Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

As soon as Derek heard my plan, he nodded enthusiastically.

"That kind of job is definitely suited for me. Leave it to me."

"Are you sure? You're still managing the slaves, aren't you?"

"Those guys don't need much attention anymore. They've all lost the will to resist."

At first, there were some who watched for a chance to escape, but now, even that seemed to have disappeared.

It seemed that the last wave had a significant impact on their loss of will to escape.

"They probably thought they could somehow survive if they managed to escape. But after going through that wave, they came to their senses."

These people had never experienced a monster attack while traveling from Earth to the castle.

Compared to Earth, where skeletons roamed freely, they probably thought this world was safer.

But after witnessing the wave of monsters and seeing the fleeing commoners getting slaughtered, they realized the truth.

Even if they escaped from here, there was no guarantee they would survive long enough to reach another territory.

"So now they seem to have completely given up. Even if I step down from managing the slaves, I doubt they'll cause any trouble."

"I see."

In that case, it might be a good idea to replace the slave manager with another pioneer.

Actually, since it wasn't a position that required much force, I could even choose a commoner to handle it.

While I was considering the matter, Derek suddenly remembered something and asked me.

"But, can I really handle this as I see fit? I don't know much about long-term plans or potential backlash."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, things like... if we go too far with killing, it might breed resentment, or it might cause problems later."

"Ah."

I chuckled at Derek's concern.

"You don't have to worry about that. These people aren't a threat, no matter how much resentment they build up. In fact, it's better to be a bit excessive in dealing with them."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Huh? It's okay to go that far?"

"I only took them in as subordinates because they seemed useful, but all of them are guilty of massacring their own commoners."

I didn't know about the remaining nine territories, but in the twenty I had conquered, every single one had committed at least one massacre.

Because of this, there was a lot of hidden dissatisfaction among the newly arrived commoners.

They had hoped I would kill all of their oppressors, but only a few were executed, and the rest had become my subordinates.

Even though their frustration hadn't boiled over yet, it was likely because they were well aware of the difference between pioneers and commoners.

They weren't in a position to complain, and they didn't have the power to change the situation. All they could do was make tearful petitions to me, hoping for a miracle.

And in the middle of this, those fools were still strutting around and causing trouble, completely ignoring the fact that they were on thin ice.

"If they kept their heads down, it wouldn't be a problem. But if they keep acting like thugs, it'll cause more harm than good. I need to use this opportunity to tighten discipline and address the commoners' grievances."

"So, there's no reason to spare anyone who doesn't know how to behave, right?"

"Exactly."

If they were ambiguous cases, there was no need to waste effort trying to reform them.

It would be better to execute them without hesitation, instilling the fear that even a pioneer could be killed at a lord's command.

Plus, it would give some satisfaction to the commoners who had been wronged by them.

Derek smiled, satisfied with my explanation.

"Understood. I'll take care of it. I was wondering why you called me in for something political, but it turns out it's not that complicated."

"Well, that's part of it. The other reason is that the rest of the group is a bit too soft for this kind of job."

"Ah... wait, what?"

"They're too kind for this. You're the right man for a job that requires beating people senseless without mercy."

"...."

Derek gave me a somewhat resentful look.

Strange, I didn't say anything wrong, so why does he look like that?

Derek quickly took up the role of 'executioner' and got to work.

It was a temporary position that allowed him to act immediately, fully entrusted with the authority to punish offenders.

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Zachary, who had been overwhelmed with small tasks, was more than happy to let Derek take over.

Especially since dealing with crimes was a troublesome and stressful task.

"I'll leave this to you, then."

"You've worked hard. Take it easy now. I've got this."

"Well, I won't be able to rest because of the other tasks, but I appreciate the thought. Oh, and here's a summary of recent petitions and incidents."

"…Documents? Man, I didn't expect to deal with paperwork here too."

Derek was surprised to find himself reading through files, which weren't for food or equipment, but actual documents.

Though the content wasn't anything special, his face hardened as he skimmed through.

"These bastards have been causing more trouble than I thought."

"Yes, but most of the incidents are minor, not severe enough for immediate punishment. The serious offenses were mostly just attempts."

"You don't see what's going on? They're testing the waters. Poking around to see what they can get away with."

"I thought that might be the case. But there are probably some genuine mistakes mixed in, so it's hard to punish everyone indiscriminately."

Derek let out a laugh at Zachary's cautious words.

Now he understood why Justin had appointed him.

Even with authority, if Zachary was too careful, his responses would be too slow.

'First, I'll deal with the ones who are obviously guilty.'

Derek went straight to the most serious offenders and interrogated them.

The reactions of the lower-ranked pioneers were all similar.

"I just lost my temper for a moment. It was a mistake."

"Come on, you know how it is between pioneers and commoners. It's not a big deal."

"They're exaggerating. Just let this slide, will you?"