I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 33

“I’m spreading rumors all over the continent. That the new lord of the monster front is a royal and is throwing money around,” Jupiter said with a smirk.

“If the rumors spread, mercenaries will flock here.”

“Oh…”

She did something commendable without me even asking.

If the rumor spreads that Crossroad pays well and is a good place to work, mercenaries from all over the continent will come.

In the game, there was an effect that the recruitment speed increased if you took care of the mercenaries’ welfare.

‘Right now, it’s just the pay, but I need to take care of other things as well.’

I don’t have the time right now, but I will later.

Jupiter shrugged her shoulders, looking around the empty guild.

“However, it will take more than a week for the rumors to spread far and wide.”

It’s hard to see immediate results. There will probably be few new mercenaries until the next stage.

Still, in the long run, the rumors will have a good effect. I nodded.

“I’m counting on you, Jupiter. Spread the rumors and gather new recruits.”

“Leave it to me.”

Jupiter went back into the guild, sat at the bar, leaned back comfortably, and lit a cigarette.

“Then, to spread the rumors today, I’ll just hang out here!”

“Do as you please…”

I decided to leave Jupiter alone without saying anything more.

Anyway, Jupiter is also taking care of things. Even though she’s a mercenary who only needs to work as much as she’s paid.

I decided to accept her efforts gratefully. Although, I’m not happy about her using the guild like her own home…

***

After taking a walk around the city.

I returned to the mansion and gave several instructions to Aider.

In particular, I ordered him to put all available manpower and resources into repairing the city walls.

“I will carry out your orders, my lord!”

Aider immediately ran to the market.

He has to sell new magic stones, buy manpower and materials, and will be busy for a while. You suffer a little too.

The city began to move busily.

The sight of people moving around with energy and purpose was full of life.

“…”

However, even while watching the bustling city, I didn’t feel very good.

This is a fortress city.

A front line built to stop the monsters.

The fact that this place is moving busily also means that the monsters’ attack is imminent.

The next stage was approaching quickly.

***

That afternoon.

Southeast of Crossroad.

The Cross Margrave’s villa and mansion.

“Margrave!”

It’s still early spring, but it’s quite hot. Is it because it’s in the south?

Sweat was dripping down my face as I pulled a new cart full of alcohol all the way here. I roughly wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and shouted again.

“Margrave! Are you inside?”

Creak-

The door of the old mansion slowly opened. Soon, an old man’s grumpy eyes peeked out from the crack in the door.

“I’m here again. This time, I brought snacks too.”

I showed him what I had loaded on the cart.

Ham and cheese made from pork hind legs, and alcohol.

I smiled at the Cross Margrave, who was gulping down his saliva.

“Let’s have a drink.”

I have to win this old man over somehow and bring the Cross family’s private soldiers under my command.

This is work-related drinking! It’s not for fun!

***

Several days passed.

I supervised the defense line repairs during the day, and at night, I went to the Cross Margrave’s house and drank with him.

There was no conversation between me and the Cross Margrave. We just exchanged drinks.

The defense line was steadily repaired, and my liver was steadily overworked.

How long did I spend pouring liquor into myself?

The Cross Margrave finally opened his mouth after three days of drinking without saying a word.

“Do you have someone you love?”

That stubborn old man, how can he not say a word, I was grumbling inwardly as I brought a glass to my lips, not knowing how many I had already had.

The Cross Margrave suddenly blurted out. I was so surprised that my eyes widened like a goldfish.

I was surprised that this old man suddenly spoke, but the question was so out of the blue that I was stunned for a moment.

“Huh?”

“I asked if you have someone you love.”

“…”

The Cross Margrave chuckled when I couldn’t answer and froze.

“I guess not.”

“W-well, yes.”

No, even if I did, it’s my privacy. I wouldn’t tell you.

“Think about it carefully. Is there really no one?”

“Hmm…”

At the Margrave’s persistent question, I paused to think. Someone I love?

Back on Earth, before I started game broadcasting, I was… alone.

I wasn’t loved by anyone, and I hadn’t loved anyone either. I just survived alone.

Then I started broadcasting, and the broadcast gradually grew, and I received love from many viewers…

– I love you, Godok oppa! (Wiggling)

– How much do I have to donate for you to twerk? I’ll donate 100,000 won first ^^7

– You failed the mission, so take off your clothes and apologize lol. Ah, please hurry.

“…”

I turned pale as I recalled the chats of the perverts disguised as viewers.

No, no, that was them giving me one-sided love(?). They weren’t someone I loved.

Anyway, after thinking about it carefully, there really isn’t anyone. I shook my head.

“No, I don’t.”

“You’ve lived a bleak life, young man.”

I don’t think you’re the one to say that, living like this!

“Are you the one to talk, just locking yourself up in your house and drinking?”

“Hahaha…”

The Cross Margrave smiled bitterly. I gestured with my chin.

“Then, Margrave, do you have someone you love?”

“I did.”

The Cross Margrave answered immediately.

“My wife. The only person I loved in my entire life.”

He’s a romantic, unlike what he looks like, this old man.

But I had to shut my mouth at the Margrave’s next words.

“She died. Three years ago.”

“…”

“In this orchard, she was torn to pieces by monsters. I had to hold a funeral with an empty coffin.”

Silence fell.

I couldn’t say anything while the Cross Margrave emptied his glass and refilled it.

The Margrave, who had refilled his glass, slowly opened his mouth.

“There’s a jinx that has been passed down through the lords of this land. You could call it a curse.”

“A curse?”

“There will come a moment when you have to choose between this city and someone precious to you.”

The old man’s voice was extremely calm. As if he were reciting a normal old fairy tale, not a cruel curse.

“There were no exceptions. From the distant past lords, to my grandfather, to my father. No one could avoid this curse.”

“…”

“And that moment came to me too.”

The Cross Margrave brought the glass to his lips with a trembling hand.

“For the past ten years, the monsters have hardly stirred. The city was peaceful, but on the other hand, the profits decreased. The city’s finances deteriorated, so we had to start a new business somehow.”

And he slowly told me about his ‘moment’.

“That’s when my wife said. Let’s farm the land south of the front line.”

“Outside the fortress?”

“The land north of the front line was already saturated. The empty southern land was definitely attractive. The frequency of monster appearances had decreased, and there was almost no magical contamination of the land. I thought it was worth trying to farm.”

“…”

“So I expanded the cultivated land to the south. Refugees from other places, who had heard rumors that the land was fertile, flocked there, and the monsters were few in number, so we could repel them without any problems. For a while, things went well.”

The Cross Margrave swallowed his alcohol with difficulty.

“This orchard was located at the southernmost end of those newly cultivated lands. As the lord’s wife, my wife took the lead in moving trees and cultivating the land in the most dangerous place.”

The Cross Margrave looked at the orchard visible through the window with a blurry gaze.

“I remember the grapes my wife put in my mouth with her soil-covered hands. The fruit that grew here in the first year of cultivation was not much to look at, but it was sweeter than anything in the world.”

“…”

“I had a brief hope. Maybe we could live by cultivating the land and harvesting fruit, instead of killing monsters. Maybe these days would continue.”

A sneer appeared on the Margrave’s lips.

“But that was not to be.”

Chug. Chug.

The Margrave, who had emptied his glass in one gulp, continued his story in a subdued voice.

“It was the second year of cultivation. An alarm came that about a hundred large monsters had broken through the forward base and were approaching the city. I rushed back to the city. My wife, who was taking care of the orchard, waved her hand, telling me to be careful.”

The Margrave stared blankly at his empty glass.

“It was only when I arrived at the city that I learned that they had split into two groups. That a dozen or so monsters had broken away from the main force and attacked the newly cultivated land.”

“…”

“The main force of the monsters was already attacking the city, and I had to choose. Whether to save my wife in the newly cultivated land, or to protect tens of thousands of citizens inside the city.”

The Margrave’s aged eyes stared at me.

“What do you think I chose?”

“You chose the city.”

“Yes. As our family has done for generations. According to the principles and rules, I chose the city.”

“…”

“I locked the city gates and held off the monsters. After a few hours of fighting, I was able to repel them all. And when I rushed back to the newly cultivated land on horseback.”

The Cross Margrave was faithful to his duty.

“The fields were destroyed, and all the settlers were dead. Hundreds of people were torn to pieces by only a dozen or so monsters. This orchard, and my wife, too. The same.”

Instead, he lost the most precious thing.

“What was the problem? The weak defense line of the newly cultivated land that was not enough to stop the giant monsters? The unreasonable expansion south of the front line? Yes, they were all my mistakes. But what torments me the most is… that moment of choice, myself who abandoned my wife and chose the city.”

Gulp. Gulp.

The Cross Margrave slowly filled his glass and drank it. It was a mechanical repetition.

“My daughter called me crazy. She could never understand me, who chose the city over her mother. A few days later, my daughter left this place.”

“…”

“In the end, this is the result of protecting this place my whole life. My wife is dead, my daughter has left, and I am left here alone to rot.”

I could only look at the old man’s trembling, bony wrist with complicated eyes.

“…This is just one example, new lord.”

Thud.

The Cross Margrave, who had placed his empty glass on the table, let out a long sigh.

“You know what this front line is called, don’t you?”

“The city on the grave, you mean?”

“Yes. This cursed city, built on death, will also demand a choice from you.”

The Cross Margrave raised his wrinkled finger and pointed directly at me.

“There will come a moment when you have to sacrifice your most precious thing to protect this city.”

“…”

It was not a curse, but like a prophecy.

As if it were merely foretelling the inevitable consequence of cause and effect.

“Our family has lived while enduring that sacrifice. My grandfather, my father, and I. But… I can’t do it anymore.”

The Cross Margrave closed his eyes tightly.

“I will not pass on this cursed task to my daughter.”

“…Indeed.”

I finally understood.

I slowly nodded.

“Margrave. You gave up your position to prevent your daughter from inheriting the lord’s seat.”

“That’s right.”

The Cross Margrave readily admitted.

“I want my daughter to escape this cursed land, to escape this cursed task, and to live peacefully and happily.”

SSR-grade tank, Evangeline Cross.

The character I was trying to recruit at all costs, the Cross Margrave was trying to keep her away from this front line at all costs.

“Hey, Prince. You asked me to help you protect the city, right?”

The Cross Margrave mumbled in a listless voice.

“I’ve already protected the city enough. Even while losing my most precious thing.”

“…”

“I want to stop now.”

In the Margrave’s eyes reflected in the glass, there was no longer the pride of a man who had protected the front line his whole life.

“I want to die in this orchard, not on the city walls.”

There was only the regret of a man who could not be by his wife’s side at the last moment.

“This should be the answer to why I don’t want to help. I’m telling you honestly because I’m grateful that you’ve been keeping me company.”

“…”

“I’m leaving now. And I advise you, when that moment comes for you… make a good decision.”

The Cross Margrave, who had given me the order to leave, smiled bitterly as he shook the empty bottle into the empty glass.

“Don’t regret it like I did.”