I Became The Tyrant Of A Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 655

Day-Bringer’s white military uniform was stained with bright red blood.

She couldn’t even dodge as her trusted confidant stabbed her in the back. Day-Bringer coughed up blood, clutching the blade that pierced her body.

“Layton… Sir. What… what is the meaning of this… !”

“…”

Layton coldly retorted, adjusting his grip on the sword that had pierced the queen.

“It is for the sake of this nation, Your Majesty.”

“What…?!”

“Your Majesty governs the country too emotionally.”

Day-Bringer turned around with difficulty, coughing up blood. Layton continued.

“You emotionally mingle with the citizens at festivals, emotionally waste the insufficient budget on welfare for the poor, and finally, emotionally decided on a successor.”

“…”

“You may be loved by the citizens, but the Bringer Duchy has always been precarious under your rule. As someone who worries about the future of this country… I can no longer tolerate it.”

Layton clearly revealed the ambition he had been hiding.

“The next Duke position is mine.”

“… !”

“Do you think I would hand over the country I have built my whole life to such a clueless beggar child? Why do you think I have been eliminating other Dragon Knights all this time?”

Day-Bringer’s voice trembled with bewilderment.

“Sir Layton, what are you talking about? Surely not.”

“Yes. That’s right. The Dragon Knights who have died or retired, I was behind all of it. So that I would be the only option left for Your Majesty.”

Layton’s lips twisted.

“But Your Majesty never considered me as your successor until the very end.”

“…”

Layton would never know.

Regardless of his competence, it was because of the flicker of ambition that occasionally showed in his eyes… that Day-Bringer did not consider him as her successor.

And believing in his loyalty despite knowing about that flicker was also Day-Bringer’s mistake.

“I am also a Dragon Knight. I also have rights. No, who can govern this country better than I can?”

Layton’s cold voice gradually filled with heat.

“I can govern this country better than Your Majesty. Only I can.”

“To dare commit treason and stab the queen… Cough! Do you think you can safely gain the support of the citizens?”

“Who do you think has been the real power behind the scenes, controlling all the internal and external affairs of this country?”

Layton’s coup was prepared far more thoroughly than Day-Bringer had imagined.

“The military has been completely under my control since a long time ago. I am already suppressing other government departments.”

“… !”

“Once Your Majesty passes away, all the real power of this country will be in my hands. I don’t need to worry about the support of the citizens right now. That’s something I can gain slowly.”

“Layton, Sir… !”

Day-Bringer tried to gather her strength to shake off Layton and escape the situation, but her body wouldn’t move.

“This is an ancient dragon-slaying sword prepared for this day. Even the great Bringer Duke will have a hard time enduring it, having been stabbed so deeply.”

Layton slowly twisted the blade he had thrust in.

He had aimed for her heart from behind, but Day-Bringer’s unconscious instinct twisted her body, and the sword narrowly missed her heart.

But it was a fatal wound nonetheless. The floor was already soaked with the blood the Duke had spilled.

“Rest in peace, Your Majesty. I will govern this country efficiently. After I have thoroughly absorbed your heart and your blood.”

“Kuhhh… !”

Just as Day-Bringer sensed her end.

Bang-

“Mother! I’m ready-”

The young Dragon Knight – Dusk, said as she entered the office.

For a fleeting moment, silence fell between Day-Bringer, Layton, and Dusk.

Dusk was a bright child and could immediately grasp the situation.

In fact, it wasn’t such an unusual sight. Even in the back alleys where the girl had grown up, adults were constantly stabbing and betraying each other over the throne.

Thwack-!

Dusk drew the wooden sword she had never taken off her body during her year of swordsmanship training and threw it straight away.

The wooden sword flew straight for Layton’s face. Layton easily tilted his head to avoid it, but his attention was momentarily distracted-

“Huuup… !”

Day-Bringer did not miss the opportunity, grabbing Layton’s blade embedded in her chest and pushing it back, scattering her magic in all directions.

“Kuh?!”

Layton, swept away by Day-Bringer’s magic, was thrown far back. Day-Bringer collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood, and Dusk rushed to support her.

“Mother! Are you alright?!”

“Dus…k.”

Day-Bringer covered the blood gushing from her chest with her hand.

‘The internal wounds aren’t healing…’

The dragon’s power manifested, healing the torn skin and stopping the bleeding, but the inside, ravaged by the blade, did not heal. The magic that would normally boil like lava was now chilling.

It seemed that the ancient dragon-slaying sword had some kind of special curse on it.

“Don’t make things difficult, Your Majesty.”

In the corner of the office, Layton had already straightened his posture and was holding his sword again.

“Think carefully about what is the better path for this country. If only Your Majesty and that young girl disappear… this country can become even more prosperous.”

“…”

“I can do it. You know my competence better than anyone, Your Majesty.”

Day-Bringer smiled with blood-soaked lips.

“If you had only aimed for my neck, I might have passed on my heart and blood to you. But since you are trying to kill this child as well, I cannot.”

Day-Bringer reached out and tightly embraced Dusk’s small shoulder.

“If a country can only become prosperous by sacrificing the life of such a young child, then it would be better for it to perish… !”

And she reached out her other hand and touched the wall.

Kwaaang-!

Day-Bringer’s magic exploded, creating a large hole in one side of the palace wall, sending a cloud of dust flying in all directions.

Layton, gritting his teeth, rushed over with his sword and searched the area, but by the time the dust settled, Day-Bringer was no longer visible.

“Release the soldiers.”

The military officers, who had been waiting outside with bated breath, rushed towards Layton. Layton commanded fiercely in a cold voice.

“She won’t have gone far. Find her, no matter what… !”

***

The city, beautifully decorated with flowers and ornaments for the festival, was now filled with soldiers.

The festival was canceled, and martial law was declared in the city.

The citizens were bewildered by the sudden situation, but they had no means to resist the spears and swords that the soldiers were aggressively brandishing. They all had to raise their hands and return to their homes.

All the sunny places in the city were already under Layton’s control.

“This way… !”

But there were still places to hide in the shadows of this city.

And Dusk knew the back alleys better than any soldier.

Dusk supported Day-Bringer, who was wearing a shabby robe, and headed deep into the back alleys.

“Help me!”

Dusk shouted as she entered a deserted, dirty open space that no one used except for the residents of the underworld.

“Help me! Is anyone there?!”

There were people hiding in various places, but no one revealed themselves.

The rumors spread quickly. A coup had occurred in the palace, and Layton and the military had quickly seized the main strongholds of the city.

Layton had been the queen’s right-hand man for a long time. Every citizen knew how accustomed he was to wielding power as the real power of this country.

The power of this country was shifting to a new owner, reeking of blood.

In this situation, who would help a queen who was being chased and dying, and what would they do later?

The poor and the rich valued their lives equally. People shrank back and held their breath to avoid getting involved in this matter.

“Please… ! The Queen is dying! Someone, please help… !”

Dusk cried out desperately, but no one appeared.

How could this be?

Dusk gritted her teeth, unable to believe the heartlessness of the people.

“It’s okay, Dusk.”

Day-Bringer said with a pale face, supported by the girl.

“…Maybe Layton was right.”

“Mother.”

“I was just emotional, not a competent queen. I may have gained popularity with the citizens, but I failed to create a prosperous country…”

Day-Bringer laughed hollowly and looked around at the empty surroundings.

“So, this is the citizens’ choice.”

It was then. Someone was seen standing at the far end of the back alley.

Surprised, Dusk looked and saw a familiar face. It was a young woman with tattoos all over her body.

“Sister?”

“…”

It was the leader of the gang of thugs who had extorted and abused the girl under the guise of protecting her when Dusk was growing up in this back alley.

“Help me, Sister! The Queen is… !”

But as soon as the leader woman made eye contact with Dusk, she trembled and then gritted her teeth and ran away.

“Ah…”

A hollow groan escaped Dusk’s lips.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of soldiers’ footsteps, which had been heard from afar, gradually grew closer. It seemed that the information that the queen had escaped here had already spread.

Feeling the encirclement closing in, Day-Bringer sat down on the ground. Dusk knelt on one knee in front of her and bowed her head.

“I will protect you, Mother. I am also a Dragon Knight…”

“…”

Day-Bringer looked at the young girl’s large eyes for a long time before opening her mouth.

“Dusk. The darkness of the world is so deep.”

“Yes?”

“And the darkness of people is even deeper.”

Layton, blinded by power, betrayed the lord he had served his whole life.

And the citizens who turned their backs on the queen out of fear of that power.

People who easily forget the favors they have received, the time they have spent together, in the face of their own interests.

It was the ugly, but true, side of the beautiful Bringer Duchy. Day-Bringer smiled bitterly.

“It’s ugly, cruel, and also terrible, that’s the world and people.”

“…”

“But love them, Dusk.”

Even in this situation, Day-Bringer was saying this.

“Don’t hate them, love them.”

“…”

“Because you are a child who can do that.”

What meaning was there in her doing that?

Dusk could not understand the queen’s true intentions at all. But Day-Bringer’s eyes were so earnest that she nodded.

At that moment, Layton’s soldiers poured into the back alley.

“We’ve found the Duke!”

“Complete the encirclement and report to Sir Layton immediately!”

The soldiers rushed forward with their spears and swords raised.

Dusk hoped that Day-Bringer would break through the encirclement and escape, but Day-Bringer did not take any stance to prepare for battle.

She was just holding her chest with one hand. Taking a deep breath, she was only looking into her own inner self…

Dusk gritted her teeth and raised a piece of wood she had picked up on the way like a sword. She was going to fight and die protecting the queen until the last moment.

For the only person who had ever shown her warmth in her life…

It was then.

A retired soldier with a prosthetic leg limped into the back alley and stood in front of the queen and Dusk.

“Ah… ?”

A bewildered sound escaped Dusk’s lips.

It was a familiar old man.

That was because he was the old man who had hit her during the festival a year ago.

“…”

The old man glanced at Dusk and then stood silently.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

One after another, people appeared from various places in the back alley and blocked the soldiers’ path.

They were old men with missing limbs or difficulty moving. They were all wearing old military uniforms.

They were retired soldiers living in the slums.

The people who had appeared suddenly stood in a circle, protecting the queen, and blocked the soldiers’ encirclement with their bodies. The soldiers were rather bewildered.

“What are these old men?!”

“W-what should we do? They’re not armed…”

“But we can’t attack citizens-”

At that moment, a cold voice flew in.

“Are the weapons in your hands just for show?”

It was Layton who appeared behind the soldiers.

He glared with cold eyes at the retired soldiers, and at the queen and the girl hiding behind them.

“Clear the way. If we kill a few of them, they’ll move aside.”

“…”

But the soldiers could not bring themselves to swing their weapons and only looked at each other, and Layton stepped forward in annoyance.

“You cowards… move aside. I’ll do it myself.”

Swoosh-

Layton’s dragon-slaying sword was drawn with a chilling sound and pointed forward. But the retired soldiers stared straight ahead with empty eyes and did not move.

Layton, who had approached, raised his sword high without hesitation.

And-

“The Queen is alive!”

Suddenly, such a shout was heard from above.

Everyone was surprised and looked in that direction, and on the roof of the building that made up the back alley… a woman was seen shouting towards the city.

“The Bringer Duke is here-!”

It was the leader of the gang of thugs, with tattoos all over her body.

Led by her, the children of the slums standing on the rooftops and roofs shouted as if they were screaming.

“The Duke is here! The Dragon Lady is surrounded by rebels!”

“The Sun Queen is in danger-!”

“You cowards! Are you even the Queen’s subjects!”

Some of the soldiers hurriedly climbed the buildings to catch the children who were shouting in anger.

“What are you doing, you bastards!”

“Disperse immediately! Or you’ll be disposed of too…”

The soldiers, who were threatening the children with their weapons, gradually trailed off.

They, too, belatedly saw what was on the rooftops and roofs.

“T-this…”