I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 413

Crossroad. Alchemy Workshop.

Bang!

I burst through the door, panting, and called out urgently,

‘Lily!’

Lily’s room was near the workshop entrance, a consideration for her impaired leg.

Rushing inside, I exclaimed,

‘I heard something big happened! What on earth…’

My voice trailed off.

Lily was sitting primly at her workshop desk, inspecting an artifact.

‘…Your Highness?’

Lily looked at me, startled, and spoke in a bewildered tone.

‘Goodness, you’re back?’

‘Uh, y-yeah. I’m back… but…’

I raised a trembling hand and pointed at Lily.

‘Your… what’s with that belly?’

Lily, seated in her chair… good heavens. Her belly was enormously swollen.

I covered my mouth with my hand and approached Lily.

‘Your belly… why is it so big?’

‘Ah, well…’

‘Even if you were stressed, you shouldn’t have binged so much! How did you get such severe abdominal obesity?’

‘It’s not fat, okay?!’

Lily snapped, then sighed, placing both hands on her belly.

‘I’m pregnant.’

‘Huh?’

My jaw dropped.

‘Wh-whose child is it?!’

‘…Whose do you think? Obviously, Godhand’s.’

Lily glared at me as if I’d asked a stupid question.

I was truly speechless.

At that moment, Bodybag and Burnout came out from inside the workshop and greeted me. Lily, supported by the two, moved from her chair to a wheelchair.

‘It seems I got pregnant before the goblin invasion… Calculating the dates, it’s already been about eight months.’

‘Eight months…’

Then, the delivery is in two months? No, since it’s a mixed-blood, is the period different?

As I stared at Lily’s swollen belly, at a loss, Lily chided me.

‘Your Highness, I know you’re surprised, but isn’t there something you should say first when a subordinate tells you they’re pregnant?’

‘Oh, right! Th-that’s right. So…’

I stopped hesitating and belatedly offered the greeting I should have given.

‘Congratulations…?!’

‘Thank you, Your Highness. Though it feels like I’m being forced to accept it.’

Lily smiled wryly and asked Bodybag and Burnout to tidy up the workshop. The two elves quietly followed Lily’s request.

Leaving the workshop and pushing the wheelchair outside, Lily said,

‘It wasn’t easy to move around normally, but with this belly, it’s even harder… I’m getting help from them. I’m just grateful they’re so willing to help.’

Pushing the wheelchair also seemed quite difficult, so I carefully pushed it from behind. Lily bowed her head in thanks.

‘I know, Your Highness. What you’re worried about. Everyone was worried.’

We went to the backyard of the workshop, and after a moment of silence, Lily slowly opened her mouth.

‘The father is gone, the mother can’t use her legs, and even the baby in my belly is a despised mixed-blood between a human and an elf.’

‘…’

‘I know. It’s going to be very difficult.’

What more could I say?

I listened quietly. Lily continued.

‘When I found out I was pregnant, I thought a lot. Should I get rid of the baby? Should I give birth? Even if I give birth, how am I going to live…’

The early autumn sunlight pierced through the greenery in the backyard, sparkling and falling on Lily’s face. Lily quietly closed her eyes.

‘I was so overwhelmed that I even thought about just… dying with the baby.’

‘…’

‘But I just… couldn’t find the courage.’

Lily pressed her lips together.

‘I didn’t have the courage to get rid of the baby. Nor the courage to die together. So I just… decided to give birth.’

‘…’

‘I decided to live.’

I decided to live.

How many nights did she spend agonizing to reach this six-letter conclusion?

I wasn’t by Lily’s side when she was agonizing. So, I was proud of Lily for making the decision and enduring it alone.

‘No. You are a very courageous person, Lily.’

I nodded, speaking sincerely.

‘I’ll help you. With giving birth, with raising the child…’

‘…’

‘This monster frontline might have a harsh working environment, but the welfare is good, right? Just trust your lord.’

There’s a saying that it takes a village to raise a child.

It means that many people’s help is needed for a child to grow up safely.

I was willing to help Lily and her child in any way I could. And I knew that others would feel the same.

‘We made a promise back then, didn’t we? That if you decided to take on a challenge, I would help you.’

Perhaps Lily.

She might be facing a challenge even greater than all the challenges she has overcome so far.

So, she would need more help than ever before.

‘I won’t refuse, Your Highness.’

Lily placed her hand on her belly and smiled awkwardly.

‘It doesn’t seem like I’m in a position to do so.’

…I thought that the young children had grown beyond recognition while I was gone.

But it wasn’t just the children.

Adults also grow.

Looking into Lily’s eyes, which seemed to have deepened by a span, my nose tingled.

‘Okay! Let’s stop talking about my personal life here, and I’ll give you a report on how the artifacts and water facilities were wrecked while you were gone. Oh, did you happen to see the giant skeleton hanging on the southern wall on your way here? It’s really awesome…’

Lily, as the artifact manager, began to report to me. I listened attentively to her report, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her belly.

This place, Crossroad, is called a city on a grave.

But even here, people love, give birth to children, and… live.

Even on a grave. Overcoming death.

– I decided to live.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget these six words that Lily uttered.

So, even more.

To ensure they can live, I must protect this frontline… the world.

I clenched my fist with all my might.

***

Besides the alchemy workshop, I visited other workshops and greeted the guild leaders after a long time.

I also greeted other mercenaries and soldiers.

After roughly finishing my survival report, I was on my way back to the mansion.

‘…’

I stopped the carriage in front of the temple.

A large man wearing a helmet was sweeping the entrance of the temple with a broom. I got out of the carriage and approached him.

‘Torkel.’

He was Torkel, the leader of the Leprosy Extermination Squad.

As I called his name and approached, Torkel looked at me, startled.

‘Your Highness…! You’ve returned?!’

‘Haha. It was a long journey, but yes. I’ve returned like this.’

I smiled awkwardly and examined Torkel’s appearance.

‘Have you been doing odd jobs at the temple ever since?’

‘Yes. That’s right.’

Torkel scratched the back of his helmeted head and answered in his characteristic blunt voice.

‘I still haven’t found an answer…’

‘…’

Due to the goblin horde that attacked this temple.

The Leprosy Extermination Squad was wiped out, except for their leader, Torkel.

And the saintess Margherita, who was the head priest, died here, struck by an arrow in place of Torkel.

I don’t know what this temple means to him, but the reason he can’t leave this place and lingers here, even doing odd jobs… I think I understand.

Torkel calmly explained how the temple had been running during the six months I was gone, and I listened quietly.

And, there was also new news.

‘A new head priest will be appointed to this temple within a few weeks.’

At Torkel’s words, my eyes widened.

‘A new head priest? Is the central order sending someone?’

‘Yes. Actually, I thought that no one would come, and that Damian would become the head priest as it is… but recently, we received a message from the central order. They said they would arrive soon.’

It was truly unexpected news. Was there another foolish priest who wanted to come to this remote place?

‘…’

Or else.

As the order has done before, is someone coming to monitor the situation here as a spy?

‘Until now, Damian, who is acting as the head priest, has been kind enough to allow me to stay in the temple… but when the new head priest comes, I will probably be kicked out.’

Torkel slowly turned and looked around the temple.

‘Because I’m a leper, and I’m the one who caused the death of the former head priest, the saintess.’

‘…’

‘Ah, I’m sorry for telling you such a depressing story…’

Torkel bowed deeply to me.

‘If you need me, please call me anytime. If Your Highness calls me, I will gladly go to the battlefield and die.’

‘…’

‘Then… please take care. Your Highness.’

And Torkel resumed sweeping.

I watched him for a while as he cleaned around the temple with mechanical, stiff, but skilled movements, then got into the carriage.

The survival report was roughly finished.

Now, it was time to prepare for the next stage.

***

That evening.

My heroes came to my mansion one after another. Because we had decided to have dinner and talk about various things.

The lord’s mansion was filled with liveliness for the first time in a while.

The servants were so happy about my return that they brought out all sorts of dishes, even those we hadn’t ordered, with smiles on their faces.

The meal was delicious, and the atmosphere was wonderful. My heart felt warm.

…If only the flower garden interior of the mansion wasn’t there, everything would have been perfect.

While I was gone, the lord’s mansion had once again transformed into a petite, bling-bling interior. There was only one person who would have such a taste and carry out such a thing.

I glared at the culprit, grinding my teeth.

‘Evangeline…!’

‘Wh-whistle, whistle, whiiiistle~’

Evangeline, who had grown taller in the past six months but still couldn’t whistle, pretended not to hear me.

Everyone burst into laughter. No, it’s not something to laugh about! Why does the house turn into this mess whenever I leave!

Anyway, everything was good except for the interior.

During the meal, I briefly told them about what I had experienced.

Falling into the depths of the dungeon. Defeating the two nightmare legion commanders.

The story of the people of the bottom village and Mason. And finally, redefining myself in the spirit realm….

I didn’t tell them everything, but I revealed the parts that I needed to tell everyone without exaggeration.

Especially.

‘So, I want to apologize.’

I had to make this part clear.

‘I need to apologize for disappearing for six months, but more than that, I want to apologize for the attitude I showed you before I disappeared.’

I had tried to become a monster.

Because I believed that was the way to protect more people.

To do that, I broke my own flag. But at this time, there was something I had overlooked.

This flag was no longer just mine. It was a banner that everyone on this frontline had raised together.

Forgetting that, I acted dictatorially.

My colleagues defied me. They did not follow my orders.

To protect me.

To protect our flag.

Thanks to that, I was able to realize something more important.

‘Thanks to you all, I was able to not cross the line back then. Thanks to you, I was able to come back.’

Everyone here protected me and my flag together.

‘Thank you. Everyone.’

I bowed my head to everyone.

‘…We are the ones who should be thanking you, Your Highness.’

After a moment of silence, Lucas, who was sitting next to me, smiled gently.

‘For coming back.’

It meant that he was thankful for my physical return, but also.

He was thankful that I had returned as the me who had raised the old flag again… Lucas must have meant that. I smiled back.

After the meal. When teacups and refreshments were served to everyone.

I spoke about the things to come.

‘Let’s organize things first. There are three tasks we need to address and resolve.’

I clenched my fist, then extended only my index finger and shook it.

‘First, to assess the state of the world.’

Whether we like it or not, it’s something we have to do to survive. Politics.

‘I heard that Brother Fernandez won the imperial succession battle in the capital… the aftermath will soon hit here as well.’

Considering the hands that Fernandez had extended to this Crossroad.

The aftermath would never come in a mild form.

‘Let’s keep all our ears open and prepare for the shock that will come from the capital.’

Then, I extended my index and middle fingers, two fingers.

‘Second. Dungeon exploration.’

Dungeon offense.

Perhaps the most important thing to clear this game.

‘During the next dungeon exploration, we will go to the 8th district, the ‘Magic Tower,’ and retrieve the Holy Grail.’

Everyone was listening to me seriously. I nodded.

‘It’s a bigger and more threatening place than any dungeon we’ve explored so far. We will have to leave with thorough preparations.’

Finally, I extended my index, middle, and ring fingers, three fingers.

‘And, the last and most imminent big task. The next defense battle.’

Tower defense.

The essence of this damn game.

‘A defense battle as soon as we return, really…’

I grinned.

‘It’s going to be so exciting!’

Stage 20.

The next boss stage was right around the corner.