I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 57

Thump-! Thump-! Thump-!

Clang clang clang clang-!

Loud drumbeats and bell chimes echoed throughout the city.

Hastily summoned soldiers scrambled to gather their equipment and ascend the city walls, while cannons and artifacts, having been hastily prepared, were being set up one by one.

Laborers clamored to move the loads first, carrying cannonballs, arrows, boiling oil, and braziers.

War is always urgent, but an unannounced surprise attack threw the front lines into even greater chaos.

Amidst the pandemonium, my party and I arrived. As soon as I stepped onto the city wall, I shouted,

“Scouts! What’s their current location?”

“They’re visible to the naked eye. Over there!”

Looking in the direction the scout pointed, I saw a hazy cloud of dust in the distance to the south.

The monsters were advancing, cutting through that dust cloud and creating new ones.

Thud… Thud… Thud…

The massive golems stomped their feet in unison. They were approaching in an orderly formation.

They were the same ones we had encountered in the dungeon, but the sheer number of them, hundreds at once, was on a different level of intimidating.

It was as if a giant wall was approaching.

“When will they be within cannon range?”

“At this speed, it won’t take more than 15 minutes.”

“We need to get everything aligned and ready to fire before then! Hurry!”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers were sweating profusely as they worked hard to prepare the cannons for firing. They loaded the cannonballs, adjusted the sights, and filled them with gunpowder.

As I watched this process, Lucas approached me from behind.

“My lord.”

“……”

“Are you going to leave her?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I bit my lip hard.

A stage that had suddenly begun.

The golem legion was currently divided into two groups.

The main force of about 200 individuals was heading straight for the city, and a separate detachment of about 50 individuals was heading towards the Margrave’s orchard.

And Evangeline, who happened to be alone in the orchard right now.

‘Why…’

The taste of blood welled up from my lips due to the force I was using.

‘Why did the stage suddenly start, and why are the monsters acting so erratically by splitting into two groups? Why now!’

There was no way all of this could have happened by coincidence.

Malice.

It was clear that some great malice had distorted the situation to its liking.

Otherwise, there was no way the situation could have been so messed up.

Then, whose malice was it?

Why… is it so desperate to ruin this game?

At that moment, dozens of soldiers rushed towards me. When I turned around, I saw the Twilight Legion, the veterans of the Cross family.

“Your Highness!”

Among the veterans who saluted in unison, the captain of the Twilight Legion stepped forward and spoke.

“We’ve heard the news. Please send us.”

“What?”

“The current defense of the front line is solid. They can hold it well enough without us old men. Please send us to the orchard. We can rescue Lady Evangeline.”

“……”

“There’s no time, Your Highness. The monsters are approaching soon. There isn’t much time left to send a rescue party out the south gate.”

After listening to the veterans, I let out a dry sigh.

“There are two errors in your words.”

“Yes?”

“The first error is that the current defense of the front line is solid. Does this front line look solid to you right now?”

I pointed to the city wall. Soldiers were shouting and rushing to install the artifacts, which were still not fully set up.

“Due to the sudden appearance of the monsters, not only are the artifacts not ready, but even the cannon alignment is not finished.”

“The defensive equipment can all be prepared before the monsters arrive!”

“So, let’s say the equipment is ready. If you leave this front line, most of the remaining soldiers will be new recruits. Do you really think that new recruits alone can withstand the attacks of those large monsters?”

“……”

The veterans fell silent.

They must know very well that neither the equipment nor the soldiers are fully prepared.

“The second error is that you can rescue Evangeline.”

I spoke harshly.

“There are no defensive facilities at the Margrave’s villa and orchard. Only low hills and plains. Fifty large elite monsters, golems, have gone to such a place.”

“……”

“Even if there were a city wall there, and you fought while using it! You would all be annihilated. But there aren’t even any defensive facilities! How exactly do you plan to rescue Evangeline with just yourselves?”

The reason this game works as a defense genre is because, in the end, we have the overwhelming advantage of the city wall.

But if you go out to fight the monsters head-on in a plain without a city wall.

That’s just throwing your lives away.

The captain of the Twilight Legion replied with a determined expression.

“Even if we all die, we will definitely rescue the young lady…”

“That’s not a plan, you moron!”

The veterans, startled by my shout, hesitated and stepped back.

I irritably swept my hair back.

“I want a plan that has a chance. Not your futile deaths!”

“Then what are we supposed to do? Are you saying we should abandon her because there’s no chance? Your Highness, are you going to let Lady Evangeline die?”

“……”

“If no one goes to save her, Lady Evangeline will surely die! We can’t let that happen!”

I bit my lip.

The veterans were right. If there is no support, Evangeline will surely die.

Even if Evangeline is an SSR-grade character with a cheat skill set, she is far beyond the capacity to deal with 50 large monsters.

There are even boss-level individuals among them.

‘But, to save her, we need to form a rescue party with the best of the best.’

The Twilight Legion alone is not enough. At the very least, I need to send all of my main party members.

And we need soldiers to hold off the monsters while the main party clears them out.

But if we do that, the defense here will fail.

Even if we save Evangeline, if this front line collapses, it’s game over.

‘Damn it…’

I closed my eyes tightly.

No matter how much I rack my brain, it’s impossible to both rescue Evangeline and defend the front line. What kind of dilemma is this?

‘Is there no way? Really?’

Then, I suddenly remembered a conversation I had with the Margrave in the past.

– I had to choose. Whether to save my wife in the frontier or to protect tens of thousands of citizens inside the city.

The Margrave had also been in a similar situation.

The monsters were divided into two groups, and as the lord, the Margrave had to choose.

His wife, or the city.

– What do you think I chose?

I remembered the Margrave’s aged eyes, filled with regret, as he asked me that.

Clench!

I gritted my teeth.

‘I think I understand your pain a little, Margrave…’

I had tried to free Evangeline from this monster front line to fulfill the will of Margrave Cross.

She was a talent that I had to recruit and keep at all costs for an efficient strategy, but I believed that there was something more important to people than efficiency, so I did it.

But if I stay still like this, all of that will lose its meaning.

Evangeline, the last survivor of the Cross family, will die to the monsters.

And if I send a rescue party, both the defense line and the rescue party will be in danger. There is a high chance that both will be destroyed. No, it’s almost certainly game over.

In the end, I have to choose.

People, or strategy.

People.

Or strategy…

“……”

I slowly opened my closed eyes. I could feel the gazes of the people looking at me.

“I command!”

Yes.

The answer was decided from the beginning.

“None of you will go out as a rescue party.”

The veterans’ faces turned pale at my words.

My party members gritted their teeth. But I didn’t waver.

“We must not waste our forces unnecessarily. Concentrate all our forces on this defense line.”

The life of one person and the lives of tens of thousands of people.

There was no need to hesitate from the start. It was a difference in weight that was embarrassing to even put on a scale.

“If this city wall collapses, tens of thousands of citizens of Crossroads will die.”

“……”

“Not only that, but all the cities and towns above the front line will be in danger, and in the end, the human world itself will be in danger.”

The front line must be maintained no matter what.

The strategy must continue no matter what.

This is the major premise.

What good is it to save an SSR-grade character if the game itself ends?

“I’ll say it again clearly. None of you will go out as a rescue party!”

Having made up my mind, I shouted loudly.

“Get ready for the defense battle.”

“……”

“What are you doing? Can’t you see the monsters coming?”

I shouted sharply at the soldiers who were frozen in place.

“Prepare for battle, prepare for battle! Hurry!”

***

Southeast of Crossroads.

On a hill where an oak forest can be seen in the distance, there stands an old mansion.

Ivy grew profusely on the walls of the mansion, which had a faded glow, and the windows were dusty, making it impossible to see inside.

It was clear at a glance that it was not being properly maintained.

This was the villa where Margrave Cross had resided during his lifetime.

A few steps from this villa, along the hill, there was a small orchard.

Unlike the villa, the orchard showed clear signs of being managed until relatively recently.

However, it was the same in that it was abandoned after losing its owner.

The fruit trees stood in rows on the soil, their bodies trembling in the occasional breeze.

It was spring now.

When the sun rose higher and the weather warmed, the trees would bloom and bear fruit even on this land contaminated with monster blood.

Evangeline realized anew.

That she would never see that sight.

Because she would be leaving this place forever.

“……”

Evangeline reached out and stroked the new shoots of a fruit tree.

After her mother passed away and she left home, her father had taken care of this place alone.

‘How foolish. Really.’

She could easily imagine her father’s figure.

Just a few days ago, her father would have been standing right here, taking care of the trees.

Hoping that there would be proper fruit this year.

Even though he knew that it wouldn’t happen.

“……”

Evangeline slowly took her hand away from the tree.

So, what good was it now?

Even if there were feelings she couldn’t convey. Even if there were misunderstandings that couldn’t be resolved.

Even if there were wounds that couldn’t heal. What good would it all be?

Evangeline slowly looked around the desolate orchard and villa.

‘This place is a ruin.’

Her father and mother were dead, and she was leaving.

‘It was a ruin before, and it will be a ruin in the future.’

A bitter smile appeared on Evangeline’s small lips.

In the end. The end of the Cross family, who had protected this place for hundreds of years, was so trivial.

They left nothing but death and dust.

After stuffing the gold coins, which they had earned by selling the family’s name and remaining pride, into their pockets.

The last straggler, herself, was running away without even fighting.

Evangeline moved her steps and stood in front of the two tombstones in the backyard of the orchard.

“Dad, Mom.”

Evangeline hesitated whether to look at the graves or the tombstones, and then slowly spoke.

“I won’t see you anymore. I’m leaving for good.”

She couldn’t help but hope that a stern command would be issued, but.

There was no answer. Of course.

“I had so much to say… but now I don’t even remember what it was.”

Swoosh…

The wind blew. The smell of oak and oil came from afar.

“I’m going.”

Evangeline suddenly felt dizzy.

Her head was pounding, and it felt like the ground was shaking. Was she getting sentimental now?

After shaking her head to get rid of the distractions, Evangeline gave a faint smile. She wanted to end with a smile.

“…Goodbye.”

She turned around.

Evangeline quickly wiped her hot eyes with the back of her hand.

“Ahem!”

After lightly tapping her cheeks with both hands, she lifted her head and looked ahead. It was really time to leave.

“Okay, let’s go!”

And when Evangeline looked straight ahead.

Kuwagwagwang-!

The stone fence in front of her exploded, taking the ground with it.

As if hit by a giant catapult, it shattered in an instant.

“…?”

For a moment, she couldn’t understand the situation.

In front of Evangeline, who was frozen in shock,

Crack, crackle!

Goo-ooo-!

Scattering the shattered fragments of the stone wall in all directions, a huge steam golem charged in, emitting a ferocious rumbling sound.

Evangeline made a dumb sound.

“Huh?”

Crack-!

The next moment, the golem’s huge fist struck Evangeline’s slender body.