I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game

Evangeline had fainted, fallen to the ground.

Can’t blame her. She had fought despite being injured all over her body. It was impressive that she hadn’t passed out sooner.

I took off my cloak and draped it over Evangeline’s body. It was getting colder. I would need to start a fire soon.

"Where did... my torch go?"

Across the way, I spotted the fallen torch with its blue flame. It hadn’t gone out. Good.

I picked up the torch and drew a few big circles above my head.

It was a signal that we were safe. Damien would understand if he saw it.

Then, a moment later,

Flash!

A light twinkled from the direction of the fortress. It meant they’d received our signal.

And the subsequent signal that came,

Flash. Flash. Flash.

Three flashes.

It was a signal that they had successfully defended. It seemed like they managed well on their side too.

"Phew..."

Only then was I able to breathe a little easier.

Relief drained the strength from my body. I stood, legs shaking, barely holding myself upright.

It seemed like this situation was finally coming to an end.

’I really scraped the bottom of the barrel...’

I had two insurance policies left at the last moment.

One was Damien’s covering fire.

From here to Crossroad was about 12km along the road, roughly 10km as the crow flies.

Considering that the longest confirmed sniper kill on Earth was 3.5km, asking for covering fire at 10km was insane.

Even if he could see the target, the bullet wouldn’t physically reach that far.

But if Damien can see it, he can shoot it. The [Far-Sight] adjustment transcends common sense.

’Even so, I can’t ask him to do something like this often.’

This one shot alone must have been a tremendous strain on Damien. But I had asked anyway. It was that urgent.

Just one shot.

We had agreed to signal with a blue torch after sunset, so Damien could recognize it.

The result? Excellent. I’d have to give him a lot of praise when I return.

’And my last insurance was...’

Gathering firewood and lighting it with the torch, I glanced to my side.

Evangeline, having lost consciousness, was snoring softly in her sleep.

She was my last insurance.

To be exact, the set of equipment designed specifically for Evangeline, which I’d stashed here, was my insurance.

From the hands of the unconscious Evangeline, I carefully removed the spear and shield. The options appeared before my eyes.

[Cross Family Spear(SR) Lv.30]

- Category: Cavalry Spear

- Attack Power: 25-30

- Durability: 3/30 <Needs repairing!>

- Exclusive weapon for the character ’Evangeline Cross’.

- True abilities unlocked upon upgrading.

[Cross Family Shield(SR) Lv.30]

- Category: Shield

- Defense Power: 25-30

- Durability: 2/30 <Needs repairing!>

- Exclusive armor for the character ’Evangeline Cross’.

- True abilities unlocked upon upgrading.

> Set Effect: Heir of the Cross Family (2/2)

- Exclusive set effect for the character ‘Evangeline Cross’.

- When this character equips both items simultaneously, she gains the unique trait ‘Crossroad’.

Every SSR grade character has their own ‘unique equipment’.

These are usually equipment related to the character’s story, with unique traits or effects.

They either amplify the strengths of the character, or compensate for their weaknesses.

‘That’s why SSR characters are especially good.’

Although there are excellent heroes even among SR grades, ultimately, due to the presence or absence of unique equipment, SSR grade characters become stronger.

So, speaking of Evangeline’s unique trait—identical to the city’s name—this [Crossroad] thing.

[Crossroad] <Exclusive for ‘Evangeline Cross’>

- A trait blossoming from the karma accumulated by the Cross Family who protected people by killing monsters.

- In any combat environment, you can find the optimal path and move accordingly.

- Activating this continually consumes MP.

The path tread by the Cross Family.

The accumulated experiences of all ancestors of the Cross Family. This is the crystallization that blossomed during Evangeline’s generation.

In any combat environment, she can always make the best move.

‘Evangeline said she could see the path ahead.’

Although the description is complicated, it’s simply a self-buff. When this mode is activated, combat efficiency increases by about 2 times.

Evangeline isn’t a character with a large mana pool, so she can’t maintain it for long.

‘In the game, once you got Evangeline and increased her loyalty, she’d automatically find this set equipment.’

I didn’t expect they’d bury it in her father’s grave this time. I was taken aback when I first saw them burying it.

Well, we were planning to forever remove her from this front line, so I left it alone... Now that the situation has come to this, there’s no other choice but to make full use of it.

‘Thanks to that, we managed to finish the battle.’

I glanced at the grave of Margrave Cross, next to the tombstone, horribly dug up. It’s for saving your daughter, so you won’t be angry, right?

“Oh dear, my back.”

Fatigue swept over my body, and a subtle pain started spreading from my shattered left arm.

If it gets treated later, it’s going to hurt really bad.

‘I wonder if the city is unscathed.’

In the distance, flames were visible on the city walls.

They said they handled the signals well, but it seems the battle isn’t over yet. They must be dealing with the remnants of the golems.

‘...They’ll manage.’

Objectively and coolly viewed, the city’s forces are more than sufficient.

There are Lucas, Jupiter, Lilly, and Damien.

We’ve prepared defensive equipment and artifacts with blood, sweat, and tears over the past two weeks. The condition of the city walls is also perfectly repaired.

Even without me, they would have done fine.

I had to believe that.

I had to trust my party members.

’Let’s rest for a bit...’

I stretched my hand towards the campfire and began to doze off.

Exhaustion rolled in like a wave...

***

I started dreaming.

In the dream, I saw a young child lying in a hospital bed.

Wearing an oxygen mask, head shaven, and asleep with eyes closed.

Beep- beep-

The rhythmic sound of machines echoed.

I stood beside the bed, silently observing the child.

Beep- beep-

Only the repetitive sound of machines filled my ears.

Beep- beep-

Beep- beep-...

***

“Gasp!”

I awoke from my dream in a sweat.

It was still dark, still night. Judging by the stars in the sky, some time had passed.

"Huh."

Something warm made me turn, and I found a cloak covering my shoulders. Wasn’t this the one I gave to Evangeline?

“You’re awake.”

A snarky voice came from up front.

It was Evangeline. She was slowly collecting firewood. When did she wake up?

“Are you feeling any better?”

“After getting some shuteye, I’m somewhat better. Not dying, at least... How about you?”

“Considering we took down 50 golems, I feel surprisingly light.”

I gritted my teeth against the pain in my left arm and chuckled. Evangeline snorted.

“You don’t need to act tough.”

“Is that for you to say?”

“Hmph...”

Evangeline tossed the collected firewood into the fire. The flames quickly grew stronger, spreading warmth all around.

Evangeline put her hands deep into the pockets of her torn jacket and exhaled. Sigh...

“Are we going to have to camp out here tonight?”

“Looks like it. We can only go back once the situation in the city settles down.”

“I wonder if everyone there is okay...”

“They’re probably better off than us. You don’t need to worry.”

Just then, a thunderous sound rumbled from Evangeline’s stomach.

Almost simultaneously, a feeble sound came from my own stomach.

“...”

“...”

Evangeline glared at me. What. What now, girl?

“I’m hungry.”

“So am I.”

“You’re a great cook, you know.”

“You graduated from the academy, too. You should at least know how to prepare a camp meal, right?”

Evangeline then suddenly raised her hand.

“Rock.”

“What? Seriously? Are we really going to decide this way?”

“Paper.”

“Wait, wait! I don’t know the rules around here. Does rock beat scissors, scissors beat paper, and paper beat rock?”

“Scissors!”

I showed scissors, and Evangeline showed rock.

“Heheh.”

Evangeline puffed her chest out in victory.

Darn it! I overthought it, wondering if the rules of rock-paper-scissors might be different on this planet. They’re the same!

Grumbling, I headed back to the villa and rummaged through the kitchen cabinets, gathering a few things before returning to the campfire.

"Here."

What I had brought was a glass and a bottle of whiskey.

And a bag of dried fruit. Evangeline didn’t hide her disappointment.

"Is this all?"

"We should be grateful we even have this in this mess."

The liquor is mine, and the bag of dried fruit is for you.

Evangeline, taking the bag of dried fruit, quickly popped one into her mouth. She then suddenly spat it out with a start.

"Ugh, ptui! It tastes awful! What is this?"

"It’s the fruit your father harvested."

At my words, Evangeline froze in her spitting pose.

"The Margrave was chewing that every day."

"...Really, it was damn stupid of you old man."

Evangeline, hesitating to pull out another piece of dried fruit, threw it back into her mouth.

"...!"

Her face changed color as she crumpled and then smoothed it out repeatedly. In the end, she managed to swallow it without spitting it out.

"Ugh...it tastes horrible..."

Panting with her tongue out, Evangeline gestured towards the glass in my hand.

"Give me a drink too. My mouth is so dry I need to drink something."

"This is alcohol. You’re underage."

"What does it matter? I’ve been through hell and back."

Evangeline looked rather solemn.

"You said it earlier, senior. Try everything you haven’t tried. Waste your life without regret."

"..."

"Now I know. Holding back when you want to do something is stupid. I’m not going to hesitate anymore. I’m going to do what I want."

Evangeline waved her hand towards the whiskey glass.

"Fine, just give it to me already~!"

"You’re barely past puberty and already eager to..."

I poured a small amount of whiskey into the glass, handing it over.

"Just a sip."

Evangeline, taking the glass, closed her eyes tightly and downed it in one go. Good for her~

"Phew~!"

She exhaled oddly, as if she’d seen it somewhere. This whiskey is strong, are you okay?

"Really...it tastes horribly!"

"Well, figures."

"Both the fruit and the whiskey, they taste awful."

Evangeline, handing back the glass, touched her forehead with her hand.

Already getting tipsy from her first drink, her face quickly flushed.

"Did Dad eat and drink this every day?"

"..."

"And he protected this city in this state for three years?"

"Chewing dirt and drinking dust, even if you want to turn your back and run away, you don’t, and you do your job every day."

Pouring myself a drink, I chuckled.

"That’s what it means to be an adult."

"I don’t want to be an adult."

"Haha. Cute."

But there’s no Neverland in this world, and every Peter Pan must let go of Tinkerbell.

Everyone becomes an adult.

I didn’t utter such a harsh truth. It was something the girl before me had to realize on her own.

With her heated cheeks cradled in her hands, Evangeline began to murmur in a softened voice.

"...Yeah, it’s true. I knew."

"What?"

"I knew that my dad left the house secretly every night to spend his time here, at my mom’s grave."

Evangeline slowly turned her head. The tombstones of the Margrave couple stood side by side.

"Even when he chose to inspect the advance base instead of attending the funeral, even when he didn’t cry out loud, he was weeping in his heart. I knew that’s how my dad was."

The small hands of Evangeline slowly covered her young face.

"I still hate my dad. So, I wish he were here. So that I can hate him freely. So that he could scold me for being a bad daughter."

"..."

"I hate it all now. Holding resentment by myself, missing him by myself. I just..."

Her monologue gradually turned into a child’s whine.

"I miss them..."

"..."

"Mom and dad... I miss them..."

Evangeline began to sob quietly.

I didn’t comfort Evangeline. I left her crying alone.

In this cold world. In this harsh world.

She, herself, had to endure the taste of dirt and dust and learn to survive on her own, as she became an adult.

"I miss you, dad..."

Evangeline, who had been sobbing, eventually fell asleep, drunk. She curled up and buried her face in her knees.

After wrapping my cloak around the young girl, I picked up the bottle and the cup and stood up.

I walked to the tombstones of the Margrave couple, opened the bottle, and sprinkled alcohol over the graves.

"..."

I poured the remaining alcohol into my cup and drank it. Feeling the heat spread in my stomach, I slowly turned eastward.

The eastern sky was gradually brightening. Dawn was approaching.

Clippity-clop, clippity-clop...

Under the brightening dawn sky, I could see my soldiers coming from afar.

I gave a wry smile and waved my hand. I saw a flash of relief on Lucas’s face, who was riding the leading horse.

And so, another stage was drawing to a close.

--TL Notes--

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