I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 43

Ding! Ding! Ding! The Lucky Strike’s judgment slot spun furiously, and the completed number was 777. Triple Seven. The maximum damage of this gag weapon had just appeared. “What the heck, why here?!” I, the one who attacked, was more terrified and screamed. No, no! Not 777! It’s powerful enough to one-shot most bosses. If a person gets hit, they’ll really die! “Evangeline! Get out of the way right now….” Of course, that was impossible. This damage slot activated the moment my fist touched Evangeline’s shield. 7, 7, 7! [Congratulations!] [☆★☆JACKPOT!★☆★] Fireworks celebrating the jackpot burst out spectacularly around the system interface. Immediately after, the system window disappeared, and at the same time. Flash-! A laser shot out from the end of my fist. “…….” No, this isn’t a joke or an exaggeration. A real rainbow-colored laser was fired. Crazy. Kukwakwakwakwang! The beam of light tore through the air, shooting out magnificently. “Kyaaaaaaak-!?” And Evangeline, swept away by the laser, flew far, far away…. *** Whoosh- After the dust cloud settled. The entrance of the mansion’s stone wall, cleanly blown away by my fist (and the laser that came out of it). “…….” “…….” Lukas, who was standing dazedly on the blackened ground, looked at me and broke out in a cold sweat. “Y-Your Highness. That was a very impressive fist technique. How did you… no, that’s not the point.” “…….” “Even if you attacked first, how could you be so harsh on a child….” “No, no! That’s not what I meant to do!” I just wanted to tap her lightly to get her attention. It was just a good and kind intention to stop the fight! How was I supposed to know a jackpot would hit there? Evangeline had flown far away, completely collapsing one side of the mansion’s stone wall and was buried in the shattered debris. Thud, thud, thud…. Even as stone dust fell from above, she didn’t move, which was very unsettling. “D-Did she die? Is she dead?” I trembled with guilt, thinking I had unintentionally killed both father and daughter here. Oh, Slot God! Why did 777 have to appear here, you crazy thing! Lukas, who had rushed to Evangeline’s side, gave me a wry smile. “No, she’s fine. Fortunately, she’s still breathing.” “Really?!” To be alive after being hit by a Lucky Strike 777 max damage, she really is an SSR-grade tank [SSR is a term used in gacha games to denote the highest rarity of characters or items]. I’m glad she’s so sturdy. “She has minor bruises, but it doesn’t seem life-threatening. However….” Lukas trailed off and looked to the side. I looked that way too. There was the shattered eagle shield and the cavalry spear, snapped in half. All of Evangeline’s equipment. After being hit by my lucky god-tier punch, the equipment was destroyed beyond repair, instead of its owner. “That looked expensive….” “It did….” Just by looking at it, it was at least an SR-grade weapon [SR is a term used in gacha games to denote a high rarity of characters or items]. No, it *was* a weapon. I picked up a broken eagle wing and groaned. What should I do? Can this even be repaired? Lukas carefully pulled the unconscious Evangeline from the rubble and supported her. “Anyway, you are amazing, Your Highness. You took down an opponent I was struggling with in one hit.” “It wasn’t me, it was that dice god bastard playing tricks….” “Pardon?” “Never mind, it’s like a luck-based game gone wrong.” At that moment, perhaps hearing the commotion at the main gate, people rushed out of the mansion. I shouted to Aither, who was running at the front, out of breath. “Aither! Quickly contact the temple and bring a healer! And prepare a room for her to rest!” I glanced at the unconscious Evangeline and let out a long sigh. Whew. Let’s be grateful that no one died and the situation has been resolved for now…. *** Evangeline was dreaming. A dream from her childhood. In a corner of the large, old mansion. In the room that Evangeline had used since she was born. Her mother would sometimes come in unexpectedly, regardless of the time, and hug Evangeline tightly. Evangeline soon realized when her mother would come to hug her. It was when her father went to battle. Whenever monsters attacked the city and her father went to the front lines to fight them, her mother would see him off and then come to Evangeline’s room. And she would hug Evangeline for a long time. ‘Mommy came to comfort you because she was worried our daughter might be scared of the monsters.’ Her mother would say with a smile. But in fact, Evangeline knew. It wasn’t her that was scared of the monsters, but her mother. Hugging her daughter, her mother would tremble with fear. Evangeline would pat her mother’s back and smile brightly. ‘Mom, you’re so silly. Dad will defeat all the monsters, so what’s there to be scared of?’ Whenever Evangeline said that, her mother would give a somewhat sad smile. Evangeline only realized later. What her mother feared wasn’t the monsters. What her mother feared was losing her father. And the fate of her daughter, who would one day have to go to that terrible front line and fight. *** “……Umm.” In the pouring morning sunlight, Evangeline slowly opened her eyes. From afar, she could hear the chirping of an unknown bird. “……Huh.” A familiar room layout. The smell of freshly laundered bedding. The pattern on the ceiling, etched in her memory. Evangeline, with a dazed look, looked around and realized that this was her room in her hometown mansion. “Ah…….” Yes, she had returned to her hometown. Three years ago. After her mother passed away, she left this place as if running away and went to the capital without any plan. She enrolled in the Imperial Academy in the capital. After completing all the classes in the Knight’s Division in three years. And after graduating with honors as the top student. And—where should she go? After receiving her diploma, she was lost in thought, and then, as if possessed, she returned to her hometown. It wasn’t for any particular reason. It was just that before being formally appointed as a knight on another front, it was her last chance to visit her hometown. She intended to visit this tiresome backwater town for the last time and never return. So, she returned to Crossroads late at night, but…. ‘After that… I don’t remember.’ She remembered entering the town, but she had no memory of how she got to her room and lay down. ‘Did I drink something?’ She didn’t even drink on her graduation day because she was still a minor. Did she relax after coming home and have a drink? Evangeline, who was rubbing her forehead with a faint throbbing pain, suddenly noticed a presence. Someone was sitting next to the bed. “……Mom?” She muttered unconsciously, but then she realized anew. Her mother had passed away. Three years ago, on that fateful day. Her eyes grew hot. Evangeline quickly covered her eyes with the back of her hand, her voice laced with venom. “No, it’s Dad.” “…….” “It’s been three years. How have you been?” “…….” “Well, I don’t even need to ask. You’ve been happily hunting monsters every day, right?” Ah. That’s not what I wanted to say. Evangeline bit her lip hard at the venomous words that came out of her mouth on their own. The prominent fangs dug into her lip. Not this kind of talk, but something more. Something more… proper…. “I’m sorry, Evangeline.” Then, a strange voice came from the side. “I am neither your mother nor your father.” “?!” Startled, Evangeline quickly raised her body and leaned against the headboard of the bed. As she had been trained, she tried to grab her weapon, which she always carried, and hold it out in front of her, but her bandaged hand grasped empty air. ‘Bandage? Was I injured?’ Confused by her inability to understand the current situation, Evangeline’s eyes fell on the man sitting in the chair next to the bed. He was a young man with neatly styled black hair. He was wearing a casual suit and was dealing with documents in his hand. He glanced at Evangeline and frowned. “Tsk. Is she still not fully conscious? Did I hit her too hard yesterday….” “Ah.” Then she remembered. What happened yesterday. Memories of last night flashed through her mind like a waterfall. Evangeline pointed at the man and shouted. “You’re that old man from yesterday!” The man’s expression soured instantly. “I told you, I’m not an old man.” “You’re the old man who looked weak but threw a crazy punch, right!” “I don’t look weak… Ugh, I’m not an old man!” “You even made fun of me for being short! You tall jerk! It must be nice to be tall!” “Well, that’s true… I’m sorry about that… but I’m not an old man….” The man, grumbling, threw the file aside and placed his hand on his chest. “Let me introduce myself again, Miss Evangeline Cross. I am Ash ‘Bonehater’ Everblack. The third prince of the Empire, and the current lord of Crossroads.” Evangeline glared with her sharp green eyes. “Oh, come on. Stop lying. If you’re a prince, then I’m the queen of a duchy?” “Hey, have you been living under a rock? I’m telling you, I’m a prince! Do you want me to show you my imperial identification plaque?” “Yes! Show me! Right now!” Evangeline nodded enthusiastically. The man reluctantly took out a plaque made of black jade from his pocket and handed it over. Evangeline’s eyes widened as she examined it. “I-It’s real.” “See, I told you it was real!” “Why is this real…?” Evangeline looked at the man—Ash’s face, then back at the plaque in her hand, then at his face, then at the plaque, over and over again. “Really? You, old man? You’re the famous Third Prince Ash?” “Am I famous…?” “Of course, you’re famous! You’re one of only three princes in the imperial family!” Evangeline had only lived inside the Imperial Academy for the past three years. But she had heard rumors about the imperial princes very often. Because they were the biggest gossip in the capital. The cold and cynical soldier and knight, the First Prince. The benevolent and gentle politician and mage, the Second Prince. And the crazy, delinquent gangster. The Third Prince. All three princes were the center of attention. But among them, the stories of the Third Prince were heard almost every day. Because he caused all sorts of chaos in the capital. Basically, if something went wrong in the imperial family, 90% of the time it was Ash’s doing. “I’ve been so busy preparing for early graduation that I haven’t heard the latest news. I never imagined that a prince would be in a rural backwater like this.” Evangeline returned the plaque and opened her bag next to the bed, then took out a pen and paper and held them out. “Please sign this for me.” “Uh, okay…?” “Sign it, I said! Don’t you have a signature, Your Highness?” “No, uh. I, I do.” Ash awkwardly signed the paper. It wasn’t in the common language of the continent, but rather a strange, alien-like signature, but Evangeline didn’t care and carefully folded the paper and put it deep into her bag. Then, she suddenly held out her right hand to Ash. “Please shake my hand.” “Uh, uhh? Huh?” Ash, who was completely flustered, awkwardly reached out his hand and shook hands with Evangeline. Evangeline, with a flushed face, grinned and shook her hand vigorously up and down. “I’m a fan!” “Huh?” “I’m a fan of Your Highness.” “Uh, a fan? So, a fan in the way I know it?” “Yes! Among the imperial family, I’m the biggest fan of the Third Prince! I even have a scrapbook of all the news about you from the weekly magazine that’s published in the capital!” Evangeline took out a scrapbook from her bag and opened it. Ash took it and checked, and it was true. All the spectacular incidents that Ash had caused every week were recorded there…. “W-Well, I’m really grateful that you’re my fan.” Ash asked, unable to hide his bewildered expression. “But why? Why did you become my fan?” “Well, of course, there’s only one reason!” Evangeline smiled brightly. It was an innocent yet somewhat wicked smile, typical of a teenage girl. “Because Your Highness is the biggest troublemaker in the Empire!”