I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 498

Right after the meeting.

Hotel Crossroads. The back garden.

“Hush, hush.”

Lily, sitting in her wheelchair, gently rocked Sid, who was asleep in her arms. Sid was drooling slightly from his small mouth, sleeping peacefully.

‘He was such a handful when he was in my belly.’

Lily chuckled to herself.

‘Why is he so quiet now that he’s out in the world?’

As if he knew how much he had tormented his mother when he was in the womb, Sid had been like an angel since he was born.

His calm and composed nature was a great help to Lily, who had difficulty with her body, in raising him.

“…….”

Lily recalled the story she had poured out at the meeting earlier.

‘Carlyle…….’

Repeating the name of her lover who would not return, Lily looked at her sleeping son’s eyebrows.

As the two of them were quietly spending time together.

Thud. Thud.

Footsteps were heard.

Lily turned to the sound and gasped in surprise.

“Gasp…….”

“…….”

The old king with the white beard, who had initially scolded Lily at the meeting, was there.

The old king entered the garden and walked straight towards Lily and Sid. Lily was flustered and swallowed hard.

“…….”

The old king approached, looked intently at Lily and Sid, and then slowly opened his mouth.

“You’re the Senior Magician Lily, is that right?”

His voice was still grumpy, but unlike before, his tone was a little softer. Lily answered hesitantly.

“Yes? Yes…….”

“Ahem…….”

The old king hesitated for a moment, then turned to the side and spoke as if he had no choice.

“I would like to apologize for my rudeness earlier.”

“……?”

“I came to apologize for looking down on you because you were a commoner mercenary.”

When Lily was still dazed, the old king frowned.

“Aren’t you going to accept my apology?”

“Ah, no! No! I’m sorry. I was just surprised…….”

“Why are you apologizing? I’m the one who came to apologize.”

‘But why are you getting angry…….’

As Lily shrank back, thinking this, the old king stroked his beard.

“What determines a magician’s level is entirely innate talent. That’s what I think.”

“Yes? Ah, yes…….”

“But you have weak innate talent, and you can’t even use your legs.”

“…….”

‘Did he really come to apologize?’

Lily was taken aback by the old king’s attitude of suddenly dissing her to her face. The old king looked directly at Lily.

“But to achieve such feats with that body. Impressive.”

“Ah, yes…….”

“I praised you, didn’t I? Be grateful.”

“Th, thank you.”

“Yes. There are few magicians in the world who have received direct praise from me. You can consider it an honor.”

Lily was starting to sweat, not knowing what this old man had come for.

The old king snorted and shifted his gaze to Sid, who was in Lily’s arms.

“May I see the child?”

Lily instinctively shrank back and held Sid tighter. The old king shook his head slightly.

“I don’t intend to harm him. Just for a moment.”

“…….”

“There’s something I want to confirm. It will be good for the child’s future as well.”

Lily was about to refuse to the end. That’s when it happened.

“Awoo.”

Sid, who had woken up from his nap, opened his eyes wide and looked at the old king. It was as if he was seeing something very strange, his eyes full of curiosity.

Sid wriggled, and the old king gestured again.

Lily reluctantly handed Sid to the old king. The old king held the child in his arms with surprisingly delicate and careful hands.

“……He has an incredible mana sensitivity.”

The old king carefully examined Sid’s small body and then met Sid’s eyes.

“I’ve never seen talent like this.”

Sid looked at the old king with his large, light green eyes and then giggled.

Then, the old king also grinned.

“……?!”

Lily, horrified, rubbed her eyes and opened them again, and the old king had his stern face back.

‘Was it my imagination……?’

The old king slowly returned Sid to Lily. Although his touch seemed to be full of regret, his face was still stern.

“Actually, I approached you because of this child.”

“Yes……?”

“I could see great talent at first glance. I wanted to confirm it. Ah, of course, the apology I made earlier was sincere. Please don’t misunderstand.”

The old king stroked his white beard and stepped back.

“Raise him well. And if you want this child to become a magician in the future, come to the Ivory Tower. I, the Ivory Tower Master, Diermuidin, will personally teach him.”

Only then did Lily realize the identity of this old king.

The magic tower where the world’s best magicians gathered. The smallest country in the world, which had gained the status of an independent nation with only a few dozen people, recognized for its power.

He was the master of that Ivory Tower.

Lily hesitated for a moment and asked carefully.

“Are you serious?”

“Hmm?”

“This child is a half-elf, half-human hybrid…….”

They were treated worse than slaves, let alone commoners.

Lily couldn’t easily understand why this old man, who seemed so proud of his status, would teach Sid, who was treated so lowly.

“I told you, what determines a magician’s level is entirely innate talent.”

The old king clicked his tongue briefly.

“I am originally an aristocrat. In most cases, magical talent is passed down through generations, and nobles tend to have more magical talent. It naturally became this way.”

“…….”

“But with this level of overwhelming talent, such standards are meaningless. This child has the potential to become the best of his generation, completely ignoring things like lineage. That’s why I want to raise him myself.”

The old king, Ivory Tower Master Diermuidin, was an arrogant aristocrat who looked down on commoners. But before that, he was a meritocrat [a person who believes in a system where advancement is based on individual ability or achievement].

He held these two seemingly contradictory values at the same time. Lily muttered to herself.

‘That’s why magicians are…….’

They’re all a little strange. Lily thought so, even though she was a magician herself.

The old king Diermuidin nodded.

“Don’t worry about tuition either. The Ivory Tower isn’t so poor that it needs to take money from a poor commoner mercenary.”

He was saying it in a somewhat unpleasant way, but his intention for Sid was clear.

Lily bowed her head slightly.

“Th, thank you…….”

She didn’t know how Sid would grow up in the future.

But there was no reason not to be grateful when the head of the best magic tower in the world had said this much.

“I’ve raised children myself, and raising a child is a difficult task. Perhaps as much as fighting on the battlefield.”

Diermuidin stroked his long beard and turned around.

“I wish blessings upon you and your child. Farewell.”

Then, with his hands behind his back, he strode out of the garden.

Lily watched the old king walk away and readjusted Sid in her arms. Sid was yawning sleepily again.

“……Baby, everyone is blessing you.”

Not only her companions, but also many great kings, and…….

– Thank you for being born.

Even a monster.

Sid’s birth was blessed.

Of course, there would be many more difficult things to come, as much as this blessing. Even so.

“You will definitely be happy.”

Lily gently pressed her forehead against the child’s warm forehead and whispered with a prayer.

Vowing to do her part, even for the missing Carlyle.

“Mom…… and all of us together, we’ll make it happen.”

***

A few days after the meeting.

“Yaaawn.”

When I woke up in the morning and went to the dining hall, Evangeline and Damian popped out as if they had been waiting.

“Happy New Year!”

“Happy New~ Year!”

Then, they scattered winter flower petals in front of me, squealing.

“…….”

Huh.

It feels like I saw this scene last year too.

Anyway, I had checked the calendar beforehand this time, so I knew what day it was. I glanced at the calendar hanging on the dining hall wall.

January 1st.

Winter had rushed by, and finally, another new year had dawned.

In the dining hall, Lucas and Junior were preparing meals, just like last year. The two of them smiled brightly and bowed politely when they saw me.

“…….”

I looked at the four of them again, one by one.

Everyone has grown so much in a year.

Evangeline had grown taller, Damian had gone from a boy to a young man, and Junior’s complexion had improved noticeably.

And Lucas, who had a somewhat cold and dangerous aura, like a precarious blade…… had become more gentle and peaceful.

I smiled at my party members.

“Happy New Year, you rascals.”

As I sat at the table, the chef brought out a steaming pot. It was meatball stew, a dish eaten every New Year’s Day. The children all laughed out loud, excited as they received the food from the chef.

I was smiling on the outside too. But.

“…….”

The figure of Aider, who had served the food at this table last year, was not there now.

That’s why my heart was heavy.

Aider had disappeared since the Imperial Capital Conquest. Officially, it was stated that he was on a recuperation leave due to poor health.

‘Where did you go, Director…….’

I’m worried since he hasn’t been seen for so long.

It’s been quite a while since I last met the Nameless One as well…….

‘I need to go to the dungeon soon.’

Between the Imperial Capital Conquest and the busy work on the surface, I had been neglecting dungeon entry too much.

I need to go in as soon as possible. I need to meet the Nameless One, and…… I need to find out what condition Aider is in.

“Senior!”

As I was lost in thought, absentmindedly stirring my stew, Evangeline called out to me.

Startled, I splashed stew broth and looked at her.

“Oh, uh? What did you say?”

“Look at this. He wasn’t listening.”

“Oh, come on. Our lord is so busy with the future of the world and the pending issues of Crossroads that we must understand. We must.”

“Oh my, you’ve become a true loyalist…… no, you are a true loyalist.”

I scratched the back of my neck, looking back and forth between Evangeline and Lucas, who were exchanging words.

“Sorry, sorry. I was thinking about something…… What were you talking about?”

Damian, smiling brightly, answered instead.

“It’s the New Year’s festival today, and we were asking if you have time to play with us!”

“New Year’s festival?”

I tilted my head.

Was there such an event on the first day of the new year? Isn’t it just a day to eat meat stew and go to the temple to pray?

Then Junior explained in a calm voice.

“Well, we couldn’t hold the autumn festival this year, right?”

“Oh…… come to think of it, we didn’t.”

There were too many things that happened this fall.

Crossroads had to fight a defensive battle, gather forces for the Imperial Capital Conquest, and then march towards the Imperial Capital.

Also, in the Imperial Capital New Terra, all the citizens were brainwashed and imprisoned by Fernandes. So, the autumn festival was not held.

It seems that the autumn festival was canceled throughout the empire this year.

“So instead…… it’s a bit small in scale, but they decided to hold a New Year’s festival today.”

“Huh? Who decided that?”

“I heard that the Winter Silver Merchant Guild received approval from His Highness the Crown Prince a few days ago? Miss Serenade worked hard to prepare it.”

The Winter Silver Merchant Guild got approval from me?

‘Come to think of it, I think I signed a document like that.’

I’ve been incredibly busy these past few days.

Making detailed agreements with the kings, adjusting the amount of troops and military supplies to be conscripted according to each country’s situation…… seeing off each of the departing kings, shaking hands, and drawing commemorative portraits…….

It seems that such an approval came up while I was busy.

“Anyway, so! What do you say?! Please answer quickly!”

Evangeline asked, filling her clean stew bowl with new stew.

“Can you play with us?!”

The rest of the party members looked at me with expectant eyes.

I sighed softly and asked carefully.

“……It’s not going to be another dance festival, is it?”

I’d rather not do a dance show in front of all the citizens like last year’s autumn festival!