Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

Surprisingly, the interrogation was easier than expected, thanks to the prisoner's voluntary and enthusiastic cooperation. The female Mage, who introduced herself as Nina, didn't seem to harbor any grudge over the deaths of her comrades.

When Justin pointed out how strange that was, she simply shrugged and explained.

"I wasn't really part of that group. I transferred recently. I'd barely gotten to know them, so I didn't have any attachment."

"A transfer?"

"Yes. There was another territory on the other side. From what you said earlier, it sounds like your territory is structured similarly."

"Yeah, I guess so."

As Justin suspected, their territories were indeed facing each other. It seemed the recent dungeon exploration quest had finally opened up interaction between multiple territories. Though he hadn't confirmed it yet, Justin assumed the situation was likely similar for pioneers from other territories as well.

'Is this another safety measure by the system?'

If many territories had been allowed to interact all at once, various problems would have arisen. Territories could have merged, and some would have been swallowed up before they had a chance to develop. The system likely imposed restrictions to prevent such a situation from occurring.

After all, victories and defeats determined by external factors rather than one's own abilities would be less than ideal.

'Now that everyone's adapted, they must've lifted the restrictions.'

It was indeed perfect timing. The leaders were beginning to grasp the need for power, taxes, and labor. By now, none of them would want to hand over their leadership positions or join another pioneer's ranks.

If the system was designed to encourage competition, it was brilliantly constructed.

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"And honestly, I regret transferring. The number of guys constantly hitting on me was unbearable."

"...Did one of those guys happen to be a warrior with a sword and shield?"

"That one was the worst. How did you know?"

Of course, Justin knew—he'd seen the guy lose his mind and charge at him the moment Nina fell. It seemed the poor guy had genuine feelings, while she had been entirely annoyed by the attention.

"Never mind that. Why did you transfer in the first place?"

"I hated my previous leader and the citizens. The citizens were constantly demanding things, and the leader would bend over backward to meet their demands. It was infuriating."

It seemed her old territory hadn't avoided the common tensions between pioneers and citizens either. But from what Nina explained, that territory seemed to have handled things better than most. The citizens hadn't been overly demanding, and the leader had worked hard to mediate conflicts as best they could.

There was even a promise to return the value of labor as taxes once they reached a stable point.

However, no matter how well things went, the pioneers inevitably bore the brunt of the burden. Nina had grown tired of endless resource collection, especially since there was no guarantee when, if ever, the promised returns would come.

"At first, I was happy after transferring. No taxes, the citizens kept quiet, and if anyone complained, I could hit them. But I regretted it soon after."

"What made you regret it?"

"As I mentioned before, I was constantly harassed. And the atmosphere in the territory encouraged it. They were very blunt about it," Nina grimaced, her disgust apparent.

It seemed the low moral standards had led to leniency regarding harassment, something Justin could easily imagine.

"So where is this territory located?"

"I was unconscious when you brought me here. I don't know the exact way back."

"You remember the direction from the hills, right? Just tell me how to get there from there."

Nodding at Justin's request, Nina knelt and traced a path in the dirt, showing the way she knew. The route was somewhat roundabout, given her limited knowledge, but it wasn't far in direct distance.

'If we assume the entrance to our hilly area is at six o'clock, their territory should be at about eight o'clock.'

If they hugged the nearby woods, Justin estimated they could reach the territory faster than expected. The only problem was that now wasn't the right time to conquer it. The presence of another territory on the opposite side meant holding onto the territory afterward would be difficult.

'It's better to focus on dungeon exploration for now rather than get greedy.'

Deciding to let go of the idea for now, Justin asked a few more questions, mostly about the two territories Nina had experience with. Once the interrogation ended, she looked at Justin with a worried expression.

"So… what happens to me now?"

"Hm."

Justin scratched his chin, thinking. If she had shown even the slightest sign of resentment over her fallen comrades, he would have killed her. But no matter how he looked at it, she didn't seem to hold any grudge.

"What level are you? And your class?"

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"I'm level 16. A Mage."

"Not bad. How about transferring to our territory?"

"Really!?" Nina's eyes widened in surprise. In her current situation, being offered a place to stay rather than being executed was beyond her expectations.

"Of course, you'll have to find someone to accompany you on hunts yourself. I'm not going to assign you to any specific team."

"Yes! Don't worry about that!"

"And remember, our territory has a hierarchy. Don't use violence against the citizens, especially those who are treated as nobles. If there's a problem, bring it to me."

"A hierarchy? Nobles?"

Nina tilted her head in confusion, but as Justin explained, her face lit up with understanding. She seemed to like the idea of a structured society rather than one where violence ruled unchecked.

After explaining things to Zachary, Justin had a house purchased for Nina and gave her a quick send-off.

"Now, just follow the rules and do your job when I give orders."

"Thank you! I'll do my best!"

Grinning ear to ear, Nina followed Zachary out. She seemed sharp enough to adapt quickly and grow well in this new environment.

With the matter of the prisoner settled, Justin called his comrades together. Before exploring the dungeon, they had one more task to complete.

"We're heading to Aaron's territory."

It was time to absorb the territory that had lost its master.

Aaron's territory was the place Justin's group had once called home. For everyone except Rachel, who was visiting for the first time, it was like returning to an old residence.

But the mood among the group was far from cheerful.

"Honestly, I still feel uneasy," Ethan finally said, having worn a concerned expression all this time.

"Aaron was a bastard, but I wonder if the citizens there have learned their lesson. What if they freak out when they hear about a hierarchical society?"

"I agree," Nathan chimed in, supporting Ethan's point.