Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

Nathan, like Ethan, wore a deeply furrowed expression.

"People tend to change their attitudes when their ruler changes, don't they? They used to grovel in front of Aaron, but now they'll straighten their backs when they see us," Nathan commented, his voice filled with suspicion.

"That's why I'm bringing the 'courtesy enforcer,'" Derek said with a grin, tapping his massive two-handed hammer. Though his face was smiling, his eyes held a deadly seriousness.

"If they don't understand words, they'll understand this. Actually, I hope there's at least one fool who acts up. It'll give us a chance to show what happens when you step out of line."

"Seems like you all have a lot of complaints. Did something happen before?" Rachel asked.

"There have been a few things, yes," Justin replied, shaking his head with a bitter smile.

No one in the group wanted to return to a place where they had been treated poorly before, especially after experiencing life as nobles under Justin's rule. It was hard to forget the citizens who had once jeered at Justin's hierarchical system.

"What do you think, my lord?" Ethan asked, turning toward Justin.

"Think about what?" Justin responded.

"The citizens. If they refuse to accept the hierarchy, will you make concessions?"

"No," Justin said firmly. There was no room for negotiation on this point.

"Does it make sense for a ruling method to change depending on the territory? If that kind of inconsistency gets out, even the citizens who have already accepted the hierarchy will revolt. It would be better to abandon the territory than let that happen."

"Do you have a plan in case they refuse to accept it?"

"If they refuse, we'll leave them behind."

"Leave them behind?"

Ethan blinked in confusion, not fully understanding Justin's words. It seemed he had forgotten something from the early days.

"Do you remember when the leaders were first selected? If there's no leader, the safe zone disappears after a week."

"Yeah, I remember that."

"Well, now that Aaron's dead, his territory is leaderless. What do you think will happen?"

"...!"

Realization dawned on everyone as they stiffened. It hadn't occurred to them to imagine a scenario where the leader disappeared entirely. Normally, when a leader died, the remaining pioneers would choose a new one. But in Aaron's territory, all of the pioneers were gone.

Naturally, the penalty for having no leader would still apply.

"I don't want to bother trying to reform rebellious citizens. And I have no intention of catering to their complaints. If they keep whining, they're on their own."

If the citizens didn't wise up after experiencing this harsh world, Justin wasn't going to coddle them. They would have to fend for themselves.

His answer seemed to satisfy his companions, as they all fell silent. They continued their journey in silence until familiar surroundings brought them to a halt.

"We've arrived," Justin muttered, glancing at the gloomy, run-down houses that couldn't compare to the developed territories.

As they entered the village, a group of citizens rushed out to meet them.

"W-Welcome!"

"Welcome back!"

They hurried to line up in two rows, creating a pathway as if they were celebrating a victorious return. The fear in their eyes was evident. They didn't dare look up to confirm who had come, too frightened to do so.

"...That madman Aaron really worked them over, didn't he?" Justin muttered.

A few citizens flinched and looked up in alarm, clearly thinking they had made some mistake. When they saw who was speaking, their eyes blinked in disbelief.

"Huh? Wait, it's you?"

"It's been a while. You might not recognize me, but I'm sure you remember who I am," Justin said, looking around the area.

Without wasting any time, he got straight to the point.

"I'm not sure if you're aware, but your leader, Aaron, is dead."

"...!?"

"The reason is simple: he tried to trap me. We killed him and all his men."

The citizens stared at Justin in disbelief, clearly unable to process the news.

"And the other pioneers who came here with Aaron? They're dead too. Same reason."

"..."

"I'll say it again: Aaron is dead. His men are dead. The other pioneers who visited before are also dead. Got it?"

As the words sank in, the citizens' blank expressions slowly morphed into joy, and then the cheering began.

"Long live! That demon is dead!"

"Good riddance, you bastard! Rot in hell!"

"Thank you, God! Thank you!"

The citizens' faces and arms, covered in bruises, told the story of how much they had suffered under Aaron's tyranny. Their joy was understandable, but Justin had more business to attend to.

"So, I'm going to take over this territory."

"...!"

The cheers abruptly stopped. The citizens, now anxious, watched Justin warily.

He surveyed the crowd and spoke calmly.

"The conditions will remain the same. A strict hierarchy. Pioneers are nobles, and you are commoners. Commoners must show respect to nobles and pay taxes. Any objections?"

"...Isn't that too much?" someone muttered softly as they stepped forward. Their voice was quiet, but their face was full of resentment.

Though they trembled slightly under Justin's gaze, the person didn't look away.

"If we're human—at the very least, if we're human—shouldn't you treat us with dignity? Why are all of you so obsessed with ruling over us? Do you really enjoy lording over others like this?"

"Hmm."

The comparison between Aaron and Justin caused Justin to tilt his head slightly. While they weren't entirely wrong in accusing him of being a ruler, there was still a difference. Emboldened by the first person's words, other citizens began to speak up, even if their voices wavered.

"Yeah, it's too much. You can't do this..."

"A hierarchy system isn't fair. Humans should be equal, at least in name..."

"We're not asking for elections, just don't impose a class system..."

Their voices grew quieter, but they didn't stop. Clearly, they felt it was important to speak their minds.

Justin chuckled softly and responded, "You don't like the hierarchy? That's all it'll take to make you happy? Just getting rid of the class system?"

"Y-Yes!"

The citizens' voices grew louder, their hope rising with Justin's seemingly sympathetic tone. But just as Justin was about to respond, a loud voice cut through the air.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

A man pushed his way through the crowd, shouting furiously. The citizens recoiled in shock, giving him space. His face was twisted with rage as he screamed at them.

"You crazy idiots! Shut your mouths! If you can't think, at least stop talking! If you want to die, go ahead and die, but leave me out of it!"

The man's furious shouts had the citizens covering their ears in fear. After glaring at the crowd, he approached Justin and knelt down.

While everyone was stunned by his sudden action, Justin recognized the man and spoke.

"Aren't you the one who cursed at me that day?"

It had only been a brief encounter, but Justin remembered him well. It was the man who had cursed him when he came to take Zachary away, showing nothing but contempt and annoyance.

What happened while we were gone?Figure it out yourself, asshole.What?You impose a hierarchy and then have the nerve to ask questions? Get lost, you piece of trash. Spit!

Back then, his face had been full of irritation and disgust, but now, there wasn't a trace of that anger left. All Justin could see was resignation and despair.

The man, seeing that Justin remembered him, nodded bitterly.

"Yes, it's me. I didn't think you'd remember."

"How odd. I thought you hated the hierarchy system. So why are you kneeling in front of me?"

"No, no!" the man cried, tears streaming down his face as he shook his head.

Those weren't tears of regret—they were tears of fear.

"I'll accept the hierarchy right now! I'll call you 'master' right this second! No, you're already my master! Master!"

The man repeatedly called Justin "master" as he bowed his head to the ground, raising his hands as if pleading for forgiveness.

"Tell me to do anything, and I'll do it. I'll bark if you want, I'll crawl if you want. Just please, please take me with you, master...!"