Carving Out Rotten Flesh - 7
"Heh heh heh..."
"Ehehehehehe..."
Me, Seohee, and her subordinates were huddled in the corner, all wearing sinister grins.
"Look at that~ Master is here. Seven Seed is totally fucked now."
"Hey, watch the language. Someone might misunderstand. We're just guiding Seven Seed in a more righteous direction."
Of course, the process had been fun. We'd gotten to watch the people who'd tormented their underlings for years now trembling and begging those same underlings for mercy.
"Good work."
For a moment, I felt a twinge of dissonance at how casually I was treating them. When I'd first seen Seohee bound and helpless, I'd thought she'd never forgive these women.
...Whatever.
But Seohee herself was laughing it up with her subordinates, having a grand old time. Sure, there was the occasional bit of excessive violence, but still.
In that atmosphere, it would've looked weird if I'd been the only one getting all serious, declaring, "I could never forgive the women who did that to Seohee!"
"Anyway, time to head back. You've all had a good rest here, right?"
"Yeah... What about the traders?"
"We'll send them on their way. Can't keep using them forever, and right now, a whole crew of traders is more valuable to our settlement than extra hands."
More importantly, there was managing Seven Seed. I had a lot to think about when it came to how to handle these people. Treating them like cherished newcomers to my own settlement wouldn't be easy, but treating them like disposable tools wasn't ideal either.
Still, it was a relief that things had resolved smoothly.
"Get ready to head out, keep the girls in line, and stay cautious till the very end—no accidents."
"Got it, Master. Just leave it to me. I'll pet them just right so they won't even think of causing trouble."
"...Pet them just right?"
I chuckled wryly as we prepared to leave, only to run into an unexpected visitor.
"Um, Sunwoo-ssi? Are you here?"
"Yeah, come in."
One of Seven Seed's settlers entered, visibly tense.
"You're leaving tomorrow, right?"
"Yes. We'll have breakfast and head back before lunch if there's not much left to do..."
"Before you go, she said she has something to tell you. Captain Yeonhyeon."
"Yeonhyeon?"
A farewell could wait till morning. Calling me out in the dead of night didn't sound like good news.
Hmm...
I'd figured things wouldn't wrap up this neatly. Entrenched powers were tenacious by nature. Without extreme measures, even denting their authority was impossible.
She'd probably summoned me for something like that—someone waiting for me to leave so they could restore Seven Seed to the status quo.
Of course, I planned to return soon. Next time, I'd tear through the place unannounced for inspections.
But I couldn't ignore the chance of someone more reckless or extreme than I'd imagined.
My worries deepened.
"Yes, I'll go see her right away. Wait a moment."
"Understood."
The Seven Seed member left. I gave Seohee a light kiss, changed clothes, and stepped out.
"I'll be back. Don't stay up too late."
"Yeah, yeah. Have some fun out there."
"Fun?"
I tilted my head at Seohee's words. I'd snuck a few hugs with her on the sly, but I hadn't taken up with any local girls here.
"What're you talking about?"
"Ah, just go already! Tell me all about it later!"
Unlike me, who expected her to be reluctant, Seohee practically shoved me out the door.
"...What the hell?"
I had no idea what was going on, but first things first—I needed to meet Yeonhyeon. I headed to her room.
/////
"Why... why... why..."
Yeonhyeon pondered why she'd ended up like this. From the beginning.
She'd been ordered to capture him. She'd succeeded, but only thanks to his mercy—it was a success built on his compassion.
He'd dismantled Seven Seed single-handedly. Thanks to a small kindness he'd shown her in prison, she'd climbed a bit higher than the others.
She'd joined the Responsibility Council. Now, it wasn't just about saving her own skin—she had to protect Seven Seed's fate.
Yeonhyeon had accepted that. At first.
She just hadn't realized how heavily that burden would fall on her alone.
"A... slave."
It was a terrifying change that would upend her entire life. Far more massive than falling in love or having a child.
No—it might shatter her life as she knew it.
Becoming a slave wasn't just about being fucked by him. From now on, every thought, her body, her soul—everything would be in his grasp.
She'd never felt truly free here, but the moment she became a slave, even that illusion of freedom would vanish completely.
It scared her. She didn't want it.
Ugh...
He was undeniably attractive. And siding with him would obviously stabilize and advance Seven Seed.
If she just sacrificed herself.
"Aaaah..."
Yeonhyeon paced her small room in a daze. She needed to change clothes. Into something that would make her look more appealing when she offered herself to him—as a woman prepared for him.
Time was short. She had to move now—
"W-Wait a second!"
The door was opening. Lacking the courage to face him, Yeonhyeon desperately averted her eyes.
"My, you haven't gotten ready yet? Well, you've had a lot on your plate lately."
The one who entered wasn't Sunwoo—it was Chaeyun.
"Still, you should realize this is the most important task. Hurry and prepare. If there's anything left undone, I'll help."
"Wh-Why... are you here?"
Yeonhyeon finally managed to speak, her mind blank with shock.
"Why do you think? Isn't it obvious?"
Yeonhyeon could only nod. Vulgar. There was no other word for Chaeyun's appearance but cheap and slutty.
Her breasts, protruding like a cow's udders, were fully exposed. If that were all, it might've been less crass.
Big tits were just a physical trait, and nudity could happen in the shower or changing.
But Chaeyun's outfit went beyond that. A steel choker around her neck connected to a thin chain that dangled down to rings clamping her nipples tight.
Looking lower didn't help. Unlike her bare upper body—save for the chain— she at least had something below: her favorite black pants, made of such fine fabric that only Responsibility Council execs in Seven Seed could wear them.
Those pants symbolized her authority. Laborers tensed up just looking at them.
Now, they were ripped. Not irregularly, but with a deliberate void exposing her pussy, inner thighs, and lower belly—an inverted triangle of bare skin.
"Y-Your... figure is... way better than I thought..."
"I'm not frontline, but I manage myself well. A bit of pudge I don't love... but according to testimonials, this body might serve its purpose just fine."
"What... purpose?"
"Enough cushion that a man can hit and hurt you without killing you easily. Not too skinny, so spanking the ass, thighs, or tits gives real impact."
"That's..."
It wasn't for human interaction. At best, it was like a male version of the dildos women used for satisfaction—a punching bag in the training yard, or a practice dummy for venting stress with endless knife slashes.
"Chaeyun-ssi."
Yeonhyeon knew Chaeyun could never return to her old life. She'd committed a grave blunder, horribly ruining what could've been a smooth, beneficial relationship with Sunwoo.
Yeonhyeon had her own grudges against Chaeyun. She knew Chaeyun looked down on her and her subordinates.
Still, she hadn't wished for this—such a horrific, pathetic fall.
"Who... made you do this? The issues are resolved. You don't need to go this far..."
Yeonhyeon disliked Chaeyun. Deep down, she'd hoped she'd lose all status and rank, relegated to the dirtiest, hardest jobs.
But not like this.
Yet Chaeyun wore a faint smile.
"I chose it myself."
"What?"
Yeonhyeon stared at her in disbelief.