Before coming to the slave market, Kaen Eowenríel had already considered all possible scenarios—and drawn up numerous plans.
If Bree was worthy of aid, Kaen would help him seize the position of Lord, in exchange for his loyalty.
If Bree proved unworthy, then Kaen would purchase the soldiers who had been reduced to slaves, recruit more men, and leave the village behind.
Clearly, Bree—a man of integrity, harboring defiance in his heart—was worth helping.
So Kaen decided to support him in becoming the new Lord and take control of the entire town.
That way, when Kaen stationed himself in the Troll-woods in the future, he wouldn't need to worry about supplies or reinforcements. He could focus entirely on training troops and waging war against the Orc-infested forest.
But for now, as Bree said, his older brother—Brill—commanded a force of three hundred.
They had just over a hundred people—and no weapons or armor.
Under such circumstances, Kaen resolved to seek help from beyond.
He would turn to the Elves of Rivendell.
Of course, the Elves would never interfere in the internal power struggles of Men.
So Kaen needed to give them a reason.
He planned to lure in an Orc warband. Using the pretext of an Orc invasion of Azure spring, he would send someone to Rivendell to request Elven reinforcements.
Elrond, Lord of Rivendell and member of the White Council, would not stand idly by while Orcs threatened a Free Folk town. Without doubt, he would dispatch soldiers to assist.
Before the Elves arrived, Brill would surely lead his forces to defend against the Orcs, leaving the town's inner defenses thin.
That would be their moment.
Kaen and his allies could strike, seize the castle, and arm themselves.
From there, with enemies both outside and within, they could first coordinate with the Orcs to eliminate the current lord—then work with the Elves to defeat the Orcs. It was a classic case of driving out the wolves to swallow the tigers.
Kaen laid out the entire plan before the others.
For several seconds, silence fell. Then their eyes lit up with awe and astonishment.
Even the normally reticent Balord couldn't help but marvel at the brilliance—and boldness—of the strategy.
Only Bree quickly regained his composure.
He looked directly at Kaen and asked,
"Milord, if you are willing to help us so much… what price must we pay?"
There are no pies that fall from the sky. Every kindness has a cost, written in invisible ink.
Kaen's help was no exception.
He met Bree's gaze and said calmly,
"Loyalty. And land. I require the Brut family's full allegiance. From this day forth, this town will belong to me. Your family will continue to govern it—but as administrators, not lords."
"Administrators, hmm…"
Bree murmured, the weight of the word quickly sinking in.
The administrators of Azure Spring… not its rightful owners.
It meant that if the plan succeeded, then Azure Spring would no longer be part of the Brut family's domain.
It would belong to Kaen, with their line retaining stewardship only through his favor.
This would rewrite his family's future. From then on, only by remaining loyal to Kaen could they preserve what they had.
Bree struggled internally.
After a long pause, he asked,
"And if I refuse?"
Kaen's voice remained calm.
"Without you, I'll still buy those soldiers. The plan will still move forward. There just won't be a Brut family involved. You know full well—they haven't sworn loyalty to you."
His tone was mild, but the coldness beneath it sent a chill through everyone in the room. A few even shivered involuntarily.
These soldiers had sworn allegiance to the old lord. With his death, they had not pledged themselves to anyone else.
Opposing the cruel Brill and protecting the kind Bree—these were merely acts of loyalty to a dead master. Everyone present understood that clearly.
Bree realized he had no choice. He took a deep breath, as if steeling himself for a momentous decision, and slowly knelt down.
"I, Bree Brut, hereby swear loyalty to Lord Kaen Eowenríel, from this day forth…"
The soldiers in the nearby cells exchanged looks. Then, one by one, they knelt—every single one of them—and began swearing their allegiance to Kaen as well.
It was clear.
These men weren't following Bree anymore. In their eyes, Kaen was now the only one truly worthy of their loyalty.
"I accept your fealty," Kaen declared solemnly. "And I, as your liege lord, swear to answer your oaths with honor…"
In Middle-earth, an oath was no idle thing.
It might not summon thunder and lightning, but to break a vow was to court doom. Retribution would always follow.
Thus, from the dawn of the world, betrayals of sworn oaths had been few—and almost always ended in ruin.
Having secured their loyalty, Kaen spoke with Balord. Together, they obtained a number of black cloaks and discreetly led ten soldiers out of the dungeon.
Before leaving the slave market, Kaen looked squarely at Balord and said,
"The ones in the cells, and the ones outside… I want all the slaves in your hands. Count the cost. I'll send the money soon."
"Make sure they're well fed. I want meat at every meal for those in the cells. I'll cover the food expenses ten days from now."
"And since you're not joining the coming upheaval, I expect your silence. Swear to me, here and now, that you'll keep all of this secret until it's over."
Balord grimaced bitterly. He knew he had no choice.
Under Kaen's steely gaze, he eventually swore a binding and venomous oath.
Only then did Kaen nod in satisfaction—and depart.
….
Back at the tavern, Kaen didn't waste a moment.
He tossed five gold coins on the counter and booked the entire inn for the next ten days.
Gathering everyone into the largest room, he addressed the ten newly freed slaves.
"I despise treating people as property. Swear yourselves to me now, and your chains will break. From this day forth, you'll live as free folk—my soldiers."
In Middle-earth, once branded a slave, regaining freedom was nearly impossible.
A slave was no more than someone's personal, walking property—no fate, no agency.
But Kaen rejected such a system.
From the very start of his rise, he vowed to abolish it.
The ten slaves, strong and broad-shouldered, were visibly moved. They looked upon Kaen as if he were a god.
Without hesitation, they dropped to their knees and declared their oath:
"We swear—our lives and our bodies belong to you. We shall become your blades, to cut down all who oppose you!"
Just then, the door opened. Gandalf stepped inside—and froze at the scene.
Over twenty people crowded the room. Apart from Kaen, Caden, and Will, ten fierce-looking men were kneeling, eyes gleaming with fervor.
Another ten stood silently, faces serious.
Gandalf opened his mouth. "If I'm not mistaken, the one who orchestrated this gathering… would be you, Lord Kaen."
Kaen grinned. "Old man, you're just in time. I'm about to do something big."
But Gandalf's gaze was solemn as he stepped forward.
"Lord Kaen," he said quietly, "we need to talk—alone."