I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 308

A river flows through the central part of the continent.

This river, which divides the southwest and northeast of the continent, is called Iris.

It is a large river that flows from the inland sea adjacent to the imperial capital New Terra to the outer sea in the east, and it is the cradle of civilization that has made the central part of the continent rich and fertile.

For the Everblack Empire, which has greedily devoured the center of the continent, this river is the de facto dominion of the imperial capital New Terra, and an absolute defense line that cannot allow foreign invasion.

Clatter, clatter, clatter…

A line of troops appeared on the west side of the river.

The spear that has been at the forefront of piercing the empire’s enemies for a long time, and the shield that has blocked foreign enemies.

The Imperial 1st Legion.

This unit, which has never left the border area since its creation and is called the ‘Pilgrims of the Border,’ is now heading to the imperial capital.

“……”

At the head of the line is the commander of the 1st Legion, the supreme commander of the imperial military, and the First Prince.

Larc ‘Avalanche’ Everblack slowed his horse as he saw the river. His knights and troops also slowly came to a halt.

Larc silently looked ahead. In front of him was a huge bridge built to cross the Iris River.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

There was a line of troops occupying the bridge.

The Imperial Capital Defense Force.

A standing army directly under the Imperial Family, responsible for the outer defense of the imperial capital New Terra and internal security.

An independent unit that even Larc, the supreme commander of the imperial military, cannot command, and their commander is.

“It’s been a while, brother.”

Fernandes ‘Emberkeeper’ Everblack.

The Imperial Minister of Administration, commander of the Aegis Special Forces, and the Second Prince.

Fernandes greeted Larc from his saddle. Unlike his fully armed brother, he was dressed in the usual neat attire of a civil official.

“What brings you here? I understand that the Bringer Principality is not yet stable.”

In his monocle, the Second Prince’s dark red eyes twinkled with a smile.

“Or, could it be that you have already slain the Duke of Bringer and stolen the Dragon Vein [a source of magical power] without my knowledge?”

“……”

“Even if that were the case, to return with the entire 1st Legion. Don’t you know? Only the Imperial Capital Defense Force is allowed to conduct military activities in the imperial capital.”

Larc was silent. He simply stared at his younger brother, who was speaking in a clear voice.

“I don’t want to say this, brother.”

Fernandes hesitated as if reluctant to speak, but soon declared smoothly.

“The area inside this river is the territory of the imperial capital. The moment you cross this bridge with those troops, you will inevitably be suspected of plotting treason.”

“……”

“To prevent you from being misunderstood, your foolish younger brother has had to block your path like this. I hope you understand?”

“Fernandes.”

Larc, who had been silently staring at his younger brother, finally spoke.

“Do you know that there is a suspicious movement in the imperial capital?”

“Huh? Suspicious movement?”

“Yes. That’s why I came here to find out the exact truth.”

Fernandes tilted his head, then burst into a hearty laugh.

“Are you talking about the hidden forces? I’m working hard to stop that suspicious movement.”

“What if those hidden forces don’t actually exist?”

Larc blurted out, and Fernandes’ smile slightly hardened.

“If it’s all a self-made drama by the Aegis Special Forces… and you?”

“Brother. I don’t know who told you such nonsense, but.”

Fernandes let out a light sigh and raised both hands.

“If you make the work that this younger brother has been doing for the past seven years disappear in an instant, I’ll be a little disappointed?”

“…I’m sorry, Fernandes, but I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”

Fwoosh-

Larc’s huge warhorse snorted roughly. Larc stroked the horse’s mane to calm it down and coldly murmured.

“I need to see Father. Where is he?”

“You know very well. Father is still connected to the Everblack of the Upper Darkness [a mystical realm]. To protect the empire.”

Fernandes smiled.

“He wouldn’t know about the outside world. He must be in an endless battle with the Other Gods on the other side of the shore.”

“……”

Larc closed his eyes tightly.

If only Father could handle state affairs normally…

This empire wouldn’t be eaten away from the inside.

“The outside affairs of the country are for you, brother, and the inside affairs are for me. Father trusted and entrusted us with it, didn’t he? Then we have to do well. In our respective places, according to our respective roles.”

“……”

“This is my last warning, brother.”

As Fernandes waved his hand,

Whoosh-!

A single airship flew from the sky and floated behind Fernandes.

It was an airship belonging to the Imperial Capital Defense Force. The ferocious engine sound roared from the steel-made flying ship.

“There is still time to turn back. You protect the outside of the country, and I will govern the inside of the country. As Father wished, we can remain as good brothers.”

“……”

“Withdraw your troops. And return to where you should be. Then I will keep this matter a secret. Father will never know.”

Then Larc took a breath and said,

“I am Larc ‘Avalanche’ Everblack-!”

He roared like a lion.

The roar was so loud that the water of the Iris River rippled to the other side.

The startled soldiers of the Imperial Capital Defense Force flinched and stepped back.

“I am the first son of the great Emperor, the legitimate heir, and the rightful supreme commander of the military.”

Shwing-!

Larc drew his longsword from his waist and growled like a tiger.

“You have no right to stop my march to the imperial capital. You are the ones who should step aside. I will go to the imperial capital myself and find the real traitors and execute them.”

“……”

“Fernandes. If you are truly innocent, trust me and clear the way. I will reveal the truth, and if I am wrong, I will accept the appropriate punishment myself.”

Fernandes smiled bitterly.

Larc was truly such a man, a man who could be trusted.

‘But I am not.’

The problem was that he was not innocent.

Larc’s suspicions were all correct. There were no hidden forces in the imperial capital from the beginning, and Fernandes had plotted treason.

And Larc, who had noticed it much faster than expected, had rushed to the imperial capital.

‘Where did the information leak? Who?’

Fernandes narrowed his eyes.

But that was not important now.

Stopping the avalanche in front of him was a bigger problem.

“…If you still don’t step aside even after I’ve said this much.”

The First Prince’s longsword flashed and pointed forward.

“I will consider all of you who block me as traitors.”

The undefeated knight.

The strongest human.

The Imperial Capital Defense Force could not possibly be unaware of the First Prince’s record and his loyalty and devotion to the empire.

But they did not step aside and raised their weapons forward.

They would stop the foreign army heading to the imperial capital.

That was their reason for existence.

“Open the way-!”

Thud!

As Larc kicked his horse’s belly, the huge warhorse kicked off the ground as if it had been waiting.

The knight order closely followed the First Prince, who was charging forward with his white cloak fluttering.

Behind them, the soldiers of the 1st Legion ran forward with silent, cold gazes.

Thud thud thud thud!

Watching his brother and the knights charging on the narrow bridge, Fernandes whispered softly.

“Brother. I repeat.”

The Second Prince waved his hand towards the sky.

“I have no personal feelings.”

Whirring-!

With a sharp engine sound, the airship spewed fire from the thrusters at the rear.

The magical flames that surged from the magic furnace accelerated the main body of the airship in an instant, causing it to rush towards the enemy lines at a speed unbelievable for its large and heavy body.

Clank, clank!

The front of the airship flying towards the 1st Legion transformed, and dozens of mana cannons revealed their muzzles.

The airship was planning to approach the firing range, fire, and then retreat.

Overwhelming firepower, unbelievable mobility, and transcendent defensive power provided by dozens of layers of overlapping defensive magic.

A flawless weapon with all three elements of firepower, mobility, and defense. This was the culmination of modern magical engineering.

The price of one airship was equivalent to the annual budget of a small country.

Even as such a strategic weapon approached, tearing through the air, Larc did not even blink. Rather, he charged straight into the front of the airships.

Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!

Larc’s steed was the best of the best.

With a rough snort, the horse broke away from the formation and went ahead, and when the airship reached right in front of him, Larc kicked off the saddle and soared into the air.

Thud thud thud thud!

Dozens of mana cannons fired from the front of the airship. Hundreds of mana bullets the size of cannonballs poured down like rain.

But,

Flash!

Boom!

As Larc slashed his sword horizontally, they all exploded in the air.

Larc clearly saw the eyes of the pilot sitting in the cockpit of the airship widen.

Larc gripped his sword again and whispered softly.

“I’m sorry.”

Thud!

The tip of Larc’s sword, which had landed on the body of the airship, pierced the bow of the airship.

A blue sword aura flickered from the tip of the sword, and the sword aura and the defensive magic collided, scattering red sparks in all directions.

But in the end, Larc’s sword was the victor. The longsword split the defensive magic and pierced deep into the body of the airship.

Larc grabbed the sword and ran forward.

Shick shick shick-!

Larc ran from the head to the tail of the airship at a terrifying speed, and the sword that was pierced split the back of the airship.

Thud!

When Larc retrieved his sword and jumped down with a light movement, landing on his saddle.

Boom boom boom boom!

The airship that had crashed over there exploded into a huge fire.

All the soldiers of the Capital Defense Force were dumbfounded by this absurd feat. Fernandes, who was watching in a daze, muttered softly.

“This is a bit too much.”

Even as Fernandes muttered, Larc was already charging towards him.

***

The Imperial Capital Defense Force was annihilated.

Larc’s personal power was enormous, but the difference in combat power between the 1st Legion and the Imperial Capital Defense Force was also significant.

The 1st Legion, which had spent its entire life fighting foreign enemies on the border, and the Imperial Capital Defense Force, which had been stationed in the imperial capital and focused on maintaining security.

There was a clear gap in combat experience and skill.

This lack of combat power was compensated by the latest technology such as airships, but now that they had been cut down by Larc’s sword, it was no longer meaningful.

Even in the midst of this, Larc did not kill most of the Imperial Capital Defense Force, but subdued them.

He killed those who resisted to the end, but captured all those who surrendered willingly.

He still did not consider them enemies.

“Just one question, Fernandes.”

Larc asked coldly from among the subdued Imperial Capital Defense Force.

“I can understand everything else, but I can’t understand this one thing. I want to ask you directly.”

Fernandes was also bound.

The Second Prince had not put up any significant resistance from the beginning. When the airship crashed and the tide turned, he quietly raised his hands and waited for his brother.

Larc approached his younger brother with his sword drawn and asked gently.

“Why? What for, did you do this?”

“…You wouldn’t understand, brother.”

Even in this situation, Fernandes smiled bitterly as he listened to his brother’s gentle voice.

“People who are as whole, righteous, and ‘good’ as you, who believe that the world is warm… they don’t understand that this world is wrong.”

“What?”

“In that sense, Ash would understand me better.”

Fernandes chuckled as he thought of his youngest brother, who was not present.

“That guy always knew… that this world is fundamentally twisted.”

“What the hell are you talking about…”

Larc couldn’t continue his words.

Thud!

It was because Fernandes, who had suddenly rushed at the sword that he had pointed forward, had stabbed himself in the neck.