I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 282

The Winter Silver Merchant Guild had set up tents and opened shops all over the city. With so many people milling about, I wondered if they were selling something, so I went to take a look.

“Welcome! How about a simple game?”

“…A game?”

“Yes! If you participate, we’ll give you a stamp. If you try another experience at another Winter Silver shop, you’ll get another stamp, and if you collect all the different kinds of stamps…”

From what I gathered, each of the Winter Silver Merchant Guild’s shops had a game zone or an experience zone.

If you went around to all of them and collected stamps, you could exchange them for a small prize… or something like that. And it was all free!

“Of course, I’m in!”

The first place we stopped at was a dart-throwing area.

The four of us took turns throwing darts. I had no knack for it and missed every time. Evangeline threw too hard, and they bounced out, resulting in a low score.

Junior skillfully stuck them all inside the board… and Damian showed off his skill by landing every single dart right in the bullseye.

“Hahaha!”

Damian shrugged his shoulders with a strange laugh. That arrogant, clairvoyant jerk…!

“It’s just a dartboard, but it’s kind of fun!”

The staff gave Damian a commemorative hat for breaking the all-time record.

Wearing the large beret, Damian smiled innocently like a child.

Evangeline, who had been looking at the beret with envy, gritted her teeth.

“Let’s go to the other shops! No, let’s go to all of them! I might be bad at darts, but I’ll be number one at everything else!”

“Can I use magic from the next game…? No, I will use it. I need to get a souvenir too.”

“Go easy, you guys. Please. Go easy!”

Thus, our plan for the afternoon was decided: to visit all the Winter Silver Merchant Guild’s shops and collect stamps.

We went around to the other shops, bowling, throwing rings, playing card matching, and solving quizzes.

‘It’s nothing special, but it feels good every time I collect a stamp…!’

A strange sense of accomplishment washed over me every time a stamp was added to my stamp card.

I’m not someone who’s obsessed with achievements or completion rates, but I think I understand why people do this now…!

There were lines at each experience zone, and the people in line were munching on snacks they bought from nearby stalls.

Indeed, that must be why they spread the shops out like this.

I could see other party members having fun in various places.

The Shadow Squad laughing while bowling.

Kuilran falling over during an arm-wrestling match, and the Punishment Squad bursting into laughter while watching.

The Holy Grail Exploration Team with faint smiles on their faces while playing card matching…

“…”

I quietly watched them enjoying the festival.

If this city were a place where monsters didn’t attack.

Would I be able to see this kind of scene every day…?

“Stamp collection complete!”

As the sun was setting, we finally managed to visit all the game and experience zones, successfully completing the stamp collection.

We only needed to collect them all within the three days of the festival, but we finished it all on the first day… It was like watching Korean gamers finishing all the quests on the first day of an update, which made my party members feel even more familiar…!

‘No, not in a good way.’

You guys should enjoy this more leisurely!

Anyway, now that we’ve collected all the stamps, we should go exchange them for prizes. We each put on a beret and headed to the prize exchange shop.

The prize exchange was being held at the Winter Silver Merchant Guild’s central shop in the city center.

“Your Highness!”

Serenade was there.

“Are you enjoying the festival?”

She smiled warmly, and I silently showed her my stamp card with all the stamps on it.

Serenade clapped her hands and smiled brightly.

“You’ve collected them all! Congratulations! I’ll exchange them for prizes for you!”

“U-uh, okay…”

It’s a little embarrassing to be treated like a child, but… honestly, it was fun, so whatever…

The prizes included stuffed animals, toy swords, and mostly just knick-knacks. But the feeling is what matters.

I looked to see what the others were choosing. Junior chose a toy magic wand, Evangeline chose a toy shield, and Damian chose a stuffed animal. You guys really have distinct personalities, huh?

As I was hesitating about what to choose, Evangeline popped out and snatched a toy crown for me!

Then, she plopped the crown on top of my beret. Hey!

“Ooh, it suits you! You’re royalty, after all!”

“I wanted that knight figurine over there more… oh well, never mind.”

I ended up with a bizarre look, wearing both a beret and a crown. My party members laughed at me, holding their stomachs. Well, if you guys are having fun, then it’s fine…

“Thanks for setting up these event shops, Serenade. It really adds to the festival atmosphere.”

While the party members rushed to the snack stall next door, I spoke to Serenade.

“But if you’re giving everything away for free like this, are you even making a profit?”

“Of course, we’re not making a monetary profit.”

Serenade smiled.

“But we can leave a good impression.”

“Impression?”

“This festival is a place where the city’s citizens set up their own stalls and enjoy selling things. They bring out homemade liquor to sell and share homemade snacks.”

Serenade explained in a calm voice.

“What would happen if a merchant guild from the capital suddenly came in and started doing business on a large scale in a place like this?”

“Ah…”

“We might get a small bit of fun from the sales, but we’d only draw criticism, and it would ruin the purpose of the festival.”

Serenade slowly looked at the citizens filling the streets.

“Even though Winter Silver is the largest merchant guild in the country, we haven’t established anything here in the south. We have to start from scratch.”

“So, you’re starting by creating a good impression.”

“Exactly. If we spend a little to help the festival succeed, the festival will be more successful, which will benefit the city of Crossroads. In the long run, it will help Your Highness’s plan for a tourist city.”

Serenade handed a doll to a child who had collected all the stamps and smiled gently.

“And eventually, the things our guild can do in this city will increase.”

“…”

“It’s easy to make a monetary profit in the short term, but it’s difficult to coexist with the local community for a long time. But that’s what makes it valuable.”

I was listening blankly, and then I quietly muttered.

“You’re a good merchant, Serenade.”

“Hehe. Not at all. I only did it because I calculated that it would be more profitable in the end.”

I could see the party members who had gone to buy snacks returning. Serenade gestured outside.

“Now, go and enjoy the festival, Your Highness. You’ve been working hard on the front lines for a long time. You deserve a day like this.”

“What about you? Aren’t you going to join us?”

“U-um, I’m very grateful for the offer, but I still have a lot of work to do. It seems like there are a lot of shortcomings since we prepared in a hurry…”

Serenade seemed to want to jump out for a moment, but she ended up refusing.

It seems that the Winter Silver Merchant Guild is short on manpower because they planned and executed this event in a hurry.

“Instead, Your Highness, perhaps on the last day…”

Serenade, who was saying something while intertwining her fingers, coughed and waved her hand.

“No, never mind! I’ll see you later, Your Highness!”

“Okay. See you later, Serenade.”

I waved back and added,

“Thanks for helping with the festival.”

Serenade smiled brightly.

“Just those words alone make me happy.”

***

It was completely dark. It was a new moon, so the night was pitch black, but the city was brightly lit, and the stalls and pubs were packed with people eating and drinking.

The main four members of Ash’s party had dinner together and then disbanded.

Ash and Damian were exhausted from playing and walking around all day, so they returned to their respective accommodations, but Evangeline and Junior had a prior engagement, so they re-entered the city.

A cafeteria next to the central square.

When Evangeline and Junior entered, they saw familiar faces already drinking wine. It was Lily and Margherita.

“Sorry, sorry~ We’re a bit late!”

“We had dinner with our party members, so it took longer than we thought.”

Evangeline and Junior greeted them warmly and joined them. However, Lily and Margherita’s atmosphere was not very bright.

Lily was just emptying her wine glass with a haggard face, and Margherita was chain-smoking…

“…”

“…”

What’s with this atmosphere?

Evangeline and Junior quickly exchanged glances. Why are the senior mage and the saint looking so glum on a festival day…?

Evangeline clapped her hands and smiled awkwardly.

“Okay, okay! Crossroads Female Heroes and Mercenaries Rights Protection Committee! Or the CFHMRPC for short! Second meeting! Let’s all start in a good mood!”

It was a name that was always off-putting, but they had to lighten the mood first. Junior chimed in.

“That’s right! Our CFHMRPC members! Let’s talk while eating something sweet! Drinking straight liquor and smoking straight cigarettes will ruin your stomach! Especially on a day like this!”

Evangeline and Junior called the cafeteria owner and ordered food, desserts, and drinks.

However, even as the table was filled with new dishes, Lily and Margherita’s glum expressions did not improve.

Evangeline and Junior were sweating bullets. What’s wrong with these people?

“Saintess, is something wrong…?”

Evangeline couldn’t help but ask.

“You seem to be in a bad mood today. Tell me. Did someone pick a fight with you? If so, I, the president of the CFHMRPC, will teach them a lesson!”

Evangeline subtly emphasized the word ‘president’.

Junior thought to himself. ‘Lady Evangeline, you’re secretly ambitious for titles…’

“…No, it’s nothing. It was my day off today. I was off duty.”

Margherita put out her cigarette and poured wine into her glass.

“Since this festival is so big and successful, there are a lot more injured people than usual…”

“Ah.”

“The emergency treatment center kept calling, saying they were short on staff… I thought about ignoring it and resting, but I felt uncomfortable, so I just went. And when I came to my senses, I had been working at the emergency treatment center all day. I didn’t even get to see the festival. And the sun has set.”

Margherita sniffled and drank her wine in one gulp.

“I was just feeling down because I couldn’t rest all day even though it was a festival day. I’m a cleric, and I’m complaining about this, so I’m not disciplined enough… I’m sorry.”

“Oh, it’s understandable.”

“I totally understand! You don’t have to be sorry!”

Evangeline and Junior fussed over Margherita.

Fortunately, as she drank alcohol with sweet snacks, Margherita’s face gradually relaxed.

Now, the remaining problem was…

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

“…”

“…”

It was Lily, who was drinking wine like water.

“Um, Lily, what’s wrong?”

“…”

Lily, who was now drinking straight from the bottle, slammed the bottle down and growled with a flushed face.

“It’s a festival now, right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s common sense to spend a festival with your lover, right?”

“Uh… I guess so?”

“But do you know what that person, no, that elf said?”

The elf was, of course, Godhand. Lily sighed deeply.

“‘My siblings are experiencing their first festival today. Can I spend today with my siblings and spend time with you from tomorrow?’ he said.”

“Ah…”

“What could I say? He had his own circumstances, and it was understandable. So I said yes.”

She said yes again. Everyone was sweating bullets.

“But everyone else is having fun, and I originally had plans to have fun with my boyfriend, but they fell through, and I’ve been spacing out all day… I’m starting to get annoyed. It feels like he’s subtly taking care of his elf siblings more than me…”

Lily rubbed her flushed forehead.

“It’s… it’s a bit much to compare it to this, but… it feels like I’m dating a man with kids…”

“Pfft!”

The other three simultaneously spat out the alcohol and drinks they were drinking. Ignoring them, Lily continued.

“Besides, he’s so clueless… he doesn’t know how to set the mood… I’m an idiot for flirting with an elf. Sigh.”

Thump!

Lily slammed the bottle on the table and gritted her teeth.

“Do you know how clueless he is? I haven’t even received a proper confession yet.”

“Huh?”

“Really?”

“Weren’t you two dating?!”

“It just naturally became a ‘we’re dating’ kind of relationship… Ah, I don’t know. I guess this is how elves date.”

Lily gulped down the bottle. The darkness over the table grew deeper…

“Agh! Even though we’re all struggling a bit right now!”

At that moment, Evangeline stood up and raised the glass in her hand.

“In the end, we’ll all be able to get what we want! I, the president, guarantee it!”

“Oh, that’s right! Greater happiness will surely come!”

Junior also stood up, desperately echoing her. Then, Margherita and Lily also raised their glasses with wide eyes and shouted in turn.

“To finding work-life balance!”

“To finding true love!”

Junior and Evangeline also shouted.

“To, to finding health?! No, wait, what am I looking for…?”

“Crossroads is mine-!”

Cheers-!

It was a nonsensical toast, as befitting a drunken gathering, but that’s how it is at drinking parties.

The four of them emptied their glasses and bottles, and then-

Thump!

Lily fell forward.

She had already far exceeded her usual alcohol tolerance. With her face buried on the table, she was unconscious, only breathing heavily.

The remaining three were about to start discussing how to get Lily back to her accommodation when-

“Hah, hah! Um…!

Someone rushed into the cafeteria.

“Is Lily here? I’ve been looking for her for a while now…”

It was Godhand, a tall elf with light green hair.

The remaining three members of the CFHMRPC, having found the culprit, simultaneously pointed their fingers and shouted.

“Hey! Can’t you do things right?!”