Morning came. The villagers nearby were doing their everyday routine. Some were cleaning. Some were training. While some were working. Despite this normal looking village, an underground facility which is conducting a nation level activities is on going. Workers that were ones part of the black market and criminals who were once on the wanted list were nowhere to be seen. Instead, they were working as they were forced to choose, whether they work or to die in the dark.
Some chose death, egoistic people who think that they are on the top of the hierarchy, their pride led them to their deaths. While others chose to submit themselves.
Those who have chosen death suffered through agony before dying while those who submitted themselves would live a normal life. They were provided with food, a place to sleep, and even entertainment in exchange for labor in the underground facility. So long as they fulfill their daily quotas and if they don't tell any information about everything about the facility they will have the privilege to do anything they want within my territory. Interacting with the villagers is a no go since they'd be suspicious where they are coming from.
Hopefully they are all getting along. There are some skirmishes here and there nevertheless nothing major. It is to be expected that when people are thrown who are strangers to each other would have a hard time adapting to their new environment.
Nrowe sure is doing a good job on handling all of them.
Speaking of, I haven't heard of Alister yet.
Knowing him he should be able to at least stand up on his own.
I went to find Nrowe so that I can ask her about this. Alfred said that she was in her office. Having that keen sense of smell is a bit terrifying. I won't be able to sneak up on him since he already remembered my scent.
I knock on the door, twice.
"Come in!"
I entered and wave my hand in a friendly manner. Nrowe and Jinx stood up and bowed immediately.
"There's no need to be like that now, you know"
Jinx and Nrowe seems to have open up to each other. They have been interacting for about less than a day and they are already that close.
After sitting down we talk about the condition of the facility. There are currently less than two hundred men all in all that are working at different sects. Meanwhile, Alister is taking care of the other branch at Desafit kingdom. The other country here in the northern continent. Unlike Astel and Castro kingdom who gets their money through commerce and mining, Desafit is a nation popular to the native plants in their place. Some are beautiful which are use for decorations, some can be use for medicines and alchemy. And right now, Alister is the one who is managing the branch office there. Apparently, when Nrowe was turning the criminals that Alfred caught into workers, some were competent enough to act as spies to gather the needed information. May is the one teaching the newcomers since this field is her specialty.
These are the information that Nrowe gave me regarding about the Desafit.
Based on our previous conversations there are also mercenaries. Even without me, they alone with Alfred and May plus the men that are now Nrowe's slaves, they posses power that can threaten the Astel. If I add Nunu, they can rival the military power of Castro.
However forcefully taking a nation would only worsen the relationship of the other kingdoms so doing it from the shadows is better. Once we posses money greater than the royals here, manipulating the kingdoms should be easy.
"For now I will be going to Desafit. Later on, the tower master will finish the portal gate that will connect here to the magic kingdom. Once that happens, you will be selling five hundred of the soap bars that were made. Now, here is the question: Why only send five hundred?"
"Since this is the first time that they will be selling our products, the masses have yet to verify the effects of it nor our brand is well known as we are only starting. Therefore, a small number will be introduce at the market to make people spread gossips about it. This way, we will be able to control both the price and the flow of the market. We will keep on exporting a low amount to the magic kingdom on a weekly or monthly basis base on the stocks to keep the price high while making the demand higher day by day. Later on, we can make the price higher to our advantage!"
She answered confidently.
"A perfect answer"
She now have the capabilities of a second-rate merchant. I want to teach her the other things regarding this field but I can't spoil her now, can I. She will grow by herself even if I don't get myself involve anyway.
"The money that will be earn for today, make sure to give the guys downstairs a proper celebration. Even if it does cost a lot. But why should we do it?"
"To raise their morale"
"Good"
I stood up.
Then I added, "Do keep up the good work. Don't forget to take care of yourselves. You can have your own fun now and then, got that?"
"Yes Sir!"
I then went out to Alister's location.
Thanks to the map that Nrowe gave me I was able to use a shorter route directly to the branch office. She must have made this map with the car in consideration. This route can only be use by flying vehicles anyway. That is unless you can fly on your own.
The facility was made due to the plants the kingdom posses. Nrowe said that it will be of great use to me. The plants itself have different properties, both good and bad.
After two days I've reach the location.
Hey now, you have got to be kidding with me, right?!
I am currently standing above the ground with a lake right in front of me. Don't tell me that the branch office is beneath the lake?! I did taught her how to properly construct an underground facility but to be able to make one here is a bit... Never mind. I think my teaching skills are really good for her to be like this. I think I should be a teacher when I grow old.
I looked around the lake for the entrance and saw a big house being covered by big and thick trees. This must be it, right? I can feel multiple presences there and underground so it must be.
Let's see just how good their security is!
I successfully sneak inside without anyone knowing someone was able to infiltrate the house. They definitely need to close the windows more. Using my map for detecting my slaves, I ended up being in front of a door which seems to be different from the rest. I verified that there is only one inside the room as well.
I open the door, with great force, and there I saw Alister dancing.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
He sure screams loudly.
"Be quiet will you"
Guards went up and pointed their weapons to me. Alister quickly explain them the situation with haste. He already know that I will kill them if they do try to do anything to me.
After settling down the commotion I sat down on his bed.
"I never thought you had talent for such things~"
I laugh at him.
"Please forget about it" He said, still embarrassed about what happened.
"It's fine. At least you weren't doing it while you're naked"
After he calm down, he told me everything about here. By the time Alister met Nrowe, she already made a deal with the feudal lord, the baron who oversee this small land, including the lake. The feudal lord is a woman since there are no man in their family. She who really loves on taking care of her appearance, Nrowe use that to her advantage. Using the soap as bait, Nrowe made the feudal lord to sign a contract. Little did she know, the contract was a slavery contract that I made. Technically speaking, the land now belongs to Nrowe.
Just how frightening can she be?
"We caught a spy who tried to infiltrate the underground facility. But we weren't able to make her talk at all. Even May who specialized in torture wasn't able to" (Alister)
"Then lead me to that girl. I'll do it personally"
He flinched. He already knew fully well that I am someone who is well verse in this topic based on our first meeting.
He led me to the underground facility. In comparison to the one I made, this one is definitely smaller. This place is only use to store things anyway. Plus, the current people here is only thirty at most making the security quite lacking.
Alister also told me that it was Alfred who mainly dealt with the labor ever since I forbade him to level up.
Alister open a door and a girl in her late twenties who is tied in a chair greeted us.
"Another torture session?" She ask.
Knowing May, she should have done many things related to the skin or organs. They must have ask someone to heal her to keep her alive. But what is concerning is that this girl haven't committed suicide yet. In this line of business, one must be prepared to kill themselves if they are ever to be found out to not leak any information. But this woman haven't. She can just bite her tongue to die and she hasn't.
I signaled Alister to go out.
"Will you be willing to talk with me?"
"Ha! I'm not! Why should I?"
I sat down on the chair across her. Facing her with an expressionless face.
"Then you won't get mad at me if I torture you?"
"I'm already use to it, so do your worst!"
I can just read her memories but that would only hinder my experiment.
"Then I will introduce myself. I am Major Michael Santiago. Commander of the Special elite squad, that specialize in information gathering"
I took out the acupuncture needles from my inventory.
"The what now?" She ask in confusion.
"I will now engage in extracting information from you"
I acupunctured her to make her tolerance against pain to go away, and to also make her even more sensitive.
I started on the minor things and bit by bit I used the more painful ones. I am sure that some are already hearing her screams from above.
An agonizing and hellish torture that never ends due to my healing magic. It went on for hours but her spirit never broke. I'm impressed, honestly. How can someone have this much willpower. From tools to chemicals and all the way to the use of letting parasites into her body, she never once wavered.
I guess this experiment is a success. I now know that there are people here in this world that will be able to stand strong to my skills. Even though I am good at martial arts, my real forte is torture. So the fact that she didn't even hesitated whether to talk or not hurts my pride. I need to train myself even more.
I healed her and then altered her memories.
Based on her memories her name is Fera, and she have a little sister. Because of this, she needs to continue to do this kind of job to keep her little sister safe since she is being blackmailed. And the reason why she hasn't taken her life yet is because no one will take care of her little sister if she dies here. She has been waiting all this time for a chance to escape, enduring everything.
I didn't regret what I did since she also committed murders. She took away the lives of the innocent, happily, back when she wasn't tied down to her current state of affairs.
Her memories of being tortured are now gone. And I have also received information as to who did this.
One of the dukes of Desafit made her infiltrate this place to steal the recipe for the soaps so that they can produce it on their own. The duke heard about this soap from the baron's maids which made him to order someone to steal the recipe. Unfortunately for him only I know about the secret formula.
The greedy duke in her memories is that of a rotten man. A true scumbag who would gladly kill his own family for his happiness.
Slavery is illegal in Astel and Catros but here in Desafit it seems to be perfectly legal, to some extents that is. But the way that scum treats his own slaves is worst than anyone. Not even the royal family dare to oppose him since he alone bear the knowledge in making the medicine which made their country to prosper. Since he killed everyone who knows of the recipe for the medicine, he is now the sole bearer of it and is now the one who is ruling over all of them.
I brought the girl above ground and lay her down in a bed.
By now, the gate should be finish already.
-Nunu, come quickly to where I am. Bring Alfred and Nrowe with you.
-Understood!
I was busy onto covering the whole place with runes. Runes that only those who are my slaves or Nrowe's slaves are allowed to enter including May and Alfred, of course. I put three types of rune. The first one which is for making unregistered individuals to lose their way here in the lake. The second one is for sound proofing. While the last one is for camouflaging the whole place against magic sensors. This way even if they were to use high grade sensory tools they would not find anything here.
The girl woke up and I quickly went to the room she is currently staying in.
"You sure took your time sleeping there"
She cried. In her eyes, I am someone who protected her and the one responsible for stopping May to torture her. I got blinded for more than two hours because of the detailed memory alteration I did.
Alister was surprise as to why the spy who refuse to talk despite being tortured was being very friendly and close to me.
Without wasting anytime, I drag Fera to the car, and I drove quickly to the duke's manor. There was a minor problem since Fera was surprised about the car, but that is not the important thing right now.
I gave her food and water so she can eat.
"When we get there, I want you to make a report about the recipe of the soap. The information would be false of course. While you are doing so, the other two will be saving your sister. I assure you that they are strong"
I gave her a piece of paper.
"The other two?"
I pointed behind and she saw Inosi and Zoe. Before going I have already summoned them. She was shock since only the two of us were the ones to get in before going.
"I have already given you two the location of the target. This is your first mission so I expect a flawless execution"
"We will do our best to meet up with your expectations, master!" The two said simultaneously.
"Good!"
Fera turn to me.
"Thank you very much for helping me out, Sir Mike"
"It's fine. No need to be that over dramatic"
She started crying from joy. She felt that there is now someone who is willing to support her who do evil deeds.
We arrive at sunset and carried out our plan.
Fera went to report the false information I gave her while Zoe and Inosi went to the place where Fera's little sister, Feri, is being held at. As for me, I followed Fera to make her report so that I can capture the scumbag who is controlling the kingdom.
Fera meet directly with the duke. She gave the paper I made to the duke which contains false information. The duke laugh and yelled in bliss. Not caring about his surroundings he jump around saying "FINALLY!!" like a child.
From the roof, I went down and immediately restrain them using
-Master, we have successfully rescued the child.
-Good. Now, come here where I am, right now.
-Understood!
The two are faster than I thought.
I took all the memories regarding about the recipe of the medicine and stored it inside of me.
I gave her the tools she will be needing in her revenge.
"He is now weak. This is your time to do all the things you want. Go wild!"
I said as I patted Fera's back. I took the guards outside so that we can have our own little talk. Since there is only one door, I shouldn't be worried about someone else barging in since I am guarding the door.
Even at this distance, I continued to heal the duke every minute. He was begging Fera to stop from the beginning so I figured out that the guy doesn't have much tolerance against pain.
The guards who are accompanying me was afraid to the sudden turn of events. Using my spirit eyes, I've confirmed that these guards were also like the scummy duke. They have assaulted women and made the lives of children hard by ordering them impossible errands to do.
I altered the memories of the guards so that in their eyes I am someone who is very close to the duke.
After altering their memories the two arrive with a little girl with them. They arrive way faster than I thought. Inosi must have used a sleeping spell to make the guards to fall asleep including Feri, while Zoe carry the girl. A good plan. But there is a flaw in it.
"Inosi, quickly make all the people in the mansion to fall asleep, make sure that it will last long. Zoe, you gather all of them outside so that I can alter their memories"
"Understood"
Zoe gently put Feri down. The guards with me have also fallen asleep.
I entered the room once again after twenty minutes. There, the luxurious red carpet became darker due to the blood of the duke. This amount would normally kill someone already due to blood loss but that didn't happen because I kept on healing the scumbag every minute.
"Your sister is sleeping outside. I advise you to go out and find an empty room"
"Thank you very much. I really mean it"
"Before sunrise, make sure to go out. I promise you a new life. A better one at that"
"I understand"
She went to her sister to pick her up and went to look for a room.
I look at the duke's crying face. He was already mentally broken. Unlike Fera, this guy didn't even last longer than half an hour.
"Are you not ashamed of yourself? Seriously, I never get tired of throwing out trashes like you, though in your case you are pretty much a rotten and moldy carcass. That's how much of fuck face you are. Unfortunately, I have to recycle you. So, be of use to me"
After brainwashing the duke I went out to also brainwash everyone here. Their souls were also dark, not as dark as the duke that is. But still, all of his soldiers are pretty much trashes as well.
It took me eight hours to completely alter their memories. A red dragon appeared from the horizon. It was Nunu.
"Zoe, put them back to their original places. After that, dispel the sleeping spell you casted on them, Inosi"
They nodded and quickly did my orders. Nunu landed down. Nunu, Alfred and Nrowe arrived before sunrise.
"Alfred, send the two of them back to the base near the lake and wait for us to return"
I pointed to Fera and Feri who were waiting on the garden.
"How am I going to do that, master?"
So now he's also calling me master.
"Use this"
I took out the car and his eyes gleam in excitement.
"You can count on me!"
He will probably play afterwards. Not that I care. The siblings went towards me after I gestured Fera.
"You two will be safe with him. I promise you that"
"I trust you. So there is no need for you to say something like that"
Fera and Feri went inside the car and they departed. I made sure to mark both the sisters so that they can enter the house.
"Master, what are we going to do?"
"We'll take over the whole Desafit kingdom. It is much earlier than I expected it to be since some unexpected events have showed up along the way"
For some reason Nunu looks sad.
"I promise you that within the next four months you will be with her for good. So cheer up"
"R-really?!"
"Yes"
[Slave: Nunu, have fully merge with his body]
[Ego is going through a change.
Stoic > Courageous, Childish]
There it is! I was waiting until this notification pops up. Being childish sure does suit him.
Zoe and Inosi came back.
"Let's go outside. And have another entrance"
After being far away, Inosi woke everyone up.
After an hour we entered the duke's manor. This time, the guards were polite to us and treated all of us with respect. We entered a room and we sat down on the sofa. Shortly after the duke came in. He made a signal for every maid and guard to go out.
"What can I do for you, my liege?"
Now he is an obedient dog. I don't like dogs that bites their owner anyway.
"I want you to come with me to talk with the royal family"
"Understood. I shall get ready and go with you"
We went out and after the duke made his preparations we head towards the royal palace where the king is. We were riding above Nunu. He is big enough to carry all of us so why not.
When we landed, guards raise their swords and mages prepared to cast their spells.
"Put your weapons down now!"
The duke shouted in anger. All of the guards and mages quickly withdraw. We entered the palace. There, the king and queen was sitting on their throne. It seems like something is happening since there is quite a lot of people.
"Who are you?"
The king ask me.
"Before I answer that, I suggest that we switch places since there are too many people here"
Nunu who is outside and still a dragon roared. As if to show them what I can do.
"Please follow me"
We followed the king inside of a room. We sat down on the chairs provided.
I showed him my 'apostle mark'.
"As far as I know, you guys are having quite a trouble because of him" I pointed to the duke. "Now, he is under my control. Oh, I don't mean to say it as a threat. I will give you the copy of the original recipe of medicine from his family and that this guy will faithfully serve the royal family. I assure you that it is the truth in the name of the Goddess that I follow"
"What do you want in return?"
"First, I want to take a look at the different kinds of plants you posses. Then I will ask for a monthly supply of those plants if I did find anything that piques my interest. I will get it all for free, of course"
The prince who was behind the king got noticeably angry to the words I've said.
"Please tell me why this is beneficial to us?" The queen ask.
"Because, you now have complete authority and control over this guy. He who have been treating you all as trash. His services should be extremely useful to you all, no?"
The king and queen look at each other and turn to me.
"We will agree to this if you swear an oath that you will not threaten us and my kingdom"
"Let's sign a contract then!"
We sign a soul contract. Afterwards they gave us the right to go to their exclusive garden.
"From now on you will be serving the king and the queen with utmost loyalty, do you got that?"
"I understand. I, Duke Yemi, now swear loyalty to the royal family"
The people who saw the prideful duke to kneel, just one word from me, they were all terrified to imagining to all the things I can do.
I sent out Nrowe to go look for the plant that will help us.
"I would also like to get one man, is that okay with you all?"
"You want to take one man with you?"
"That is correct"
"Why?"
"Because he seems to have pique my interest, that is all"
"....."
He sure is taking his time. Kings should be able to create fast decisions!
"Go ahead"
"Thank you"
I went out. I can tell that these guys are all afraid of me. That is natural if you think about it.
I went back to the king's throne room and quickly abducted a guard.
I took a look at his status.
[Status information]
Name: Will Kertodes
Class: Knight
Race: Human
Sex: Male
Age: 21
Level: 32
HP: 21,000/21,000
MP: 800/800
Strength: 41
Agility: 45
Stamina: 63
Intelligence: 24
Level cap: 32
Psychological state: Tremendous fear
Status: None
Abilities: Wind
Attributes: None
Blessing(s):
-Demon of Lust's gift
+
The other guards paid no mind to me as I forcefully took one of them. I drag the guard that I abducted to an empty room.
"W-what are you going to do to me?!"
He scream in fear. Barely able to stand up.
"Take off your clothes, now"
"What?"
"I'm not going to repeat myself"
Ever since I met Gwen, I was able to confirm how to differentiate an apostle to those who are not. They give off a weird feeling once a fellow apostle is near you. The same thing happened for Alfred but I was able to confirm it with a hundred percent certainty when I met Gwen.
Gwen have her mark on her forehead. Alfred have his mark on his back. While I have mine on my left hand.
The guard was now naked. And there, in his right thigh, there was also a mark.
I knew it! He is an apostle!
Sometimes there are times were a god or goddess give their blessing but that doesn't make that person their apostle. You can only be called an apostle once you've received a god's blessing and their mark.
"When did you get that mark?"
"W-when I was fifteen"
Why is he so embarrassed when the two of us are men?
"You can wear your clothes now"
"O-okay"
I immediately alter his memories.
[Attempt failed]
Huh?
I then took a look at what kind of gift he has.
[Demon of Lust's gift effects:
-Manipulation immunity
-All soul base immunity
-Memory alteration immunity
-Magical resistance
-Temptation immunity
-Additional points to all base stats
Special skill:
Lustful world- In exchange of your MP you can make anyone within a hundred meters to instantly be trap in a world of illusions where they are engaging in constant sexual activities. Those who have fallen asleep will slowly lose their health and be absorbed by (Will).
Side effects of the Demon of Lust's gift:
-If you (Will) do not have sexual intercourse at least once a day, you will die. It can be man, woman, or even animal]
Wow, just wow. I am utterly speechless right now. So this guy... is the same as Melanie? In a different way of course.
I look at him with mix feelings of astonishment and disgust.