There are humans on our side; mostly those who have been betrayed by their fellow humans or disappointed by the hypocrisy of humanity. Most of them are powerful people too, so they are highly wanted betrayers.
Because of that fact, seeing humans among us is not weird. Although the only human on our side that I have seen so far is only Millonia and, possibly, Valeria; I have heard stories that they get along well with the Monsters and Demons.
My troop mates have attested to that claim, so I am very sure other than becoming a hostage, we don't have human slaves. See, even at the castle, Ilschevar employs Dark Spirits, who can do a way better job than humans.
In conclusion, I don't understand what worth Velucan has seen in the two women that I failed to see. Both of them are far from being strong; on top of that, they also don't look like they are the type who can be bossed around, so they will make a bad worker.
"What are you going to do with them?"
"Our stuff carriers!" Velucan beams before his eyes gleam in realization. "Oh! I almost forgot about it. Finish the contract, pup! Come, don't just stand there!"
Tilting my head to convey my confusion, I ask, "What kind of Contract? Did you summon a Beast or something?"
"The Geas!" He points his finger to Winerva. "She is yours, so finish the contract."
I put my hand up, fully intending to tell him that I don't want to be involved in his shenanigan, but he pulls my hand instead, thinking it as a sign of acceptance. I am already dragged in front of Winerva by the time I know it.
I can feel Velucan's grin behind me as he pats my back, and I really want to punch him right in his face. Sighing in exasperation in the next moment, I eventually turn my gaze to Winerva, who is glaring at me in genuine hatred.
Looking at her expression, I can't help saying, "Layne betrayed you—I didn't." I almost cringe after saying that. "You can hate me as much as you can, but I can guarantee you, it won't be for long."
"Rot in hell, you fucking bastard! Ptooi!"
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtTurning my head to the side, I dodge the saliva Winerva has just spat at me. I was referring to what the Geas would do to her by saying those words earlier, but I think she misunderstood that, which is why she is angry.
Regardless of that, I put my hand on her chest, and channel my Mana into the half formed Geas to finish the Contract. I sneakily activate the Demon King's Mark too to quicken the process and strengthen the Geas.
"Keeuuughhh! I... Wiiiillll... Kill you!"
"That will be the last time you can ever say that."
Geas has a punishment mechanism that will be triggered by the slave's ill intent toward his Master; therefore, if Winerva says something as violent as killing me or simply thinking about hurting me in the future, she will be punished by the Geas.
As the Geas is perfectly formed and the Contract is perfectly established, Winerva has officially become my slave. Her expression is still fierce as she looks at me, but it all changes when she has her first punishment.
"AAAAaaaahhhhh!"
The Geas on her chest is shining brightly in red. It is burning her chest, while simultaneously amplifying her nerve sensitivity.
Snap!
The pain she is enduring is so bad, she can break the rope tying her hands. She then puts her hands on her chest, making a gesture of ripping it open.
"I have told you, haven't I?" I kneel to be the same eye level as her. "That would be the last time you could hate me. Now that you already have the Geas, refrain yourself from thinking about those violent thoughts."
Extending my hand forward, I poke her solar plexus with my index finger, "You see, the Geas is connected to your Mana Pool. The more violent your thoughts are, the more you are going to disrupt your Mana stability. Accept your fate, and you'll live. Trust me."
As tears drop from her eyes to the ground, Winerva's fierce expression gradually disappears. She is now giving off a very strong stench of fear, which I couldn't detect before.
I can't blame her; that's how normal people will react after knowing they are going to get their Mana rampaging if they don't behave. Dying because of your Mana Pool detonates is, after all, the most unpleasant death you can have in this world.
"Is this not your first time having a slave?" Velucan asks. "You can make her behave so quick! I am impressed."
Turning my head to Velucan as I stand up, I shake my head faintly. While I already have Millonia as a slave, I have never treated her as such, so Winerva is definitely my first genuine slave.
About how I can make her "behave," it's easy: anyone that is told their life is in peril will do anything to increase their chance of surviving. Winerva's life is in my hands, so it'll be weirder if she doesn't listen to me.
"Alright, I think we are ready to go." As soon as he says that, he immediately assumes his Garou form. He then turns to the window, and say, "We are going to use the shortcut. Follow me, Xenon!"
He runs straight to the window, breaking it in the process, and jumps down to the hotel. Xenon immediately follows suit, but I can see hesitation on her face.
We are on the ninth floor, so I get her hesitation. No matter how strong you have become after learning Magic, after all, it doesn't cure your fear of height.
"Stand up," I say to Winerva. "We are going down."
She doesn't respond, but stands up nonetheless. I lift her up in the next moment, probably surprising her in the process; run straight to the broken window, and jump down the hotel.
Unwilling to risk my feet, I soften my landing with Wind Magic.
Whoosh!
The wind slows down my fall, which also causes me to have a silent landing. Putting Winerva down in the next moment, I dash at the direction where Velucan is heading—the bunker.
Without turning my head, I ask Winerva, who is running slightly behind me, a question. "How many bunkers this Dukedom has?"
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmSilence greets me for a few seconds, before she eventually opens her mouth. "There is only one 'public' bunker as far as I know. It is reserved only for the wealthy, though, so ordinary people have to hide in their own bunker."
I have expected this kind of answer, so I don't find it surprising at all. What I wanted to confirm before was who were inside the bunker, so now that I have got it, I know what to do with the people there.
Increasing my running speed so I can catch up to Velucan, I tell him that I have a suggestion by the time I am right beside him. I am not sure if he will listen to it, but he surprises me by telling me to say what I want to say.
"Let's make a colony."
"What the fuck is that?"
"Colony is a territory or a country that is politically under the control of another country. Simply said, I am suggesting to absorb the humans into our side."
Abruptly stopping in his tracks, Velucan looks at me weirdly. "Okay, pup. What are you talking about now? Just because I found worth in those women, it doesn't mean that all humans have worth. We can't just absorb them and add burdens to our Kingdom."
"No, that's not what I mean." I shake my head faintly. "I just want us to rule over them. Imagine a territory of humans that we can use to spread our propagandas. We can sway the public's opinion about us, and gain many supporters from their side in the future!"
"We have tried that before, pup. It didn't work," Velucan says sceptically. "All of them insisted that we were the bad guy, and remained spiteful toward us until their death."
"That's what happens when you rule over them by force." I immediately put my hand up when Velucan is about to interrupt me. "Brainwashing. Let's use the two human slaves we have got to change their mind about us."
Just as I finished my sentence, Xenon and Winerva caught up to us. Velucan immediately turns his head to them, making them wonder what is happening.
"What do you guys think?" He says to the women.
I look at him weirdly, but then I notice his Rank Necklace is active, which means he has been broadcasting everything I say to my troop mates. I honestly don't know how to react to it, so I just wait for their responses.
"Well, they accepted it, and they are leaving it to you." He pats my shoulder. "Do your thing, pup. We are going to head outside the Dukedom since the battle here has concluded."
"That quick?"
Ignoring my remark, he turns to Xenon, and says, "Follow every one of Layland's command." He then dashes away, disappearing from our view.
I turn to the two puzzled women, and sigh softly. I explain my plan to them afterwards, and their expression is enough to tell me that they are disgusted by it.