Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

The direction pointed by the brass compass did not change unless the dungeon itself started running away. However, if the needle began to point elsewhere, there could only be one reason: someone had already begun to explore the location it indicated.

It wasn't a coincidence. Dungeons were cleverly hidden, but whoever had the same type of compass as him must have been led to the same place. It was an outcome he had half-expected. After all, the needle only pointed to the nearest dungeon, not one allocated to a specific person. This meant that, as long as the dungeon was close, it could attract multiple people simultaneously.

Justin realized that what had happened wasn't surprising. For him, the dungeon may have been a considerable distance, but for someone else, it might have been much closer. It was understandable that the dungeon had been conquered by someone else. After all, while this was his third dungeon, it could have been someone else's first or second.

With that understanding, everything made sense. The surrounding dungeons had all been cleared, and now, the compass had begun to point to a dungeon that could be sitting right in someone's front yard. Clicking his tongue in mild irritation, Justin tucked the brass compass back into his pocket.

"The dungeon explorations are almost over," he muttered.

It was now certain that dungeons were becoming too far to conquer within a single day. Though he had considered staying overnight at a dungeon as a strategy for the distance issue, it was no longer a viable option.

What might be a far dungeon for him could be someone's backyard, and the risk of encountering another explorer, potentially leading to a dangerous confrontation inside the dungeon, was too great.

"The chance of being ambushed by another explorer is too risky, especially if it leads to a fight," he thought.

Even dealing with the discomfort of camping was manageable, but the prospect of a battle made the risk too high. It seemed wiser to spend the remaining time until the quest ended without taking any unnecessary risks. Still, that didn't mean he would waste time idly. Several people had recently arrived, making it the perfect opportunity to strengthen his foundation.

Justin's lips curved into a smile as he glanced at the anxious artisans trailing behind him.

"Oh my god! What is this place?"

"This house is so beautiful…!" " there's even a fountain..!"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The artisans who had arrived at the estate were awestruck by the clean houses and plaza before them. Their reactions were no different from those of the previous settlers. In the midst of their amazement, Eugene gently held the hand of one artisan, a woman who seemed to be his lover.

"It's safe now. You can start over here."

"Are you sure? What if…"

"It's fine. Just stop worrying and rest," Eugene cut her off before she could finish, knowing full well what she was about to say. Justin also had a good idea of what she wanted to ask.

"She's probably wondering if I'm a competent leader," Justin thought with a slight smile.

While the concern made him laugh inwardly, he could also understand the anxiety. The fate of the artisans depended on the type of leader they served. Of course, as long as they worked properly, Justin intended to treat them well. But that was the condition: they had to work.

"Everyone, you've worked hard! Even though you didn't fight, the journey must have been exhausting. Go home and rest well! The artisans should wait for now until your homes are ready."

"Yes, sir!"

The explorers responded with loud enthusiasm before dispersing toward their own homes. The artisans, who had been standing awkwardly, were quickly gathered by Derek, who directed a servant to take them to his house temporarily.

Meanwhile, Justin gathered his companions, including Derek, to discuss the status of the artisans.

"Regarding the artisans' status, we can't just appoint them as nobles immediately," Ethan pointed out.

"That's true," Justin agreed. "But calling them commoners doesn't sit well either."

"Exactly. Since they're explorers, even if we treat them as commoners, the NPCs will treat them differently," Ethan added.

The group reached unanimous agreement on this point. Artisans couldn't receive higher status than warriors or mages. It wouldn't make sense to treat someone who risked their life equally with someone who stayed safely behind. If that were the case, anyone would choose to become an artisan rather than fight. However, the fact that the artisans were also technically explorers complicated things.

"Even though they've just arrived, they're still not ordinary citizens. They should be treated with more respect than commoners," Derek remarked.

"The problem is the status itself. Right now, our estate only has nobles and commoners. There's also the slave status, but…"

"We'll need to create a new rank," Justin concluded. "Something that's below the nobility but still higher than commoners."

As everyone was deep in thought, Nathan raised his hand.

"How about the title 'Honorary Knight'?"

"Honorary Knight?" Justin asked, intrigued.

"Yes. I learned about it a long time ago. It's a title given to someone who's treated like a noble for a single generation, without it being passed down to their descendants," Nathan explained.

Normally, noble titles were hereditary, passed down through generations. However, with the Honorary Knight title, only the recipient would be treated as a noble.

The group pondered the suggestion before nodding in agreement.

"It's not a bad idea."

"The name sounds pretty decent, too."

"It gives them status without making them full nobles."

Nathan's suggestion was unanimously approved, and thus, the new titleof 'Honorary Knight' was born.

Expanding the territory by relying solely on population growth would take far too long, so a different solution was necessary. After deciding to explore other strategies once the current quest was over, Justin headed to the house where Ethan was meeting with the artisans.

When Eugene saw Justin enter, he flinched slightly and quickly stood up.

"My lord."

"Have you explained everything about our territory?"

"Yes, though I'm not fully informed myself, so I couldn't go into too much detail…"

"As long as you've explained the ranking system, that's enough."

"I've told them everything I know," Eugene replied.

Nodding, Justin glanced around at the artisans. They all looked visibly tense, likely aware that a single word from him could determine their status in the territory. Speaking in a cold, authoritative tone, Justin began to address them. Your next chapter is on empire

"I've given thought to your status here. Initially, I considered giving you noble titles, but that felt too generous. After all, you've earned your place by relying on others."

The faces of the artisans paled. Some of them had clearly feared that they might be reduced to slavery once more, just like before. One of the artisans, panic written on his face, hurriedly stepped forward to speak.

"But that's because—"

"I'm not finished," Justin cut him off sharply. The man, startled, shrank back into the group. Justin waited for the room to fall silent again before continuing.

"However, you're still explorers, and you can't be treated like commoners. I've decided to grant you the title of 'Honorary Knight.'"

"Honorary Knight?" Eugene echoed.

"Yes. Think of it as a status lower than nobility but higher than commoners. In a business setting, you'd be like middle management."

At those words, the artisans collectively let out a sigh of relief. Although their new status didn't grant them much power, it was far better than what they had feared. Having experienced a brief stint as slaves, they were grateful for even this level of status.

However, the man with the swollen face, who had spoken up earlier, looked somewhat dissatisfied. Though he didn't dare voice his complaint, his expression betrayed his feelings.

Justin , noticing the discontent, added with a hint of sternness, "But remember, this treatment is only under the assumption that you prove useful. There's no reason to reward dead weight."

"D-Don't worry!" one of the artisans stammered. "We have crafting skills! We can handle any task you give us!"

Another chimed in, "Just give us a chance, and we'll prove our worth!"

As the artisans clambered to assure Justin of their value, he hid a satisfied smile. His goal of establishing authority had been achieved.

"Words are cheap," Justin replied coolly. "Show results. I'll give you tasks over the next few days, and I'll judge based on the outcomes. If I'm not satisfied, you can expect to be demoted to commoners. Keep that in mind."

Leaving them with that final warning, Justin turned and walked away, their anxious murmurs echoing behind him. He knew they wouldn't dare slack off now. He would watch closely to see just how hard they would work.

After the artisans settled in, Justin declared a temporary break for his companions, giving them some time off after the intense rush of recent events. The next quest wouldn't come immediately, so he advised everyone to rest until then.

While most of his companions were thrilled at the prospect of a break, one person, Rachel, looked a little uneasy.

"Is it really okay to just take a break like this?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"Are you worried?" Justin smiled, noticing her anxious expression.

"Just a little. We've worked hard to get ahead of the other territories, and I don't want us to fall behind while we're resting."

Justin chuckled and shrugged his shoulders at her worry.

"That won't happen. Even if they try to conquer more dungeons than us, they won't be able to catch up in terms of level."

"What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled.

"In other territories, at least ten people are required to explore a single dungeon. The more people there are, the more the experience points get divided. So, even if they manage to clear more dungeons, they'll still lag behind us in level."

Justin wasn't only referring to experience points. Large groups made long expeditions more difficult, especially as the dungeons got further away. Currently, it took nearly half a day to travel to the next dungeon after conquering the first two. And now, with those dungeons cleared, even reaching the next one in a single day was impossible.

"Besides, to clear a dungeon, you need one of two things: either a disposable group of commoners to throw into traps or patrols at level 20 or higher. Neither is easy to come by."

The first option was only viable for those ruthless enough to sacrifice lives, but no one could estimate how many traps were in a dungeon. People would have to be brought in large numbers, and after the third dungeon, moving such a large group was no longer feasible. The second option—raising a patrol to level 20—was even harder.

"The level jump from 19 to 20 is brutal. Even if someone grinds endlessly, it's tough to hit level 20. So good luck finding anyone who can do it in a reasonable time frame."

Even the most experienced leaders, those who earned the most experience points, rarely reached level 20.

"So, for now, relax. We've practically conquered three dungeons already, and no matter how hard they try, they won't catch up to us," Justin concluded.

Finally reassured, Rachel smiled, her anxiety easing.

Over the next few days, Justin's companions enjoyed their time off, spending the mana stones they had earned and taking a much-needed break. Justin himself spent most of his days in relaxation, indulging in long baths and catching up on sleep. By the fifth day, he felt fully rested.

It was then that Eugene appeared before him, his face pale with worry.

"L-Lord Justin , I swear this isn't something I wanted to tell you, but…"

"What's going on? Just say it."

"One of the artisans has… declared a strike."

Justin blinked, stunned.

"...Is he out of his mind?"