’s events were likely settled quickly because of her.

Now that I have sent Salin away early and indirectly controlled Doni… where will the progress of events lead?

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