Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

"Is that really the guy who killed Aaron ? Did he make a deal with the ones who tried to enslave us? Wasn't he supposed to give us something in exchange for taking the territory for himself?"

They say if you dislike your daughter-in-law, you'll find fault with her heels.

Once his thoughts began to twist, everything about Levi seemed unsatisfactory.

He even started to think that he might just be a loudmouth with fancy words.

However, that suspicion vanished within thirty minutes.

"Black Missile."

"Grrr!"

Boom!

"...!"

Levi and the other pioneers easily dispatched the hyena monsters.

With each black beam that shot out, the monsters fell like flies, and when the hammer swung, the sound of thunder echoed.

After several flashes before his eyes, only corpses remained scattered on the ground.

What they were doing could be better described as butchery than combat.

Aaron swallowed hard at the sight.

'...Right, he could have killed Aaron and those from other territories. But the class system is a different matter. How can he ask us to serve him without giving us anything?'

With the suspicion gone, another complaint arose.

'Noblesse oblige? What a joke. This is just to protect his own land. Our lives are merely a bonus for him to protect his land.'

To Bill , Levi's notion of noblesse oblige was nonsense.

It seemed to be a shiny exterior that, upon closer inspection, revealed only two things: 'You're protected, and we won't hit you indiscriminately.'

Yet he spoke of it as if it were a noble duty.

'Saying he won't hit us indiscriminately is one thing. It means we have to work and pay taxes without him laying a finger on us, right? And he's acting like he's doing something grand.'

Whether it's called duty or something else, it's all just extra work for him, done for his own benefit, not for the settlers.

If he were to truly call it duty, shouldn't there be something given in return?

Something that benefits only the settlers, not a mutual gain.

'With nothing like that, what kind of noblesse oblige is this...'

"Hey, look at that!"

Just then, a shout broke Bill's thoughts.

Irritated, he lifted his head to see what the commotion was about.

"...!"

Following the direction the people were staring, his eyes widened.

It was a village.

A safe area inhabited by monsters similar to the one they had left behind.

But aside from being a safe zone, everything else was different.

"My goodness, is that really a village just like the one we lived in?"

"Unbelievable! It's so much better!"

The village they had lived in until now had been shabby to the point of being frightening.

It wouldn't have been surprising if a swarm of rats had emerged, or if someone had caught the plague.

But what was this village?

The ground was covered with grass, the streets were clean, and the houses looked cozy.

There was even a fountain in the center!

"Are all villages different? This is discrimination!"

"Discrimination, my foot."

Someone chuckled at the comment.

It was Derek, who had just been smashing monsters with his two-handed hammer.

Derek looked disdainfully at the settlers who had been chatting excitedly.

"Do you think that village was always this nice? It was just like the territory you all lived in at first. It hasn't changed that much."

"Eh? Changed, you say?"

"Don't you understand? That village was entirely transformed by my brother. He poured all 40,000 mana stones from the dungeon rewards into it for the settlers."

"...!"

Bill and the settlers widened their eyes in shock.

Forty thousand mana stones was an amount so vast it was hard to fathom.

And he had spent all that on improving the territory?

He could have easily squandered it on his own home if he wanted!

"You all should feel lucky! When we arrive, my brother will provide each household with a house. What's so great about these guys anyway?"

"...."

Even after Derek walked away, the settlers remained stunned.

Especially for Bill , the shock was profound.

Which leader would invest 40,000 mana stones in the settlers?

Even if there were ulterior motives, he had no choice but to acknowledge it.

'No, no! But that guy created an atmosphere of fear to enforce the class system!'

Bill shook his head vigorously.

Accepting this would mean he was internalizing the class system.

That was something he couldn't accept, no matter how much he thought about it.

'Though they talk about being slaves, surely not every pioneer feels that way. They're just exaggerating to elevate their own status.'

He was the only one pretending to be a benevolent leader while limiting their options.

Once the settlers learned about the situation in other territories, they would likely want to move there.

In that respect, that guy was sufficiently vile.

Bill gritted his teeth at the thought.

"I'll soon buy houses and arrange them, so rest for a bit! If you're bored, chat with the other settlers! They'll be your neighbors soon enough!"

As they entered the village, Levi left that remark and entered a building.

Not knowing what to do, they stood still, and a few people approached them.

From their appearance, they seemed to be the original settlers rather than pioneers.

One of them, representing the group, spoke to Bill .

"From what the lord said, it seems you were living somewhere else, but you're moving here?"

"Ah, yes. That's correct."

"Nice to meet you. Since we'll be seeing each other often, let's exchange some greetings."

An awkward exchange of greetings occurred between them.

They seemed to approach each other as neighbors, wanting to get to know one another.

However, since there was nothing to say, finding a topic felt like a chore.

The first to speak up was the representative of the newcomers.

"By the way, how did you live? I heard there was another leader before the lord?"

"That's..." Discover exclusive content at empire

Bill hesitated to answer.

Thinking back to the past made him feel an overwhelming sense of unfairness and anger, choking him up.

As moisture gathered in his eyes, the counterpart, looking to be around the same age, clicked their tongue.

"It seems you've had a tough time too? Well, it's the fate of a settler... What happened?"

"Ugh! Th-that's actually...!"

Overcome with emotion, Bill fought back tears as he continued.

He recounted how Aaron had suddenly become the leader and how they had been beaten mercilessly.

Every time they returned, they had to line up and serve him like a king.

There were times when they could barely breathe without being punished.

And if he refused to come out of his house, he was dragged out and beaten senseless.

"...That's how it was. It felt like living wasn't truly living. Ugh!"

"Ugh!"

Once he began to confide in someone, tears began to flow freely.

The other settlers who had lived together with him seemed to recall those times, covering their mouths and sobbing.

However, the expressions of the other settlers were ambiguous.

They didn't seem to feel pity, nor did they appear sympathetic.

Instead, their gazes were much colder than before.

"So, you're saying... you were beaten by the previous leader?"

"Y-yes."

"Were there any deaths?"

"Excuse me?"

"Were there no deaths? I mean, anyone stabbed to death with a knife?"

Bill blinked in surprise at the sudden question.

While there were people who almost died from beatings, there had been no actual deaths.

After all, Aaron and his group didn't use weapons to beat people.

"There weren't any deaths. There were broken bones, but..."

"Just broken bones? So, no one was cut? Like ears, noses, or fingers?"

"No, there weren't! What kind of horrifying thing are you talking about!?"

As Bill was taken aback by the gruesome words, the expressions of the other settlers twisted mercilessly.

Then, in a voice that sounded as if they were spitting out their words, they said,

"Those bastards must have lived pretty comfortably. Are you crying over that?"

"Damn, what? Broken bones? We have people who were stabbed to death right in front of their families!"

"...!?"