I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 604

At the same time, in the women’s bathhouse.

“Alright, then. As I announced beforehand…”

Evangeline clapped her hands and declared in a solemn voice.

“The Crossroads Female Heroes and Mercenaries Rights Committee, or the CFHMRC for short, will now hold its… what number was it again? Anyway, let’s have a meeting. Everyone, applause!”

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Evangeline clapped alone. The rest of the group didn’t move.

In the silence, someone raised their hand in the hazy steam. It was Junior.

“…President Evangeline, I have a question.”

“Speak, Member Junior.”

“Why is this CFHMRC meeting…”

Junior’s eyes trembled as she asked.

“…being held inside the sauna?”

That’s right.

This was the sauna inside the women’s bathhouse. A wet sauna, at that.

Inside this space filled with suffocating heat and humidity, the CFHMRC members looked utterly exhausted, as if they were about to collapse and die.

Only Evangeline, with a ‘Heng!’ sound, leisurely crossed her arms.

“It’s boring to have the same meetings every time, right? I thought it would be more fun to meet in different forms, so I gathered everyone here.”

“No, this is even less fun! It’s hot! It’s hard! Let me out!”

Junior shuddered. Then, Evangeline leaned in and whispered.

“…And, I’m also going to draw out some of the poison from those people’s bellies.”

“Huh? Poison, you say…”

Junior looked where Evangeline was pointing. And her shoulders twitched.

Slinking…

In the corner of the sauna, two elves were sitting hunched over, radiating a dark aura of depression.

It was Verdandi and Badiback. The faces of the two elves, who had each lost someone precious, were stiff even in this sweltering sauna.

Evangeline poked Junior’s shoulder with her fingertip as she cautiously glanced at them.

“And, I’m going to draw some out of your belly too!”

“Huh, me too?”

“You’ve been looking gloomy too!”

Was I?

Junior touched her face hesitantly. Her furrowed expression was felt at her fingertips.

…No, I’m sad because of the last battle, but isn’t it just because the sauna is hot and hard that I’m like this?

“Ugh, I can’t take it anymore. I’m going out first.”

She was already uncomfortable showing her bare body because of the scar on her left side.

Junior, who was physically weak, gave up on the sauna and tried to go outside. Then, Evangeline suddenly shouted.

“Wait-!”

“Wh-what is it?”

In front of the flustered Junior, Evangeline cleared her throat with an unnecessarily solemn expression and looked around, putting strength into her voice.

“Now that almost all the female heroes belonging to Crossroads have joined our CFHMRC, I’m going to reveal the real purpose of creating this group.”

“Real purpose…?”

Wasn’t it just a gourmet club created to eat and drink as they pleased?

As everyone looked at her with puzzled expressions, Evangeline spoke with a serious face.

“The real purpose of creating the CFHMRC, it is… to secure a support base for a certain ‘welfare project’ that I will promote as a lord after inheriting the rule of Crossroads in the future.”

“What? A welfare project?”

“Heh heh, don’t be surprised. The name of that welfare project is…”

Evangeline smiled arrogantly, then raised her index finger and declared.

“‘Boyfriends for Everyone’-!”

“…”

“…”

Everyone was speechless at the absurdity. Even Verdandi and Badiback, who were huddled in the corner, looked at Evangeline with dumbfounded eyes.

For a moment, everyone in the room thought.

‘Is this young lady hallucinating because the sauna is too hot?’

But it wasn’t a hallucination. Evangeline continued her speech with a voice full of sincerity.

“After I take control of Crossroads! I will provide unlimited ‘matchmaking rights’ to all the heroes belonging to our CFHMRC…!”

“Ma-matchmaking rights?”

“And unlimited?”

“What on earth does that mean?!”

“Heh, heh, heh, it means exactly what it says.”

Evangeline clenched her fist.

“It means I’ll arrange unlimited one-on-one meetings until you find someone you like!”

Oh, oh, oh…!

A wave of agitation spread among the female heroes.

At first, they were like, ‘What kind of crazy talk is this…?’ but as Evangeline continued to speak, the heroes began to widen their eyes one by one.

Yes, they were spending their days in life-or-death battles against monsters, but someday this invasion would stop and the world would be at peace…

‘We can date too, right?’

At that moment, a woman with light purple hair, the gambler Violet, let out a fiercely suppressed sound.

“U…”

Everyone looked at her. U?

“Uhyooooot?!”

“Aaaah! Ms. Violet is broken?!”

Next to Violet, who was panting with a nosebleed, her fellow gamblers, Orange and Scarlet, hurriedly held up towels.

Violet, who had wiped her nosebleed, muttered, panting.

“I… I’m going to date too…! Once this last job is over, I’m going to liquidate everything, wash my identity clean, and pretend to be a proper noble lady and seduce a man…!”

“O-oh, oh, oh…!”

Thus, everyone was agitated and excited by Evangeline’s bombshell declaration.

“…But, what benefit does Miss Evangeline get from this?”

A cold voice flew in.

It was Rosetta, the head of the Order. Her glasses, which she had worn even into the sauna, were fogged up, so her expression was not visible, but her voice was as calm and cold as ever.

“I assume you are implementing this policy because you have something else in mind.”

“Heh heh. That’s right. In exchange for implementing this policy, I will…”

Evangeline shyly revealed her ambition.

“…have only three husbands.”

Thud-!

Everyone’s faces turned pale at Evangeline’s bombshell statement.

The flustered female heroes jumped up from their seats and pointed at Evangeline.

“Wh-what a shameless, destructive thing to say!”

“Do you think such cheating will be allowed?! I can’t forgive you! Even if the heavens forgive you, we won’t!”

“It’s an insult to the Imperial Family, an insult to the Imperial Family…!”

In the Everblack Empire, only the Emperor was officially allowed to have multiple spouses.

It was an exception allowed because they had to have an heir, and even then, they usually only had one Empress.

Basically, this country was monogamous. Evangeline had declared a rebellion against this system.

“Heh heh, in this southern border region, the Margrave is no different from a king. And above all, once we save the world… His Majesty will turn a blind eye to this much law revision, right?”

Evangeline laughed with a brazen expression.

“As the old saying goes, ‘Heroes love beauty’! Isn’t it okay for me to be a little promiscuous?!”

It was funny because a fresh-faced kid who had never even had a proper relationship was saying such things.

“Well, in addition to that! I’m also preparing various welfare programs such as ‘Feasts for Everyone’, ‘Homes for Everyone’, and ‘Pensions for Everyone’!”

Everyone realized.

“Everyone, hold on until I take the position of lord. Got it? I promise to treat all of our comrades in Crossroads well!”

Evangeline was trying to give everyone strength in her own way.

Beyond this difficult battle, beyond the coming destruction…

There would be happy days.

So, let’s laugh together.

That’s why she was throwing out these absurd and unreasonable ideas, trying to cheer everyone up.

Everyone at the table smiled, feeling both impressed and grateful for the efforts of this young girl who would become the lord of this land in the future.

“Yes, to get a harem of handsome men… I will definitely seize absolute power…!”

“…”

Junior was sweating profusely.

No, you’re not serious, are you? You just threw out an unreasonable idea, right? Right?

“…Haha.”

Junior then laughed out loud.

What does it matter?

Whether Evangeline’s words were simply to comfort everyone, or whether they were her true, hidden ambitions, either way.

“I like muscular uncles!”

“I, I like chubby bear types! I want to be hugged softly!”

“Pretty boys! Pretty boys! Pretty boys!”

“Types with cool beards!”

“Types who look good in suits!”

“Kind, sincere, and good at cooking men!”

“Anyone is fine as long as they love me-!”

If everyone can laugh happily, isn’t that enough?

Everyone at the table laughed happily and shared their preferences. After everyone took turns shouting their preferences, and even Verdandi and Badiback, swept up in the atmosphere, awkwardly shared their preferences for men-

“…Huh?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Junior.

Evangeline grinned slyly.

“Junior, it’s your turn, isn’t it?”

“I, I…”

Junior, in a state of confusion, rolled her eyes left and right in embarrassment, then,

“Aaaah! I give up!”

She ran out of the sauna.

“Tsk tsk, with Junior like that, I wonder if she’ll be able to seize an opportunity even if it comes.”

Evangeline, who was a beginner herself, muttered as if she were a veteran of love, and clapped her hands.

“Alright, the secret sauna meeting is over! I trust that everyone will keep what happened today a secret!”

Evangeline swept her sweat-soaked platinum blonde hair with her hand.

“Let’s go wash up. Ugh, it’s so hot.”

The female heroes rushed out of the sauna. It was so hot and humid, and they had been shouting in excitement, so everyone was dying.

Evangeline, who was making eye contact with each of the heroes as they left, suddenly widened her eyes. There was one person left in the sauna.

“Your Grace the Archduke?”

“Hmm? Ah.”

It was Dusk Bringer.

The Dragon Blood Archduke, who had been sitting with his legs crossed, quietly watching the noisy meeting of the CFHMRC members, suddenly came to his senses.

“It was another noisy and enjoyable meeting today. Heh heh.”

Dusk Bringer slowly got up and whispered.

“I also want to see it. In a peaceful world after the monster invasion ends, the happy future that everyone in this city will have…”

Evangeline smiled mischievously and quietly asked Dusk Bringer in his ear.

“Your Grace, would you like to have a matchmaking session?”

“Hahaha! Would there be any man brave enough to try to meet with me?”

“Your Grace, you need to have an heir, don’t you? Once the war with the monsters is over, let’s grab a handsome young man! I’ll look hard for you.”

Dusk Bringer covered his mouth and chuckled, then closed his amber dragon eyes.

“…The succession of the Bringer Archduke is not passed down by blood. It is passed down by will.”

“Huh?”

“But, yes…”

Dusk Bringer slowly left the sauna, parting the hazy steam.

“If such a day ever comes, I will gladly accept a matchmaking session.”

“Hehe, leave it to me! I’ll work hard to find someone who suits Your Grace’s taste!”

“I look forward to it, the next lord of Crossroads.”

A bitter smile crossed the small lips of the Dragon Lady.

“Just imagining it is enjoyable.”

***

“Alright, everyone’s washed up well!”

Inside the hot spring facility. The common hall.

The heroes, all clean and shiny, gathered and sprawled on the floor. I went up to the platform at the end of the hall.

“Master, here.”

“Hmm.”

Lukas carefully folded a towel and made a sheep hat for me. I put it on my head and looked around at everyone and shouted.

“From now on, I am not your commander Ash!”

“…?”

“From now on, I am the instructor guiding your dungeon training camp! Do you understand?!”

Everyone looked up at me blankly, with faces that said they didn’t understand at all.

I made a wicked expression and chuckled.

“I’m going to work you like hell, so that you can all vomit out all the bad feelings in your heads…!”

Immediately after, I pointed to the cart placed below the platform.

“Now, first, eat the honey water and eggs! With gratitude to the farmers and the chefs of the lord’s mansion who prepared them, start eating!”

Everyone rushed out and grabbed their share of eggs and honey water.

Next to me, Damian and Lukas were talking while putting peeled eggs in their mouths.

“But, what’s the difference between Instructor Prince and the usual Prince?”

“…I don’t know either. He seems the same as usual except for the hat.”

“No, you guys, it’s different! It’s completely different!”

I trembled my fist. Depending on your actions, this instructor can be an angel or a devil!

“As soon as you finish eating, gather in your respective parties.”

I looked around at everyone, my tone slightly more serious.

“I’ll tell you what you need to do in this dungeon training camp.”

And at the same time.

The roles that everyone will play in the Black Dragon subjugation battle will also be decided by these parties.