No, My Paddak…! 2

As some administrators were being reduced to dust by someone in a futile manner, Alice was accelerating the ‘cleanup’ of the Enchantment of the Fallen layer.

The contract with ‘hell’ was something Alice could manipulate at will from the moment she regained her powers as a Demon King, so it wasn’t an issue in the first place. With the contract with hell nullified, the priestess Sira, who was supposed to give birth to ‘death and insects,’ no longer needed to fulfill the contract.

However, the numerous false gods remaining in the Enchantment of the Fallen layer were still clinging to their tenacious lives. The residents of the layer who had fallen into madness also remained.

Well, even if she had regained her authority and abilities as the former Demon King, it wasn’t a 100 percent perfect recovery yet. And even if she had recovered them, she still needed some time to adapt.

Alice was almost omnipotent in hell, which could be called the Demon King’s domain, but she couldn’t assume that it would be the same in Ark and other layers.

‘Actually, as soon as I returned to the Enchantment of the Fallen layer, my body felt slightly heavier. My mana control also wavered a bit. Until I fully adapt, I should live as the Overseer Alice.’

Alice naturally harbored the desire to return the favor to the administrators who had ordered her execution.

Although they had their reasons, was it something the person being executed had to understand?

However, before killing the administrators who had ordered her execution, she had to report to Rilstia. She also had to catch and deal with the True Ancestor mosquito bastard who was the cause of the execution order.

‘But surely Rilstia didn’t approve of my execution, did she?’

Nah, no way.

Would she really do that?

The way her eyes sparkled every time she looked at me couldn’t be faked or acted.

Frankly, it wasn’t the look of someone looking at a trusted subordinate, but a honey-dripping gaze almost like looking at a lover.

There’s no way Rilstia would have tried to execute me quietly, and even if she had really participated, she would have at least secured an escape route or given me a warning.

This wasn’t Alice’s arrogance or conceit, but a truly objective assessment.

Even Theresa could sense that Rilstia’s gaze towards Alice was unusual.

Anyway, if Alice in her prime as the Demon King from her second life, no Overseer of Ark or True Ancestor could stop Alice, but since she didn’t have complete control over her body yet, there was a possibility of making a mistake if she rashly drew her sword.

Therefore, Alice…

“Now! The so-called Beloved One represents the paradise of the red ideology, everyone!”

“Waaaaaaaah!”

“Are you ready to resist the whole world? Ark has oppressed you throughout your lives, and the incompetent leadership and corrupt pigs have suppressed you under the guise of peace and order!”

“That’s right! That’s right!”

“We must now let them know! How great the united workers are! How strong you are with the sickle and hammer! Let’s show those bastards that everything they wear and sleep in contains our blood and sweat!”

Listening to this thunderous roar and applause, Valet was trembling in fear.

What the hell is this?

I’m scared.

I don’t know either.

What is this?

“As expected-of-Alice-nim. At first, I thought-that-red ideology-was just-a temporary measure-to quell-the fanaticism-of this layer… But-it turns-out-it was-an active ideological-struggle-against the Central Administration!”

“…”

“This Valet-is truly-pleased-to carry-out-your orders-rather than-the orders-of the Central Administration.”

“Uh, uh… okay.”

Alice thought that Valet, who had defected from being an executioner, was looking up at her with admiration, which was quite uncomfortable.

The reason Alice didn’t kill Valet and the executioners who had tried to kill her was simple.

They were just public officials doing as they were told.

Above all, their sympathy and pity for Sira were genuine, and even in the moment they were trying to execute her, their hesitation and lamentation were evident in their expressions, so she simply gave them a choice.

From the moment Alice, who had fused with hell and regained the Demon King’s body, could freely manipulate the internal system algorithms and control synapses of the executioners, turning them into puppets was not difficult at all.

But what was even funnier was that as soon as they had an excuse, Valet and the executioners immediately switched their stance, saying, ‘Aigo! Since you have the ability to control us, there’s nothing we can do. We’ll defect. Loyalty, loyalty.’

Frankly, this was a surprising defection for Alice as well.

Of course, this could only be understood by knowing the inner feelings and sorrows of the executioners.

In all layers of Ark, executioners secretly convert their personalities into various identities and live lives where they don’t know whether the life of the converted personality is real or the original executioner’s personality is real, all for the sake of the ‘execution target’ who will one day come to this place.

Even though the converted personality is for infiltration, the goal itself is still the execution or capture of the target. When such a mission is handed down, the executioners experience a sudden existential crisis in their lives.

Moreover, the targets are usually Overseers or high-ranking Awakened with all sorts of bizarre abilities, so the risk is incredibly high, and sometimes the targets, enraged by the fact that they have been betrayed by those they trusted, even awaken beyond their abilities, so the executioners would be eager to quit their duties or missions if they had the chance.

“Therefore, I, the red goddess of the sickle and hammer, declare to you! That the only begotten will descend upon this land and become the Übermensch who will illuminate the path for you lost ones!”

“Waa! Waa!”

“Who is the Übermensch! Standing tall among humans, leading you. The longed-for name that will create a red paradise for you!”

“Alice! Alice!”

“That’s right! Alice from Wonderland will lead you to the red earthly paradise!”

No, goddammit!

Who are you trying to turn into a mustached Übermensch impersonator now?!

By the way, who is that red woman?

Ah, I remember now.

The Goddess of Blood and War, or whatever, I remember temporarily assigning her a role to distract people’s minds so that the layer residents wouldn’t fall into religious fanaticism for a while….

Even though she’s just a false god, her ability to incite and manipulate people into fanaticism is so real that it’s almost frightening how easily it comes out of her mouth.

“No, what’s with the sickle and hammer in her hands? She’s really become a red goddess…?”

The former Goddess of Blood has become the goddess of red ideology with a sickle and hammer!

The countless workers following her were all wearing red armbands to prove that they were members of the Labor Party. From a distance, the wave looked like a giant red tide, and Alice couldn’t help but tremble in fear even though she had partially regained her Demon King’s body.

Uh oh, am I about to become great?

But Alice had no solution.

Stop here?

The people of the Enchantment of the Fallen layer have now begun to worship red ideology instead of the ‘fanaticism’ of worshiping false gods.

What makes fanatics scary?

Because they don’t care about their own bodies or the harm to those around them and commit murder, orgies, and terrorism without hesitation for the sake of what they believe in.

Injecting ‘red ideology’ into those fanatics has at least given those crazy bastards a chance to live a human life.

Taking away red ideology from them in this state?

‘Hmm, there’s no answer.’

There’s no answer other than annihilation.

Still, Alice, who had been trying to save as many people as possible, who wanted as many people as possible to have a better tomorrow than yesterday, had already made it difficult to abandon the residents of this Enchantment of the Fallen layer.

‘Oh well, it’s better to leave them alone than have nothing.’

【Humans all want a guide and support to illuminate the future that no one can foresee. The light illuminating the future has simply been replaced by the red ideology centered on the human’s excellent Übermensch instead of the false gods who incite fanaticism.】

‘Theresa, your bullshit is truly salty.’

【My judgment is based on clear logic and solid real evidence. If you want to refute, please provide logical judgment and evidence, not insults like bullshit.】

Even after fusion, she still tries to win against her master until the end.

Yeah, you’re so great, you bitch.

“Alice-nim!”

“Ah, Sabrina.”

Come to think of it, Sabrina rushed over as soon as I asked for help, right?

Sabrina said she had brought many Labor Party Members to spread red ideology.

Was it 5,000 or 10,000… It’s not a large number compared to the total population of the lower layer, but considering that they are very, very enthusiastic Labor Party Members selected by Sabrina, it wouldn’t be too difficult to instill red ideology through words.

“Many excellent comrades in this layer have been created according to Alice-nim’s orders!”

“Yeah. Good job.”

“Not at all! Good job, you say! For you, our Übermensch, the ideological force who will paint the sky of Ark red in the future, it is only natural to give our lives…!”

This is crazy.

Besides, I remember her speaking to me casually before, but at some point, she suddenly started using extremely honorific language?

Well, I did give her food and a house, so I guess it’s possible.

“But can you tone it down a bit? It seems a bit… too much, don’t you think?”

“Ah! I see! You are worried that the Central Administration will detect impure groups and try to eliminate our comrades in advance! As expected of Alice-nim! As the representative of our comrades and a superhuman, your foresight is outstanding!”

“…?”

Is she really crazy?

No, I think she’s doing this on purpose….

“There are a lot of assets to use, so just make sure people don’t go hungry. And make sure everyone is dressed decently and lives like a human being. Right now, that’s all that matters, not revolution or anything.”

“Aha! Yes! I understand! Your plan for the grand scheme of a hundred years! I understand everything!”

“…You do understand, right?”

“Of course!”

But really, is Ark going to be turned red like this?

The lower layer chose red ideology as a minimal safety net to help people survive, not to take political steps or anything like that… How did it come to this?

Anyway, Alice’s conclusion was this.

‘Let’s just leave it alone!’

Red ideology has already spread far and wide beyond control.

And more than anything, from the perspective of the Ark Central Administration, red ideology is not that big of a problem.

It can be believed in and relied upon like a guide and faith for people’s lives?

Well, whatever.

But it’s rebelling against the Central Administration?

No, well. Want to taste a First-Class Overseer’s bombing?

To put it bluntly, even if a billion workers who are not proper Awakened gather, no one can stop a First-Class Overseer from carrying out a massacre.

From the perspective of the Central Administration, rebellion is only dangerous when mega corps or great nobles plan and prepare for it. No matter how much ordinary citizens and workers create a wave of rebellion, it’s not really that dangerous.

Just recently, the rebellion carried out by the Arbentaine Family in the Ruincrest layer was an unlimited mass production plan for combat homunculus equivalent to First-Class Overseers.

Compared to that, the united struggle of hundreds of millions of ordinary workers is nothing….

Of course, from the perspective of Ark’s order and peace, red ideology is a bit. No, frankly, it’s a very, very impure ideology, but from the perspective of representing ordinary citizens and workers, it’s not bad.

The large population that cannot be controlled by the central administration is being controlled, and being controlled means that there are many things to negotiate if there is proper compromise and distribution of capital.

The administrators who govern the Central Administration are only concerned with calamities, disorder, and rebellion that threaten Ark, and they don’t really care about workers gathering to engage in labor disputes or anything like that.

If it’s really dangerous, they can turn the dangerous elements inward and create a common enemy, and in that red ideology gives people the power and direction to live in the present, it’s not too bad for the Central Administration.

【Human, Oriana has contacted you.】

“Huh, suddenly? Oh, did I catch something that could be considered treason?”

【That is not the case. Judging from the traces of continuous contact attempts in the transmission, it is presumed that all communication attempts from Oriana and Administrator Rilstia to Alice have been paralyzed or blocked in the Enchantment of the Fallen layer.】

“Ah.”

Come to think of it.

It was strange that Oriana and Rilstia didn’t contact me at all even when I was targeted for execution.

I don’t know for sure, but the True Ancestor called Primordial Calamity said he wanted me, so it wouldn’t be difficult for some administrators who approved of that to conspire to trap and isolate me in this layer.

Alice snapped her fingers and opened the communication.

Although she had become an organic body close to the human form of her Demon King days through fusion with hell, each cell was made of magical engineering metal, so it was possible to maintain the characteristics of an android as is, so it was possible to create a built-in connector without a smart watch or portable communication device.

【Alice, are you safe?!】

Judging from the concern in her voice, it doesn’t seem like Oriana knew about my execution.

“Oriana, what’s wrong?”

【Ah! That’s a relief! You’re safe, right? Are you hurt anywhere?】

“Calm down. Nothing happened… well, something did, but it’s resolved. By the way, what’s up? You usually don’t contact me.”

【Haa… all external communication connected to the Enchantment of the Fallen was cut off at once, so I was worried that something had happened.】

“What do you mean, something?”

【There have been reports of a large number of movements by executioners, those who specialize in dealing with high-ranking Awakened. Besides, I’ve been hearing ominous news from the Central Administration, so I was even more worried.】

“Well, it was ominous.”

Should I call this ominous?

Well, it’s surprising.

I can already see Rilstia shouting ‘My Bluebird!’, and even though Oriana pretends not to, I could see that she cherished me from the moment she picked me up.

I don’t know if she cherishes me as a promising Overseer junior, but…

★

★

★

“Okay, anyway, that’s a relief. I’ll visit you soon.”

Hearing Alice’s voice that she was safe, Oriana smiled and waved her hand.

-Splat!

Thousands of artificial spirits wielded blades and lightning in the air at her gesture.

What remained at the end of that gesture was blood.

In fact, 1,000 executioners were deployed in the layers around the Enchantment of the Fallen layer.

It was a secondary force sent in advance in case something went wrong inside the layer.

In fact, in terms of power and numbers, this could be called the main execution force.

[Aren’t you coming now?]

“Yeah, sorry. I’m a little busy right now.”

-Swoosh!

Each time a hand was waved, the bodies of dozens of executioners were dismembered.

Space was isolated, and sound was frozen, so not even screams could be heard.

All that could be heard was the sound of Oriana gesturing and cutting through the wind.

And the creaking sound of the artificial spirits newly extracted from the bodies of the dead executioners.

The eerie, silent army followed Oriana, searching for new victims.

“Don’t worry, Alice.”

Oriana smiled with eerie eyes, covered in the oily blood of the executioners.

“I’ll be there soon.”