[Fear]
The lord’s unreasonable words reverberated through the air.
The crowd erupted in furious echoes all at once.
“This is outrageous!” “Damn your taxes!” “Are you expecting us to die?!” “Is this how a lord should behave?!” “What’s the use of a lord if his people are starving to death?!” “Just disappear!” “Go back where you came from!” “Scum lord!”
“….Quite the ruckus.”
Grin.
Hazen hurled his harpoon-shaped magic wand, causing it to streak through the air and carve out a ten-meter-wide hole in the plaza.
“Wh… what…”
“That’s Crimson Lotus, a magic wand designed for one devastating strike. It can only be used once a day, with inefficient magic power consumption, but it can easily obliterate a small area.”
“O-our only place to relax… uuuu… uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.”
Daryl sank to his knees, overcome with tears.
“Heh… you’re quite the performer. Trying to garner sympathy in the midst of all this. Why cry over a mere plaza? It’s just a spot for idle drunkards who refuse to work. Besides… ‘Yaksha Brigands’.”
Hazen plunged his other magic wand into the ground.
Soon after, the departed began to rise from the earth, numbering in the hundreds.
Instantly, screams of terror filled the air—men, women, children, the elderly, all were gripped by fear. The walking dead encircled the plaza, trapping those attempting to flee.
“W-what are they?” asked Yan, visibly unnerved..
“They’re creations of the magic wand I crafted using the 5th-grade magic gem Queen Basia sent recently—loyal undead soldiers who will obey any command I give. As I’ve said, I can easily subdue ordinary folk who can’t use magic.”
“Y-you’re going too far?!”
“Too far? Preventing escape is the most fundamental aspect of managing territory.”
“There’s something fundamentally wrong with that mindset! You should strive for good governance to prevent your people from wanting to escape!”
“That’s what the previous lord attempted. Yet his efforts were in vain. The weak aren’t always virtuous, Yan. Sometimes, they can be more devious and self-serving than the strong. And no one is better at feigning weakness than the weak.”
““““……”””” The jaws of the people dropped in disbelief. Only now did they realize that they were completely at the mercy of this abnormal lord. The misfortune of yesterday didn’t seem that bad anymore.
“Let me warn you, you are not allowed to leave the district without my express permission. My undead soldiers have no fear of daylight. They will work 24/7 to prevent any escape, while my other servants will keep a constant watch over you.”
When the black magician raised his hand, tens of thousands of ravens gathered in the plaza, singing ominous chorus with their sinister cawing.
“W-where did all these ravens come from?” Yan stammered.
“Despite my frugality, I don’t mind spending some money to keep secrets. I’m well aware that what I’m doing violates the Empire’s laws. It would be inconvenient if someone were to file a lawsuit against me.”
“…This devil,” Yan muttered, grasping her head. Meanwhile, Sinon, Ragh, and Daryl gazed up at Hazen, while others prayed, wept, or despaired. Cecil, however, seemed to have nodded off.
“…What exactly do you want us to do?” Sinon asked, raising a trembling hand.
“You’re free to do as you please, as long as you pay the tax of three small gold coins. I have no desire to meddle in your lives any more than necessary.”
“So, regardless of the tax rate, it’s three small gold coins?”
“Yep, that’s right.”
“…Understood,” the hard-working beautiful girl replied, lowering her hand.
Hazen chuckled with amusement. “I admire your bravery.”
His words were met with silence.
“I assume there are no further questions. Well then, until next time.”
““““……””””
As the people found themselves immobilized by the weight of impending hardship, Hazen swiftly departed from the scene.
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