I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 78

Aegis Special Forces Team 8 (2)

The five members of Aegis Special Forces Team 8 are as follows:

[Sub-Party 1 (5/5)]

– Lv.35 Godhand (SR)

– Lv.29 Bodybag (R)

– Lv.28 Old Girl (R)

– Lv.25 Skull (N)

– Lv.22 Burnout (SR)

“Everyone has a codename.”

I commented briefly after checking everyone’s names.

“Can’t you tell me your real names?”

“I apologize, Your Highness.”

Godhand bowed his head.

“We are content to be nameless chess pieces. We have forgotten our real names.”

“Well, fine. I brought you under my command for your abilities, not your names.”

I gestured, manipulating the system window to check the stats of the five.

“Shall we see what your team can do?”

“Gladly. Every strand of our hair is at Your Highness’s disposal.”

No, I don’t need your hair…

Anyway, first, the team leader, Godhand.

“I am a metalsmith. More precisely, an ironsmith.”

Godhand picked up the iron chain that had fallen on the floor.

“I can forge any metal containing iron into any form I desire.”

“Oh ho.”

The iron chain disintegrated into iron powder, then transformed into dozens of thin wires, which then twisted together into a spear.

Godhand lightly swung the spear in his hand and then gently placed it on the floor.

In an instant, the spear turned back into a chain.

“I can create different weapons depending on the enemy we face.”

“Indeed…”

I nodded.

“You must have been supplying metal on the field to provide weapons for your team members?”

“That is correct.”

They are special agents by nature. Operating in enemy territory is their default.

Godhand’s ability to create weapons even when empty-handed would have been extremely useful in such situations.

Godhand then pointed to his subordinates.

“I will also introduce my team members’ abilities.”

The Team 8 special agents, having removed their hoods, were all elves with green hair, brown eyes, and long ears.

And they all looked young.

The situation for the elves must be dire if even these children have to sacrifice themselves for the survival of their entire race.

“Bodybag is a telekinetic. She can freely lift heavy objects and can even lift all five of us into the air to move. She can also throw the weapons I forge all at once.”

The female elf, Bodybag, still with chubby cheeks, bowed politely to me.

A telekinetic, huh? Her utility is very high.

“The remaining three are all archers. However, even as archers, each has their own specialty.”

Godhand introduced the remaining three in turn.

“Old Girl is a close-range specialist. She uses dual crossbows and is a specialist in one-on-one combat. She also has a lot of experience hunting monsters.”

I don’t know why ‘Old’ is in her codename, but she looked like the youngest of the group.

Old Girl smiled bashfully and waved at me.

I unconsciously waved back before snapping out of it. What was that?!

“Skull is a long-range sniper. He uses a great bow. He has a skill to conceal his noise, so no one in our group can match him in covert operations.”

Skull, the only N-rank character among the five, bowed his head indifferently.

The young boy’s face was marked with a deep scar from a blade. He must have been through a lot.

“And Burnout is…”

Godhand paused for a moment as he was about to introduce the last member, Burnout.

“…She is our team’s firepower specialist. She uses a custom-made, installable ballista. She has yet to fully control her abilities, but if she becomes more skilled, she will be of great help to Your Highness.”

The last member, Burnout.

While the other team members had removed their gags, this girl was still wearing hers.

The ends of her lime-green hair were charred black as if they had been burned, and her brown eyes were filled with a reddish glow.

I swallowed hard after roughly examining her abilities through the system window. If this one grows properly…

“And please accept this.”

Godhand took something out of his pocket and handed it to me.

“This is our ‘leash,’ our pledge of loyalty.”

I took it and saw that it was a small switch.

“What is this?”

“It’s the activation button for the explosive collars.”

Godhand showed me his neck. He was wearing a collar that looked like it was made of solidified molten iron.

The red gem embedded in the collar was flashing dangerously.

Upon closer inspection, all five of them were wearing these collars.

“It’s a tool to remotely ‘self-destruct’ us if we are captured by the enemy.”

“……”

“We thought this would make you trust us more.”

“No, I already trust you…”

“Your Highness might, but others won’t.”

Godhand gestured with his eyes behind me.

When I turned around, it was indeed as he said. Lucas and Evangeline were clearly wary of the new sub-party members.

“Anyway, I have a rough idea of your abilities.”

It was a pledge of loyalty, so I took the bomb switch for now. I just won’t use it.

“But it seems you’ve been fighting mainly in human combat. The main enemy on this monster front is monsters.”

“……”

“Are you good at killing monsters?”

“I am sorry to say, Your Highness.”

Godhand gave a faint smile for the first time today.

“We are the monsters.”

Cogs that abandon morality and ethics to work for the state.

That is the Aegis Special Forces.

And among them, Team 8, who willingly became a discardable piece for the sake of their race.

Long ago, they had already strayed from the path of humans.

“And we have yet to meet a monster stronger than us.”

“You will have to prove that.”

I slowly rose to my feet.

“We will be hunting monsters soon.”

The five special forces members rose to their feet in unison, following me. I grinned and gestured towards Crossroads.

“Let’s go. We almost died, so we should at least get some food.”

***

Immediately after returning to Crossroads.

The five sub-party members were all housed in spare rooms in the Crossroads mansion, while only Lucas, Evangeline, and I entered the reception room.

It was for a future meeting.

“They are criminals, my lord.”

As soon as the door closed, Lucas spoke in a firm voice.

“They are also traitors who plotted treason!”

“Well, yeah.”

Treason is the most common reason for executing criminals in the Empire.

It’s the easiest charge to pin on someone in a broad sense.

“Do you really intend to employ them? They might betray us at any moment!”

“But I have the bomb collar switch.”

I’m being careful not to press it by mistake. It’s in my inventory now.

“Lucas, you must have felt it during this free exploration. We are increasingly struggling on our own.”

“……”

Lucas couldn’t refute, perhaps recalling the recent free exploration.

The white-masked NPCs… the Nightcrawler unit. We were almost completely defeated by them.

The deeper we go into the dungeon, the more unexpected threats appear. We need to reinforce our forces as soon as possible.

Not only for free exploration but also for the defense stage right in front of us.

With Jupiter, our core force, out of commission due to injury, we need to use anyone, whether they are death row inmates or not.

“What do you think, Evangeline?”

When I asked, Evangeline pondered for a moment, then slowly opened her mouth.

“I think the Aegis Special Forces’ skills are reliable. But employing elves is definitely a risk.”

“Is there a problem because they are elves?”

“Are there any people in the Empire who like elves, or any other race for that matter? It could negatively affect your reputation as a lord.”

Humans and other races have been fighting for generations, and the race war only ended a hundred years ago.

The hatred and conflict ingrained in the humans of this world must be much deeper than I thought.

“Do you hate elves?”

“If I had to choose, I’m on the side of not caring. I neither like nor dislike them.”

Evangeline shrugged and glanced outside the reception room.

“Regardless, they do look pitiful.”

“Pitiful?”

“To willingly sacrifice themselves to save their entire race… it’s a heartbreaking story.”

Evangeline nodded towards me.

“If you were to ask me which side I’m on, I’m in favor. No matter who they belong to or what race they are, as long as they help us fight the monsters, isn’t that enough?”

I nodded back and turned to Lucas.

“Okay, Lucas. Let’s do this.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“For the success of this defense battle and to break through the white-masked guys in the next free exploration. Let’s employ those five for now.”

“……”

“And if they don’t perform well in actual combat, we’ll consider other options as you said. How’s that?”

Lucas silently bowed his head.

“I cannot argue with what my lord has decided in the first place. I will only follow your will.”

For someone who says that, you sure do object a lot, don’t you?

But every organization needs a brake. The opposing opinion also has its merits.

There’s no reason not to use those five, but there’s also no reason to completely trust them.

‘What’s certain is that they are a necessary force right now.’

The new sub-party will be a useful force in the upcoming defense battle.

‘Anyway, someone played a fun trick on me.’

I took out the official document that came down from the capital and read it again.

I asked for reinforcements, but they sent me death row inmates, all of whom are of a different race and belong to the Aegis Special Forces.

‘What kind of intention did they have when they sent them?’

I carefully examined the name written in the signature section of the document.

Second Prince Fernandez ‘Emberkeeper’ Everblack.

My brother, Ash, and the Minister of Administration in charge of the Empire’s internal affairs.

‘A character who never appeared in the game….’

I folded the document neatly and tucked it into my pocket, clenching my lips tightly.

‘I need to be careful.’

The strategy to the true ending.

Not only monsters but also the will of humans is beginning to intervene everywhere.

Everywhere is a treacherous path.

‘But that’s the fun of the strategy, isn’t it?’

Still, I honestly want to clear it more easily!

***

That night.

I scared the hell out of the prisoner escort unit and chased them out of the city.

The captain of the escort unit pleaded that they had to confirm the execution, but I kicked them out immediately, saying that I could no longer allow those who lied to the royal family to stay in the city. Get out!

Aegis Special Forces Team 8 is still staying at the lord’s mansion.

In name, they are the most important prisoners, so they are locked up in the mansion’s prison… or so it is said.

‘Where should I keep them later….’

Of course, I am the commander of this front and the lord of this city.

I can keep them here under the guise of ignorance, but.

It is clear that there is a potential problem. Where will they stay in the future, and how will I call them?

While pondering, I stood in front of the door to the room where Aegis Special Forces Team 8 was staying.

Knock knock, I knocked and pushed the door open.

“It’s me. I’m comin….”

And when I opened the door slightly.

“A bed, a bed! A bed-!”

“How long has it been since we had a proper place to stay?!”

“It’s fluffy! Fluffy, fluffy! It’s fluffy!”

…I saw the special forces members jumping and playing on the bed.

I froze.

“The food was delicious too!”

“It was delicious, it was delicious!”

“I don’t know how long it’s been since we had a proper meal!”

“I want more! I wonder if they’ll give us snacks?”

After chattering like that, the special forces members started a pillow fight, giggling and squealing.

I was watching the scene with a blank expression.

What… what is this situation?

“Huh?”

Then, one of the special forces members noticed my presence.

“Y-Your Highness?!”

“What?!”

The next moment, the five of them tumbled off the bed, rolling and falling, and instantly knelt on one knee in front of me.

“Have you arrived, Your Highness?”

Godhand spoke in a voice full of force. No, it’s too late to lower your voice now.

“It’s too late to act serious now…?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Godhand replied in a dry voice. But he has pillow feathers on his head.

“We are the Aegis Special Forces. Cold-blooded killing machines without emotions….”

“No, never mind.”

I shook what I was holding in my hand. I had warmed up some leftover food from the kitchen.

“Want a late-night snack? Or not?”

The eyes of the kids disguised as special forces members shone like beasts.