I Became a Tyrant of the Defense Game - Episode 34
◈ 034. [Side Story] Don’t protect the world
“We're spreading the word across the continent. The new lord of the monster front is a member of the royal family, and they are freely spending money..”
Jupiter said with a grin..
“If the rumor spreads, mercenaries will flock in droves..”
“Hoo…….”
I didn't ask you to do it, so why did you do such an amazing thing?.
If word spreads that Crossroads is a good place to work with good wages, mercenaries from all over the continent will come..
In fact, paying attention to mercenary welfare in the game had the effect of speeding up recruitment..
‘Right now it's just the salary, but you'll have to pay attention to other aspects as well..’
I can't afford it right now, but maybe later..
Jupiter looked around the empty guild interior and shrugged his shoulders..
“However, if the rumor is to spread far away, another week will not be an option..”
It is difficult to see effects right away. There will probably be very few new mercenaries until the next stage..
Still, in the long run, rumors will have a positive effect. I nodded..
“I wish you all the best in the future, Jupiter. Work hard to spread the word and attract new recruits..”
“Please leave it to me.”
Jupiter went back into the guild, sat down at the bar, leaned back comfortably, and lit a cigarette..
“Well then, to spread the word again today, I'll just hang around here for a bit.~!”
“Do whatever you want…….”
Without saying anything more, I decided to leave Jupiter alone..
Anyway, isn't Jupiter paying attention too? Even though he is a mercenary who only has to work as much as he is paid,.
I decided to be grateful for that sentiment. I am dissatisfied with using the guild as if it were my own home.…….
***
Take a walk around the city like that.
After returning to the mansion, I gave Ader several instructions..
In particular, he ordered all possible manpower and resources to be used to repair the castle walls..
“I accept your orders.!”
Ader immediately ran to the market..
You have to sell new magic stones, buy manpower and materials, and you'll be busy for a while. You too have a hard time.
The city began to move noisily.
I felt a sense of vitality from the bustle of people coming and going, full of energy..
“…….”
But I wasn't in a good mood even as I saw the city shaking..
This is a fortress city.
A battle line erected to stop monsters.
The fact that this place is busy means that an attack by monsters is imminent..
The next stage was quickly approaching..
***
that afternoon.
Southeast from Crossroads.
The villa and residence of the Margrave of Cross.
“margrave!”
Even though it is still early spring, it is quite hot. Is it because it’s the southern region?.
I was sweating profusely as I brought the new cart filled with alcohol all the way here. I shouted again, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand..
“Margrave! It's inside?”
Squeak-
The door to the old mansion opened slowly. Eventually, the old man's blunt eyes peeked out through the crack in the door..
“I'm here again. This time I brought snacks too..”
I showed them what I had brought in the cart..
It was ham, cheese, and alcohol made from pig hind legs..
I grinned at Margrave Cross, who was swallowing his saliva..
“Let's have a drink.”
We have to somehow roast this old man and bring the Cross family's private soldiers under his command..
This is drinking on the job! I'm not playing!
***
A few days passed like that.
I supervised the repairs of the defense lines during the day, and at night I went to Margrave Cross's house and had a drink with him..
There was no conversation between me and Margrave Cross. Just exchanging drinks.
The defense line was steadily repaired, and my liver was also steadily abused..
How much time did you spend pouring strong alcohol inside yourself?.
When Margrave Cross finally opened his mouth, it was after three days of drinking without saying a word..
“Do you have someone you love??”
What a terrible old man, how can you not say a word? I mumbled to myself as I lifted the glass to my lips, not even knowing how old it was..
Margrave Cross blurted out. I was startled and opened my eyes like a carp..
I was surprised that this old man spoke so suddenly, but the question was so unexpected that I was stunned for a moment..
“yes?”
“I asked if you have someone you love.”
“…….”
As I froze without answering, Margrave Cross chuckled..
“Looks like it doesn't exist.”
“Yes, that's right.”
No, even if it exists, it is privacy. I won't tell you.
“Think carefully. Is there really no one??”
“Mmm…….”
The Margrave's persistent questions made me think for a moment. lover?
On Earth, before I started broadcasting games... … was alone.
I'm not loved by anyone in particular, and I've never loved anyone. She survived alone and alone.
Then it started broadcasting, and the broadcast grew bigger and loved by many viewers.…….
- I love you Godeok oppa! (Rabbly)
- How much do you pay to do twerking? First, I put in 100,000 won. ^^7
- Since the mission failed, I’ll take off my clothes and apologize haha, please hurry up.
“…….”
My complexion turned pale as I remembered the chatter of vicious perverts disguised as viewers..
No, no, that was a one-sided love(?) on his part. You weren't the person I loved.
Anyway, if you think about it carefully, there really isn't anything. I shook my head..
“There is nothing.”
“I lived a bleak life. young people.”
No, I don't think this is something you should hear from someone who lives like this.!
“That's what the person who stays alone in a corner of the house and drinks only has to say.?”
“ha ha ha…….”
Margrave Cross laughed bitterly. I made a chin gesture.
“So, Margrave, you have someone you love.?”
“There was.”
Margrave Cross responded immediately..
“my wife I've loved you all my life... … only one person.”
Looks like this old man was more of a romantic than he seemed..
But I had to keep my mouth shut when the Margrave said something right after..
“Dead. 3 years ago.”
“…….”
“Here in the orchard, I was torn apart by monsters. The funeral had to be held with an empty coffin..”
There was silence.
I was speechless while Margrave Cross emptied his glass and refilled it again..
The Margrave, who had just filled his glass, slowly opened his mouth..
“The lords of this land have a jinx that has been passed down from generation to generation. You could say it's a curse.”
“curse?”
“This city and my precious people. There comes a moment when you have to choose one of the two..”
The old man's voice was extremely calm. It's not a cruel curse, it's like reciting an ordinary old fairy tale..
“There were no exceptions. From the distant ancestral lords, to my grandfather and father. No one escaped this curse.”
“…….”
“And that moment came for me too.”
Margrave Cross raised his glass to his mouth with trembling hands..
“The monsters have barely stirred in the past dozen years. The city was peaceful, but on the contrary, profits decreased. The city's finances were so bad that they had to start a new business somehow..”
And he slowly talked about his ‘that moment’..
“Then my wife said She suggested farming on the land south of the front lines..”
“Outside the fortress.?”
“The land north of the front line was already saturated. The empty southern lands were certainly attractive. The frequency of monster appearances has decreased, and there has been almost no magical contamination of the land. I thought farming was worth a try..”
“…….”
“So I expanded my farmland to the south. Refugees from other lands flocked to the area after hearing rumors that the land was fertile, and because the monsters were small in number, they were able to repel them without any problems. Things were going well for a while..”
Margrave Cross swallowed his drink with difficulty..
“This orchard was located in the southernmost part of the pioneer farmland. Her wife was a lord's wife, and she took the lead in the most dangerous places, planting trees and cultivating the land..”
Margrave Cross gazed dimly at the orchard beyond the window..
“I remember the grapes my wife would put into my mouth with her dirt-covered hands. The fruits grown here in the first year of pioneering were ugly, but they were sweeter than anything in the world..”
“…….”
“I had that hope for a moment. Maybe we can no longer live by killing monsters, but by cultivating the land and harvesting fruit. Will days like this continue in the future?.”
A sneer appeared on the Margrave's lips..
“It couldn't have happened that way.”
Suddenly. Suddenly.
The Margrave emptied his glass in one go and continued speaking in a subdued voice..
“It was the second year of pioneering. An alert came that about a hundred large monsters had broken through the forward base and were approaching the city. I quickly returned to the city. Her wife, who was tending the orchard, told me to be careful and waved her hand..”
The Margrave quietly looked down at his empty glass..
“It wasn't until we arrived in the city that we learned that they had split into two groups. About a dozen monsters broke away from the main unit and invaded the frontier..”
“…….”
“The main force of monsters was already attacking the city, and I had a choice to make. Will you save your wife on the frontier, or will you protect the tens of thousands of citizens inside the city?.”
The Margrave's aged eyes stared at me..
“What do you think I chose??”
“You chose the city.”
“okay. Just like our family has done for generations. Following principles and principles, I chose the city..”
“…….”
“We locked the gate and blocked out the monsters. After several hours of fighting, we were able to defeat them all. And when I hurriedly rode back to the frontier,.”
Margrave Cross was faithful to his duty.
“The fields were destroyed, and all the settlers were dead. Hundreds of people were torn apart by just a dozen monsters. This orchard and my wife. same here.”
Instead, I lost the most precious thing.
“What was the problem? A frontier defense line that was too weak to stop a giant monster? Unreasonable expansion south of the front line? Yes, it's all my fault. But what bothers me more than anything is... … At that moment of choice, it was I who left her wife and chose the city..”
gulp. gulp.
Margrave Cross slowly filled his glass and drank it. It was a mechanical repetitive movement..
“My daughter told me I was crazy. He never understood me for choosing the city over my mother. A few days later her daughter left this place.”
“…….”
“In the end, this is the result of protecting this place all my life. My wife is dead, my daughter is gone, and I'm left here rotting alone..”
I just looked at the trembling old man's bony wrist with complicated eyes..
“……This is just an example, new lord..”
widely.
Margrave Cross put down his clean glass on the table and let out a long sigh..
“You know what this front line is called..”
“A city on graves?”
“okay. This cursed city built by death will require you to make a choice..”
The Margrave Cross raised his wrinkled finger and pointed straight at me..
“There will come a time when you have to sacrifice what is most precious to you to protect this city..”
“…….”
It wasn't a curse, it was like a prophecy.
As if it were merely foreshadowing the inevitable result of cause and effect..
“Our family has lived through that sacrifice. My grandfather, my father, and me too. but… … It doesn't work anymore.”
Margrave Cross closed his eyes tightly..
“I will not pass on this cursed task to my daughter..”
“……indeed.”
I felt like I knew then.
I nodded slowly..
“Margrave. You gave up her title so as not to pass it on to her daughter..”
“That's right.”
Margrave Cross readily acknowledged.
“I want my daughter to escape this cursed land, escape this cursed task, and live in peace and happiness..”
SSR grade tank, Evangeline Cross.
The character I was trying to recruit somehow, Margrave Cross was trying to keep him away from the front line here..
“Look, prince. He asked me to help him protect the city.?”
Margrave Cross muttered in a feeble voice..
“I have already protected the city enough. Until I lost my most precious thing.”
“…….”
“I want to quit now.”
In the eyes of the Margrave reflected in the glass of wine, there was no trace of the pride of a man who had guarded the front lines all his life..
“I want to die here in the orchard, not on the castle walls..”
There, only the regret of a man who could not protect his wife at the last moment was overflowing..
“This should be the answer to why I don't try to help. I'm grateful that you've been hanging out with me all this time, so I'm being honest with you..”
“…….”
“Let’s go. And I advise you, because that moment will come for you too… … Make good decisions.”
Margrave Cross, who gave the order to celebrate the guests, laughed bitterly as he shook the empty liquor bottle into his empty glass..
“Don't regret like me.”
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