Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Captains and commanders of this local authority, it has come to be known that only the wealthiest citizens are hoarding what little remains of our resources, driving prices skyward.

Inflation gnaws at the market, and yet the Captains and Commanders have remained blind to this quiet disaster, as if such matters are too small for their ears.

Sure, this rising price might not reach their ears since it was a small matter, but… that's only for now. If things keep going like this, it will be a bigger disaster than joblessness.

Victor ordered the Commanders to look into this and make sure the market price stays the same… If some wealthy people try to buy more than the required amount or even increase the price… he ordered them to bring those people to him, and he would personally deal with them.

"Listen well!" Victor's voice thundered through the market square, "If any noble or merchant dares to buy more than their due, if they conspire to raise prices beyond the reach of the common folk, bring them to me at once. I will deal with them myself, no matter who their blood or house."

He let his gaze sweep across the crowd, "After all, there is nothing different between the backstabbers who betrayed me before and people like them," Victor's cold voice echoed around the market as the Captains and Commanders gulped in fear, and people trembled.

This literally means Victor wouldn't hesitate to kill them off, just like what happened to those backstabbers… He was just making them remember what the consequences would be.

Is that wrong?

Wealthy people trying to save their children and future—was that wrong?

Was it wrong for them to buy more things just in case, in an unforeseen future, who knows what could happen?

Of course not.

There's nothing wrong with the rich buying whatever the hell they want, but… during this situation, a situation as delicate as this… where everything matters, you cannot just come and take everything just because you have more money than others.

They just increase the price of products that everyone needs, and the people who can barely afford to live can barely even buy their food at this rate.

Of all people, Victor knew how much he needed money and how many days he went hungry, barely eating once a day, barely earning anything.

And the cost of a single piece of meat… that was something he could barely get, even in a month… Even that was possible only if he saved the money he would have used to buy bread for a few days, and that too, he had to keep his stomach empty.

Too much for a single piece of meat.

That was why he got annoyed hearing that ridiculously high price… If he were just like before, he would barely even think of that meat in his life.

This was the fucking reason he focused on food and jobs in the first place, even using the Palace's treasury to keep up the current market, not to let it fall down, since everyone, well, mostly the poor and middle class, were going to get hurt deeply.

Anyway, his gaze swept across the people before turning to the Commander. "Inform the other commanders and tell the generals that I personally asked them to look over this situation…" as he crouched softly and patted the commander's shoulder.

She flinched in fear because she knew the Emperor was not comforting her, but pressuring her furiously.

He leaned close, his breath icy on her ear.

"This is your charge, Commander. Fail, and you'll answer to me.

Or...

I could replace you in a matter of seconds. Remember this… You are not special. If you want to keep your post, you'd better do your fucking duty. Got it?"

The Commander nodded furiously, sweat beading on her brow.

Victor turned to the Captains. He didn't even bother to look at them; with a single snap of his fingers, a heavy, invisible pressure crashed down.

Those Captains slammed to the ground.

The Commander gulped in horror.

Captains could barely even breathe, faces twisted with pain as Victor, without a shred of remorse or pity, stood before them.

He stared at their crawling bodies, rubbing his finger against his palm with a casual, almost bored expression.

"Do you know why you're being punished now?" he asked, his voice cold, eyes unblinking.

One man tried to lift his head, struggling to gasp out a response."W-We didn't focus—Thud!"

His head was slammed back down with even higher pressure, blood spraying from his lips.

Victor hummed as he tilted his head, pretending to listen, "Come again?"

No answer came, just the choking, horrified faces of his subordinates clawing for breath.

Cough, cough…

One Captain collapsed, coughing blood, his body limp as consciousness faded.

Victor glanced at him for a moment, then sighed, and with a lazy wave of his hand, the crushing pressure vanished.

The other Captains scrambled to help the unconscious one, dust clinging to their uniforms, hands trembling.

Victor surveyed them all,

"Remember—you're here to serve our people. What do they do? What do they need? How are they living? Are they safe? Is everyone being treated justly? Are they earning what they deserve? Is any useless bastard causing trouble? Any problems, any sickness, any requirement for growth? Maintaining Law and Order—that's your duty.

That's the service you provide... This is not a job.

I pay you for your service"

"Unlike the Commanders, you are directly involved with the people, correct?"

The Captains nodded weakly as they rose, dust caking their faces and hands.

"So… who should be punished for ignorance? For failing those they're sworn to protect?"

The Captains lowered their heads in shame.

"I asked a question, didn't I?"

The Captains immediately shouted, voices hoarse but unified, "We are responsible, Sir!"

Victor nodded once,

"Well, if I see this happening again, I promise you…"

He turned to the Commander, "At least with Commanders, it takes a few seconds to replace them. But you—"

He looked back at the Captains, lips curling into a cruel, humourless smile,"You won't even know how you were replaced... Understood?"

The smile was the last thing anyone wanted to see.

Everyone gulped in horror, nodding in dread.

Victor smiled, turning his gaze to the crowd.

People flinched, terrified that punishment might fall on them next; however,

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you… You're the ones who have held the Empire together; your hard work and sacrifice have kept this land alive. I know what you've given up, what you've endured, for the sake of our home.

Of course, I could not hurt you…" His voice was gentle, almost warm, and everyone's faces eased, shoulders slumping in relief.

Only then did his words turn cold as stone, "Unless you all force me to do it."

Everyone flinched.

"Remember, just like them, you too have your duty to uphold. Taking care of your family is right—I'm not complaining about that. That's natural. If you truly need that much meat for your children, for your elders, then take it. Provide for your own. But… raising the price, buying more than your need, hoarding for profit? The fu—" He caught himself, sighed deeply, and shook his head.

"Just be responsible, okay?"

They nodded meekly.

Victor glanced around the crowd one last time. Then, his foot flared with purple sparks as he slowly lifted from the ground.

His voice echoed above them,

"Next time, be responsible for everyone. Believe in your Dragon Emperor—there is no need to worry about the future. Leave that burden to me."

With that, Victor ascended into the sky, a violet trail lighting the air as he disappeared above the market.

Only then did everyone gasp and sigh in relief,

"Sigh… I thought I was a goner there," someone muttered, clutching their chest.

"Haha… M-Me too," another replied, still trembling.

"Dragon Emperor was really angry… Maybe we shouldn't have bought so much after all."

"Yeah… I only bought so much because everyone else was doing it. I was afraid there'd be nothing left if I waited."

"Hmm… I bet a lot of us wasted resources, hoarded what others needed…"

The murmurs of regret and realisation grew as the people recognised their mistake.

The Captains, dust still clinging to their uniforms, snorted at the crowd that nearly wrote their own death warrants.

Without a word, they moved toward the market stalls, listing the details of the price range and noting every deduction and increase.

Meanwhile, Victor soared over other parts of the Empire, his gaze sweeping through alleys and markets, ensuring that prices were not inflated by fear or greed.

As he suspected, the pattern repeated itself... demand rising, prices climbing, the wealthy and anxious buying far more than necessary.

Victor dealt with the offenders alongside his Captains and Commander... Even a General arrived to assess the situation, bowing to Victor's authority.

It took time... a long time.

By the end, the sky turned deep dark, and shadows stretched across the city.

Victor finally returned to the palace. He rubbed his shoulder, muttering under his breath,"Why is dealing with people more of a pain in the ass than fighting monsters?"

His face twisted in bemusement as he wandered the quiet corridor.

Whenever he dealt with people, it felt more draining than facing beasts or enemies on the battlefield.

You had to measure every word, scold them enough to teach a lesson—but not so much as to break them. Too harsh and you sow fear, too soft and you invite rebellion.

Victor scratched his head, sighing again.

In truth, he could have simply summoned the Generals, issued orders, and avoided all this chaos.

That approach would have been quicker, cleaner... .But sometimes, the Empire needed more than orders... they needed the Emperor's shadow to remind them of their place.

Honestly, he could have handled everything in the simplest, most efficient way possible. However… the true reason Victor went himself, in person, was because he hadn't seen his people since everything had changed.

His people were worried, anxious, maybe even fearful—and perhaps that was why he chose to appear before them alone, showing up not as a distant ruler, but as a presence in their lives.

His appearance, his words, both unsettled and reassured them. They flinched at his authority, but at the same time, it reminded them that their Emperor was still here.

That meant they didn't need to worry about the future; if the Dragon Emperor stood watchful, then perhaps all was not lost.

That was what Victor needed to remind them:

He would bear the weight, so they could breathe without fear.

So… it took some time, but he was perfectly fine with that.

When he finally arrived at the dining hall, Victor found Emberlyn sprawled across the table, asleep, her cheek pressed against her arm. All around her, the long tables were lined with dishes, each one covered and waiting beneath silver lids.

Victor's face softened as he took the mask.

"Mother-in-law?" he called gently.

Emberlyn startled awake, blinking blearily, her eyes wide and unfocused like a startled frog. She looked up and saw Aether standing in the doorway, watching her with a warm, patient smile.