I Became The Tyrant Of A Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 380

Elise was a striking figure anywhere.

A young woman in a maid’s uniform, carrying a large tube on her back.

Moreover, she would draw numerous swords from that tube to slaughter enemies, and even emit a unique, inorganic, bluish-gray gaze, making her impossible to overlook.

However, in this battle, Elise did not step forward to the front lines but kept her presence hidden. She remained in the rear, focusing solely on supporting her allies.

If the battle became long and arduous, and her other companions’ strength waned.

She knew that her role was to protect Ash right beside him until the very end.

– No matter what happens, protect His Highness the Prince safely.

As Serenade, Elise’s master, had repeatedly instructed.

Elise did not forget the inherent purpose she had been given, and that was why she could act so freely in this situation.

Swoosh! Thwack-!

South of Crossroads. The plains in front of the city walls.

At the edge of the gray mana fortress that Ash had summoned.

Standing there, Elise drew elegant arcs with the two long swords in her hands.

Several goblins pierced by the trajectory of her blades all sprayed blood like fountains and collapsed to the ground.

After performing a smooth sword dance, Elise glanced around.

Thud… Thud…

It was as if the world was ending.

The walls of Crossroads were collapsing and burning, and through the gaps, goblins were constantly pouring into the city.

Even so, there were still thousands of goblins remaining on the plains, and they were surrounding the gray mana fortress here.

The mana fortress that Ash had built was sturdy, but the people on it were growing weary.

The heroes and soldiers were all exhausted from the day-long battle.

Their bodies were covered in the blood and minor injuries from the monsters, and their weapons and supplies were rapidly running out.

Kuilran, Verdandi, Dusk Bringer, and even Lucas were all breathing heavily with pale, tired faces.

《Kya ha… ha ha ha…》

The summoned beast, the Troll King, who had been struggling alone outside the fortress.

Since he did not possess the same abnormal recovery specs as his main body, he had long been subdued, pierced by hundreds of swords and spears, and had fallen to the ground.

Kilik!

Kiri-ri-rik!

And regardless of the human side’s situation, the goblins continued to swarm relentlessly.

A faint despair crossed everyone’s faces.

Out of the 50,000 goblins that had marched from the Black Lake, they had killed as many as 40,000. They had killed and killed and killed again endlessly.

But even with the 10,000 that remained, it was enough to ravage Crossroads.

“…It’s because of my mistakes.”

Ash muttered. Elise glanced back at the prince.

“The mistakes I made little by little, like rolling a small snowball… led to this result.”

“…”

“I could have annihilated them more efficiently, with less damage… because of my mistakes…”

Ash was not in good condition. He still couldn’t properly support his body and continued to cough up blood.

It was clearly an unreasonable situation. He had used up his stamina and mental strength to defeat the enemy commander, and then he had forcibly squeezed out the fortress summoning magic twice.

But even in that situation, Ash staggered and rose to his feet. Elise quietly dissuaded him.

“Your Highness. Please rest a little more. It is not yet time for you to step forward.”

“If I don’t step forward, more people will die.”

Ash looked at the burning city with haggard eyes.

“Because of me, people are dying…”

Only then did Elise see it.

The things Ash was carrying on his shoulders.

He was blaming himself for the deaths of all the people he had lost in the battles so far.

He was carrying those hundreds, thousands of lives… on his shoulders, staggering and enduring.

“…”

Elise had no intention of relieving him of his burden.

That was not her role.

“…If there are people who died because of Your Highness.”

However.

She would simply speak honestly.

“There are also people who survived thanks to Your Highness.”

“…”

“Just as Your Highness cannot forget those who died, the survivors also cannot forget what Your Highness has given them.”

Elise’s dry voice rang out clearly around them.

Kuilran wiped the sweat from his chin and rose to his knees.

Verdandi took out a pouch of nuts from her pocket and passed it around to her companions, and Dusk Bringer took the pouch and emptied it into his mouth.

Lucas, with his shoulders straightened, took a deep breath and raised his sword again.

They all owed their lives to Ash.

So, if it would help support Ash even a little, they would rise again and again.

And… it wasn’t just them who owed their lives to Ash.

Tu-tu-tu-tu-tu…

A strange mechanical sound began to echo from afar.

The sound came from the north. One by one, the heroes who sensed the sound raised their eyes.

From the northern sky, where the sunset was beginning, the sound was getting closer.

A faint smile crossed Elise’s lips as she knew the identity of the sound.

“The seeds that Your Highness has sown are never in vain.”

And,

Tu-tu-tu-tu-tu…!

Across the red sky, over the walls of Crossroads, it appeared.

It was a huge airship.

A clunky piece of scrap metal that, at a glance, was anachronistic… with no aesthetic design to be found.

Blue flames shot out from the crude thrusters that looked like furnaces attached to the rear.

Two propellers attached to the top head and tail of the massive body rotated with a hideous sound.

Thwack-!

The dozen or so magic cannon batteries on the lower part of the airship, which had descended over the plains, aimed at the surroundings. And,

Tu-du-du-du-du-!

They unleashed a terrifying barrage.

The barrage that poured out instantly shredded the goblins in the area. The goblins around the gray mana fortress were swept away in an instant.

The people standing in the gray fortress gaped at this overwhelming firepower.

“The vanguard assault ship used by the interspecies allied forces during the race war 100 years ago, which was completely destroyed and sank in the eastern sea at the time.”

Even Ash was flustered and lost for words, but only Elise calmly explained.

“Our Winter Silver Merchant Guild purchased it on the black market, and we have secretly finished repairing it over the past six months. It is our mistress’s dowry… no, a secret military supply.”

The Winter Silver Merchant Guild’s emblem was freshly painted on the lower part of the airship.

Looking up at it, Elise nodded.

“It is the flagship ‘Geronimo’.”

Chiiik-!

The side hatch of the airship opened.

And through the gap – a woman with water-colored hair fluttering in the wind appeared.

“Your Highness-!”

The head of the Winter Silver Merchant Guild.

Serenade Winter Silver waved her hand with a bright smile.

“It’s the ‘slightly amazing military supply’ I told you about back then! How is it, pretty good, right?”

It was not just slightly amazing. It was so absurd that even Ash chuckled.

According to imperial law, all airships must belong to the imperial family. Those who violate this are subject to the death penalty.

Serenade was now completely ignoring even the imperial law, and had returned to the battlefield, personally piloting the airship to save Ash.

Tu-du-du-du-du-!

The airship fired a barrage as it flew low.

But no matter how powerful the airship’s firepower was, it was only one ship, and it was not enough to reverse the tide of the battle.

Rather, the goblins, drawn by the loud noise, were fiercely swarming towards them.

But Serenade smiled and pointed to the other side.

“It’s not just me! Look!”

Serenade’s fingertip was pointing to the west.

Ash’s eyes widened as he turned to look.

Clatter, clatter, clatter…

On the hill road west of Crossroads.

People on horseback were entering one after another, silhouetted against the setting sun.

The knights at the very front were wearing blood-red armor.

“500 members of the Dragon Blood Knights from the Bringer Principality!”

The knight at the head shouted in a booming voice.

“We have arrived at the call of the great Dragon Lady! From this moment on, we will support the monster front!”

Next to him was a flamboyantly dressed nobleman with a stylish beard.

“I am Valenio, the head of the Southern City-State Alliance! I have gathered volunteers from nearby city-states in response to Crossroads’ request for support!”

Valenio smiled as he stroked his beard.

“I have been indebted to Crossroads since my father’s father’s father’s time. I can finally repay that debt, even if only a little… 400 volunteers from the City-State Alliance! We will join the fight!”

Next to him, a man with tanned skin and a turban, riding a camel, stepped forward.

“Descendants of the fallen Western Kingdom, the nomadic tribe ‘Mirage’. 200 warriors.”

The man’s deep eyes, glaring at the goblins, were filled with bitter hatred.

“We read the letter requesting support, young lord of Crossroads. We cannot be left out of the task of killing greenskins. Give us a place.”

Next to him, the leaders of each force continued to step forward and shout.

“We have come from the Barony of Vientina! 50 soldiers! We will join!”

“From the County of Malia as well! 80 soldiers! We will join!”

“We have come from the far east! The port city of Sand’s End! 100 marines!”

“The Merchant Alliance has also come to repay the dedication of the monster front!”

“We must repay even a little of the favors we have received from Crossroads!”

“We cannot let the goblins cross Crossroads!”

And.

Clatter. Clatter.

A woman with light green hair, riding a giant deer, appeared.

“Happy New Year’s letter well received, Prince Ash.”

The woman wearing a white twig crown had long ears, and four teardrop-shaped dots were marked under her eyes in a diamond pattern.

“I came to talk to you frankly, but I didn’t expect to see such a sight. If you had requested reinforcements from the beginning, I would have brought more troops…”

The elf woman stretched her arm forward.

“Queen Skuld of the Fairies, 50 members of the Elven Autonomous Region’s Fairy Reconnaissance Unit! We will join the battle!”

And finally.

Muscular warriors with pale skin, wearing clothes trimmed with white fur, appeared riding wolves.

The ivory-haired girl at the head smiled.

“Are we the only ones from the north? …Second Princess of the Arian Kingdom, Yoon Arian! 100 warriors from the Arian Kingdom! We will join the fight!”

Princess Arian, Yoon, who had almost married Ash in the imperial capital, narrowed her bright yellow eyes and waved her hand.

“I came to see your face since I was nearby, my former fiancé.”

People lined up against the setting sun.

The sudden appearance of the relief force soon caused the people to raise their arms and cheer, while the goblins were bewildered and didn’t know what to do.

“…”

Ash couldn’t believe this sight and stared blankly at the hill to the west.

Even while sending the letters requesting support, he had thought that no one would respond.

From all over the world, people had gathered to help them… so many people.

“The Crossroads Relief Force, a total of 1,800 people!”

“We will join the fight!”

“Let’s go!”

“Kill the goblins-!”

“Help the monster front-!”

From the western hill, soldiers on horses, camels, deer, and wolves rushed down, shouting different cries.

And, the support forces did not end there.

Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!

From the south.

Following the path the goblins had come from, a force riding skeletal warhorses appeared.

At first, the soldiers were tense, thinking they were part of the monster forces, but they were not. The ones riding the skeletal warhorses were people.

“We are sorry for being late, Your Highness! Since my monster corps cannot use the gate, we all had to come by land…!”

It was Jackal, who had brought the monsters he had tamed, including the skeletal warhorses.

And those who came with Jackal on the skeletal warhorses were the adventurers from the Lake Kingdom base camp.

“Sorry, Ash. We deliberately followed by land to strike the rear of the advancing enemies, but the forces they left behind remained in various places, so we were delayed while dealing with them.”

Mu-myeong clicked his tongue and straightened his sword, and next to him, Kellybay slammed his hammer into his hand.

“But thanks to that, we were able to rescue one person.”

“…”

Lilly, wrapped in a blanket, was riding behind Kellybay.

The people from the base camp had rescued her, who had been isolated in the forward base.

Lilly bowed her head to Ash. Ash closed his mouth tightly and nodded back.

Kellybay thrust his hammer forward and shouted.

“Alright! Then let’s cheer up and clean up the goblins-!”

“Hyah! Let’s go-!”

“Save Crossroads-!”

Du-du-du-du-du-!

From the south and west, those who had gathered to protect Crossroads, regardless of race or affiliation, rushed forward.