With the magic of my stew removing their fatigue, they didn't feel sleepy even though it was the middle of the night. I decided that it was foolish to try to hide the item box and just stored everything back in front of them. Except for the clothing chests. I organized the benches in a circle. Just like a classroom.

"Now, could you please do your self-introductions? Just your name and race and how did you end up in slavery is enough."

The silver-haired elf girl begins, "I am Phylauria, a high elf. Our family was attacked by humans and we were made slaves."

Then her brother, "Phaelyn, also a high elf, Phylauria's twin brother."

Dwarf Magic Down boy, "Noornor, a rock dwarf of the sunny mountains. I was sold by my clan."

An elf male with brown skin and pitch black hair, "Ervindal, a wood elf of the whispering forest. We were out hunting and were captured too."

Another elf girl also with wood-bark colored skin and green hair, "Laurel, also from the whispering forest. I was captured with Ervindal but we are not related."

"Savok, dwarf warrior of the Ssteelgrind clan. I was enslaved due to a debt." He lied.

A beastkin boy, "Noah here! I am an ermine-kin. Hunted by humans."

The wolf girl, "Kunissa, wolf-kin. Hunted by humans."

The cat girl, "Allaire, a lynx-kin. I was born to slave parents."

"I'm Korey and I am a coyote-kin. Don't mistake me for a weak wolf! I was defeated in combat but took three humans to their graves before they could capture me." The coyote boy howls more than he bites and earns a glare from Kunissa.

"I am Orseline, battle-maiden of the bear tribe! I sold myself to slavery and intended to escape, but you intervened before I could make my move!" This one is full of pride and will cause trouble with a certain exiled princess with a fluffy tail. And I doubt you could escape from those guards, one day from getting to Colchester.

I wonder how I have never seen slaves in Colchester. I've never asked anyone either.

And a girl with boobs that wouldn't lose even if Marcy and Mercy joined forces, "I'm Azurra of the ox-kin!" I don't even know how she could find clothes that could contain those breasts. Inspecting more closely, it seems she wore a skirt upside down underneath her unbuttoned shirt, and the skirt is working as a bra.

"And once again, I am Beowulf, the Hero. I have several other titles and allegiances, but I will disclose them in another moment."

Phylauria bends forward on her bench and accuses me, "You haven't mentioned your race, sir Beowulf." With a mischievous tone.

"I'm sorry. As you noticed earlier, I have a bit of elven blood." I just make a business smile and hope she drops it.

"Fine. I won't pry."

"Actually, I have a proposal for all of you."

"And what is it?" She swings her feet in front of her.

"I would like to hire you to work for me. Not as slaves, you don't need to worry about your freedom. I will provide housing, wages, proper working hours, clothing and food. If you want to return home or go elsewhere, that can be arranged later too."

The bear-maiden spoke first, "I want to return to the lands of my people!"

The dwarf Savok also raised his hand, "Me too."

"I still expect a service from you. Savok, do you have experience with a furnace and a forge?"

"Yes, I do."

"I want you to help me install in my settlement a smithy for metalworks, a glassblowing shop and a kiln for pottery."

"I can do that. It would require materials though."

"Once these are done, I will take you home."

Orseline tilts her head, "And from this one, what do you require?"

"Can you tell me of the squirrel clan?"

The other beastkins flinch away from her. It seems I touched a really delicate subject.

Orseline foams and stand up. She is more than six feet tall. "Those filthy conniving traitors, cursed be their names! They gave their princess in marriage and then they betray us and assassinate my uncle at the wedding night!"

"I heard that your tribe show their prowess to the bride's family by taking the bride by force from their home, is that true?"

"Yes, it is an honored custom of our tribe! Weak men do not deserve to mate!" And now even if she wanted to stay I'd kick her out.

I address the other recruits, "Does anyone of you have a place you want to return to?"

"We can change our minds later, right?" Asks Noah the ermine-kin.

"Surely. I need you to draw me a map to your places. I'll take you there." I'm glad the two that decided to leave were the two I'd ditch anyway.

In the end, Corey, the two wood elves and Azurra also decided to go home too. All their places are in the north-west portion of the continent.

"Good. You will sleep here tonight. There is no chance of a monster attack or something. Tomorrow I'll take you to your destinations. Here are pelts and blankets. You can share the clothes that are in those chests among yourselves. I have backpacks for everyone. You will be starting off from zero, I can do at least that much."

"You have already done more than we ever dreamed of," Said Allaire, twitching her long cat ears.

"Well, I hope you can dream high because I haven't even started. I'm going to go for a while now. Stay safe."

I teleport to the rest area. Nothing changed but the cage wagon is still there. It can be useful when I decide not to slaughter people I dislike, like Yvonne. Item box, do your job.

And now, I will need to find the beastkin capital. I will cap out Dragon Wings because it won't level up on its own. 40 SP. Soar!

It was a nice night flight. The starry sky above me, the land below. I had no idea how fast I was flying, but it was really fast. I felt like in an airliner. The moon danced over my head as it trailed its eternal path in the night sky. And I saw the lights of the western human town as I trailed north of the Crown Mountains. I set a permanent anchor on a hill cave near the capital of the northern kingdom, Ascot.

From Ascot to the east there was no road, only small trails. I flew south-west over a forest with the tallest trees I've ever seen in this world to discover vast plains on the other side. The forest is home to the elves, and the plains are the domain of the beast-folk.

In these vast and rather featureless plains, it was not hard to find the beast-folk town. A large and chaotic sprawl of houses with the most confusing mix of architectural styles and materials. It had a large castle at the center, almost the same size as the one in Heorot. I used invisibility and scouted for the most dead-end alley I could find. The full moon was almost hiding in the west when I found the best back alley I could hope for. It was L shaped and was cramped between two tall walls of some large warehouse compounds. There were only the night guards in those. I landed on the alley's end and buried a permanent anchor there. From here I could not teleport directly to Mirfield that was on the other end of the continent. I had to go to Colchester and then to Mirfield.

In the party window everyone was sound asleep, so I crashed on a guest room instead of bothering them.

The next morning I greeted the family and we had breakfast together. Azelinus will spend the day with Alvus checking the paperwork and Hilde will bother Sebastian about the management of the manor. Bertramus and Bredda are to care exclusively for Sofia and the usual three will enjoy some free time in town until the time to meet the new recruits.

I went to Strawford and bought some fresh bread and fruit before visiting the recruits. They ate the rest of the invigorating stew with the bread and fruit.

"Now I will prepare the place to take you and come back to take you one by one. But please show me the clothes you picked and didn't fit."

I get my sewing tools and do some quick adjustments to fit the clothes to their new owners. I dismissed the auto enchant offers. I really don't want to let them go with magic items. Too much is too much.

I teleport back to the beast-folk capital and go out on the streets. I need to rent an inn room to put everyone that is leaving in. While walking, I met some hostile glances from the animal-eared-and-tailed residents. I asked for directions and found an inn where I could rent a communal room. Renting a room for a week, I entered it, set an anchor in the room. It also allowed me to test if human coins could be used in the beast-folk nation. No problem.

Now I will need to take them one by one to Colchester, knock them out and wipe their memories of me. From the moment before casting the bubble to being knocked out. We won't meet again anyway. I take the unconscious person to that inn room and set them on the bunk beds. Inside each backpack, I placed a coin pouch with mixed coins worth two gold pieces. I hope the first one to awake doesn't rob the others, but it won't be my problem anymore.

A little before noon I was able to take the six that wanted to go. And now I'm left with the twin elves Phylauria and Phaelyn, the dwarf Noornor, the ermine-boy Noah, the wolf-girl Kunissa, and the lynx-girl Allaire.

"Good. I thank you for putting your faith in me. The other six are safe and sound in Vorkor now. I had to fly the whole night to get there, but it is all right now."

"Going from slaves to helpers of a true hero? No way any of us would miss it," said Kunissa, her tail wagging.

"Now there is one truth that I want to tell you. The reason I rescued you was to keep Noornor out of the hands of those humans. They were going to kill you."

The dwarf boy makes a scared face and jumps backward, "Me? But why? I did nothing! I'm not a criminal!"

"I know and that is why I rescued you. You have a very rare ability, 'Magic Down'. They were going to kill you because of that. I will take you to a safe place where nobody will be able to hurt you. It is my... secret base. You will have to live there and work there. I'm sorry but nowhere else you will be totally safe."

"I think I have no choice... You saved me anyway, and my honor dictates that I should serve you. You have my hammer, Beowulf."

"Thank you Noornor. I will make you into a fine artisan or a warrior if you so desire. For the five of you, I will take you to Mirfield, the town I rule over. There we will find suitable jobs for you. I think you five could all help at the guild as receptionists. After you get used to it, we can expand to other jobs. I have two veteran receptionists there that will help you. Noornor, wait here while I take them to the guild."

I hold hands with the five and we teleport to the anchor room in Mirfield. Straight to the guildmaster office. As usual, Mercy is buried in paperwork. Or parchment work, as paper is too expensive.

"Beowulf, what brings you here?"

"I got five rookie receptionists for you. Can you ask Imayne and Soren train them?"

I let the five people enter the cramped guildmaster room. I think the guild facility should be expanded.

"Welcome, welcome, I am Mercy, the guildmaster. I think I'll have you stay around the back of the counter area and get familiarized with the guild activities. At night after the guild closes, we can have a talk with everyone together. Is that acceptable?"

The five of them nod and I excuse myself, "Mercy, I have another recruit I need to take to the hill. I'll come after your meeting to pick the two part-timers."

"I really didn't want to part with them, but I guess there is no choice."

"Indeed, there is no choice. I just got you, seven receptionists, make do with them. I'm going out for the evening."

I need to get the usual three and go with them to receive Noornor at the Hill.