I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 474

A few days passed quickly. Perhaps it was because the Emperor, who had ruled the Empire his entire life, had returned? The chaos in the Imperial City subsided rapidly. The Emperor swiftly reclaimed the power he had divided among his sons. In the blink of an eye, he completely seized military and administrative authority, stabilizing the situation in the Imperial City. In various parts of the devastated Imperial City, he directly commanded on-site, reassuring citizens and expediting recovery efforts. The citizens responded positively as the Emperor, who had been reclusive for years, actively showed his presence. The remnants of the proliferated thorn trees were cleared away, the shutdown protocol magic circle was completely dismantled, and the collapsed Imperial Palace and surrounding buildings were also quickly removed. Furthermore, the Emperor swiftly announced compensation plans for all affected citizens. Investigators were dispatched throughout the city to assess the damage to the citizens, and their grievances quickly subsided. And, it wasn’t just these material things that needed to be sorted out. All the soldiers who had sided with Fernandes were subject to punishment. Although they were all said to have been brainwashed by Fernandes, that could be a mitigating factor, but it could not be a complete absolution. In particular, the Aegis Special Forces and the Magic Corps had been plotting a rebellion underground as Fernandes’ henchmen. The Emperor did not forgive them. “Considering Fernandes’ brainwashing, I will not exterminate their families or dismember them,” the Emperor delivered a terrifying verdict in a calm voice. “All members of the affiliated groups will receive appropriate punishment according to the severity of their crimes.” In addition, the Imperial City Defense Force, which had been split in two, the 2nd and 3rd Imperial Corps that had followed Fernandes’ orders but turned to our side, and the Imperial Guard that had opened the gates for us, all received different rewards and punishments according to their actions. ‘That’s why I told you to choose your side carefully…’ And. These rewards and punishments were not only applied to the forces under Fernandes. There were also matters to be dealt with within the World Protection Front. *** “Everyone who participated in this Imperial City conquest, thank you for your hard work. It was because you fought with your lives on the line that we were able to save the Imperial City New Terra and all its citizens.” At a gathering of the leaders of each faction belonging to the World Protection Front, I wore a gentle, amiable smile. “Acknowledging your efforts, I intend to provide appropriate compensation in the name of the Imperial Family.” Most of the kings had smiles on their faces, but a few kings, who hated the Empire to their core, had expressions of disgust. It’s good that they’re consistent. “Now, first… I will call out the names of those who will receive ‘rewards’ first.” I unfolded the list and read out the names of the kings written there in order. Their faces, which had been beaming at first, gradually hardened. That was because the list I was announcing now… was the names of the kings who had betrayed me once in the Iris River under Fernandes’ orders. After finishing the roll call, I folded the list and tossed it behind me, shrugging my shoulders. “The above individuals will receive the ‘reward’ of being ‘expelled from the World Protection Front’ as of this moment.” “……” “Thank you for your hard work. The compensation for this expedition will be paid, so pack your bags and go home.” The mouths of the kings whose names were called dropped open. What? Why are you pretending to be surprised, you bastards. During the Imperial City conquest, there was no time, and it was necessary to maintain our forces, so they were not punished. Now that the situation has been resolved, they were rotten flesh that needed to be cut away. ‘These bastards who would betray us at any time for their own gain.’ It was fortunate that I had the Emperor card, otherwise, they would have sided with Fernandes and stabbed me in the back. If we were to fight monsters with these guys, and the war situation became unfavorable? If the Demon King said, ‘I’ll spare your lives, so betray the humans,’ they might turn the entire front upside down to save their own skins. I’m petty… no, I’m thorough, so I don’t forget each and every one of these betrayals, okay? “P-Prince Ash! Just a moment…” “I gathered you for the sake of the greater good.” I glared at them and coldly retorted. “But you were blinded by power and tried to betray us.” “……” “The real battles that our World Protection Front will wage in the remote areas of the south will be incomparably harsher and more difficult than this Imperial City conquest.” I growled at them, who had become mute. “This time, fighting in the center of the world, there was at least some crumbs to share with you. You might have caught the Emperor’s eye and left behind achievements that would allow you to flex your muscles in your own countries.” “……” “But in the war against the monsters that will unfold over the next year, there will be no such benefits. We must fight solely for survival and to protect everyone else in the world.” The monster front is a place where we fight for survival. In the face of a massive crisis that has struck the world, we must put aside race and self-interest and join forces. If we cannot adhere to this basic principle, it is better not to join at all. It’s better to get rid of those who will only be a hindrance in advance. It’s good that they were filtered out this time. I growled. “We don’t need bats like you on this path.” “……” “Pack your bags and get out. While I’m still being nice.” As I turned to leave after coldly spitting out those words, “Y-You said you would forgive us, Prince Ash!” “Please, listen to our side of the story!” “Please consider our position, we had no choice back then!” “It’s not that we were greedy for power, but we are the leaders of our respective nations! In that situation, we had to judge which side was better for our national interests!” The kings who had been ordered to leave desperately clung to me. “This will never happen again! I’ll write a promise, no, a blood oath!” “We will dedicate ourselves to the World Protection Front in the name of our country!” “If you give us one more chance… !” I chuckled inwardly. The reason why they were being so groveling to me was simple. Now, I was the only remaining prince in the Empire. In other words, there was a very high probability that I would become the next Emperor. Of course, they would be dying to get on my good side. If I really ascended to the throne, I would be sitting on that throne for several times longer than the period the World Protection Front would be suffering in the south. The hardship is short, and the time of honey is long. It’s worth investing in, so they’re clinging to me so grovelingly. “Alright.” I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. “If you can prove your sincerity, if you can resolve the ‘misunderstanding’ from last time, there’s no reason to stop you from joining.” “P-Prince Ash… !” “I will give you one last chance.” To build an ideal army, it would be right to cut out these kinds of people. But to be honest, we’re not in a position to be so picky. The monster invasions will become even more intense, and the monster front will be so short-handed that we’ll need to borrow even an ant’s hand. We have to use even these guys as subordinates. I gave a wicked grin to these kings, whose faces were now relieved. “I hope you make good use of this last chance.” Of course, this ‘last chance’ will be very harsh and difficult. You’ll have to suffer a bit, you opportunistic bastards. *** I gave generous rewards to the kings and faction leaders who had consistently sided with me from the beginning. The four major alien races, those who had helped me since the battle with the goblins… and a few new factions. These guys can be trusted. I need to take good care of them. As things in the Imperial City were being sorted out one by one, I began to prepare to return to Crossroads. Now that the troubles in the Imperial City were resolved, it was time to return to the real battlefield. “The Prince is here~!” I entered the Winter Silver Merchant Guild headquarters building. Currently, my subordinates were using it as a temporary residence. ‘I used to have an awesome detached palace…’ It exploded in the air this time… Serenade willingly lent me her building since I became homeless. I’m grateful. As I entered, I saw my heroes sprawled out like corpses. Oh dear. “Uh… Captain, you’re back…?” “Ah, Ash… you’re back…” “It’s… the Prince…” Kuilun, Verdandi, and Damian spoke in turn. These were the heroes I had left at the entrance when I stormed the Imperial Palace a few days ago… I had left them to secure my escape route, but I never imagined that the entire Imperial Palace would take off. So, these guys who were left awkwardly behind said that they easily suppressed the attacking Fernandes’ forces. The problem was the Kraken. That damn monster that I summoned and left behind kept trying to eat Fernandes’ forces, and when my heroes tried to stop it, it turned on my heroes instead. So, these three heroes and their party members had to do a Kraken raid that they never asked for… Fortunately, the Kraken disappeared when its summon duration ended during the battle, but they were so exhausted that they were sprawled out like this. ‘Kraken, you bastard, should I make you into sashimi…’ When the next summon cooldown is over, I’ll drag it out and teach it some manners. If you touch my heroes one more time, you’re going straight to the sesame oil, you bastard! And next to these three sprawled-out heroes, “Your Highness… you’re back… cough!” “……” Junior was also collapsed and dying. I heard that he had processed all the residual elements in his heart during the battle with Reina, and he was no longer living on borrowed time. But regardless, he had overexerted himself in the battle that day, and he was bleeding like this. ‘No… then how is this different from when he was on borrowed time…?’ They say he’ll recover soon, but anyway, he needs to rest for a few more days. ‘Anyway, these mages are all too fragile. I need to start training their bodies.’ …Except for me. I don’t need to train. I’m busy. Uh-huh. I checked on them and headed to the next room. The next room was a dining room with a large table, where five familiar gamblers were playing poker. The Gamble Club. Fortunately, they all survived. The other four were not seriously injured, but Violet was badly beaten, so her whole body was covered in bandages. I heard that she was caught by Reina and beaten to a pulp on a rainy day. “So, we risked our lives to enter the Imperial City and carry out the operation…” The gamblers lowered their voices and whispered as they dealt the cards. “Where’s the gold and jewels?” “Did everyone grab something valuable?” “Would there have been time to grab something like that…” “Hey, be glad that no one died and we all survived. I thought I was going to say goodbye to this world in the chaos.” Violet grumbled. “I really thought I was going to die! Especially that enemy mage, I almost lost all my business capital.” “Oh my, did that mage try to break your hand or something?” “No? She tried to scratch my pretty face. This is my capital.” The other gamblers snorted. Violet was covered in bandages, but she seemed to have the leeway to joke around. “Alright, fold!” Violet declared, throwing the cards she was holding onto the table. “Anyway, really, if I just get the reward that the Prince promised, I’m getting out of this game… ! I’m washing my hands and never going near a gambling table again!” Violet was saying, in a roundabout way, that she would live in this game forever. I smiled and quietly passed by that room. The Gamble Club will have to be used usefully in the future. Sorry, but I can’t allow you to retire. I walked down the hallway and entered a large warehouse. As befitting a merchant guild building, the warehouse was huge, and the airship Geronimo was docked there. Kellybay and Hannibal were working hard to fix the Geronimo. I waved to the two of them and approached. “I told you to rest, but you’re working again?” “Oh, you’re here? What’s the point of just sitting around? I’ll just tinker a bit. It’s more rewarding to fix this guy who was pushed too hard this time.” “You’re here, Your Highness!” Kellybay played a big role in this battle, personally piloting the airship. Thanks to that, he strained his back again, but he’s quite sturdy, so I don’t think I need to worry. Hannibal and the spiritist party were brought along, but they were placed at the very rear throughout the battle, and thanks to that, they didn’t fight anyone. I brought them along to give credit to the mixed-blood community they belonged to – the Half-Bloods – and raise their status, not to make them kill people. After chatting about this and that, we talked about the schedule ahead. “Since everyone is still groggy, I think we should rest for a few more days in the Imperial City before slowly returning to Crossroads.” “Sure, sure, while I’m here, I want to steal… no, learn some airship technology from the Imperial City and apply it to the Geronimo.” Kellybay coughed, and then Hannibal cautiously asked. “Um, Your Highness… but will Crossroads be okay?” “Of course. Who do you think is left there?” My strongest knight duo remained in Crossroads. Evangeline had completely finished her equipment setup with her exclusive gear and the final armor [Snow White], and Lucas was also in perfect condition with his exclusive weapon and amazing 1-skill farming. I should probably get them new armor soon. In addition to that, the existing Crossroads defense force remained intact, and there were also several other heroes stationed there. It’s not a boss stage, and ordinary stage monsters wouldn’t even be able to approach it. “I bet my middle name that it’s completely safe!” I thumped my chest and said confidently. It was then. “Your Highness-!” Serenade rushed over urgently. On her slender shoulder was a large hawk… a messenger hawk. “T-T-This is urgent news!” “Huh? Urgent news? What’s going on?” It must be the news that the messenger hawk brought. Serenade ran to me with a pale face and took a long time to catch her breath. “T-That is… that… !” I swallowed hard. What kind of shocking news could it be that made Serenade so flustered? “C-Crossroads…” And then, at Serenade’s words that followed, Not only me, but Kellybay and Hannibal also gaped at the same time. “Crossroads has been captured by monsters… !” “……” A moment of silence. After a hellish silence, I barely managed to speak. “…Wh-” It was almost a scream. “What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!”