I Became The Tyrant Of A Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 168

Same time.

Southern part of the continent. The monster front. Fortress city of Crossroads.

West side of the city. The cemetery.

‘……’

Among the countless tombstones neatly lined up, an officer in the Imperial military uniform stood before one grave.

The general of the Imperial Magic Corps and the commander of the support forces dispatched by the Imperial Family.

It was ‘Cold Wind’ Reina.

With the Imperial coat fluttering in the light breeze, Reina looked down at the tombstone in front of her.

The tombstone read:

‘……’

Crush.

The cigarette case in Reina’s hand crumpled.

The last time she saw him was already 15 years ago.

A comrade who was once so close that they could have given their lives for each other was now buried under the cold ground.

‘I didn’t think you’d die in a place like this.’

Reina raised her head and looked around.

‘It’s the south, just like you wanted, but…’

On the desolate plain, only a bleak fortress city stood alone.

‘There’s no swimming pool filled with water, no fancy resort.’

Reina clicked her tongue.

‘Did you do that back then… just to die so meaninglessly?’

She asked, but there was no answer.

Reina looked down at Jupiter’s tombstone with a cold gaze.

‘I still can’t understand you.’

Reina tore open a new pack of cigarettes, took out one, put it in her mouth, and placed the rest of the pack in front of the tombstone.

‘I started smoking this disgusting stuff to get closer to you… but you died and quit, and now I’m stuck smoking it alone.’

In Reina’s mind, the 20 years she spent with Jupiter flashed by like a panorama.

Those young and glorious days…

‘……’

Without lighting the cigarette, she stared blankly at the tombstone for a long time.

‘Ah.’

A voice came from the side. Reina turned her head.

A young woman wearing a floppy robe and a pointed hat was approaching. Her left face, with a faint burn scar, was covered by her hair, and she held a few flowers in her arms.

Reina looked at the vase of flowers placed in front of Jupiter’s tombstone.

It seemed to be changed every day, and it seemed this young woman was the one doing it.

‘Is she Jupiter’s granddaughter?’

‘No.’

The young woman – Junior – replied coldly.

‘I’m his daughter.’

‘……’

Reina narrowed her eyes and then chuckled.

‘Right. You’re the survivor from the Kingdom of Camilla that Jupiter took in that day.’

‘……’

‘Do you remember me?’

Reina made a gun shape with her fingers and made a ‘bang’ sound.

Junior looked displeased, but replied in an emotionless voice.

‘Whether I remember you or forget you, what does it matter?’

‘Hmm?’

‘I’ve already forgiven my mother. I don’t have any particular feelings left for you, her superior at the time.’

Junior went to Jupiter’s tombstone, took out the old flowers from the vase, put in new ones, and changed the water.

Reina, who had been quietly observing her, slowly spoke.

‘You’re a mage.’

‘……’

‘And quite talented too.’

Junior tried to ignore her, but flinched at the next words.

‘But you’re dying.’

‘……!’

‘If you don’t stop using magic right now, your remaining life will burn away.’

Junior, having finished arranging the flowers, picked up the old ones and glared at Reina.

‘It’s none of your business.’

‘That’s right. It’s none of my business.’

Reina shrugged.

‘But wouldn’t your mother be sad if you died?’

‘That’s not your problem either.’

‘Haha. Yeah, that’s right. I’m just saying it’s a waste. You seem quite talented.’

Reina slowly walked away from the cemetery, then glanced back.

‘Hey, Jupiter’s daughter.’

‘……?’

‘How did Jupiter… die?’

Junior replied simply.

‘Like a mage.’

‘I see.’

Reina nodded slowly.

‘That’s enough.’

Reina trudged away and soon disappeared.

Junior, who had been glaring at Reina’s back with dissatisfaction, sighed softly and began to clean Jupiter’s grave again.

***

Crossroads downtown.

Alchemist’s workshop.

Standing in front of the firmly closed workshop door, Godhand spoke in a low voice.

‘Lily-nim.’

‘……’

Lily was clearly inside the workshop, but there was no reply.

Godhand did not back down and continued to call out.

‘Lily-nim. I know you’re in there.’

‘……’

‘Won’t you please listen to me just once?’

‘……’

‘Lily-nim……’

After repeatedly calling out to the silent Lily, Godhand let out a long sigh and pressed his forehead against the door.

‘Lily-nim, I am now leaving Crossroads. To carry out the mission entrusted to me by His Highness Prince Ash.’

‘……’

‘It’s quite dangerous, and perhaps… I may not be able to return. This might be my last chance to apologize to you, Lily-nim.’

‘……’

‘Please… give me a chance to offer my apology.’

After a brief silence.

Finally, Lily’s voice was heard from inside the door.

‘Go away, Godhand. I have no intention of talking to you.’

‘Lily-nim!’

‘You’re a liar.’

Lily mumbled in a subdued voice.

‘You were a spy, and you pretended to lose your arm while protecting me. You used my guilt for your own purposes.’

‘……’

‘I was a fool for believing you, even for a moment. That’s just what elves are like.’

A sniffling sound came from inside the door.

‘You always lie… deceive others… betray… that’s what your kind is like.’

‘……’

Godhand hung his head low.

‘I am sorry for hiding my identity as a spy, Lily-nim. I am also truly sorry for exaggerating my injury and deceiving you. But, I swear on my soul, all the conversations we had that night were true.’

‘……’

‘Lily-nim. What I am most sorry for is that I have hurt you again… just when you were finally overcoming your wounds and trying to open your heart to our kind.’

Godhand carefully placed his hand on the door.

‘I’m not asking you to trust us again, or to forgive me. I just… wanted to say I’m sorry.’

‘……’

‘I am truly sorry, Lily-nim.’

To the silent Lily, Godhand took a breath and spoke again.

‘Lily-nim. My unit and I are now leaving for our mission. If I can return safely, I would like to see you then and apologize.’

‘……’

‘Then, I’ll be going.’

Godhand bowed once towards the firmly closed door, then turned and trudged away.

Bodybag and Burnout, who had been waiting for Godhand a little distance away, joined him.

The three elves pulled up their cloak hoods and disappeared towards the north gate of Crossroads.

‘……’

Squeak.

Lily, who had slightly opened the door and was watching Godhand’s back, muttered sullenly.

‘Liar……’

At that moment, the head of the alchemist’s guild, who had been watching Lily’s reaction from inside the workshop, tilted his head and asked.

‘You two seemed to be getting along well when I made the prosthetic arm for you last time, what’s going on now?’

‘A lot of things happened……’

‘Hmm.’

The guild leader shrugged and returned to his work.

‘Well, when two young people meet, all sorts of things happen.’

‘It’s not like that.’

‘Don’t leave any regrets and have fun.’

‘I’m telling you, it’s not like that……’

Now, Godhand’s back was no longer visible.

Slamming the workshop door shut again, Lily grumbled.

‘Hmph, I’ll never trust an elf again……’

***

Mansion of the Lord. Reception room.

‘Ughhhh~’

Evangeline let out a strange groan and lay sprawled on the sofa, wiggling her calves up and down with her knees raised.

Her bare feet, clearly visible, fidgeted restlessly.

Lucas, who was sitting on the opposite sofa, unfolding documents and handling the lord’s duties, frowned at Evangeline.

‘Hey, kid. Why are you dressed like that? Just because the lord isn’t here, you’re letting yourself go?’

‘Leave me alone, mister~ I’m not motivated.’

Evangeline, who seemed tired of fidgeting, just slumped down and grumbled.

‘Since the senior isn’t here, the party members have all found their own things to do and locked themselves away, the regular soldiers are still depressed, and the Twilight Brigade has been officially disbanded.’

‘……’

‘And why are the support troops from the capital so annoying? Did you see them? They walk around the city with their necks stiff, complaining that there’s no theater or fancy restaurant in this rural backwater… ugh.’

Evangeline stuck out her tongue and growled, baring her fangs.

‘I really hate it when city people look down on the frontier. They don’t seem to know that the inland cities can develop safely because we’re out here shoveling in the frontier.’

Lucas chuckled.

‘But weren’t you the one who went to the capital because you hated this backwater?’

‘Well, yeah, I was back then! But I’m the one who gets to complain. The right to complain about a backwater belongs only to the residents of the backwater, you know?’

Lucas was listening to Evangeline’s words with a smile, but he was deeply concerned about the current situation.

There was already an unspoken tension between the support troops dispatched from the capital and the existing Crossroads forces.

However, the commander who could control both sides had gone up to the capital.

Reina seemed to be poking around the city, and the existing party members were annoyed by the support troops…

The tension between the two sides was expected to continue for some time.

‘Sigh.’

Evangeline let out a deep sigh.

‘Since the senior isn’t here, it feels like the whole of Crossroads has stopped.’

‘……’

‘Senior, he’ll come back, right?’

At Evangeline’s sudden words, Lucas glared at her.

‘Of course he’ll come back, what are you talking about?’

‘But it’s true. The senior is a prince, and he’s also said to be very capable.’

Evangeline raised her voice clearly.

‘There’s no reason for him to be out here in the frontier, dealing with monsters and roughing it. I don’t even know why His Majesty sent him down here in the first place.’

‘……’

‘Now that he’s gone up to the capital, isn’t it possible that he might not come back at all?’

Lucas couldn’t easily answer. There were no flaws in Evangeline’s words.

What if Ash didn’t return to Crossroads?

If that were to happen…

‘What would happen to this city… to the monster front?’

Lucas and Evangeline’s eyes met.

Both of their faces were slightly pale. It was probably because they had unconsciously imagined the possibility of Ash not returning.

It was at that moment.

Bang-…….

A faint gunshot rang out in the distance. It was the sound of a magic gun firing.

Both Lucas and Evangeline jumped up from their seats.