The stealth capabilities of the dagger surprised William. Since it left no trace of mana, Jonas couldn’t sense it. William easily boarded the carriage, the dagger hidden securely behind his back.

03 and the other slaves were unaware of the dagger or the mission Travis had assigned to William. William had no intention of telling them—this was a matter between him and Travis, and he didn’t want anyone interfering.

Once everyone was inside the carriages, they set off.

Unlike the flying carriages they had used before, these were ordinary ones, pulled by large, white-furred wolves capable of enduring the harsh cold weather.

“Do you know where we’re going?” 03 asked William.

William gazed out the window at the tall trees and the snow falling from the sky. “No idea,” he replied, “but I doubt it’s too far. Otherwise, we’d be using a different mode of transportation.”

One of Jonas’ employees was also in the carriage with them—a gardener. Unlike most of Jonas’ staff, this man wasn’t arrogant when speaking to William. In fact, he was quite friendly.

“I believe we’re visiting a noble family not far from here,” the gardener said. “One of the families that attended the dinner recently. Apparently, Jonas is lending a hand with some work in exchange for something.”

Essentially, Jonas was using the slaves to perform heavy labor for the noble family in return for some benefit. This didn’t surprise William at all. What did surprise him was how long it had taken for something like this to happen.

“I see,” William said. “Thank you for the information.”

“It was nothing.”

Their exchange was brief, but William already viewed the gardener in a positive light—at least for the time being.

William continued to look out the window, taking in the beautiful scenery. The sound of birds brought a sense of peace to his heart, and the scent of nature rejuvenated his soul. He savored every moment of the journey, knowing it might be a while before he left the mansion again.

Two days passed. During this time, William spotted the guard he needed to interrogate. He saw him when they stopped to camp for the night.

The guard was in another carriage and didn’t leave the campsite, so William didn’t get a chance to approach him.

‘How should I handle this…’

The mission Travis had given him was proving more difficult than he’d anticipated. He would have to kill the guard—otherwise, Jonas would find out. And killing someone without using magic was a significant challenge.

More days passed, and William still hadn’t found an opportunity. They eventually arrived at a mansion belonging to the noble family that had hired Jonas’ services.

This mansion was smaller than Jonas’, and the number of workers there was also limited. That was one of the reasons they had sought Jonas’ help.

“Jonas! Welcome, welcome!” an old, chubby man greeted them at the front gate. “I see you’ve brought the strong men for the heavy work. Wonderful!”

03, standing beside William, muttered under his breath, “Heavy work again. When do we get a vacation?”

Deep down, they all knew a vacation was out of the question. Such luxuries weren’t meant for slaves like them.

Jonas and the chubby noble exchanged pleasantries—the usual insincere compliments between people who secretly disliked each other. William listened carefully, trying to understand the reason for their visit.

When he finally learned the purpose, it wasn’t what he had expected. Apparently, the noble wanted help building a new structure on his estate—a place where he could host fights for other nobles to bet on, like a coliseum.

After speaking with the noble, Jonas addressed William and the other slaves. “You won’t just be helping him build this place. You’ll also be the first fighters to participate. I’ll be betting heavily on you, so I need you to win.”

William couldn’t believe it. He had expected to do some heavy lifting and then return, but now he was being told he would participate in fights—and Jonas would be betting on them?

“The construction work will start tomorrow. For now, we’ll rest,” Jonas announced.

He led everyone into the mansion, where the chubby noble had prepared rooms for them.

To William’s surprise, the accommodations were decent, and the treatment he received was completely different from what he was used to.

The manor’s staff treated him well, providing food and tending to his needs. Even 03, who was accustomed to being treated poorly, was taken aback.

“Why are they being so nice?” 03 asked.

“Probably because Jonas asked for it,” William speculated. “He wants to bet on us in the fights, so he needs us to be in good condition to win. I think he’ll keep treating us well as long as we keep winning.”

It was just a guess, but to William, it made the most sense.

For the rest of the day, they rested and ate well. The guard William needed to interrogate was sleeping in one of the rooms nearby, but he rarely left and was never alone or in a secluded place.

As a result, William still hadn’t found an opportunity to act.

The next day, William left the dagger hidden under his bed and met Jonas outside.

“This is where we’ll be working—or rather, where you’ll be working. I’ll just be here to make sure you’re doing your job,” Jonas said.

The new building was to be constructed next to the manor. It was designed as a large structure with seating for wealthy spectators to enjoy drinks and watch the fights. The chubby noble presented the project to William and the others.

“We have professionals who will handle most of the construction, as I assume you lack the expertise. But I need you to help carry the heavy materials and ensure this project moves quickly. Understood?” the chubby noble said.

Everyone nodded in agreement, largely because Jonas was glaring at them with a look that clearly said, You’d better agree, or there will be consequences.

The heavy work the chubby noble had mentioned? It was truly heavy.

William and the other slaves were tasked with carrying massive logs, stones, and other materials that ordinary people would never attempt to move without assistance.

The chubby noble and Jonas watched everything unfold. “You said your slaves were strong, but I wasn’t expecting this. And they’re not even using mana?” the chubby noble remarked. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

“Indeed. Impressive, right? I’m quite pleased with my purchase,” Jonas replied.

“Can you show me where you buy them someday?”

“Of course.”

William could hear them talking about the slaves as if they were mere assets to be bought at an auction. And, unfortunately, it wasn’t far from the truth.

He spent the entire day doing backbreaking labor. The only silver linings were the breaks the chubby noble allowed and the decent food provided.

It wasn’t just the slaves who were working. The other workers who had come with them were also contributing, though their tasks weren’t as physically demanding as William’s.

This kind of work wasn’t for everyone. Some had the strength to handle it; others didn’t.

03 was in a foul mood. “We were already doing heavy, boring work in the mines, and now we have to do this, which is even harder? Damn it.”

“At least we’re out in the open, breathing fresh air, and it’s not too hot,” William pointed out.

“Yeah, there’s that. But still, this sucks.”

Jonas noticed the two talking and called out, “Is something wrong?”

“No, sir,” they replied in unison.

“Good.”

They both rolled their eyes and returned to their grueling work.

A week passed. During that time, they spent most of their days laboring to complete the project as quickly as possible, and their efforts were paying off.

The construction was halfway done, with just one more week to go.

Finally, William found an opportunity to interrogate the guard.

The opportunity William had been waiting for finally arrived—the guard was alone for the first time. The guard had left the mansion and ventured into the forest.

William seized the chance to follow him. He slipped out of the mansion, clutching the dagger Travis had given him.

The guard had gone into the forest to do something unusual: he was drinking a strange potion.

‘Is he using drugs or something?’ William wondered.

The liquid in the flask looked odd, and the guard’s behavior seemed altered after drinking it. William could only assume it was some kind of drug, especially since the man was consuming it in the middle of the forest, away from prying eyes.

‘This is my chance to act.’

William knew he might never get another opportunity like this, so he had to make the most of it. With the dagger in hand, he crept toward the guard.

His movements were silent, and the guard didn’t notice his presence. Thanks to the seal on his body, William had no mana for the guard to sense—a rare advantage that worked in his favor this time.

In one swift motion, William grabbed the guard from behind and pressed the dagger to his neck.

The blade was sharp, and when William applied a bit of pressure, it left a small cut on the guard’s neck.

“Who are you?” the guard demanded, his voice tense.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep