Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 724
724. [Side Story] Lake Kingdom (5)
Dirandahi, the director of the research institute who led the expedition to the East Continent, was secretly arrested and brought to the capital..
“There was an accident during the expedition..”
Dirandahi said calmly..
“The environment on the Eastern Continent was harsher than expected. It was quite difficult to build a search base, but just before returning, a pillar of fire burning the sky attacked the base..”
“…….”
“When we were all on the verge of death, Prince Christian made a heroic decision... … After sending us all through the teleportation gate, he was left alone at the search base..”
Dirandahi bowed his head to Ariel..
“Knowing his heart, we had no choice but to escape, shedding blood and tears..”
“…….”
“I'm so sorry, princess. Because we don't have enough…….”
Ariel looked down at Dirandahi, who was shedding tears, and coldly exhaled..
“Don't lie, Dirandahi..”
“……!”
“My brother is a selfish person. He wants his minions to sacrifice themselves for his own purposes, but he is not the one who will give his life for them..”
It was a cold but accurate assessment..
A bitter, disappointed smile flashed across Diran Dahi’s face as he bowed. Ariel urged..
“Please report this in detail! What on earth happened on the Eastern Continent?!”
“……Prince Christian is too poor to be king..”
Dirandahi wiped away the fake tears and spoke in a dry voice..
“I knew this because we were close friends and had seen each other for a long time. He should not be king.”
“I beg your pardon……?”
Dilandahi slowly raised his head and looked up at Ariel..
“and… … Princess Ariel. The princess is truly worthy of being the next king..”
“…….”
Dirandahi spoke to Ariel, who was looking down with a pale complexion..
“For the thousand-year future of our Lake Kingdom, I, Diran Dahi, have planned this event only with a loyal heart... … I would appreciate it if you could know.”
“……So, what is it?.”
Ariel clenched her fist and let out a trembling voice..
“To prevent my brother from becoming the next king... … They tricked me with lies about the magic of immortality and left me alone on the Eastern Continent.?!”
“The information that there is magic of immortality in the East Continent is not false. But it's just a rumor.”
Diran Dahi chuckled..
“And I didn't abandon it. There was no result during the search for the past month, and a small accident occurred just before returning... … The prince was stranded alone at the search base..”
“You induced it that way.!”
“But it was the prince's own will to go there..”
To become a person worthy of the throne. Under pressure to accumulate overwhelming achievements,.
After clinging to the magic of immortality, which seemed like an illusion that could not possibly exist, the prince ended up disappearing at the eastern end of the world..
“Prince Christian will not return alive..”
Diran Dahi chuckled..
“And His Majesty the King is seriously ill..”
“you……!”
“Princess Ariel.”
Diran Dahi spoke with an unwavering face, as if he had no regrets whatsoever..
“Take the throne. And, the Lake Kingdom… … Please continue the glory of this country that has conquered the world..”
“……!”
“That's all the unscrupulous subject wants..”
Ariel became dizzy and closed her eyes tightly..
‘Crown, crown, what is that crown?…….’
Should my brother's life be put in jeopardy because of a position he never aspired to?…….
Ariel gritted her teeth and shouted at the subordinate next to her..
“Dispatch a rescue team to the eastern continent immediately.!”
“Yes, princess. and…….”
The subordinate asked cautiously..
“How can I report this to His Majesty the King?…….”
“…….”
Ariel chewed her lips with a pale complexion, then looked back..
As expected, I saw the fake prince - Ader, standing with an embarrassed face..
“……Mom is sick, so we shouldn't cause her any unnecessary trouble..”
Ariel nodded, making up her mind..
“Rescue of my brother comes first. This is confidential..”
“yes.”
“And, Ader.”
Ariel smiled weakly at Ader..
“Stand-in… … Please take care of me just a little longer.”
“……Yes, princess.”
Bowing her head, Ader felt at the same time.
an ominous air.
A vague stench rising from the base of the country..
***
same time.
East Continent.
“Heo-eok, heo-eok!”
Prince Christian sat down in the ruins, covered in blood..
It was a building built by humans, proving that there was once a civilization on this continent. But now it was a completely collapsed ruin..
Christian, who was out of breath, trembled and looked up at the sky..
was burning.
Flames billowed from the red sky and poured down like rain. Each time, the ruins, which had nothing more to ride, were once again engulfed in deterioration..
I don't know what happened to turn the entire continent into a land of death..
The Eastern Continent was a place where even survival was difficult, let alone exploration..
And in this land, the expedition returned by teleport, leaving only Christian alone. Subsequently, the gate connection was lost and Christian was isolated..
‘Dirandahi, why do you treat me like this?…….’
With dry lips, Christian trembled..
Dirandahi's intention to find the magic of immortality may have been true to some extent. If he had been thinking about getting rid of himself, he wouldn't have gone through all this trouble..
But when I came here in person, there was no hope. Where in this living hell is there such magic left?.
So when Dirandahi gave up the magic of immortality, he even gave up himself as a prince..
There was a tug-of-war between the prince and princess, trying to see which side they would take, and they ended up sticking to the more certain side..
‘Are you saying I'm not worth that much?……?’
Christian laughed helplessly as he crawled on the dirt floor blazing with heat..
‘Are you saying that I am so hopeless as a king that even Dirandahi, who was on my side, abandoned me?……?’
Now that fact wasn't even miserable anymore..
I just desperately wanted a sip of water..
Christian closed his eyes as he sat with his back against the hot stone wall..
‘Is this how I die?…….’
Unable to achieve anything, in vain like this…….
Christian, who bitterly accepted his fate, quietly waited for the end..
And, that was the time..
Fluffy…….
I heard the cool sound of water in front of me..
‘huh?’
When Christian slowly opened his eyes, wondering if he had heard something wrong..
A glass full of clear water was held out in front of me..
Someone wearing a robe standing right in front of me was holding the glass and shaking it slightly..
“Are you thirsty? Now, drink it all up..”
“……!”
It didn't matter if it was in vain or anything..
Christian quickly took the glass and drank it down. The water that quickly went down my throat was fragrant and cool..
“Okay, thank you. Thank you very much.”
Christian, who frantically swallowed a glass of wine, bowed his head and returned the glass..
The person who returns the cup is a shadow covered in a robe... … were the same.
An eerie white smile was wide open like a crack on a face made of shadows..
‘huh?’
no, it wasn't.
It seemed like I was seeing something wrong due to dehydration. The person standing in front of me was a white-haired old man with a benevolent expression..
The old man stroked his beard and smiled softly..
“It's been a long time since I saw anyone in this land. Is it okay??”
“If my benefactor hadn't given me water, I would have died..”
Christian bowed his head repeatedly and asked carefully..
“May I ask the name of your benefactor??”
“hmm. I have many nicknames..”
The old man muttered, rubbing his beard..
“The angel of fulfillment, the owner of the monkey hand, the constellation that jumped down... … But now I want to introduce it like this..”
Christian's eyes widened at the words that followed..
“immortal sage.”
“……!”
“You don't seem to be from this continent... … What did you come here looking for??”
The old man's smiling face while saying those words seemed to Christian like an angel who had descended to earth..
“If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know. I will do my best to help you.”
A wide smile appeared on Christian's face as he found the person he had been looking for for a very long time..
likewise.
The old man also smiled brightly, as if he had found the person he had been waiting for for a very long time..
***
half a year later.
The Lake Kingdom was becoming more prosperous..
Every day, songs praising the royal reign flowed from the huge city-state floating on a clear lake. The national power became stronger, and the lives of not only citizens but also non-citizens became stable..
The king's condition worsened and he was bedridden. His prince Christian and his princess Ariel ruled the country well in his stead..
“…….”
Prince Christian, no..
The fake, Ader, looked down blankly at the streets of the Lake Kingdom bathed in clear sunlight..
Citizens gathered at the fountain square burst into laughter next to the gushing clean water. The huge city-state was peaceful and beautiful..
Both citizens and non-citizens of the Lake Kingdom blessed the excellence of the prince and princess who would succeed the king and rejoiced in the country's planned prosperity..
And every time Ader heard that praise, she felt so uncomfortable that she couldn't stand it..
How long do I have to keep playing this fake prince?.
However, the time to reveal the truth never came. That's right too.
“Heo-eok, heo-eok, heo-eok…….”
Because the king was dying.
Ader took her eyes off the window and looked inside the room - the king buried in a large bed and the princess Ariel nursing him..
The king was breathing heavily with a yellow face. He was already close to death.
How can I reveal this to a king like this??
The person pretending to be a prince in front of you is a fake, and the real prince has gone missing on the eastern continent.?
Rescue teams have been dispatched to the Eastern Continent several times so far. Nanny, a master of teleportation magic, Coco the Cut took the lead in leading the rescue team..
However, no trace of the prince could be found, and the rescue team was almost destroyed several times. The Eastern Continent was truly a land of death..
Time passed helplessly, and half a year passed. Christian's death was already a foregone conclusion..
However, the story could not be brought up to the king. It was obvious that the king's already bad condition would worsen..
“You don't want to die, Christian, Ariel.…….”
The king, who was panting, cried out with difficulty..
“I have conquered everything in my life, but I cannot overcome this death.…….”
“Abama mama.”
“But now I have to accept it... … Christian, where is Christian?……?”
Ader, who was standing by the window, hurriedly went to the side of the bed..
The king nodded with a serious expression, completely believing that the fake son was real..
“I can't tell you how fortunate I am that you came to your senses and lived happily ever after as a prince..”
“No, Abama. Devices are still lacking.”
“Yeah, it's not enough. But since I made up my mind right away, that's enough. Ariel will fill in what you lack..”
Ader and Ariel's eyes widened as they realized what the king was trying to say..
The King reached out and held Christian's hand, then gave strength to his cold hand..
“Christian. You will rule this country from now on..”
“……!”
“You will inherit the throne. Become the next king and lead the Lake Kingdom..”
Ariel, who had been frozen, barely opened her mouth..
“Abama, actually……!”
“huh?”
“Brother... … Oh, brother…….”
already dead.
The person you are holding hands with is a fake, a double..
……Is it right to say this to a father who is on his deathbed??
However, handing over the throne to a fake prince like this is... … Shouldn't we stop it??
Ariel froze, not knowing what to do. It was then.
“Abama mama.”
Ader smiled softly and touched the King's hand..
“Please pass the throne to Ariel..”
“……!”
“I will do my best to help Ariel from now on..”
The king knew that Ariel was more capable, but he loved Christian more..
Ader, who had been pretending to be a fake Christian for the past six months, could painfully realize that fact. So, it was expected that if the king were to hand over the throne, that opponent would be Christian..
So I prepared in advance to say this..
“That is the right thing to do for this country. Don’t you know better?.”
“…….”
“Please hand over the throne to Ariel, Abama. I wish you this.”
The king's eyes filled with tears. This was because he was moved by Christian's mature appearance in eventually giving up his throne to his younger brother..
“okay… … If you continue to maintain this friendship in the future, this father has nothing to worry about.…….”
The King turned his head to Ariel..
“Ariel.”
“……Yes, Abama.”
“you… … Will you lead this country in the future??”
iced coffee.
Ariel swallowed her tears and lowered her head..
The guilt of lying to her father weighed on her until the last moment, but she also knew it was for the best..
“Even though my body is weak, I follow the wishes of Abama and Onii-sama.…….”
It was the moment when Ariel was about to answer yes..
Suddenly!
The king's bedroom door opened violently, and knights and soldiers rushed in..
It was Baltimore, the checkpoint supervisor, and his knights. cried Baltimore, who almost fell to his knees in front of the bed..
“Forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty! I have an urgent matter to report.!”
Ariel shouted..
“Lord Baltimore! Abama is in critical condition! How could this happen?…….”
But right after what Baltimore said, Ariel became as frozen as ice..
“His Royal Highness Prince Christian has returned home!”
“……?!”
“It is said that you have returned from the Eastern Continent! As a result of confirmation, this is definitely the real Christian. He has requested to see His Majesty immediately, and he is coming here now.!”
The air in the room became cold..
“……Christian was abroad? and come back now?”
The king, who had been blinking blankly, slowly turned his head to the side..
“Well, this guy…….”
There stood Ader, pale-faced and trembling like an aspen..
“Who is this man who told me to hand over the throne to Ariel??”
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