Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 493
◈ 493. [STAGE 23] Rock (3)
The fallen Medusa lay face down on the southern plains..
I slowly approached him.
Then Medusa, who was coughing up blood, raised her head..
《this… … human…….》
Kiiiiing-
The sound of the magic eye operating sounded..
But I snorted..
“What are you talking about? Lay down your eyes.”
Kwasik!
I raised my foot and trampled on the monster’s head..
Medusa's eyes fell to the floor as she tried to use her magic eyes somehow..
“You did a good job causing trouble in my city..”
《Pfft…….》
“Your spirit core has already entered the extinction stage. In just a few minutes, your life will be over..”
I chuckled..
“Do you have any last words? If you apologize now, I can easily kill you..”
《……I hate you humans.》
Chewing the dirt, Medusa let out a voice full of resentment..
《I just wanted to live quietly with my two older sisters... … You always come into our hiding place…….》
“Don't talk bullshit.”
Knowing all about Medusa's past, I scolded her fiercely..
“Turning your sisters into monsters and attacking humans were all actions of your own will..”
《……!》
the distant past.
Medusa made a wish to the devil and transformed her two older sisters into her likeness..
Also, for the reason of protecting the sisters, and to find a way to lift the sisters' curse..
Medusa massacred all the humans in the area, citing various reasons..
They then occupied the island area where ships frequently sailed and indiscriminately killed all humans who came near..
That is why it became a legendary monster and was eventually subdued..
“Don't make excuses. Don't make excuses. Don't play the victim. In the end, you are definitely a monster who brought misfortune to others with your own will..”
《To me, there was a reason why it had to be like this.……!》
“Everyone has a reason.”
Medusa inherited a curse due to her parents' mistakes..
She was obviously born with a strange and sad fate..
However, that is no reason to forgive the monster..
“Everyone has a reason to give up on someone. But not everyone becomes a monster.”
Where is there a being without defects?.
What is life without misfortune? But despite all the adversity... … There are people who struggle to live as humans..
That ordinary day is truly great.
“You tried to trample on the great ordinariness of others for your own misfortune..”
《……!》
“That's why you die here, monster.”
《Are you talking like you know everything?!》
Medusa did evil.
《You don’t know my heart that had no choice but to hate the world! If you were born like me……!》
Instead of speaking, Medusa kept her mouth shut..
The monster's trembling gaze turned to the north of the city..
《……Ha, did you say Thorkell?.》
A hollow smile appeared on the monster's lips..
《There was a counterexample that seemed like a painting, right here on earth..》
“…….”
《As you said, not only my body but also my mind… … He had become a complete monster..》
In front of me who was silent, Medusa lowered her head helplessly and slowly died..
《Ah, Stheno and Euryale, I'm sorry..》
The light gradually faded from the two poisonous eyes..
《Neither in my previous life nor in this life, I was ultimately unable to lift the curse I passed on to my sisters.…….》
“…….”
《White night, to that damn thing… … I was deceived... … . Made his sisters die again…….》
Damn. Damn it.
The monster's entire body turned into stone..
《I want to go back…….》
Medusa spat out her last words in a trembling voice..
《To the night of the Milky Way…….》
Even the bulging eyes and flowing snake hair all turned to stone. next moment.
Whoosh…….
It shattered and collapsed..
The petrified monster that wreaked havoc on the Crossroads has returned to dirt and sand..
“……It's as you say, monster..”
I silently looked down at the remains left behind by the monster..
“I cannot know or cure the unhappiness that everyone is born with..”
I put my feet away and declared with determination..
“However, if there is someone who wants to live despite that misfortune... … Just helping. within my reach.”
That's what I try to do as a leader..
***
When Medusa, the subject of the curse, was defeated, those who had been petrified were also released from the curse..
“lord!”
“Seniors!”
Across the city, Lucas and Evangeline came running this way..
The two knights who were freed from petrification stopped in front of me with bright faces.-
“Wow!”
“Kuek!”
I fell asleep and made a strange noise..
The two knights who fell down in an awkward manner hurriedly saluted me..
“Sorry, my lord, I'm still having trouble moving around.…….”
“Is it because I was just released from petrification? My body can't move as I want it to..”
“Ugh, you idiots. I understand everything, so take a break.”
It should have been cute to see them jumping up and down like puppies waiting for their owners..
All of the people who were petrified this time will have to suffer from 'petrification aftereffects' for a while..
Of course it's difficult to move around.
The aftereffect of petrification is a debuff that makes one's movements less free in proportion to the period of petrification and causes pain whenever one moves..
It can be said that combat activities are impossible while this is in place..
If you are petrified for a day, you will need to recuperate for a month..
Fortunately, Lucas and Evangeline were petrified for less than an hour, so the aftereffects will be short, but they still need to get some rest..
Rescued people from petrified states all over the city..
In severe cases, some people were petrified for nearly three days..
These guys are out of season for three months..
I nodded as I looked around the city, which was starting to bustle..
“There must be a shortage of hospital rooms. The temple also needs to be expanded.…….”
Afterwards, I corrected myself while looking at the messed up interior of the city..
“……No, it's not just the temple that's the problem..”
The interior of Crossroads suffered terrible damage..
Buildings collapsed in sections, and roads that had been petrified had to be completely rebuilt..
The places that suffered the most damage were the two places where the monsters had built their nests, literally returning to the primitive era..
All traces of civilization disappeared and only piles of stones remained..
As I suppressed a groan while looking inside the miserable city, Lucas lowered his head in embarrassment..
“I have nothing to say, my lord. I'm not progressing…….”
“No, man. The fact that the Gorgon sisters attacked in the first place was an abnormal situation. Besides, I gave the order for street fighting..”
The name of Operation Tag was something I had left behind..
A strategy to waste time with street fighting and send a request for support to me..
Of course, I had left it behind just in case, and I never expected that the Gorgon sisters would really attack and cause such a mess.…….
“Where has this level of human casualty been prevented?.”
As I comforted Lucas, Evangeline nodded vigorously beside me..
“that's right! Uncle Lucas has done enough! Above all, the most important wall was preserved.!”
“Mmmmm. That's right... … But what's going on? You put up Lucas' shield.”
Evangeline is the heir to the Marginal Countess of Crossroads..
So, strictly speaking, this guy is in a position where city management of this territory must be considered as important as monster defense..
The inside of the city has become like this, so if it were normal, I would have blamed Lucas and poked him lightly. Why are you putting up a shield??
Then Evangeline smiled and put her arm around Lucas' shoulder..
“We've been through so much hardship together! Because we know we both did our best.”
Lucas was still much taller than Evangeline, so Evangeline had to bend her waist awkwardly because of Evangeline's shoulders..
I thought they were just frustrated because they were bickering all the time, but now I was staring at the two knights, who were becoming like real colleagues, and I laughed..
And then he tapped the two knights on the shoulders..
“Well done. I'll make you a late night snack later..”
The two knights had childlike smiles on their faces... … No, they are still children. really.
I straightened my back and looked around..
“The others?”
“The wounded were first sent to the temple. I need treatment urgently..”
“okay. I guess I'll come by later and say hello..”
There hasn't been a detailed report yet, but everyone must have suffered to death..
I was planning on praising him directly..
Afterwards, Lucas reported to me with a slightly stiff face..
“yes. And the dead... … We are recovering from the western grave site..”
“……okay.”
The bodies of those who died after being petrified are much more gruesome than ordinary corpses..
Their funeral cannot be delayed for long..
I saw the sunset in the west.
“Let’s hold a simple funeral today..”
***
The bodies of the dead were gathered together..
Death is always gruesome, but these deaths were worse than usual..
Properly recovered bodies were rare..
Those who were physically torn apart by the Three Gorgon Sisters were able to survive at least in their original form, but for those who were petrified and then shattered, even that was impossible..
Lucas recorded the names of all those who went to battle, and the names of the heroes and soldiers whose deaths were confirmed through cross-verification were engraved on a simple stone monument and placed in front of me..
widely.
I planted my flag next to the monument..
Whioooooo-
The wind blew. It was a wind mixed with dry winter air and sand..
The patternless black flag fluttered quietly in the wind..
“…….”
I looked down at the stone monument in silence for a long time..
There were plans to hold another proper funeral later, but the condolences were still sincere..
chuck. chuck. chuck.
The surviving heroes and ordinary soldiers lined up behind me..
What are the feelings of those who have lost a comrade with whom they shared life and death and ups and downs?.
and… … And next to it. Before we knew it, citizens returning from evacuation from the north began to stand one by one..
What are the feelings of those who have to abandon their homes every time?.
And yet, what are the feelings of those who return here again?.
‘It's difficult..’
And since it's difficult, I'll have to try harder to figure it out..
Even though no one asked them to, heroes, soldiers, and citizens bowed their heads in front of the stone monument and silently meditated..
After meditating silently, I suddenly blurted out:.
Not affected by pity at all
Unmoved by joy and sorrow
As it gets cut down by the rain and wind
The recitation of the verse has ended..
The area was still shrouded in silence..
I turned around from the stone monument and faced the heroes and soldiers lined up behind me..
“……As time passes, rocks are eroded into dirt and sand..”
The fate of rocks is to weather, erode, and break into pieces..
“However, when the dirt and sand pile up again, the accumulated weight presses on each other... … It hardens for a long time and becomes a rock again..”
The broken pieces are put back together, and the dirt and sand become rocks again..
That's how the world circulates.
“Although they fell into pieces today. Their sacrifice and dedication gathered together and became the cornerstone of the reconstruction of Crossroads... … It will become a pillar supporting the future of the entire world..”
I took a moment to catch my breath..
I used to tremble with sadness every time my subordinates’ funerals were held..
I'm still sad now. My heart hurts so bad.
but.
When I grabbed this flag again, I realized: swore.
As a leader, my job is not just to grieve... … We must continue the legacy of those who died for this flag and elevate their sacrifices into the cornerstone of the future..
I will. certainly.
“I'm back.”
I looked around at the people in the city and said.
“And now, until the moment when the monsters are annihilated... … I won't leave this front.”
Suddenly, I remembered my first funeral..
After suffering near annihilation from black spiders at the forward base. A funeral was held here.
It was a large and grand funeral rarely seen here at Crossroads..
Nevertheless, the eyes of those who looked at me at that time were full of doubt..
but now.
At this simple funeral that cannot be compared to that time,.
I felt strong trust in the eyes of everyone who looked at me..
okay.
Our past time, all the pain and sacrifice... … He brought us together, even though we were like sand, and bound us together so strongly..
At the forefront of the citizens was Lily in a wheelchair..
In her arms was a newborn baby whom she had never seen before..
I smiled brightly as I faced the child..
“Raise a flag over the city! start rebuilding!”
This is a city on graves.
It is a derogatory term for the number of deaths, but it also means that people live on even in the grave..
“my people!”
As the number of graves increased today, as the sadness grew bigger.…….
May I give them joy and faith.
Praying, I shouted.
“Let's live together again!”
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