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Chapter 44: The Price of Leadership
Chapter 44: The Price of Leadership
"...Slaves?"
The eyes of the people widened in shock.
Slaves?
Everyone seemed uncertain if this was the kind of "slaves" they knew.
Nox, as if to drive the point home, explained again.
"Yes, I mean slaves. Such a highly useful resource, don't you think? You can use them as you wish, give them only enough food to live, and it's entirely up to you how to dispose of them."
"Wait, wait, wait!"
Zachary shouted multiple times, his face flushed.
It looked more like he was trying to calm himself down rather than addressing Nox.
After taking several deep breaths, Zachary finally spoke.
"Slaves? Who are you planning to make into slaves?"
"The enemy's settlers, of course."
"Th-the settlers?"
"Yes. You all know it, don't you? Estates—safe zones—aren't limited to just this place. They're distributed at certain distances from here. Close enough to reach if you set your mind to it."
"Then this war…"
"It's a war between the pioneers of different estates. The slaves are the settlers who live there."
A heavy silence fell.
They all vaguely knew that other estates existed.
But war? Spoils and slaves?
Their expressions grew serious, as if they were envisioning the worst possible scenario.
"As you might expect, this also applies to all of you."
Before anyone could voice objections, Nox smiled and affirmed the worst-case scenario.
"The spoils and slaves always go to the victor. If the pioneers here are defeated by an invasion from another estate, then the people residing in this estate will be taken as slaves."
"No, that's impossible! How can that be allowed?"
Nox dismissed someone's desperate scream with a cold voice.
"Whether it's possible or not is not for you to decide."
"Don't try to inject strange philosophies or morals into this. It's simply become possible. No matter how much you protest, if someone wins a war, they can kill you and take your family as slaves. That's all there is to it."
"...!"
"And in such an invasion, only the pioneers here can protect you. Of course, there are exceptions."
"E-exceptions?"
A fearful voice rang out, but Nox added with endlessly cruel eyes,
"The leader has the freedom to choose whether to resist or surrender. If victory seems impossible, the pioneers can surrender to another estate and fall under their command."
"...!?"
"Of course, this only applies to capable pioneers. If there are no prior negotiations, you're bound to become slaves. If the enemy leader is generous, you might join as settlers, but…"
Nox laughed out loud, as if suggesting the possibility was almost nonexistent.
The people, frozen in place, clenched their fists, staring at the laughing Nox.
However, Nox continued to speak, unbothered by the stares from all directions.
"I'll say it again: Elect a leader and follow their commands. This is all I can tell you. Not electing one is also your choice, but…"
The consequences would be yours to bear.
With those weighty words, the people were left speechless.
Nox's explanation continued for a while longer.
Since he had finished explaining the rewards, most of what followed was about the leader's authority, taxes, and war.
Among these, the leader's authority caused just as much of an uproar as the talk of slaves.
- The authority to enable or disable violence prevention and entry restrictions for the safe zone.
- The ability to forcibly expel specific individuals from the safe zone.The authority to restrict the use of internal facilities,including shops, at any time.
- Freedom to adjust the tax rate, with automatic enforcement.
Each authority was immensely powerful.
What was even more concerning was that these powers were not limited to settlers alone.
Even fellow pioneers could be restricted at the leader's discretion.
Naturally, both pioneers and settlers reacted as if a hornet's nest had been stirred.
However, the qualification for becoming a leader was "at least level 5," so the atmosphere in the two groups was a little different.
"What's the difference between this and being a slave? It just means we have to crawl around obediently!"
"Why are they doing this to us? Is not holding a weapon and killing monsters such a huge crime?"
"Damn it, applying these powers even to other pioneers seems too much."
"Think of it positively. If the leader comes from our faction, then all of that power will be ours."
The settlers despaired at the thought that their rights could now be unilaterally restricted by the leader.
The pioneers felt conflicted, knowing that these powers could either become theirs or belong to someone else.
And that sentiment was the same among Justin's team.
His companions, gathered in his home, all wore serious expressions.
"A leader... Given the nature of World Rebuild, I thought this would happen eventually, but it's too soon."
"The timing isn't the problem—the powers are. They're excessively strong. If you get on the leader's bad side, it's over for you."
"Well, for maintaining order, such power might be necessary. If it were weak, it would just lead to more resistance."
Derek looked at Justin with an incredulous expression.
"Are you not worried, brother?"
"Worried about what?"
"What if some random guy becomes the leader? Wouldn't that put us in a terrible position?"
"Not at all."
Justin snorted at the unnecessary concern.
"Didn't you hear what Nox just said? There could be an invasion from another estate."
"What does an invasion have to do with the leader?"
"If a leader thinks this is their land, they'll fight desperately against any invaders. But would the other pioneers fight properly?"
"Uh..."
Derek's eyes wandered.
He still seemed a little confused, so Justin decided to explain more clearly.
"If the leader treated the other pioneers poorly, would they fight for him if asked to risk their lives? They'd rather surrender to the other estate."
"...!"
"Is that even possible? Without the leader's consent?"
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