Instigating People (2)

By the time I returned to the castle, the night had settled in completely, casting long shadows through the hallways.

The weight of the town's glares, whispers, and wary eyes still clung to me.

They didn't trust me.

They didn't believe in me.

And why should they?

To them, I was the reason their world had collapsed.

The noble failure who had orchestrated their downfall.

They needed someone to blame—someone to hate.

And since they refused to take responsibility for their own actions…

They had chosen me.

Fine.

Let them blame me. Let them hate me.

It didn't matter.

Because after today, they would obey me.

——

The halls of the castle were quiet. Too quiet.

Not a single servant dared to approach me as I walked through.

They had heard.

They knew what had happened in town today.

And more importantly…

They were afraid.

I pushed open the doors to my chamber, stepping inside without a word.

The moment I crossed the threshold, I collapsed onto my bed.

There was no point in overthinking things right now. Tomorrow, I would act.

For now, I needed rest. I let myself sleep without worry.

——

The sun had barely risen when I awoke.

The usual routine followed—training, bathing, listening to the endless murmurs of my maids.

But today, something was different. I could feel it in the air.

As I walked past the corridors, I overheard voices—muffled whispers behind closed doors.

The maids were talking about me.

"Did you hear what he did?"

"He thinks he can order them around like a tyrant."

"It's terrifying. But… he's stronger now."

A smirk tugged at my lips.

"But how long can he keep this up?" another voice murmured.

I stopped walking.

Doubt.

Of course.

They thought this was just temporary.

That I would eventually crumble back into the pathetic noble I had once been.

They didn't believe in me.

Not yet.

But that was fine. Because today, I would prove it.

——

Back in my chambers, I sat on the edge of my bed, deep in thought.

Yesterday, I had declared control over the town.

Today, I needed to make them move.

The town was in ruins—a dying husk.

If I was to rule this land, I needed to rebuild it.

And to do that?

I needed workers. The mines were the only thing of value left.

The people had abandoned them, after the butchering happened. Maybe they believed it was cursed or something—cause of their misfortune.

But I didn't care what they believed. The mines would reopen.

And they would work. Whether they wanted to or not.

As I pieced together my plan, the system chimed in.

[ Host, do you need assistance? ]

I scoffed. "From you?"

[ (￣ヘ￣) ]

[ System merely wishes to support Host's ambition. Why must you be so hostile? ]

I rolled my eyes. "You enjoy watching me struggle."

[ (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠) ]

Annoying. But it did spark an idea.

"…Tell me, System," I murmured. "What's the best way to make lazy people work?"

[ Easy. Make them fear the alternative. ]

A slow smile spread across my face.

This bitch was sadistic as well.

That was exactly what I planned to do.

That afternoon, I returned to the town.

The people were already waiting.

Not by choice, of course.

But because after yesterday's events, they knew something was coming.

I walked to the center of the square, Then, I spoke.

"Tomorrow morning, every single one of you will return to the mines."

The crowd stiffened. A wave of murmurs spread.

"You can't be serious," someone muttered.

"The mines collapsed!" another voice protested. "There's nothing left to dig for!"

I silenced them with a look.

"You will work," I said coldly. "Because that is the only thing this town has left. You mine, or you starve. It's that simple."

A deep, uncomfortable silence followed.

They knew I wasn't bluffing. They had seen what I could do.

And unlike before, I wasn't offering them a choice.

One man—a former miner—stepped forward, his hands clenched into fists.

"…And if we refuse?" he asked, voice tight.

I smiled.

"Then I will make an example out of you."

Tension snapped through the air.

A woman grabbed the man's sleeve, whispering something in panic.

The crowd shifted, the weight of my words pressing down on them.

No one wanted to be the first to challenge me.

Not after what happened to those bodybuilders type of guys.

Slowly, hesitantly, the man stepped back.

He understood.

This wasn't a negotiation.

I turned my gaze back to the rest of the crowd.

"You have until dawn," I said. "If you're not in the mines by sunrise…"

I let the threat hang in the air.

They understood.

And with that, I turned and walked away, leaving them in the crushing weight of their own silence.

Back at the castle, I stood at my window, pondering about the future of the town.

It had begun.

The first step toward reshaping this place, I had finally done it.

It was not the way I was genuinely proud of, but that was what these people needed the most.

A Tyrant was exactly what they needed.

Tomorrow, the mines would reopen. And this town would begin its transformation.