Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

"Are you telling me she's been whining outside the gates for over an hour?"

"Yes…"

Emily slumped to the ground, her voice weak. From shouting for so long, her voice had nearly given out. The humility in her attitude was a stark contrast to the woman who had brazenly confronted Justin during the trial. She looked nothing like her former self.

As Emily fell silent, the complaints of other pioneers quickly filled the air.

"We kept calling, but no one came out. We couldn't leave because it was too late."

"I honestly thought we'd have to spend the night starving in the streets."

"Unbelievable."

They had come to surrender, yet nobody had heard their pleas outside the gate. It must have felt tragic for them, but from Justin's perspective, it was almost comical.

"Even in a city this big, there are some downsides," Rachel remarked with a soft smile.

Justin nodded thoughtfully and replied to Ethan, who had muttered awkwardly. "This isn't so much a flaw as it is an issue of population density. Even if we gathered all the townspeople, they probably wouldn't reach the gate. I'll have to assign a few guards specifically for this."

"You're not seriously thinking of recruiting the pioneers for guard duty, are you?" Zachary asked, clearly intrigued.

Justin turned to him and chuckled. "If it comes to serious combat, I might consider it. But for now, we just need someone to greet guests. I can simply choose from the townspeople—probably a few strong men to keep up appearances."

"That's a good idea. We could even add more jobs this way. What about their wages?" Rachel asked.

"I'll handle the wages through the public funds, of course. But it's not just guards we'll need." Justin's gaze drifted toward the grand, sprawling mansion behind him. It was extravagant, spacious, and utterly overwhelming in its sheer size.

"I think it's about time we start hiring more staff. Sure, we can get by with ordering food from the shops for now, but we need servants to clean this place."

Rachel nodded approvingly. "If you take the lead in hiring, others will follow suit. Leave it to me to handle the interviews. I'll be thorough."

With a bright smile, Zachary thumped his chest in excitement. His dream of building the perfect city seemed closer than ever, and he was eager to be a part of it.

"Um, will you be accepting my surrender now?" Emily's raspy voice cut through their conversation, her face showing nothing but exhaustion. It was clear she was pleading for rest.

Justin stroked his chin, pretending to mull it over. "Hmm…"

"Hmm? Are you seriously thinking of rejecting me?" Emily's face paled with shock, clearly not having expected this.

Given that she was practically offering her entire faction to him, her surprise wasn't unfounded. But Justin had his reasons for hesitation.

"Your subordinates followed you here without any complaints. You must have some influence over them."

"Influence? Well… I guess you could say that. It's a bit embarrassing to admit it myself."

"I see. If I were to refuse, you could easily rally them to rebel."

"...!"

The atmosphere froze. Every pioneer around Emily fell silent, and her face turned ghostly white.

"I-I never had any thoughts like that!"

"I know."

"You… You do?"

"Yes, I know. If you had any intention of rebelling, you wouldn't have come to surrender in the first place. The odds of success would be slim with all the variables at play. But from my position, I can't help but worry."

Throughout history, royal families of fallen kingdoms often wiped out any potential rivals or heirs. It was to eliminate any focal points for rebellion. The same principle applied to military leaders. Leaving someone like Emily in charge while absorbing her forces posed a significant risk.

"That's why, before I accept your surrender, I have one condition. I hope you understand."

"A condition?" Emily's voice trembled.

"Yes, but it's not too difficult." Justin smiled, meeting her anxious gaze. "You, as their leader, will no longer be allowed to hunt. How does that sound?"

Though Emily seemed taken aback, she accepted the condition without much resistance. As I mentioned earlier, it was too late for her to turn back now.

"I suppose it's a shame I can't grow stronger anymore, but there's nothing I can do about that," she muttered bitterly as she handed over her weapons.

Justin understood the allure of constantly growing stronger—it was a feeling difficult to describe. The sensation of becoming more than human was captivating.

'But I can't allow her to continue leveling up,' Justin thought. If Emily continued to grow, her influence among her subordinates would also remain strong, and she would still have sway over them.

'As long as she doesn't increase her level, there's no problem.' Over time, even if she held some sway now, her former followers would eventually surpass her. And in this world, it was impossible for the weak to lead the strong.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Surprisingly, none of the other pioneers objected to the idea of Emily sacrificing her hunting privileges. She seemed shocked by the indifference of those who once followed her, but Justin wasn't surprised. No matter how trusted a leader was, less than half a year of shared time wasn't enough to build unwavering loyalty.

However, it wasn't all about taking away. Justin made sure to give her a fair deal.

"Is there something you're good at besides fighting?" he asked.

"Good at? Well… if I had to say, I'm decent at negotiating."

"Perfect. Then you can serve as a diplomat for the territory. It won't be immediate, but we'll eventually need one now that we've secured a city."

"A diplomat?" Emily stammered.

Justin grinned. "And don't worry, you'll be paid a salary regardless of how much work there is. It should be more than you'd earn from hunting."

Emily was shocked by the sudden offer, but it was only natural. After all, she had willingly offered up her entire faction. In return, it was only fair to provide her with a suitable role.