I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 309

Blood splattered everywhere.

Fernandes collapsed forward, blood gushing from his long neck. The soldiers who were watching this screamed in surprise.

“Fernandes! What have you done!” Larc, in shock, quickly grabbed Fernandes’ body and held him in his arms. Immediately, Larc’s face was filled with bewilderment.

“This is… !”

With a sizzling, crackling sound, Fernandes’ face contorted, and then it changed into a completely different person’s face.

His physique also shrank, becoming much more unimpressive.

What Larc was holding was not Fernandes. It was another mage wearing the robes of the Magic Corps.

“Illusion magic…? !” Only then did Larc remember Fernandes’ specialty, and he gritted his teeth.

Illusion magic.

Fernandes had a talent for deceiving and confusing opponents.

That’s why he had talent in many fields of magic, but he delved deepest into the illusion system.

It was a specialty befitting the leader of the shadows, but to think he could use such sophisticated illusion magic that even his own brother, Larc, would be completely fooled…!

「I mobilized mind control, illusion magic, and techniques and items to help with disguise. To be able to fool even my brother, I feel like I’ve been recognized.」

Fernandes’ voice flowed from a device attached to the dead mage’s neck. Larc snatched the device away and growled.

“Where are you, Fernandes!”

「I know how precious my life is, brother. I’m not brave enough to stand right in front of you with your sword.」

Fernandes chuckled softly and continued.

「You asked me earlier, brother? Why did I plot treason?」

Now, Fernandes didn’t even deny the treason. Larc frowned.

“Is it because of the throne? If that’s the case, I can give it to you anytime.”

「No, it’s not that, brother. I don’t care about power.」

“Then what is it? Did someone do something terribly wrong to you? Just tell me. I, Larc, swear on my name that I will solve everything!”

「…….」

“We are brothers by blood, Fernandes…! I will help with anything I can. So, please stop this treason. Please!”

After a moment of silence, Fernandes finally let out a soft sigh.

「You love your younger brothers very much, brother. But the problem is that you see us as children who need to be protected and cared for forever.」

“What?”

「We’ve already grown up.」

Fernandes’ voice suddenly turned cold.

「Father, the Other Gods, and even the Goddess who bestows grace upon the Empire, they all do the same. We have grown enough to be independent.」

“What are you talking about…”

「You will understand eventually, brother. That everything I have done is for the Empire… and for humanity.」

Fernandes’ voice gradually faded from the device.

「See you again, brother. Oh, of course… if you survive my trap.」

“What?”

Click. The communication was cut off.

Larc, with a dumbfounded expression, looked down at the communication device, then suddenly realized something.

Bubbling, bubbling…

The river water was boiling under the bridge.

Red light scattered in the river. Larc, in shock, shouted.

“Everyone, get aw-”

Before he could finish the word to get away,

Flash-!

The ‘Shutdown Protocol’ installed on the Iris River bridge was activated, swallowing all living things and simultaneously petrifying the surrounding space.

***

On a hill not far from the Iris Grand Bridge, surrounded by a round, red magic circle.

An elderly woman, who had been watching the activation of the shutdown protocol with a telescope, slowly folded the telescope.

It was Reina, the commander-in-chief of the Magic Corps. Reina reported leisurely.

“Shutdown protocol activation confirmed, space petrification is complete. The operation is a success.”

When Reina turned her head, she saw Fernandes sitting on a chair.

The Second Prince was coldly processing the documents in his hand.

Reina made sure to say it one more time.

“Congratulations on your victory, Your Highness.”

“Congratulations? Haha.”

Fernandes’ indifferent reply came back.

“How much of a monster is my brother? That much won’t even leave a scratch on him.”

“But you annihilated the vanguard of the 1st Legion that came with him, didn’t you?”

She swallowed the words – ‘along with our subordinates who were thrown as bait’.

Anyway, wasn’t it a pretty good result from the start, to break the vanguard of the invincible legion led by the undefeated knight?

But Fernandes let out a shallow sigh.

“The 1st Legion is the same. At best, we only annihilated the advance party. The rest of the troops are advancing widely from the western front. They will continue to push in.”

“……”

“Didn’t Commander Reina used to be part of the 1st Legion? You know how thorough that legion is, don’t you?”

“That’s why I’m saying this.”

Reina grinned.

“Where else can you get a win against those monsters?”

The Magic Corps was originally part of the 1st Legion.

However, during the Camila Kingdom occupation operation 15 years ago, the 2nd Division Commander Jupiter’s insubordination led to the admission of war crimes, leaving a stain on the Emperor’s command.

The Magic Corps was then dishonorably discharged from the 1st Legion, drifting around without a proper affiliation, and was on the verge of disbandment-

It was barely saved by the Second Prince Fernandes.

Afterwards, they changed their affiliation to the direct control of the Imperial Family, but in fact, they became Fernandes’ private army, maintaining the unit to this day.

Having once been part of the 1st Legion, Reina knew well.

How powerful the knights belonging to that place were. And how tough the soldiers were.

Soldiers who had devoted their entire lives solely for the peace of the Empire.

And this current situation, where they had to kill them in the name of the Empire.

She felt a chill and trembled. Reina had plenty of experience shooting or executing allies from behind under orders from above, but the 1st Legion was on a different level.

‘It’s a fun friendly fire time. It’s crazy and maddening.’

It was hard to maintain her expression when she thought about killing her former comrades one by one.

But it was something that had been decided since she took Fernandes’ hand 15 years ago.

Her life was already sold to the devil. What more was there to hesitate about…?

“Anyway, my brother is not someone who will stop at this level. He will join up with the follow-up troops and continue to advance towards the Imperial Capital.”

Reina asked Fernandes in return.

“Then what should we do?”

“We still need time. We have to wage a delaying action. We have to buy as much time as possible.”

Fernandes said calmly and got up.

“We only ‘used’ ‘some’ of the Imperial Capital Defense Forces, didn’t we? Deploy the rest in a staggered manner.”

“……”

“Somehow, buy even a day, an hour, or even a second more. Delay my brother’s arrival at the Imperial Capital.”

“Many will die.”

“Isn’t that what we were prepared for from the beginning? For a greater cause, this much sacrifice is small and shallow.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

Reina silently bowed her head.

“And, I’m sorry to my sister-in-law, but…”

Fernandes clicked his tongue, thinking of Larc’s wife and three children.

“They will have to be hostages. My brother is a terrible family man.”

“The troops are already on standby. Shall I order their capture?”

“I would like to bring them in as humanely as possible. They are my beloved sister-in-law and nephews.”

Reina hesitated for a moment and then asked cautiously.

“After they are captured… what happens if things go wrong?”

“What do you think will happen?”

Fernandes muttered indifferently.

“Is there any need to keep a pawn that has lost its value alive?”

“…Understood. I will order their capture immediately.”

It wasn’t a very honorable thing to say, but kidnapping key figures was a specialty of the shadows.

Reina was certain that Larc’s wife and children would soon be taken hostage.

What would happen to their fate after that, no one could be sure…

***

Larc’s wife and three children were staying at a mansion on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.

It was because her parents’ home was there. Whenever she missed her husband who had left for the battlefield, the wife would visit her parents’ home with her children.

This winter, the wife decided to spend it at her parents’ home as well.

To prepare for the cold winter of New Terra, the mansion had been calling in merchants for the past few days to install thick carpets and thick curtains.

She was a frugal wife who usually didn’t keep many servants, but this year was different.

Perhaps it was to keep the young imperial grandchildren in a warm environment.

The Aegis Special Forces had obtained all the information in advance. The family of the First Prince Larc was a high-priority surveillance target from the beginning.

And the time had finally come for that long surveillance to bear fruit.

“Internal check.”

「Shadows are moving in the reception room and kitchen windows. There has been no entry or exit all night, so everyone must be inside.」

“Good. The main gate?”

「No abnormalities.」

“The back and side doors?”

「No abnormalities either.」

“Good. Move in. Bring them all, without missing a single one.”

The Aegis Special Forces Team 7, specialized in kidnapping key figures, surrounded the mansion widely, exchanged hand signals with each other, and then stormed into the mansion at the same time.

The Team 7 leader was observing the situation from the roof of the adjacent building, which overlooked the entire mansion. It was something he did as routinely as eating.

Even if the opponent was royalty, as long as they were careful of a few escort knights, it was no different from usual.

However.

「Re, reporting!」

The report sent by the subordinates who had entered the building was bewildering.

「No one… is here.」

“What?!”

「Th, that’s exactly what I mean. There is no one inside the building…!」

“What nonsense! Then what were the shadows moving in the windows?!”

「It was clothes hung on hangers that were moved back and forth with a device! It’s all like that!」

It was a problem that they couldn’t see properly inside the window because of the thick curtains.

The Team 7 leader’s spine went cold.

Did they know they were being targeted? So they had planned an escape from the beginning?

Since when?

“Damn it, they were definitely there until yesterday!”

「Ye, yes! We confirmed their faces until yesterday evening!」

“Then they couldn’t have gone far! Chase them! Immediately!”

The team leader, who had slammed the communication device down roughly as if he would break it, gritted his teeth.

“Which bastards stole them away first…?!”

***

At the same time. There was a carriage procession passing through the south gate of the Imperial Capital.

It was the Winter Silver Merchant Guild.

Because it was a large guild with a large volume of transactions, it had always received preferential treatment at checkpoints, but these days it was almost like a free pass.

“Hey! You’re working hard today too, Captain of the Guard!”

It was thanks to Alberto, who used to be the Imperial Palace Chamberlain, being appointed as an advisor to the guild.

Alberto already had a lot of connections throughout the Imperial Capital, but he was especially close with the guards.

It was because when Ash, who had caused trouble, went missing, he would beg the guards to search with him.

They were comrades who had suffered together to raise the delinquent prince.

The captain of the guard greeted Alberto with a bright smile.

“Oh, are you going yourself today, Alberto?”

“Haha. It’s a slightly important deal. I, this old man, have to go myself to feel at ease.”

“You’re working hard.”

Alberto, who was having a friendly conversation with the captain of the guard, took out a wrapped gift from his pocket with a natural motion and handed it over.

The captain of the guard refused, expressing his reluctance, but eventually accepted it, feeling awkward at Alberto’s bizarre logic that ‘it’s not money, but a gift between friends, so it’s okay’.

“Have a safe trip, Alberto!”

“Yes, yes! Let’s have a drink later!”

Alberto, who was waving back at the captain of the guard who was seeing him off, hardened his expression and entered the carriage.

“We passed.”

“…That’s a relief. I was worried about what to do if we had to use force.”

A swordswoman dressed as a maid, who was sitting next to him, let out a sigh of relief and put her sword back into its sheath.

It was Elise, a direct subordinate of Serenade. She had been dispatched for this mission and had been waiting inside the Imperial Capital.

“…So, we’ve escaped the Imperial Capital.”

A woman who had been covered with a blanket in the seat in front of them took off the blanket and revealed her face.

“Where do we go now?”

Following her, three young children’s faces popped out from under the blanket.

It was Larc’s wife and three children.

By Ash’s order, Alberto and Elise were in charge of their rescue mission.

“The area will soon be engulfed in civil war and become a sea of fire.”

Alberto stroked his stylish mustache and replied.

“They will split up and fight for their respective sides. Nowhere is safe.”

“Nowhere in the Empire?”

“That’s right. It would be ideal if you could escape to the western front where Prince Larc is…”

Alberto trailed off.

With the 1st Legion and the Imperial Capital Defense Forces already clashing with each other.

Escaping to the west had become too dangerous of an option.

“Then where should we flee…”

To Larc’s wife, who was muttering, Elise hesitated for a moment and then opened her mouth.

“There is a politically safe place. But…”

“But?”

“Monsters will attack.”

Then Larc’s wife smiled bitterly.

“How scary can monsters be? Are they scarier than people?”

“It will be quite a long journey.”

“It’s okay. If it means I won’t be a burden to my husband, a long journey is nothing.”

Larc’s wife said resolutely. The three young children also made sounds of agreement.

Alberto and Elise’s eyes met. The two slowly nodded their heads.

“Then let’s go.”

Alberto, who had leaned out of the carriage, shouted towards the driver’s seat.

“To Crossroads!”