The Chainsaw Angel
“That butcher is actually Lord Edga Fix.”
“······?”
The next words were even more shocking. The same butcher was the new lord assigned here? Everyone stared at their leader with shell-shocked expressions.
“And the new lord despises the Salvation Cult. If any of you try to return to it, he said he’ll come find you with a double-barrel shotgun and a chainsaw.”
“······.”
Silence. Everyone gazed blankly into the air, faces pale with fear. The image of the new lord rampaging like a madman, severing limbs, flashed before their eyes.
“Then···· are we supposed to go back to how things were before?”
While everyone hung their heads in terror, a young man stepped forward. With a trembling voice, he looked around at the others and spoke.
“Are we really going back to that hellish life? Children begging on the streets, sisters and daughters selling their bodies for money, men buried alive when mine tunnels collapse···· You want us to live like that again?”
“······.”
“I refuse! I’d rather die fighting! Let them come if they want! I’d rather────”
-Whoosh!
But before he could finish, an ominous sound pierced everyone’s ears. The distinctive roar of massive wings slicing through the sky.
“H-He’s here!”
Everyone looked up. A pair of wings spanning six meters blocked out the sun, casting a vast shadow over the ground. Ed, who had briefly left, had returned.
-Whooooosh!
Chiiiiiik────!
Ed descended rapidly and landed with practiced ease. The young man who had just been passionately calling for a fight was now sweating profusely and inching backward.
Ed rose from the cloud of dust and spoke.
【Grig. Did you explain everything clearly?】
“···Yes. They all understood.”
After hearing Grig’s reply, Ed looked around at the crowd. A chainsaw rattled in his hand. He nodded.
【Then I won’t be needing this.】
He stored the chainsaw back into his inventory, then pulled out a massive table and placed a large container on top. It was a thermos filled with chilled sikhye. A button dispensed the drink.
【Have a cup each. I’ve got things to set up.】
Ed removed his helmet. The moment the villagers saw his face, their eyes widened. That demon was actually a strikingly beautiful young man.
“It’s simple to use. Just hold a cup under the spout and press the lever—”
-Glug glug glug····.
“The drink comes out. There’s enough for everyone, so drink as much as you like.”
After demonstrating the thermos, Ed began pulling out a massive steel framework from his inventory—the skeleton for a PVC tent large enough to house five hundred people.
While Ed connected the frames, Grig spoke up.
“·····Everyone. The new lord has graciously provided drinks. Come, take a cup.”
Grig banged on the thermos to draw attention. The villagers hesitantly approached, each receiving a cup of sikhye from Grig. Ice still floated on the surface.
“Slurp.”
The first person to try it let out a small sound. Sweetness spread across their tongue, followed by a refreshing chill that washed through their body.
“W-What is this···· What the hell is this!!! G-Give me another cup!”
It was an unbelievably delicious taste—something they had never experienced in their lives. For commoners who rarely had the chance to enjoy ice, chilled sikhye was nothing short of divine.
Soon everyone began praising the drink.
“T-This···· This is really····!!”
“Another cup! Hurry!!”
“I think I’m gonna cry····”
“Damn, this is what life’s about.”
Smiles bloomed on every face. Unlike nobles, commoners had to endure the scorching summer sun directly. For them, chilled sikhye was a savior.
-Chiiik! Chiiik!
Meanwhile, Ed was assembling the PVC tent. Though it was a massive structure meant for five hundred people, the work wasn’t difficult for him, backed by magic and advanced technology. Especially with Fix assisting him.
“Wheeeeng~!”
Ed and Fix quickly completed the frame. They connected steel beams and sprayed carbon nanotubes to secure the joints.
“That was fast.”
In less than an hour, the basic framework was finished. All that remained was to cover it with the tent fabric and secure the connections. Ed completed the entire process in about an hour.
“Now all that’s left is····”
Installing mana lamps and air conditioners inside.
Once everything was done, Ed called everyone in. Under the soft glow of mana lamps and the cool breeze of air conditioning, the villagers’ faces lit up with wonder.
“Wow···· T-This is····”
“Insane····”
“Whoa···· Whoa····”
These people had suffered under murderous heat every summer. The living conditions here were worse than in other territories, making them even more vulnerable to the heat. Some had even died from it.
“Wow···· It really feels like I’m going to melt····”
So this place was paradise. With six portable mana air conditioners running at full power, heavenly winds blew inside.
While everyone enjoyed their sikhye and the cool air, Ed spoke. All eyes turned to him.
“I won’t waste words.”
Ed looked around at the villagers, paused for a beat, then continued.
“I’m one of the wealthiest men in the Empire. But when it comes to technology, no one in the world surpasses me.”
“······.”
“Swear loyalty to me, and I’ll show you the power of money. Everything you wear and eat will change. I’ll even let you sleep in this cool breeze during the hottest days of summer.”
The villagers’ eyes began to sparkle. The power of money? Their hearts were already racing. This was financial therapy at its finest.
“Of course, there’s a price. You’ll work eight hours a day for me. Lunch will be provided, but unfortunately, the pay won’t be very high.”
Pay? The villagers doubted their ears. They had been worked like slaves without a single coin, and now they were being offered wages?
“H-How much···· if I may ask····?”
“Hmm···· I’ll have to calculate it properly later, but I’ll give you at least six hundred thousand Orden a month. It’s a shame I can’t offer more.”
“·····?”
They couldn’t believe their ears. Six hundred thousand Orden a month??? That was practically top-tier treatment.
Was Edga Fix actually an angel?
“Of course, meals will also be provided. Since it’s hard labor, I’ll make sure there’s meat at every meal.”
“?????”
Right. This man wasn’t a demon—he was an angel. An angel who severed limbs with a double-barrel shotgun and a chainsaw!
“That’s all I can promise for now. Will you follow me?”
To Ed’s question, the villagers reached the same conclusion without hesitation. They would follow him.
‘The Salvation Cult? What kind of idiot would believe in something like that?’
Even the young man who had earlier declared he would rather die than abandon the cult was among them. After tasting the sikhye and feeling the air conditioning, he no longer saw any need for the cult. When forced to choose between “filling your stomach with ice-cold sikhye while enjoying air conditioning” versus “sweating buckets while spreading the Salvation Cult,” the answer was obvious.
““Long live Lord Edga Fix!!””
““Long live the new lord!!!””
Thus, Ed won over the very villagers who had hated nobles the most. Five hundred SCVs had just been born.
***
At the same time, in a southern imperial port city, a ship from the Clarendor Kingdom had docked. The Empire had recently requested the kingdom’s assistance in exploring the Wall of Water.
-Kreeeeeeeak·····.
Soon, the hatch of the Clarendor Kingdom’s state-of-the-art battleship opened, and a massive gangway extended outward. Elena and Ilaia, who had come to greet the ship, felt overwhelmed by the imposing presence of the world’s strongest battleship.
-Step···· Step····
From inside the ship, a group of people began to emerge. At the center was Leon Clarendor, surrounded by his guards, secretary, and attendants.
Elena and Ilaia bowed with formal grace to welcome the prince of the Clarendor Kingdom.
“Thank you for responding to the Empire’s request. I am Grand Mage Elena, who has been placed in charge of this expedition—”
“By the way.”
Leon frowned and cut her off. He glanced around before speaking again.
“The princess didn’t come to greet me? I distinctly received an invitation from her···· This is rather disappointing treatment, don’t you think?”