Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

Justin's magic could penetrate almost any defense from the front, but Nathan's arrows were easily blocked. However, in the air, Nathan could target weak spots, bypassing defenses entirely. Even so, Nathan would attract much less attention than Justin, given Justin's overwhelming firepower.

"If I fly around, it's better for the enemy to aim for me, even if I get hit by arrows. But if I'm in the front and they only target Nathan, it's practically begging for death."

The enemies would be forced to choose between enduring constant magical attacks while trying to counter Justin or taking out the archer first and suffering a fatal blow from Justin's magic. Either way, they'd be faced with an impossible dilemma, and the accumulated damage would only grow worse over time.

"That's why it's better for you to take this. Practice your mounted archery while you're at it," Justin said.

"Th-thank you!" Nathan beamed as he took the flute. It seemed the thought of flying on a winged horse excited him even more than increasing his effectiveness in battle. Flying was, after all, a dream for many.

"Lord Justin!"

As soon as the item distribution was done, Zachary entered the room, as if he had been waiting for the right moment.

"What is it?"

"The captured Mage has woken up."

"...!"

The group hurried to Rachel's house, where the captive Mage was being held. As they passed the two guards stationed there, the tied-up Mage looked directly at them.

"You're late," the Mage—no, the female Mage—said with a slight smile.

Though Justin had already realized the Mage's gender when they first captured her, seeing her now, she was undeniably beautiful with a sharp and elegant face.

Before anyone could say anything, the female Mage spoke again, her tone laced with a hint of complaint.

"Isn't it rude to keep someone waiting this long? Your hospitality here is severely lacking."

"…?"

Justin tilted his head, confused by her attitude. Why was she so calm and composed despite being a prisoner? Did she not understand that her life was at risk? A quick glance at his companions showed that they all shared his confusion.

"Can I ask you something?" Justin asked.

"What is it?"

"Why are you so relaxed? Don't you remember we were fighting?"

"Of course, I remember."

Unable to contain his curiosity, Justin watched as the woman smiled confidently.

"But you aren't planning to kill me, are you? If you were, you would have done it already."

"Uh... and why do you think we won't kill you?" Justin asked, now even more intrigued.

"It's simple. From the very first attack, there was no intent to kill. That lightning spell of yours, it looked flashy, but it was clearly meant to subdue, not to kill."

She wasn't wrong. The Cursed Lightning spell was indeed designed more for subjugation. It wasn't that Justin hadn't used it to kill before, it's just that it wasn't its primary function.

Her smile deepened, interpreting his silence as agreement.

"I think I understand what happened. You killed those other guys to scare us, hoping to avoid a battle. But once the fight started, you had no choice but to subdue me and bring me here. Am I right?"

"…."

Justin simply stared at her, speechless. The female Mage held his gaze, utterly confident in her reasoning, as if this deduction was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What do you guys think of this?" Justin asked his companions.

"She's overthinking it," Nathan said, unimpressed.

"She's trying to sound smart, but she's completely off the mark," Rachel added.

"It's kind of irritating how wrong she is but still so smug about it," Derek chimed in.

At that moment, the female Mage blinked, her confidence faltering.

"Am I wrong?"

"Yeah, you're wrong about everything," Justin replied, deciding to correct her misconceptions one by one.

"That lightning spell, yeah, it's for subjugation. But I've never used it to subdue anyone. I use it to leave them in a groggy state so I can finish them off. Half the reason I used it on you was to kill you by making you fall to your death."

"...!"

"And by the way, we only brought you here. The rest of your group? They're all dead. Honestly, I thought you were dead too, but when I saw you were still alive, I decided to bring you back to see if you'd be useful. Might as well get some information about your territory."

Her eyes widened, her confidence shaken for the first time. She was now trying to figure out whether Justin was lying or telling the truth. But since everything he said was true, Justin simply looked at her calmly.

"So now we'll begin. I'm going to ask you some questions. Normally, this would involve some torture, but I'm not really a fan of that," Justin said.

In truth, Justin's personal feelings weren't the issue—he could handle it. The problem was that if he normalized torture, others might start accepting it as routine. Once a person crosses that line, it becomes easier to cross further lines. Worst case, it could lead to his entire territory developing a brutal atmosphere, and that was something he wanted to avoid.

"Of course, if it's absolutely necessary, I'd do it. But the information we need from you isn't critical right now," Justin explained. "We're busy with other things—dungeon exploration and absorbing Aaron's territory. By the time we can focus on your territory, things will have changed."

Find exclusive stories on empire

Knowing more about her territory might help, but it wasn't an urgent priority. It wasn't a matter of great gain or loss at this point.

"So here's how it'll go. I'll ask you some questions, but you're free to refuse to answer. I understand you might have family or friends back in your territory and be worried about what might happen."

In a world with people like Aaron and Chad, she might have people she wanted to protect. If she had loved ones, it made sense she wouldn't want to reveal her territory's location.

"I get it. So, if you refuse to answer..."

"If I refuse?" she asked, her voice tense.

"I won't torture or threaten you. I'll just kill you. Quick and clean. How's that sound?"

The female Mage gritted her teeth and glared at Justin, her eyes full of defiance. For a moment, Justin was almost impressed by her spirit. Not many people could look at death so boldly.

Then, she straightened her posture, her chest puffed out, and she spoke confidently.

"Ask me anything! I'll answer all your questions. Just… please, spare my life."

"..."