I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 487

At the same time, in another section of Crossroads.

KWA-GWA-GWA-GWANG!

Medusa, having spread her wings and taken flight, grabbed Evangeline by the collar, slammed her into a building, and then threw her to the ground.

Evangeline crashed to the ground, tearing down an entire side of the tower’s outer wall. Broken bricks, glass, and wood tumbled down with her.

“Kuh-euk… !”

Evangeline groaned, barely managing to get up from the rubble of the half-collapsed building.

“What is this, tag? It’s just a fistfight…”

At Evangeline, Medusa, who had spread her wings and floated into the air, unleashed a barrage of petrifying gazes.

Kee-ing! Kee-ee-ing!

“Is it not?! Is it tag after all?!

Evangeline hurriedly rolled to the side to escape. The spot where Evangeline had been just moments before was instantly petrified.

《You run away like a rat… !》

Medusa skillfully cornered Evangeline.

Before long, Evangeline reached a dead end in the alley.

As a flustered Evangeline hesitated about where to flee, Medusa, who had approached closely, flashed her eyes.

《This time, it’s the end-!》

Medusa was about to finish off Evangeline by pouring out her petrifying gaze while simultaneously closing in.

Kee-ee-ing!

“Kuh?!”

Evangeline gritted her teeth, raising her shield to block the petrifying gaze. There was nowhere left to run…

And then, just as Medusa, who had flown right in front of Evangeline, was about to swing her arms, wrapped in immense magical power.

《Huh?》

She stopped.

Medusa, who seemed to have slammed on the brakes in mid-air, abruptly stopped and turned her gaze urgently to the north of the city.

《Stheno… Sister?》

Whoosh!

Her membrane wings whipped through the air, and Medusa shot towards the north of the city in an instant.

《Ah, no, no, no, nooo, Sister… !》

“…”

It seemed Stheno had fallen.

Evangeline stared blankly at Medusa’s retreating figure before collapsing onto the ground.

“Ah… I’m exhausted.”

Her whole body ached from being beaten all day. Evangeline lay still, her arms and legs spread out, her stamina depleted, and muttered to herself.

“…I want to eat the late-night snack that Senior used to make.”

When they returned from free exploration, Ash would often cook for them.

When was the last time she had it? It was all a blur. She would have to ask him to make it next time…

“When are you coming back, really…”

Evangeline mumbled before closing her eyes for a moment.

She just wanted to rest a little before the next battle.

***

Stheno’s corpse had been moved inside the city.

It was because if it was left outside the city, it would be more troublesome if it formed a nest there.

It was better to face it inside the city. If it went north from outside the city, they wouldn’t be able to handle the aftermath.

《Aaaaaaah! Sister, Sisterrrrrr!》

Medusa, having found Stheno’s corpse, wailed and began to build a nest.

Her rampaging petrifying gaze repeatedly petrified and destroyed the surroundings, soon forming a monster’s lair.

Now, inside that nest, Medusa would devour Stheno’s corpse and emerge stronger.

“Facing a complete Gorgon is a terrible thing, but…”

Lucas, who had been watching the nest form from afar, took off his tattered helmet and muttered.

“…At least we bought some time until then.”

The time it took for the sister-devouring process was between 12 and 24 hours.

They had bought at least half a day.

Lucas looked around. The regular army units, priests, and people from the production guild, who had been waiting outside the city, were rushing into the city.

And all the heroes who had participated in today’s battle were lying down, exhausted.

The heroes were extremely depleted. There was no one who was not injured, and no one who had not run out of stamina. Lucas himself was no exception.

‘If our lord doesn’t return in time…’

After checking the status of all available forces in his head, Lucas came to a conclusion.

‘…Crossroads is finished.’

It was not a good situation, but there was one hopeful outcome.

A carriage stopped in front of Lily, who was sitting in a wheelchair, holding Seed in her arms. It was a carriage to take Lily and flee to the north.

“Get in, Lily.”

Lucas, who had opened the carriage door himself, smiled gently.

“Let’s meet again when the city is safe.”

“…Thank you so much.”

Lily trailed off, looking around at the other heroes who were resting.

“Everyone is like this because they were protecting me and the child…”

The fallen heroes smiled and waved their hands.

Looking at her comrades, Lily seemed reluctant to leave, unable to easily turn away.

As the senior mage of Crossroads, Lily had never left this place since she first entered Crossroads.

But now, she had to leave her comrades behind.

However, Lily soon realized that her leaving was the path for everyone.

If the two of them remained here, it would be difficult for others to fight without worry.

“…I will raise her well.”

Lily held Seed firmly and bowed deeply.

“Because that seems to be the only way to repay the kindness I received from everyone today.”

Everyone smiled silently.

Lily went to each of the people who had fought for her today and greeted them.

“Come on, Seed. These are the uncles who got hurt so much protecting you today. Let’s say thank you?”

Of course, Seed couldn’t understand her mother’s words and was fast asleep. Everyone smiled warmly at the sight of the cute Seed.

“…Uncles?”

Except for Lucas.

“Well, I am more than 20 years older than Seed, so if you compare us, I guess I am an uncle… Hmm…”

Leaving Lucas deep in thought, Lily greeted everyone. Everyone who received the greeting gave a blessing to the newborn child.

“…”

Lily came to Torkel, who was standing far away, watching this scene blankly. Torkel flinched and stepped back.

“Ah, I, I…”

“Torkel. Thank you so much today. Thanks to you, I was able to keep Seed safe like this.”

“…”

“If it’s not rude, could you say a word of blessing to the child?”

Torkel hesitated before cautiously asking.

“…Is it okay for someone like me to do that?”

“Of course. I would like to ask you to.”

Lily smiled brightly. Torkel cautiously came and stood in front of Seed.

Only then did Torkel realize that this was the first time he had seen a newborn baby so close.

No parents would let him, who had leprosy, come close to a child.

“…”

Torkel stared at Seed as if he were possessed. The child was sleeping with a clear and transparent face.

A half-elf and half-human hybrid.

For that reason alone, this pitiful child would have to suffer from wrong prejudices and unwarranted finger-pointing for the rest of her life. And that made Torkel’s heart ache.

Just like himself, who had to live in pain his whole life just because he had a skin disease…

“Aww…”

At that moment, Seed stretched out her hand as if yawning.

A small palm, perhaps the size of one of Torkel’s fingers, reached out and touched Torkel’s gloved finger before falling away.

Even with his skin dulled by leprosy and wearing thick gloves.

At that moment, Torkel clearly felt it.

A definite warmth… coming into his hardened fingertips.

“…Thank you, Seed.”

After choosing his words for a long time, Torkel barely managed to say.

“It was my good fortune to be able to protect you.”

Seed turned her body and babbled. Lily readjusted her hold on her son.

Torkel hesitated before blurting out.

“Lily. If this battle ends safely, and if I survive… would you allow me to protect this child in the future?”

Lily, who had been surprised, soon smiled brightly.

“Of course. That’s what I would like to ask you to do.”

“…”

“So, Torkel. I hope… you will definitely finish this battle safely.”

It was time for the carriage to leave.

Lily took everyone into her eyes before getting into the carriage seat.

Clop, clop…

The carriage, having left the city, quickly moved away.

Torkel stood rooted to the spot, watching the carriage disappear. Until the carriage completely disappeared from his sight.

With the safety of the newborn child and her mother secured, the heroes’ hearts were lighter. But the battles ahead were not light at all.

“…First of all.”

Lucas said, hanging a pot over a newly lit bonfire.

“Let’s eat.”

***

“Snore~ Phew phew…”

In a corner of the alley.

Evangeline, sprawled out, had fallen asleep and was snoring loudly.

“Well, well.”

Lucas, looking down at Evangeline as if he were dumbfounded, nudged Evangeline with his toe.

“Hey, miss. Wake up.”

“Umm… Dad. Just one more hour…”

“Now I’m a dad after being an uncle? Enough, get up! Go to the barracks, wash up, and sleep properly!”

Lucas, annoyed, tapped Evangeline’s shin a few more times, and Evangeline, with a dazed look, suddenly raised her upper body.

“Huk! Trainee Evangeline! I wasn’t sleeping!”

“You were sprawled out and sleeping soundly…”

Only then did Evangeline, who had woken up, rub her eyes and stare blankly at Lucas.

“Ah, what is it. It’s Uncle Lucas. You startled me.”

“That uncle title…”

Lucas was about to grumble but stopped and handed over what he was holding.

“Ugh. Here, take it.”

“Huh? What is this?”

“Everyone else has eaten. I didn’t see you, so I thought you might be hungry, so I made this roughly.”

When Evangeline took it, it was toast.

It was similar to the toast that Ash had made for her a long time ago. It was much more crude, though…

Lucas shrugged his shoulders.

“It won’t be as delicious as our lord’s, but you still need to fill your stomach.”

“Ooh…! What effort. I’ll eat well.”

Evangeline shoved the toast into her mouth in one go. Lucas cautiously asked Evangeline, who was chewing with her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel.

“Is it edible?”

“Yeah! It’s good?! It’s not as good as what Senior made… but Uncle’s toast has its own charm?”

Then Lucas nodded his head.

“Of course, it’s not as good as what our lord makes. Our lord’s cooking is at a level that could be served in a hotel.”

“No, it’s not that good… Your distorted loyalty is something else…”

Anyway, she ate it deliciously. Patting her stomach, Evangeline jumped up.

“Okay! Then let’s go back to the barracks and have a proper meal!”

“You’re going to eat more?”

“I’ve been rolling around with monsters all day, I’m starving to death. Do you think that’s enough to fill me up?”

Evangeline, who was giggling and getting up from her seat, went “Ugh!” and limped. Lucas, surprised, examined Evangeline’s leg.

“What is it, are you hurt?”

“Ouch… I think I hit it pretty hard when I was thrown down from the building. I don’t know if it’s sprained or broken…”

“The priests are waiting. Let’s go get treatment quickly. Here, I’ll help you.”

As Lucas tried to grab Evangeline and lift her up, Evangeline shook her head and stretched out her arms forward.

“Give me a piggyback ride.”

“What?”

“I faced that terrifying monster all by myself. I’m tired and sleepy. Give me a piggyback ride to the dorm.”

“This…”

“What are you going to do with that wide back? I saw Ash Senior carrying you around just fine before. Oh, come on, give me a piggyback ride~”

Lucas sighed in exasperation in front of the whining Evangeline.

But soon, he obediently turned his back to Evangeline.

As Evangeline said, there was no reason not to give Evangeline, who had endured by facing Medusa alone, this much treatment.

“Oh, it’s comfortable. Oh. I should have asked for a piggyback ride sooner. No wonder Senior tries to use you as a personal vehicle.”

Evangeline, who was on Lucas’s back, rested her relaxed face on Lucas’s shoulder.

As he readjusted Evangeline, Lucas gave her a belated compliment.

“…You worked hard today. If you hadn’t marked Medusa, the city would have been finished a long time ago.”

“Hehe. You worked hard too, Uncle.”

“That uncle title…”

As Lucas turned around to argue,

“Snore…”

Evangeline had fallen asleep again.

Lucas, looking at the side of the young knight’s face, which was full of scratches, let out a sigh and moved forward.

“…Okay. Rest well.”

“Mmm… give me more toast…”

As he carried Evangeline towards the barracks, Lucas suddenly looked up at the sky.

Still, the sky was full of dark clouds. Not even the moonlight was visible.

‘Our lord…’

The current front line was as precarious as those uneasy dark clouds, which could unleash a hailstorm at any moment.

‘Please come quickly.’

He had no choice but to believe and wait.

That Ash would arrive on time.

Just like he always had.

***

But Lucas didn’t know.

That before Ash could even arrive, he, too, and Evangeline, would collapse without being able to hold on.