I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 161

It takes three days by airship to travel from Crossroads to the imperial capital, New Terra. It would take less than a day if only counting flight time, but they have to land periodically to check the airship and recharge the magic engine.

I had to spend most of those three days sitting in my seat. The officers attended to me like servants, so there was nothing uncomfortable, but by this point, my back was starting to ache.

“Haa… when are we going to arrive?”

The tension was only at the beginning, and now I was eager to arrive as soon as possible and clash with the higher-ups of the imperial capital. Just let me off already!

How long had I been killing time meaninglessly?

The airship’s altitude seemed to lower, and then a panoramic view of a huge city began to appear beyond the window.

“Oh!”

I exclaimed softly and pressed myself against the window.

Finally, I could see it.

The center of this world. The largest city in the world.

New Terra, the capital of the Everblack Empire, was revealing itself with overwhelming majesty.

***

New Terra.

This is a port city that touches the continental inland sea. It is the center of global trade and logistics, and the size of the ever-expanding city is already comparable to the territory of a small country.

‘I’m sure it’s dozens, no, hundreds of times larger than Crossroads.’

Of course, it was a city that I never saw in the game. The game’s stage was strictly limited to Crossroads.

Even from a distance in the sky, the city was exceptionally beautiful.

The turquoise seawater washed up and broke on the city’s harbor along the inland sea. Clear sunlight shone on the scattered water droplets, causing them to scatter like tiny jewels.

Fishing boats and merchant ships bustled in and out of the harbor, and cargo carts were constantly carrying goods from the harbor into the city.

Neatly arranged roads stretched out in all directions of the city, and countless people were moving along the roads.

‘I thought the capital would be pitch black since the country’s name is Everblack.’

It wasn’t. On the contrary, it was a white and dazzlingly bright city.

However.

“……!”

The imperial palace, located in the very center of the city, was black, befitting the name of the country. The sight of the palace, with its black spires lined up as if absorbing light, caught my eye.

The airship I was on was flying towards that imperial palace. I quietly muttered the palace’s nickname.

“Thorn Palace……”

Other airships guarding the skies of the imperial capital slowly cleared the way. The imperial special mission ship Alcatraz, which I was on, and its two escort ships slowly reduced their speed and landed towards the imperial palace.

***

Thump…!

The hatch opened, and I slowly pulled myself out of the airship.

“Huuuuh~!”

The air of the imperial capital that I smelled for the first time was warm. Come to think of it, summer is getting closer. It’s natural for the weather to be this mild.

An old man dressed in a neat butler’s uniform was waiting at the airship landing of the imperial palace.

The old man bowed politely as I approached.

“Welcome, Your Highness the Prince. I have been waiting.”

“Oh, well……”

“I am Alberto, the chief chamberlain of the imperial palace. It has been a while.”

Alberto.

One of the people Lukas had told me about. He was said to be a meticulous old man who manages the affairs of the imperial palace. He had been doing this job since before I was born.

‘Oh, I have to greet him… How would Ash have done it originally….’

After hesitating for a moment, I eventually decided to just go for it.

“Yo~! Old man! It’s been a long time! Are you still working at your age? Don’t strain your joints and retire already~!”

“……”

Silence fell.

Alberto, as well as the other servants who were waiting with him, were shocked and looked at me.

I froze with my arm raised, sweating cold.

Was that too much? Is it not okay to be this rude? Should I have been a more polite piece of trash?!

“Y-Your Highness……”

But it wasn’t.

“After suffering in a distant land, you have become very mature… To receive such a mild greeting from Your Highness…”

“U-uh…?”

“Seeing Your Highness in such a mature state, this humble Alberto is simply moved.”

Alberto took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away tears. What is he talking about?!

‘No, how the hell did that bastard Kim Ash usually greet people? I acted like this and they’re saying I’m mature and mild?’

There seems to be an unbridgeable gap between Ash, who was a natural-born rascal, and me, a fake rascal. Is this the difference in talent…?

“Come this way, Your Highness! Since you have returned home after a long time, I will guide you myself.”

Anyway, having unintentionally shown a polite(?) side, I was guided inside the imperial palace amidst Alberto’s warm welcome.

Alberto guided me to a detached palace located on the outskirts of the imperial palace. It was quite a distance from the main palace, so it took a while to get there.

Alberto, who was carrying my luggage and walking ahead, opened the main gate of the detached palace.

As I entered the detached palace building, I couldn’t help but let out an exclamation.

“Wow, is this my house?!”

Then, Alberto turned pale and bowed his head sharply.

“I apologize, Your Highness. Upon hearing the news of your arrival, we worked hard to clean and put up new decorations, but it seems we have failed to meet Your Highness’s high aesthetic standards……”

No, what is he talking about! It’s so fancy! I was purely impressed! Don’t twist my words!

Anyway, the detached palace was magnificent.

The lord’s mansion in Crossroads was already too big for me, a small-time citizen from Earth, but this place seemed three times larger and ten times more luxurious than that lord’s mansion.

I groaned as I looked at the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and the jewel decorations on the walls.

Just selling this detached palace would cover several months of military funds for Crossroads!

“Then, please rest comfortably. I will prepare dinner soon.”

“Wait a minute, Alberto.”

I quickly stopped the old butler who was about to turn away. Alberto looked back, puzzled.

“Yes, Your Highness. Is there anything you require?”

“It’s not that… Did Father or my brother say anything? Like when they would see me…?”

“Yes. There were no special instructions. His Majesty and the other princes are always busy, and especially these days, they seem to be even busier preparing for a big event.”

A big event? What’s that?

“Perhaps you will receive word soon? Please wait and see.”

“Hmm… I will. Thanks for letting me know, Alberto.”

I greeted him without thinking, and Alberto looked at me with a shocked expression. Realizing my mistake, I yelled.

“Okay, get lost and bring me food!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Only then did Alberto bow again with a relieved face before leaving.

Amazing, Kim Ash! He even trained(?) this old man like this!

I shrugged my shoulders and entered the detached palace. Forget it, let’s take a look at my house.

Whenever I encountered servants who were cleaning or doing their own work inside, they would flinch, step back, or even scream and run away(…), but such unfortunate events happened continuously.

I decided not to pay much attention to it. It’s all Ash’s achievements, so what can I do?

I looked into every room in the detached palace one by one.

I felt the need to understand the structure since this was where I would be staying while in the imperial capital.

‘I was worried they might throw me in jail as soon as I arrived, but they didn’t.’

Considering they brought me here with a grim atmosphere, they are treating me properly.

Even if I’m rotten, I’m still a royal, I guess? It was the first time I was grateful for Ash’s background.

After passing through the kitchen, the wine cellar, the liquor storage, the dressing room full of luxurious silk clothes, a large bath, and a small library.

I entered a room with a luxurious bed. It seemed to be the bedroom.

‘The bed… is incredibly big….’

When I lightly sat on the edge, the entire bed swayed as if it were filled with water.

I quickly got up, startled. Geez, what’s with these royals’ tastes!

Inside the bedroom, there was a small desk, and on it were many portraits in frames. Most of them were portraits of Ash. I guess they drew a lot since he’s a royal.

One of the frames was upside down, so I picked it up and placed it right without much thought.

‘Hmm?’

Inside that frame was a portrait of Ash as a child being held in a woman’s arms. The woman’s face was quite similar to Ash’s. Perhaps she was Ash’s mother?

‘I heard that Ash’s mother had already passed away.’

Lukas had avoided mentioning any more details. I figured there must be some deep, unspoken reason….

“……”

Even though she wasn’t my real mother, I felt strangely emotional as I looked at the portrait.

I carefully placed the portrait back upside down on the desk.

***

Dining room. Dinner time.

Alberto personally served the meal and almost spoon-fed me like a child. Is this how royals normally eat? Or is Ash a special case?

Anyway, I couldn’t keep doing this for my entire stay in the imperial capital, so I said I would eat on my own. Alberto was moved and wiped away tears with his handkerchief.

“To see Your Highness so grown up… You are truly admirable. This humble Alberto is glad to have lived until today……”

No, even if I’m a child prince! If I’m this old, I should be able to eat by myself! Why are you so moved by something so obvious! I’m all grown up, so stop with the second and third acts!

The meal was delicious. My chef in Crossroads was also quite skilled, but the imperial chef’s skills were on another level. Mmm, yummy~.

And while eating, I was able to talk to Alberto about various things, and I heard an unexpected story.

“A victory celebration party…?!”

“Yes. It is an event to commemorate the end of the war with the Bringer Principality.”

Alberto looked at me with a slightly puzzled expression.

“Isn’t that why Your Highness returned as well…?”

No, I didn’t know. I didn’t know at all. I was just dragged here against my will.

The big event that the imperial family was preparing was none other than a victory celebration party for the war with the Bringer Principality.

The official reason I was summoned to the imperial capital was also to attend this party.

I was dumbfounded and rubbed my chin with my hand.

The war isn’t even over yet, is it? They haven’t caught the Duke, and there are still sporadic guerrilla attacks. And yet, they’re having a victory celebration party?

‘In short, it’s like this.’

There must be a reason to declare the war over externally. They also need to calm the uneasy atmosphere caused by the war with a long-time ally.

So, they were advertising everywhere and preparing for the event, but then I suddenly contacted them and declared that I would support the Bringer Principality, causing a trolling incident.

From the perspective of the second prince, Fernandez, the Minister of Administration, he urgently needed to calm me down and send reinforcements at the same time, and he brought me here to prevent me from doing anything else until the event was over.

‘Now I see how things are going….’

Muttering, I gestured to Alberto with my chin.

“So, when is the party?”

“It is in a week. The schedule was set to coincide with the date of the First Prince Larc’s return.”

The First Prince Larc ‘Avalanche’ Everblack.

He is the commander-in-chief of the empire’s military power, the commander of the western front, and the undefeated knight who led the operation to destroy the Bringer Principality.

‘So, I’ll be seeing the First Prince this time too.’

Unexpectedly, it seems like all the members of the imperial family will be gathering for a roundtable discussion.

I swallowed hard, feeling that the situation was getting bigger than I had expected.

I didn’t intend to go this far. If possible, I wanted to see only the Second Prince Fernandez and go back.

‘Well, let’s think positively.’

If many people gather, the number of people who will send support to the southern front will also increase. Whether it’s money, soldiers, or heroes, Crossroads is always in desperate need of support.

‘But a party….’

I held the teacup that Alberto had brought and savored the aroma, thinking to myself.

‘I don’t know anything about party manners, am I going to be okay…?!’

Well, what can I do? If necessary, I’ll just have to rely on Ash’s craziness and break through!