Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

Thirty citizens had volunteered—almost as many as the total number of pioneers. Though it seemed like an excessive number of support personnel, Justin thought it best to err on the side of caution. During battle, people's focus narrowed, and even the most well-guarded areas could be overlooked in the heat of combat.

After all, this was the first full-scale monster wave they would be facing. No one could predict the appropriate number of defenders for a situation like this. It was entirely possible that they could end up with too many volunteers sitting around, doing nothing and just collecting rewards. Conversely, there might be too few, leading to casualties.

"We actually had more initial volunteers," Zachary said, standing by Justin's side, "but I filtered out the ones that looked like they'd be a problem."

"What kind of problems?"

"Too young or too old, or those who seemed like they were pushed into it by their families. Either way, they seemed like a risk, so I sent them back."

"Smart choice."

Those in the first group might have had the spirit, but their bodies wouldn't be up to the challenge. The latter group lacked any real will to fight, making them prone to panicking or deserting at the worst moment. Either way, they would have been a liability on the battlefield. It was better to exclude them than to deal with potential issues later.

"Of the thirty volunteers, twenty-six are regular citizens, and four are newly arrived immigrants from Earth."

"Immigrants?" Justin raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. There's a chance they'll panic when they witness the power of the pioneers for the first time, but I thought it necessary to show them the reality of things."

That made sense. No matter how much the immigrants had heard about the strength of the pioneers, nothing compared to seeing it with their own eyes. Watching a battle between pioneers and monsters up close would leave a lasting impression.

"I selected those who seemed mentally strong, so I don't foresee any major issues. Even if one or two of them panic, the other pioneers and citizens should be able to hold the line and keep things under control."

"And if they can't get a grip, I'll kick them off the wall myself," Justin said with a half-joking, half-serious tone.

"Uh… I'll try to handle it before that happens," Zachary blinked, slightly taken aback by Justin's words.

It wasn't entirely a joke, though. Throughout history, soldiers who caused chaos in the ranks were often dealt with swiftly. Even the old military texts advocated for the immediate execution of troublemakers.

"One last thing… Hmm."

"What is it? Why are you hesitating?" Justin asked.

"It's not a serious issue, just a small problem, really."

When Justin gestured for him to continue, Zachary gave a somewhat awkward smile.

"Nathan's brother has volunteered for the defense. I set him aside for now, but what should we do?"

What?

Without wasting time, Justin headed straight for Nathan's house after hearing Zachary's report. This wasn't something that required a formal meeting in the conference room; a private conversation would suffice. Nathan's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Justin at his doorstep.

"Why are you here all of a sudden?" Nathan asked.

"I wanted to have a quick chat. Can I come in?" Justin answered.

"Of course, please come in!" Nathan replied immediately, opening the door wide for Justin.

Justin stepped inside without hesitation. Though they were comrades in private, in official matters they were still lord and subject. Courtesy was observed, but there was no need for either of them to feel uneasy about the relationship.

"Are your parents home?"

"No, they usually spend their time down in the civilian district."

"I see."

There was no need to ask why. The noble district was nearly empty. Aside from the thirty-one pioneers and their families, the entire area was deserted. Most pioneers didn't even have families, leaving the streets eerily quiet. If one wanted to interact with people, regardless of status, they'd have to go down to the civilian district.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Nice house you've got here," Justin commented, looking around.

"What? This is a house you got for us," Nathan responded, slightly confused.

"Yeah, but I've checked out most of the other houses, and this one seems especially nice. How did you manage to find it?"

"Oh, that? Back when we lived in the village, I used a lot of magic stones to renovate the house. When we moved here, the modifications seemed to have carried over," Nathan explained, scratching his cheek awkwardly.

"You spent that many magic stones on home renovations? Instead of food?"

"We spent some on food, too, but the house we were living in on Earth was in much better condition. My parents were uncomfortable, so I made the adjustments for their sake."

So he used it as an act of filial piety for his parents. It made sense, especially considering that Nathan's parents had always been cautious about hunting. He probably wanted to show them the results of his efforts.

"And where's your brother?"

"He went out earlier but came back recently. Do you need to speak with him? Should I call him over?"

"Before that, I need to talk to you."

"To me?"

"Your brother volunteered for the monster wave defense. Did you know?"

Nathan blinked in surprise, clearly caught off guard. "I had no idea. When did he volunteer?"

"He snuck in late last night."

"Ah… I did notice he came home late."

So he didn't know. If he had, Nathan would've come to Justin right away to ask for a favor—perhaps to have his brother rejected, or at least assigned to a safer post. Despite any tension they might have had, family was still family. Nathan would've wanted to protect him.

Unsure of what to do, Nathan hesitated for a while before speaking, looking a bit embarrassed. "Should I go get him?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Let's hear it straight from the source.

Nathan's brother, Logan, entered the room with a nervous expression, his face flushed with a mix of tension and embarrassment.

"It's been a while, my lord," he began, stumbling over his words.

"Cut the formalities," Justin interrupted. "You volunteered for the defense, hoping to make a name for yourself, and now you're hesitating with your words? Get it right and bow properly."

"I-I apologize, my lord," Logan stammered, closing his eyes tightly as he bowed deeply. It was clear that Justin's sharp words had embarrassed him more than the bowing itself.

"Forget it. Why did you volunteer?"

"I'm not sure what you mean, my lord."

"You know your brother's a noble. You don't need to worry about making a living, so why risk your life like this?"

"Well…"

"Don't give me some excuse about helping your brother. You'll just be a burden. Your brother will only waste energy worrying about you."

Logan's mouth snapped shut, his initial excuse falling apart before he could voice it. After a long moment of hesitation, he lowered his head and finally spoke honestly.

"I… I have a girlfriend."

"Eh?"

"What?" Justin and Nathan both reacted at the same time.

"We haven't been together long, but I'm in love with her. I want to marry her, even in this chaotic world. If we can survive this, I want to build a family with her."

"…?"

Justin tilted his head in confusion, unsure of what Logan was going on about. Even Nathan seemed shocked by the sudden revelation.

"Wait, what? Since when? I didn't hear anything about this!"

"It's been about two months."

"Why didn't you tell me? Do Mom and Dad know?"

He doesn't know. I mean, how many people actually report every little detail about their romantic life to their family? It's possible to keep it secret," Logan replied.

"Well… that's true," Nathan admitted, stepping back with nothing else to say.

I refocused and looked at Logan again. "Alright, congratulations on your relationship. I hope it goes well. But what does that have to do with volunteering for the defense?"

"Before I explain, can I ask you a question, my lord?"

"What is it?"

"How many nobles are there in my family, exactly?"

"That's easy—only your brother Nathan."

It was a simple question with an obvious answer.

"The rest of your family, including you, are treated as honorary nobles, but that's only because Nathan is an official noble. I've never said any of you are full-fledged nobles."

"Yes, I assumed as much."

"Ah, I see now."

It suddenly became clear why Logan had volunteered for the defense.

"You want to pass on noble status to your children, don't you?"

At the moment, I had no plans to grant noble titles to anyone who wasn't a pioneer. But if Logan became a pioneer, it would be much easier for his future children to gain noble status as well.

"More than that, I want to ensure they live a prosperous life," Logan replied earnestly, looking me directly in the eye.