I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 439

Five gamblers were kneeling before me.

“If you were true gamblers, you’d accept the results of the match. But you’re all cheaters.”

I pulled up a chair and sat in front of them, shaking the notarized magic contract in my hand.

“I suppose I need this much restraint.”

“……”

“So, now your lives are mine.”

The five gamblers reacted in different ways.

Some hung their heads low, others trembled with pale faces, and some had tears welling up in their eyes.

Violet bit her lip, unable to contain her frustration.

Only the girl—Scarlet—looked at me with a steady gaze.

I gestured to them with my chin.

“So, shall we hear it now? Why you dared to try and fleece a prince. You must have been desperate for money.”

“…To survive.”

As expected, she was quick-witted. She seemed to realize that the wisest course of action to survive in this situation was to submit to me.

Scarlet readily opened her mouth and answered.

“To board the ‘Final Ark’.”

“The Final Ark?”

I frowned. What was that?

“Rumors have been spreading since the end of the succession war. That the world is about to end. And that the only ones who can survive this destruction are… the citizens of the Imperial City, New Terra.”

Scarlet continued her explanation in a clear voice.

“That Prince Fernandez is planning to escape with only the citizens of New Terra. That he’s building a ship to the new world—an ‘Ark’—to carry these citizens.”

“……”

“The central part of the continent is already in chaos. But after the succession war, the gates of New Terra were firmly closed, and the routes to enter are very limited. And to use those limited routes, you need a fortune.”

I let out a hollow laugh.

“You believe such a far-fetched rumor, and you’re trying to get into the Imperial City by spending a fortune?”

“The Imperial City, New Terra, is the center of the world. Thirty percent of the world’s economy is concentrated in that city. That city suddenly closed its doors, claiming to ‘prepare for external invasion,’ and the world’s logistics and industries have come to a halt. At the same time, ominous signs are appearing all over the world.”

Scarlet shrugged.

“Everyone is anxious. Everyone wants to escape to a safe place. What good is a fortune after you die?”

So, if we were to apply this to Earth.

Wars, famines, and plagues break out, the world is in chaos, and there are rumors that the Earth is about to be destroyed.

Suddenly, New York (or Washington) is sealed off, and rumors spread that the US president is taking only New York citizens on a spaceship.

Anxious people are scrambling to get into New York, even if it means spending all their savings before it’s too late… Is that what it’s like?

‘It’s like a disaster movie.’

Well, every day is a disaster movie here in Crossroads.

“So, you needed a lot of money to get into New Terra… You came all the way here looking for a big score, and you recklessly attacked me, is that it?”

“…To put it simply, yes. That’s correct.”

I clicked my tongue and leisurely crossed my legs.

“Do you guys know what a ‘consolation prize’ is?”

“…?”

“Where I used to live, there was a custom of giving a small amount of money to someone who lost in gambling. It’s called a consolation prize.”

I opened the box, took out gold bars, and handed one to each of the five gamblers.

“You risked your lives in this game and lost miserably, so you deserve a consolation prize. Here you go.”

The gamblers were bewildered but quickly accepted the gold bars.

It was only natural. These guys all had the negative trait ‘Gold Fever.’ There was no reason to refuse gold.

“I only wanted to own your lives, not kill you. In other words… I held this match to use you as my subordinates.”

The gamblers’ faces, which had been dark, gradually brightened at the mention of not being killed. I chuckled.

“And I’m not so poor that I’d use subordinates without pay. That gold is yours.”

The gold bars quickly disappeared into the five gamblers’ arms. I nodded.

“If you work properly under me, earning enough to get into New Terra won’t be a problem. However.”

My voice became a little more menacing.

“…There’s no need for that. The Ark is nonsense.”

I was starting to see the full picture of what Fernandez was planning.

I curled up the corners of my mouth and smiled. I would definitely stop him, such a crazy plan.

“You guys, let’s work together on a few things.”

I gestured to the gamblers.

“I’m going to have a showdown with Fernandez soon.”

“…?!”

“I’m going to punch that pretty boy in the face and put a hole in that Ark or whatever it is. I’m going to take back the Imperial City. You guys have to join me in this.”

The gamblers’ mouths fell open.

Well, it might be too much for them to take in.

But what can I do? Our contract is already done.

“Of course, your lives are already mine, but I’d like you to voluntarily and wholeheartedly participate in my work.”

I tapped the gold bar box next to me with my foot.

“I won’t treat you poorly. I promise.”

“…His Highness Fernandez, who has taken over the Imperial City, and His Highness Ash, who has taken over this small city in the southern region.”

Scarlet shook her head slightly.

“To be frank, it seems like an incomparable fight.”

“That’s why the odds are so high.”

If I were to fight Fernandez, most people would assume that Fernandez would win.

But what fun would the world be if things went as expected?

When the underdog wins, when the upset happens. That’s the real fun.

“Isn’t it the life of you gamblers, those mayflies, to live for a chance at a fortune?”

I slowly stood up and walked towards the gamblers.

“Instead of risking your lives just to get into the back alleys of the Imperial City… Since you’ve chosen the life of a gambler, shouldn’t you bet the fate of the world as your stake?”

Looking down at the gamblers who were swallowing hard, I said briefly.

“Bet on me.”

“…Based on what, Your Highness?”

“There are many reasons, but there’s a reason that will resonate with you.”

I smiled slyly.

“You’ve all had a match with me, right? How was it?”

By any means necessary.

I had defeated all five of them.

“I think my skills as a gambler aren’t bad.”

“…That’s exactly right.”

Scarlet, who had been silent, readily admitted.

“I’ve met countless gamblers who use all sorts of bizarre methods, but Your Highness is the first gambler I’ve met who can defeat all of us at once.”

“I appreciate the flattery, even if it’s just lip service.”

I looked at each of them.

“Right. I’m somewhat ‘the same kind’ as you. So I know what you want.”

Of course, I’m a gambler, but not a gambling addict.

I’m fundamentally different from them. But I understand their motivations.

“You gamblers actually feel pleasure in the act of taking risks.”

“……”

“And for those of you who have lived in the gambling world your whole lives, it’s hard to feel alive unless you’re on the edge of a cliff. Isn’t that right?”

This is the essence of gambling.

It’s not really fun if you’re always winning. You don’t get addicted.

The thrill of succeeding in a jackpot after risking your life, like having a gun pointed at your temple.

The pleasure of that one-shot reversal. Addicted to that, they can’t leave this world for their entire lives.

That’s what these gamblers are.

‘In short, in other words.’

Gamblers are a group of perverted psychos addicted to risking their lives.

“You masochistic bastards. I’ll provide it.”

I grinned, showing my teeth.

“A place where you can risk your lives. The biggest gambling table in this world.”

The biggest risk.

And the biggest return.

I’ll provide it to you.

“I’ll let you play in a real big game, so that the jackpots you’ve had so far will feel like child’s play.”

“……”

“If you’re going to play the clown…”

Looking down at the guys who were staring up at me, frozen white with shock, I finished my sentence.

“Shouldn’t you play to take over the world?”

***

And so, the Gamble Club was incorporated into my party.

Of course, I don’t believe that they are truly loyal to me right now.

I’ll have to steadily train them by alternating between carrots and sticks.

But they are useful. Especially in the upcoming battles.

‘In the White Night Magic Emperor raid, and… in the showdown with Fernandez.’

This gambler party will be my joker. They came at just the right time.

While the White Night raid is important, their joining was truly essential in the fight against Fernandez.

‘Fernandez is a master of illusion.’

And under him is the Aegis Special Forces, a special unit that handles only secret operations—black ops.

Illusion and a special unit dedicated to black ops.

In other words, Fernandez is optimized for using dirty and underhanded tactics.

And my subordinates are weak in dealing with this kind of thing. They’re all kind and honest.

‘At least when the Shadow Unit was around, they could handle it to some extent…’

Now that the Shadow Unit has been virtually annihilated, there was no team to handle these things in the dark.

But now I will train the Gamble Club in this area.

In short, my exclusive dark unit.

A versatile special unit that will handle the dirty and messy work instead of direct combat.

That’s why I recruited them.

They are all well-versed in deception and illusion, and they have lived in the back alleys their whole lives. They may not be good at fighting monsters, but they should be skilled in espionage against humans.

‘Utility performance, not attack power or defense.’

I need to have a party like this too. There’s no harm in having a variety of options.

Anyway… and so.

While my other companions were away, new heroes joined Crossroads.

Priestess Janice, who is suspected of being a spy.

The remnants of the 1st Imperial Army, who were directly under Larc, and the Lieutenant General Knight Commander Metallic, who leads them.

And the gambler party, the Gamble Club.

In the days that followed, people continued to pour in, and new barracks were quickly built using the magical construction technology salvaged from the Lake Kingdom.

At the same time, the completion of the hotel—the core of the tourism city plan that had been underway since the first year—was just around the corner.

My messengers, who had left for various parts of the world, began to return one by one.

Each of them bringing back the ‘fallen kings’ they had gone to meet.

***

Leaving the bustling Crossroads behind.

Flash!

I took the teleport gate and arrived at the base camp.

I walked calmly through the now familiar darkness and headed to a corner of the base camp.

I had visited every day, but always came up empty.

For some reason, I had a feeling.

That I would be able to meet her today, that kind of feeling.

And—sure enough.

She was there, someone I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“……”

Her white hair was carelessly spread on the floor, her whole body wrapped in tattered robes.

Sitting on the cold stone floor, leaning her head against the collapsed stone wall.

Hugging an old sword to her chest.

Her eyes tightly closed, sleeping as if dead.

“……”

I quietly walked up to her and stood there. And I carefully observed her.

A being that did not exist in the game, but.

A being that I had to go with to reach the true ending.

The last of my list, the final fallen king—

“…Nameless.”

When I called out quietly, Nameless slowly opened her eyes.

Her clear, turquoise eyes, as if they contained a lake, stared at me. I smiled gently.

“It’s been a while.”

“Ash…”

She smiled awkwardly. A gentle voice flowed from her haggard lips.

“Indeed. It has been a long time.”

A merchant NPC of the Lake Kingdom [Non-Player Character, a character controlled by the game rather than a player].

The guardian of the Lake Kingdom.

The princess of the Lake Kingdom.

A being who ultimately fell into the final boss in the last stage of the game.

Nameless.

To save this world…

…No, not just because of such a grand cause.

Simply because she was also within my reach.

So I decided to save her too.

I smiled gently and asked her.

“Shall we talk?”