[Well, the core in my chest says it best: free them all and destroy this place from the ground up,] Pegasoar answered first. [But I am biased given my nature.]

[I get that feeling too, but freedom doesn't always mean a path to happiness,] Rail Horn retorted. [You can't take a domesticated sheep and let them run wild in a pasture, expecting them to be able to survive and thrive in such conditions. Humans are kind of the same thing. You can't take a herdsman and expected them to know how to fish in a day.]

'Huh… sounds like to me that they just need a chance and a…hmmm. I have an idea… Logos, Pathos, is it possible to use the ring to transcribe text ontostone tablets or something like that?'

Yes, and may I say, love the choice of being aesthetic about this whole thing.

=We actually do have a list of aether formulas that can be transcribed onto stone tablets. Although, I think I saw that Dante kept a stockpile of paper somewhere earlier.=

'Excellent.'

...

When the newly freed slaves of the mines made their pitch, it wasn't exactly unanimous.

Some of the people, especially the ones who were trapped in nightmare cocoons for the past few years, were actually hesitant about swearing their loyalty to some other random warrior who was calling themselves "Kaijin Lord".

Just because they understood that Dante was a fake, doesn't mean that they would easily follow someone who claimed that they were authentic.

Especially if it turned out that the genuine article was worse than the faker.

However, these fears were soon dispelled when the Kaijin Lord made an unexpected move.

[Hmmm....ah. There they are.]

^Huh?^

The Kaijin Lord did a quick sweep of his surroundings until his attention was drawn to the pile of common and worthless stones that the miners would regularly need to haul out in order to gain access to more the valuable ores and minerals in the mine tunnels.

With measured stride, the Kaijin Lord walked over to the pile and picked up a stone the size of a watermelon, much to the confusion of the freemen.

"What is he doing?"

^I truly don't know.^

Wait, is anyone else sensing all of that energy build up?

It took the people a couple of moments to realize that the Kaijin Lord didn't walk over to the pile of stones for no reason whatsoever, rather, he was doing so because he had something in mind.

In that moment, the doubters speculated he was about to show how he could create Kaijin not from twisted beasts but from the very earth itself, and that these new ones were going to be their tormenters from now on.

But what actually happened threw them all for a loop and then some.

[Ha!]

Crack!

"What?"

With a surge of energy, the Kaijin Lord has transformed the boulder into a stone tablet, complete with embellishments and infused with tightly condensed aether.

Any aether warrior worth their salt recognized that this tablet was actually a transcribed aether formula and a powerful one at that.

The more knowledgeable warriors knew, that if they were to put this formula up for auction, they would be able to buy out these mines several times over.

"Is...is he showcasing how little the treasures of these mines mean to him since he could do something like that?"

^I don't think that's the case...^

~Wait...why is he picking up more stones?~

This simple act of transcription alone was mind blowing to most due to how it took them zero effort to create such a valuable item. Seeing the Kaijin Lord do this again, several times over and with aether arts mixed in as well, was mind shattering.

By the time the Kaijin Lord was done with his task, there were over a dozen or so tablets, sitting on the ground, each containing knowledge that was well worth their weight in gold and then some.

[Now then...ah. Here we are.]

Picking up one of the tablets, he walked over to the freedman who spoke for the others about swearing loyalty to him. He then handed the stone tablet to the man, much to the latter's bewilderment.

Especially when, after looking over it, saw that it was a formula that was practically tailormade for his existence.

To say he was shocked would be an understatement and a half.

^My Lord, what are you...^

[I did not overthrow the false Lord here, just to simply make you all my slaves and servants instead,] the Kaijin Lord explained himself. [You can see that I am already able to create such warriors, you can see that my Kaijin are much more loyal than his was.]

To add emphasis to their creator's words, Blazejudicator, Nepherage, and Razorstella all immediately struck poses while summoning their respective apprentice zakos to accompany them.

This sudden display startled the surrounding civilians, but didn't shock them.

They were still reeling over the sudden appearance of all of these formulas and aether arts.

[So instead of simply accepting your loyalty and staying that you're all free to just leave and do as you wosh, I am instead offering you all something much more vaulable: the ability to choose.]

"The ability to...choose?"

^What?^

With a wave of his hands, the tablets on the ground began to float in the air before flying towards several empty caverns and embedding themselves in the walls and ceilings.

The moment they were locked in place, the aura of those caverns transformed and took on entirely new meanings.

They had become trial chambers, places where hopeful warriors would enter to prove themselves worthy of whatever formula or aether art rested inside.

[If you desire the ability to simply live and work by staying here at the mines under my protection, then let it be so. As long as you are here, I and my kin will make sure that you are protected, fed and you'll be able to make a living selling whatever ores and minerals you manage to dig up from these accursed lands,] the Kaijin Lord first declared to the relief of the leader and those who supported his initiative of swearing loyalty.

[But...if there ever comes a day you think you no longer need my protection, or there comes a day where you feel as if you desire greener pastures, you are free to do so as well. I simply insist that you learn from one of these tablets before doing so and that if you were to ever come across pieces of knowledge that could benefit your friends and families here at the mines, that you figure out a way to send it back.The world is dangerous, and it's only be working together that we have a chance of surviving it.]

"..."

The freedmen who were doubtful about swearing loyalty to the true Kaijin Lord were stunned at this offer, to say the least.

They were fully expecting to be told that they would be killed to worse if they didn't offer their complete loyalty to the man, and were more than ready to die for the sake of being truly free.

The fact that wasn't the case, and in fact, that they were being offered a way to not only leave but even go beyond their circumstances was...amazing to them.

This level of knowledge, this measure of power was only meant for those of high born noble blood, or those who were part of supreme sects that demanded absolute loyalty.

In the face of such opportunity, these warriors couldn't help but to quietly weep tears of joy.

It was now, with sincerity, that they could say the following.

"All hail the Kaijin Lord!"

"I swear to follow you even in death!"

"Hell, following him probably means death won't even able to touch us in the slightest!"

...

'Huh...good to see my proposal was accepted with such fervor and fanfare," Zhen Liu quietly commented to his kaijin as he took in the cheers. "I figured there would be more issues."

[To be fair, milord, you gave them back an ability that was taken away from them from the moment they were brought to this shitty mine,] Nepherage pointed out. [Ah, it's our mine now so we should probably stop calling it a shitty place...]

[Well, we need to change the name first,] Blazejudicator pointed out. [The Mines of Malevolence doesn't exactly ring confidence, hope, and choice.]

[Do you want us to come up with something, director?] Razorstella offered. [Because I can think of a couple dozen names that might fit this place a whole lot better.]

'I think I have an idea in mind,but I would rather save that until later' Zhen Liu stated. 'For now, let's gather what we need and recall the others. Hopefully, they didn't get into much trouble on their own.'

...Meanwhile...

[Hmmm. Do you think this is worth anything, PD?]

[I think so, CD. It's radiating a lot of cursed energy though.]

[What about this?]

[I think that's a rabbit's foot, so yes.]

[Yay!]