I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 205

The bustling central square was in the midst of a victory feast.

…Right next to it, in the cafeteria.

Three women gathered in this place, which was open late to celebrate the victory.

A red-haired mage in a wheelchair. A saintess squeezed into her priest’s robes. And a young, fox-like mage wearing a pointy hat pulled low over her eyes.

It was Lily, Margherita, and Junior. The three of them sat huddled together at a table.

“Alright, let’s begin the second meeting of the ‘Crossroad Female Hero Mercenary Rights Protection Committee,’ or ‘CFHMRPC’ for short,” Lily announced in a solemn voice.

Junior, who was joining this gathering for the first time, frowned.

“Um, Senior Lily. Could we maybe change that abbreviation…?”

CFHMRPC? What is that? It sounds like a dragon roaring, not a committee.

“…Please understand, Junior. This name was given by the chairwoman, Lady Evangeline. As the vice-chairwoman, I don’t have the authority to change it.”

Lily sighed quietly and looked towards Margherita.

“Chairwoman Lady Evangeline is currently in the temple due to her injuries.”

Margherita, who had just come from treating patients at the temple, nodded with dark circles under her eyes.

“She has minor injuries, but it’s best for her to rest today. She asked me to tell you that she’s sorry she couldn’t join Junior’s initiation… I mean, welcome party.”

“Did you just say initiation, Saintess?! You definitely did!”

“Ah, no, it’s a welcome party, a welcome party.”

Margherita desperately avoided eye contact, sweating profusely, while Junior’s eyes twitched.

“So, I was invited to come, but… what exactly is this gathering for?”

Lily picked up the cafeteria menu and replied,

“It’s as the name suggests. For the rights of the female heroes and mercenaries of this Crossroad, we’re gathering together to…”

“Gather together?”

“…Chat, drink, and get along with each other.”

It’s just a social gathering…

Junior slumped into her chair, feeling drained. When she first heard the name, she thought it was something important, but it seems not.

“Well, it’s good to have a gathering like this, right?” Lily said with a smile, raising her hand.

The cafeteria owner quickly came over, and Lily ordered a bottle of wine and some simple snacks.

“We need to get along, even if it’s just us, in this desolate monster front. Lady Evangeline came up with a great idea. Oh, and she’s paying for all the meeting expenses.”

Junior’s eyes changed at that. Indeed, if that’s the case…!

Soon, the drinks and snacks were set on the table. The three women awkwardly toasted, filling their glasses.

“So, then…”

“To celebrate today’s victory?”

“A, a toast?”

Even the sound of the glasses clinking was awkward.

Lily savored the wine, Margherita downed it in one shot, and Junior took a small sip before frowning and putting her glass down.

Their drinking styles were different, but the alcohol quickly loosened the atmosphere.

The three women soon began chatting and laughing.

“Come to think of it, all the members of our CFHMRPC are single, aren’t they?”

Around the time a new bottle of wine and snacks arrived, Lily changed the topic to romance.

“Saintess, you’re so beautiful, why don’t you have a lover?”

Although she was covered up in her priest’s robes, Margherita was a striking beauty.

Though the dark circles under her eyes were getting darker these days…

Margherita took a gulp of wine and shook her head with a hollow look.

“I have vowed to dedicate this life to the Goddess. I have no interest in dating or marriage.”

“Ah~ Priests are all like that. No fun.”

Lily grumbled and turned her attention to Junior.

“What about you, Junior?”

“I’m too busy with magic training and taking care of my siblings. Besides, as you can see, my face is like this. I’ve never thought about dating.”

Junior had a clear burn scar on the left side of her face. She smiled bitterly and continued,

“And… I don’t think I’ll live much longer.”

“Ah…”

“So, I’m going to date myself. I’ll date magic. That’s more my style.”

Junior laughed cheerfully, lightening the heavy mood. Lily and Margherita agreed.

“Yeah, what good are men! I’m dating myself!”

“Let’s live as cool career women!”

The three women made noises like ‘Yay~!’ and were about to toast again when,

“Well, you never know what might happen in life.”

A cold voice suddenly cut in.

“A pretty girl might suddenly fall into your arms, saying she likes you.”

The three women were shocked and looked over to see Reina, an officer in the Imperial Army, standing there with a cigarette in her mouth. She had come in at some point.

Reina smiled, broke off the cigarette, and gestured to Junior.

“Even if you think you’re going to die here, you might end up living much longer. You never know what might happen in life.”

Junior frowned.

“What are you doing here, Officer Reina? I didn’t hear you were coming today?”

“How cold. I heard this is the ‘Crossroad Female Hero and Mercenary’ Rights Committee?”

Reina casually pulled out a chair and joined the table.

“I’m also a temporary support soldier, but aren’t we comrades fighting together on the walls of Crossroad? Then I have enough right to join.”

Reina stretched out her arm and put it around Margherita’s shoulder.

“Isn’t that right, Saintess?”

“Hee, hee hee!”

“Hey. Am I going to eat you? I’ll be sad if you’re so scared.”

But Margherita, who had been directly targeted for assassination by Reina, was terrified, even tearing up.

Junior growled fiercely at Reina, who was clicking her tongue.

“Don’t ruin the good atmosphere and get out of here, Officer Reina? We have no intention of getting involved with you.”

“That’s too much. Didn’t we work well together in today’s battle?”

Reina poured herself a new drink into an empty wine glass and took a sip.

“Alright, then I’ll just take care of my business and disappear… Hey, Jupiter’s daughter.”

“My name is not Jupiter’s daughter, it’s Jupiter Junior.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“…”

Come to think of it, it is.

Reina smiled at Junior, who was speechless.

“The magic you used today was amazing. I never thought you’d think of subtracting the magic formula with Yin instead of stacking it with Yang. The old men of the Ivory Tower [a prestigious magic academy] would have fainted. It was genius. A paradigm shift that could change the future of modern magic.”

Junior snorted and glared.

“I just imitated the magic of those vampires.”

“It’s amazing that you brought it into the human magic formula and established it. Your name will go down in history.”

“So, what is it? Did you come to praise me? Thank you very much. Now, will you please leave?”

Reina smiled at the prickly Junior and suddenly blurted out,

“Your short lifespan.”

“…?”

“There’s a way to extend it.”

Junior’s eyes widened.

“Wha, what… did you say?”

“It’s unacceptable for someone with your talent to have such a short life, as someone involved in magic. So, I’m making you an offer.”

Clunk!

Reina put down her half-empty glass and pushed back her chair.

“If you’re interested, come find me separately. I’m using the main barracks with my subordinates.”

“…”

“I’ll be waiting. Well then, sorry for the interruption. Have a good time, young ladies.”

Reina casually walked out of the cafeteria, then turned back with an ‘Ah!’

“And! Date while you can. Got it?”

Then she left the store and disappeared.

The tense atmosphere instantly relaxed.

Lily let out a long sigh, and Margherita slid down the back of her chair.

“That person is so uncomfortable… scary…”

“Me too… No, did you see her use wind magic on me like that and then put her arm around my shoulder? It’s creepy. Ugh, ugh, I need to drink more.”

Lily ordered more snacks, and Margherita started drinking straight from the bottle.

Junior kept staring at the spot where Reina had disappeared.

‘My lifespan… can be extended?’

Is that really, really possible?

***

It took some time for the chaotic atmosphere to settle down and recover. Junior brought the topic back to where it was.

“So, what about you, Senior Lily? Don’t you date?”

“Uh, uh, uh?!”

“You were the one who brought up the topic of dating first, so you must be the most interested, right?”

Junior smiled playfully like a fox.

Lily, who was visibly flustered, finally let out a sigh.

“Actually, there was a guy I thought was okay.”

“Oh.”

“Things were going pretty well… We had dinner together. We were about to get closer.”

“Ooh…!”

“But it turned out he was deceiving me.”

It was about God Hand.

Lily sighed, her face flushed from the alcohol.

“I thought he was a decent guy… Sigh. That’s why you can’t trust other races…”

“…”

“…”

The atmosphere became heavy again.

Junior and Margherita just sipped their drinks, watching Lily’s reaction. Then,

“Hehe, dating. Dating, huh? That’s an interesting topic.”

This time, a young girl’s voice was heard.

The three of them were surprised and looked over to see Evangeline, wrapped in bandages, entering the cafeteria.

“Lady Evangeline? You should be resting more…”

“Hey, it’s just a minor injury. I’m fine, I’m fine. I was upset that I couldn’t have fun on the night of victory, so I came out.”

Evangeline introduced her companion.

“This is Elise. She came from the Imperial Capital and helped us in this defense battle. I’ve made her a temporary member of our ‘CFHMRPC’.”

“I am Elise of the Winter Silver Merchant Guild. I’m a temporary member, but please take care of me.”

The maid-like swordswoman, Elise, bowed politely.

Then, Elise looked around at the group with cold, dark blue eyes.

“And, I’m relieved. It seems that you all do not see Prince Ash as a romantic interest.”

“…?”

“He already has someone he has set his heart on. I ask that you maintain this attitude in the future.”

Prince Ash belongs to my master, Lady Serenade, so don’t you dare covet him.

Elise had suddenly thrown out this check.

In front of the three who were dumbfounded by the sudden statement, Evangeline scratched the back of her head, embarrassed.

“Ah, really? My senior? He already has someone he has set his heart on? I see. He was that into me…”

…She’s misunderstanding something.

Evangeline twisted her body, embarrassed.

“Oh my, I didn’t know my senior’s heart. How embarrassing… I understand, Elise. I’ll make sure to keep the flies away from my senior!”

“As expected of Lady Evangeline, the successor to the Border Count. Thank you.”

“You can tell just by looking, right? Ahahaha!”

“That’s exactly right. Hehehe…”

The two, who were having a conversation that was a bit off, agreed and ordered more snacks.

As if they were physical warriors, it was meat, meat, meat.

“Come on, everyone, let’s drink! I’m paying for everything!”

Evangeline shouted with a bright smile, then suddenly made a solemn expression and stretched her hand forward, slowly making a fist.

“And I’ll make this ‘CFHMRPC’ bigger and bigger, and then, after gathering all the female heroes in this city…!”

“After gathering?”

“I’ll take control of Crossroad…!”

“…”

No… you’re going to get it anyway… you’re the successor to the Border Count…

Everyone thought inwardly, but there was no reason to refuse free wine and snacks.

The drinking party went on.

Evangeline and Elise ate meat, Margherita started drinking straight from the bottle again, and Junior was lost in thought about what Reina had said.

And Lily,

“Hmph, what kind of mission did he leave for that he hasn’t returned yet…”

She grumbled to herself, thinking about God Hand.

– Lily. My unit and I are now leaving for our mission. If we can return safely, I would like to apologize to you then.

– Then, I’ll be going.

He said that, but it’s been a long time since there’s been any news.

Maybe God Hand had left this front line for good.

Maybe he won’t come back now. Maybe he ran away without looking back, mission or not.

Elves are all like that.

“Liar.”

Lily muttered, holding her glass to her lips.

“Liar…”

***

At the same time.

The three members of the Shadow Unit were hanging in the underground prison.

God Hand. Bodybag. Burnout.

All three were covered in blood, as if they had been severely tortured. God Hand, in particular, had been beaten so badly that his face was a bloody mess.

Hanging from the chains in the underground prison, their necks and arms bound, the three looked like meat in a butcher shop.

“…”

Between the strands of God Hand’s blood-soaked, light green hair, his eyes opened dimly.

He could hear something.

Tap. Tap.

The sound of heels hitting the floor.

Then, with the chilling sound of an iron door creaking open, someone entered the prison.

“You have a lot of guts, you elven spies.”

God Hand looked ahead through his blood-reddened vision.

“To crawl before me on your own two feet.”

There was a black-haired girl wearing a silver crown.

A girl who looked no more than ten years old. But that appearance was just a shell that the girl had put on.

Her name, who was one hundred and twenty years old this year, was ‘Dusk Bringer,’ named after the ancestral dragon.

There were many titles for her.

Duke Bringer. Dragon-blooded Princess.

And, Dragon Lady.

With her reptilian, vertically slit dragon eyes flashing, and the aura of an evil dragon surrounding her small body-

The Duchess smiled wickedly in front of the prisoners.

“So, how do you wish to die?”