I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 564

After the meeting ended, someone called out to me as I was about to leave the conference room.

“Prince Ash, a moment.”

I turned around to see Valen, the leader of the Southern City-State Alliance, smiling as he stroked his distinctive mustache.

Valen had been one of the most active supporters of Crossroads since the battle against the Goblin God King. He represented not only the southern city-states but also the voices of other regions.

I smiled back and approached him.

“Lord Valen, what brings you here?”

“Heh heh.”

Valen chuckled, constantly stroking his mustache. He looked like he had a hidden gift.

“I heard the monster you’ll be facing in this defense is a fly, is that right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“A few days ago, through some connection, we managed to bring some mercenaries to Crossroads through our City-State Alliance…”

Valen winked.

“They’re said to be experts in pest control. Would you like to meet them?”

“……!”

Pest control experts…?! I gestured urgently, and Valen grinned and led the way.

The mercenaries were waiting right in front of Hotel Crossroads, where the meeting had been held.

“Hiss-whoosh. Hiss-whoosh. Hiss-whoosh.”

There were five people wearing protective suits made of a flexible material that covered their entire bodies, similar to the hazmat suits on Earth. The face shields of their suits were made of a glass-like material, but they were foggy, as if steamed up, so their faces were not visible.

Each time they inhaled and exhaled, a whooshing sound could be heard.

As soon as they made eye contact with me, the man who seemed to be the leader asked in a muffled voice.

“Where are the bugs to be exterminated?”

I put my hands over my mouth and blurted out without realizing it.

“Oh my god.”

It’s the hero party, ‘Insect Busters’!

These five heroes with their straightforward name are all ranked N, and their stats are just average, ordinary heroes. However, they possess a unique trait, which is…

‘Bug Slayers!’

They have a trait that increases damage by 100 percent against monsters with the bug tag, making them a natural enemy. They can wipe out flies in a wide area.

They are like walking bug killers, the fantasy world’s version of pest control. And they’re joining us here!

I gave Valen a thumbs up with an impressed look. Valen seemed pleased with my reaction and laughed heartily.

I stood in front of the five Insect Busters and said abruptly.

“How much salary do you want?”

I felt like giving them a blank check!

The leader of the Insect Busters replied concisely.

“Salary is not that important. We just hope to kill as many bugs as possible.”

“You’ll be satisfied with that.”

I smiled wryly.

“Soon, they’ll be coming in droves, disgustingly, terribly many.”

“We heard that fly monsters are coming, Your Highness.”

The man confidently said, shaking a long piece of equipment in his hand.

“We are experts, so we will exterminate them. Please go inside and rest comfortably.”

It was confidence bordering on arrogance, but I liked it.

I confirmed the employment of all five and set their salaries generously.

The five of them seemed so happy that they could exterminate the swarms of flies that they went into the barracks, breathing heavily under their protective suits.

***

Lake Kingdom’s 5th District Dungeon, ‘The Fiery Colosseum’.

I visited this place, once ruled by Jackal. Since Jackal was dead, I was worried about the remaining captured monsters, and I also planned to incorporate any useful ones into my forces. I would use everything I could.

When I arrived with that thought, a goblin butler greeted me.

《Kilik, welcome, our new master.》

“Master? Me?”

I asked in confusion, and the goblin bowed again and replied.

《Yes, Kilik. Jackal, the former master of the arena, ordered that if anything were to happen to him, the ownership of all the monsters here should be transferred to Your Highness.》

“……”

《This Colosseum, and all the monsters belonging to it, are yours, Your Highness. Just give the order.》

I was speechless for a moment. I remembered the first time I met Jackal here. And even the moment he died not long ago.

I used to imagine bringing him to the surface after defeating all the monsters.

A man who had been dispatched to this Lake Kingdom under the orders of the Empire hundreds of years ago, while the higher-ups had long forgotten his name and existence. A man who had remained loyal to the Empire until the very end.

I had imagined giving him a new home, a new name, finding his old war exploits, giving him proper compensation, reinstating him… and then seeing him adapt and live as an ordinary person in a peaceful world.

On a quiet afternoon, sitting in a cafe on the outskirts of the Imperial City, reading a newspaper and trying to adapt to the modern world, his appearance having changed over hundreds of years from the one in my memory.

But in the end, it was just an imagination. Jackal died in the darkness of this place.

I remember him. His life and death, his loyalty and his history, I remember it all. But Jackal is dead. And even in death, he left me everything he had built.

I looked at the monsters lined up in rows inside the Colosseum. They were all monsters that Jackal had tamed. Including the captured monsters I had caught from time to time, I could form a small army just with captured monsters.

“……”

I took a deep breath. I remember the faces and names of all those who died under my banner. They died, but they left their legacies on this front. All those interconnected things became the foundation for the next step.

So, I can’t lose. How could I lose? You damn monster bastards. My banner is a collection of the legacies left by all those great people.

“Hey, butler.”

When I called the goblin butler, he quickly bowed.

《Kilik, what is your command?》

“What do you think about the monsters currently swarming… the flies?”

The goblin rolled his eyes and cautiously replied.

《They are insignificant monsters.》

“I see.”

《Kilik. However, our former master, Jackal, always told us something.》

“What is it?”

《That the insignificant is the most significant and the most to be wary of.》

The goblin cleared his throat and said in a low voice, imitating Jackal’s voice.

《Building a high tower is made of insignificant bricks, and the collapse of that high tower also begins with removing one brick.》

“……”

《He explained that while personally working on the restoration of this Colosseum, holding a brick. Kilik.》

The goblin glanced at me but did not stop talking.

《Flies are just insignificant monsters. But… they are also enough to remove a brick.》

“…Thanks for the good words.”

Could this be considered a message left by Jackal? I pondered his advice and then nodded to the goblin butler.

“Prepare for departure. All of you will have to fight in this battle.”

The goblin butler saluted me.

《We will not bring shame to the name of Jackal.》

***

Time passed quickly. The heroes and soldiers became proficient in tactics to fight the fly monsters. Various equipment poured out of the blacksmith, and all sorts of fly traps were produced in the alchemy workshop. Bodybag and Burnout began training to improve their proficiency with the newly made equipment, and fly traps were attached to various parts of the front line under my command.

Stonemasons and carpenters were busy running around to reinforce the forward base and the main fortress walls. The newly arrived mercenary group, Insect Busters, gave all sorts of advice like the bug-catching pros they were. All soldiers were given sturdy armor to resist the flies’ contaminated attacks. The armor was designed to completely cover even the joints with sturdy leather.

While the front-line heroes and soldiers were being heavily armed, the mages were also preparing diligently.

“You greenhorns! You don’t even know the basics of magic! Do I have to teach you everything from scratch!”

Under Diermuidin’s command, all the mages on the front lines formed parties and squadrons in an organized manner. Mages, by nature, are a profession that tends to be independent and reluctant to cooperate with others. It’s a somewhat biased view, but this tendency is definitely there. But this would make them inefficient as an army.

I requested Diermuidin to integrate the mages on the front lines into a single army. And Diermuidin faithfully carried out my request. After rigorous training, the mages reached a point where they could easily cast joint magic spells, positioned by their respective attributes.

And after the rigorous training together.

“Grandpa!”

“I don’t understand this part of the magic circle, Grandpa!”

“Please tutor me too!”

“You impudent things, I’m not your grandfather… Ahem!”

Diermuidin looked around at the young mages who had gathered around him like chirping chicks, shook his head, and clicked his tongue.

“I’ll explain it only once, so listen carefully, got it?”

The young mages around Diermuidin all answered in unison, “Yes!”

Even while grumbling, Diermuidin, like the master of the Ivory Tower, was efficiently teaching the young mages. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I watched the mages gathering together, putting their heads together, and discussing magic.

“……”

The preparation time was over. I stared south and bit my lip. Now, tomorrow is the day the monsters will crawl out of the lake.

***

That night.

“……”

Sitting on the roof of the barracks, Kuilan was looking at the sky. While Kuilan was lost in thought, looking at the sky, someone came up the ladder to the roof, panting.

“Oof!”

When Kuilan looked over, it was Princess Yoon who had just climbed up.

“What are you doing here, Kuilan?”

Yoon asked cheerfully, her characteristic bright yellow eyes narrowing as she smiled. Under the clear summer night sky, her ivory hair shone particularly white.

Kuilan glanced at Yoon, then looked back at the sky, feeling awkward.

“I was looking at the moon.”

“Hmm. It’s when the moonlight is faint, isn’t it?”

The crescent moon was in the sky. Yoon, who had been observing the shape of the fingernail-like moon, turned her gaze back to Kuilan.

“So that’s why you don’t have pretty fur?”

“…That’s right.”

Kuilan was currently in the form of a normal human, not a beastman. From the waning crescent to the full moon, and from the full moon to the waxing crescent – for the fifteen days when the moon is full, they are beastmen. For the remaining fifteen days when the moon is waning, they are normal humans. The Maple Tribe, who currently live as half-humans and half-beastmen, have different appearances depending on the time of the month.

When they are normal humans, their physical abilities are weakened, which was a burden for Kuilan, who had to fight on the front lines. Especially in this battle, where the enemy was expected to be stronger…

“Well, don’t worry too much! If anything happens, I’ll protect you!”

Yoon said confidently, rolling up her sleeves and showing off her arm.

“……”

Kuilan, who had been quietly watching Yoon, hesitated for a long time before slowly opening his mouth.

“Princess Yoon. There’s something I wanted to say…”

“Ah, don’t say any more.”

Yoon cut him off. Kuilan’s eyes widened.

“Huh? No, I was…”

“I know. I know what you want to say. I also know that I still haven’t entered your heart.”

“……”

Since that night of the party, Kuilan and Yoon had continued to spend time together. Yoon had continued to make romantic advances towards Kuilan. However… Kuilan did feel affection for Yoon, but his feelings had not developed beyond that.

Yoon sighed deeply.

“It’s really not easy to be in a relationship. I think I’m not a bad woman, but why can’t I receive love…”

Yoon rested her chin on her hand and looked up at the crescent moon.

“But, to be honest, I don’t want to be rejected again before such a big battle.”

“……”

“So, let’s stay in a ‘some’ relationship for now. Just for a few more days. That’s okay, right?”

Yoon smiled and turned to look at Kuilan. Her characteristic confident smile looked very bitter today, and Kuilan was speechless for a moment.