Chapter 25
Thinking a little about the future, the next morning.
"Yuurai-sama. Last night, we captured some bandits. What should we do with them?"
While Yuurai was having breakfast in the dining hall, Gilka, who usually doesn't come into the castle, approached and asked her this.
Yuurai had instructed them to capture any unfamiliar faces entering the town, and it seems Gilka carried out that order.
By the way, although Gilka was extremely nervous at first, she has now calmed down and can speak normally with Yuurai. However, the reason she usually doesn't come into the castle is that the rest of her group still fears Yuurai and avoids getting close. It seems Gilka has no intention of living in the castle alone.
"Bandits, huh...... Just hearing about them brings my mood down......"
Yuurai already knows why bandits are considered a despised existence. After all, it was bandits who attacked Lipia and the others. Bandits are the kind of people who can do such things without a second thought.
Yuurai also felt it might not be a good idea to keep employing Gilka, a former bandit, in the town. She could be a dangerous presence as well.
However, when Yuurai told Gilka about the incident with Lipia and the others, Gilka got angry and firmly declared that they would never stoop to such levels. While it's true they committed crimes as bandits, they apparently never tormented the weak for no reason.
In the end, Yuurai decided to let Gilka and her group continue working in the town. For now, Yuurai believes that choice hasn't been a mistake.
"How many bandits did you capture?"
"Twenty. Well, they were small fry I could handle on my own."
"Gilka, you're strong, so...... small fry by your standards doesn't mean much."
Gilka's combat strength is around 35,000, which is higher than Claire's. However, since Gilka doesn't have any magic-related skills, it's unclear who would win if the two fought.
According to Claire, she would never lose to bandits, or so she says.
"Even by normal standards, they're not impressive. Even my subordinates could take them down."
"I see...... Well, I'd like to add them to the labor force. There's still a lot of cleaning and management that isn't getting done. Do you think they'd work properly?"
"I can force them to work under my control, but there's still some unease. There's no telling when they might betray us."
"What do you think we should do to prevent betrayal?"
"If we had someone who could use enslavement magic, we could use that, or we could dominate them with overwhelming power far beyond mine...... I suppose."
"Hmm, hmm. Do we even have someone who can use enslavement magic?"
Yuurai looks at Claire, Ragvela, and Jeevy in turn, but it seems none of them can use it.
"Actually, isn't that kind of dangerous magic something Yuurai could use?"
Asked by Claire, Yuurai shakes her head.
"I can't use it. And why does it always turn into 'if it's dangerous magic, it must be me' kind of talk?"
"Yuurai, do you not understand just how dangerous the magic you wield is?"
"......I have a vague idea."
The rest of Gilka's group, who were subjected to Mental Corruption, still tremble and break out in cold sweats whenever they see Yuurai's face. It seems they've been completely traumatized.
Apparently, unless someone has an exceptionally strong mind or is blessed with holy attributes, they'll end up with lifelong trauma.
"If Yuurai-sama uses that magic, I think they'll obey immediately. What do you say?"
"Hmm...... Well, if that settles things, let's do it."
"Thank you. After that, leave it to me. I'll handle it, so just one use is enough."
"Got it. I'll go after I finish eating."
"Understood. Then, I'll take my leave."
Gilka departs. After seeing her off, Yuurai resumes her meal.
"If we keep gathering bandits like this, this place is going to turn into a bandit town."
Yuurai mutters, and Claire frowns.
"......As far as I'm concerned, that's not a good thing. Bandits are a scourge on the world. Rather than letting them work in the town, I'd rather execute them all."
"......I understand the sentiment, but indiscriminate killing just because they're bandits isn't right. It's similar to killing Monsters or Undead indiscriminately just because of what they are."
"......Maybe so. Still, I think bandits will increase in this area from now on. It's a fact that there aren't enough people to properly guard the place, so it's convenient land for criminals."
"......That's a problem. Poor security isn't good."
"Fortunately, or perhaps not, the harsh winter is coming, so I don't think many will gather for a few months. However, things will change in spring. It's better to think of countermeasures. That is, if you plan to keep living here."
"......Well, I'll probably live here for a while. I don't exactly have anywhere else to go."
(I just want to live peacefully, but there are so many things to think about...... Living peacefully might be more of a luxury than I thought.)