The Heavy Silence of the Crimson Brands
The silence of the Mark of Subjugation hung heavy. The mage's mangled corpse I'd tossed at their feet groaned like a beast at the villagers' toes, but not a single one dared step forward. A fear deeper than rage had seeped into their souls.
"Why isn't anyone moving?"
The boy from earlier answered my question. Clutching his collapsed father desperately, he wailed at me in a choking sob.
"We can't do that... Please... Don't make us kill them. These brands carved into our bodies... The moment we even think of harming the mages, they burn us alive first!"
At the boy's confession, my gaze shifted to the villagers' backs. The red seals etched there glowed faintly, as if mocking us. They weren't mere surveillance tools. They were chains that detonated at the first sign of rebellion—a curse staking their lives as collateral.
The instant those meat lumps of mages died and their mana cut off, the linked slaves' brands would ignite in a final blaze.
I turned coldly to Elise, who had been watching the whole scene from behind.
"...Is this true?"
A chill killing intent laced my voice. But Elise acted like my threat meant nothing, biting her lip in irritation at the delay. Without bothering to cover her voluptuous breasts spilling from her torn dress, she swept a frigid gaze over the villagers.
"It's true. A perfect management system Ignis devised. For lowly scum like them, even thinking of defying a mage is suicide."
Then, an old man trembling on the ground lifted his head, spotted the woman behind me, and his eyes widened.
"Ah... No way, that's... Lady Elise? The lord's niece, Lady Elise!"
The old man's cry drew every villager's gaze to her. Like spotting a ray of hope in despair, faint expectation flickered in their eyes.
"Lady Elise! Please, please save us! If you could just lift this cursed seal...!"
But I saw it. Her brow twisted in disgust at their desperate pleas.
I turned to her coldly and asked in a low voice.
"Elise, can you remove their cursed seals?"
A bone-chilling frost edged my tone. But Elise ignored my killing intent, grimacing in revulsion at the villagers clinging to her now that they recognized her. Without covering her ample breasts peeking from her ripped dress, she raked an arrogant glare over them like insects.
Elise stepped forward and grabbed my arm. No trace remained of the pitiful woman begging for salvation beneath me moments ago. Only the haughty entitlement of a mage noble steeped in chosen-one supremacy swirled in her eyes.
"Master, who cares if these lowly scum live or die? They're doomed to burn out mining mana stones anyway. Are we really going to ruin our plans over bugs like them? Hurry to my secret chamber. Crushing Ignis matters more than their pathetic lives!"
Her casual words struck my ear like a slap. Treating the domain folk who once revered her as expendable tools. Even she, who called me master and clung to me, shared the same blood as those tyrant rulers after all. The realization cut deep.
"Bugs...?"
I roughly shook off her hand and murmured low.
Hope drained from the villagers' eyes, replaced by deeper despair at being abandoned by the noble they'd served.
The cold rage inside me hit its limit.
I slapped away Elise's hand gripping my arm and swung my palm across her pale cheek.
Slap...!
"Hah...!"
Her head snapped to the side. Clutching her cheek in disbelief, she looked up at me.
I seized her collar and yanked her up to my eye level.
"Apologize to the villagers. Now."
My voice was low and icy. But Elise's lips quivered, her lofty pride refusing to yield as she spat,
"Master... I'd do anything you command, but apologizing to these... these bugs...!"
Before she finished, I flipped her upside down and draped her over my knee. In one swift motion, I hiked up the hem of her torn dress.
Under the moonlight, her smooth, white ass flushed red with shame.
"What do you think human life is worth? Aren't nobles supposed to lead the weak and deficient? Was the 'nobility' you learned just this elitist garbage?!"
I brought my palm down without mercy.
Smack...! Smack...! Thwack...!
"Aaaah! It, it hurts! Master, please...!"
The heavy thud of flesh on flesh echoed through the mine. I didn't stop. Not until her ass was bruised and bursting red, the skin ground raw.
Elise tried to endure at first, but the relentless pain and humiliation broke her. She wailed and begged.
"Haaaahk...!!! I'm sorry! Master, please stop...! Forgive me! I was wrong...!"
I coldly flung the shrieking woman aside. Sprawled on the ground, she couldn't even sit properly from the ass pain, trembling uncontrollably.
"Get up. Kneel and apologize to the villagers."
At my command, Elise crawled to them on her wrecked form and knelt. Tears and snot streamed down her face.
The villagers held their breath at the sight of the domain's noble lady bowing before lowly folk.
"S-sorry... I was wrong... Hic, please spare us...!"
Accepting her apology, I added coldly,
"Now remove their seals."
Elise didn't dare resist, trembling as she channeled her mana. Blue light spread from her fingertips, and the red seals on the slaves' backs faded like mirages.
The chains of bondage snapped free.
Curiously, the watchtower's detection orb stayed silent. The domain's system reacted to 'aggressive mana' or 'killings,' but A registered noble lifting the seals with legitimate mana? Apparently not worth monitoring.
The tiny loophole the mages left for their convenience now ironically hastened their downfall.
I turned to the dazed villagers and the elder.
"There's a small village by the Training Forest. Ignis's reach doesn't extend there. Go start anew."
The elder caressed his now-clean back in disbelief, then prostrated himself, kowtowing to the ground.
"My lord... Truly a savior sent from the heavens... We'll never forget this grace. Thank you, truly thank you...!"
Ignoring the villagers' endless grateful cries, I seized the nape of Elise, still sobbing on the floor.
Now it was time to etch true 'education' into her bones.
I roughly grabbed her red hair and forced her head up.
"...Why didn't you mention from the start you were Ignis's kin?"
At my icy question, Elise shuddered and averted her eyes. Tear tracks stained her cheeks, her ass throbbing with shame and pain from my spanking.
"Th-that's... There are too many eyes here, Master... Please, to my secret chamber, and I'll tell you everything. I beg you...!"
Clutching my sleeve in her ruined state, she pleaded desperately.
"I have unavoidable circumstances too. If I spill it all here... I'm as good as dead. Please, please believe me... Hic."
Her childlike whimpering as she clung to me gave me pause. Her torn dress revealed the vivid red welts on her ass, her shoulders quivering with humiliation. The fallen noble lady, now my possession, stirred a cruel conquest lust in my heart.
I sighed deeply and released her hair.
"...Fine. Lead me to your chamber."
"Thank you, Master... Truly, thank you...!"
Elise buried her face in my chest, sobbing in relief.
But I knew. Whatever 'circumstances' she hid, she could never escape my palm now.
Confirming the villagers had vanished into the darkness, I half-dragged, half-supported Elise down the dark forest path toward her secret chamber.