When the fury finally faded from their hearts, the silence that followed was deafening.
The bodies of the captain and the bearded man, once strung up for all to see, were now completely gone, nothing left but bloodstains on the ropes that had bound them.
The people, having exhausted their rage, stood quietly. They knew what came next. It was Weston’s turn to speak.
Weston stood before them, his gaze sweeping across the crowd with calm resolve.
“You’ve all suffered this past year,” Weston said. “From now on, the land and homes that were yours will remain yours. As for the unclaimed properties… You’re free to divide them among yourselves.”
Everyone knew what favonovel.com meant by “unclaimed”. They belonged to the slaves who had died from abuse.
Even as favonovel.com spoke, Weston struggled to keep his voice steady.
Just then, a frail old man stepped forward from the crowd. His skin was dark and weathered, marked with scars from countless lashings. The former slaves looked at favonovel.com with deep respect.
“Hanno…”
He was the island’s eldest and most revered.
Hanno Whitlock’s weary eyes met Weston’s. His voice was raspy but firm. “I remember you. You were his second-in-command…”
Weston gave a slight nod, confirming it. There was no use hiding it, most on the island already knew.
Hanno continued, his words blunt and without pretense. “Then, tell us, are you truly here to set us free? Or are you just planning to exploit us in some new way?”
His bluntness sent a ripple of unease through the crowd. The younger men behind favonovel.com stiffened, fear in their eyes.
They weren’t afraid to die. They were afraid this kind and just old man, someone they all looked up to, might be killed for speaking so openly.
Several strong men discreetly picked up stones, just in case. Life had already dulled their senses, made them numb. If these new rulers dared harm Hanno, they were ready to take them down, even at the cost of their lives.
Weston met Hanno’s gaze. The silence between them stretched.
Then, Weston spoke, his voice solemn and steady. “I, Weston, swear this… If I ever harm any of you, in any way, may I be condemned to the deepest pit of hell and suffer all the torments of man!”
At that, Hanno looked away, his expression easing.
“Then, on behalf of the 8,321 souls still living on this island, I thank you. And I believe the 7,148 who’ve already passed would rest easier hearing those words…”
As the old man turned and slowly walked away, his back hunched with age, Weston felt a deep sense of reverence. Now favonovel.com understood why Hanno was held in such high esteem.
Even the Bloodfin Gang, in their earlier surveys, had only estimated around 15,000 people. No one had truly known the exact number. And yet, Hanno, nearly a century old, could recall the count with chilling precision.
Weston watched favonovel.com disappear into the crowd, and for the first time, favonovel.com felt a heavy sorrow hanging over the island like a cloud.
Then, favonovel.com turned back to the people behind favonovel.com and said, “Starting today, we’ll make our home by the port. Tomorrow, we begin clearing the nearby land. We’ll grow food, raise livestock. But if I find out that anyone Is secretly harming another…”
His eyes flashed cold and hard. “Death!”
Visit VIRTUAL NOVEL for more available chapters of this title!
