Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

Maxwell, who had been silently listening to the conversation, finally understood the gravity of the situation. His face turned pale with fear. Justin let out an exaggerated sigh, his tone growing cold as he spoke.

"That's enough. I've decided not to accept you as citizens. Take your immigrants and leave."

"W-what!?"

"My lord!"

Both Elliot and Maxwell sprang to their feet in panic. Before they could speak further, Fafnir raised his head and let out a deafening roar.

"Kyahhh!"

"Ding! The Black Dragon 'Fafnir' has used the skill [Dragon Fear]."

The sound was so powerful that Elliot and Maxwell froze in place, unable to move. As Fafnir seemed ready to unleash his fury, Justin gently stroked the dragon's scales, calming him down as he muttered.

"Actually, now that I think about it, perhaps I can accept you."

"...?"

"How about I accept half of your people and drive the other half out? Or maybe I should just banish the two of you alone."

"...Are you mocking us?" Maxwell managed to say, his face still pale from fear.

Though his mental fortitude was commendable, having endured the effects of Dragon Fear and still responding, mental strength alone couldn't change reality.

"And if I am?"

"Pardon?"

"I

am

mocking you. I've been toying with you this entire time, making empty promises, changing my words on a whim, and using my power to intimidate you. So, what are you going to do about it?"

"...."

"Go ahead, try anything. But be prepared to face the consequences of your actions."

Maxwell opened his mouth, as if to say something, but quickly lowered his head in defeat. Justin spoke to him, watching as the man bit his lip in frustration.

"This is the relationship between pioneers and citizens."

"...."

"And every pioneer knows exactly where they stand in the hierarchy."

"...!"

"Why do you think my citizens adapt so well to the ranking system? Why do you think they use honorifics like 'my lord' even when we're not around? Do you think it's because they have some sort of slave mentality? Or maybe they fear us too much?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Justin chuckled softly, shattering their last bit of hope.

"Neither. It's because they've seen hell under other pioneers. That's why they follow me so obediently. Out of all the leaders, I govern with a semblance of reason, and they know that if they lose my favor, there's no one else who would treat them better."

In most situations, discontent with a ruler would lead to demands for their replacement. But in this world, rebelling against Justin was akin to suicide. There was no guarantee the next leader would be any better—and even if they were, they wouldn't be stronger than him. No matter how fair or noble a ruler might be, what good would that be if they were overthrown within days, and everyone was turned into slaves?

Only those who could govern with reason

and

wield enough power to protect that rule were truly fit to lead. And Justin was one of those rare leaders.

"Now, let me ask you again."

After clearly illustrating the reality, Justin's voice turned icy as he addressed the two men.

"Do you have any demands for me?"

After a brief silence, Elliot and Maxwell knelt on the floor. Finally, they gave the answer Justin had been waiting for.

"We... have none."

"And why is that?"

"Because we are in no position to make any requests," Maxwell said, bowing his head so low that it touched the floor. Elliot followed suit, silently bowing beside him.

"Please, allow us to stay in this city. We will do anything you ask...!"

Satisfied with their submission, a smile crept across Justin's face. He spread his arms wide, as if welcoming them.

"Welcome, commoners. I hope you enjoy your stay in my city."

"Is it really okay to let them go like that?"

As the two men left the conference room, someone murmured from behind. It was Rachel, who had been hiding with the other companions until now.

"Why? Didn't they understand my words and agree to join as citizens?"

"Those two, yes. But the rest of the immigrants didn't."

Just because their leaders had submitted didn't mean everyone would follow. Sometimes, the leader who had surrendered could be discarded, and a new one would rise in their place. Rachel's concern was rooted in that possibility.

"What if they form a new group and start making demands again? It might not be hard to suppress them, but still…."

"That won't happen."

Justin dismissed her worries lightly.

"They'll figure out the reality soon enough just by living among our citizens for a few days. Once they start talking, they'll quickly learn what everyone else here has gone through."

To be honest, even the two men who had just left would come to understand the situation without much intervention. Justin had only summoned them for that long lecture because they served as focal points for the immigrants.

"If I had left them alone, they would've rallied their grievances and brought them to me, driven by ambition or responsibility as leaders."

"And now?"

"Now, they know it's useless. They might even step aside and let someone else take the lead, but they won't try to rise again themselves."

Forming a new center of power would take time. By the time the immigrants appointed a new leader, they would have a clear understanding of how things worked in this world. At that point, their demands—if any—would likely fade away. They'd come to realize that making demands in this world wasn't going to get them anywhere.

"And if anyone still insists on making demands… well, we'll teach them the reality with force."

Justin doubted any would be that foolish, but if there were, he had no intention of keeping them as citizens. He had given enough warnings; if someone still pushed their luck, they were beyond help.

'These immigrants are placing far too much hope in this world,' Justin thought with a frown. 'If they keep this up, it's going to be troublesome.'

At first, Justin had thought they'd be willing to accept life under the pioneers after enduring hardship on Earth. But instead, they were holding onto unreasonable expectations, hoping for better treatment after their suffering. Even those who had lived under tyranny clung to the idea that they deserved more now.

For a ruler, that mindset was a headache to deal with.

'Do I need to push the blame onto another leader again? After they've suffered enough, they'll stop making such demands. But then I'd have to go through the trouble of retrieving my citizens later.'

As Justin pondered over which approach would be better, a sudden notification flashed before his eyes.

"Ding! Five days have passed since the Main Quest 'The First Great Migration' began."

"Ding! In ten days, the Main Quest 'The First Great Migration' will end, and the temporary safe zones will be deactivated."

"Ding! The Main Quest 'Green Skin Wave' will begin immediately after the end of 'The First Great Migration.'"

"Ding! All immigrants must choose a city to reside in before the monster wave occurs."

At the system's warning of the upcoming second monster wave, Justin's eyes lit up.