I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 600

After the funeral service, I visited every newly made grave.

“Prince Ash.”

A man who had been silently stroking his magnificent beard in front of one of the graves turned to look at me.

It was Valen, the leader of the City-State Alliance.

“Duke Valen.”

As I approached and called his name, he glanced at the newly made grave in front of him. I looked at the grave as well.

It was the grave of the mercenary group, Insect Busters, who had joined the defense battle through Valen’s introduction.

They were experts in exterminating insects, but five mercenaries were captured by the Fly King in the first battle at the forward base.

They couldn’t even recover their bodies, so they had to hold a funeral with empty coffins, and since they had no ties to this city, there were hardly any mourners.

Only Valen was guarding the grave like a chief mourner.

After a moment of silence, Valen opened his mouth.

“About the Insect Busters.”

“Yes.”

“Actually, I had no personal connection with them.”

“Yes.”

“I only heard of their reputation and scouted them to bring them here.”

Valen let out a long sigh.

“It feels strange.”

“How is it strange?”

“It feels like I arranged their deaths. And very lonely and solitary deaths at that.”

“…….”

“It’s not just them. Among the soldiers I’ve brought so far, not many have survived.”

A hot wind blew.

I casually swept my hair back, which had been disheveled by the late summer gale, and asked.

“Do you regret it?”

“As the head of the City-State Alliance, I shouldn’t. But as an individual… yes. I regret it.”

Valen muttered bitterly and looked at me.

“Even I, who have only been recruiting soldiers, am in so much pain, I can’t imagine how much you must be suffering, Your Highness.”

“No matter how much I suffer, it can’t compare to the sense of loss of the bereaved families. Can it compare to the pain the dead experienced at that moment?”

How could it be compared?

No matter how much I suffer…

I offered a short silent prayer in front of the Insect Busters’ grave. When I finished the prayer and raised my head, Valen asked.

“Your Highness, will many more die in the future?”

“They will.”

“To be honest, I feel like my heart is breaking.”

“…….”

“I’m afraid of that huge monster, and it’s painful to see the people I brought die… I’m ashamed. To think I’m the leader of an organization.”

“There’s no need to be ashamed. It’s only natural for a human to feel that way.”

“What should I do? Can those who have become weak like me continue to fight?”

I thought of Candler. I thought of her, who had already run away, returning as if it were a lie and fighting again.

Such miracles, such sacrifices… I can’t force them on everyone.

“There are about two months left until the next battle.”

I turned the answer back to him.

“Use that time to sort out your feelings, Duke Valen. Whether you can continue to fight, or…”

Or…

Even if they leave this place, I can’t hold them back.

Valen, and all those who have fought here so far. Because I know better than anyone that they have done their best so far.

That they have already fought hard enough.

That their hearts can be broken enough. Because I know it well.

Valen, who had been hesitating, answered bitterly and bowed his head to me.

“I will, Your Highness.”

***

When the southern wall collapsed.

Many people failed to evacuate in time or were swept away by the collapse. Half of the casualties in this battle occurred here.

And among those swept away by this collapse were also mages.

“…….”

Junior was looking at the grave in front of him with reddened eyes. In front of the grave, two young mages were kneeling, their bodies wrapped in bandages, crying.

They were the young mages who had formed a party under Junior’s command, who were learning magic from Junior and Diarmuid.

During the collapse of the wall, these young mages, who were less physically trained, were directly caught in the accident.

In the end, two died and two were injured like this.

Junior quietly approached the young mages who were sobbing and stroked their shoulders. The three of them cried together.

“…….”

Diarmuid, who was standing behind them, was staring blankly at this scene.

“The children die, and the old survive.”

His hollow mutterings were scattered by the summer breeze.

“The children die, and the old survive…”

“…….”

I stood quietly beside him and offered a silent prayer.

There was nothing else I could do but pray.

***

Skuld and Kaelison.

The Elf Queen and the Dwarf King did not have an imperial funeral. They had separate funerals in their own races’ ways.

Skuld’s coffin, made of wood, was filled with white flowers. Kaelison’s coffin, made of metal, was piled high with gold coins.

However, even if the forms and procedures were different.

The hearts of people are the same.

The elves, holding hands and singing mournful songs of their homeland, and the dwarves, silently pouring their cherished valuables into the coffin, were all crying.

Verdandi and Kaelibey, dressed in mourning clothes, also tried to hold back, but eventually burst into tears.

“…….”

After visiting their coffins and paying respects in the ways of both races.

As I turned around and walked away, I saw a large man with blue hair looking this way from afar.

It was the King of the Merfolk – King Poseidon XIII.

As I approached, the Merfolk King opened his mouth.

“I looked down on them.”

“…….”

“Because they were younger than me, or weaker than me… I was secretly ignoring them. Even though we were gathered here as kings of different races, I was arrogantly mistaken that I was the best.”

Instead of the sign language he usually used, the Merfolk King poured out his words in fluent language.

“But it wasn’t like that at all. Those two were much greater kings than I am.”

“…….”

“To sacrifice their lives to save their people, the world… Even if I had such ability, I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

King Poseidon shook his head, speaking honestly.

“I’m ashamed of myself for being so presumptuous.”

“Their sacrifices are noble and great. However.”

I stood next to King Poseidon and looked at the coffins being lowered into the ground.

The two dead kings had written their wills in advance.

They asked to be buried here if they died. And to be moved to their homelands after saving the world. Like that.

Looking at the graves being built in their respective styles, I continued.

“That doesn’t mean we, the survivors, should feel guilty. We shouldn’t regret not dying like them. That wouldn’t be what they wanted.”

“…….”

“It would be more important to consider what they left behind, what we have to carry on.”

The Merfolk King let out a long breath. His hand, holding his trident like a staff, was trembling slightly.

“What did they want to leave behind in the world by sacrificing their lives…”

After paying deep respects to the completed graves.

King Poseidon, straightening his back, muttered heavily.

“Our Merfolk also need to think about it.”

***

In addition, after visiting every hero and every soldier’s grave once.

I visited Burnout’s grave again for the last time. Because Bodybag was crying so sadly when I visited earlier, it bothered me.

It was the time when the sun was setting in the west. In the graveyard, dyed red by the sunset.

Bodybag, dressed in black mourning clothes, was squatting in front of Burnout’s grave. In front of him, Lily, also in mourning clothes, was sitting in a wheelchair.

“Aww!”

With her young son, Sid, in her arms.

The child, who couldn’t understand what a funeral was, was innocently wriggling his arms and legs. He was growing taller every time I saw him, but he was still small.

“Your godfather is here, Sid.”

“Oooah!”

“Ah, Your Highness! You’ve come.”

After waving to Sid and Lily, who greeted me, I went to Bodybag’s side.

“Oh, my back.”

I was exhausted from standing all day. I made a groan and sat down on the ground next to Bodybag.

“…….”

Bodybag glanced at me with reddened eyes and only nodded slightly. I gently stroked Bodybag’s light green hair.

A quiet time passed without conversation. After a long time, Bodybag slowly opened his mouth.

“…Your Highness.”

“Yes.”

“My codename, Bodybag, means ‘corpse bag’.”

We listened quietly. Bodybag mumbled with difficulty.

“It’s the bag that collects the dead allies. And, as the codename suggests, it happened. I survived, carrying the deaths of all my comrades except me.”

“…….”

“Now I’m scared. To become someone else’s comrade. To become close to someone else. Because I’m afraid that person will die too. That person will also be put in my corpse bag…”

Bodybag’s face was buried in his arm.

“All my comrades are dead. There’s no way I’m not responsible for all these deaths.”

“…….”

“I’m scared… Wouldn’t it be better for me to die quickly and go to everyone’s side…? Then no more…”

I put my arm over Bodybag’s trembling shoulder and slowly opened my mouth.

“Bodybag. Do you know what the role of a corpse bag is? It’s to safely return the deaths of allies to their homeland.”

“…….”

“So you can’t die. You must live, live long, and remember the deaths of your comrades… their lives.”

Bodybag’s trembling eyes looked at me. I slowly nodded.

“It’s as Burnout’s will, Bodybag. Survive. Survive and prove that the Shadow Squad existed here. That the five of you lived here.”

“…….”

“That we are fighting here, that you are.”

After a long time, Bodybag asked back in a blurry voice.

“Will that… be enough?”

“I don’t know.”

I smiled gently.

“But, let’s start from there.”

“…….”

“It’s okay to stay curled up for longer. Let’s slowly stand up again. On this ruin. Together.”

It was then. Sid, who had been looking this way from Lily’s arms, wriggled his body and stretched his hand forward.

With meaningless babbling like ‘Aww-,’ Sid’s small, chubby hand touched Bodybag’s pale cheek.

Bodybag stared blankly at Sid.

The light green mixed with blurry brown – Sid’s two eyes, which looked just like his father, Godhand.

A faint smile crossed Bodybag’s tearful lips. Sid giggled and pressed Bodybag’s cheek.

“…….”

Lily, who was quietly smiling and watching this scene, suddenly turned her eyes to the graveyard.

As if looking for a grave that wasn’t there.

The non-existent grave of Godhand, who was still missing, but whose death everyone had already accepted.

***

The truce period that the Black Dragon Night Bringer proposed to us was until the next Great Flood.

In other words, until right before the next boss stage – Stage 40.

It meant that we would skip four defense battles, Stages 36, 37, 38, and 39.

Of course, it’s not safe to believe the monster’s words, but he seems to be the type to faithfully keep his word. So, it’s true that we’ve gained some grace period.

‘About two months, I guess…’

After the funeral, in the evening.

I visited Serenade.

The Winter Silver Merchant Guild’s Crossroads branch was busy. They were deployed at the forefront of the restoration work.

Workers were constantly carrying in and out supplies.

Passing through the busy scene.

“Serenade.”

“Your Highness! If you had given me notice, I would have come to greet you…”

“I know you’re busy, how could I do that?”

I entered Serenade’s office and made a request without preamble.

“I have a favor to ask. Send a proclamation to every country, every city, every town in the world.”

“A proclamation, you say?”

“You can call it a notice, or an advertisement, anyway, there’s something I need to announce to the whole world. Can you do it?”

“Of course. It’s not a difficult task. Please leave it to me.”

Taking out a new piece of paper on the desk, and holding a quill pen in her hand, which was stained with ink from her hard work.

Serenade looked up at me. Her silver eyes sparkled behind the glasses she wore whenever she worked.

“How should I write it, Your Highness?”

“Recruiting heroes.”

Turning my gaze to the window behind Serenade, where the wooden blinds were half-closed.

I recited as I had thought.

“Monetary compensation, high. Honor and glory, extremely high.”

Serenade’s quill, which had been writing down my words smoothly, paused at my next words.

“Survival rate, low.”

“…….”

“Success rate, extremely low.”

…Rustle. Rustle.

The sentence that had stopped for a moment continued as if nothing had happened. I also continued speaking without showing any sign.

“Nevertheless, those who will save the world. Those who have something to protect. For all that they love, against destruction, those who can fight the worst monsters in the world.”

I finished speaking.

“Come to the southern end of the world, Crossroads, without exception.”

“…….”

“Proclaimed in the name of Ash ‘Bonehater’ Everblack, Commander of the World Defense Front.”

My words stopped, and Serenade’s writing also stopped soon after.

Silence fell in the office.

Serenade looking down at the sentence, and me looking at the city outside the window.

The smell of ink stained on Serenade’s hand. The smell of paper. The smell of bandages wrapped around my body. The smell of dried blood.

The sound of construction work coming from afar, the blurry shouts of workers, and the faint hymns flowing in from the graveyard…

“Serenade.”

Breaking the silence that had filled the space between us, I suddenly asked.

“If the world were to end tomorrow, what would you do today?”

“…….”

Serenade slowly raised her head, and I also turned my gaze from the window to her.

Our gazes intertwined through the sunset that had penetrated through the window.

Serenade thought for a moment, then opened her mouth.

“I would hold a festival… I would hold a festival in this city.”

“And?”

“I would dance with you. Until the moment the world ends.”

Serenade smiled.

So I smiled too.

“Then let’s do that.”

“Yes?”

I took a step closer to Serenade, who was looking puzzled.

I took a new piece of paper from the table, took the quill pen from her hand, and wrote a second proclamation.

That a fall festival would be held in Crossroads about a month from now, on the upcoming new moon.

“Even if the world really ends…”

I smiled and handed the completed proclamation to Serenade, who was blinking as if dumbfounded.

“Will you still dance with me, partner?”

Recruiting heroes.

And, a notice of the fall festival.

Holding the two proclamations in her hands, Serenade looked at me for a long time with reddened eyes… and then smiled dazzlingly.

The late summer was over, and now it was early fall.

The third Crossroads fall festival was approaching.