I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 349

Boo-ooo!

The horn blared,

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

The leather drums vibrated.

Through the swirling dust clouds, the orderly ranks of monsters emerged, their skin green.

Green Skins.

This derogatory term, used to lump together orcs and goblins, also carried a sense of dread.

For the ordinary citizens of this world, these monsters, which frequently appeared in large numbers, were the closest thing to a disaster.

Locust swarms, tsunamis, plagues, and wildfires.

The flowing green death. That was the Green Skins.

But, to be honest.

For me, who had encountered them through games and other media, far removed from this world, the Green Skins were nothing more than ‘fodder’ enemies.

Just early-game mobs that were slightly more numerous. Experience points that didn’t even drop decent items.

However, in reality, it felt different.

‘What the hell?’

I felt cold sweat trickling down my back as I surveyed the endless horde of them.

‘How are there so many?’

The goblin army lined up in front of the colosseum seemed to number at least a thousand.

This was strange. This was a number you’d expect to see in the Crossroads defense battle.

‘Numbers don’t matter! They’re just goblins!’

Their individual stats were the absolute worst. Among all the monster legions in the game, these goblins had the lowest stats and potential.

Just wipe them out with area-of-effect attacks!

I hastily scattered magic cores to increase the number of defense towers and summoned all the captured monsters I had.

Above all, we were now the attackers, taking over enemy territory.

If things went south, we had a teleport gate and emergency escape scrolls. If it got too hairy, we could just run.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The goblin legion, clad in medieval Middle Eastern-style armor, finished their formation.

They were so thoroughly trained that the thousand goblins stood motionless in their battle formation, without a single gap.

Clop, clop, clop-

Ahead of them, a tall goblin rode forward on a mountain goat.

Wearing leather armor. Draped in a golden cloak. With a helmet that combined a mask and a crown.

The commander who ruled the Green Skins. The Goblin God-King who enslaved orcs.

Kali-Alexandre himself had arrived.

‘I didn’t expect to meet him so soon.’

I smirked.

Every time I entered a dungeon before a boss stage, I had encountered their legion commanders. Selendion and Lunared were the same.

So, I had expected this guy to show up in person to some extent.

And there was a crucial difference between the Vampire King, the Wolf King, and the Goblin God-King. It was the power of the boss unit.

The Vampire King and the Wolf King were ridiculously overpowered monsters, with the boss unit accounting for more than half of the legion’s combat power.

But the Goblin God-King was the opposite. His combat power was high for a goblin, but it was still low compared to other bosses.

The goblin legion was a simple numbers-based army that relied solely on quantity, quantity, quantity, rather than the strength of a specific unit.

In other words-

‘If we encounter him in a dungeon, we can definitely kill him!’

Killing him in this conquest situation was much easier than killing him during a defense battle! Even though their numbers were considerable, it was worth a try!

“Shall we snipe him, Your Highness?” Damian whispered to me. But I shook my head.

“…He has an item that nullifies ranged attacks. Even your sniping won’t work.”

The Goblin God-King had the weakest physical abilities of all the boss monsters.

Perhaps because of that, he was equipped with several good items.

In particular, his armor and cloak were ridiculously overpowered items that made the wearer immune to all ranged sniping and magic attacks.

But- he was vulnerable in close combat.

And most of the party members I brought this time were specialized in close combat.

If we could just get close, we could cut his throat in an instant…!

I secretly relayed these instructions to my party members. They nodded.

Once the battle began, Junior’s area-of-effect magic and Damian’s sniping would clear a path.

The Penal Legion, the Dragon Blood Knights, and Lucas and Evangeline would charge towards the enemy commander. The plan was to take his head.

‘Walking into his own grave! What a fool!’

I licked my dry lips as I waited for the conquest start countdown.

I was even prepared to use [Goddess Blessing] here if necessary. It was that good of an opportunity to end this defense battle easily.

That’s when it happened. Fluent language spilled from the mouth of Kali-Alexandre, who had stepped forward.

《I have not come to fight.》

It was husky and tired, but… surprisingly, a neutral, beautiful voice.

《Among you, who is the guardian of the mortal realm, the ‘player’ who opposes the King of Kings?》

He was asking a question, but Kali-Alexandre was looking directly at me. It seemed he already suspected that I was the player.

《I wish to converse.》

“…”

《I humbly request. Speak with me.》

Ding!

A message appeared before my eyes.

[The hostile legion commander ‘Kali-Alexandre’ has requested a ‘Commander’s Conference’.]

“…”

Commander’s Conference.

It was that special gimmick I had used on Selendion back in Stage 5.

A special gimmick exclusive to boss stages. Both commander characters are unusable for 10 turns. 100% success rate.

Thanks to that, I was able to tie up Selendion for 10 turns. If used well, it was a really good gimmick.

For reference, I couldn’t use it during Stage 10 because the distance to Lunared was too far and the situation elsewhere was too urgent.

‘I never thought the monsters would initiate this first…’

I let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.

I didn’t realize this when I used it on Selendion.

“…Alright, I accept.”

It’s so annoying when it happens to you!

I was about to kill the enemy boss, and suddenly, we’re forced into a 10-turn conversation where we can’t touch each other. And there’s no way to refuse.

Is this the etiquette of this world, or is it romantic? Damn it.

When I gave the OK, Kali-Alexandre nodded and gestured behind him.

Then, his goblin subordinates brought out a table and chairs and placed them in the open space between their camp and the magic fortress.

“Hah.”

I ran a hand through my hair in annoyance and snapped my fingers. Responding to my will, the fortress gates rumbled open.

“Thirty minutes.”

I glanced at my party members as I stepped out of the gate.

“After that, when the conference is over, immediately attack and kill that goblin. Got it?”

“Yes, my lord,” Lucas replied confidently, his eyes gleaming.

As I walked out, a flustered Dusk Bringer and Quillan rushed to my sides.

“Ash, are you going out there alone? Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Captain! Don’t do that, let’s just attack and wipe them out! I’ll just turn them into mush with my fists!”

I shook my head slightly.

“It doesn’t work like that… And I’ve done a conference with an enemy commander before. Don’t worry too much.”

On the ramparts, Junior and Damian were staring intently at the goblin legion. I could trust them with my safety.

《…》

The goblin legion, on the other hand, was expressionless, just standing in formation.

Even in the face of the bizarre sight of their king trying to have a conversation with the enemy commander alone, they showed no emotional agitation.

Thud. Thud.

I walked towards the table,

Thump!

The Goblin God-King lightly dismounted from his mountain goat and stood beside the table.

We stood opposite each other at the table. Kali-Alexandre bowed his head slightly first, showing respect.

《Kali-Alexandre. Commander of the Goblin Legion.》

I just nodded my head lightly.

“Ash. Commander of the Southern Front of the Everblack Empire.”

《Sit.》

With that, Kali-Alexandre sat down in his chair first. I followed suit.

《…》

“…”

An awkward silence flowed.

The Goblin God-King seemed to be carefully observing me with his eyes behind his mask. I didn’t back down and observed the Goblin God-King in return.

His attire was similar to that of the medieval Middle East. Even the curved scimitar at his waist made it seem like he was from that region.

The leather armor he wore and the patterns on his golden cloak were also from the Middle East.

After staring at me for a while longer, I tapped the table in annoyance.

“Hey. Did you call me here just to observe my face?”

《Ah… I apologize. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a living human.》

Kali-Alexandre lowered his head sheepishly.

《When I was alive, I couldn’t talk to humans after the war broke out. And after I died and was resurrected here, I was in the darkness of ruin… so I couldn’t meet any living humans.》

“…”

《It’s been hundreds of years since I’ve spoken to a living human. I was lost in thought and was rude. I apologize.》

I snorted and leaned back in my chair.

“Alright, what did you call me here for? I hope it’s not a trivial matter. I don’t really have anything to talk about with you.”

I just want to end this quickly and take your head, you goblin bastard.

Then, Kali-Alexandre opened his mouth awkwardly.

《I’m sorry to say, but I called you here for a very trivial matter.》

“A very trivial matter?”

《That is, if it’s alright…》

Kali-Alexandre hesitated for a moment, then looked up at me.

《…Could you recite a poem for me?》

…He had made a request I never imagined.

***

I was momentarily stunned.

It was almost a minute later that I managed to ask back, barely recovering.

“…What? A poem? You want me to recite a poem?”

《Yes, a poem. Or, it doesn’t have to be a poem. Lyrics are fine, or even a short story.》

Kali-Alexandre was practically begging with both hands clasped together.

《Please. The last time I heard a human poem was before I started the war. It’s a very distant memory now.》

“…”

《If you know any verses, even just one line, would you tell me? Please…》

I couldn’t understand it at all.

A goblin? A poem? Why? And why so desperately?

It wasn’t like I had a reason to refuse outright, and it just so happened that I knew quite a few poems from Earth.

I looked up, and beyond the darkness of the vast Lake Kingdom, the black surface shimmered faintly in the sunlight.

It suddenly looked like a star in the dark winter sky.

“…”

I took a breath and recited a stanza of an English poem that came to mind.

Years go, dreams go, and youth goes too,

The world’s heart breaks beneath its wars,

All things are changed, save in the east

The faithful beauty of the stars.

The short recitation ended.

《…》

Kali-Alexandre was silent.

I felt a little awkward. What’s with him? He asked me to recite a poem, and now he’s not reacting at all?

“Hey, give me some kind of reaction…”

I couldn’t stand it anymore and was about to say something,

Drip. Drip.

That’s when I noticed it.

Droplets of water were flowing down from under Kali-Alexandre’s masked helmet.

‘Wh-what is this?’

This guy, could it be…

“Are you crying right now?”

《…Ah.》

Kali-Alexandre slowly lowered his head and mumbled in a tearful voice.

《It’s so beautiful, I couldn’t help it.》

I was flustered and just stared at the Goblin God-King.

Am I seeing things?

A goblin crying because he was moved by a poem?

《Just as clear sunlight is filtered through a clear lens and emits a pure stream of light… pure language is refined to create such beautiful verses, how can one not be moved?》

Kali-Alexandre spoke, sobbing without wiping away his tears.

《How beautiful and great is human culture. A few words can stir the soul and move this old heart.》

Kali-Alexandre looked up at the sky with a long sigh.

《My race has no poetry, no lyrics, no plays. I, too, am by nature violent, only capable of driving my troops to kill and burn.》

“…”

《How lamentable! Why was I born a goblin?》

I just listened silently to the Goblin God-King’s muttering.

《Just kill and burn.》

For some reason, this monster, who was supposed to be my enemy, whom I should kill.

《Just kill and burn…》

Seemed a little, just a little, pitiful.