Chapter 32: 30 – [Aftermath]

I stood on my raised platform before a crowd of confused humans and beast-people, most are being healed by the mages brought with the Novarus And Traisanian armies. Their slave collars had been removed a few short hours ago as my men sorted through the Empire's former military men to determine who was a willing enlisted officer with possible war crimes and who was just a recruit or other similar member without power and placing them in their proper holding areas. The nobles had already mostly surrendered when we delivered the final coffin nail that was the Emperor's signed treaty. The few nobles that insisted on rebelling were currently being dragged from their manors or villas by my elite golem units, probably rather concussed due to the rough nature of a stone man beating you into submission while ignoring most of the attacks from your guards.

"How many are estimated to have no place of return currently, Oswallt?" I sigh slightly as the man behind me shuffles some paperwork on his hastily assembled desk.

"Based on the frequency of reports from the slaves questioned so far, we are predicting that roughly one-fifth of the beast-people and one-seventh of the humans have no home to return to. Roughly 15,000 people, all told. The Empire's slave corps were incentivized to remove most of the unsellable 'products' while making the attack seem like banditry to the common observer, so villages rarely survived the raids. A large number of these people were likely captured while traveling or through some other small-time kidnapping operation as opposed to a village raid, since that was uncommon to avoid undue suspicion."

I nod and glance at the chained and caged nobles still clamoring for dignified treatment not far away. "Send notice ahead to have the city prepare, we will host those without a specific home to return to while their countries locate distant family or available housing in their cities. Our mages should be able to assemble some decent dorms and supply offices in the fields just beyond our gates for temporary relief. Also, make sure the various departments of state are ready with logistics for food and daily needs for the refugees. They may as well also prepare for increased immigration requests ahead of time since I will be announcing that any skilled worker without a home can choose to immigrate, with their families, instead of wait for their country to find a place for them. We could use the increased labor in the more mundane sectors of business since most of us prefer the more eccentric jobs and hobbies..." I scratch my chin through my beard and sigh again as I consider a possible recruitment drive with Traisan since most of my people aren't the types to do normal things like wait tables or clean inns without significant liquid benefits.

---

My gaze wanders across the report in my hand as I sit behind my desk at home. It has been a month since we returned from the campaign, the other nations are still dealing with their negotiations for who gets how much of the former Empire while they reintroduce the freed slaves back into normal life. The numbers were a bit on the large side as far as estimates go, we only ended up with a little over 12,500 people to house and supply while their countries sorted out more permanent resolutions to their housing and reintroduction. The report I was currently skimming contained a rundown of the current immigration numbers regarding requested and approved cases, most were able to get through since we weren't overly nationalistic or xenophobic and few slaves had a criminal or dark past that would cause for worry. Most were families that were raised in generational slavery and hadn't known their ancestor's country of origin as it turns out. I chuckled a bit at a portion of the report listing a few families by name as having been processed with priority for having smithing or brewing techniques in their family lineage, my people would of course treat these families as special since we didn't have much in the way of history behind our work and good work lasting through generations is something we desire strongly.

A knock on the door of my office pulled me away from the numbers on the supply situation for the refugees outside. "Enter." I say calmly as I glance over my reading glasses towards the entrant, of course, it was Oswallt with his usual stack of new things. Sighing lightly I remove my spectacles and take a sip from my glass while he informs me of some upcoming meetings I have with a few department heads and merchant suppliers.

"By the way sir, a few of the displaced imperial nobles have been extra noisy these past few days regarding the 'barbaric imprisonment' and 'shameful delay' in processing their court cases. What do you suggest we do?"

I hum to myself as I consider briefly, "The trials are slowed with Traisan and Novarus focused on readjusting their citizenry, and I certainly am not going to select more staff to speed up the effort for these 'nobles'. However, make note of those that cooperate or provide information on their cohorts. Give them slightly improved quarters, also focus on processing the less heinous criminal cases first so we can reduce the warden's workload quickly. They are beginning to ask for bonus liquor rations in response to the annoyances."

You are reading story The beginnings of the Dwarven King at novel35.com

You can find story with these keywords: The beginnings of the Dwarven King, Read The beginnings of the Dwarven King, The beginnings of the Dwarven King novel, The beginnings of the Dwarven King book, The beginnings of the Dwarven King story, The beginnings of the Dwarven King full, The beginnings of the Dwarven King Latest Chapter