"I am inheriting the chiefdom, brother."
Pethas pulled the sword he had stabbed Ehans with. Blood dripped heavily onto the ground.
I watched the situation with great interest. Pethas Nottle. A character who also appeared in the original work. He was Ehans' younger brother, but their relationship wasn't good.
"W-What is this…! Why are you doing this now, of all times?!"
"I've only lived for 100 years. I haven't even lived half my lifespan. Please understand, brother. I want to live, even if it means becoming a slave to that human."
"You'll become a slave! Do you not understand what that means?!"
"I do. The education we received when we came of age was about the history of dwarves. Once, dwarves were slaves to humans."
"And yet you still say you'll become a slave?!"
"It's still better than dying. Death is the end of everything. Brother, we live longer than humans. Over time, there will be opportunities to escape slavery. Dwarves have a history of slavery, but it's only a part of our history."
"You madman! An honourable dwarf must fight to the end! The Frost Hammer Tribe will not live as slaves!"
Ehans raised the Frost Hammer, the symbol of the Frost Hammer Tribe, and prepared to swing it.
Pethas was faster, swinging his sword and cutting off Ehans' arm. The arm holding the hammer fell to the ground with a thud.
"Aaaah! You bastard! Pethas!"
Ehans collapsed to the ground. The stab wound alone was fatal, and now his arm was severed. The only reason he was still alive was due to the tenacious vitality unique to dwarves.
"Brother. Rest now. You will die as a dwarf, not as a slave. Isn't that what you always wanted?"
Pethas dropped his sword and picked up the Frost Hammer from the ground. He threw away Ehans' arm, still clutching the hammer's handle, and firmly gripped the hammer himself.
"Pethas! Do you think the tribe will accept you as chief just because you killed me?! Put down the Frost Hammer! You're not worthy!"
"If not me, then who else will wield the Frost Hammer? Whether the tribe accepts me or not doesn't matter. What matters is our master's will."
I was impressed. Pethas was already calling me "master." His attitude shift was incredibly fast. I knew from the original work that he was a vile person, but I didn't expect him to be this extreme.
"Advisor! Advisor Malef!"
Ehans called out to the dwarf mage Malef, who had been silently observing the situation.
"Yes, Ehans."
"What are you doing?! Help me! Use your magic to kill my insane brother, Pethas!"
"That would be difficult, Ehans. It would be faster for Chief Pethas to swing the Frost Hammer at me than for me to use magic."
"Chief Pethas?! Are you out of your mind, Advisor?!"
Ehans was shocked. It seemed he hadn't considered Malef's betrayal until the very end.
"Chief Pethas is right. What do we gain by resisting here other than death? Death leaves nothing behind. It's better to live as slaves and wait for an opportunity. We can't live forever in a refuge called paradise."
"Malef! That's not what you said earlier?!"
"Adapting to the situation is a basic virtue of an advisor."
"Y-You bastards! Do you think I'll just sit here and… Ugh!"
Ehans, his face red with rage, let out a short scream and collapsed to the ground. He didn't move, so he was likely dead.
Pethas looked at Malef with a wary gaze.
"Advisor. Will you follow me?"
"Chief Pethas. Your choice is correct. I acknowledge you as the rightful successor of the Frost Hammer."
"As expected. The advisor is a man of clear thinking."
"Providing appropriate advice is my duty."
I stifled a laugh.
Appropriate advice? More like appropriate flattery.
In any case, the situation was favourable to me, so I decided to watch quietly.
'Five minutes have already passed. I can no longer control the golem.'
I wasn't worried. The situation had already ended in our victory. Even without the golem, there were fewer than 50 dwarves still able to move. With Yuria and me working together, defeating the dwarves would be a trivial matter.
Pethas, firmly gripping the Frost Hammer, stepped forward and addressed the dwarves.
"Listen! I am now the rightful chief of the Frost Hammer Tribe! All tribesmen, drop your weapons and kneel! We will survive, even if it means becoming slaves!"
Of course, there was bound to be resistance.
"Don't make me laugh! You disgusting parricide! Who would accept someone who killed their own brother?!"
"Pethas! We all saw your atrocities! You're not worthy!"
"We'd rather die than live as slaves!"
Not everyone resisted. About 20 dwarves. They shouted and pointed their swords at Pethas, not me. It seemed they found Pethas, who had killed the chief, more unforgivable than me, who wanted to enslave them.
"Hmph. Do you think I don't know you all covet the Frost Hammer?! The rightful leader of the Frost Hammer Tribe is me! Advisor Malef! Use your magic! These fools are traitors who don't think of the tribe's future!"
"You're right. The new master of the Frost Hammer! Fireball!"
Malef's fireball struck one of the dwarves. The dwarf's body was engulfed in flames.
"Aaaaah!"
The dwarf let out a horrific scream, writhing before collapsing to the ground.
The dwarves prepared for battle.
'This isn't good.'
My goal was to enslave them. Earlier, I had considered killing some for management purposes, but with the emergence of Pethas, an excellent manager, I wanted to keep as many dwarves alive as possible.
"Stop! You are my valuable property! I cannot forgive you for fighting and dying on your own."
"Don't make me laugh, human! Who said we'd become your slaves?!"
A dwarf retorted.
Crackle!
The lightning gathered in my palm crackled threateningly.
"You're already finished. You've been decided as my slaves. Just quietly accept your fate. Yuria. Knock out anyone who resists."
"Yes, Master."
The dwarves charged.
I released the lightning in my hand, discharging it toward the dwarves. The electrocuted dwarves collapsed weakly to the ground.
***
At the center of the Frost Hammer Tribe's village square, I sat on a large, ornate chair prepared by Pethas and Malef, looking down at the kneeling dwarves before me.
A total of 88.
The current number of surviving Frost Hammer Tribe dwarves, and the slaves I had acquired.
More than half were glaring at me with rebellious eyes. The particularly rebellious ones had their arms bound with chains. The dwarves, known as the artisan race, had forged the chains in just 30 minutes. Though hastily made, the chains felt incredibly sturdy.
'What's interesting is that their hatred for Pethas is greater than their hatred for me.'
It seemed they were more enraged by Pethas, who had killed the chief and taken his position, than by me, who had enslaved them.
'That's fortunate for me. The more they resent Pethas and Malef, the easier they'll be to manage.'
Pethas and Malef had chosen me over their own tribesmen. They must have thought it was the more promising path, and their judgment was correct. I planned to have them govern the Frost Hammer Tribe.
"Pethas Nottle, chief of the Frost Hammer Tribe and loyal slave of our master, offers his greetings. This dagger is the finest blade in the village. I present it to you, Master."
Pethas bowed respectfully and handed me the dagger. As I nodded, Yuria, standing beside me, took the dagger and handed it to me.
"This is… Hmm. Nice. What's its name?"
"Eradicator. A dagger forged by the former chief, Ehans, 20 years ago."
I examined the dagger. The blade was sharp enough to feel its edge just by looking at it, and the hilt was adorned with jewels, making it incredibly ornate. It could even be used as a decorative piece.
What stood out was that the blade was quite long for a dagger, yet too short to be called a shortsword.
'I'm not really drawn to daggers.'
Though I'm currently using a dagger, Hwaryeonbido suits me better. It won't be long before my body grows enough to wield Hwaryeonbido properly.
"Yuria. You take it."
"...Are you sure I can use such a magnificent dagger?"
A dagger forged by dwarves. And one considered a masterpiece at that. Given how meticulous dwarves are about their crafts, its value must be immense.
"It's fine. You'll use it more often than I will."
I decisively gave up the dagger. It was clear I wouldn't use it much even if I kept it.
"I will use it with gratitude, Master."
I nodded in response to her bow and stood up.
"Pethas. Since you've presented me with such an exceptional item, it's only right that I bestow something upon you in return."
I deliberately spoke loudly. This was the time to show off.
Look. Even Pethas is wearing a pleased expression.
'He's a man who understands politics.'
What's important isn't what I give him, but the fact that I'm bestowing something upon him. If you think about it, it also means I'm treating Pethas differently from the other dwarves.
"Ohh…! I am honoured, Master!"
I pulled an item from my inventory.
It was a whip.
"That's…"
Pethas' face stiffened. He likely didn't expect a whip.
"Let me show you the power of this whip."
I swung the whip at Pethas. The whip struck his right shoulder with precision.
Crack!
"Aaaah!"
Pethas let out a piercing scream and rolled on the ground.
"Stop exaggerating and get up, Pethas. Do you intend to disappoint me?"
"N-No…! Master!"
Pethas stood up. His eyes trembled with fear as he looked at me.
I pointed to his right shoulder with my index finger.
"Look at your shoulder."
"…This can't be! There's no wound!"
"This is the Whip of Agony. Those struck by this whip receive no physical wounds. Only pain."
I spoke solemnly.
The Whip of Agony. An item I had obtained from a random draw long ago. It cost 15 points, relatively cheap for its effect.
"Ohh…! T-This is incredible…!"
"Pethas. I'm sure you've realized why I'm entrusting you with this Whip of Agony."
"I think I understand. Master intends to entrust me with the management of the Frost Hammer Tribe."
"Correct."
He's the kind of man who would kill his own brother to survive. I've confirmed that he even craves power, as evidenced by his desire to become chief. Managing Pethas won't be difficult.
'If he wants power, I'll give him power. Even if it's just being the king of slaves.'
Power is power. As long as Pethas doesn't seek higher authority, he won't betray me.
"You are the chief of the Frost Hammer Tribe and the overseer of the slaves. And Malef. You will assist Pethas."
"I, Malef, will do my utmost to support Chief Pethas."
"You two are slaves. Do not forget that."
Pethas and Malef are the type to choose being the head of a snake over the tail of a dragon.
Of course, I don't plan to fully trust them.
'I'll need to plant a spy among the slaves, perhaps by coaxing one of them.'
Pethas and Malef bowed deeply to me.
"Thank you, Master! I will never disappoint you."
"I will do my best!"
I then forced the dwarves to consume the Ten-Day Poison.
I'm not naive enough to believe their oaths of loyalty. What I trust is the Ten-Day Poison Yuria created, not their promises.
"Take this. It's the Ten-Day Poison. If you don't take the antidote within ten days, you'll die."
"…Is this really necessary…?"
"Do you not want to take it?"
When I asked, Pethas and Malef quickly shook their heads. They knew what would happen if they refused.
"…We'll take it."
I personally watched as all 88 dwarves consumed the poison.
Now, they have no choice but to obey my commands if they want to live.
"I will now give you your first command."
***
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