Sheâd gained the favor of the Apathetic Duke, one of the six great nobles in the kingdom. Sheâd gained the protection of someone powerful. She no longer needed to hesitate.
The young girl immediately pointed her sword towards the era.
[Act 1.]
[Witch Hunt.]
The First Boss was the sub race terrorist.
The Black Witch who led the rebel organization âThe Red Nailsâ.
Originally, the Black Witch ruled as the number one Wizard in the Magic Tower. She was an elite among elite. So why did a human, not a sub race being, suddenly become a violent terrorist? The people of the world didnât know.
âItâs not that they donât know, itâs that they donât want to know.â
The Witch of Darkness laughed.
âThe longer you live, the more things you see. You see small children be placed in rice sacks and kicked to death. Tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of sub races are enslaved. We donât intend to change anyoneâs mind now. It would be more realistic to pray for a miracle from the gods than wish for such a thing from humans. We justâŠâ
The [Red Nails]â rebellion shook the kingdom.
âWant you to feel pain.â
In the Royal Capital, noble young ladies were captured and tortured. A Great Noble, who had reigned for over 700 years as the absolute being in the south, was attacked and killed while touring the territory. Members of the royal familyâs special forces went missing in the southeast. Thousands of slaves escaped from a county and joined the rebels.
Nobles and commoners, regardless of status, the Red Nails tortured and slaughtered anyone as long as they were human. A bounty was placed on the Black Witchâs neck, but no one was able to claim it. Those in power were terrified.
âThis is fun.â
Ja Soo-jun smiled brightly.
âLetâs make it a little more fun.â
Using the connections of the Apathetic Duke, Ja Soo-jung approached one of the princesses without permission. Princess Cham Beol-sa(æšçœ°æ»)*. The Head of the Royal Special Forces, and an Ascendant who was known for her cruelty.(*: Severe Punishment and Death.)
Her hobby was to cut off criminalsâ right arms and keep them.
âThis one will grant you victory.â
Ja Soo-jun seduced the princess.
âIt is clear that the Red Nails are giving Your Highness a headache.â
âTheyâre not just a headache, theyâre a toothache too.â
âThe reason your teeth ache is because your gums are loose. Your Highness.â
Ja Soo-jung whispered.
âThe reason the sub races are agitated is because the kingdom didnât support them. Only a few of the sub races were blind enough to actually participate in this genocide for revenge. If you can guarantee their lives, equality and honor, the Red Nailâs influence will certainly diminish.â
+
[Kingâs Tutor]
Rank: B+
Effect: Natural tactic. Wit to assist a King.
Those who possess this skill can instinctively spot an enemyâs weaknesses. Furthermore, they are able to think of the necessary actions to poke at those weaknesses.
They are literally the Wisdom Behind the Throne. From politics to warfare, there are few schemes they cannot see through.
â»However, it only activates when there is enough information.
+
ââŠâ
The Crown Princess looked quietly at the noble that had approached her.
âThe Viscountâs proposal is reasonable, but it is difficult to implement. The sub races have already turned their backs on the kingdom once. If we were to embrace them again, the humans and the nobles would not sit still. I cannot afford the opposition of the humans while trying to stop the sub racesâ rebellion. It would be putting the cart before the horse.â
âIs it because a lowly person like this one tried to advise Your Highness?â
Ja Soo-jung was not in a hurry.
Princess Cham Beol-sa had lost dozens of siblings since she was young. The princess was known for her cruelty, but that cruelty stemmed from the cruelty of her own childhood. Ja Soo-jung instinctively knew how to dissolve the unhappiness that came from her childhood.
âThis one is also a noble.â
Ja Soo-jung decided to become a real sister for the princess.
âAll nobles are allowed to have vassals, enlist an army, or accept territorial subjects. So there is no need for Your Highness to personally accept the rebels.â
Warm eyes. A benevolent smile. A gentle touch.
In this way, Ja Soo-jung slowly corroded Princess Cham Beol-sa.
As the ice melted, the sweet smell of poison rose.
âYour Highness.â
When she lamented about her life, she listened calmly.
When she was frustrated, she patted the back of her hand.
How amazing the Crown Princess was, how precarious the kingdomâs situation would be without her, Viscount Amethyst whispered these words whenever she found an opening.
ââŠJa Soo-jung.â
Over time, as the place she patted changed from the back of her hand to her shoulder, from her shoulder to her bangs, from her bangs to her cheeks, the princess stopped calling her [Viscount] and started calling her [Ja Soo-jung].
âTell me your plan.â
âItâs simple. The Red Nails have a point to point organization. This one will lead my elite and crush the enemyâs dens one after the other. Every time we trample them, this one will accept those who surrender as vassals or territorial subjects. This one will embrace those abandoned by the kingdom on Your Highnessâ behalf.â
âYou mean that instead of me, you will be the one attracting the attention and discontent.â
âYes.â
âAnd what shall I do?â
âPlease love this one.â
The poison was sweet.
ââŠas long as itâs in private.â
It was also fatal.
With the favor of the Apathetic Duke and Princess Cham Beol-sa, Ja Soo-jung captured the sub race rebels. Ja Soo-jung guaranteed âabsolute safetyâ for the rebels that surrendered. The former terrorists became the Viscountâs soldiers, the Viscountâs citizens, the Viscountâs slaves.
âThat crazy bitch again!â
Of course, the conservative faction could not tolerate such an act.
âThat man is a low life who plundered my estate. Please give him to me!â
âYears ago, when my brother was walking down the street, a slave cut his leash and escaped. My brother lost both eyes and was killed after. I hear that the slave has become your vassal. Please give him to me, I have enough money.â
âWhy are you collecting the national enemies? If you have any loyalty to the kingdom, you will dispose of the rebels you captured!â
From all of the kingdom, lords, merchants and priests swarmed like bees.
Ja Soo-jung smiled.
âIâm quivering.â
Ja Soo-jung was strong.
âRegardless of their past, they now serve this one. They are this oneâs slaves. According to the law, their ownership belongs to this one. Nevertheless, if you still want to take them away, please challenge this one to a duel or declare a family war.â
Three duels and one family war, she won them all.
She didnât give up a single sub race being that had come under her command.
+
[Guardian of the Subrace](TL: Calling them âsub raceâ feels weird, but itâs literally âother peopleâ)
Rank: B
Effect: It is easier to gain the trust of the sub race.
Those who have cried under racism long awaited your arrival. Break of the chains of slavery and free the people of the kingdom. As long as you donât betray them first, the sub race will always follow you.
â»However, humans despise you.
+
The sub races, who were initially wary of Ja Soo-jung, gradually had their suspicions lifted.
Viscount Amethyst built a town in the vicinity of the large forest near the capital. The former terrorists of the Red Nails were given a place to sleep and various jobs. Every time a base of the [Red Nails] was destroyed, the town Viscount Amethyst made became more prosperous.
ââŠâ
The Black Witch made her move.
âYes, sheâs finally moving.â
Ja Soo-jung used the Crown Princess as bait to attract the [Red Nails]â main forces. They were completely surrounded. The terrorists had nowhere to run. If they ran away, they could not guarantee the future of the organization.
The Black Witch gritted her teeth.
âFor a cheeky brat⊠youâre pretty good.â
âYouâre pretty good too. For an old lady.â
âDo you think the Red Nails will break if you kill me? We are the blood from wounds. As long as this kingdom exists, we will never be destroyed.â
âThis one intends to try something.â
Viscount Amethyst swung her sword.
âThis one plans to create a new noble faction. Even if it takes decades, this one will abolish slavery, liberate the serfs one step at a time. I have already gained enough support. It will be simple.â
âHa.â
The Black Witch shed black blood.
âYouâre still too young, Iâm afraid you donât know anything.â
âHuh. What are you talking about? If this one doesnât know anything then 99.9% of the world are monkeys.â
âWe donât want anything in return. We didnât ask for any compensation either. No matter how many times you promise to make a peaceful era, those who have already died will never return.â
The Black Witchâs eyes were bloodshot.
âThe children who died because their backs were shredded by your whips. The slaves who drowned in their own blood because their ribs were broken and pierced their lungs. You donât know, but we remember. The Kingdomâs Crazy Bitch! If you canât bring back those dead children, then every word out of your mouth is bullshit!â
ââŠâ
Ja Soo-jung paused.
Her purple eyes turned down.
Her sword was stabbed into the Black Witchâs heart, her blood covered it.
âYou donât want compensationâŠ?â
It was a shock to the one called Ja Soo-jung.
âDidnât you hear that I would abolish slavery? It would take some time, but this one could also resolve the discrimination between the sub races and the humans. Because this one is talented. That would be the future everyone wants. Are you saying it doesnât matter?â
âThe future never mattered in the first place.â
The Black Witch roused the last of her magic power and counterattacked. As soon as she felt the surge of magic power, Ja Soo-jung twisted her sword. Puk! Her heart was cut once again. The Black Witch coughed a mouthful of blood.
âDie.â
ââŠâ
âAll of you⊠will⊠die.â
Ja Soo-jung felt the truth in the Black Witchâs curse.
âIndeed.â
And realized.
âAs for the deaths that have already occurred, there is nothing this one can do.â
For the first time since she killed her father, Ja Soo-jung felt helpless.
âBut something can still be done about those who are still alive. The Apathetic Duke adores this one, Princess Cham Beol-sa also favors this one, but⊠Youâre right. This one cannot do anything about the misfortune of the dead. I hadnât thought about that.â
ââŠâ
âIt seems this one is still incompetent.â
The Black Witch looked up at Ja Soo-jung.
âWhat should I do, Master of the Red Nail?â
âWhat are youâŠ.â
âHow can this one take responsibility for those who have already died? How can I comfort those who live for the dead and not for themselves?â
Ja Soo-jungâs eyes were clear.
Endless.
The Black Witch, whose heart had already stopped, was suddenly startled.
âDo you not know?â
ââŠâ
âSo you donât know.â
Ja Soo-jung nodded to herself.
âThen I must have been killing the wrong people.â
âYouâŠâ
âMurder is the ultimate incompetence. Kill those you canât persuade, kill those you canât convert, kill those you canât control. Just like this one killed the father who imprisoned me.â
The witchâs expression was reflected in Ja Soo-jungâs eyes.
âIn the end, this one was unable to change my father. Even after 12 years of hard work.â
There was no trace of the girl who asked for the love of the Apathetic Duke and gave love to the Crown Princess. Not even slightly. There was only a beast that moaned endlessly.
âThis isnât fun.â
Ja Soo-jung tilted her head to the side.
âMiss Black Witch. Since you donât know how to comfort those who are already dead, who would? Do you know someone like that?â
âA person like that⊠doesnât⊠existâŠ.â
âCertainly. Iâm sure no human could.â
Ja Soo-jung nodded.
âPerhaps a Dragon would know.â
While dying, the Black Witch realized something.
âThank you. Miss Black Witch. Thanks to you, this one realized my incompetence.â
That this noble, who was gently bowing to her, was fatally broken somewhere.
âUnfortunately, this incompetence cannot be resolved for the time being. The Dragon Emperor lives outside of the kingdom. If this one were to throw politics aside and chase after the Dragonâs tail, this kingdom would soon perish⊠Mm. Right. Iâll also need to learn Dragon tongue.â
Ja Soo-jung smiled brightly.
âPlease wait for a while. As soon as this one figures out how to treat Death, I will repay Miss Black Witch first.â
âMon⊠sterâŠâ
âGoodbye.â
Ja Soo-jung placed her sword against the witchâs neck.
âWhen you open your eyes again, a happy spring will await you.â
Viscount Amethyst rose to prominence as a hero.
All of the Red Nail executives surrendered to Ja Soo-jung, except for one. Those who were tired of terrorism moved to the forest village, and those who had become bloodthirsty, became soldiers for Ja Soo-jung.
The kingdom was on the verge of collapse. Even if it was no longer a fight between the humans and the sub race, there were still many bloody battlefields.
One by one, Ja Soo-jung collected the poison of the kingdom.
âThe Apathetic Dukeâs Petâ, âPrincess Cham Beol-saâs Tutorâ, âThe Slayer of the Black Witchâ, âThe One Who Absorbed the Red Nailâ.
Titles that were too bright to be said to have been obtained by luck at her young age.
But compared to the title she was about to get, all of those were mediocre at best.
âHello, Mr. Gold Dragon.â
One year after the witch hunt.
âItâs nice to meet you. This one is Ja Soo-jung, a noble from the kingdom, and the Head of the Amethyst Family.â (TL: Ja Soo-jung family)
Ja Soo-jung bowed politely.
Behind her stood countless warriors.
These were the poisons sheâd collected over the past year.
[The Royal Capitalâs First Sword] The Ultimate Sword Duke, [The Head of the Capital Army] Viscount Se Ah-gwi, [The Executioner] Baron Yu Ik-mo, [The Last of the Red Nails] Ju Tan-ha, [The Phoenix] Princess Nan Lak-je, [Viscount Amethystâs Flower] Viscount Sim An-chalâŠ.
Those who had once dreamed of the destruction of the kingdom, those who wanted it, those who tried to hasten it, those who welcomed it, and those who ignored it. A force capable of overturning the kingdom stood behind Ja Soo-jung. Their swords were stained with blood. The blood of the soldiers whoâd jumped to protect the Dragon.
âIt is rude of me to ask this at our first meeting.â
Ja Soo-jung smiled brightly.
âBut do you know of a way to treat the dead?â
That day.
Ja Soo-jung slew a Dragon that had lived for thousands of years.