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The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Chapter 238: How to Tame People

As Kamael and the others stepped into the village, they observed their surroundings while Mashuri was being restrained and led through the village.

(This is quite a dire situation. It seems they are getting at least some food, but everyone looks like they’re hanging on by a thread.)

Among the villagers, there were several men who appeared to have been abducted just like Kamael and his group, but lacking a proper place to stay, many were sitting or sprawled on the ground.

Furthermore, most had gaunt cheeks and hollow eyes, presumably given no proper meals, with hardly anyone exuding vitality.

(Well, it is a sensible approach. No one would accept being brought here suddenly, but if you want to dominate those people, the best way is to take away their freedom while providing enough aid to keep them dependent.)

Kamael, who was adept at manipulating people’s hearts as an assassin, admired the efficiency of the situation while remaining vigilant of his surroundings.

Then, upon entering an empty building, Mashuri closed and locked the door, followed by Shuvina casting a soundproofing spell and Sonia implementing an illusion to hinder perception.

“Phew. I’ve cast the soundproofing spell, so no sounds will leak outside now.”

“I’ve used a perception-hiding spell, so no one should notice this building.”

“Thank you, both of you. Now, let’s discuss what comes next.”

At Kamael’s cue, everyone except Mashuri sat on the floor as Kamael began to explain what he had observed about the village’s situation.

“First, from what I can see, this village is well-managed. But I don’t mean it in a good way. I mean it in terms of effectively subjugating people.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Ally, being a sister, might not be familiar with this, but what’s key in taming people is the carrot and the stick.”

“The carrot is delicious.”

“If it’s the stick, then it’s my specialty weapon.”

“Rafi, An, this is just a metaphor. In this case, they’ve been abducted, given little food, and kept in a state of hunger only to then be fed. In doing so, they come to appreciate receiving food and gradually submit.”

“In other words, it’s like someone who was kind before marriage starts to be violent afterward. Yet, they can’t leave because they remember that kindness from before.”

“Though I question the validity of the marriage analogy, it’s essentially that feeling.”

Noticing the slightly off responses from Fiera and the others, Kamael decided to continue his explanation about the people in the village.

“I’ve seen a bit of the state of the people in this village, and they seem devoid of the will to escape. Perhaps they’ve made an example of anyone who attempted to flee by executing them.”

“Exactly. It goes without saying, but not everyone initially complied with this state. Some stood against the knights in an attempt to escape, but they were all mercilessly killed. Furthermore, those who abducted them were also forced to take part.”

“By instilling fear and guilt, they’ve robbed them of their sanity and made them obedient.”

“That method was quite effective.”

“True enough. I’d do the same.”

“Why is that?”

“I mentioned earlier that what’s crucial for taming people is the carrot and the stick, but even more important is a shared consciousness.”

“A shared consciousness?”

“Exactly. To use you all as an example, you share a common consciousness in that you both like him and seek strength. Hence, you quickly became friendly and understood each other.”

“Well, that might be true.”

“The same goes for those here. By having those who tried to escape killed, even if it was forced, the shared guilt from taking a life becomes the common consciousness. Gradually, even those who didn’t kill but turned a blind eye or did not help will share that guilt, which further strips them of their sanity. Thus, obedient slaves are born.”

People tend to be easily swayed by emotions due to their rich emotionality.

If someone thinks that way, then when many people share that sentiment, even if someone might not truly feel that way, they end up aligning their thoughts with the crowd, sympathizing with others’ emotions.

What Kamael discussed was akin to a form of mind control; by committing the unforgivable act of killing, guilt becomes a chain that binds the heart.

In turn, people escape reality to avoid that guilt, justifying themselves and gradually losing sound judgment and reason, leading to a decay in spirit and willpower.

“There’s also something called a reign of terror, but if you only suppress with fear, one day a revolutionary will arise. So if you chain even that revolutionary with the shackles of guilt, then they won’t be able to foster any rebellious spirit.”

“What a dark tale. I’m not much of a fan of roundabout approaches.”

“Yeah. If I were to be swept along, I’d prefer resolving things myself.”

“That’s something only you strong individuals can say. Those with weak individual power will end up psychologically subservient due to their fear of betrayal.”

Humans are inherently weak beings and tend to gather in groups, regardless of age or gender.

Thus, someone like Fiera, who is strong both in ability and spirit, is a rare breed.

“Well, to be honest, these people in the village are the least of our concerns. What we need to do is create the established fact that they were abducted, gather evidence of the requisite war, and deal with the nobility and royalty involved.”

“Right. So let’s go to the royal castle and kill everyone quickly. After that, we can look for evidence…”

“I understand you want to see him, but that’s not allowed. If we kill nobility or royalty without evidence, it could be perceived as us declaring war, and even though you’re strong, there’s no guarantee you could find evidence before it gets disposed of. I won’t allow reckless plans. I’m responsible for leading this party, so you’ll follow my lead this time.”

“…Understood.”

Since Luis had designated Kamael as the leader, they had to adhere to his decisions, and even if Fiera wanted to meet Luis quickly, she had to bear with it in this situation.

“Well then, regarding the direction we’ll take moving forward, first, I’ll have Mashuri collect evidence about the war. She’d likely find it faster than us going ourselves, and there’s also less risk of raising suspicion.”

“Understood.”

“Once we have that evidence, we’ll escape this place and head to the royal castle. Afterward, we’ll just have to kill the king and others and go home quickly.”

“Is it just those in the castle that we need to kill? I think there’s also a chance that nobility in the territories are involved in this matter as well.”

“An’s concern is valid, but that’s unnecessary. Just being in the castle means the majority of them hold the nation’s core. Eliminating them would plunge the country into chaos, leaving no room for preparations for war.”

“I see.”

“Rather than killing everyone, leaving some behind can easily lead to power struggles and internal conflict, which is more beneficial for us.”

“Quite the black-hearted plan.”

“Ahaha! I don’t think I’m as black-hearted as the one you all like. He’s way darker than I am, in many ways.”

Hearing Kamael’s words, Fiera and the others fell silent, neither denying nor affirming what he said, and a brief moment of quiet passed.

“Well then. For the time being, let’s settle here. Until Mashuri brings back evidence, everyone should keep a low profile.”

“Got it.”

“Understood.”

“Sure thing!”

“Understood.”

With that, it was decided that Fiera and the others would wait quietly in the village for the time being… but just a few days later.

Due to the instructions given to Fiera by Luis, Kamael found himself in a situation where he would have to alter his plans, which only added to his stomachache.

 

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