Kaiser slumped over his desk.
"What the hell am I going to tell Father?"
I can still keep the business running for now, but sooner or later the protagonist will come knocking at my door.
"I have to change how Neon operates." Kaiser picked up the landline and called Larson.
He told him to come to the office.
When Larson arrived in the hall, he saw Isaak's corpse. He started shaking.
"Boss!"
"I'm your boss now." A voice rang out from the top of the balcony.
"You… you killed your own brother?"
"Come up." He said simply before turning away.
In his mind, this was the first time he had ever seen someone so terrifying. In just a few hours he had become completely different from when he arrived. He had hidden his true nature well. Larson swallowed hard, staring at Kaiser's ice-cold eyes behind the mask.
"You must have seen my poor brother's body. Send some servants to pick up his corpse and bring it to my office. Anyway… it's not that important."
"…"
"Now that he's dead, make sure you're not next, Larson… I heard you were very competent. Don't disappoint me~~ and spread the message."
"Yes, Boss!"
"Good. Go get me a demi-beast slave from the Kitsune tribe, aged twelve to thirteen… there shouldn't be many, and she has white hair and red eyes.
Meanwhile, gather all the slaves in front of the manor."
…
After a few minutes of waiting.
The Kitsune that Kris had almost bought walked through the door. Her ruby eyes glared sharply, as if she wanted to tear him apart.
"Make yourself comfortable, Kara of the Kitsune tribe!"
She was a demi-beast who looked mostly human, but she had white fox ears perched on top of her head, the same color as her hair. Her vivid red eyes reminded one of blood, with a hard glint that betrayed her wary nature. She wore dirty, worn-out rags. A long white fox tail stuck out behind her, slightly puffed up from tension.
She was only fourteen that year. And she had been sold by her own uncle who wanted to take her father's place as tribe leader.
And now she, the pride of her tribe, was reduced to slavery in front of a human roughly her own age.
'Hmm, the novel's description wasn't exaggerated. She'll definitely be a beauty in the future. But that's not what matters right now,' Kaiser thought.
Kara's eyes drifted to the corpse of the man she had seen barely fifty minutes earlier.
"As you can see, the former boss just died."
"Did you kill him? Who are you?" she shot back with hatred, which made Kaiser chuckle lightly while adjusting his mask.
"Well, since he's dead and I'm the new boss, I plan to set new rules. There will be no more slaves in Neon."
She frowned slightly, not understanding what this human was talking about.
"Do you want to be free?"
"…" She didn't answer.
That was when Larson walked in.
"Boss, they're all gathered outside."
"Good. Remove her submission collar!"
"Boss, that's…"
"Do what I say. She may be impulsive but she's not stupid. She knows how to listen."
Larson took out a key and removed the chain from her neck.
She didn't move. Maybe this bastard was playing a trick, waiting for her to run so he could kill her and laugh about it.
"Now that you're free, you can go wherever you want, even back home."
"To Arcadia!?"
That was when Kara realized the only place she knew was somewhere she could never return to.
She clenched her teeth and stayed silent. Even if she was free, there was no way out.
"I can offer you a deal, Kara…"
She looked up.
"I promise to feed you, house you, and you'll be free. But for the next ten years, you'll be my bodyguard. All you have to do is train diligently."
"Huh? What do you get out of it?"
"You."
"I don't understand. I don't even know if I'm that talented, and besides, you could just keep me as a slave and make me your bodyguard."
"You can doubt it, but I don't doubt you."
'After all, you were one of the few mortals to reach transcendence,' he thought to himself.
"And for your other question: I think one loyal subordinate is worth more than ten thousand who would stab their boss in the back the moment they got the chance."
She stayed silent for a moment, then asked, "Why me?"
"It's not just you." Kaiser stood and walked to the balcony, dragging Isaak's corpse with him, where about five thousand slaves were gathered.
"Your former boss who bought and sold you is dead."
An odd silence fell. Everyone was shocked and wondering what was happening. And who this masked man was.
"As the new leader of Neon, I officially abolish slavery. You are free to go home, wander the Alexandria Empire, or the elven continent, whatever you want. You don't need to be afraid. Those who want to go back, wait by the portals."
And as their submission chains were removed, some rushed toward the portals.
Kaiser took a breath and continued in a loud voice.
"I suppose those who stayed have nowhere to go. Leaving here doesn't mean you're saved. You can still be caught and sold to other merchants or nobles, or killed in Arcadia. Many of you no longer have a home. You were slaves, and I still gave you freedom. So here's my final offer: work for me! You'll live like people, eat, sleep, never be whipped, and the best among you will even get the chance to take revenge.
I have no reason to trick you. You're just a bunch of worthless outcasts. I'm offering you a hand. Give meaning to your lives!"
With every sentence, more of them looked convinced. Some even shouted with hope (after all, seeing their tormentor dead gave them a taste of vengeance), while the more skeptical asked what the job was.
Kaiser smiled.
"It's hard work, but hard work always pays off. You always wanted revenge on those who killed your child? Your sister? Your nephew? Well, if you're diligent, it's not impossible. They say even ants, if there are enough of them, can devour an elephant. Become my sword and cut the throats of your enemies… Who wants revenge!?"
*Roars*
*Cheers*
The last skeptics were now more motivated than ever.
"Good, good…"
*Cheers*
Kaiser raised his fist to the sky.
"The Predator swears it… Become my Beasts and you will never be prey again. And to start, take your revenge on your tormentors all around you."
Kaiser hadn't even finished speaking when a demi-beast whose chains had been removed tore the head off a guard who had whipped him earlier.
*Cheers*
Kaiser, who had just named himself The Predator on a whim, watched the bloody battle unfolding below.
"You sure know how to work a crowd," Kara snorted from behind.
Kaiser laughed. "If you say so…"
"Boss! What are you doing!? You... "
"Calm down, Larson. Everything is under control."
Larson swallowed hard, staring at those cold eyes that beckoned Kara closer.
"It turns out this guy named Larson was the second-in-command of the old boss… So Kara, here's my first order… Kill that son of a bitch Larson!"
"What!? Wait! Boss... "
That night… the assassin organization Black Neon was born!