I Became The Tyrant Of A Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 90

Godhand’s injuries were more severe than I had anticipated.

“His entire forearm is crushed. There’s nothing left of its original form.”

Inside the temple.

Saint Margarita spoke quickly while preparing for surgery.

“It’s far beyond what can be healed with recovery magic.”

“Does that mean…?”

“We have to amputate his arm.”

A clanging sound seemed to echo in my ears.

Godhand lay unconscious on the blood-soaked bed. The gaunt young elf was already out cold. Was it from the intense pain, or was he under the influence of the anesthetic?

“We’ll be amputating his forearm below the elbow. The patient has already agreed to it.”

“Agreed…?”

“We’d cut it off even if he hadn’t. The tissue necrosis has already spread to his upper arm. If we leave it like this, we’ll have to amputate not just his forearm, but everything below his shoulder.”

Margarita took a surgical saw from the tray. Then, she glanced at me.

“Unless you’re here to help, would you mind leaving, Lord? It’s not exactly a pleasant sight to watch.”

“…”

I tried to form words in my mouth, but in the end, I couldn’t say anything and quietly left the room.

“Ah.”

Outside the room, the four kids from the Shadow Unit were waiting for their team leader’s surgery to finish.

The young elves all looked up at me at once, their gazes so innocent that it was overwhelming. I was momentarily speechless.

“Your Highness, is… is our captain going to be okay?”

Bodybag, the team’s sub-leader, asked cautiously as I stood there blankly.

It was painful, but it wasn’t something to drag out. I spoke heavily.

“The thing is, actually…”

I told them that Godhand’s injuries were so severe that both of his forearms below the elbows had to be amputated.

The Shadow Unit members all turned pale, but they didn’t show much agitation.

I carefully asked the kids.

“Are you guys okay?”

“Your Highness, well… this is a bit of a delicate matter to bring up.”

Bodybag hesitated, glanced at the room, and then spoke.

“Godhand actually lost both of his hands in an operation two years ago.”

“What?”

“Both of his lost hands were replaced with metal prosthetics. Since he’s a metalsmith, he had no problem using the prosthetics like real hands.”

I had no idea. He was wearing gloves, but his movements were so natural that I didn’t notice at all.

“After replacing his hands with prosthetics, he changed his codename to Godhand.”

Bodybag gave an awkward smile.

“So… he’ll be fine this time too. He can replace his lost arms with metal ones and fight like before.”

“…”

No, that’s not what I meant. It’s not just about functionality.

People aren’t machines.

Just because a part is broken and can be replaced doesn’t mean we can just move on as if nothing happened.

Terrible wounds leave scars on the soul.

And they never fully heal.

“…”

I swallowed my words, crouched down in front of the kids, and patted each of their heads.

“If any of you are hurting, make sure to tell me. I’ll get you treated.”

That’s what I said.

Even though I’m the commander who has to send them to their deaths in every battle, how ridiculous.

I gave a bitter smile to the kids who were looking up at me with wide eyes.

“Okay, let’s go. There’s a victory banquet tonight. It’s a shame Godhand can’t attend, but at least you guys should eat well and rest.”

But the kids all shook their heads at my words.

“We’re fine, Your Highness!”

“We’ll wait here for the captain’s surgery to finish.”

“…”

I was speechless for a moment, then nodded.

“Okay. Rest here today. I’ll send you food and drinks. We can’t celebrate the victory together, but…”

I glanced at the room, then slowly nodded.

“You guys did a great job today. Remember that.”

The kids grinned. I smiled back.

“Take good care of your captain.”

“Leave it to us!”

“Please send us lots of delicious food!”

“And drinks too!”

“Juice! We like juice!”

I left the temple, leaving the Shadow Unit members waving their hands. I should order about three bottles of juice.

“…”

My left arm throbbed for no reason.

Even though the wound on my arm, which had the cast removed today, had healed, it still sent a faint pain.

How would Godhand feel, having lost his arms?

Would he feel pain even in the arms that were no longer there?

I moved on, worrying about such useless things. My personal carriage was waiting in front of the temple.

***

When I arrived at the plaza, the banquet had already begun and it was noisy.

Stew was boiling in pots over the bonfires scattered everywhere, and meat on skewers was cooking. The chefs hired from nearby were busy preparing food, and barrels of liquor taken from the warehouse were piled up all over the plaza.

The smoke from the grilling meat spread out in the evening sky that had just cleared. People were laughing below it.

It was a good sight.

“These guys, starting without even hearing the lord’s congratulatory speech!”

I entered the plaza, pretending to be annoyed, and cheers erupted from all around.

“The Prince is here!”

“Lord! Lord! Lord!”

“The best commander in the South!”

“The man born to kill monsters!”

The soldiers started to tease and praise me. These bastards…

“Alright! Enough! Give me a drink!”

I quickly grabbed a glass of alcohol and stepped onto the platform in the center of the plaza, feeling like it would never end if I let them continue.

“Let’s make it short and sweet! When I say ‘Southern Front!’ you guys say ‘Eat ’til you drop!’ Got it?”

Ooooooh!

“Alright, Southern Front!”

Eat ’til you drop-!

With a resounding echo, everyone brought their glasses to their lips.

“Kuhak!”

I also pretended to take a few sips and put down my glass. I can’t get used to the alcohol in this place no matter how much I drink!

As I announced the start of the full-fledged banquet, the plaza became even more boisterous.

I stepped down from the platform and stopped Aider, who was carrying food nearby.

“Hey, aide. Do me a favor.”

“Oh my, Lord! Of course! Just tell me what you need! Meat? Alcohol? What else can I get you? If you need music, I’ll sing you a tune!”

No, that’s not necessary.

“Send some food to the temple. And drinks.”

“Ah-ha!”

Aider smacked his lips awkwardly. What’s he so disappointed about?

“It’s for the priests who are working hard to treat the injured, the soldiers who are being treated, and the Shadow Unit members. Oh, and send three bottles of juice.”

As I was about to order more, a voice came from behind me.

“I’ll go.”

“Huh?”

When I turned around, it was Lily.

Lily, sitting in a new wheelchair, had a determined look on her face, as if she had made up her mind.

“…”

I didn’t try to stop her. I nodded.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, Aider! Gather some people to help carry the stuff and go deliver it to the temple with Lily.”

“Yes, sir!”

Aider and Lily began to select food and drinks and put them on trays.

I watched them for a while, then walked into the plaza.

The Margrave had said that if we only grieved and mourned, the city would come to a standstill. We had to give them joy that matched their sorrow.

Taking care of the injured and honoring the dead was the lord’s job, but.

Drinking, talking, and rejoicing with the survivors was also the lord’s job.

“You guys! You’re not going to be able to finish all those barrels of alcohol if you keep drinking like that! Fill your glasses!”

“Ooooh! As expected of the Third Prince, the best drinker in the Empire!”

“Are we going to witness that legend with our own eyes today?!”

“I’ll show you! Come at me! We’re going all the way tonight!”

Clinking glasses noisily, laughing boisterously. I tried to lift the mood.

The night of victory was deepening.

***

It was late that night when Godhand regained consciousness.

“…Ugh.”

He groaned and tried to sit up, but soon realized it was impossible.

Both of his arms below the elbows were gone.

Only then did Godhand recall the moment when his two arms were crushed.

And the priest’s voice asking for his consent to amputate.

“…”

Lying in bed, Godhand slowly raised his empty arms.

That’s when it happened.

“Are you awake?”

A voice suddenly came from beside the bed. Startled, Godhand looked over.

Lily was sitting in a chair next to the bed with a sullen expression.

“Lily… ma’am?”

“The surgery went well, they said.”

Lily, who was sipping from a glass and reading a document, picked up a quill and wrote something on the document.

“You’ll have a high fever for a while, and the pain will be severe. The next healing magic will be administered at 7 a.m. tomorrow.”

“…”

“They amputated below the elbows, but the joints are still there. It’ll be easier to move with prosthetics.”

Lily gestured with her chin towards the corner of the room.

“The other unit members ate, chatted, and played around, and then fell asleep a while ago.”

The other four Shadow Unit members were sprawled out on the floor, asleep. They were all sleeping soundly under just one blanket. They must have been exhausted.

“…”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

Lily brought over some food that was covered with a cloth on the nearby shelf.

“I saved some for you too. You lost a lot of blood, so you need to eat well.”

“Why… are you nursing me?”

Lily’s hand stopped. Godhand asked hesitantly.

“Don’t you hate us?”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Lily slowly faced Godhand.

“I wanted to ask you something. That’s why I was waiting for you to wake up.”

“…?”

Godhand was still groggy, struggling. Lily asked him without hesitation.

“Why did you save me back then?”

When the Gargoyle Chieftain had charged at her.

Why did he stand in front of Lily, take the attack instead, and lose his arms?

That’s what Lily was asking.

Godhand gave a bitter smile.

“I told you back then. You had the firepower to take him down, and protecting you was the best decision-”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Lily growled fiercely.

“Don’t try to act rational.”

“…”

“From the perspective of the overall efficiency of the front line, your decision might have been right. But from your personal point of view, there was no reason for you to save me at the cost of such serious injuries.”

Godhand and his unit had just been incorporated into Crossroads.

It was still too early for them to have any loyalty.

In that situation, protecting Lily was clearly a rational decision from a tactical point of view.

But it was irrational for a newly deployed member to throw away both his arms, his life, for that tactical purpose.

Even if it was logically sound, the more she thought about it, the more strange it seemed.

There was something else.

Lily sensed it and came to interrogate Godhand.

Even though his injuries were caused by protecting her.

“…”

Godhand let out a long sigh.

“Even so, aren’t you being too cold to your savior…?”

“There’s nothing more burdensome than a kindness without a purpose.”