– PoV: Quinlan –
<I will need the gate for a few minutes.>
<Sure, I’ll make the arrangements. Give me a second.> Ayame replied to my request.
I was in the basement helping get the collars off of the women when Cedric came by and Selene quickly followed. I raised an eyebrow when I saw her dragging a screaming naked dude while she had a complete poker face.
“What’s up with this?” I asked curiously.
“He was barking while getting his backdoor obliterated by a guard.”
“Really?” I said while glancing at Dorothy and the dozen other women he kidnapped to be his sex slaves.
“Maybe for the sake of keeping up appearances.” Selene said while shrugging her shoulders. She couldn’t be bothered by this topic and neither could I, so I moved on.
“What the hell are they saying?” The father asked the son once the three generations of wonderful human beings were kneeling next to each other.
“I dunno…”
“Are you into men?”
“No.”
“I knew fucking my sister was a horrible idea.” The father sighed while shaking his head. “Lord…” He started while looking at me. I didn’t reveal my name so he kept waiting a few seconds before realizing that no answer would come to his question. “Lord Kidnapper, I wish to negotiate for my safe release.”
“What is your offer?” I asked curiously.
“The valuables in this home. They should be worth over fifteen gold.”
I nodded at him before turning to my subordinates. “Cedric, Selene, take this gentleman and collect the valuables he is speaking of. Torture him if he isn’t cooperative but don’t kill him.”
My order instantly drained the color from the man’s face and he started shouting profanities as Cedric hauled him away from the basement.
“Lyra, how are the women? Anyone needing immediate healing?”
The pink-haired beauty rushed to me as soon as he heard me address her and even saluted. I think she started acting as if I’m her commander or something. “Lord Quinlan, only one is in danger of death but many of them have infections and such from getting whipped and then tossed into this dirty room.”
“Alright. Which one is the dying one?”
Once she pointed at her I went and saw that she was unresponsive. I crouched down and lifted her into my arms, eliciting a lot of gasps and curious gazes. Did they think this was below me? To touch a dirty dying sex slave? I didn’t have such qualms about cleanliness.
<Everything is ready.> Ayame’s gorgeous voice sounded in my mind.
I stopped supplying the gate with my mana which immediately canceled the spell, after which I summoned one that connected this basement with the Wraithclaw location.
“Emily and the other captives as well as house staff, this is a door that leads to my temporary home. Step through and you’ll be able to enjoy living under my protection. If you have family members in the outside world I’ll help you bring them over as well in the next few days.”
“You didn’t lie when you said that you aren’t the same man you were back then…” Emily replied with a low whisper as she eyed the portal. I chuckled at her reaction, instructed Lyra to bring the Blackthorn men, and stepped through.
Dorothy stepped through after me without a moment’s hesitation, followed by Pumpkin who dragged her mother behind her. The poor woman wasn’t very responsive even now.
Many hundreds of eyes welcomed my emergence from the portal. Most of the populace I conquered were still fearing me and for a good reason. It was only a couple of hours since I held my [Airwalk] speech.
Seraphiel quickly came to me once I called for her. She transformed her Lifebloom Arc into the staff version and started slinging spells at the dying woman. After thirty or so seconds she was done. “Now she needs rest and lots of nutrients.” I nodded then glanced at the eyes staring at Lyra and in particular the two men she was dragging behind her.
“Is that…?!”
“Y-yes I think!”
“The Blackthorn son and grandfather!”
“Where’s the current baron?”
Numerous such whispers could be heard. I decided to inform the masses. “In case you weren’t aware, I went to the Blackthorn family to free the wife of one of my underlings. While there, I decided to end the reign of the family, Triston will be joining us soon enough. I feel like I don’t have the right to decide the fate of these three men, they did nothing to me. So, let me ask you, the people who’d been living in their territory. What should be their fate?”
My question was met with silence, which only lasted for a single second. Then, a thunderous chorus that consisted of thousands of shouts erupted from the crowds as they started chanting.
“Death! Death! Death!”
I raised my right hand and made the gesture for them to quiet down. It took a minute for order to return to the crowd as they eagerly awaited my response. “My first order as your sovereign ruler was to move within three days from this place to the new land. My second shall be ordering you to create three sturdy wooden crosses. Hear me, my people! I hereby sentence Tristan, Triston, and Tristun Blackthorn to be crucified! Let the mighty sun drain them of their last drop of energy! A fittingly miserable end for these miserable sons of bitches!”
Another single second of silence ruled over the place save for Seraphiel’s merry giggling before the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers. Some of their eyes were even bloodshot as their cruel grin told me that no one here wanted to see these men to enjoy even a shred of mercy.
“Lord Quinlan Banzai!” A woman shouted who I was 99% certain to be Lucille. She was hiding away somewhere in the crowd.
“Lord Quinlan Banzai!”
“Lord Quinlan Banzai!”
“Lord Quinlan Banzai!”
Their loud cheers soon reverberated over the main square of the valley and they continued to shout my name as they went to fulfill my order. If your subjects are terrifyed of your capabilities, the best way to convince them to turn that fear into obedience is to show them that you will use your strength right.
