I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game Chapter 229

The day after the defensive battle.

Crossroad had fully regained its usual peace.

The citizens who had evacuated returned to the city, and the streets bustled as if they had never been emptied by monster invasions.

While the citizens enthusiastically resud their daily lives, the heroes who had endured grueling days on the back of Jormungandr were utterly spent.

After a hearty dinner at the Lords mansion, each one of them collapsed onto their beds and fell into a deep sleep.

Even with the sun high in the sky, they remained knocked out, unable to move.

Thump. Thump.

Only Damien, who hadnt climbed on Jormungandr, was up and about early in the morning. With bandages tightly wrapped around both arms and donning a large cardigan, he left the mansion. He quickened his pace and exited through the citys west gate.

Beyond the western outskirts of the city lay a graveyard.

Damien paused as he passed the countless stone monunts, finally stopping in front of a tall communal tombstone.

...

The tombstone had been erected for soldiers who had not been properly buried following the battle against the Black Spider Army at the forward base.

So had died horrifically, while Damien had cremated her at the base.

It was a promise they had made to each other in life: to cremate, not bury, each other should one of them die.

Thats why there was no separate tombstone for her in this graveyard.

A blue sacred fla burned in front of the communal tombstone. Damien silently stood in front of it, gazing into the fire.

"More than half a year has passed since you died," Damien spoke softly.

"I still cant believe it, Ban."

Damiens bandaged hand slowly caressed the tombstone.

"It feels like we were together just yesterday."

If he closed his eyes, it felt like he could grasp her smiling face.

For a mont, Damien recalled his mories with Ban. The days they had spent together, from his childhood up to the present. And perhaps, the future they couldnt experience together.

"Since becoming a sniper, Ive learned sothing," Damien slowly opened his eyes.

"Life is like an arrow that has left the bow, or a bullet that has left the gun barrel."

The boy looked down at his bandaged hands.

"Once the arrow is in the air, you cant go back to the mont before it was shot. No matter how much you want to turn back ti... you cant."

No matter how much you regret the past, or relive mories, you cant return to the mont before the trigger was pulled.

Life has already been shot into the void.

"So, I have to decide," a faint smile appeared at the corners of Damiens mouth.

"Where Im going to land."

Damien looked back at the tombstone.

"Ban, I looked up to you. I wanted to be strong like you... yes, I wanted to be you."

Thats why he had followed in her footsteps.

Imitated her bravado, acted like a stronger version of himself.

Hoping that by doing so, the current painful monts would pass.

But he was wrong. He realized the futility of pretending to be her.

Ban was strong not because she put on an act, but because she faced her life without running away.

"Rember when the orphanage director pressured us to beco his son Willer?"

A faint smile hung on Damiens lips, gradually becoming clearer.

"You, Ban, never once tried to beco Willer. You always wanted to live as yourself."

Life is like an arrow that has left the bow.

"Admiring you, I tried to abandon myself and beco you. Isnt that laughable?"

Either youre shot toward soone elses target, or you aim yourself toward your own future.

An arrow must make a decision.

And Damien made his choice.

"I wont chase after you anymore."

There was no longer any hesitation on the boys face.

"Because I am neither Willer nor Ban, but Damien."

Not soone elses life,

Nor following soone you admire,

By my own will. By my own beliefs.

"I will exist as ."

He decided to live.

Damien had made his choice.

"Even if it takes a long ti, I promise to keep it."

Not because of a promise with Ban, but entirely of his own will.

Damien resolved to set off on an adventure to the ends of the world.

"So, Ban, you too... be yourself."

Damien slowly lifted his hand from the tombstone and stepped back.

"Stay beautiful within ."

The graveyard was tranquil.

The eternal flas quietly burned, and the dead remained in their silent slumber.

However, at that mont, Damien felt as if he heard a girls laughter tickling his ear.

Co back.

It must be an illusion.

A hallucination.

As if he had dreamt of spending a lifeti with her.

Damien turned away from the tombstone. With a bandaged hand, he roughly wiped away the tears from his eyes.

After smiling warmly with his reddened eyes, the boy began to walk toward the city.

Toward the lifes target he had set for himself.

Without faltering, straight ahead.

***

"Uuuuugh."

I let out a zombie-like groan.

"Uuuuuuh."

"Keeeeek."

"Gwaaah."

All the heroes sitting around the table were making similar noises.

The day after the defense battle, past noon.

Aider forcibly woke us up, insisting we must have lunch, and herded us into the dining hall.

We were all zombified because the fatigue from three days of continuous labor had not yet lifted.

If it were up to , Id sleep for a week, but the damn aide said things like, Its bad for your health! and shoved food into our mouths.

This is whats bad for my health! Just let sleep!

"Gwaaaah."

Whether the food was going into our mouths or our noses, or even oozing out, I didnt know. Sohow, the al was over.

The heroes sluggishly crawled back into their guest rooms and passed out, and I, lacking the strength to return to my room, stayed at the dining table and barely sipped on so cold coffee.

Id already craved iced Aricano while repelling Jormungandr, and now that I had so, I felt a bit revived.

"Ash."

Just then, soone stood next to and called my na.

I lazily lifted my eyes to see who it was. Who dares to carelessly call the na of their lord?

It was a woman with snow-white hair cascading down her back.

Deprived of sunlight, her pale skin was just as fair as her hair.

Eyes clear and blue as a lake, a well-defined nose, and slightly closed lips of a lighter shade.

This was the first ti I had ever encountered such an astonishing beautya literal doll-like figure, as if not of this world.

Yeah, she was extraordinarily beautiful, but...

Who are you?

I was taken aback because I had never seen this person before.

I rubbed my eyes, thinking perhaps fatigue was playing tricks on my sight, but there was no mistake. This was soone Id never t.

What the hell? Who are you? How can you just waltz into my ho and call out soones na?

Startled, I nearly knocked over my coffee cup. The woman frowned as if baffled.

What are you talking about? Its , Naless.

Ah.

Only then did I realize who she was.

She was Naless, a rchant NPC from Lake Kingdom.

But she had changed so drastically! From tattered robes to guest attire, and a wash(?) had completely transford her appearance.

Werent you the one who insisted I stay for a day?

Naless grumbled.

Right, that was true. She had initially planned to return ho imdiately.

But I forced her to stay at my place for a day, thinking I should at least offer her a al after all the hardships we went through together.

Then I realized, this brat had entered through Jormungandrs mouth and exited from its rear(!).

I told her she couldnt enter my ho in that condition and ushered her into the mansions bath.

And apparently, chaos ensued.

The maids assigned to Naless bath scread that water as dark as centuries-old filth was coming out.

Naless bath took several hours, and she couldnt join us for dinner.

Right after dinner, I, along with everyone else, practically passed out and went to sleep.

So, this was the first ti I was eting her post-bath.

Wow, you look like a different person after a bath! You shouldve been doing that all along!

I couldnt help but admire the rejuvenated Naless.

In other words, just how dirty had she been? Do all people in Lake Kingdom lack basic hygiene? I was sowhat disappointed deep down.

The people of my kingdom are suffering in a hellish condition. How could I alone indulge in luxury?

Naless shrugged her shoulders.

No, luxury or not, youre supposed to maintain basic hygiene, you resident of this fantasy world! Just wash regularly!

Anyway, I was thinking of heading back.

Clean-Naless stretched her long neck and looked around.

Do you know where my stuff is? I cant see my clothes or my sword.

Your stuff?

I felt a montary pang of anxiety. What if the maids had thrown them away because they were too filthy? It was a definite possibility.

Thats when it happened.

All your belongings have been stored here.

Aider appeared, holding a clean bag.

Your clothes and robe have been washed. And your sword is here, placed in a new sword sheath.

Ah, thanks for that.

Clean-Naless gratefully took the bag and slung the sword sheath over her back.

Aider, who had been inspecting the long, trailing white hair on the floor, cautiously asked,

If its not too impertinent, may I tie your hair for you?

Huh?

"I thought it might get in your way while you walk. It will be much more manageable if I tie it up a bit."

"Ah, please do. Ive had monts where stepping on my hair threw off balance while swinging my sword."

Aider walked behind Naless, pulled out a long red cloth from his pocket, and ticulously braided her long white hair before tying it up.

I didnt know the first thing about how he did it, but Aiders skills were impressive enough to prevent Nalesss hair from dragging on the ground any longer. Although it was still long and wavy, it now draped like a cloak behind her.

"Thanks. This is much more comfortable."

"Youre welco. Then."

Aider nodded his head and prepared to step back. Just then, Naless tilted her head and hesitantly asked,

"By any chance"

"Yes?"

Naless seed unsure, but she asked anyway.

"Have we t before?"

Aider blinked a few tis behind his bangs and glasses, and then let out a wry smile.

"No, we havent, my lady. You must be confusing with soone else."

""

Naless, who had been standing blankly, eventually offered a crooked smile.

"Right. Of course not. Its been centuries since Ive ventured into the outside world; I must be getting careless."

Naless scratched her cheek awkwardly, then gave Aider a subtle smile.

"Thanks for tying my hair."

Aider bowed deeply in return.

"It was my pleasure."

***

Flash-!

Naless teleported back to Lake Kingdom.

There was no need for a grand farewell since they were going to see each other again soon. They simply waved their hands.

As soon as Naless disappeared and the magical particles subsided, I asked,

"Whats the relationship between you two, Aider?"

Aider imdiately responded,

"No comnt."

"This guy"

Spoilers, please, for the love of God!

"Dont you have plenty of other questions for ?"

Aider spread his arms wide, smirking mischievously.

"How about the long-delayed interview with the director? Lets do it now."

""

"Im always eager to hear from our players!"

The mont I heard that, I couldnt help but think,

...Why do the operators of failing gas always say things like that?