I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 618

Junior’s room.

Junior invited Hecate to her room because she looked so unwell, and Hecate didn’t refuse. She didn’t have the mental energy to refuse.

“……”

Standing at the entrance of the mage’s room, which smelled of old books, Hecate blankly looked around. It was full of books, not just magic books, but…

‘……History books?’

There were also many old history books piled up.

Then, Junior approached and handed her a robe.

“Um, would you like to wear this, at least…?”

A moment later, Hecate, wearing the robe, sat facing Junior at a small table. Junior fumbled and picked up a drink bottle.

“Would you like something to drink? It’s just, well, health drinks…”

Hecate didn’t refuse. Junior poured the only drink in the room—a health juice made of tomato and spinach—into a cup and handed it to her.

“There’s, there’s not much to offer, but please, have a lot…?”

“……Thank you.”

Even though the taste was probably awful, Hecate drank it down well. Junior, who had offered the drink, thought to herself, ‘This person has a strong stomach.’

“Thank you.”

After an awkward silence, Hecate spoke. Junior responded a beat late with, “Huh?”

“For caring about me.”

“Ah… no, it’s nothing much…”

“You don’t have to be so kind to someone like me.”

“There’s no need to belittle yourself like that. Hecate-nim [a respectful honorific] is an amazing person…”

“……”

Hecate, who had tried to say something but then stopped herself, looked out the window.

“Does Crossroads have festivals often?”

“Um, no. The only times it gets lively are about twice a year. The autumn festival and the New Year’s event.”

“I see…”

“In the Imperial Capital… New Terra, do you have festivals often?”

“Yes. There are often festivals. But I, a native of New Terra, didn’t go to them much.”

Junior tilted her head.

“Why?”

Hecate hesitated before answering.

“…My parents passed away when I was very young. So, there was no one to take me to festivals. When I was little, I always just watched from afar.”

“I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”

“No, I’m the one who should be sorry. For bringing up a sensitive topic…”

Another awkward silence fell between the two.

Not knowing what to do, Junior rolled her eyes left and right, but Hecate spoke first.

“My parents were soldiers, and they died in an accident.”

“I see…”

“Having no relatives, I became an orphan… and then His Majesty took me in.”

Junior blinked.

Hecate poured out her words, her eyes vacant.

“There’s a childcare facility run by the Imperial Family that raises the children of war veterans. I grew up there.”

When the Emperor’s story came up, Hecate’s face brightened a little.

“His Majesty would visit regularly and encourage us. He would say, ‘I owe your parents my life, so I will take responsibility for your lives,’ and he would pat each of us on the head.”

Hecate closed her eyes and recalled that day.

“For me, who doesn’t even remember my parents’ faces, his kind touch was my salvation.”

“……”

“How could I not respect such a ruler who personally takes care of even the young and small like us? How could I not love him?”

Just as Jupiter was a mother to Junior, who had taken her in.

For Hecate, the Emperor who had taken her in… was a father.

Hecate’s red eyes, now open, turned to the contents of the mug in her hand.

“I decided to dedicate my life to Everblack from a young age, and because I had a talent for swordsmanship, I was able to enter the Imperial Academy on a scholarship. It was my dream to join the Glory Knights, who protect His Majesty, and I achieved that.”

“……”

“I stood on the battlefield with His Majesty. His Majesty trusted us. Even though my body became like this and I suffered countless terrible pains, even though I was diagnosed that I wouldn’t last long and would ‘stop’ soon, I was still proud.”

Hecate’s bandaged hand gripped the mug tightly.

“But the front line that I risked my life to protect has now made a peace treaty.”

“……”

“I know. Weapons shouldn’t question things. But, I can’t help but be bewildered. I blocked the gods of other races for the Empire. Dying countless times. But now, they say that the other races are on our side.”

Junior quietly looked into Hecate’s eyes.

“The battles I fought, even as my body became like this, the life I dedicated, what meaning does it all have?”

Hecate’s eyes were filled with confusion.

“I came here to see my old friends one last time before my life ends. Everyone was surprised to see my body like this… but actually, I was more surprised.”

“……”

“All the enemies on the borders that I, as a Royal Knight, had been wary of… they’re all gathered in this city as one army. All the rulers on the list that I would have been dispatched to behead are calmly enjoying the festival and laughing together.”

Hecate shook her head.

“That’s when I realized. That the one who is wrong in this world is me. That the one who is out of step with the times is me, the Empire’s evil spirit.”

“……”

“I willingly accepted the curse and became a monster for the Empire, but all of that was in vain… and the world is going in the opposite direction.”

Junior quietly listened to her lament.

“With this monster’s body, I can’t approach my old friends again. With this evil spirit’s way of thinking, I can’t fully enjoy this festival.”

Hecate sadly lowered her head.

“As a knight. As an individual. My life has no meaning left. It’s tattered. Everything. Like my body inside these bandages.”

“……”

“In the end, did my life… have any meaning at all?”

Junior couldn’t answer easily.

Hecate lowered her head.

“I’m sorry. I suddenly got overwhelmed and just blurted everything out.”

“Ah, no, it’s okay. Really! So, um, I guess I understand a little…”

Silence fell like dust, and the laughter of the festival echoed emptily in the distance…

Knock knock.

Suddenly, a knock sounded.

Junior, startled, jumped up from her seat with a deflated sound. Then, a familiar voice was heard from outside the door.

“Junior-nim. Are you there? It’s Lucas.”

“Lu, Lu, Lucas-kyung [a respectful title]?! What brings you here…?”

“I came to find Hecate, but she wasn’t in her room. I was wondering if you had seen where she went…”

“Ah! Hecate-nim is here…”

Junior, who was speaking with a smile, turned around and saw Hecate shaking her head with a pale face. Junior stammered as she finished her sentence.

“…She’s not, not here.”

“It seems she is there.”

Why is he so perceptive at times like this! This selectively oblivious knight!

Junior thought to herself, clutching her head. The one who was oblivious was herself. She should have hidden this lady, what was she doing!

“I would like to talk to her, so could you please tell her to come out?”

“……”

Hecate let out a long sigh and slowly got up.

Junior, who had hurriedly stood up with her, flailed her arms and legs.

“O-o-outfit! I’ll lend you an outfit! Just a moment?!”

Immediately, Junior opened the closet, and all she saw were mage robes that looked exactly the same. Junior screamed.

“Ugh! There’s nothing suitable, damn it! What’s wrong with my fashion sense!”

“……It’s okay.”

Hecate smiled bitterly and headed for the door.

“My ugly inner self has already been exposed, so what’s the point of dressing up?”

“He, Hecate-nim!”

“Thank you for lending me the robe. I’ll wash it well and return it later.”

Hecate, showing her manners, opened the door.

“……”

“……”

After meeting the eyes of Lucas, who was waiting, the two knights quietly walked down the hallway as if they had made a promise.

“……”

Looking at the backs of the two knights moving away through the window.

“Whoa, I don’t know either!”

Junior quickly followed after them.

***

The late afternoon sunlight gradually mixes with red.

Lucas and Hecate are walking side by side on the path leading from the central square to the end of the street stalls.

And behind them,

“Sneakily… sneakily…”

Evangeline and I are following, holding our breaths.

Evangeline is making those ‘sneakily’ sound effects out loud as she follows, and I’m following behind Evangeline.

Since we are quite famous in this city, the merchants and citizens who discovered us were all bewildered and puzzled. But right now, there’s no time to worry about their reactions.

‘Lucas is! Walking on the festival street with someone who used to like him! Just the two of them!’

Isn’t this more important than any direct observation!

That’s when it happened. Junior, who was running up to us, who were diligently and quietly tailing them, made a shocked expression.

“What are you two doing here?!”

“Shhh! What about you?”

“I, I’m… well, that is…”

“Ah, Junior unnie [older sister]! Lower your voice! Try following me, sneakily!”

“S-sneakily…?”

Anyway, Junior joined us. The three of us stealthily tailed the two knights.

Then, we found Damian buying food at a stall. Damian, who was carrying food in both hands, probably for the temple’s dinner, also found us and widened his eyes.

“Huh? Your Highness? And everyone? What are you doing?”

“Shhh-!”

“Damian oppa [older brother], sneakily!”

“Come here. Quickly!”

In the end, even Damian, who didn’t know what was going on, was caught. The four of us followed behind, monitoring Lucas’s date(?).

The two knights walked in silence for a long time. Then, Hecate was the first to speak.

“It’s been a while since we’ve met so leisurely, Lucas. Or rather, now that I think about it, is this the first time we’ve met alone?”

“That’s right. We were always the Three Musketeers. Our lord led you and me.”

Immediately, Lucas narrowed his eyes and looked at Hecate.

“By the way, I’ve been wondering since last time. Why are you using honorifics?”

“Because I’m an adult now. I have to be polite.”

Hecate smiled awkwardly.

“Because I’ve graduated. Because I’m not a child anymore. We’re adults now.”

“……Then I’ll use honorifics too.”

“Ah. I don’t like that…”

“Then you speak informally too.”

“……”

Hecate was silent for a long time.

“…Okay, I will. Lucas.”

She spoke informally.

And only then did the air between the two become warm. The strange tension that had been on Lucas’s face also eased.

The two knights, who had been walking silently for a while, stopped in front of a stall. The sign on the stall read ‘New Terra-style Baked Goods’.

Lucas silently bought two pastries and handed one to Hecate.

“Here. You liked this, right?”

“…I did.”

Hecate took the nostalgic pastry and swallowed hard.

“You know? When I was little, I had never been to a festival. During our school days, whenever even a small festival was held in the Imperial Capital… His Highness would drag us out.”

“We really suffered back then. Both you and I.”

The two knights stood still for a moment, holding the pastries.

Were they reminiscing about their school days, and about Ash, who had stood between them back then?

“…I’m sorry. Actually, I can’t taste anything anymore. My tongue is broken.”

Hecate, who couldn’t finish the pastry and put it down, smiled bitterly.

“My memories aren’t intact either. It’s all a mess. I remember the scenes, but I can’t recall the emotions I felt back then. I remember that I liked you…”

“……”

“But I don’t know what kind of feeling that was anymore.”

“Hecate.”

Lucas said it nonchalantly.

“People are bound to change after graduating.”

Hecate widened her eyes. Lucas let out a soft sigh.

“School memories are bound to fade. We were young and immature back then. I don’t even know why I lived like such a fool back then.”

“……”

“No matter what you look like now, it doesn’t matter. No matter how much you’ve changed since then, it doesn’t matter. To me, you are… always the same.”

Lucas looked at Hecate with unwavering eyes.

“The undefeated swordsman that I could never beat from the entrance ceremony to the graduation ceremony.”

“……”

“Then and now, you are the same in my eyes. So-”

Lucas smiled.

It was a truly protagonist-like, oblivious, and upright smile.

“Let’s have a match. In this martial arts tournament, properly.”