Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

"…You've got to be kidding me."

"What was that?"

"You heard me, you piece of—"

One of the more rebellious migrants, a thug who had kept quiet until now, stepped forward. He could tell that these were ordinary citizens with no combat experience, and there was no way he was going to take orders from someone so weak. Maybe the pioneers were out of his league, but not these people.

Just as the citizens stepped back in fear, the thug sneered. But his grin didn't last long.

"What are you doing?" Derek's voice cut through the air.

"Huh?"

"I told you—you're slaves. These people are citizens. Their status is higher than yours. Understand?"

Derek's scowl deepened as he spoke, but no one seemed to fully grasp his words, least of all the thug. He shrugged, as if to brush off Derek's words.

"Come on, that's ridiculous. They're just—"

Snap!

Before he could finish, his neck twisted sharply. Derek had broken it in an instant, snapping it before the thug could even react. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

Screams echoed through the field.

"Ahhh!"

"Shut up."

"W-what?"

"You don't listen well, do you? Want to try dying too?"

With a sharp intake of breath, the terrified murmuring stopped. Yesterday had been a life-or-death battle, and even though Calvin had been the one to decide to attack, no one expected things to end this way—where people could be killed so casually, even after the fight was over. The migrants had never truly understood the seriousness of this world's social hierarchy, and now the shock of it was settling in.

Derek spat on the corpse of the thug he had just killed. "Did you forget what I explained yesterday? This is a society with a class system. I'm a noble, those citizens are commoners, and you're slaves. Got it?"

"…"

"In a class-based society, when someone from a lower class defies a higher one, they die. If these commoners defy me, they die. If you slaves defy the commoners? You still die. Why? Because your status is lower than theirs."

Travis and the other slaves frantically nodded their heads. They weren't nodding because they understood the underlying message—they were nodding because they feared for their lives. Derek knew this too, but it didn't bother him. What mattered wasn't their comprehension, but their obedience.

"It doesn't matter if you don't fully understand what I'm saying. The only thing you need to remember is that slaves who touch a commoner die. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Now, I'll take care of this corpse. You better listen to the commoners and work hard. I'll be back to check on you later."

With that, Derek dragged the body of the dead thug away, leaving the slaves with the commoners. As soon as he left, the citizens, who had been standing off to the side, stepped forward again.

"You heard the noble, right? Do you understand the situation now?"

"…"

"What, no response? Should we ask the noble to come back and kill any of you who don't listen?"

"No! We understand! We'll obey!"

The slaves, who had tried to hold on to their pride, immediately knelt, their defiance crumbling under the threat of death. The citizens smiled in satisfaction, relishing the power the class system afforded them.

"So this is why people love hierarchies," one of them muttered, barely able to contain their glee. "Alright! It seems you've finally understood your place. We're glad to see it. Aren't you?"

"Yes!"

"Good answer! Now, pick up those rocks in the field! If anyone slacks off, we'll report it to the noble! If you don't want to die, you'd better work hard! Get to it!"

The slaves hurriedly rushed to the field, Travis among them. As he bent over to pick up the rocks, tears welled up in his eyes. The once-powerful second-in-command, who had fought for leadership with Calvin, was no more. All that remained was a slave, at the mercy of weak commoners, never knowing if today might be the day he died. The weight of the new reality bore down on him, and for the first time, Travis fully grasped the severity of his situation.

Two days later, in the meeting room, Nathan conveyed Derek's latest report.

"Derek killed another slave this morning," Nathan said nonchalantly.

"What was the reason?" Justin asked.

"The slave was caught glaring at a commoner."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Good, tell him to keep up the good work." Justin waved his hand dismissively.

In a class-based society, perception was everything. If someone from a lower class even thought for a second that they could challenge their superiors, the whole system would collapse. Even people who lived ordinary lives on Earth likely harbored such rebellious thoughts. And for those like the migrants, who were used to exploiting others, the idea of hierarchy would be even harder to accept.

'They need to understand why they're slaves and internalize the consequences of defying the system,' Justin thought.

He didn't expect them to become loyal servants. It was enough that they understood one thing: defying a commoner meant death. That recognition alone would keep the system intact. The quickest way to instill that understanding was through repeated, brutal examples. Once they saw enough people die for stepping out of line, the reality of their situation would sink in.

Derek was perfect for the job. His ruthlessness ensured that the message would be delivered clearly.

"The slave issue is under control for now. Derek can continue handling their education. But we have more important matters to address," Justin said.

At this, everyone in the room frowned, knowing exactly what Justin meant. They had barely managed to settle down, yet new problems kept cropping up each day.

"So, two new groups have arrived at the city gates?" Justin asked.

"Yes, and both groups have about the same number of people," Rachel replied. As the appointed diplomat, she was now in charge of handling external negotiations, and this was her first real test. Half of her role was a reward for surrendering her faction, but if she proved herself capable, Justin was willing to give her more responsibility.

'If she handles this well, she might earn something more than just a ceremonial title. If not, I'll strip her of it and give her a symbolic position instead,' Justin thought. Rachel was aware of this as well, and her determination to succeed was clear in her serious demeanor.

"And both groups have made demands. Since it wasn't something I could decide alone, I had them wait outside while I reported to you," Rachel continued.

"Monsters outside the walls, and yet no one can sit still," Justin muttered. "What are their demands?"

"The first group says they'll all become pioneers if they're treated like nobles from the start."

Justin's eyebrow twitched—not because the demand was outrageous, but because the word "pioneer" had come up.

"How do they know about pioneers?"

"I asked the same question, but they wouldn't answer. I suspect another group has already made contact with them."

"They rejected an offer to join that group, took the information they wanted, and came here?"

"That seems likely."

Whoever their leader was, he was a cunning one. To already be gathering intelligence in a world they had just arrived in was no small feat. Of course, it was possible that the group that contacted them had simply been foolish enough to share too much information.

"They've lost their status screens, yet they're still aiming to become pioneers. Well, I'll worry about that later. What's the other group's request?"

"That's… well…" Rachel hesitated for a moment, her expression turning awkward.

"The second group doesn't care about the class system. They're willing to become commoners, but they've made one request. It wasn't so much a demand as a plea."

"A plea? What is it?" Justin asked, his curiosity piqued.

"They want the slaves working behind the castle to be handed over to them."

"…?"

Everyone in the room, including Justin, tilted their heads in confusion. Why would anyone ask for slaves when they were willing to become commoners?

"What reason did they give? What do they want the slaves for?"

"It's not because they want slaves… It's for revenge. They claim that the slaves tormented them back on Earth."

"Revenge, huh?" Justin murmured.