I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 81

The preparations for the defense went smoothly after that…

…No, let me correct that.

The defense preparations hit a major snag.

“Hiiiiek?!”

The problem arose the very next day.

I had brought only God Hand to introduce him to Lily, and she was utterly terrified.

“Y-Your Highness. Your Highness. Just a moment, over here.”

Lily pulled me to a corner of the workshop and whispered, covering her mouth.

“That new sub-party member, the elf… is that right?”

“Yeah. You recognized him right away. He’s an elf.”

“Hiii, hiiiii!”

Lily’s face turned pale, and she trembled. What’s wrong?

“Huuu… Your Highness.”

Lily took a deep breath and spoke, covering her face with her hand.

“You know, the reason I got the [Flame Skin] trait.”

A trait that nullifies all physical attacks by consuming magic power. [Flame Skin].

I was able to clear Stage 0 using this trait. Of course, I remember. I nodded.

“Wasn’t it because of the goblins that invaded the village?”

To avoid getting hurt by the blades wielded by the goblin horde, Lily awakened the [Flame Skin] trait.

That’s what I thought.

“That’s right. But back then, who do you think opened the village’s defenses to let the goblin horde in?”

“…”

“It was an elf family who were our family’s servants.”

I swallowed hard.

Lily shook her head.

“My parents took in that elf family, who were being chased by slave hunters, out of pity and gave them a separate house on the estate. They employed them as servants for a year, providing them with everything they needed. But…”

Lily’s face showed a pain I had never seen, not even when fighting the black spider legion.

“…But one day, after a year had passed. They suddenly said they couldn’t forgive humans and opened the village’s defenses, calling in the goblin horde.”

“…”

“The village burned, my parents were butchered and killed, and I was left alone.”

I remained silent.

Lily glanced at God Hand and then quickly blurted out to me.

“Your Highness. No matter how much goodwill we show, they still hate humans. They will betray you someday.”

“…”

“I’m saying this for your sake. No matter why you recruited them, don’t trust them. Just like they opened my village’s defenses, they might destroy this front line.”

After listening to everything in silence, I asked carefully.

“Lily. Do you hate elves?”

Lily nodded without hesitation.

“I hate them as much as I fear blades.”

“Even though they are not the ones who wronged you?”

“Your Highness, if there was a monster that hasn’t killed anyone yet, would you embrace it and bring it to the front lines?”

“…”

“You wouldn’t, would you?”

Lily was firm.

“It’s the same for me. And perhaps, it’s the same for them too.”

This is reality.

“We can’t help but hate other races…”

It was a long and deep chain of hatred, born from the old history of this land that I didn’t know about.

***

It was at that moment.

“Excuse me.”

“Waaah?!”

God Hand approached us, who were talking quietly in the corner, and spoke. What a surprise!

“Hiiiiek?!”

I was just a little surprised, but Lily was almost having a fit.

“Hiccup, hiccup!”

She even started hiccuping. She really must hate elves…

I gently patted Lily’s shoulder. Calm down, friend.

“First, I would like to ask for your understanding.”

Once Lily had calmed down and her breathing had settled, God Hand spoke calmly.

“As I originally worked as an intelligence agent, I can’t help but hear the conversations around me, even if I don’t want to. I unintentionally eavesdropped.”

I broke out in a cold sweat.

“Uh… you heard everything we just said?”

God Hand bowed to me and Lily.

“It is very rude, but yes.”

Lily’s face turned white at the words that he had heard everything we just said.

Looking directly at Lily, God Hand spoke in a dry voice.

“Lily. There is one thing I would like to say to you.”

“W-What, what is it…?”

“First of all, I have no intention of asking for your forgiveness.”

God Hand continued politely, but in a cold voice.

“Because even if I apologize, it won’t bring back the family you lost, nor will it erase the wounds you suffered.”

“…”

“And the rift in your feelings towards our race will never be healed.”

Lily bit her lip. God Hand continued.

“But Lily. We are facing a war.”

“…”

“Even before my country was destroyed, humans and elves joined forces to fight against the monster invasions. We have a common enemy before us.”

God Hand slowly bowed his head.

“Isn’t it time to put aside personal feelings and fight together, following the will of His Highness the Prince?”

It was the right thing to say.

God Hand’s words were the very definition of what was right.

But Lily shook her head.

“How can you say that while hiding your true feelings?”

“Excuse me?”

“Aren’t you the same as me? Be honest, elf. You hate humans too, don’t you?”

Lily spoke harshly, unlike her usual self.

“You hate us for destroying your country and enslaving you, don’t you?”

“…”

“We fought for a thousand years and enslaved you for a hundred years. We can’t help but hate and distrust each other. Until one side completely disappears, we will continue.”

Lily turned her head sharply towards me.

“They are a source of discord, Your Highness.”

Lily insisted to me, who had my mouth shut.

“It’s not just me. Other soldiers will also be uneasy just by the fact that there are elves on the front lines.”

“…”

“Recruiting them is a very short-sighted decision. I request a reconsideration. We can fight well enough on our own without the elves! We already have been!”

“Lily. Then you might have to keep going to the front lines.”

“I’d rather do that! I’d rather be on the front lines every time than fight alongside elves!”

Lily, who was so eager to retire, was saying this much.

I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

Lucas was also uneasy about recruiting elves.

Perhaps most of the soldiers’ opinions were closer to Lily’s.

‘What should I do…? ‘

It was then.

“To be honest, Lily. As you said, we do not like the human race.”

When God Hand admitted it, Lily glared at me.

“See, Your Highness! That’s what I’m talking about!”

God Hand let out a long sigh.

“But does that matter?”

“Huh?”

“My country has been destroyed, and it is a reality that our race lives under humans. The power of life and death for our team, as well as our entire race, belongs to the Empire, and also to His Highness the Prince.”

God Hand showed the ‘leash’ around his neck.

The red gem, the detonator of the explosive necklace, sparkled on his neck.

“Our race is nothing more than insignificant beings who could die at any moment without the Empire’s mercy. Even if we have resentment, we are still lives under Your Highness’s feet.”

“…”

“I just hope that my fellow countrymen can live even one more day. And that my teammates can be a little bit more… happy.”

God Hand bowed his head, adjusting his collar.

“That’s all I wish for.”

“…”

“Lily. Isn’t it the same for you?”

Lily’s eyes widened.

God Hand’s gaze swept over Lily’s legs in the wheelchair.

“Even though you are physically disabled, you are serving on this monster front line to protect your loved ones, aren’t you?”

“I…”

“It is clear that elves and humans cannot be on good terms. But we have the same enemy in front of us, and we have the same goal of fighting for our loved ones.”

“…”

“Do we need any more reason than that to fight together?”

Lily, with her mouth tightly shut, shook her head.

“We can fight together against the monsters once. But even so, I can’t forgive you. Never.”

“That’s fine.”

God Hand said calmly.

“It’s something I’m used to.”

After staring at God Hand for a while, Lily slowly opened her mouth towards me.

“It’s only until this defense battle, Your Highness.”

“Huh?”

“We’ll fight together for this defense battle. But if that party remains here after the defense battle, I will leave this front line.”

“…”

“I’m going in. I need to rest.”

Lily pulled her wheelchair into the workshop and disappeared.

I rubbed my aching forehead with my hand.

‘Ugh, what a headache.’

The Lily I know is a good person.

She is thoughtful, considerate of others, and willing to put the greater good before her own safety.

For such a Lily to express her hatred so openly.

‘I understand it well enough.’

If she had experienced such a thing in her childhood, it’s understandable that she would hate the entire elf race.

Various events, emotions, and prejudices have accumulated, building a huge wall between humans and other races.

‘It’s deep.’

Much deeper than I thought.

‘The chasm of hatred is so deep that it can’t be filled.’

The negative emotions are as deep as the history of this world.

In the game, there was no need to consider such things.

Regardless of race, characters were selected based on their performance and crammed into one party.

But this is reality.

Origin. Race. Faction. There are far more dynamics between people than what is visible.

To make the front lines run more smoothly, all these factors must be considered comprehensively.

‘It’s tough, managing an organization…’

I sighed and turned to God Hand.

“I came to introduce you, but I just got scolded for no reason.”

God Hand smiled bitterly.

“It’s okay. It’s something that happens very often. If anything, Lily is being rather polite.”

“Everyone is more sensitive to this issue than I thought. Am I just being insensitive…?”

I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, and God Hand carefully spoke.

“Your Highness is amazing.”

“Huh?”

“Even the humans who treat us well, I can’t help but feel prejudice in their gaze. There is an unavoidable light of wariness.”

God Hand slightly bowed his head to me.

“But Your Highness, you don’t show any of that. That’s why it’s amazing, and also… I’m grateful.”

“…”

It’s just because I’m a guy who was possessed from another world.

I was also a narrow-minded commoner on Earth.

I awkwardly smacked my lips. I can’t tell him the truth… I guess I’ll just pretend to be open-minded.

“So, please don’t worry too much if others are wary of us, or even despise us.”

God Hand glanced at the inside of the workshop where Lily had disappeared.

“We will do our best to prove ourselves in this defense battle. That we are useful in our own way.”

I wish the main party and the sub-party could get along.

Sparks are flying even before the battle, so I’m honestly worried.

Well, I guess such personnel headaches are also something that the front line commander has to deal with.