EPILOGUE
“Sieg þjóðann! Sieg þjóðann!”
The Steel Clan Army was welcomed into Gastropnir by the cheers of the Tiger Clan’s people. It had been only a month or so since the Silk Clan’s conquest, but the people of the Tiger Clan had suffered greatly under their rule. The Silk Clan had looted all of the valuables and food from the city, destroyed homes, and allowed many of the city’s young women to be raped—even those who were married or had children. Although that was the accepted fate of losing clans in Yggdrasil, there was an enormous amount of pent-up rage and resentment toward the Silk Clan.
Then their saviors had appeared, defeating and driving off the tyrannical Silk Clan occupiers. Not only had these saviors liberated them, but they had also acted with the utmost civility, even providing the people of Gastropnir with food. The þjóðann, the leader of those saviors, was now paying a visit to their city. It was only natural that the people of Gastropnir would rejoice and break out into cheers.
“Slow.”
Fwip! Crack!
“Eep!”
Kristina’s whip lashed out from the driver’s seat and hit the former Þrymr of the Silk Clan, Utgarda—who was now nothing more than a slave—on the rear. The yelp that spilled out from Utgarda’s lips was a sound completely unbecoming of a tyrannical Þrymr.
Utgarda was currently pulling the chariot carrying Yuuto, Felicia, and Kristina by herself. Something like this wouldn’t have been possible for an ordinary young woman, but Utgarda was an Einherjar. She had no trouble pulling the chariot. The problem wasn’t her physical ability—rather, it was more to do with her mindset.
“Curse you... I’m the Þrymr! How dare you treat me like... Eep!”
Utgarda turned around and tried to utter words of protest, but was struck into silence by Kristina’s whip.
“Now, now. Stop complaining and pull the chariot. Heh.”
“Grr...!”
Utgarda’s face twisted in a humiliated snarl as she resumed pulling the chariot. She had realized that any resistance would be met with whip lashes. Of course, she generally forgot that after a while and resumed her insubordination.
“Don’t push her too hard.”
Yuuto chided Kristina softly, in a tone too quiet for Utgarda to hear. While he knew that Utgarda was someone who deserved to be punished for her actions and that she should be made to suffer somewhat, he still didn’t enjoy watching women get beaten.
Why, then, was he going through with this display? Because it was a demonstration. Making a previous ruler put on rags and pull the chariot showed the people that her reign was well and truly over. Further, by humiliating Utgarda, the former tyrant, in front of the Tiger Clan’s people, he not only helped release the people’s pent-up frustration but also drew their support. It was a scheme that let him kill three birds with one stone.
“Heheh, I’m taking it easy on her. The trick is in the wrist. It sounds loud, but it doesn’t hurt all that much.”
“R-Really?”
It certainly didn’t look that way to Yuuto, though he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know all the details. Something in his head warned him not to ask any further questions on the subject.
“Yes. It’d be quite a pity to break a toy so lovely as her. I can see something of myself in her. It’s hard to describe... There’s just something enjoyable about breaking someone like that. Heheh.”
Kristina was a girl in her mid-teens—certainly too young to be imbibing alcohol—but her expression had the flush of warmth that made her appear faintly drunk as she shivered in pleasure at being able to satisfy her sadistic urges.
Yuuto couldn’t help but turn his gaze away. He found himself looking up at the sky. He had put Kristina in charge of Utgarda because he felt she needed to be taught a lesson, but perhaps that choice had been the wrong one. All he could do was offer a small prayer for Utgarda’s future.
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