Read Novel Full Chapter 440: A Tyrannical Ruler?
Chapter 440: A Tyrannical Ruler?
The Broken Dawn members only shook their heads with pity, because they had seen the battlefield and they knew this man was talking like he had been asleep during the whole war.
While the self made leader kept shouting about order and control, Gabriel merely turned his head and looked at Serpahina beside him without saying a word, and she understood immediately.
Serpahina’s fingers lifted in a small motion before snapping once, and a thin blood rope flashed out so fast most of the people did not even see it clearly, only hearing a wet sound as the man’s head separated clean from his torso and dropped off the crate, rolling across the dirt while his body followed a second later, collapsing forward in a lifeless heap.
For half a second nobody reacted.
Then the onlookers gasped and shifted back in horror, hands flying to mouths, people stumbling away from the body, the square freezing in shock as blood pooled beneath the crate and the lackeys stood there staring like they could not understand what had just happened.
One of them reached for a weapon, another tried to bolt into the crowd, and a third started shouting that it was not fair.
But Gabriel moved before any of them could turn the panic into chaos, stepping in with his sword already in motion, cutting down the first man as he drew his weapon, then turning and driving the blade through the second as he tried to run. The third only managed to lift his hands before Gabriel struck him across the throat.
When two more lackeys lunged forward to defend their dead boss, they did not even get close, because Gabriel was faster and cleaner, taking them apart one after the other until the supply doors were clear; the bodies were on the ground, and the square finally went silent again except for the sound of people breathing.
Gabriel did not look proud after the killing. He only lifted his free hand and pointed at the crates behind the dead men, and his voice stayed calm as he spoke to the people who were still backing away.
"Nobody here is in charge because they can shout the loudest," he said. "Those supplies were for the camp, not for a group of thieves. If you follow the rules, you will eat. If you do your part, you will be treated based on your contribution. If you try to use fear to take from others, you will end up like them."
He looked across the square as people stared at him with fearful eyes.
"The war outside is over," he continued. "Dominic is dead. Henry is dead. The Eastern army surrendered. Broken Dawn is in control now. That does not mean we are here to kill innocent people. It means we are here to stop this place from tearing itself apart and improve your lives. You will go back to your shelters. Healers get priority access to medicine. The wounded get treated first. Anyone who tries to stop that will be dealt with."
People started nodding, some still shaking. Everything had happened so fast that many of them were still trying to process it.
"If you have strength, you help secure the streets," Gabriel said. "If you have skills, you help with the wounded. If you can cook, you cook. If you can carry water, you carry water. If you do nothing, you do not complain when others get fed before you. This camp will run on order."
The message landed, and even the ones who did not like him could see he meant it.
When the crowd finally began to move, Seraphina walked beside him in silence.
When they stepped away from the supply hall she spoke low enough that only he could hear.
"That was too cold. Wouldn’t it be better to draft them into the army or something."
Gabriel answered without changing his face.
"Sometimes that is the best way to rule. If I act soft, more people die later. Killing them was to set an example for the others. The last thing I want is for someone else to start a coup when I am away."
Serpaphina did not argue, realizing that he was right. Sometimes being a tyrannical ruler was the only way to keep order.
She stared at him for a moment, then looked away as the two of them kept moving while Broken Dawn members spread out to restore order behind them.
At that moment, Scarlett approached from the side street with her blank face, and Alice came with her, wearing that bratty look and behind them was the healer Lilly, looking tired, her sleeves stained, her hair messy from the long night.
"Now that the fight is over, we want to return to Stellar City," Scarlett stopped in front of Gabriel and spoke in a neutral tone.
Alice crossed her arms and clicked her tongue. "I hate to admit it, but you did good."
Meanwhile Lilly looked at Gabriel differently than before, careful and quiet, like she had judged him wrong and was trying to correct it without saying too much. She had doubted him for a moment but somehow he proved all her doubts wrong.
Gabriel nodded at all three.
"Thank you. You helped end this war."
Scarlett waved him off like the words did not matter while saying, "It was part of the alliance. Do not turn it into something else."
At that, Gabriel smiled faintly. Truly it was for the alliance, but he was not a jerk enough to ignore what Scarlett had done. She could have easily decided to abandon him, since fighting the Eastern camp at the start was an idea most people would call crazy. Yet she still chose to gamble with him.
Scarlett turned to leave without ceremony, Alice followed with a last glare at Gabriel, and Lilly hesitated for a second, then went with them toward the gates.
Gabriel watched them go for a moment, then turned back toward the camp center where Sophie’s orders were still being carried out, and the noise of unrest was being replaced by the noise of work, people dragging the wounded and sorting supplies.
Gabriel was about to move again when Anna finally returned after being away for a couple of minutes.
"Master," she said, stopping in front of him, "all the bodies are ready."