I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 214

One day before the Jormungandr subjugation operation.

In fact, all possible preparations were complete.

The heroes had finished their training, and a sufficient quantity of equipment such as pickaxes and hammers made by Kellybay had been secured. The deployment training of the regular soldiers was also finished.

The evacuation preparations for the citizens were complete, and evacuation facilities were prepared in the northeast of the city.

Thus, on the evening before the operation, I ordered all the hero characters to rest.

They would have to endure harsh times for the next three days. I wanted them to spend their last evening comfortably.

“…That’s why I ordered them to rest.”

I clicked my tongue, looking at the escort knight who was right behind me.

“Can’t you just rest instead of following me around? Don’t you have anywhere else to go?”

Lukas answered immediately.

“No, I don’t!”

“Your youthful energy is wasted, Lukas…”

How did you end up becoming my escort and spending such a boring 24 hours? I’m sorry, man.

“You don’t have to worry about me, my lord. I manage my rest and free time myself.”

“Yeah, right…”

He’s been escorting me all day, and even when I sleep, he’s guarding the door. I wonder if he’s getting enough sleep.

“Follow me.”

I strode towards the garden of the lord’s mansion.

In the courtyard, which overlooked the city, there were a few dusty sunbeds.

I sat down on one of them and gestured with my chin.

“You sit too.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s enjoy the evening sun together.”

“But I am your escort…”

“Tsk!”

At my clicking sound, Lukas reluctantly sat down next to me.

I brought him here because it seemed like he wouldn’t rest unless I did.

I stretched out on the sunbed and lay down comfortably, and Lukas awkwardly imitated me.

The view of Crossroads was clearly visible from this courtyard. Lukas and I looked down at the city bathed in the sunset for a while without saying a word.

“Lukas.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Why do you protect this city?”

I asked out of the blue, and the predictable answer came back.

“Because you are here, my lord.”

“…”

He really needs to develop some unexpectedness… His repertoire is too predictable. He only talks about his lord, a one-track-minded lord-follower.

“And…”

Then Lukas added. I blinked and looked at Lukas. Huh?

“Because there are other comrades too.”

“…”

“Evangeline, Damian, Junior, Lily, the Saintess… the Shadow Unit, and many other comrades, too.”

Lukas scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.

“They have become precious to me. …So, I think I want to protect them.”

“…”

I was a little surprised, and after looking at Lukas’s profile, I chuckled.

“You’ve grown, too.”

“Yes? Me?”

“Yeah. You’ve grown.”

Lukas was originally the protagonist of this game. He is the knight who takes on the role of commander of the southern front.

He is a knight with the qualities of a leader, capable of caring for his subordinates with a broad perspective.

However, unlike in the game, I remained in the position of commander, and Lukas blindly followed and protected only me.

So, I had sometimes thought that I might be hindering Lukas’s growth.

Fortunately, it seems that it was a needless worry.

Lukas is growing in his own way. He has come to cherish not only me but also other comrades.

I smiled and patted my escort on the back.

“Let’s work hard again tomorrow, Lukas.”

Lukas also smiled and replied.

“I will gladly follow you, my lord. I will risk my life to protect you.”

“Uh-huh…”

Regardless of your inner growth, I have a feeling that your repertoire of lines will never change… I have a feeling…

***

Southeast of Crossroads. The Margrave’s Orchard.

Evangeline stood in front of her parents’ graves.

“I’m here, Dad. Mom.”

Evangeline placed the bouquet of flowers she was holding in front of the graves and smiled faintly.

“You’re not angry that I don’t come often, are you? I’m actually really busy.”

The graveyard is still unfamiliar. Even the names of her parents engraved on the tombstones.

Evangeline briefly thought that she would never get used to this place.

“…The monster that’s attacking this time is a huge snake.”

Evangeline squatted in front of the tombstones, cupped her cheeks with both hands, and began to chatter.

“The senior has evacuated the citizens and completed the evacuation preparations, saying that Crossroads itself could be blown away. I’m a little nervous because this has never happened before.”

Evangeline stared at her father’s tombstone.

“If Dad were here, how would you have dealt with this monster?”

Evangeline stared at her mother’s tombstone next to it.

“If Mom were here, what kind of encouragement would she have given me?”

After listing meaningless assumptions, Evangeline finally chuckled.

“I’ll go now.”

Evangeline got up, brushing off her knees, and whispered softly.

“I will protect it. Our family’s village.”

Looking at her father’s and mother’s graves, the girl swore.

“The memories with you two, the path that Mom and Dad risked their lives for… I will protect it.”

A breeze blew over the meadow. With her bright platinum blonde hair ruffled by the gust, Evangeline clenched her small fist in front of her chest.

“Because I am Evangeline Cross.”

She will fight.

Because she is the successor of the Cross family.

Thereby proving.

That the struggle of the Cross family, which has continued for generations, was not meaningless.

Clench.

With her fist clenched.

“Because I am the one who will become the Margrave of Cross.”

Evangeline’s emerald eyes sparkled with a clear will.

***

Crossroads City Center. Barracks. Reina’s Room.

The five-person magic unit support group from the Imperial Capital was having a meeting in hushed voices.

“Is it really that Jormungandr from mythology?”

“If it’s a monster as dangerous as the Third Prince is worried about, the Imperial Capital should be responding-”

“We are that ‘Imperial Capital response’.”

Reina coldly dismissed her subordinates’ concerns.

“In the first place, the Imperial Capital is busy dealing with other fronts. Even if a wicked god descended here instead of Jormungandr, they wouldn’t care.”

“…”

“If it’s an enemy that truly threatens the Empire, we must deal with it ourselves.”

“But, Lady Reina. We didn’t come here to hunt monsters. Our main purpose is…”

Reina cut off her subordinate’s words by reaching out her hand.

“We eliminate all elements that threaten the peace of the Empire. That is our purpose.”

“…”

“If Jormungandr is really that dangerous of a monster, it is right to eliminate it before any other mission.”

It was then.

“Lady Reina.”

One of the party members who was guarding the entrance of the room cautiously approached Reina and reported.

“A guest has arrived. It’s that young mage.”

“…”

Reina waved her hand, and the subordinates who had stood up rushed out of the room.

As soon as all the subordinates had left, Junior peeked his head into the room.

“Um, did I interrupt? Were you in the middle of an important conversation?”

“Not at all. The meeting just ended.”

Reina, who had spread her arms to the left and right, gestured with her chin.

“So, what brings you here today? Jupiter’s daughter? I’m glad you came to see me first.”

“…I came to get another ‘procedure’ before the battle.”

Junior hesitated, mumbled, and then spoke softly.

“I also want to talk a little more about my mother.”

Reina smiled and gestured into the room.

“Come in. Let’s talk.”

Reina asked Junior, who was hesitantly entering the room, out of the blue.

“By the way, have you eaten?”

“Yes? No…”

“Then let’s talk while having a meal after the procedure. There are some hidden good restaurants even in this backwater.”

Reina, who skillfully invited him to a meal, began to prepare for the procedure.

Junior stared at Reina’s back and sighed as if he was displeased.

***

Temple.

Kuilran entered his brother’s hospital room with a cheerful smile.

“Kureha! I’m here!”

“…Kuilran.”

Kureha, who was sitting on the bed and doing some paperwork, smiled happily at Kuilran. Kuilran tilted his head.

“What’s this? You’re supposed to be resting, but what are you doing? What kind of documents are those?”

“It’s the backlog of paperwork from this temple… I felt sorry for just receiving help for free, so I’ve been helping with the work here. It’s a relief. Even with my leg like this, there’s a place where I can be useful.”

“…”

Kuilran looked down at his brother’s emaciated left leg with a bitter expression. Kureha smiled and changed the subject.

“How about you? I heard that the knight here has been working you guys hard these past few days? Are you okay?”

The rumor that Lukas had been working the penal unit had spread throughout the city. Kuilran waved his hands in disgust.

“Oh, don’t even mention it. That knight bastard, he tormented us as if he was going to eat us alive. Does he hate me that much? Well, I guess he has a reason to. I hate him too. Damn it.”

Kuilran, who had been grumbling, nodded his head right after.

“…But I have to admit what I have to admit. Thanks to him, I’ve definitely become stronger.”

Kureha blinked, seeing his younger brother’s attitude, which was quite different from before.

“Even during the last defense battle, I was more focused on running away after doing just enough.”

Kuilran bumped his two fists together in front of his chest.

“This defense battle feels different. If I can’t stop that monster, my brother, and our homeland up there… I’ll be swallowed by the monster, that’s what I think first.”

“…”

“I think I understand a little why the people here risk their lives standing on the walls?”

Kuilran smiled and patted his older brother on the shoulder.

“Whether a giant snake attacks or monsters swarm like dogs, don’t worry, brother. I’ll protect you.”

“…I’m always sorry, Kuilran.”

“You don’t have to be sorry at all. You protected me back then. It’s just my turn to protect you this time.”

“…”

“Hahaha, isn’t it natural for a younger brother to protect his older brother?”

Kuilran smiled and held out one fist.

“Share some of your amazing luck with me.”

“I’ll gladly share it with you.”

The two brothers lightly bumped their fists together.

Kureha smiled bitterly, looking at his younger brother, who was twice his size.

“Go, Miracle Kuilran.”

***

Damian sat in the darkness.

Even though the cursed aura of the Black Queen was clearly gone without a trace.

Damian’s complexion was still dark, as if he was still enveloped in that ominous energy.

‘I am…’

Damian looked down at his empty hands.

‘Why was I fighting? For what?’

When he put down his weapon and was excluded from the party.

Damian, who had lost the inertia of battle, stopped in his tracks, and only then was he able to look back at himself.

‘I’ve already lost half of it… What more am I trying to protect, that I have to be so… painful?’

Perhaps it was because the nightmares that the Black Queen had shown him in the past few weeks were too vivid.

The face of the precious person he had lost was so clear that he could almost grasp it.

That smile, that death.

That’s why it was even more painful.

‘I miss you, Ban.’

Damian curled up even deeper.

‘I miss you…’

He didn’t want to fight anymore.

He didn’t want to pretend to be strong in front of scary monsters.

In this hellish world, he didn’t want to do anything anymore.

He just wanted to be still… and sink into the darkness.

***

The next day. Dawn.

The southernmost part of the world. The Black Lake.

Bubbling…

Breaking the surface of the black lake.

Swaaaaaa…!

The head of a huge snake, shimmering in silver-gray, rose up.

The boss monster of STAGE 9.

The world serpent, Jormungandr, finally revealed itself to the outside world.