I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 756

The forty-fifth defense battle, which had tormented us with an unbelievably large number of enemies and their infectious power—the zombie alliance—was defeated with unbelievable ease.

Even after Cromwell’s complete demise, some of the monsters continued to move according to their own principles, but in less than a day, they stopped moving one by one.

Like toys with depleted batteries, they stopped and stiffened.

“It seems they were a legion that was combined with structural flaws from the beginning, making it impossible for them to last long.”

Three days after the battle ended.

Looking at the cityscape that was nearing completion of its cleanup, I stood on the ramparts, listening to McMillan’s rambling.

“Structurally and fundamentally… they were literally monsters that were eating away at themselves. They were beings rushing towards their predetermined destruction, devouring their own limited magical power and bodies, as well as their own legion members.”

“……”

After confirming with [Map Creation] that not a single monster remained, I turned to look at him.

“You’ve worked hard too, Sir McMillan.”

“What are you talking about? I was just lying in the hospital room throughout the defense battle and just got up now.”

McMillan, who spoke nonchalantly, was standing on crutches, with his left hand missing and an iron prosthesis attached to his lower jaw.

McMillan had entered the engine room, which was filled with infected individuals, alone in order to keep La Mancha moving for an emergency landing.

Thanks to that, La Mancha was able to return to Crossroads, and as a result, the antidote was developed in time, the patients were treated safely, and the defense battle was also resolved smoothly, but…

McMillan himself suffered serious injuries.

I looked somberly at the place where his once handsome jaw, which had been split left and right, adding to his greasy impression, had been deeply gouged out… at the iron prosthesis attached to that spot.

“There’s no need to be so sorry, Your Highness. I can still speak perfectly fine like this. And they say that once I’m fully recovered, I can smoke my pipe again. As for the scar, I can just grow a beard to cover it.”

After speaking with slightly slurred pronunciation, McMillan smiled and ran his hand over his jaw.

Immediately after, he moved his hand towards his philtrum.

“No, it won’t grow on this side, so I’ll have to grow a mustache.”

“Are you planning to cover your mouth with a mustache…?”

I should get him a nice wig later… no, a fake mustache as a gift.

After standing side by side in silence for a while, looking down at the chunks of monster flesh being removed from the city, I let out a soft sigh.

“In the end, we can only guess at the operating principles of these zombies… nothing has been clearly revealed… it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

“That is actually the essence of monsters.”

McMillan chuckled.

“It is an unidentified evil, whose principles and reasons are unknown, whose form and origin are unknown, that sweeps through our world.”

“……”

“Until now, Your Highness has been surprisingly knowledgeable about monsters, but in fact, that is… not normal.”

Only after hearing those words did I vaguely understand the feelings of others on this front line.

I have information. I know what most monsters look like, what their weaknesses are, and what their origins are.

Therefore, for me, monsters are more of a target for attack than a source of fear.

But what about most people?

Unfamiliar, grotesque monsters that they have never seen before, emerge from nowhere, attack in unknown ways, destroy their homes, and take their lives.

Fear comes from the unknown, and that is why monsters are frightening beings.

Only now, after facing monsters that cannot be clearly explained several times, did I feel like I had seen a little of the true appearance of monsters as seen by the people of this world.

“Well, no matter how incomprehensible monsters are, they can’t be as bad as people’s hearts.”

McMillan suddenly smiled awkwardly. I blinked.

“Is something the matter?”

“Well, ahem!”

McMillan spoke in an excited voice.

“There is someone I’ve had a crush on my whole life. I’ve confessed more than ten times, but I’ve been rejected every time. So I was giving up.”

McMillan turned his gaze away and scratched the back of his neck.

“It seems she somehow heard the news that I was seriously injured and in a coma. When I woke up in the hospital room, she was nursing me.”

“Huh…”

“And, well… ahem. Somehow things went well. We decided to get married when this war is over.”

A sentence that starts with ‘When this war is over~’ is extremely dangerous.

But the smile on his prosthetic jaw looked genuinely happy. So I couldn’t help but chuckle. McMillan also couldn’t help but laugh.

“I got together with my crush thanks to my hand being blown off and my jaw being split. Life is full of surprises.”

“Congratulations, Sir McMillan… I can congratulate you, right?”

“Of course, Your Highness. Thank you.”

Is this also an extension of ‘Love Blossoms on the Monster Front’?

I briefly had such a silly thought, then asked McMillan, who was grinning.

“Sir McMillan.”

“Yes.”

“You said that people’s hearts are as difficult to understand as monsters, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then, are you more afraid of a person whose heart you cannot understand, or a monster whose heart you cannot understand?”

Then McMillan smiled with his injured jaw and asked me a question in return.

“Your Highness, are you more afraid of a ghost under a dark bed, or a person?”

“……”

I was speechless for a moment.

At that moment, a woman was seen striding up the ramparts.

She was wearing a practical coat, had a tall and strong impression, and her deep eyes were radiating a strong will.

“Ah.”

I knew right away that she was McMillan’s special someone.

Indeed, McMillan’s shoulders stiffened as he spotted the woman, and his cheeks, flushed from the winter cold, became even more flushed.

“Then I’ll be going. Have a good time, Sir McMillan.”

I patted McMillan on the shoulder and was about to leave when McMillan said,

“Your Highness!”

“Hmm?”

“Well, this might be a very presumptuous request…”

McMillan asked loudly, as if for his future wife to hear.

“Could you officiate our wedding?”

“Huh.”

To dare ask the Crown Prince to officiate a wedding.

Moreover, a wedding that may not even happen.

But I readily nodded my head. McMillan was also my comrade, and this was a very cheap promise to make.

As I stepped aside and bowed to McMillan’s woman, McMillan’s woman quickly bowed to me in return.

Following that, I heard her scolding McMillan.

Why wasn’t he lying down when he was hurt, why did he come all the way here, why was he already spreading the news of the wedding everywhere, what kind of presumptuous request did he make to the Crown Prince…?

As I walked away, leaving McMillan being scolded by his future wife, I thought.

He’s a man who has the guts to make this kind of request to the Crown Prince. Please hold on tight to him. That man is a real gem.

Imperial Non-Combatant Commander McMillan retired from the front lines like this.

Another valuable hero has left my front line.

***

The sight of griffons flying over Crossroads has now become a daily occurrence.

Mikhail and the Sky Knights patrolled the skies, carefully checking for any remaining monsters.

“Mikhail!”

I waved my hand as I approached Mikhail, who was landing after completing his regular patrol.

“Good news!”

“Good news?”

I smiled at Mikhail, who was puzzled as he got off the griffon.

“The rest of the Sky Knights who were being treated at the temple, they’ve all regained consciousness!”

And among them were all five of Mikhail’s wives.

They had all been infected but had recovered safely.

I headed to the temple with Mikhail, whose face had brightened and who was moving urgently.

Inside the temple, the five queens of the Vermillion Kingdom were gathered in the same hospital room.

“Mikhail!”

As soon as we entered the hospital room, all five queens who had been waiting rushed out and hugged Mikhail.

“Waaah, it was scary…”

“I thought I would never see you again…”

“Mikhail, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine. You guys have suffered.”

Hugging his five wives, who were all bursting into tears, Mikhail’s eyes also turned red. The still young king and queens touched each other’s cheeks, checking if each other was safe.

I stood outside the hospital room, quietly watching this scene.

“It’s a relief that we survived, but…”

One of the queens looked dejected as she examined her forearm.

“I have scars all over my body…”

Perhaps because the infected bit each other during the infection process.

There were clear bite marks all over the queens’ bodies. There were also many deep scars that would not heal easily.

What a bolt from the blue for them, who wanted to look beautiful in front of their spouses during their honeymoon. I felt sorry that they were mobilized to this monster front line during their honeymoon, and I was also sorry that they were injured in their first battle.

But there was no need for me to apologize.

*Kiss.*

After kissing each of his wives’ scars once, Mikhail smiled and whispered.

“It’s okay. I’ll make sure that these scars don’t leave a trace. I’ll give you new bite marks every night.”

…Wow.

What did he just say?

Is he crazy?

Is this what a boy king with five wives says…?

As someone who was a hopeless single, I was frozen in front of this terrifying line that I could not even imagine. Meanwhile, Mikhail’s five wives blushed and hit their husband one by one, saying, ‘What are you saying in front of guests!’

But these women, they clearly like it… their lips are practically reaching their ears. Does that kind of thing work…? Is this the power of a married man?

‘If I said that line to Serenade…’

I imagined it for a moment.

…Ah, no, no. No way. It feels like it would become incredibly dangerous.

Specifically, I can picture Serenade, completely out of control, walking towards me like a Terminator with fire in her eyes.

‘I’m scared…’

That line is too much for me. Let’s save it for the distant future…

Anyway, the atmosphere of the queens, who were struggling with physical and emotional wounds, was instantly relieved. Mikhail, who continued to comfort his wives, glanced at me and whispered softly.

“Hehe. It’s helpful to have learned this from my older sister.”

“……”

It seems to be a spouse-soothing technique learned from his older sister, who has five husbands.

It seems that the future of the Vermillion Kingdom is very solid. It’s a bit out of context, but I somehow felt that way.

‘…Is this also one of the endings of ‘Love Blossoms on the Monster Front’?’

They were about to have a bloody honeymoon due to the monster invasion. No, it was actually stained with blood to some extent.

Still, I felt a little relieved to see Mikhail and his queens smiling happily.

As I left the hospital room and walked outside, I was lost in thought.

‘They came all the way here for their honeymoon, I should give them something to enjoy…’

The New Year is in a few days.

The New Year’s festival.

Since the final battle is just around the corner, it will be difficult to enjoy the festival as comfortably as in previous years… but it will still be possible to change the atmosphere to some extent.

I was walking out, thinking such peaceful thoughts for the first time in a while… when I realized something strange.

‘Wait, but…’

I clearly defeated all the monsters, and the enemy commander was also defeated.

‘Why isn’t the stage clear mark appearing?’