Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 551
◈ 551. [STAGE 31] Two deaths (2)
And then a few days pass by.
A funeral was held at a grave site west of the city..
The choir sings, citizens cry, and cannons are fired into the air.…….
Empty coffins placed in two newly created graves.
Two deaths announced.
Zenith.
And it was Mikhail.
Mikhail was killed in action at his own request. He was going to die if he returned to his hometown anyway, so he intended to avoid the eyes of his homeland by faking his death..
“…….”
Standing on a distant hill, Mikhail stared at the grave with his name written on it. In front of the boy knight's grave, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Vermilion who came with him were crying..
“What should I do now, Mikhail??”
As I stood next to Mikhail and watched this scene together, I asked vaguely. Mikhail smiled bitterly and lowered his head..
“……I'll do as you said then.”
“huh?”
what i said then?
“anger.”
Mikhail quietly looked at his grave with eyes that were no longer shaken..
“Meanwhile, I was angry with myself. To myself who made a mistake, to myself who let my subordinates die, to myself who missed my one and only opportunity as crown prince..”
“…….”
“Even now, I still hate myself for failing and feel pathetic. But now I realize.”
Mikhail raised his clenched fist in front of his chest..
“Mistakes are not objects of anger. It's an object of learning... … . And the direction of my anger shouldn't be myself. Because that kind of thing just eats away at me..”
“So what are you going to be angry about??”
“monster.”
Mikhail answered immediately, his scarlet eyes looking north..
“and… … The system in my hometown that forced me to move so urgently..”
“…….”
“Prince Ash, I'm going back to my hometown..”
I opened my eyes in surprise. Mikhail nodded his head..
“With this funeral, my hometown will think I'm dead. So, you can sneak in.”
“It won't be dangerous?”
The Kingdom of Vermilion does not forgive failed royals..
If Mikhail's survival is confirmed, all of the Griffin's blood flowing in his body will be taken away and he will die. Isn’t that why they held a fake funeral like this?.
But Mikhail's intentions were firm..
“Now is the only chance to change my country.”
“…….”
“No more experimenting on humans, no more administering magic, no more forced breeding... … To a country where artificially enhanced humans like me can be treated like human beings..”
Mikhail was still haggard, but he smiled with a hint of strong will..
“A country that gives even those who have failed a chance to stand up again. The only chance to change is now.”
“……okay.”
In the end, I quietly nodded in front of his strong will..
It would be nice to fight together on the monster front like this. That's not something I can force..
The boy in front of me is also a prince).
I am the master of my destiny and the captain of my soul. He has the right to live as he wishes..
No matter what awaits at the end.
“and… … My five-year-old fiancee is waiting for me..”
“what?”
“We haven't even had a ceremony yet, so I can't give her the experience of being a widow already.?”
Mikhail, who was joking for some reason, grinned. I opened my eyes round and then she smiled hahaha.
Mikhail continued to sweep under his nose with his finger, embarrassed that he had thrown away the joke..
“……I realized this here. That I don't have my own life on my back.”
Mikhail took his eyes off the funeral home and looked around at the entire view of Crossroads..
“The lives of my men who died. The lives of all my brothers who had to die before me because they were failures. and…….”
The smile on Mikhail's lips was mixed with a hint of shyness..
“I owe it to the lives of all the good people here at Crossroads who tried to save me even though they had nothing to do with it..”
“…….”
“So, don't worry. Because I won't die.”
Mikhail carried a backpack on his shoulder that seemed to have been prepared in advance and held out his hand to me..
“I'll come back angry.”
I quietly held his hand. and said.
“good luck.”
“you also. And Crossroads too. May luck be with you.”
After shaking hands firmly, Mikhail let go and turned around without hesitation..
In the forest in front of Mikhail, a young griffin was tied up. It was a griffin who was declared dead because he was taken to the forward base during the last defense battle..
slap-!
As Mikhail climbed onto the saddle, the griffin spread its wings, soared into the air, and instantly disappeared into the sky far away..
“…….”
As I was quietly watching Mikhail's back as he walked away, someone approached me sideways..
“……He's gone.”
“Dear Diermudin.”
He was an archmage with a long white beard..
The archmage who saw the funeral scene laughed, stroking his beard..
“It's been a while since there were no casualties, so I thought it would be a defense battle without funerals, but there were only two fake deaths... … It's okay to be like this?”
“In order to save the two people, we hold a funeral for them... … In that sense, isn’t it a good event??”
“Ha, indeed. It's absurd.”
Diarmudin, who was silent for a moment, blurted out:.
“But what’s even more absurd is… … You said I was still young. I haven't heard anything as absurd as that in decades..”
“…….”
“And I haven't heard anything as pleasant as that in decades..”
I glanced at Diermudine. The archmage turned his back, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath..
“Even though I've lived this long, I see that there are so many things I haven't experienced yet... … As you said, I guess it's not time for me to die yet..”
“Where in the world is there a right time to die??”
If I had to, I would enjoy all the heavenly life, lie down in a warm bed, and proudly reminisce about my past life... … It would be a good time to die like that..
‘Not now.’
Now all of us, everyone in the world…….
too young to die.
So my people, don't die.
no.
don't let me die.
It will appear blocked. The destruction of the world, etc..
“Prince Ash.”
“Please tell me.”
“Thank you.”
Diarmudin suddenly said thank you and then turned around..
“Sprinkle my little remaining ‘youth’ generously here and there..”
The archmage disappeared at a brisk pace. I looked blankly at the back and muttered.
“……Is it an illusion??”
For some reason, that old man seemed a little embarrassed.…….
“Seniors!”
At that time, Evangeline jumped up from the bottom of the hill and called me. When I looked over, Evangeline gestured urgently..
“It's time for your speech! Come soon!”
“okay.”
Even though it's a fake funeral, all procedures must be followed..
As I slowly made my way down the hill, I quietly hummed the poem I would memorize at this funeral..
When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone,
When the broken bones turn to powder and disappear
They shall have stars at elbow and foot;
They will be friends of the stars
Though they go mad they shall be sane,
Even if I get angry, I won't go crazy
Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;
Even if you fall into the sea, you will rise again
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
Even if you lose your lover, you will not lose your love
And death shall have no dominion.
And death will not have dominion over us.
***
“…….”
“…….”
Further west from the grave site. entrance to shallow forest.
Zenith and Hannibal, squatting on a tree stump here, were quietly watching the funeral..
Ash recited a poem, made a speech, and as Evangeline waved her arms, a gunshot rang out in the air.…….
And the funeral is over.
As Zenith quietly watched the group of people gradually dispersing, Hannibal cautiously asked:.
“how are you feeling?”
“huh?”
“It's like watching your own funeral..”
“…….”
Janice looked down at the bandages still wrapped around her body..
“I do not know. After dying and coming back to life several times over the past few days, I don't know if I'm really dead or alive..”
“…….”
“how about you?”
Zenith looked back at Hannibal. Hannibal widened his eyes..
“yes?”
“I feel like I'm your father?”
“…….”
“No, if you had heard the story then, you would have known, even if he is not the biological father.…….”
Janice awkwardly scratched her bearded chin. Hannibal also smiled awkwardly..
“Actually, I've known it since I first saw you..”
“huh?”
“That my father is not my biological father..”
Janice opened her eyes wide. Hannibal scratched his messy head and explained..
“I'm a mixed race between human and beast... … However, they say that the mother is definitely a human being, so the father must be a beast..”
“ah…….”
Now that I think about it, it was like that. Zenith laughed bitterly. It was a problem that couldn't be faked in the first place..
“You knew from the first time you saw me.”
“yes. So I was more curious. Why, me who has nothing to do with me... … He was considered a son.”
Hannibal hesitated and added honestly:.
“Did you really consider him your son?.”
“…….”
“And I, really… … Maybe I can consider my father as my father.”
Even though we were sitting side by side.
There was still a long distance in heart between this false father and son..
Zenith, who hesitated, stammered and asked..
“Don't you blame me??”
“yes?”
“I left him at the orphanage and never saw his face once in his life..”
“…….”
“Your biological father and mother... … Don't you resent me??”
After hesitating for a while, Hannibal slowly brushed off his messy hair and looked at his father with his exposed round eyes..
“I’d be lying if I said I’ve never held a grudge… … It must be like this?”
“…….”
“But my father also resented me, right? Because you went through a lot of trouble because of me..”
Zenith also hesitated, but eventually nodded honestly..
“okay.”
“Then let’s call it teacher teacher..”
Hannibal smiled and held out a small fist..
“Since it was a draw, I guess it’s okay. I will not argue with that matter from now on..”
“Is that how it happens??”
“Let's do it like that.”
Zenith smiled and held out her fist..
The two people's fists lightly clashed in the air and then fell..
There was silence for a moment. The two quietly watched the funeral scene, which was now being cleaned up..
“……me, father.”
“huh?”
“These are the words my mother left me... … I couldn't hear you properly when you told me that time..”
Zenith glanced at Hannibal. Hannibal's legs were shaking slightly, perhaps because he was nervous..
“Can you say it one more time??”
“…….”
Zenith answered slowly, recalling the memories of that day..
“……They told me to sing a song. He says he sings well.”
“A song? Haha, that's a shame. This doesn't look like my mother.”
“And get a job. I guess he wanted to work for a healthy business..”
“Hmm, maybe being a mercenary isn’t a healthy job?……?”
“I also travel. Travel around the world talking to people from all over the world.”
“I've already done that to my heart's content.!”
“and…….”
Zenith smiled mischievously as she said the last words..
“I also want to make an offering to the temple..”
Hannibal frowned..
“That's really what my mother told me to do.?”
“ha ha ha!”
Janice burst into laughter. Hannibal looked at Zenith with narrowed eyes and asked carefully..
“……My father.”
“huh?”
“How do you want to live your life in the future??”
“…….”
“You can do anything now.”
Janice, no.
The man who was Zenith saw the grave site. Where a tombstone with his own name was erected.
Priest Zenith is dead. After his death, he was posthumously awarded in recognition of his merits, and his lost honor was restored..
14The events of a year ago have been completely buried under the dirt, and now even the assassins from the Fog Kingdom will no longer come..
and… … there is nothing left.
Although the life of a priest is to come empty-handed and leave empty-handed, it was difficult to bury everything under the grave and start from scratch..
So Janice didn't know where to go..
and,
“Let's find it together.”
Suddenly I felt warmth.
When Janice was surprised, she saw that Hannibal's small hand was carefully holding Janice's little finger..
“We are still young.”
“…….”
“Sing together, get a job, travel... … I also make donations.”
Hannibal smiled shyly but brightly..
“That's how I live.”
“…….”
Zenith was silent for a while and then,
“……Okay, let's live..”
He slowly lowered his head and touched Hannibal's forehead with his own..
And whispered with as much warmth as possible.
“Let's live together, son..”
The still awkward father and son sat there for a long time..
Basking in the stinging sunlight, listening to the sound of cicadas ringing in the distance, and feeling the hot wind..
Talking about our future together.
Well, summer was starting.
***
[STAGE 31 – CLEAR!]
[STAGE MVP – Ash (EX)]
[Level up character]
- Ash (EX) and 50 others
[death character]
- doesn't exist
[injured character]
- Mikhail (SSR) and 30 others
[Acquired Items]
- Oldest Scarecrow Magic Core (SSR): 1
- Scarecrow Army Magic Stone: 211
[Stage clear rewards have been paid. Please check inventory.]
- SSR grade reward box: 1
>> Get Ready For The Next STAGE
>> [Next STAGE: Impregnable]
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