I Became a Tyrant of Defense Games - Episode 77
◈ 077. [Side Story] Crisis is an opportunity (2)
To the north of Crossroads, uncultivated hills spread out..
All of the land north of the front lines that can be farmed has already been cleared..
Even though it is not as fertile as the south of the front line, you have to scratch out even a small amount of land to make a living..
This means that there has been less land clearing even in these harsh circumstances.,
“little… … It's so bumpy, this mountain…….”
It means that the mountain is rugged..
Naturally, the roads are not properly paved. It's just a mountain road.
Because I had lived a life that was far from refreshing hobbies like mountain climbing, I was so tired that I quickly started panting after climbing a little bit. It's to die for.!
“Are you okay, my lord? Would you like me to carry you to your destination??”
“Oh, really? That's okay?”
I'm about to jump on Lucas' back.,
“…….”
Jiggly.
Evangeline's pointed gaze from behind hurts.…….
“……What is it, junior? Those eyes.”
“No, nothing in particular.”
After saying it's nothing, I immediately open my mouth..
“I just thought I was jealous. You also have your own car..”
“…….”
“All of his subordinates were working hard and sweating profusely, but he climbed up comfortably on the knight's back. Would you say it’s royal enough?.”
“…….”
I glanced back..
We saw dozens of soldiers hiking after us..
At first, I said I was the only one going, but Lucas jumped up and vehemently opposed it..
So, I was only going to take Lucas with me, but Evangeline jumped up and joined us, as if she had heard the news from somewhere else..
So I tried to take just the two of us... … It is the result of repetition of.
Damian wasn't brought along on purpose. He was overexerting himself, and it was a situation where he might have to shoot someone..
Anyway, everyone was having a hard time climbing unexpectedly, and when I tried to get comfortable on my own, Evangeline tackled me..
“Okay, let's do it this way..”
I jerked my index finger up at Evangeline, who was trying to say something more..
“I'm carrying you.”
“Ex?”
Evangeline's eyes widened..
“Seo, my senior is carrying me on his back.?!”
“okay. And Lucas is carrying me..”
Evangeline and Lucas' expressions turned sour at my serious nonsense. I crossed my arms and giggled..
“I take care of my subordinates and feel comfortable, killing two birds with one stone.!”
“wait a minute. Then Uncle Lucas is having a really hard time.!”
“No, two people can't carry each other in the first place.…….”
As we were climbing the mountain path, exchanging jokes full of white noises, an officer following us bowed his head to me..
“No shame, Your Highness… … Because of our mistakes…….”
I glanced at the man..
This officer is the leader of the prisoner convoy..
An accident occurred while transporting five death row inmates to Crossroads..
“no no. Thanks to you, I suddenly get to exercise and it’s nice. Hi~ It’s my waist.~”
“I'm so sorry, Your Highness! Please be generous.!”
The officer almost fell to the floor as I groaned..
“Hey, hey. I'm kidding. joke. I can't say anything. I'm afraid I might try to eat you up?”
Evangeline shrugged her shoulders at me who was confused..
“You have a history of committing crimes in the capital..”
Oh, that's right. Before I possessed Ash, he was no joke in the capital..
This officer and the rest of the convoy have just come down from the capital, so they must think I am that ferocious bastard Prince Ashe..
No wonder it freezes.
“Anyway, the friends of the escaped death row inmates escaped to this mountain, right??”
“Yes, that's right. As you can see, their traces lead to this mountain..”
On the rough mountain path, the footprints of those who came before us were left sparsely..
There are also traces of something heavy being dragged..
“If you want to get there, take a better road, why on a mountain like this?…….”
Evangeline, a native here, answered my questions..
“Bandits live in the mountainous area north of Crossroads. It's been a problem for quite some time..”
“bandit?”
“yes. Attacking and stealing merchants and war refugees... … They are evil people.”
Evangeline picked up something abandoned on the side of the road..
It was a broken window..
“It seems like bandits live on this mountain too..”
“Hmm.”
I looked around closely..
Indeed, broken weapons and cart wheels are rolling around every now and then, so it looks like people are coming and going..
Lucas narrowed his brows as he picked up the cutlery buried in the dirt..
“Could it be that the escaped death row inmates came here related to the bandits??”
“Well. If the goal of escaping from prison is to become the bandit king, it doesn't seem like a bad new start..”
There are too many things I don’t understand..
‘Five ex-military death row inmates brought from the capital escaped all at once from a convoy. Afterwards, he chose the exact mountain where the bandits were and escaped... … Called.’
I feel uncomfortable about something.
I glanced again at the commander of the convoy..
“There are no lies in what was reported.?”
“Well, then! How could I tell a lie to you?.”
The convoy commander immediately waved his hand..
Hmm, well. You'll find out soon enough.
After that, when we hiked for about ten more minutes, Lucas, who was at the top, opened his eyes..
“I see something. lord.”
“Let's see~”
I could see it with my own eyes as I stood on the ridge following Lucas..
It was a mountain vegetable..
It is the home of bandits surrounded by a fence. The mountain lodge built on a flat terrain halfway up the mountain was surprisingly quite large..
It appears that at least 30 people can reside there..
“There may be enemies.”
sreung-
Lucas, pulling a long sword from his belt, winked at me..
“I'll go and check first..”
“Just check. Don't overdo it..”
“I'll go too!”
Evangeline also followed Lucas. Evangeline did not draw her spear, but took out her shield and placed it on her left arm..
The two knights took the lead, and I and the rest of the soldiers followed slowly..
I was worried that I might be showered with arrows as I approached the mountain village, but somehow there was no sign of presence in the mountain village..
Instead, the closer I got, the more a strong smell wafted in the air. this is…….
Blood fragrance).
“I smell blood.”
I nodded as I heard Lucas in the lead whispering..
Was there a stabbing inside??
Lucas stood right next to the wooden fence surrounding the living quarters and held his sword. Evangeline adjusted her shield..
“I'll rush in. three, two…….”
one!
bang-!
Lucas entered the living room by hitting the front door with his shoulder..
Evangeline and the soldiers poured in behind him..
I walked leisurely and followed him in..
“hmm.”
Inside the living vegetables… … It was a mess.
There were dead bandits (what appeared to be corpses) strewn all over the place, and the whole place was littered with blood and broken weapons..
‘There were bandits. There was no.’
As I looked at the blood-soaked wild vegetables with a slightly tired feeling, I heard Lucas' voice from over there..
“My lord! here are the survivors!”
I quickly ran over to see a boy who looked to be in his late teens, trembling with a white face..
“Ugh, uh, uhh……!”
“Calm down, bandit kid. we are the government army.”
I squatted down in front of the little boy that Lucas was holding on to and let out a warm voice..
“Of course, depending on your crime, I could hang you or feed you beans, but I won't kill you here..”
The trembling young bandit let out a sigh as if struggling..
“Ooh, we, we didn't do anything wrong... … ! Well, I just robbed a carriage coming from the capital.…….”
“robbed a carriage?”
“Yeah, yeah! It was an expensive-looking carriage, so of course I thought the contents would be expensive... … . I thought it would make money if I sold the contents and the carriage.…….”
I clicked my tongue..
“However, when I opened the stolen wagon, there was nothing delicious and only some prisoners. The prisoners turned around and beat you all up. Well, that's kind of the situation..”
The young bandit nodded frantically..
I turned to look at the commander of the convoy..
“Convoy leader. Didn't they say that the prisoners escaped on their own? But according to what this friend said, it seems like the convoy was just stolen by bandits..”
“That, that…….”
“I think I understand. The name is a convict convoy from the imperial capital, but it would be embarrassing to say that they were robbed by bandits on the border..”
“crime… … sorry. I never meant to get away with it…….”
I growled fiercely..
“By the way, convoy leader. I can forgive you for stealing a prisoner from a bandit, but I can't forgive you for lying to me.……?”
“Lord, Lord, I have committed a mortal sin, Your Majesty.!”
“I forgive mistakes, but I don't forgive intentional actions. There will be appropriate disciplinary action, so please know that..”
The convoy leader was trembling and spread out on the floor..
So why did you tell a lie that would get caught right away? I thought I was the type of person who didn't go on site inspections and only believed what I saw.?
‘……You could have thought so..’
Anyway, now I can see the whole picture..
The convoy was attacked by bandits while on its way to Crossroads with five death row inmates on a wagon..
The bandits hijacked the wagon, brought it to the mountain lodge, opened it, and then robbed the prisoners inside..
The convoy falsely reported that the prisoners had escaped on their own, and now that they have been caught, they will rob me as soon as they return..
‘The situation has been explained…….’
so?
Where are the five death row inmates in question now??
“Seniors!”
At that time, Evangeline's voice was heard from inside the living room..
“Here, this way! Come quickly.!”
I got up and headed that way..
Inside the mountain hut, Evangeline was standing with a puzzled face, pointing with her hand toward the yard in the middle of the mountain hut..
“look.”
“……!”
When I saw that, I was surprised and opened my eyes wide..
In the middle of a devastated forest.
Five people were sitting dressed in the black military uniform of the Everblack Empire..
No, I'm sitting down.…….
Clang. Cheolkeong.
Binding myself with chains.
He was sitting on his knees, with his eyes covered with an eye patch and his mouth covered with a muzzle..
One by one, everyone who entered the yard of the mountain house was dumbfounded when they saw this..
“Welcome, Your Royal Highness. And everyone at Crossroads.”
Among the five prisoners, the man sitting in the middle slowly opened his mouth..
“Our five death row inmates have been waiting for you to come..”
Although he was the only one among the prisoners without an eye patch or muzzle, he still looked like he was chained..
‘Did you tie it yourself??’
why?
There was a chance to run away, so why didn't he run away, but instead locked himself up and waited for us??
“We have no intention of escaping or escaping from prison, and we hope that the sentence will be carried out as quickly as possible and that a report will be made to the higher-ups..”
The man slowly raised his head.
Bright light green hair flowed from under the hood of a tattered, grime-ridden imperial military uniform..
I opened my mouth slightly in surprise..
There is only one race in this game with that hair color..
‘Elf……?!’
“Please, everyone..”
The elf male bowed his head and spat again..
“Please execute the death penalty as soon as possible. If you can't decide, you can slit your throat right here..”
The remaining prisoners also bowed their heads deeply..
Continuing to say things I can't understand.
“please kill us.”
“…….”
No, what are you killing?.
I screamed inside.
‘I've added you guys to my sub-party! You can't die!’
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