Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 705
◈ 705. [Side Story] The Impossible Dream
It's already afternoon.
In the late fall weather that had become as cold as winter, the sun was clear today. People gathered like clouds stood under the podium and looked up at me, happily basking in the sunlight..
There were kings, there were soldiers, there were heroes, there were citizens. I looked closely at their faces..
“The monster I faced this time, the black dragon,…….”
I didn't really prepare a speech, but the words flowed naturally..
“Originally, it was an opponent that could not be defeated..”
If you look at it calmly, honestly, and objectively,.
“Originally, the world should have been destroyed by now..”
The Night Bringer was an enemy more than capable of annihilating us and ending the world..
“But now we are alive and enjoying the sunshine. I parted the night, defeated the evil dragon, and am alive and breathing here..”
I looked around the audience..
“Why do you think?”
Everyone is silently looking up at me, waiting for my next words..
I smiled and continued speaking..
“All the warriors buried here, and all the warriors who returned alive from the battlefield... … Because I didn’t think I could win..”
I said it once more forcefully..
“I think we can win... … Because I foolishly believed that I could protect this world..”
This is not an attempt to promote a theory of spirit or character. Because it wasn't an opponent I could beat with just that in the first place..
So in short, this is basic. The most difficult basic to keep.
A heart that doesn't give up.
A strong will that will not give up the courage to fight even in any hopeless situation..
“Of all the men in this battle, if only one had given up the fight and laid down their weapons earlier..”
I looked around at the tombs filled with the western plains..
“If one attack to wound the evil dragon, one defense to somehow block the breath, and one courage to jump into a limb to protect an ally were not enough..”
After clenching my fists and catching my breath.
After looking at the audience again, I continued speaking..
“We would have been defeated. By now, the whole world would have quietly met its end, covered in snow and darkness..”
My voice gained strength.
“One enemy attack that we managed to block, one very small wound that we inflicted on the enemy..”
People grit their teeth, clenched their fists, and squeeze their eyes shut..
“The sacrifices of all those who perished and the tenacity of all of us who survived piled up... … It all came together to protect the world..”
With confidence, one more time.
“All our actions had meaning.”
When I paused for a moment, silence filled the grave site for a moment..
It may be an illusion, but the dead sleeping here are also… … I felt like he was listening to me..
I lowered my eyes and slowly quoted some of the words of a philosopher on Earth..
“The world is deep. The world's sorrow is deep. But the joy is deeper than the pain.”
I raised my eyes again, made eye contact with people, and smiled..
“The night is deep, and the darkness is deeper. A person's desire for sunlight is deeper than that..”
In the end, under the clear sunlight we regained.
I nodded slowly..
“Remember with what spirit you fought this battle. Remember the courage you had in fighting against an unbeatable enemy without giving up..”
Painting the sunlight, fighting under the darkness without the sunlight.
If each person's heart continues to remain in the future.
“If you have that courage, the future war... … And the life after that. Because we can overcome anything.”
No matter what adversity comes your way, you will be able to live in the direction you want..
Then I slowly turned back and bowed my head respectfully toward all the tombs to the west..
“To all of you who have faced and overcome yet another great challenge, and to all of the comrades buried here. thank you.”
Turn around and look at the crowd.
I said it with sincerity.
“Sincerely, thank you.”
In front of the faces of people each with complex emotions, I took a deep breath and slowly prepared a tribute to be written at this funeral..
In fact, I had already decided what to recite..
Don Quijote).
The most famous knight on Earth.
The story of a great man who was treated as a clown for his ridiculous actions, but eventually became a legend for his beliefs..
I recited the lyrics of that story.
I think that everyone who is buried under the tombs here, and everyone who stands before me and listens to my speeches, are like the people of La Mancha..
Dreaming a dream that cannot come true
Facing an unbeatable enemy
Enduring unbearable sorrow and sorrow
Going where everyone is reluctant
Correct wrongdoing
To love purely and chastely even if it is far away
Even if I collapse from exhaustion, I challenge myself
Reaching for an unreachable star
No matter how far away, no matter how much there is no promise
Following that star is my journey
Fight for justice without doubt or hesitation
I'll go to hell for a noble cause
If you truly follow this path of glory
Even if I collapse and die, my mind will be peaceful and quiet.
For a better world, even if it is torn and scarred
If I had just a ounce of courage, I would fight.
Towards that unreachable star
***
After the funeral, I had a few more plans to attend, but they were canceled on short notice..
That was because, as the imperial prince, I had bigger things to take care of..
“His Majesty the Crown Prince! His Majesty the Emperor has come to consciousness!”
Upon hearing the soldier's report, I immediately rushed to the temple..
High-ranking priests from the church, including Chief Priest Rosetta, came rushing out from inside the temple. I asked urgently.
“How are you??”
“Your condition is stable..”
Rosetta nodded and made way inside..
“Let's go in..”
“thank you.”
I carefully passed the priests and stood in front of the innermost hospital room..
“Abama, this is Soja..”
After knocking slightly and asking, the emperor's answer came immediately..
“Come in.”
When I opened the door and walked in, I tried to lighten the mood by making jokes, but I had to keep my mouth shut right away..
The emperor lying on the bed was in a miserable state..
His left arm and left leg were missing, and his right eye was also wrapped in bandages..
‘It is said that he directly controlled the flight of La Mancha during the 'Night Closing' operation, and that he drove the ship and withstood attacks from darkness even while other heroes were unable to fight..
During this process, he was unable to actively protect his body, so he suffered serious injuries to his body..
“Don't make that face.”
The emperor was trying to get up but couldn't keep his balance, so I quickly approached him and grabbed him and made him sit up on the bed..
The emperor, who was looking at his empty left arm and tasting bitterness, opened his mouth..
“If I could see the morning sun again, one of my arms and legs wouldn't be such a high price to pay..”
“…….”
“Oh, I guess I should add one eye too..”
The emperor seemed to be annoyed and threw it, but I couldn't laugh..
When I remained silent and could not say anything, the emperor clicked his tongue and motioned to me with his right hand..
“A king must talk about the future ahead, not the past that has already been lost. Put aside my irreversible injuries and talk about the situation at the front..”
“……yes. Abama mama.”
I told the Emperor one by one how the battle with the Black Dragon ended and how the front line had been reorganized over the past week..
The emperor listened to all the reports with his mouth shut and sighed softly..
“okay. Now you are the successor to Prince Dusk Bringer... … You have become Dawn Bringer, the heir to the Bringer Duchy..”
“That's right.”
“At the same time, you are the crown prince of the empire, and you are also the only son who carries on my blood directly..”
The emperor's wrinkled mouth curled up..
“The land of the Principality of Bringer, which has been separated from the Empire's territory for a long time, will finally return to the Empire..”
I quietly blinked my eyes..
“The Principality of Bringer… … Are you planning to annex the empire??”
“Of course it should be that way, right? In the beginning, the Principality of Bringer was nothing more than a western fortress of the Everblack Empire..”
The emperor calmly explained the history of hundreds of years ago.
“It was a similar place to Crossroads here. A fortress built to withstand attacks from neighboring countries. The founder, Grand Duke Bringer, who became the guardian dragon of the empire, was appointed as the lord of that place... … A village grew around the fortress, and a city eventually took its present form..”
It is said that Dusk Bringer, the progenitor dragon, had no greed for human territory in the first place, so he was given the title of Grand Duke, but did not receive any rights to the land..
He was appointed as the administrative head to manage and supervise military facilities and areas in the west, and since then, as is customary, the descendants of Archduke Bringer have ruled the land..
As a result, and practically, it was only accepted by the world as a principality ruled by a duke. The emperor explained that legally it was entirely the territory of the empire..
And now that I am of the Archduke's blood, the Emperor has the justification to absorb and annex the Duchy of Bringer into the Empire..
“…….”
The emperor burst into laughter as he saw me remaining silent..
“Even though you don't seem to want to.”
The emperor picked up the cane next to the bed and staggered to his feet..
“I'll help you.”
“Okay. I have to adapt.”
The emperor refused my help and limped alone to stand at the window..
The emperor, who had been quietly looking down at the brightly lit afternoon crossroads for a while, asked as if by surprise..
“I must have found the answer to my ordeal.?”
“…….”
Ordeal given by the emperor.
that… … The question was how far we would embrace the darkness of this world..
- Son. You said it before. I will kill monsters and save people. And Jim asked you. What is the definition of the person you want to protect?.
- And you answered that question by founding the World Defense Front. All beings who communicate and understand each other are the ones you are trying to save..
- Then I will ask you one more question here. Even if the being you are trying to communicate with and understand contains evil that cannot be washed away, will you still embrace it? Will you even embrace and protect someone like that??
I decided to protect people.
And people are meant to communicate and understand..
Here the emperor goes one step further, reminding me that those I seek to protect will never be entirely good..
Petty, narrow-minded, petty, and evil - the 'people' I'm trying to protect are beings so close to darkness..
“Now that you have become Grand Duke of Bringer, you must look back on the shameful and cruel history of the Principality of Bringer..”
The emperor spoke without hesitation to me who was still silent..
“Since you directly inherited the Archduke's flame, you must have caught a glimpse of it too. The history of the Duchy of Bringer, and the life of the Grand Duke, were not always beautiful. The history of flames is also the history of ash and soot..”
“…….”
“Also, since you will become the emperor of the Everblack Empire in the future, you will have no choice but to inherit the bloody legacy of the Everblack Empire..”
With his back to the spear, the emperor turned towards me..
Just like before, with the backlight on... … the emperor was laughing.
“I assure you. The darkness in this country is deeper and deeper than you can imagine. And you must inherit this darkness.”
“…….”
“Now, answer me. A new bringer. The next Everblack after me.”
Even though I now have no divinity and have lost an arm, a leg, and an eye. The emperor still pressured me with his seething charisma..
“What on earth are you going to do with the darkness of this world? Do you still have the courage and arrogance to embrace all of this??”
“…….”
“Or, as I suggested earlier, you can cut and sort and select only those that are good to swallow... … Have you lost your mind??”
“…….”
“Now, please answer quickly. Prince! What is your answer to the trials I gave you?!”
As I was listening quietly, I chuckled without realizing it..
Actually, my answer was already decided.
But there was only one reason for hesitating to answer now. If possible, he wanted to answer after the emperor had completely recovered..
That's right too…….
“……Abama, are you okay??”
The answer I will give from now on will completely upset the Emperor..
I looked straight at the emperor and smiled. Perhaps embarrassed by my inexplicable force, the emperor trembled..
“The answer that this son of a bitch, whom Abama has placed on the throne of the crown prince, will give is the imperial crown that I have chosen.…….”
With narrowed eyes, I whispered quietly.
“This might completely destroy the Everblack Empire..”
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