I Became The Tyrant Of A Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 759

With Evangeline’s scream echoing in the distance,

Lukas and Hecate sat silently at a window seat in a cafeteria, sipping their coffee.

Lukas wore his usual cold, functional expression when not in the presence of his master, while Hecate gazed at Lukas’s face as if admiring a sculpture.

“Not in armor.”

“Hmm?”

Hecate, noticing Lukas’s coat, smiled faintly.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you like this.”

Lukas blankly touched the collar of his coat with his hand.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. You were always in your school uniform, even back in the academy.”

School uniform in the academy, armor on the front lines…

Lukas was almost always armed in most situations. It was an expression of his will to always be on guard as the prince’s escort, but Hecate now felt she understood the true meaning a little better.

‘He was closing off his heart too.’

That’s why seeing him in casual clothes after so long felt welcoming, and also…

The reconfirmation that Lukas had also been closing his heart to her throughout their previous lives stung her heart.

“It’s a brief respite, but it’s nice to have this peace,” Hecate said softly, not showing her true feelings, and playfully winked.

“You asked me out on a date first, don’t you have any other special plans?”

“I didn’t think of anything other than eating and having coffee.”

“That’s so like you…”

Or rather, should she be impressed that he asked her out on a date and even had a meal and coffee with her?

For a golden retriever-human who only knew swordsmanship and his master, wasn’t this a huge step forward?

Click.

Just then, Lukas, who had put down his coffee cup after taking a sip, looked at Hecate with a serious expression.

“So, Hecate. How is it, have you sorted out your thoughts?”

Lukas’s question was none other than this.

Now that Hecate could no longer live as a knight, had she decided what she would do, where she would go?

“…I don’t know,” Hecate chuckled and stirred her coffee with a spoon.

“I wish a handsome knight would sweep me off my feet. But that doesn’t seem likely.”

“…”

Lukas, who had been silent with his eyes lowered, carefully opened his mouth.

“Hecate. If you really want to…”

“Lukas.”

But Hecate cut him off.

“I know too. You’ve never had feelings for me, have you?”

“…”

“That’s why you’ve been pretending to be oblivious and putting up a wall all this time. I know it all.”

Lukas was silent. Hecate then stopped stirring her spoon.

She was tired of the meaningless back and forth.

So, she put down the spoon, slowly but surely finished the last of the bitter coffee in her cup, and then…

She mustered her courage and looked at Lukas.

“I’m not that selfish. I have my pride. I’m not going to try to hold onto your heart out of pity.”

Actually, she had.

There was a time when she wished this man would look at her, even if it was out of pity. Just until recently, definitely.

But…

‘Hah.’

Now, she wouldn’t do that.

For the sake of them all.

“I don’t know what I’ll do with my life, but when I almost died from those zombie flesh-things, I thought of one thing I wanted to do.”

“Something you want to do?”

“Yeah. Something I never dared to imagine, but maybe something I really want to do.”

Hecate smiled like a child about to play a mischievous prank.

It was the first time Lukas had seen her smile like that since she was very young, and he blinked in surprise like a fool.

“It’s a really small and insignificant wish. Can you grant it?”

“If it’s something I can grant. Of course.”

Lukas nodded.

Then, Hecate took a deep breath and said,

“Lukas. Can I dump you?”

She said such a thing.

“…?”

Lukas couldn’t react because he didn’t understand. Then Hecate covered her mouth and giggled.

“I, who have been clinging to you my whole life, will kick you away at the end. Yeah, that’s my wish. How about it? Can you grant it?”

“Huh…?”

In front of Lukas, who was still confused, Hecate suddenly thought.

That day. The story Junior had told her at the end of the world, in front of the monsters.

– Once you lose everything. You just become… you.

– Not the one who carries the curse, not the avenger of the old war, not the knight of the empire. Just you, a twenty-four-year-old.

“…”

Hecate closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath.

“I still don’t know what I’ll be like in the future. I can’t use a sword anymore, I’ve lost my curse, and even the stage for revenge has disappeared.”

She had lost everything.

And, because of that.

“So, I’m going to be reborn.”

From the beginning.

On this ruin.

She could start anywhere, doing anything.

“Because now I’m just… me. Separated from the past, able to find anything I want to do, just a twenty-four-year-old…”

She knew.

Maybe this was just wordplay. Maybe this was an excuse from a loser.

But Hecate decided to stop looking at the end of the dark tunnel.

Like that young wizard, a survivor from the country she hated, but who had saved her in front of the monsters…

Even if she couldn’t dream of a tropical resort with a sparkling pool, she decided to look for something else that shined.

“I’ll leave the past behind and start over from the beginning, finding a new goal. So, I’m done clinging to you now.”

To her first love, whom she had liked so much.

No, maybe she still liked.

But to this annoying and cruel first love who had never opened his heart to her, Hecate declared with a refreshing smile.

“Live happily, you bad bastard.”

“…”

“I’m the one who dumped you. For sure? Got it? We agreed on this?”

“No, that’s…”

“Then I’ll go.”

Hecate, holding her stinging yet relieved heart, got up from her seat and smiled brightly.

“It was fun, our first and last date.”

“…”

“Well, goodbye.”

Leaving Lukas with his mouth slightly open, Hecate left the cafeteria and strode into the snowy winter street.

“…”

Watching her back silently.

Having recorded another score of 0 confessions and 1 rejection.

Lukas, who was sitting blankly in his seat, barely managed to make a sound with his mouth slightly open.

“Uoong…?”

It was a very bear-like sound, not unlike Evangeline’s pterodactyl-like scream.

***

Crossroad downtown, street stalls.

“Wow, there’s so much delicious food!” Hannibal shouted with a bright face in front of the stalls set up by various countries.

The young spirit mage had Zenith and Rosetta each holding one of his hands.

“Let’s go, Papa! High Priestess!”

“Okay…”

“Alright…”

Zenith and Rosetta both looked uncomfortable.

That was because this scene, with Hannibal between them, looked just like…

‘Like a family…’

It looked like a couple with their young son.

Of course, this was a deliberate attempt by Hannibal to create this atmosphere, and he naturally played the role of an innocent young son, leading the two of them further into the street.

Zenith and Rosetta were quite flustered, but they didn’t dislike the atmosphere.

The three of them tasted the New Year’s food from various countries, held snacks in their hands, laughed happily, and joked with each other as they walked together.

“Oh, cotton candy!” Hannibal shouted, spotting a cotton candy stall.

“Let’s get cotton candy, cotton candy!”

“Okay. I’ll go get it,” Rosetta said, gesturing to Zenith, and headed to the cotton candy stall to order three.

While Rosetta was getting the cotton candy, Zenith bent down on one knee to match Hannibal’s eye level, who was grinning.

“Hannibal.”

“Yes, Papa.”

“I know you wish you had a mother… but don’t be too demanding of High Priestess Rosetta.”

Hannibal’s big eyes wavered at the sudden but pointed remark.

The young spirit mage stammered.

“B-but, you two get along well, don’t you? And it’s not like dating or marriage is forbidden for the priestesses of the Goddess Church.”

“Get along… well, yeah. It’s not bad.”

Zenith smiled bitterly.

“To be honest, I even liked her at one point.”

“Really? Then why?”

“Well, that’s…”

Just then, Rosetta returned with the cotton candy.

Hannibal urgently asked Rosetta.

“High Priestess, do you dislike my Papa?”

“Huh? I don’t dislike him. I almost had him executed because of the doctrine, and he’s steadily accumulating heresy points, but I still don’t dislike him.”

Rosetta chuckled.

“Rather, I even liked him when I was younger.”

“Huh? Then you two…”

“Our timing was off, but yeah. We had feelings for each other.”

Rosetta said casually, handing each of them their cotton candy.

“But we have a deeper relationship than simple affection.”

She was his savior, his adopted sibling, his comrade, and a fellow worshiper of the same god.

Rosetta and Zenith’s relationship was complex.

“We were afraid that if we got closer as a man and a woman, all our other relationships would lose their depth. We were afraid of that.”

“…”

“So, we pretended not to know each other’s feelings, even though we did. And a lot of time has passed.”

Rosetta looked at Zenith, and Zenith smiled awkwardly.

“Our young and immature feelings have now worn down appropriately. We’re comfortable as we are now.”

“But… !”

“Hannibal.”

Rosetta quietly patted Hannibal.

“There are many forms of relationships in the world. And you and I don’t necessarily have to be together within the confines of a family.”

“…”

“I can’t be your mother. But I can worry about you, bless you, and think of you.”

Rosetta gently stroked Hannibal’s head.

“How about starting from there?”

“…”

Hannibal lowered his head and nodded slowly, then quickly wiped his eyes and ran into the street stalls.

“I-I’ll go buy some more… !”

Watching Hannibal’s back as he scurried away, Zenith sighed deeply.

“It seems like we told a child too harsh of a story on the first day of the New Year.”

“It’s not a world where you can have everything you want.”

Rosetta smiled brightly. Attractive wrinkles formed around her mouth and eyes.

“But he’s quite clever for a child. To think of pairing you and me. It’s a plan that seems rather plausible because it’s so immature and bold.”

“Hahaha…”

“It’s not a world where you can have everything you want, but those who don’t give up and try will eventually get the right fruit in their hands.”

Rosetta made the sign of the cross and prayed softly.

“May many good relationships come to that child.”

Zenith prayed with her, smiling quietly.

“May many people form new relationships, just like the many relationships that have gone astray in this Crossroad.”

The two priests prayed together.

May there be blessings for Hannibal’s future, for the relationships of others intertwined in Crossroad, for everyone, on the first day of the New Year…

‘…But, wait a minute.’

Then, during their prayer, a random thought suddenly entered the minds of the two priests.

‘We’ve never actually opened up to each other.’

‘We never even properly confessed, so were we just dumped now…?’

The two priests glanced at each other and then closed their eyes again.

“…”

The score of 0 confessions and 1 rejection, full of wounds, was spreading throughout Crossroad.

***

A small town near Crossroad.

In front of a small brick house in the suburbs, where the smoke from freshly baked bread was rising.

“…”

Standing there with a crutch.