episode_0032

After public opinion was agitated by the Interrunner, riots began to break out throughout the empire.

“Those trapped in the Redgate Vortex are also people!”

“Emperor, stop the tyranny!”

“Don’t kill my family! Humans are not monsters!”

As soon as people started making an uproar, the Empire immediately reported the rebuttal materials and came forward to provide explanations, but it was no different from pouring firewood on public opinion that was already on fire. As the initial response was incorrect, the situation began to become more serious.

In an empire where the emperor holds the highest power, large-scale protests began to occur, something unthinkable, and the emperor, sensing the seriousness of the situation, sent in executioners.

“Alrik. Among those who are protesting, find those who lead them and kill them. If possible, deal with them in an inconspicuous place, but if there are subversive elements that use force or are excessively resistant, kill them outright in front of them.”

Alrik, the head of the execution team who punishes those who break the laws of the empire. He lowered his head and spoke.

“According to His Majesty’s will, we will kill all those who break down the rules of the empire and disrupt social order.”

After saying that, Alrik bowed his head and slowly walked backwards and out the door. And I spoke to the waiting members of the executive team.

“His Majesty the Emperor has become noticeably gaunt. Probably because several things have happened recently. Tyro, please report what the situation is now.”

“Riots are breaking out across the empire. However, there are only a small number of people who are leading this, and I believe that the situation can be prevented if only those who are leading this are dealt with secretly.”

“His Majesty ordered those leading the riots to be dealt with secretly and those of poor quality among them to be beheaded openly to instill fear. Tyro, what do you think?”

“Both are dangerous. Even if they kill him secretly, there is no one who wouldn’t know that the imperial family had a hand in it, and if he kills them openly, there will be a huge backlash. It may be possible to silence citizens for a while due to extreme fear, but that is only when there are no interlocutors…”

Tyro answered with a serious expression.

“No matter what method is used, if information that we are moving begins to spread again through interrunners, the scale of the riot will grow even more. And citizens will become united on a level different from before.”

“Phew…”

Alric whispered, touching his head with a confused expression.

“Interrunner… That damn communication channel is the problem.”

“That’s right. If there are no interrunners, it is possible to suppress the information before it spreads by sequentially beheading and controlling those who cause riots in each region, but as long as interrunners exist, the information will also spread regardless of which side we deal with first. Anyone can access it as long as they have distance, and it is impossible to monitor in the empire because they are interrunners.”

Alic opened Distance and looked at the interrunner screen. Here, there was a series of excessive insults and criticisms against the empire. People who say things that cross the line, such as saying that the emperor should be killed immediately, or that citizens are treated the same as monsters instead of human beings. Alrik wanted to find them right away and punish them for treason, but there was no way to catch them.

“Public opinion is such a scary thing. It unites people, dulls the fear of dying, and makes it possible for everyone to do group activities.”

“Isn’t it because the group moves together? If we had been separated one by one, these people would not have dared to open their mouths, but as their scale grows, they are ridiculously rebelling against us.”

Alric nodded as if it was correct, raised his sword, and slowly walked out.

“Those who can be dealt with are dealt with secretly. And the fundamental problem must also be solved.”

After saying this, Alrik went around to various places and personally executed the beheading of those who led the riot.

-Pugh

With the sound of the sword entering, Alric looks at the stabbed person with an emotionless expression.

“Kuhhh…Empire…Is it sent from the Empire…?”

Among the people who were rioting, the man who spoke out at the front. Even though the sword was stuck in his body, the man did not back down and spoke.

“If…if it was sent from the Empire…Red Gate…Please tell them to stop detonating mana bombs inside the Red Gate. In there…my family is in there…”

After hearing the man’s words, Alrik squatted down for a moment and looked into his eyes.

“Hey, the Empire announced it. That the plan was fabricated. They don’t do things like that in the empire.”

“Ha…but wasn’t the seal that only His Majesty the Emperor has stamped on the document?”

“So, that too was fabricated.”

“Are you thinking of me as a fool? I heard that the Emperor’s Prison has various devices in place that can never be copied or duplicated. But…kkeuuu

After stabbing the sword into the man’s heart, Alric shook the sword away and whispered.

“I tried to make you feel comfortable when I left, but you didn’t know my consideration. If you really want to know the truth, I’ll tell you because you’ll die anyway. The extermination plan is true. However, I had planned it in advance as a last-minute agenda item and had no intention of implementing it first. Of course, given the current situation, the problem is that the final agenda can be implemented soon.”

“…God…God will punish you….”

With a loud sound, the man’s body tilted to its side and his body started to get cold in an instant. Tyro, the executioner next to him, threw the corpse on his back and moved towards the nearby Red Gate Vortex.

Then, after throwing the body at the monsters, he spoke to Alric.

“But hasn’t it become easier to dispose of corpses thanks to the Redgate mutation and monsters? If they eat it, everything disappears, not even the bones left.”

Alic spoke without answering Tyro’s words.

“Alrik, how many more people do we have to kill?”

“…Maybe killing a few hundred more people will solve the problem? It appears that the number of people killed so far is well over 100, which is quite a number considering they were killed in just one day.”

“Are articles being posted on Interrunner?”

“Yes. There are a few posts saying that the people leading the riot are missing, but since it’s only been a day, people are suspicious and not sure. The imperial family is also deploying personnel to try to change the public opinion of interrunners. They are trying to shift public opinion to the point that the riot leaders ran away out of fear. But since quite a few people disappear in an instant, they will notice us moving.”

“…”

Alric looked blankly inside the Red Gate and spoke to Tyro.

“According to an article I read on Interrunner, it is said that there is a safe zone inside the Red Gate Vortex.”

“I heard that too. The story first spread on the Interrunner, and as a result of the Empire’s investigation, it is currently suspected that Leos may have created the safe zone. I’m not sure, but I’m guessing that Leos is the only one who can close the upper red gate near the center. There is no way the gate could have closed by itself.”

“Leos…he is truly selfish.”

Alrik continued talking, gritting his teeth as he looked at the dead man’s body.

“If he had not run away like an idiot and responded to the Empire’s call right away, and if the entire Red Gate had been closed, there would not have been any plans for extermination, and innocent citizens would not have died.◦# ◦

“It is said that the empire manipulated public opinion to accuse him of a crime he did not commit. It seems like the Imperial Secret Service was also involved in that…”

“Tyro, I hate selfish trash who only care about themselves. The sacrifice of a few for the greater good is inevitable. Why is this scumbag who hides himself in a corner and only seeks his own survival because he suffered some injustice, is our only hope? Even if some injustice has occurred, if the citizens are in danger, the empire is in danger, and the emperor is in danger, it is the duty of the people of the empire to rush to the cause even at the cost of their lives.”

“I think so too.”

“I said there might be Leos in the central area…”

After throwing all the remaining corpses at the monsters, Alric snapped his fingers and made a sound. Then the executive members began to flock to the center all at once.

Those who lowered their heads without saying a word, holding swords with the imperial symbol on them. Alric spoke to them.

“The key leaders of the riot were killed to some extent. So from now on, we will act for a fundamental solution. We are trying to catch the traitor and cowardly scum hiding inside the Red Gate. Leos. They catch him and force him to close the Red Gate.”

After listening to Alrik, I asked Tyro a question.

“Shall we cooperate now?”

“If you do not cooperate, you will be killed. There is no need for such trash people to be alive. We work for justice. People who execute and live for the empire. Just be faithful to your duty.”

As soon as the words were finished, the imperial executive leader and members began entering the Red Gate Vortex one by one, and after a few days had passed, they succeeded in moving to a fairly deep place.

And while they were camping.

-Beep beep… beep beep… beep beep…

I began to hear an unknown, regular mechanical sound.

Alric smiled and summoned the members of the executive team.

“I found people moving around. To administer justice, everyone moves.”