Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

The craftsmen shuddered, their faces pale with shock.

Despite not voicing any objections, the craftsmen exchanged confused glances, as if unsure why they were being demoted.

"What? Do you have a complaint?" Justin asked sharply.

"N-No, sir!"

"No? Your faces say otherwise. You all look like you're wondering why you're getting dragged into this when it was the dead guy who caused the trouble."

Their silence was an answer in itself.

With a derisive snort, Justin addressed their unspoken question. "Do you think if that bastard's demands had succeeded, only he would've benefitted? Obviously, you would've been promoted to nobles as well. Don't pretend you weren't waiting to reap the rewards from afar. Just accept it."

One of the craftsmen tried to protest. "But that's—!"

"I'll forgive you if you really didn't know what was going on, if he didn't say a word to you before organizing this strike. But if you knew full well what he was doing, waiting for the scraps to fall your way, then you'll die just like him. So, which is it?"

The craftsmen, their faces drained of color, quickly shut their mouths. Clearly, none of them had been unaware. For Darius to have organized something this audacious, he must have tried to gather accomplices in advance. While no one had sided with him in the end, the only person who actively tried to dissuade him was Eugene.

If Darius had succeeded, the rest of the craftsmen would've gladly ridden on his coattails. The mere thought that they had stood to gain without any risk enraged Justin even more.

"Eugene, you're no exception," Justin said, his gaze shifting to him. "I saved you at your request, and now these fools have insulted me as a group. Do you think I should let you keep your status just because you tried to stop them?"

"No, sir. Your decision is absolutely correct," Eugene replied, visibly relieved, even though he too was being demoted to commoner. Unlike the other craftsmen, he seemed to fully understand the severity of Darius's actions.

"Good. That concludes the trial. If you've seen enough, disperse," Justin said, standing from his seat and walking away from the fountain. The crowd that had gathered behind him remained still and silent until he had disappeared into his house, too afraid to speak for fear of provoking his wrath.

For a day and a half, the territory remained unnervingly quiet. Both the pioneers and the townspeople were still in shock over Justin's first execution order. Until now, he had never made such a command, making the event all the more jarring.

However, as time passed, whispers began to spread.

"Come to think of it, didn't he deserve to die?"

The murmur came not from the pioneers but from one of the townspeople. Continue reading at empire

"He was saved from the estate where he was a slave, even brought back from the brink of war. And then, even after being recognized as half a noble, he organized a strike? How does that make sense?"

As soon as one person voiced their opinion, others started nodding in agreement. While they had stayed silent, many of them had secretly harbored resentment toward the craftsmen.

"Exactly. We've seen people killed just for making eye contact back in the old days, and now they're striking to get promoted? They got greedy."

"Apparently, someone overheard him snooping around about Justin, asking what kind of person he was and if he had killed anyone."

"Wait, really? Does that mean he checked Justin's temper before organizing the strike? So, if there had been a prior execution, he wouldn't have done it?"

The craftsmen were outsiders who had gotten lucky and received good positions despite having no real power. Naturally, the townspeople were not fond of them. And now, after receiving such favorable treatment, they had even gone so far as to protest for a higher status. By this point, many saw Justin's anger as justified and believed Darius had gotten what he deserved.

The pioneers, too, weren't much different from the townspeople in their thoughts.

"Now that I think about it, there's no need to fear Justin, is there?" one pioneer said.

"Didn't you hear? He said he could kill pioneers if they stepped out of line."

"Yeah, but he also said he'd reward us if we followed orders without complaint."

"Well... he did say that."

"So, doesn't that mean we're fine as long as we keep doing what we're doing? We're not going to start a rebellion or anything."

"...That's true, I guess."

Though they were initially shocked by the idea that even pioneers could be executed, the fear faded quickly. None of them had been the target of Justin's wrath, and besides, hadn't he just said that they'd be rewarded for following orders? As long as they had nothing to hide, there was no reason to be afraid.

Their trust in Justin, who had always made rational decisions up to this point, only reinforced their belief that they were safe.

"So... it's not really a big problem after all, huh?"

"Right. The craftsmen caused this whole mess."

With the situation turning this way, the craftsmen found themselves increasingly cornered. Only now did they begin to realize their precarious position. Despite their useful skills, they were still newcomers who had been elevated by chance. The only thing that had shielded them from the townspeople's jealousy and the pioneers' disdain had been Justin's protection.

But now that they had fallen out of favor, they were on their own.

"If we had known this would happen, we should've stopped him, no matter what..."

But it was too late for regrets. The craftsmen resolved to keep their heads down and focus on their work, fearful that any further complaints might see them shackled and enslaved.

As the days passed, the noisy territory slowly returned to normal.

Around this time, the system notification suddenly appeared:

"Fifteen days have passed since the dungeon emerged."

"The main quest 'Dungeon Conquest' has been removed due to exceeding the time limit."

"The new main quest 'Traces of an Ancient Civilization' has been added."

"Take over the abandoned city of an ancient race and use it as the foundation for a new civilization."ting this quest will result in the automatic transfer of the town.

"Compleerritory and all development progress."

"It's here!" someone shouted.

"Finally!"

The pioneers could hardly contain their excitement as the system message popped up. The previous quest, Dungeon Conquest, had been an exclusive mission for Justin and his companions. The pioneers had been aware it was too dangerous for them, but after tasting the rewards from previous missions, they had been eager for something they could participate in.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

As they listened with anticipation, another message followed:

"Once 'Traces of an Ancient Civilization' is completed, the main quest 'Great Migration' will begin immediately."

"Prepare to receive a large influx of people from Earth to lay the foundation for building a nation."

"…!?"

The entire territory was struck by this bombshell.