I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 348

The Leprosy Extermination Corps.

A mercenary group entirely composed of lepers, they are renowned for their relentless pursuit and assassination of their targets.

They are also known for their tenacity in collecting their fees.

In the rough mercenary world, there are often clients who delay or refuse to pay, but these mercenaries are famous for tracking down such clients and making them pay the price.

That’s why they’re called the Leprosy Extermination Corps—a group of assassins made up of lepers.

Why do I know so much about them?

‘Well, they were one of my main front-line parties in the game!’

I guess I’m the type of gamer who cares more about performance than looks. The Leprosy Extermination Corps, with their hideous appearance, weren’t popular, but I used them just fine.

They all had the [Leprosy] trait, which dulls their sense of pain, making them more resistant to damage.

However, they also have a penalty to their agility stat and are prone to status ailments like burns, frostbite, and bleeding.

Still, as tanks, their slowness wasn’t a big issue, and in the game, status ailments could be managed during battles and treated at the temple afterward, so I didn’t worry too much about them.

Moreover, they all have tank aptitude, and their skill sets are focused on tanking and self-healing.

They’re reliable friends who can be thrown into the middle of the enemy lines and hold out all day while drawing aggro [aggro is a term used in gaming to describe when a character draws the attention of enemies].

“Welcome to Crossroads!”

I greeted them with open arms at the appearance of the SR-grade [Super Rare, a high-tier ranking] high-performance party.

“Welcome, mercenary friends! It’s nice to meet you!”

“……?”

The five members of the Leprosy Extermination Corps seemed quite bewildered by my warm welcome.

The leader, a helmeted man, stepped forward from the hesitant group of five and said,

“We heard… there are many jobs in this city… We five are confident in… fighting something…”

“You’re hired-!”

“Eek?!”

The Leprosy Extermination Corps, as well as the mercenaries watching nearby, were horrified.

Regardless, I led the Leprosy Extermination Corps into a room inside the mercenary guild.

“Come on in and let’s get the contracts written. We can negotiate your pay too. Come, come, this way.”

The leader of the Leprosy Extermination Corps—the helmeted man—was named Torkel.

He seemed dazed by the current situation but clearly stated their pay.

I added 30 percent to that and offered bonuses, but in return, I added a condition that they serve on this front for at least one year.

“Of course, if you want to work longer, contract extensions are possible! Working conditions will always be the same as or better than the previous year! How about that?”

“…….”

“Pay is weekly, and advances are possible if you need money urgently. Ask if you have any other questions.”

Torkel, who was staring at the contract with his mouth open, stammered.

“It’s… no, it’s too good… Is it okay to have such good conditions…?”

“Of course, it’s okay! You guys deserve this much.”

Torkel, with his hand wrapped in bandages, ran it over the contract and glanced at me.

“We are… lepers… Aren’t you… uncomfortable with us?”

“Well, it’s not contagious. Why would I care?”

Ah, is leprosy in this world different from Earth? Is it contagious or something?

I was a bit nervous, but Torkel slowly shook his head.

“As Your Highness said, our disease is not contagious. It’s just that we look hideous, and there are rumors that it’s a curse from the plague god…”

“It’s just a rumor, right?”

“That alone makes people avoid us.”

“Who cares? It’s not like I’m going to live with you.”

As long as mercenaries fight well, that’s all that matters. Again, I’m the type who prioritizes performance over looks.

It’s no different from why I accepted other races on this front.

As long as they kill monsters well and don’t break military law, I don’t care if they have long ears, are covered in fur, or have leprosy.

“…….”

A heavy silence fell among the Leprosy Extermination Corps. I blinked. Did I say something offensive?

“……Thank you, Your Highness.”

Torkel, standing right in front of me, slowly bowed.

“We will be loyal until our dull bodies are worn away.”

Following him, the other members of the Leprosy Extermination Corps also bowed to me. I smiled and waved my hand.

“Well, of course, it’s good if you’re loyal, but I don’t want anything grand. Just work as much as you’re paid! That’s what mercenaries are, right?”

“……That’s right.”

Torkel nodded heavily.

“We will work as much as we are paid. Just give us the orders.”

“Wait here. I’ll call you up soon.”

After finalizing the contract, I left the mercenary guild. The Leprosy Extermination Corps followed me out and bowed until I was out of sight.

“Our lord is truly… unreserved in many ways.”

Lukas, who had climbed into the driver’s seat of my carriage, muttered.

“I’ve never seen a royal treat lepers so casually. No, even the priests who treat them wouldn’t be so comfortable with them.”

“Is the treatment of lepers that bad?”

“It’s widely believed that leprosy is a punishment for those who have sinned against the goddess and are reborn. The Church of the Goddess doesn’t officially acknowledge it, but that’s the common belief.”

There was a religious reason too. And because they look hideous. They seem to be persecuted in many ways.

“But those guys are skilled enough. They’ll prove it in battle. I don’t care about looks.”

“But the soldiers will care.”

Lukas said as he started the carriage.

“For their sake, I’ll arrange separate accommodations outside the barracks.”

“…….”

Right. No matter what I think, real-world discrimination exists. It’s not something that will disappear just because the lord orders it.

Even the elven Shadow Squad and the beastmen Penal Legion are using accommodations outside the barracks.

It would be better for everyone if the Leprosy Extermination Corps also had separate accommodations outside the barracks.

‘In the future, all sorts of “different” people from all over the continent will gather here….’

Can I integrate them into one army?

Everyone in this world, where prejudice and self-interest are intertwined, into one….

“Giddy up!”

I was lost in thought, and Lukas skillfully drove the carriage. The smithy wasn’t far.

***

I ordered a lot of equipment at the smithy.

In the afternoon, I summoned three parties and entered the dungeon. The main party, the Penal Legion, and the Dragonblood Knights.

“It’s been so long since I’ve rested, my body was getting stiff!”

Dusk Bringer, leading her fully armed knights, smiled brightly.

A joyful laugh escaped from between her sharp teeth.

“Where are we going today? Is it a new dungeon? Judging by the fact that you’ve mobilized me, it must be quite difficult?”

“Haha, you’ll see when we get there.”

Seeing is believing. Once they experience a siege battle, they’ll understand right away.

“Hmm~ My whole body gets itchy at this time of year.”

Kuilun and the Penal Legion were scratching themselves as they followed from the rear.

The Penal Legion was currently in the early stages of beast mode.

Red fur had begun to sprout on their human forms. They get a bit less of the beast stat bonus, but it’s enough.

The biggest thing is that Kuilun’s negative trait [Glass Body] is removed in beast mode.

If I had to pick the top three combat power among the hero parties I have, it would be these three.

It should be enough to carry out today’s operation.

At that moment, Junior, one of the main party members who had been whispering among themselves, came to me and asked cautiously.

“Are you going to do another siege battle, Your Highness?”

“Yes.”

“You collapsed after overdoing it last time… Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ve really adapted now.”

This will be the third time I’ve used [Imperial Territory Declaration].

I can feel my body slowly adapting.

I can’t say it’s not a strain at all, but it’s like how muscle fibers tear and grow bigger, my magic circuit is also expanding its limits by being pushed a bit.

‘And the dragon heart that Moomy fed me is definitely effective.’

The electric heated floor… no, the dragon heart is lending me power only for [Imperial Territory Declaration].

In many ways, both the Imperial Territory Declaration and siege battles are starting to feel manageable. If I’m going to take over all the dungeons, they have to become manageable.

‘By the way, why a dragon heart?’

I rubbed my stomach with my hand, thinking.

Why did Moomy feed me a dragon heart? Because it’s the most effective magic tonic? Or is there another reason…?

When we arrived at the colosseum, Jackal was waiting.

“Your Highness!”

Jackal ran out barefoot, so I smiled and waved.

The plan I had agreed upon with Jackal was as follows.

First, we would take over this [Flaming Colosseum]. Then, monsters would not be able to invade this area.

And here, Jackal would use his abilities to raise his own army.

Jackal’s unique trait, [Colosseum Operator].

In simple terms, it’s a monster taming ability.

It’s a bit different from my second skill [Become Mine!], where I forcibly mind-control, while Jackal works with monsters to ‘hire’ them as gladiators. It’s just a formality, it’s closer to kidnapping, but anyway….

This way, in a place where enemies cannot invade, we can safely raise our own monster army.

It’s a trait that only Jackal, a ‘corrupted’ NPC who has half his body in the darkness of this place, can use.

‘He was swallowed by the darkness and rose to the position of dungeon boss, but he obeys me only out of loyalty to the Empire… He’s quite the stubborn one.’

I watched Jackal explain the operation to the party members in my place and clicked my tongue.

Once I’ve conquered all the dungeons and seen the true ending, will I be able to let Jackal live in the Empire again?

‘…I have so many random thoughts today.’

I shook off my thoughts and took out the flag. It was a new flag I had made at the smithy.

During the last special forces infiltration incident, I confirmed that [Imperial Territory Declaration] could be used even with a crude white flag. There was no need to carry around a large flag and plant it.

I had a small, cute, foldable flagpole made. The flag is the imperial flag for now.

‘I need to make a new flag that symbolizes this monster front.’

How should I design it? Should I hold a contest? I was thinking such things as I planted the flag in the center of the colosseum.

“I declare this land—as territory of the Empire!”

At the same time as the flagpole was planted in the ground,

Flash!

A flash of light burst out, and the magic power that escaped from my body spread out in a wide circle.

The presence of the dragon heart inside my body was now clearly felt.

Inside my blood vessels, the pieces of the dragon heart randomly coalesced, then emitted a hot heat—and rotated several times along my magic circuit.

Kiiiiiing!

Um, is this working properly? I don’t have a license for this kind of technology….

Fortunately, there was nothing strange other than my whole body feeling warm. And [Imperial Territory Declaration] was cast smoothly.

Whoosh!

As the air in the area settled, a familiar gray magic fortress was erected there.

It was combined with the outer wall of the colosseum, making it look much sturdier than usual. Today, we have a siege battle here.

[The siege battle will begin soon.]

– Time until start: 5 minutes

[Siege Battle – Sector 5: Flaming Colosseum]

– Victory is achieved by defending against three monster waves.

– The monster waves will be selected from the three closest monster legions.

– Each wave will include a boss-level monster.

The rules are the same as last time. Three monster waves. Each wave includes a boss monster.

I clapped my hands and turned to look at the party members. The others, except for the main party members, were bewildered by the sudden appearance of the fortress walls.

“Alright, everyone, you’ve all heard how this works, right? The monsters will be coming soon! Prepare for battle!”

At my shout, everyone, like the skilled combatants they were, immediately determined their defensive areas and ran to prepare for battle.

They all knew that battle was imminent and that questions could wait.

Watching the heroes being deployed in an orderly fashion, I clicked my tongue inwardly.

‘They’re the top three combat power parties, but putting them together doesn’t make them that harmonious.’

Our main party has a decent composition of pure tank/damage tank/sniper/mage/Kim Ash.

The Penal Legion is all front-line characters, and the Dragonblood Knights are the same. It’s a composition of four knights and one half-dragon, five damage tanks.

Putting these three parties together makes it a very forward-leaning, charging-type physical combination.

‘It’s strong enough, but it would be better to bring another back-line dealer party.’

I was thinking such things when.

“Ash, you…”

Dusk Bringer’s trembling voice was heard.

“That thing inside your body, is it…?”

“Huh? Oh!”

Dusk Bringer didn’t take up a battle position but came to my side and looked at me with a shocked expression.

I swallowed dryly without realizing it.

‘Did she find out that I ate Dusk Bringer’s kin’s heart as a tonic?’

I was quickly racking my brain for an excuse.

“That, is it perhaps a b….”

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The earth began to rumble, interrupting Dusk Bringer’s words.

Following that, a series of monster legions appeared in the distance, raising a cloud of dust.

“Your Highness! The area we have to defend is wide. Please come this way!”

A shout came from the Dragonblood Knights, calling for Dusk Bringer.

“…….”

Dusk Bringer glanced at me with a pale face, then bit her lip and ran to meet the monsters.

“Whew!”

I let out a sigh of relief without realizing it. Damn it, but what am I going to say if she asks me later?

That’s when it happened.

“Huh?”

A slightly strange-looking monster at the head of the approaching monster legion caught my eye.

Clop, clop, clop—

A large, goat-like creature with sharp horns, ridden like a horse… it was a goblin.

Covered in leather armor, a golden cloak fluttering in the dust, and a bizarre helmet that combined a mask and a crown.

《…….》

The goblin, who had appeared leading the army, pulled the reins and stopped his goat some distance from the magic fortress.

And he slowly raised his masked face and looked this way.

My eyes met his.

In the midst of the noisy battlefield, a strange silence fell for a moment.

“…….”

《…….》

I knew it instinctively.

That guy is the Nightmare Legion Commander I have to face in this defense battle.

The Goblin God-King, Kali-Alexandre.