Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 332
◈ 332. [Side Story] Defense
A few days passed by in a flash..
One day, Stage 14 is quickly approaching..
“Wow…….”
Snowflakes began to fall from the sky..
“It's completely winter now.”
I closed the window while watching the snow pile up in the yard of the mansion. Ugh it's cold.
Although Crossroads here is located at the southern end of the continent, it is relatively warm. After all, direction is a relative concept..
Compared to other countries above, it is 'relatively' warm in the south, but the climate is not tropical or anything like that..
In terms of experience, it's similar to Korea... … The four seasons are quite distinct..
‘If this is the southernmost point, what kind of winter are the countries in the northern part of the continent experiencing??’
I remembered the story of the Northern Kingdom where it snowed even in summer. So do avalanches fall from the sky in the winter in that neighborhood??
‘Even if I die, I won’t go to the North to play..’
Wrapped in a blanket and shivering, I sat down on a chair in front of the fireplace..
There is no way that a hot ondol system can be installed in this fantasy world, so the only way to protect yourself from the cold is to squat in front of the fireplace and drink the hot cocoa that Ader made for you..
“Are you okay, senior??”
At that time, Evangeline, who was sitting on the chair next to me and squirming while reading a book, cast a worried look..
“It seems like you get cold a little too much.……?”
“Ugh, I’m usually a bit weak in winter… … . It's okay, you'll get used to it soon..”
Still, I feel better as I sip my cocoa, snuggle up close to the stove, and roll up my blanket..
Let’s stay like this all day today and look at some paperwork.…….
“I'm Yeongju.!”
At that time, the office door burst open and Ader rushed in..
Ah, this is a premonition of work. Something must have happened to force me to leave this comfortable nest..
I asked, pulling the blanket down to my neck with a sad face..
“Yes, my lord, you are here. What's going on? It snowed and the roof collapsed? Are you lacking tools for snow removal? If possible, I would like to process documents through non-face-to-face document approval.…….”
But it wasn't that kind of thing..
“A guest has arrived from the imperial capital.!”
At the next word, I jumped out of my seat and stood up..
“Queen Mother, wife of His Highness First Prince Lark, and their three sons.!”
“You're finally here!”
Brother Larque's wife and three sons.
In the past, I had ordered an operation to sneak it out of the imperial capital..
At that time, I heard a report that they had escaped from the Imperial Capital and headed south towards this place, and they had finally arrived at the Crossroads..
***
Wintersilver upper branch established in the center of Crossroads.
The guests were first brought here. I, dressed in a thick coat and scarf, quickly entered this place..
“majesty.”
At that time, a maid with navy blue hair who was standing at the entrance of the building greeted me. A large sword is strapped to her back..
An SSR-level swordsman who is Serenade's exclusive escort and is in charge of executing the L'Arc family escape operation. It was Elise.
I smiled and patted Elise on the shoulder..
“Elise! You had a hard time. There were no difficulties during the escape process.?”
“The escape itself went without much difficulty. However, since the road was quite long, the VIPs had a bit of a hard time. Everyone is safe though..”
“There was no chase party?”
“There was, but I removed it..”
It was Elise who was calmly saying something strangely scary..
Anyway, as one of the strongest characters among the swordsman class characters, it seems that Elise has been well protected..
As I repeatedly praised Elise and smiled at her, I suddenly tilted my head..
“Oh, come to think of it, what about Alberto? I thought you would come to say hello first when I came.?”
“He came to the halfway point, but returned to the imperial capital again. Anyway, shouldn't there be a contact person in the imperial capital?…….”
“That grandfather too…….”
I clicked my tongue briefly..
Now, even the ecliptic will be covered in the flames of war, so it will never be safe. Alberto Lee seems to have gone back there on his own initiative..
Of course, it would be good if there were cards left in the ecliptic that we could use. Still, that old man dares to take risks..
‘You'll do well. How much time have you accumulated as the palace chamberlain?.’
Still, I'm just a little worried.…….
“By the way, come on in..”
Elise gestured inside the building..
“My master is serving distinguished guests..”
Upon entering the building, a stylishly decorated and comfortable reception room was revealed. It seems to be better decorated than the manor house.……?
Lark's wife and three sons were sitting huddled together on the wide sofa in this living room, drinking hot tea..
Serenade is smiling softly, pouring tea for them and talking about something..
I shouted as I walked inside..
“Sister-in-law!”
…… I don't know if this title is okay, but hey, it's Ash. I called out for convenience. I'm quite ignorant of things like imperial etiquette..
“Oh my, His Royal Highness Prince Ash!!”
Fortunately, Lark's wife didn't seem to have any suspicions..
Larque's three sons recognized me and jumped up from their seats, shouting at me, 'Uncle! He stopped by saying ‘Uncle!’.
Haha, even if you're that cute, I won't give you New Year's money..
After a brief reunion, Serenade brought me a warm teacup as I sat on the sofa next to her..
Expressing my gratitude with my eyes, I opened my mouth to Lark's wife..
“There is no chaos up there.?”
Currently, the 1st Corps led by Lark and the Ecliptic Defense Army led by Fernandez have formed a front line around the Ecliptic and are repeatedly making advances and retreats..
Surprisingly, the 1st Corps is having a hard time breaking through, and the Ecliptic Defense Army is continuing its heavy rain..
The war situation has solidified, and news of the civil war between the two Everblack princes is already spreading rapidly around the world..
‘What on earth is a man called the emperor doing in this situation?…….’
As has been the case for the past few years, the emperor is not leaving the house..
It seems that the battle against the gods who are invading from the spirit world continues..
Anyway, how can you be so uninterested when your own country is in such shambles?.
“yes. I almost ran into trouble several times on the way here... … The whole country is in great confusion..”
Lark's wife smiled boldly..
“But I believe it will be sorted out soon. The person who becomes my husband has the ability to do that..”
It was a voice that conveyed absolute trust in her husband. I also smiled at him.
“yes. I also believe in you, brother. It will all be over soon.”
Later, when Larc becomes emperor, this person will become empress, and one of these little kids may become the next emperor..
I should show it well. After all, I have to give New Year’s money.…….
“……His Royal Highness Prince Fernandez.”
At that time, Lark's wife lowered her head and muttered softly..
“Why did you plan this??”
“…….”
“also… … Is it because of the imperial throne??”
i didn't answer.
as I said last time. I don't know why Fernandez is doing this. he doesn't care.
I just know the situation in advance, so I just use what I can..
After that, after talking about various things, I stood up and told him to rest, as he must have been tired from the long journey..
“I hope you can stay comfortably here until the whole situation stabilizes. When the situation gets better, I will contact you right away so I can take you there..”
“Thank you for your consideration, His Royal Highness Prince Ash..”
And Lark's wife looked at me. I smiled awkwardly.
“Um, why do you look at it that way?……?”
“……No, I thought you had really grown up a lot. You used to be so small and cute, but now you're a full-fledged adult..”
Come to think of it, Lark said he played with Ash often when he was young. She is Larque's wife, so she must have hung out with this person a few times..
I grinned and pointed to my nephews..
“These little guys will grow up in no time, just like me. No, like Brother Larc..”
“Hehehe. My husband is a very nice knight, but he doesn't have cute taste..”
Lark's wife made a joke and hugged her sons in her arms..
“I hope my kids stay cute like this forever..”
That's too bad. Children will grow up quickly. And like Lark, I will become a man with lots of muscles..
This cuteness will disappear in an instant, right? Enjoy it to the fullest now.
After pinching each of my nephews' cheeks and exchanging one last glance with Madame Lark, I left the parlor..
Serenade also followed me at full speed..
“Thank you, Serenade. For allowing us to welcome guests here.”
“It's an honor for me. And when you can form such a valuable relationship, there is no reason for you as a merchant to refuse..”
Serenade smiled while covering her mouth and tilted her head slightly..
“However, there was no need to enshrine him here instead of at the manor house... … After all, there is a reason.?”
“……huh. I'm worried about something.”
Currently, five Aegis Special Forces members are imprisoned in Crossroads Central Prison..
All 5 people dispatched with Mason. All those whose identities were identified were rounded up and placed in the central prison..
They said their purpose was simply to strengthen reconnaissance of Crossroads, but…….
‘I'm not a fool, so do you really believe that?.’
In this situation where the civil war is intensifying, the first team, the most elite, has flocked to this corner of the countryside, which is not the Lark side camp but has declared its own path..
There is no doubt that they are trying to do something. Then what are you aiming for??
‘The biggest possibility is Lark's wife and three sons..’
I smuggled the people that Fernandez was trying to take hostage out of the imperial capital..
What if Fernandez sent the first special task force to kidnap them again? Then it seems to fit the bill..
So, in order to protect them, we decided to have them stay here at the Winter Silver upper branch..
This building is located in the center of Crossroads. In other words, all major military facilities, including barracks, are located right next to it..
It is more advantageous in defense than the manor house located slightly on the outskirts..
‘Now that we don't know exactly what Fernandez is planning, all we can do is play defense..’
I have been instructed to strengthen security around the buildings on top of Wintersilver, increase the number of scouts inside the city, and check the identity of refugees coming from outside more strictly than before..
The most troublesome guys are in prison, and additional spies who will come in are guarded as much as possible..
I can't be completely reassured, but I think I've done everything I can..
When I explained the situation briefly and concisely, Serenade nodded, saying, “I see.”.
“We will also keep security as strict as possible. For the time being, we plan to use Elise as their exclusive escort..”
“Thank you, Serenade. Please take care of me.”
I exhaled after.
In the future, many distinguished guests will visit Crossroads, and as there are many people who are politically sensitive, these behind-the-scenes conflicts will become more frequent..
‘We need to establish a solid counterintelligence system.…….’
And build a hotel quickly..
Whenever VIPs come, it is not normal to spread them out and let them sleep here and there. All you need is a hotel.!
While I was thinking about something like that, Serenade looked towards the living room and muttered quietly..
“By the way, it's nice to see them as a couple..”
“huh? Uh, yeah……?”
“Even if we are apart, we can firmly trust each other, believe in each other's path, and be strong in our hearts even in the midst of danger... … That kind of relationship. it's awesome.”
“Yeah, that's right.”
“Above all, the kids are cute too.…….”
Serenade, who had spoken up to that point, turned her silver eyes sweetly in my direction..
My heart sank. what! What does that mean?!
“majesty.”
Serenade stretched out her hand towards me..
Her long fingers touched my cheek, which was stiff and unable to move.-
“You have a fever again..”
He swept up and placed his hand on my forehead..
I was dazed, but a beat late, I jumped up and asked again..
“uh?! heat?! okay?! I have a fever?!”
“yes. The last time you were sick, you got better and it hasn't been that long, so aren't you overdoing it again? I heard that you fell once during this expedition.…….”
“What, who did you hear that from? I was keeping it a secret…….”
“Dear Evangeline. I brought you some snacks and you told me right away..”
Evangeline! Did you sell the solid trust between you and me for just a few cookies?!
“Hehe, don't blame Miss Evangeline too much. Am I a merchant? It is also an information dealer that focuses on handling information, as His Majesty has emphasized in the past. If cookies weren't enough, I would have had to use something else to figure this out..”
The serenade was calmly uttered with a grin..
“Please don’t overdo it, Your Majesty. Winter has just begun, and there are still battles to overcome.?”
“…….”
“The girl seems to be in trouble a lot these days, so I'm worried..”
Actually, after experiencing magical power depletion in the dungeon, my condition continues to be poor..
But I also ate the dragon heart! There is still a mountain of work to do. It's a situation where I can't stretch out even if my condition is a bit bad..
Still, I couldn't say that in front of Serenade's worried gaze looking up at me. I smiled bitterly and waved both hands..
“Okay, after this defense battle, you can catch me and get some rest. don't worry too much.”
***
And two days later, on the morning of the day when monsters flock to the forward base.
I woke up early in the morning, touched my forehead like a ball of fire, checked the snot dripping from my nose, and muttered softly..
“……Oh, fuck.”
No, stop hurting! This is why I look more like a sunfish than Kuilan.!
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