I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 602

And so, my emergency summons brought the main party of five to the lord’s mansion.

“Uh, um…”

I was taken aback by the state of the kids gathered before me.

Lucas, Damian, Evangeline, and Junior all looked gaunt. They looked like they were in a lot of pain. Hey, guys?

“Are you all… okay? Are you sick somewhere?”

They should be the least injured of my main heroes. Why are they in such bad shape?

The four of them exchanged glances, and Lucas was the first to speak.

“How can we be at peace knowing that such a being is our next enemy commander?”

He was talking about the Dusk Bringer. [The Dusk Bringer is a powerful enemy commander, likely a reference to a character or role in the game or story.]

Lucas sighed, frustrated. That powerful being who could crush the Great Fly with his bare hands. It must be daunting.

“I can’t figure out how to put a sword to that evil dragon’s neck… I’ve been agonizing over it all night.”

“You look like a mess from lack of sleep.”

“…Actually, it’s not like I have absolutely no ideas.”

Lucas glanced at me, and I clicked my tongue.

“Hey, even if you look at me like that, I’m not giving back Excalibur. And beastification is still forbidden.”

I had taken back Excalibur from Lucas as soon as the battle was over and put it back in my inventory. [Excalibur is likely a powerful, possibly magical, sword.]

I don’t know what that evil magic sword might do to Lucas’s mind.

We shouldn’t rely on such unorthodox methods like magic swords or beastification. They might give us power in the short term, but they’ll eventually eat away at the user’s body and soul.

I had no choice during the Great Fly fight because the situation was so urgent, but from now on…

“Ugh…”

Lucas made a bear-like sound and lowered his gaze. Uh-huh. I’m not giving it to you even if you act pitiful.

“Evangeline, what’s wrong with you? Are you sick somewhere?”

I carefully asked Evangeline, who was sprawled on the sofa next to me, and she mumbled with an uncharacteristic gaunt look.

“…Wouldn’t it be strange if I looked cheerful when my hometown is in this state?”

“I guess that’s true…”

Evangeline, the successor to the Border Count title, who will become the lord of this Crossroad in the future. [Border Count is a noble title, indicating Evangeline’s future role.]

But the southern part of her hometown city has been completely devastated… Of course, her heart would be shaken.

“I’m also a bit intimidated.”

Evangeline, who had flipped over on the sofa, started kicking her legs.

“I thought that if I was in perfect condition, I could withstand any attack…”

“You thought?”

“Against such a huge and transcendent power like the Great Fly… I realized that my shield is not very useful.”

Evangeline immediately looked dejected after saying that. Indeed, that’s why she’s in such bad shape.

“The monsters are getting stronger every day, and I wonder how useful my shield will be in the battles to come… In the ever-expanding battlefield, how much meaning does my individual defense have?”

Evangeline started spinning around on the sofa, making a weird ‘ueeeeee’ sound. You’re making dust, you know.

“I’ve been thinking about things like that~ That’s why I couldn’t sleep.”

“Sleep-deprived youths.”

“This senior is talking like an old man again…”

Anyway, I took my eyes off Evangeline, who was rubbing her face with both hands, and looked at Damian next.

“Damian? You look tired too. Tell me honestly.”

“Ah, I just worked a little hard… Hehe.”

Damian scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. Well, he’s also working as a priest at the temple. And yesterday, there was a funeral, so he worked all day again.

“I’m just going to focus on figuring out specific ways to better carry out the orders you give, Your Highness. You’ll find the big solutions…”

Damian smiled innocently with a disheveled face.

“The Black Dragon is a fearsome being, but you’ll always find a way, Your Highness, as you always have. I’ll just prepare to fight well when that time comes.”

Kyak! Stop sending me such innocent and trusting looks! I feel like my eyes are going to go blind!

I turned my head away to avoid Damian’s mental attack (?) and looked at the last member. Junior…

‘He lost two young mages under his command.’

He’s probably the most heartbroken among us.

Without saying anything, Junior gave a bitter smile with a haggard look and carefully looked at my face.

“Your Highness, so… what is the reason you called us here today?”

“Ah.”

I quickly erased the tight hell training list I had planned in my head.

Eh, what hell training? Let’s give them a vacation first.

“You’re all on vacation. I called you to tell you that. Don’t think about anything for a while and just rest.”

The hell training to prepare for the 5-on-5 team battle against the Dusk Bringer… of course, we’ll still do it!

But starting right away would be overkill. Let’s take a good rest, recover our bodies and minds, and then start slowly.

“Ooh, vacation!”

Evangeline’s eyes widened.

“It feels like the first time I’ve heard that word since I came here. A vacation…”

“You’ve all worked hard. Let’s focus on resting both our bodies and minds for a while and recovering.”

Immediately after, Evangeline tilted her head.

“But what should we do during vacation?”

“Huh?”

I frowned at the absurd question.

“You should play, of course. A vacation is for playing.”

“Hmm, even if you say that… I don’t really know what to play…?”

The four of them made ‘hmm’ sounds, resting their chins on their hands and pondering.

I realized anew. Everyone here has been so focused on fighting monsters that they haven’t had time to have proper hobbies.

They’ve spent two and a half years filled with battles, training, and preparing for more battles.

I was speechless for a moment, looking at the faces of the young children who had given their vibrant youth to the monster front. I smiled awkwardly and asked.

“…Shall we eat something since we’re all here?”

They don’t seem to have much appetite, but I still need to feed them. Let’s at least eat and think about what to do to rest together.

That’s when it happened.

Bang-!

Suddenly, the office door burst open, and everyone turned their heads. What the heck?!

“Huff, huff, huff…”

And what rushed in was… a werewolf with silver-red mane.

It took me a few seconds to recognize who it was. I was flustered and called out the werewolf’s name.

“Kuyllan?”

It was the Beast King Kuyllan. He’s been in that werewolf state since the battle with the Great Fly. At first, everyone was terrified, but now they’re getting used to it.

‘No, it’s not about us getting used to it!’

Kuyllan hurriedly entered the office, closed the door again, and took a rough breath.

“I’ll be in your care for a moment, Captain…!”

I pointed at the werewolf.

“What’s going on… No, before that, what’s that you’re holding?”

Kuyllan was holding something wrapped in a blanket. What is that that he’s holding so preciously?

“Ah, this?”

Then, Kuyllan casually pulled back the blanket to show the contents.

“It’s Yoon.”

“…What?”

I was shocked to see that it was true.

Princess Yoon Arian, with her ivory hair, was sleeping as if dead inside the blanket. No, it’s really Yoon! Why are you carrying her around?!

‘Wasn’t she being treated at the Arian Kingdom’s military camp? They said she was getting better?’

That’s what the Arian Kingdom reported to me. I couldn’t even see her face because the Arian Kingdom refused visitors…

“Anyway, please hide me, Captain!”

Kuyllan looked around frantically, then rushed towards us, crouched down, and crawled under the reception table. How can that big guy fit in there?

We were all bewildered because we couldn’t figure out what was going on.

Bang-!

The office door opened again. Everyone turned their heads. Who is it this time!

“Huff! Huff! Huff!”

There were warriors from the Arian Kingdom and a priest from the Arian Kingdom.

The priest from the Arian Kingdom, looking distraught, shouted as he looked around the office.

“Did you see a wolf, a wolf?!

“A, a wolf?”

“It’s Kuyllan! He kidnapped our princess and ran away on his own!”

I and the main party members exchanged glances in an instant. Everyone was looking at me as if passing the decision-making to me.

And Kuyllan, crouching under the table.

He was looking up at me, begging with both hands.

“…”

I was sweating and answered without realizing it.

“I, I, I didn’t see him…”

“Really, Your Highness?”

“Y, yeah… I don’t think I saw him…”

“I understand. Damn it, he definitely ran this way…! Where did he pop out from?”

The people of the Arian Kingdom bowed and rushed out of the office.

As the footsteps faded away, I, who was sweating profusely, shouted ‘Kyaak-‘ and pointed under the table.

“You made me lie, you red-hooded wolf bastard! What are you going to do! Why did you do this and make the prince a liar!”

Kuyllan crawled out from under the table, seemingly not hearing my scolding, and sighed in relief.

I kept shouting at Kuyllan.

“And why are you kidnapping Yoon? Wasn’t she being treated well by the Arian Kingdom?”

“That’s a lie from the Arian Kingdom, Captain. Yoon survived, but she hasn’t regained consciousness because they couldn’t remove the paralysis poison.”

I was shocked and opened my mouth. Kuyllan continued.

“And the people of the Arian Kingdom are trying to take Yoon back to her hometown. And they’re planning to transport her by land today.”

“What?”

“The King of the Arian Kingdom said he wanted to see his daughter’s face one last time. That’s why this ridiculous plan was made.”

Crossroad is at the southern end of the world. The Arian Kingdom, at the northern end, is incredibly far away.

It’s a tiring journey even for a healthy person, and it’s not a distance that Yoon, who is injured and unconscious, can be transported safely.

“That’s why I stole her. It’s much more likely to save her if she continues to receive treatment in Crossroad than if she’s forcibly transported north, wouldn’t you say?”

“W, well, that’s true, but…”

Even so, is this kidnapping okay? Is it really okay?

While I was flustered and stammering, the office door opened again with a bang! Oh my, it’s just a day for breaking doors today!

“I knew you were here!”

The people of the Arian Kingdom had returned. They pretended to retreat for a moment, then suddenly raided this place again. Ugh, we’ve been caught!

“We clearly saw you go in, and no matter how much you try to cover it up with the protection of His Highness, it’s no use, Kuyllan…!”

“Tsk…”

“Please return the princess quietly. Don’t let it develop into an unnecessary diplomatic issue.”

The priest of the Arian Kingdom said with a mournful face.

“We just want the princess to be happy. We just want her to close her eyes in her hometown, in the arms of her family. So…”

“…You want Yoon to be happy?”

Kuyllan, who stood up from his seat with a sneer, covered Yoon’s face in his arms with his hand.

“Then, people of the Arian Kingdom. Look at this carefully.”

And then, he put his hairy hand… on Yoon’s cheek.

Swoosh.

Then.

Surprisingly, the corner of Yoon’s mouth, who had been unconscious and asleep, relaxed and went up…

I was shocked and shouted.

“What, she’s grinning?! Isn’t she unconscious?!”

“No, she’s unconscious… She’s definitely unconscious…”

In front of the bewildered priest of the Arian Kingdom, Kuyllan continued to demonstrate.

“Look. Like this. Like this.”

Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.

As Kuyllan rubbed his fluffy fur on Yoon’s cheeks and neck, Yoon started to smile and even drool.

No, even in a coma, she’s happy just feeling Kuyllan’s fur! What a natural-born furry lover!

Kuyllan said with a determined voice.

“Being with me will make Yoon happier.”

“Ugh…”

The priest, who had subtly come to the side and touched Kuyllan’s arm with his hand, shuddered and lowered his head.

“This muscle, this fur… I think even our King would understand if he touched it himself. I have no choice but to admit it…”

“No, you’re admitting it!”

I was losing my mind. What is the taste of the people in the north…?! [This is a humorous remark about the Arian Kingdom’s unusual preferences.]

“But we can’t disobey the King’s orders. What should we do…”

I stepped forward in front of the agonizing priest.

“The King doesn’t want Yoon to die, does he?”

“Of course, that’s not it, but…”

“There is definitely a way to improve Yoon’s condition here in Crossroad. How about continuing her treatment here a little longer? I propose it in my name as the commander of this place.”

Everyone’s eyes widened. The priest asked in a trembling voice.

“What… what is that method?”

“There is a facility below the Lake Kingdom that helps with physical and magical recovery. It’s called Bugok Hawaii… Ah, no!”

I hurriedly corrected the name.

“Dungeon Spa!”

It seems like it’s time for all of us to soak in a hot spring together for our vacation.