Chapter 53

It explained their low levels—they were latecomers who had chosen to rise above the herd mentality.

But as always, they were the exception.

Most settlers had relied on sheer numbers to pressure the pioneers into submission.

“The worst part? It worked. Blocking access to the shop meant we couldn’t level up or buy supplies. Eventually, we had to offer mana stones just to get them to move.”

And once the pioneers started yielding, the settlers only grew bolder.

They began demanding all of the mana stones, not just a share.

The pioneers’ anger reached a boiling point—one small spark, and everything would have exploded.

And that’s when the election for leadership began.

In the beginning, the settlers were confident about the leadership vote.

After all, they were the majority. A simple majority vote would let them elect a representative from among their own.

But then the pioneers introduced the restrictions—and all that confidence evaporated in an instant.

“The leader must be at least level 5.”

“W-wait! That means only pioneers can become leaders?”

“That’s correct.”

“That’s ridiculous! It’s completely unfair!”

“We were never concerned with fairness in the first place.”

The settlers erupted in outrage, but Aaron’s dismissive snort was all the response they got.

Realizing that their protests were useless, the settlers quickly regrouped and began strategizing.

Their best option was clear: someone from their ranks would have to level up immediately.

But that was easier said than done.

“You want us to hunt? Outside the safe zone?”

“Who? Just say the word, we’ll help you!”

The pioneers, still seething from everything they had endured, were eager to pounce on anyone foolish enough to try.

No settler was naïve enough not to understand what would happen the moment they stepped outside the safety zone—certain death.

Their second option was to delay the election altogether and refuse to vote.

But that, too, was futile. Once the safe zone disappeared, they’d be completely defenseless.

In the end, the settlers settled on their third and most desperate plan.

“Give the role to the easiest one to control!”

They picked someone who had reached level 5 but held little influence among the pioneers, someone distanced from the stronger factions—someone timid enough not to resist or turn violent.

That person was David.

“Wait, are you telling me that guy actually became your leader?” Justin asked, incredulous.

“Not for long,” Rachel replied. “He won the vote, but he handed the position over almost immediately.”

In a way, the settlers’ gamble had worked—partially.

David, too afraid to wield any real power, worried constantly about angering the other pioneers. He couldn’t risk becoming the target of their resentment.

So, faced with the pressure of responsibility, he made the simplest and most cowardly choice.

“C-can the leadership role be transferred to someone else?” he had asked.

“Yes, you can transfer it anytime you wish,” Aaron confirmed.

“Then I’ll do it now! That guy is the new leader!”

And just like that, he handed over his authority to the leader of the largest pioneer faction.

Unfortunately for the settlers, that faction harbored the deepest grudges against them.

The settlers froze in horror as the new leader’s first act was to deactivate the safe zone’s violence protection.

In the now unprotected safe zone, the new leader’s command echoed ominously.

“Wipe them out.”

What followed could only be described as hell.

By the time their stories were finished, both Justin and Rachel sat in silence.

The reason they had opened up about their respective safe zones’ inner workings was clear—they were testing the possibility of relocating, of switching sides.

Neither of them was fully satisfied with their current circumstances.

‘But it’s not going to be that simple.’

It wasn’t just his thoughts.

From the look on her face, it was clear that Rachel could already sense the problems lurking in his zone.

The settlers in his territory hadn’t yet crossed any dangerous lines, but the potential was there. Without experiencing true retaliation from the pioneers, they had little reason to fear pushing their luck.

For someone like Rachel, who had been burned by settlers before, this would always be an unsettling environment.

‘And I feel the same way. My safe zone isn’t perfect, but hers? That’s a complete disaster.’

In contrast, the pioneers in her territory had gone too far, crushing the settlers beneath their heels.

Even among the pioneers, some had begun feeling uncomfortable about the brutality—but speaking out was dangerous. Anyone who suggested stopping the violence risked becoming a public enemy.

Tensions had even begun rising within the pioneers themselves, splitting factions apart.

‘One side has settlers defying pioneers, while the other’s pioneers are on the verge of civil war… Neither option sounds appealing.’

It was a difficult choice. Jumping from one broken system to another could solve nothing.

“In any case, thank you for today. If you hadn’t helped, we’d all be dead right now.” Rachel’s voice was gentle, but there was exhaustion behind her gratitude.

“We’ve got to help each other in this world. There aren’t many familiar faces left.”

While exchanging formal pleasantries, Justin’s mind was already working fast.

It seemed like a waste to end things here. After all, he had finally made contact with another territory—and other pioneers.

He decided to take a gamble.

“Why don’t we help with your hunting for a while? Honestly, I’m getting bored of wiping out gnolls.”

“…!”

Her eyes widened at first but quickly softened into a bright smile.

“Really? That would be amazing!”

“Then meet me here tomorrow at noon. Actually, since gnolls are dangerous, maybe I should come to you instead?”

“There’s an entrance to the forest near here. I’ll show you the way to our safe zone.”

Their conversation seemed cheerful, but beneath the friendly exchange was a silent agreement—they needed time to plan their next moves carefully.

Anyone watching would have thought they were simply exchanging kindness between allies.

But as they parted ways, the friendly smiles vanished.

‘I’ll need to reassess the atmosphere back in my own zone.’

This meeting had introduced new variables and new options.

Before making any decisions, he needed to understand the current state of his safe zone.

That thought lingered as he returned to base, only for someone to approach him almost immediately.

“…Justin, have you ever considered becoming the leader?”

A tired-looking Zachary stood before him, the weight of the position heavy in his voice.