I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 160

“You knew from the beginning, didn’t you, Lukas? That I’m not Ash, but someone else?”

“……”

After a long silence, Lukas, his face stiff, slowly replied.

“I don’t know what you mean, my lord. You are Ash ‘Bonehater’ Everblack, the third prince of the Everblack Empire.”

“Don’t play dumb, you rascal.”

I sighed and crossed my arms.

“You know. That I’m a completely different person from the Ash you’ve served your whole life.”

Lukas has been Ash’s exclusive bodyguard since he was very young.

And suddenly, I possessed Ash’s body.

Without a doubt, everything from his behavior to his way of speaking, even the smallest gestures, would have changed completely.

But Lukas didn’t question me and continued to stay by my side.

I also didn’t say anything because Lukas showed me absolute loyalty.

We had an unspoken agreement that there was no need to break our current relationship.

But now, I’m leaving for the capital.

Without properly knowing Ash’s family relations, or even what kind of person the original Ash was.

This won’t do.

The people in the capital will surely find fault with me.

So, I just told Lukas directly and honestly. To ask about the original Ash’s personality and his relationships in the capital.

But even so,

“No, my lord. You are definitely the Ash I have served my entire life.”

Lukas kept saying such things.

I widened my eyes. Why is this guy still playing dumb? I thought we both knew everything?

And there was a reason why Lukas was saying this.

“You told me in advance that day.”

“What?”

What day? What did I say in advance?

“The night of the second day after we were surrounded by the black spiders at the forward base. You called me and said this.”

It was on the third day after being surrounded by the black spider army that I possessed this body.

The night before that, the day before I possessed this body…

Ash said this to Lukas.

“‘Hey, bodyguard. Starting tomorrow, I’m going to act like a completely different person.'”

“……!”

“‘But even if that happens, no matter what I look like or how I act, it’s still me. I’m definitely the Ash you’ve served your whole life.'”

Lukas recited Ash’s words clearly, looking at me with unwavering eyes.

“‘Don’t doubt me and continue to assist me as you have been. I ask you.’… You said.”

“……”

“At the time, I didn’t understand what you meant, but from the next day, your actions changed drastically. As if you had become a different person.”

Lukas smiled faintly and bowed his head slightly to me.

“But because you had told me in advance, my loyalty to you did not waver.”

I was so surprised by the unexpected truth that my whole body stiffened.

So, Ash… he knew that I would possess his body?

‘How did he know that? And even knowing, he quietly gave up his body? Why?’

Maybe Ash wasn’t just a mad prince suffering from mania?

Lukas cautiously called me as I was lost in thought.

“My lord?”

“Ah, uh, yes.”

I swallowed hard.

There’s no way he’d understand if I told him now that I’m a gamer from another world.

Let’s just accept the toss that Ash threw me.

“Yes, it’s as I said back then. From that day on, I lost all my memories. I’ve just been acting like a prince to fit the situation.”

Fortunately, Lukas immediately understood.

“I thought so. There were many times when you didn’t know common things. I had a hunch that might be the case…”

“Haha. You’ve been subtly explaining things to me, so I’ve been able to get by.”

“Then, how did you suddenly become so knowledgeable about monsters and dungeons…?”

“Hmm. That’s…”

I made up another excuse.

“Instead of losing all my other memories, I instinctively became good at knowing how to defeat monsters. Maybe the me before I lost my memories used some special method…?”

“……”

Even as I said it, I thought it was nonsense, but Lukas nodded seriously, understanding.

Just how much does this guy trust me?

“Ahem! Anyway, Lukas. I want to ask for your help.”

I need to know about my relationships in the capital and my original habits.

Lukas readily nodded when I asked if he could tell me these things.

“Understood. Then I will tell you right away. There isn’t much time left until your departure, so we must hurry.”

Thus began Lukas’s ‘Original Ash’s Personality & Relationships Special Lecture’.

***

Fortunately or unfortunately, Ash’s personality was eccentric itself… His emotional range was so wide that he could be considered a different person depending on his mood that day.

Some days he was kind and gentle like a saint, and other days he was as crazy as a mad dog.

Thanks to that, no matter what my personality is now, it doesn’t seem like I’ll be suspected of being someone else.

“If you just maintain a moderately… arrogant? attitude, everyone will not suspect you much.”

“Okay. But what does ‘arrogant’ mean?”

“Well, um… my lord. Could you tilt your chin back for a moment?”

Lukas carefully grabbed my chin and raised the angle slightly.

My head was tilted back, and I was looking down at Lukas.

“Yes! That’s the angle! The former lord always maintained this angle of his face. No matter who the other person is, you just need to maintain your gaze as if you’re looking down on a subordinate!”

“……”

No, the weight is really on the back of my neck. Ash always walked around with this angle of his face?

I looked at the mirror next to me.

Just by slightly changing the angle of my face, I could see Kim Ash’s face, which seemed to be looking down on others.

He looked at everyone like this? This guy is crazy, isn’t he?

“He must not have worried about getting a turtle neck…”

I returned my neck to its original position and cracked it. To stay in this position all the time, it’s a bit harsh for me.

“Next are the people you will encounter in the capital this time, among whom you should be careful… the difficult ones.”

Lukas hesitated.

“It seems impossible to explain your complicated family history within the remaining time.”

How complicated can it be? Come to think of it, I think he said the same thing before.

“I will tell you about the main figures of the capital and what kind of relationship you had with each of them.”

Again, fortunately or unfortunately, Ash’s basic position is that of a troublemaker in the imperial family.

He seems to be a reckless, uncontrollable person that the imperial family has given up on.

So, the higher-ups didn’t pay much attention to him. Or rather, they didn’t want to pay attention to him.

“His Majesty the Emperor sometimes had private meetings with you.”

After explaining my relationship with the main figures of the capital, it was time to explain my relationship with the Emperor.

Lukas carefully chose his words.

“I couldn’t follow you at that time, so I don’t know exactly what kind of relationship you had. However.”

“However?”

“You were always afraid. When you were called to see His Majesty the Emperor, and even after you came back…”

“Hmm.”

Even Ash, the most reckless and unruly person, was afraid of the Emperor. How scary of a person is he?

“I think that’s about it… Ah, right!”

Lukas clapped his hands as if he had suddenly remembered something.

“There is one more very important person.”

“Huh? Who is it?”

“Um… I won’t tell you about this person. Even if you know in advance, you will still be helpless.”

“……?”

Lukas, who had been serious all day, had a wry smile on his face.

“You’ll understand when you meet them. Why I said this.”

“What is it, who is it?”

“Sometimes there are natural disasters that cannot be prepared for. That person is like that.”

“What, a natural disaster? That’s scary! Don’t do that, tell me! Or at least give me a hint!”

“Ahem! Then, just know this. In the capital…”

Lukas, with a pale face, turned his gaze to the side and muttered softly.

“…You have a fiancée.”

My mouth dropped open. What?

Wait, wait, wait, a fi…

“Fiancée?!”

Oh…

Oh yeahhhhhh?!

***

After receiving intensive tutoring all night, it was bright daylight, and it was almost noon.

I was listening to the lecture until the very last minute, and then it was time to leave, so I packed my things.

Since it was a prince returning to the imperial family, there was no need to pack many things, so I only packed what I needed for work in the capital.

When I came out to the entrance of the lord’s mansion, all of my party members were waiting. I chuckled.

“What’s with the send-off…”

But they all followed with serious faces, so I let them be. I’m happy if they see me off.

As I headed towards the south wall with my party members behind me, I saw my soldiers lined up on the wall without any gaps.

“Well, well.”

These guys are doing things they weren’t even asked to do to get on my good side.

I smiled quietly and passed through the gate, and the soldiers on the wall all saluted at once.

“Have a safe trip, Your Highness!”

Leaving behind the resounding greetings of over a thousand soldiers, I went to the front of the airship.

All three airships had their engines running, and Reina was waiting for me in front of the hatch of the Imperial Special Forces ship, the Alcatraz.

Behind Reina stood four officers and 50 soldiers. They were the support forces that would remain here in Crossroads.

When I approached, Reina smiled.

“Are you all ready, Your Highness?”

“Well, mostly.”

I gestured to Lukas, who was standing next to me.

“While I’m away, Sir Lukas McGregor will be the acting commander of the Southern Front.”

Reina and Lukas’s eyes met. Sparks flew between the knight and the mage for a moment.

I said sternly.

“I expect full cooperation as support forces, Sir Reina.”

“Of course, Your Highness. I will cooperate faithfully.”

“I look forward to it. Oh, and.”

I whispered to Reina.

“If you do anything stupid, I’ll kill you, so don’t mess around and just focus on catching monsters.”

“……”

“Sir Reina, you need to answer.”

Reina bowed her head deeply.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Reina extended her hand towards the open hatch of the Alcatraz.

“Please board. We will escort you safely to the capital.”

I turned around.

“I’ll be back.”

I grinned, showing my teeth to my party members who were looking at me with a mixture of trust and concern.

“I’ll buy you something delicious!”

I waved my hand and boarded the Alcatraz.

The hatch slowly closed, and an officer who looked like a knight politely guided me.

“This way, Your Highness.”

The interior of the airship, befitting an imperial flagship, was lavishly decorated, and there was a seat reserved for the imperial family.

I’ve never even been in a premium seat on a plane on Earth, but I’m living in luxury here.

As I sat down, the officer fastened my seatbelt himself.

Immediately after, I felt a floating sensation as my body rose, and with a loud engine sound, the airship took off into the sky.

Through the window next to my seat, I could see my party members and soldiers. They were saluting me until the very end.

‘I’ll be back soon.’

At the same time as I thought that, the airship accelerated, and everyone’s figures quickly disappeared.

I was leaving Crossroads, the city where I had always stayed since I fell into this world, for the first time. I clenched my fist tightly.

To be honest, I was a little nervous.

Going to the capital, meeting the Emperor, negotiating with my brother, recruiting key figures.

And…

‘Fiancée?!!’

……

The airship was flying across the sky, heading north at a terrifying speed.

***

[STAGE 6 – CLEAR!]

[STAGE MVP – Reina (SSR)]

[Level Up Characters]

– None

[Deceased and Injured Characters]

– None

[Acquired Items]

– Wyvern Legion Magic Stones: 274

– Trishula Magic Core (SR): 3

[Stage clear rewards have been distributed. Please check your inventory.]

– N-Rank Reward Box: 3

– R-Rank Reward Box: 3

>> Get Ready For The Next STAGE

>> [STAGE 7: The Prodigal Son Returns]