I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 719

Crossroad. The Temple.

I had several conversations with King Poseidon.

About Nameless’s corruption, the Demon King’s return, the situation in the Lake Kingdom, and what to do in the future…

And also about King Poseidon’s retirement.

He had used up all his physical and mental strength in the last Black Dragon War. He had actually aged quite a bit.

“Of course, I only mean to step down from the front lines. I’ll continue to stay in this city and help where I can.”

King Poseidon looked at his own emaciated hands.

“Besides, I’m still wielding the power of a racial god. At least until I pass this power on to my successor, I need to stay here.”

I nodded, then suddenly stopped.

Hecate and the Glory Knights came to mind.

I had stopped them from retiring. I had stopped them from leaving this front line.

I didn’t want them to despair and run away, thinking their lives were useless. I wanted them to find the answer to how they should live in the future on this front line before they left.

But was this the right decision as a superior?

Was I just being nosy…?

“Do you have anyone in mind as your successor?”

I shook off my thoughts and asked. King Poseidon scratched his chin, looking troubled.

“I did give Serenade a heads-up…”

“Huh?!”

I blurted out in surprise, flustered.

“You’re thinking of making Serenade your successor?!”

“No, no! That’s not it…”

King Poseidon quickly waved his hand and said awkwardly.

“The successor I have in mind is someone Serenade would greatly dislike. So, I asked for her consent in advance.”

“Huh? Someone Serenade would dislike?”

“Well, the one I’m going to pass the racial god’s power to… is someone that every merchant on this continent despises.”

King Poseidon crossed his arms, looked at me intently, and then asked cautiously.

“Have you ever heard of the Rompeller Pirates?”

I made a dumbfounded expression. I seemed to remember mentioning them with someone a long time ago.

‘Of course, I know them. They’re the worst pirates in the southern continent, and the highest-ranked hostile NPC [Non-Player Character] in the ocean roaming…!’

Come to think of it, that guy’s hair color in the game was…

‘Blue!’

He was of the merfolk lineage…!

“I’m planning to make them my successors.”

King Poseidon said, nodding awkwardly.

‘Following the Mountain Bandit King Kuilan, now it’s the Pirate King Rompeller.’

It was the moment when a connection with a new hero was made.

Following the capture monster master, am I going to collect thieves by attribute now…?

***

The Demon King had returned, and he had also taken back the power of the royal scepter that I had been using for a while.

‘Taking back what you gave is bad…’

Thanks to it, I did get through the last four stages easily, but still, it feels a bit disappointing to have it taken away.

And with the Demon King’s return, the mysterious fog that had been blocking the teleport gate had also cleared. Now, we can re-enter the Lake Kingdom.

‘This time, it’s stage 45.’

Before I knew it, it was another boss stage.

So, the importance of reconnaissance was even higher than during any other defense battle. I was planning to form an elite squad and go directly into the dungeon for reconnaissance…

“Wait a minute, Lord.”

Suddenly, Aither, who had rolled into the lord’s office, stopped me.

“Please be careful when entering this dungeon. It’ll be a little… different from usual.”

“Huh?”

“Please prepare thoroughly before entering. And please be aware that many things will change after this.”

After listening blankly to Aither’s warning.

I asked back.

“So, what is it? Is it like, ‘If you enter this dungeon now, the main scenario event will proceed’? Like that warning that pops up in RPGs [Role-Playing Games], telling you to prepare thoroughly because you can’t go back?”

“Hahahaha!”

Aither burst out laughing, clutching his stomach, as I gave another game-otaku-like example.

“Well, it’s not that big of a deal…”

Aither stopped laughing and nodded.

“If you visit the dungeon this time, a kind of trigger will activate, which will advance his final boss transformation, and the stage progression to the ending will be confirmed. That’s about it.”

“No, that’s a big deal!”

I was horrified.

Aither scratched the back of his head awkwardly and glanced at me.

“And… it’s also the last time I can be in this city.”

“…”

“If you go on a free exploration of the dungeon this time, this incompetent director will leave Crossroad. So, I came to say my last goodbye.”

Only then did it really hit me.

The end was truly near.

Just like how there are events that start the ending branch in games, this free exploration also seemed to be a similar kind of event.

Some would eventually leave, some would eventually be consumed by darkness, and the rest…

No matter what happens in the future, we have to keep fighting.

“Sigh… I guess asking where you’re going won’t get me an answer?”

“Haha.”

Aither just smiled bitterly at my grumbling.

“I’m just trying to be of some small help on your path, Lord. Please understand.”

“Yeah, yeah. I trust you.”

“Instead, or rather, it’s not really instead… I was hoping to tell you an old story. Would that be alright?”

“Huh?”

Surprised, I widened my eyes and asked urgently.

“Are you finally going to tell me your love story?!”

He had always been vague no matter how much I asked, but could I finally hear the past story?!

“Yes. Well, it’s also my unrequited love story.”

Aither awkwardly wiped his mouth and let his gaze fall like dust beyond his glasses.

“It’s also about everything that happened in the Lake Kingdom 500 years ago.”

“…”

“How the most prosperous magic kingdom in the world was destroyed. How it became a hell that spewed out monsters. Who orchestrated it, and how the survivors tried to overcome that destruction.”

Aither smiled bitterly.

“Knowing this will help you with your final zeroing.”

Aither and I sat facing each other on the sofa in the office.

Aither, who had been clasping his hands and touching his fingers, slowly began to speak.

“Where should I start… No, actually, the starting point of the story is already set.”

His gray eyes suddenly held a faint, wistful light and sparkled transparently.

“The very moment I first met her…”

***

500 years ago.

The Lake Kingdom.

The Lake Kingdom, the most prosperous magic city-state in the world, floated on a clear turquoise lake.

The entire country floating in the air above the lake’s surface was in itself a display of the Lake Kingdom’s powerful magical prowess, and at the same time, it was a form to avoid enemy attacks.

“It wouldn’t be wrong to say that human history is a history of resisting destruction.”

Lake Kingdom Royal Palace.

Looking out at the entire country floating in the air, the King of the Lake Kingdom slowly opened his mouth while sitting on the throne.

“In the distant mythical era, we struggled to survive under the tyranny of various divine beings, and later in the historical era, we did our best to survive as a weak race, caught between the uprisings of countless races.”

“…”

“We defined all those beings that tried to annihilate humanity as ‘monsters,’ and we humans, regardless of nationality or affiliation, fought together against them.”

The king’s speech was calm but resonated loudly in the audience hall.

“Our Lake Kingdom stood at the forefront of such humanity.”

In front of the king, numerous knights and mages were kneeling on one knee, listening respectfully to his words.

“Our kingdom was the first to discover the guardian spirit of humanity, and our kingdom was also the first among humans to ignite the flame of magic.”

Also, the king’s voice and appearance were being broadcast throughout the Lake Kingdom through magical devices.

“There have been countless invasions over the past hundreds of years to extinguish that flame. We moved our base from the land to the lake to avoid those invasions… and when the country continued to be in danger, we even went so far as to float the entire country in the air like this.”

Throughout the floating Lake Kingdom, people filling the streets were listening intently to the king’s speech.

“And today. Finally. Now, after five hundred years since the founding of our kingdom, we can declare it.”

The king slowly rose from his seat.

His face, broadcast throughout the city, was filled with dazzling hope.

“Proud citizens of the Lake Kingdom!”

The king roared, spreading his arms wide.

“We have won!”

Waaaaah…!

The citizens filling the streets cheered in unison.

“We have succeeded in eradicating even the last of the final monsters, the Blood Clan, and we have confirmed that there are no more beings left in the world that threaten humanity!”

That’s right.

Today was none other than the victory declaration ceremony.

After uprooting the Blood Clan, the last monster army on the continent, it was a place to confirm that there were no more beings left in the world that threatened humanity.

“And at the same time, I declare!”

The king clenched his fist.

“That our Lake Kingdom has now taken over the hegemony of the world!”

Waaaaaaah-!

The entire country was in an uproar at the king’s declaration. The knights and mages filling the audience hall could not contain their joy and also shouted.

The magical achievements of the Lake Kingdom were remarkably high.

It was at a level that could not even be compared to other human countries, and it was overwhelmingly ahead even when compared to the four major heteromorphic races that had discovered and used magic first.

To somehow bring down this Lake Kingdom, not only the heteromorphic races but also other human countries had engaged in schemes, but at some point, the technological gap had widened to an uncatchable level.

The representatives of the four major heteromorphic races who participated in the victory declaration ceremony, as well as the envoys from other human countries, all wore bitter smiles.

Over the past hundreds of years, the Lake Kingdom had been at the forefront of fighting monsters and had made magical advancements as much as the blood they had shed.

Now was the time to monopolize and savor the fruits of their labor.

“Be proud, my people! We have protected this world, and we have stood at the top of this world!”

The king shook his fist.

“Now, our Lake Kingdom will remain forever! As the ruler of the world-!”

The entire city-state resounded with cheers and applause.

In front of the knights and mages who were shedding tears and applauding, the princess also smiled brightly and clapped enthusiastically, watching her father give his speech.

A young princess with dazzling silver hair neatly combed back, and deep turquoise eyes like a lake.

Her name was Ariel.

***

And, at the same time.

Under the dazzling sunlight, at this very moment when all the ‘citizens’ of the Lake Kingdom were rejoicing at the king’s declaration.

“Wow…”

In the shadows, all the ‘non-citizens’.

Outside the inner city area, in the outer city area.

They were still taking on the rough and dirty work today.

“Looks like something good is happening.”

In the sewer.

A non-citizen boy, covered in sewage and oil, looked towards the distant royal palace while helping with the cleaning.

After quietly listening to the king’s victory declaration echoing from afar, the boy raised both hands and shouted, “Hooray!”

“I wonder if I’ll ever get to go to that royal palace someday…”

The boy chuckled and muttered.

“Now that only glory lies ahead for our country, I wonder if someone like me will ever get to bask in that light.”

Immediately, the boy made an “eek” sound and readjusted his broom. The sewer manager was glaring at the boy with fierce eyes from over there.

The boy diligently moved his broom and tongs to clean up the trash and rat corpses in the sewer.

The shining royal palace, the glory of the country.

They were all just distant stories.

***

The boy didn’t know.

That he would enter that royal palace just a few days later.

And that the path ahead for the Lake Kingdom.

Would be filled with ruin, not glory.

The boy at this time, knew nothing at all.