Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 168
◈ 168. [Side Story] I will save you
Imperial palace. Ash's Villa.
In the middle of the night, dawn is approaching. A living room with no lights on properly.
“…….”
I sat on the sofa, slowly lifted the glass of alcohol in my hand to my mouth, and got lost in thought..
Second Prince Fernandez, who brought me to this villa a little while ago. And it was about the words he said..
The emperor is hibernating.
The four people, the emperor and the three princes, call themselves guardians..
They swore to protect the empire from its fate of destruction. Even if it means sacrificing everything else in the process..
…….
What are you talking about, you crazy empire fanatics?.
It smells bad. I feel something ominous.
While running through a dungeon, just before encountering the hidden boss, a chill runs down your spine. A similar feeling was tapping the back of my neck..
‘I feel dizzy…….’
I decided not to think about anything related to the imperial family any more for now..
Anyway, they say there will be a 'Guardian's meeting' or something soon, so if you attend there, the truth will be revealed..
As I pounded my aching forehead, I thought about other stories..
The imperial family tries to break off Serenade and Ash's engagement..
Serenade's family, Wintersilver, comes from low-income families..
Also, Ash's mother is from a low class family.…….
“…….”
It feels like puzzles of fragmented information are floating in the air. I looked at these puzzle pieces one by one.
I became frustrated once again.
I am not Ash. There is no way to know his past, his thoughts, his purpose..
If Ash was in front of me, I wanted to have a drink with him and ask him a question..
‘About your father, your brothers, your mother, and your fiancee..’
What do you think?
you… … What do you want to do in the future??
It was then.
“majesty?”
An old butler dressed neatly came into the living room. It was Alberto, the palace chamberlain..
“I was worried because you came back late, so I came here, but you said you were drinking at this hour..”
I thought he was going to nag me not to drink, but no..
“Just drinking alcohol makes you feel sick. Have some snacks together. I'll give it to you briefly..”
Alberto headed to the kitchen, and soon a small plate of cheese slices came out nicely..
“Would you like to have a drink with me, Alberto??”
When I asked Alberto who was pouring a new drink into my glass, the old butler smiled kindly and shook his head..
“It will be special to drink alcohol with Your Majesty, but the Chamberlain must always be awake and with a clear mind..”
“That's a shame.”
Sipping from my new glass, I glanced over to the couch next to me. Alberto, who is quick-witted as a chamberlain, quickly sat down on the sofa..
“Do you have any concerns, Your Majesty??”
“……Alberto.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“You said you've been managing the palace's affairs for a long time..”
“That's right. I have been working here since before your Majesty was born..”
The face of the old man who said that was filled with pride. Hmm, indeed.
“Then, I guess you know the secret history of the imperial palace..”
“There are things I can't help but see and hear..”
Alberto patted his chest lightly..
“But Alberto, the firebrand, buried it all in his heart and forgot about it. I have never once told anyone else what happened here in the imperial palace..”
“Very loyal, Alberto..”
I put down my drink and smiled..
“So, I apologize in advance..”
“yes?”
“The secret story you buried, now you have to tell me.”
The next moment, I activated [Mystical Eye of Command].
Looking into Alberto's eyes, I ordered:.
“Until the sun rises, answer every question I ask honestly..”
[Command Difficulty: Hard]
[Compares the user's intelligence stats with the target's magic stats.]
[Determine your success rate. The saving throw begins.…….]
Alberto is not a hero character, but an ordinary person..
It's almost like there's no magic stat. Therefore, even somewhat difficult commands worked without problems..
[Judgment complete!]
>Success: 1 body
[Executes mandatory orders.]
Alberto stiffened for a moment, then nodded with a stern face..
“Please ask me anything, Your Highness. If this Alberto can answer, I will tell you everything..”
***
I first asked Alberto about the emperor and princes, but Alberto knew nothing about the emperor's hibernation or the council of guardians..
It may be outside the realm of Alberto's management, but it also means that the emperor and princes kept the secret so thoroughly that the chamberlain had no idea..
Instead, Alberto knew the rest of the things I was curious about..
“Your mother, Second Empress Dustia, was originally a war slave..”
When I asked him about Ash's mother, Alberto started chatting..
“He said he was a descendant of the royal family of a small country that our empire destroyed. It is said that after the fall of the country, he was reduced to a slave and served as a collaborator on the northern front..”
“slave…….”
“Although he was a slave, he had an outstanding talent for magic, and was appointed as a magician after being noticed by His Majesty the Emperor, who was on a conquest on the Northern Front. Afterwards, he participated in many battles with His Majesty and was even awarded a title for his efforts..”
He was a wizard. Did Ash get his magical talents from his mother?.
“His Majesty was very fond of her and wanted to take her as his concubine, but there was a lot of opposition. Why are you trying to bring Cheonchul into the palace?…….”
“…….”
“As opposition continued, His Majesty became enraged and welcomed her not as a concubine, but as a second empress. At that time, the whole country wasn't really in an uproar..”
I broke into a cold sweat. The emperor is quite temperamental too. The empress is saying that she is against her concubine..
“After entering the palace, a year later, Her Majesty gave birth to a baby..”
Alberto's face, who had been smiling up to this point, darkened..
“However, he was ignored to a large extent by the First Empress and the other concubines. They are all of noble lineage..”
“…….”
“Whenever His Majesty was away from the palace on an expedition, he was openly harassed. Perhaps because of that, he became more and more tired and gaunt..”
It was painful to listen to, but I persevered and listened. This is what you need to know.
“It is said that she repeatedly asked His Majesty the Emperor to dethrone her as Second Empress and send her back to the North. But His Majesty did not allow it..”
“…….”
“And eight years ago, when His Majesty turned fifteen, he suffered from weakness and mental confusion... … He hung himself.”
“…….”
“The person who first discovered the body of the Second Empress, Mama, reported it right away..”
Alberto's voice became submerged..
“Although His Majesty was very playful and had no interest in studying, he had a good nature. But from that day on, you started to become crooked.…….”
“……That's right.”
Has Ash started to go astray due to his mother's death?.
“Sigh, Alberto, tears come to my eyes when I think of that day.…….”
I urgently asked the following question to Alberto, who was trying to take out his handkerchief..
“Next, can you tell us about the Wintersilver family??”
Then Alberto paused like a robot and immediately changed the story. [Mystic Eyes of Command] The effect is amazing..
“The Wintersilver family was originally a fallen baronial family on the frontier. He was struggling with debt, and one day a merchant came to him and asked him to sell his title in exchange for paying off his debt..”
“The merchant……?”
“yes. This is the invited top stock of Winter Silver. You are Serenade Girl’s grandfather. It is said that he was a slave from a foreign tribe, and it is said that he was resourceful and saved a lot of money..”
I was concerned about the fact that he was from a different race, but I continued to listen to the story..
“The merchant who was adopted into the Wintersilver family became Baron Wintersilver, and the merchant he founded continued to grow and grew in power. By the next generation, it had grown into the largest merchant in the empire..”
Huh! After catching his breath, Alberto continued..
“When His Majesty the Emperor welcomed the Second Empress Dustia, all his subjects were opposed to it, so the treasury could not be opened and there was no money to build a new palace. At this time, Baron Wintersilver came to Her Majesty and offered to bear all costs..”
You're in line. 2To the Empress.
“His Majesty was delighted and bestowed a new earldom on Baron Wintersilver. This is how he became the Earl of Wintersilver, and he is the second lord of the upper chamber, that is, the father of Lady Serenade..”
I tilted my head..
“Was title originally something that could be bought, sold, given, and received at will??”
It's not a game rank, it's something that goes up and down..
“It was something that rarely happened secretly. But since this matter is done so openly,…….”
“Other nobles must have hated it..”
“I hate it. He was criticized for being a wealthy merchant who bought his title with money. In particular, other earl families were anxious because they could not eat it..”
That's right. They are the values of tradition that they have maintained for a long time, but they have bought it with money..
“However, the Wintersilver family had enormous financial power. From then on, the Wintersilver family claimed to be the guardians of the Second Empress and visited the imperial palace carrying gold and silver treasures..”
Alberto's eyes became distant as he recalled those days..
“In particular, Countess Wintersilver was the only friend of the Second Empress, who was lonely in the palace. The Countess often came to visit with her young daughter, who quickly became acquainted with Her Majesty..”
Eh?
“Could it be that it was that young daughter??”
“yes. You are the Serenade girl..”
“omg.”
I opened my mouth slightly..
Oh my god, Ash and Serenade were childhood friends.?
“The Serenade lady was two years older than Your Majesty, so we got along like brother and sister. You both were really cute back then.…….”
“He was even older?!”
Well, Ash, this guy's age is a little younger than I thought. Anyway, I never thought Serenade would be older than me..
“However, it seems that the Earl of Wintersilver was not satisfied with the title of earl. He wanted to somehow build a deeper connection with the imperial family, and happened to have a close relationship with the second empress, Mama. Tried to take it to the next level.”
“next stage?”
no way…….
“to make a marriage contract?”
“yes. We promoted a marriage conversation between His Majesty and the Serenade Girl..”
Alberto lowered his wrinkled eyes..
“His Majesty the Emperor... … He seemed quite displeased. Even though the Second Empress's origins are low, Her Majesty is clearly a prince. It was off-topic for a merchant family who obtained a title with money to ask for marriage first..”
“…….”
“However, because the Second Empress desperately wanted to be her only friend and in-law, Her Majesty had no choice but to allow marriage talks. Instead, there was a condition..”
I recalled what I had heard from Fernandez..
“The national road project.?”
“yes. The road maintenance project had been promoted since the time of His Majesty the previous emperor, but was lagging due to the cost of too much money. You asked the Winter Silver Merchant Marine to cooperate in this matter..”
“…….”
“Winter Silver Merchants happily participated in the road maintenance project, and the engagement went off without a problem. however… … Another problem arose.”
“Your mother passed away..”
Alberto nodded heavily..
“That's right. The biggest reason His Majesty the Emperor allowed this engagement was because the Second Empress had passed away..”
“…….”
“His Majesty the Emperor decided to break off the engagement once the road maintenance project was completed. And he decided to deal with the Winter Silver family, which had climbed too far by trusting the Second Empress..”
That's how it happened.
“His Majesty the Emperor also entrusted his Majesty to you. From now on, keep your distance from Winter Silver..”
Is that why Ash started treating his fiancée, whom he had been close to since childhood, coldly?.
“Your Majesty began to become crooked when the Second Empress passed away, but it was from this time that you definitively became an asshole. Ever since the breakup of the engagement with the Serenade girl was confirmed.”
“huh?”
I asked cautiously.
“Ash... … No, I am. Didn’t you hate serenades??”
Then Alberto jumped up from his place..
“What are you talking about! The Serenade Girl was your first love! Even before marriage talks took place!”
“uh? Yeah, yeah?”
“How many times have you counseled me on how to write a love letter? He said he couldn't even tell Lucas about this.…….”
Alberto looked at me with a happy face, as if he were looking at his grandchild..
“Whenever a party was held at the palace, the two of you became partners and danced while holding each other's small hands. The two people whose faces turned red at that time were so cute and fresh.…….”
But soon his old face was filled with sadness..
“But this is what happened after the engagement... … The relationship between the two of you became increasingly misaligned... … I heard that you have completely cooled off now. Sigh!”
Alberto took out a handkerchief again and began wiping his eyes. This old man really cries a lot.
***
I cast the [Mystic Eye of Command] on Alberto again, told him to keep quiet about what happened tonight, and sent him away..
You probably noticed that I lost my memory through today's conversation, but due to the [Mystic Eyes of Command] effect, I won't be able to tell anyone for a while..
The morning dawned brightly. I returned to my room and quietly looked in the mirror..
“…….”
I still don't know.
Ash, what kind of person were you? How I wanted to live. What choice would you make in this situation?.
Even if I read the list of characters or listen to what people say, I can't really get a feel for it..
‘The time given to me is 3 years.’
3After 20 years of strategy is over and the ending is over, I don't know what will happen to this body afterwards..
Is the original Ash, who lent me his body, returning??
Otherwise, will I lose my soul and collapse and die??
“after.”
Either way, I decided to keep it simple..
Strengthening my resolve, I opened my eyes straight..
‘I do whatever I want..’
what i want to do.
It's about protecting people.
Saving someone within my reach.
So Ash.
‘i will save you.’
742You, whom I have never been able to save while playing this game. I will carry your life.
Both as the commander of the monster front and as the third prince of the empire..
I will do my best to live as you. I will struggle with all my might in my own way..
‘No matter what the result is, don't talk nonsense later..’
I smile bitterly and look at Ash in the mirror…….
No, he glared at me..
‘Because you are the one who lent me this body.’
***
that morning.
Ecliptic New Terra. inland sea coastal pier.
5th floor of the Winter Silver upper building. upper attention room.
“What's going on, my friend??”
Serenade remained unfazed by my unexpected visit..
He's busy working without even looking at me..
A quill tangled in long, thin fingers moves busily over documents..
“As for the work you mentioned yesterday, we are working on it. We are in the process of selecting the best architects, and we are also setting up our upper branch to send to Crossroads. You don't have to worry.”
Serenade's light blue hair, wrapped in sunlight, sparkled like the water at noon..
I stared at that figure quietly and then turned my gaze to the side. I saw Elysee sitting in the city behind the serenade..
“…….”
Elise, who has bandages wrapped all over her body, is examining me with her eyes narrowed..
It looks like they don't understand me. I smiled brightly at Elise..
Then Serenade finally raised her head and looked at me. She still had her glasses on and the quill in her hand..
“Husband? If you have anything else to do, please let me know.-”
“serenade.”
I spoke out the words I had prepared without hesitation..
“A week later, a victory party will be held at the imperial palace..”
“……?”
“You won't believe me when I tell you this, but I don't know how to dance..”
Serenade blinked her silver eyes curiously. I smiled..
“can you teach me?”
“ah……?”
Serenade, who froze for a moment, struggled and took out a new piece of paper..
“Oh, you mean to call a ballroom dance instructor? All right. We immediately searched for the most famous instructor in the capital.-”
“no. serenade.”
I quickly approached Serenade's desk and slammed my hand on the paper she was trying to write on! covered.
And then I looked into Serenade's surprised eyes and spoke straight..
“I wish you could teach me.”
“……yes?”
“I wish you could teach me how to dance yourself. I would be grateful if you could teach me things like party manners..”
I shrugged..
“Am I asking too much of a favor from the busy owner of Winter Silver??”
rattle!
Serenade stood up, pushing her chair back..
With a very flushed face and even a few tears in both eyes,
“no! Hey, hey! I was just pretending to be busy.!”
Turning to me with trembling gaze, the serenade shouted.
“hour! There are so many!”
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