Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

The pioneers who had stonewalled Zachary immediately started confessing once Derek took charge.

At the same time, they emphasized the 'loyalty among pioneers' and asked him to look the other way.

As a bonus, they tried to bribe him with whatever meager mana stones they could scrape together.

"...Do these guys really think I'm one of them?"

They clearly thought they could use a different approach, knowing that Zachary, the straight-laced type, wouldn't go for it.

But the fact that they changed their tactics only served to irritate Derek.

If they had bowed down and begged for mercy, it might have been different, but their attitude was more like, "You're one of us, you get it, right?"

Derek didn't waste any time. He grabbed his hammer and started dealing with the troublemakers one by one.

"Why did you break into a commoner's house? Why did you break his fingers? And I heard you even threatened him."

"Well, that commoner asked the lord to kill me! Does it make sense for a commoner to threaten a noble?"

"No, it doesn't. But does it make sense for you to break the laws set by the lord?"

"That was an accident... Please, just give me one more chance."

"Accident, my ass. You're dead."

"What?"

Crack, splat.

"...!"

The hammer came down without mercy, turning the low-ranking pioneer into a corpse.

Everyone around was shocked by how sudden it was.

They had heard Derek was the "executioner" and knew he had the authority to punish, but to kill a pioneer so easily?

With blood still dripping from his hammer, Derek turned his gaze to the next target.

"And you. You even tried to assault a woman, didn't you? Are you insane? You blatantly ignored the law."

"N-no! They're lying! They made it all up to get revenge on me!"

"Made it up? The door's broken down, covered in axe marks, and you're telling me they made that up? How would the commoners, with no weapons, break down their own door?"

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"I-I'm innocent! You have no proof that I did it!"

"Proof? Do you think this is Earth?"

Smash, crunch.

Another low-ranking pioneer turned into a corpse.

By now, the other pioneers realized this wasn't a joke. Their faces turned pale.

But the executions continued.

For four days, the bodies piled up, with as many as ten being killed in a single day.

Eventually, the low-ranking pioneers were so terrified that they barricaded themselves inside their homes.

By the time nearly thirty had been executed, Ethan finally came to Derek, unable to stay silent any longer.

"Don't you think you're going overboard with this? I know you're trying to create a sense of fear, but at least verify their crimes properly."

"If the commoners reported it, then they must have committed a crime."

"So you're just killing them based on reports alone, without verifying anything!?"

"Technically, I've only acted on reports that were filed before I took over."

Ethan, speechless, was about to say more, but Derek cut him off.

"Think about it. We're talking about commoners here, not nobles. They risk getting torn apart just for making a real complaint, let alone a false one. Do you think they'd risk their lives for a false accusation?"

"That's...."

"Exactly. For commoners, filing a report is a matter of life and death. They're the kind of people who gave up on the pioneers because they value their lives too much. Do you really think they'd file a false report?"

It was clear that they had gone through some truly unfair experiences, which is why they risked their lives to file complaints.

These were people who, after enduring massacres, had come to believe that all pioneers were the same.

Sure, Zachary might have handled things fairly, but the commoners were probably living in constant fear, wondering when they would be executed for the "crime" of accusing a noble.

"These are people who cherish their lives more than anything. If they filed a report knowing it could get them killed, then it's likely that there's some truth to the claims. Don't you think?"

"Still, ignoring the complaints filed after you took over...."

"By then, they knew they wouldn't be executed for filing a report. I don't trust it. It's not the same."

Ethan looked at Derek with newfound respect.

He had thought Derek was just killing indiscriminately, but there was actually a method to his actions.

Derek scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed by Ethan's gaze.

"It's nothing to be impressed about. I just figured this is how a brother would handle it, so I'm just copying him."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Still, it's impressive. Especially considering you're actually thinking things through, Derek. It's quite moving. You used to be so simple-minded."

"...Can I punch you just once?"

"What? Why? That was a sincere compliment."

"They say even a dog learns after living in a school for three years."

I read through the report with satisfaction.

Derek's methods were rough, but effective.

In fact, the harshness made it even more impactful.

'The low-ranking pioneers must now know exactly where they stand.'

They were not the respected pioneers they thought they were, but rather subordinates who moved at my command.

And they knew that the moment they stepped out of line, their heads could roll.

At least now, they wouldn't treat the laws like just another set of rules to ignore.

Breaking the law meant defying me, and defying me meant death.

'The commoners' reactions weren't bad either.'

While the low-ranking pioneers were terrified, the newly arrived commoners were overjoyed.

It wasn't just because their old enemies had been among those executed.

It was also because they had realized just how unstable the low-ranking pioneers' positions were.

They had assumed that once a pioneer surrendered, they would rise through the ranks without punishment.

But now they saw that those pioneers were nothing more than foot soldiers at the bottom of the hierarchy.

To the commoners, it must have felt like justice had been served.

"Well, at least this settles things for now."

I had been prepared to drop everything and handle the situation myself if things went south, but Derek had done an excellent job.

With less work on my plate, I leaned back in my chair to rest my tired body.

As I stretched out, my eyes landed on the large, white egg in the corner of my office.

It was big enough for several people to fit inside, and seeing it there made me chuckle bitterly.

"...So, when are you coming out? It's been two days, and I haven't heard a peep."

Despite my grumbling, the white egg remained unresponsive.

I walked over and gently stroked it, and a status window appeared in front of me.

"Ding! The black dragon 'Fafnir' is undergoing its first evolution through the Egg of Evolution."

"Ding! The egg is at risk of breaking if subjected to strong impacts, so keep it in a safe place."

"Ding! If the egg is broken, the entire evolution process will reset, and the dragon will revert to its infant stage."

"Ding! If evolution resets, you will need to gather experience points again from the beginning. Please be cautious."