As the sword glowed, short screams from the slaves could be heard.
The slave in front of me also froze.
It seemed like he thought I was going to kill him.
“Uh, uh… … ?”
But what fell to the floor was not blood, but a heavy iron necklace.
As the slave’s badge fell in half, the slave looked down at it in confusion.
“Huh, how did this get cut off… … ?!”
“I will cut off all your marks. Without those marks, you will not be able to tell that you are a slave.”
The restraints were a type of item, with a spell placed on them that prevented them from rebelling against those of a higher rank.
A faint glimmer of hope began to appear on the slaves’ faces.
If there were no such mark, I might be able to live a little more freely.
But there was something to do before that.
“Before you cut the token, everyone listen to my story. And spread this story far and wide.”
Their expressions looked like they would listen to whatever I said.
It was the optimal condition for the ability to take effect.
I activated my power as soon as I opened my mouth.
[The ability ‘Voice of Brainwashing’ is activated!]
* * *
It was said that if anyone questioned the grand name of Paradise Nation, show them the capital of Paradise Nation.
The capital literally looked like a paradise.
It was full of beautiful and splendid buildings, and the river running through the capital city itself shone like a jewel.
In addition, there were lush gardens near the capital, boasting beautiful views in each season.
And the most spectacular of them all was the royal palace.
The royal palace, which has been around for hundreds of years, was the work of the best craftsmen and artists born in that generation.
A royal palace built on high ground to provide a beautiful view of the sky that protects paradise.
On occasional foggy days, the palace appeared as if it were a palace in the sky.
In the center of that palace stood a huge stone statue.
A winged dragon statue that can be seen everywhere.
Even in the barren remote lands, one could see stone statues of paradise.
‘Is that the palace? It’s so far away.’
The captain of the guard was sitting on a chair in my room, sighing and staring outside.
To be exact, he was one of the Awakened Ones who had taken on that role.
‘It’s good to be a general, but to be working in the frontier. It’s too far to reach the king.’
At first, he was content with being in the nobility, but he soon realized that his position was not good enough to achieve his goals.
The place he is in is the most barren land among the outskirts of paradise.
The Guardian Captain furrowed his brow as he gazed at the desolate landscape.
‘In order to kill the king, I must first return to the capital… … .’
If he were in the palace, he could have attempted to assassinate him, but he was in this remote area.
It seemed that the captain of the guard that he had possessed was originally a member of the king’s guard, but had been demoted for taking a bribe.
If they achieved success, they would be able to return to the capital, but nothing worth calling an achievement occurred in this remote area.
“Captain, I heard that a demon has appeared near the logging camp… … .”
Then one of his subordinate soldiers cautiously reported.
The captain’s eyes lit up with annoyance at that story.
“Is that all you’re reporting to me for? I think you guys can handle this among yourselves.”
When he first became possessed, he worked quite diligently to exorcise the demons in the area, but now he realized that it was useless.
The majority of people living in this harsh and dangerous land were commoners.
Even if you try to save them, they are often ignored and not given public recognition from above.
“They’re going to be a bunch of rascals anyway, so do I really need to step forward?”
There is one powerful demon, but when they went out to subdue it, dozens of soldiers died.
It was an opponent that he could not defeat with his own skills.
If all the other sect members join in, we might have a slight chance of winning… … .
‘No, even if that happens, there will be casualties. Our goal is to become king anyway, and we don’t need to worry about this remote area.’
Currently, joining other colleagues is also problematic.
Since this great demon can leave and re-enter in the middle of the spell, there is a way to temporarily release the spell and return to the present world to contact your comrades… … .
‘There’s a limited number of times you can release the ice, and time passes too quickly when you go outside.’
If you spend a day outside, three days will have passed in Paradise.
Additionally, when the ice is released, the consciousness of the original owner of the body returns.
The owner of the possessed body would come to realize that he was possessed by something during the blank period.
Because if you leave here too often, you could get into trouble.
‘Since the other colleagues are in the capital, I have no choice but to go up there too.’
If we save the nobles, we might be able to continue the relationship, but the people here are all commoners.
His mission is neither to protect the border nor to defeat the devil, but to kill the king.
I didn’t want to waste my energy on some useless commoner.
“I’ll leave the handling of the demons up to you. It’s for training purposes.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“I would rather have thieves appear than demons… … .”
The element he was most concerned about at the moment was not the demons but the bandits.
——————
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They are said to be famous for various reasons, mainly appearing in the southern region, and some crazy commoners call them righteous bandits.
They were quite a headache as they were plundering nobles and semi-nobles and distributing their wealth to the commoners.
‘It will be an opportunity for me.’
The higher-ups would value catching bandits more than exterminating demons.
However, the bandits’ movements are secretive, so they cannot be tracked.
“Have you found out anything about those bandits?”
“I’m sorry, but I got some other information instead of the bandits.”
“What information?”
“There seems to be a certain cult spreading among the common people these days. There is a man who calls himself the king of dirt and bugs… … .”
You call yourself a king?
At those words, the Guardian Captain’s eyes lit up for a moment.
In a country with a king, claiming to be king meant you were a traitor.
If you punish a traitor, the king may reward you greatly and possibly summon you to the palace.
The soldier continued his explanation as he stared at me as if telling me to continue talking.
“There is a man named Seo Kang-rim who is spreading a false prophecy that the king of dirt and bugs will destroy paradise.”
“… … Seo Kang-rim?”
The Guardian Captain’s eyes widened at the familiar name.
Are you saying that the person who plotted treason was Seo Kang-rim?
Without any surprise, the soldier added:
“Yes. When I asked him what the story was, he said he was a runaway slave.”
When he heard that Seo Kang-rim had been possessed by a slave, he was dumbfounded but at the same time thought that this was an opportunity.
Clearly, the Seo Kang-rim of the real world was a being so strong that no one would dare look at him.
But now, I’m just a slave.
“Is there no other character besides Seo Kang-rim?”
“Rumor has it that he seems to be traveling alone.”
Moreover, since I was traveling alone without any other members, it was truly a golden opportunity.
Even though he was demoted, he was possessed by a general of a country.
There are more than a hundred people at his disposal, and he has ample supplies, including weapons.
What if we could catch Seo Kang-rim here?
‘Not only can I stop the most powerful attacker, Seo Kang-rim, but I can also use that as an opportunity to return to the palace!’
I couldn’t miss this opportunity.
He said, jumping up from his seat.
“Gather the soldiers and have them search for traces of Seo Kang-rim. The task of capturing the traitor must take priority over any other mission.”
* * *
The inn, located near the border, was shabby and quiet.
In the past, this area was once a thriving place as many travelers passed through it to go to other countries.
Now, there are few guests, so it is used more as a gathering place for the villagers than as an inn.
“Damn it! What the hell are the Border Guards doing… …!”
One of the residents put down his glass with a look of anger on his face.
It was cheap and strong so it didn’t taste good, but I wasn’t in a position to complain.
The innkeeper said with a bitter face.
“When has the Guardians ever done their job properly?”
“But I thought this guy was different this time… … . In the end, they’re all the same.”
The voice that poured out her complaints was filled with anger and sobs.
That’s understandable, because a few days ago, when they went to cut down trees, a demon appeared and many of their colleagues were injured.
Other residents also drank alcohol with gloomy faces.
“I hope the rumor is true.”
“If it’s a rumor?”
“They say that the king of dirt and bugs will destroy paradise. They say that even the slaves in the neighboring villages have been freed.”
Rumors of Seo Kang-rim were slowly spreading throughout Paradise.
Of course, there were many who dismissed it as mere rumor.
One of the residents said with a mocking face.
“I don’t know what nonsense you’re all talking about. Destroying paradise? That’s ridiculous. The reigning king is so strong.”
The ruler of this country, the reigning king, was famous for being an untouchable awakener.
Although he was a tyrant, his power was so great that other countries did not even dare to invade him, a story spread throughout the country.
“I heard that the King of Earth and Bugs is incredibly strong. He defeated not only nobles but also demons.”
Despite those words, the innkeeper and other guests looked at each other with expressions of incredulity.
At that moment, someone came into the inn.
His face couldn’t be seen clearly because he was wearing a robe, but it was clear that he was an outsider.
It was my first guest in several months.
As it was a place rarely visited by outsiders, the locals’ eyes were focused on the guests.
The glances he gave were filled with concern and curiosity.
One of the residents spoke up.
“Guest, how did you find out about this place? It’s a place that’s hard for outsiders to come to.”
“I came because I needed to meet someone.”
Seo Kang-rim said that and sat down in an empty seat far away.
When the innkeeper poured a glass of liquor and placed it in front of him, he looked at it blankly and took a sip.
The residents looked at him as if they found him strange.
“Is that guest a nobleman? Something about the atmosphere feels off.”
“No way. Why would a nobleman come to a place like this alone?”
While they were chattering, Seo Kang-rim was drinking without saying a word.
They showed interest in the strange guest, but soon the conversation shifted to the king of dirt and bugs.
“They say the King of Dirt and Bugs will free the commoners and slaves, but I doubt he will.”
“I don’t need anything else, I just need you to do something about the demons nearby… … .”
“They say Seo Kang-rim is leading a black dragon. If he can handle a dragon, wouldn’t he be able to defeat a demon easily?”
While Seo Kang-rim was silently listening to that story.
Someone came into the inn in a hurry.
