I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 329

I opened my eyes, and Nameless was right in front of me.

“Huh?”

I jolted upright and found myself still in the first area dungeon, [Dried-Up Drainage]. My party members were looking at me with relieved expressions.

“Did I doze off? What’s going on?”

I was confused and looked around, asking what had happened. Nameless gave me a faint smile.

“You overdid it, Ash. Are you feeling alright?”

“Huh? Oh…”

Then I remembered.

[Imperial Territory Declaration] was a much more powerful skill than I had anticipated, and I couldn’t handle the backlash, so I passed out as soon as the skill ended.

“But why do I feel so refreshed?”

I didn’t just feel refreshed; I felt even more energetic than before I lost consciousness. It was like I had just taken some expensive tonic.

I looked down at my body and asked, and my party members all looked at Nameless. I also looked at Nameless with a puzzled expression.

“Nameless, did you heal me?”

“Heal… you could say that. Your mana was depleted, so I gave you some items I had. You should feel better now.”

“Wow, thank you so much. I could have been in real danger. You saved me.”

“You’re welcome. I should be the one thanking you, Ash.”

Nameless slowly looked around.

“…For a long time, my kingdom has been completely covered by the darkness of nightmares, not even a single piece of land was spared.”

Her dirt-stained fingertips gently brushed against the surrounding drainage pipes.

“I didn’t have the power to drive away the darkness because I wasn’t equal to the Demon King. All I could do was tear off pieces of my soul, set them ablaze, and light up this place a little.”

“…”

“Waiting for someone qualified to arrive, to fight the Demon King and drive away the darkness. I lit the fires and cleared the monsters.”

Nameless, who had calmly told her story, slowly looked at me.

“…And today, you completely drove away the darkness here. Although it’s just a small part, my country is now free from the Demon King’s rule.”

Then, Nameless slowly showed her respect.

Her right arm was held close to her body as if embracing her chest, and her left hand slightly pulled the hem of her robe to the side. At the same time, she bent her waist and kneeled.

A strange greeting, completely different from the etiquette of Everblack.

Was that the greeting of this Lake Kingdom?

“Thank you, Ash. My five hundred years of waiting were not in vain.”

Even though she was wearing rags and covered in dirt and ash, Nameless had a strange dignity about her.

Nameless slowly straightened her back and looked up.

“Now, this place will no longer function as a dungeon.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the lights of the safe zone slowly went out.

Saaaah….

At the same time, the sticky darkness unique to the dungeon also began to scatter far away.

“The nightmare forces can no longer invade this place. Therefore, fighting here is no longer necessary.”

Ah, I see.

If you take control from the monsters, this place will naturally be discarded as a ‘dungeon’.

As the sticky darkness disappeared and the artificial lights went out, all that remained was the peaceful color of the night.

And in that peaceful night light… Nameless was standing there holding a small piece of light. It was like a puzzle piece with a small but brilliant light condensed within it.

I gestured with my chin.

“Is that a piece of your soul?”

“Yes, it is.”

“You’re saying that to prevent the kingdom from being completely consumed by darkness, you broke your soul into pieces, set them on fire, and scattered them throughout the kingdom?”

“That’s right.”

“So…”

I felt like I understood a little.

“You even forgot your name?”

“…”

“You were blocking the darkness here, breaking your own existence into pieces, forgetting your name and memories.”

A bitter smile appeared on Nameless’s lips.

“What use is a name to a ruined kingdom’s princess?”

She looked down at the piece of light in her hand with a distant gaze.

“What use are faded memories from hundreds of years ago? If these pieces of ‘me’ can extend the life of my kingdom even a little, then I will do it.”

“Because you were the princess of this kingdom? Is that why you’re trying to take responsibility?”

When I asked directly, Nameless’s expression became a little embarrassed.

“…You could say that. It’s largely the fault of the royal family that my kingdom has become like this. As a member of the royal family, I must also take responsibility.”

Why go so far?

I wanted to ask more, but Nameless stopped me and slowly reached out her hand.

“And it is also the responsibility of a royal to reward the adventurer who has contributed to the kingdom.”

In her outstretched hand was the piece of light.

“I will give this piece to you.”

“What? But this is your soul…”

“Ash.”

Nameless nodded heavily.

“You need this.”

“…?”

“I felt it while healing you earlier. Your soul is extremely unstable right now. It wouldn’t be strange if it were torn to shreds at any moment. You can trust the words of someone who has already torn and scattered their soul.”

“No, even if you throw in a self-deprecating joke…”

Honestly, I don’t really understand what you mean by soul or whatever…?

“Your soul is so old that it’s hard to believe it belongs to a mortal. And it’s been repaired very crudely. To put it in a metaphor, it’s like a broken piece of pottery wrapped in a thin piece of cloth. It barely maintains its shape, but it could shatter at any moment.”

I couldn’t understand everything the princess of the ancient magic kingdom was saying, but I could sense one thing.

That what she said was related to the fact that I had possessed this body.

“Mana depletion can be cured with elixirs or potions, but the wounds on your soul are permanent. They are not something that can be healed.”

Nameless held out the piece of light again.

“So, I will lend you my piece. It will help maintain your soul… or rather, the cloth that wraps around your soul.”

Immediately after, a smile crossed her lips.

“Don’t worry. It’s interest-free. And there’s no time limit either.”

Not in the darkness of nightmares, but in the peaceful color of the night. That smile.

“I’m just a merchant, not a loan shark.”

She looked surprisingly peaceful.

Perhaps, her smile was originally like that.

As I accepted the piece of light that Nameless had given me, it instantly burrowed into my chest and disappeared.

I don’t really know what happened.

My chest felt warm, and it became a little easier to breathe.

“Today, I have given you various items, and I have also put a piece of my soul into you. So, the next time you use that power, you should be in better condition than this time.”

That power must be [Imperial Territory Declaration].

Does that mean I won’t pass out like this time?

“But don’t overdo it. That power is the authority of a great player. If you use it too often, your unstable soul might not be able to handle it.”

“Still, I’ll keep using it as long as my body can handle it. That’s how I can drive all the darkness out of your kingdom, right?”

I shrugged and said casually, and Nameless smiled faintly.

“…It’s a shame that I have no way to repay your kindness.”

“No, I think you’ve already repaid me enough…”

Nameless approached me silently, gently took my hand, and lowered her head slightly.

Her cold, dry lips touched the back of my hand and then pulled away.

I was surprised and just blinked, and Nameless smiled brightly and turned away.

“Well then, see you next time.”

Nameless walked away, her robe fluttering.

I stared blankly in that direction, then turned to look at my party members. They were all blinking like idiots.

“So.”

I pointed to my stomach with my hand.

“What item did she give me to cure my mana depletion?”

I needed to know what I received so I could repay her properly next time. That’s why I asked.

But Junior, who had been looking pale since earlier, stammered.

“Dr…”

“Dr?”

“Dragon Heart…!”

“…?”

Wha, what did you say…?!?

There are a few dragon-type monsters in this Lake Kingdom dungeon.

Among them, the supreme mana core that only comes from a few of the top named monsters. It is said that you can operate an airship with just one, and it is practically the final boss among the mana cores in this world.

That is the Dragon Heart.

In the game, it was called SSSR, triple S-R, as a joke because its performance was on a different level from other SSR-grade mana cores.

“She gave me that? To me?!”

Everyone nodded fiercely. I was dumbfounded and looked down at my body.

“No, that’s called a heart, but it’s not a heart, it’s a mana core. Like a jewel… How did she make me eat that?”

“I, I don’t know. With some ancient magic that I’ve never seen before… She crushed it into small pieces and made it absorb into your whole body…”

“…”

Ah, I know this.

It’s like a lucky encounter in those martial arts novels, right? Where a hidden hermit gives you a mountain ginseng or an elixir? Is that what happened?

“Whoa! I feel like power is boiling up inside my whole body?! Does this mean I’m joining the ranks of the strongest in the world?!”

“…According to her, she limited the function of the Dragon Heart and administered it so that it would only react when you use that skill. The risk of that skill is so high that the Dragon Heart must support it fully to achieve maximum efficiency.”

“…”

I awkwardly lowered my raised arms.

Well, still… At least it means I won’t pass out right after using the skill like this time. It’s a shame I can’t join the ranks of the strongest, but good is good.

“By the way, guys. This is a secret from Dusk Bringer… ?”

Our house guest, Dusk Bringer, is a half-human, half-dragon.

I can’t just say, ‘Hey, I was weak, so I ate your kin’s heart as a tonic!’ I don’t know what I’ll hear if he finds out!

“Anyway, everyone, you’ve worked hard. We’ve been through so much…”

I looked at my pale party members and grinned.

“Let’s go back and rest!”

***

[Free Exploration Ended!]

[Leveled Up Characters]

>Main Party

– Ash (EX) Lv.51 (↑1)

– Lucas (SSR) Lv.53 (↑1)

– Evangeline (SSR) Lv.53 (↑1)

– Damien (EX) Lv.53 (↑1)

– Jupiter Junior (SSR) Lv.59 (↑1)

[Deceased and Injured Characters]

– None

[Acquired Captured Monsters]

– Lv.45 Hawkbear Assassin (SR)

[Acquired Items]

– Harpy Legion Magic Stones: 52

– Hawkbear Legion Magic Stones: 27

– Succubus Legion Essence: 12

– Harpy Coloratura Mana Core (SSR): 1

[Liberated Area]

– Area 1: Dried-Up Drainage

> New resource production is now possible in this area.

***

After returning to Crossroads, I had dinner with my party members.

It seemed like I had really been close to death, because everyone was constantly worried and trying to take care of me, which was a bit of a problem.

Evangeline was cutting my food for me next to me, Damien was using a spoon to put soup in my mouth for me, and Junior was even putting his hand on my back while I was eating to check my mana status.

Enough already! Your prince is completely fine! I even ate a Dragon Heart, so I’m a mana king now! Well, I don’t really feel it!

“…”

Lucas, who had taken off his tin helmet to eat, was sitting far away, just watching us.

I’m grateful that he’s not making a fuss, but it’s even more awkward because he’s not making a fuss, considering his personality….

After dinner, I sent Damien and Junior back to their respective temples and inns.

I was going to have a tea time with Lucas and Evangeline before bed, but Lucas refused.

“I’m sorry, my lord. I have somewhere to go today.”

“Oh? Where are you going?”

“It’s nothing important. I’ll report to you later.”

“Okay…”

I was trying to have a heart-to-heart talk, but Lucas said he had something to do and left.

Lucas bowed to me and then stepped out of the mansion, saying in a low voice.

“My lord.”

“Yeah?”

“…Please, don’t go too far.”

Then, he bowed his head.

“Then.”

And he walked away briskly….

“…No, aren’t you the one going far away?”

He’s going out on his own now.

It’s like my cousin, who used to follow me around when we were kids, suddenly became distant after growing up a bit.

I feel a subtle distance between Lucas and me.

‘What should I do to become close with my distant cousin again? Should I give him some allowance?’

At that moment, Evangeline, who was standing next to me, looked at Lucas walking away, made a serious ‘hmm’ sound, and said.

“Senior. I’ve been thinking about it.”

“Yeah?”

“About Lucas, I think…”

Evangeline was seriously thinking, so I couldn’t help but feel nervous. What about Lucas?

Immediately after, Evangeline blurted out.

“Maybe he’s going through puberty?!”

“…”

“His recent behavior is exactly like that! I know because I’ve been through it, that’s exactly the pattern of puberty!”

I was so dumbfounded that I opened my mouth wide and looked down at Evangeline.

No.

You shouldn’t be the one saying that…?