I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 97

[Jupiter Junior (SSR)]

– Level: 30

– Title: None

– Class: Intermediate Elementalist

– Strength 10, Agility 12, Intelligence 25, Stamina 8, Magic Power 25

[Skills]

> Passive: Element Harmonizer

> Skill 1: Elemental Blast

> Skill 2: ??? (Unlocked after 2nd Job Advancement)

> Ultimate: ??? (Unlocked after 3rd Job Advancement)

– Equipped Traits (2/3)

> Fox Den

> Golden Vein (Cannot be removed)

Junior.

A modifier attached when inheriting an ancestor’s name.

And this woman sitting next to me was Jupiter’s granddaughter, who introduced herself as ‘Jupiter Junior’ after inheriting the name.

She’s a character I’ve never seen in the game, and she’s an SSR rank, no less.

‘She really must be Jupiter’s granddaughter. She even inherited the Golden Vein.’

I quickly checked her stats and swallowed hard.

Her stats aren’t that high for an SSR rank, but what’s important are her class and skills.

‘An Elementalist!’

An Elementalist is, simply put, a mage class that can handle all types of magic.

Of course, proficiency varies by element, and there are elements they’re good at and elements they’re not so good at.

But basically, it means they can use all elemental magic.

It’s a top-tier class among elemental mages in terms of flexibility and adaptability, capable of handling almost any situation.

‘I have to recruit her! No matter what!’

I tried to calm my trembling heart and spoke to Jupiter Junior.

“Jupiter hardly ever mentioned you.”

Looking back, Jupiter had mentioned her granddaughter a few times in passing.

‘But she didn’t say she was an SSR rank!’

Well, of course, Jupiter wouldn’t be able to see such ranks.

Anyway, it means she has immense talent in combat.

If you have a granddaughter like this, you should have told me right away! I would have immediately bowed down and brought her here!

“Hmph, really? My grandmother didn’t talk about me?”

Jupiter Junior tilted her head.

“That’s disappointing. If you have such a cute granddaughter, you should brag about her.”

That’s what I’m saying.

If you have such a high-performing SSR-rank granddaughter, you should brag about her. No, you should have brought her to the front lines sooner!

“So, who might you be, the one who looks so high and mighty at a glance?”

Junior glanced at me and asked.

“Since you asked for my name, may I ask for yours as well?”

“Of course. My name is Ash. Ash ‘Bonehater’ Everblack.”

Junior looked a little surprised when she heard my name.

“I am currently the commander of this monster front.”

“I apologize for not recognizing you, Your Highness.”

Junior bowed deeply.

“I never imagined I would meet you in a place like this, so I was late in showing my respects. Please forgive this ignorant girl.”

“There’s nothing to forgive. It’s natural you wouldn’t recognize me. Raise your head.”

As Junior cautiously raised her head, I got straight to the point.

“To be blunt, Jupiter Junior, would you consider joining my command?”

“Huh?”

“This front line desperately needs a talented mage like you. Since you’re here, why not lend us your strength?”

“…….”

“Of course, I promise you the best treatment. I promise you the highest treatment a mage can receive on any front in the continent.”

I spent that much money just to recruit the SR-rank mage, Jupiter.

I was willing to spend even more for the SSR-rank Jupiter Junior. It just so happened that we needed a mage.

‘Is there ever a situation where we don’t need a mage, though…’

“Hmm.”

Junior rested her chin on her hand and pondered for a moment, then carefully looked at me.

“I am grateful for your generous offer, Your Highness.”

Ugh!

Don’t refuse!

“But my purpose in coming to this city is to meet my grandmother.”

“…I see. You came to see Jupiter.”

“Yes. So, could I consider your offer after I meet my grandmother? I also have a few questions to ask her…”

I nodded vigorously.

“Of course! Go ahead.”

It’s a bit awkward for me to say this myself, but I think I’ve treated Jupiter well.

She’ll say good things about me to her granddaughter, right? She will, right? Please, Jupiter! Please!

“Then, Your Highness, do you happen to know where my grandmother is?”

“Jupiter is currently receiving treatment at the temple. She was injured recently.”

“Ah… at the temple…”

“She’s recovered enough to have visitors, so go see her right away.”

“Understood, Your Highness. Thank you.”

Junior packed her things into a large bag and bowed to me again.

“Then, I’ll see you again, Your Highness.”

“Alright, alright. Have a good visit. Think carefully about my offer.”

“Yes!”

Junior walked briskly out of the Mercenary Guild.

I lowered my voice and whispered to Lucas, who was standing behind me.

“Now that Jupiter is out of the fight, we absolutely have to recruit that granddaughter.”

“Yes… but, how? Will we be able to recruit her?”

“We have to hope she’s like her grandmother. Let’s lure her with a good salary.”

Junior also had the Golden Vein trait.

In other words, it means she’ll easily come over if we tempt her with money. I need to load up on cash.

“But, it’s really… strange.”

Lucas said, looking at the guild entrance where Junior had left. I blinked.

“What is?”

“That granddaughter. She doesn’t look anything like Jupiter, but… her vibe is kind of similar.”

Indeed, there wasn’t a single part of her appearance that resembled Jupiter. But there was a common aura.

What should I say… they both have a smell of money? A money vibe?

“Well, that’s why they’re grandmother and granddaughter.”

“And there’s another strange thing. It’s a bit rude to say, though.”

Lucas glanced around before whispering to me.

“The fact that Jupiter had a child. It’s surprising.”

“Ah… honestly, I was surprised too.”

“When she mentioned her granddaughter before, I thought it was just a joke.”

‘Backstabbing isn’t good, but-‘ Lucas continued, adding a useless premise.

“Jupiter looks like she would have lived as a bachelor her whole life. But she has a child, and even a granddaughter. It’s a bit unexpected.”

“That’s true…”

I thought she would live her whole life without being tied down by marriage, enjoying drinking and smoking, and wandering around the world in her own way.

But suddenly, a granddaughter appears.

“I wonder what her husband is like?”

“…I, I am curious. But it’s her privacy, so it’s a bit hard to ask.”

If someone was able to get together with that eccentric grandmother, it would be one of two things.

Either they’re just as eccentric, or they’re a saint.

“Anyway, I hope Jupiter says good things about me to her granddaughter.”

I put my hands together in front of my chest and prayed.

SSR God! Gacha God! God of Dice! Whoever it is!

“Please let that friend serve here… !”

***

The temple.

Jupiter’s hospital room.

“…”

Jupiter sat leaning against the bed, lost in thought.

Jupiter’s emaciated hands were trembling.

Jupiter clenched her old hands, which couldn’t gather even a bit of magic power.

‘It’s ending.’

She sensed it.

That she was coming to an end. As a soldier, as a mercenary, as a mage.

‘I missed the time to retire by a long shot.’

She struggled to work even a little more, ugly and messy. She took on all sorts of jobs to earn even a penny more.

She was dishonorably discharged from the military where she had served her whole life. She was kicked out of the mercenary group that scouted her.

She was repeatedly kicked out and always lived as a wanderer. There wasn’t a front line she stayed at for more than three months.

‘Looking back, there was no place I became attached to.’

The end was approaching for those days.

‘Now… can I rest?’

Jupiter clenched her fist again, which she couldn’t properly clench.

‘Do I… deserve it?’

The scene of a village engulfed in flames flashed through her mind.

Jupiter closed her eyes tightly, as if trying to erase that painful scene from her mind.

That’s when it happened.

Bang!

The door to the hospital room opened. Jupiter looked at it with a puzzled expression.

“What, who…”

“Grand~ma~!”

The one who entered the hospital room with a warm smile was none other than Jupiter Junior.

“So you were here? I’ve been looking for you!”

“…Junior?”

Jupiter’s face turned pale as she faced her granddaughter.

“You, how did you get here…”

“I couldn’t reach you, so I came to find you myself~ Geez, I didn’t know you’d be stuck in such a remote southern area?”

Junior sat down on Jupiter’s bed with a bounce and giggled.

“It’s been a while since you’ve seen your granddaughter, why do you look like that? Like you’ve seen a grim reaper.”

“…”

“Oh, come on, why are you so frozen? Do you think I’m going to eat you?”

Jupiter swallowed hard.

To be honest, she did.

Jupiter often felt a fear that she would be eaten by this young child who had the same name as her.

Tap.

Junior, who had extended one hand to Jupiter, flicked her fingers.

“Money.”

“H, huh?”

“Give me money. Grandma. Money.”

“…”

“Why else would I come all the way here? It’s because you didn’t contact me and didn’t send money.”

“…”

“Oh, come on, do you not have any money? If you don’t, you should say so.”

“No, no. Just a moment…”

Jupiter quickly rummaged through the pocket of her uniform hanging on the wall next to her.

Soon, a crumpled piece of paper came out. It was a gold certificate.

As Jupiter carefully handed it over, Junior snatched the paper with a thud.

“Huh?”

Disappointment flashed in Junior’s eyes as she checked the amount.

“Not this small change. Don’t you have anything bigger?”

“I, I’m sorry, dear. I haven’t been able to gather more money because I was injured and collapsed for the past few days…”

“Can’t you get a large sum at once like last time?”

“That was because the lord of this place gave me a year’s salary at once. For a while, there’s no way to earn money other than hunting monsters and sneaking out magic stones.”

After hesitating for a moment, Jupiter asked carefully.

“But Junior, the money I sent back then…”

“Oh, come on. I told you several times in my letters that we used it all to pay off our debts?”

“…”

“Thanks to that, we’ve finished paying off our debts. But is it over just by paying off the debts? No, it’s not. How many mouths do we have to feed? We need to earn more to make ends meet.”

Junior, who was rummaging through the items in the hospital room and muttering, ‘Is there anything to sneak out?’, blurted out.

“Is there anything to gain on this front line?”

“Huh? Gain?”

“Why, like when you were in the Imperial Army. Isn’t there anything to secretly embezzle?”

“…”

“You’re a master at finding those things, Grandma.”

Jupiter’s face turned pale.

Her granddaughter, who looked back at such a grandmother, smiled innocently.

“Huh? Isn’t there anything to secretly embezzle?”