Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

"Who was it?"

"...?"

"The ones who drew weapons. The ones who were with them. Step forward."

A few people, their faces drained of color, stumbled forward and knelt. Five of them were newly promoted pioneers, and one was an ordinary civilian. Beads of sweat ran down their faces as Justin looked at them coldly.

"Why did you do it?"

"S-sorry!"

"Should I just kill you?"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The temperature of the plaza seemed to drop by five degrees in an instant. The faces of the newly promoted pioneers turned pale, almost ghostly white. One of them stammered, realizing the gravity of the situation, and hurriedly explained.

"They were attacking my uncle! I rushed in to stop them, but then they started cursing us! I lost my temper for a moment. I'm so sorry!"

"Don't make me ask twice next time."

"Yes! Yes, sir!"

Sweat dripped from the bowed heads of the newly promoted pioneers. Justin turned his gaze toward the newly arrived civilians and asked them coldly.

"Why did you start cursing?"

"...."

"Was it just a few of you, or did all of you do it?"

"...."

There was no response. Fear was written all over their faces—they were terrified of being singled out as instigators. Justin sighed deeply, not out of pity for them, but as an attempt to control his own temper.

"Someone came forward as a representative. I'll guarantee their life, no matter what."

"...?"

"On the other hand, if no one steps up, I might kill all of you, depending on the situation."

"...!"

The hundreds of civilians froze in fear. While everyone hesitated, someone finally stood up, trembling. Discover hidden stories at empire

"I-I'll explain."

"Your name."

"Pardon?"

"I asked for your name."

"D-Dylan. Dylan Morgan!"

At Dylan's answer, Justin nodded.

"All right, Dylan. Tell me what happened."

Dylan began explaining in a shaky voice, doing his best not to stumble over his words. He tried to keep his explanation as neutral as possible. Given the state Justin was in, siding too much with one group seemed like a dangerous idea. It could easily backfire, leading to dire consequences before he even finished speaking.

"So, that's what happened…."

After hearing everything, Justin tapped his staff lightly on the ground as he spoke.

"Everyone was at their breaking point from the stress of losing their families. But when the other group was celebrating, it pushed them over the edge. Then they started bragging, and the anger exploded. Even when a pioneer intervened, they kept cursing, and it escalated into a near-massacre, right?"

"I'm sorry. I tried to stop them, but..." Dylan stammered, his voice barely holding together.

"If you're done explaining, sit down and shut up. Don't make me break my promise to let you live."

"Yes, sir!"

Dylan quickly knelt again, feeling cold sweat dripping down his back. He was relieved that he had stayed neutral. Given Justin's reaction, even a slight bias might have caused major trouble. As he wiped the sweat from his chin, Justin suddenly spoke again.

"…This is ridiculous."

At his words, an icy chill descended over the plaza.

"...."

"...."

Not a sound could be heard. Everyone was trembling, overtaken by the strange, suffocating pressure. They had no idea where it was coming from, but their bodies were shaking uncontrollably. Justin watched them in silence, then glanced briefly at his status screen.

[The Gaze of the Enraged King]

Type: Wide-area mental skillDescription: A skill that intimidates others through the user's presence. Can repel monsters 15 levels below the user without combat. Against pioneers, it will cause automatic fear in those under level 30.

'It's working well.'

The skill was an evolved version of the "Intimidation" skill, thanks to Justin becoming the Apostle of Eternity. Unlike before, when it had little effect on humans, this higher-tier version crushed anyone, regardless of their nature. The fear radiating from the civilians and pioneers in front of him was palpable—like prey caught in the presence of a predator.

Justin finally broke the silence.

"Do you think my words are a joke?"

"...."

"I never gave the nobility the right to control the life and death of civilians. That power belongs only to me. The nobles have the right to report to me, nothing more. The laws are always posted in the plaza. Have you all forgotten them, even though you see them every day?"

"Hup!"

One of the newly promoted pioneers gasped for breath, as if suffocating under the pressure. He seemed to have tried to apologize but swallowed his words in fear. Justin ignored him and continued.

"Executing a noble who breaks the law would set a great example, wouldn't it?"

"...!"

"To be honest, I've been a little worried. Unlike the companions who've been with me from the start, some of the newer ones seem to think I won't execute pioneers. I've been waiting for the right time to make an example."

"Sa—sir, please..." one of the pioneers tried to speak but choked under the weight of the pressure.

The newly promoted pioneers glanced at Justin in terror. They wanted to beg for forgiveness, but the sheer force of his presence made even speaking difficult. As one of them began to black out under the stress and pressure of the skill, Justin finally relented.

"But this time, I'll spare you."

"...!"

"In the end, you stopped before breaking the law completely, so it's not quite enough to justify an execution. I thought I had finally found a scapegoat, but it looks like I'll have to wait."

"Ugh!"

As the tension eased, the newly promoted pioneers collapsed one by one, fainting where they stood. Their undignified postures—rear ends in the air and twitching—were almost laughable. Yet, no one dared to laugh.

Everyone who knew how the domain was run understood the weight of the situation.

"Now then," Justin said after a pause, turning his gaze to the civilians.

"The pioneers came close to breaking the law, but what should I do with civilians who blatantly broke it?"

At that, the hundreds of civilians collectively held their breath.