720. [Side Story] Lake Kingdom
Crossroads. Temple.
I had several conversations with King Poseidon.
The return of the Nameless Corrupt Demon King, the dynamics of the Lake Kingdom, and what lies ahead…
And about King Poseidon’s retirement.
He used up all his physical and mental strength in the last Black Dragon battle. In reality, I have aged so drastically.
“Of course, it means that I will only step down from the front line. “I will continue to stay in this city and help where I can.”
King Poseidon looked at his hand, which had lost a lot of weight.
“Moreover, I am in a situation where I am wielding the power of a tribal god. “At least I should stay here until I pass this power on to my successor.”
After nodding, I suddenly stopped.
It reminded me of Hecate and the Glory Knights.
I stopped them from retiring. They were prevented from leaving this front.
Rather than thinking that his life was useless and running away in despair, he hoped to find the answer to how to live in the future on this front and then leave.
But was this the right decision for a superior?
Perhaps it was a pointless nonsense on my part….
“Is there anyone you have considered as your successor?”
When I shook off my thoughts and asked, King Poseidon scratched his chin with an embarrassed expression.
“I told Miss Serenade in advance…”
“Yes?!”
I was embarrassed and blurted out urgently.
“Are you going to replace Serenade?!”
“no no! “That’s not it…”
King Poseidon quickly waved his hand and said awkwardly.
“Because the successor I was thinking of was someone that Miss Serenade would hate very much. “I asked for your consent in advance.”
“yes? Who would Serenade hate?”
“That’s why I’m trying to pass on the power of a race god… He’s someone that all merchants on this continent will be afraid of.”
King Poseidon, with his arms crossed, looked at me carefully and asked cautiously.
“Have you ever heard of the Rompeler Pirates?”
I looked horrified. Ah, I think I remember mentioning it with someone a long time ago.
‘Of course you know. He’s the worst pirate in the southern part of the continent and the best name among marine roaming hostile NPCs…!’
Now that I think about it, that friend’s hair color in the game is…
‘blue!’
You’re of mermaid descent…!
“I’m planning to make those friends my successors.”
King Poseidon said that and nodded awkwardly.
‘Is this the Pirate King Rompeler following the Bandit King Kuilan?’
This was the moment when the connection with the new hero continued.
Following Capturing Monster Master, will collecting thieves be done by attribute?
***
The Demon King returned, and the power of the scepter, which had been useful for a while, was also recovered.
‘It’s bad to take something after it’s been given…’
Thanks to that, I was able to get the last 4 stages for free, but I’m still sad because they’re not there anymore.
And with the return of the Demon King, the unidentified fog blocking the teleportation gate also cleared. You can now re-enter the Lake Kingdom.
‘This is stage 45.’
Before you know it, you’re at the boss stage again.
So, since the importance of reconnaissance is higher than in any other defense battle, I was planning to form an elite squad and go scout the dungeon myself…
“Just a moment, my lord.”
Ader suddenly rolled into the lord’s office and stopped me.
“I hope you decide carefully when entering this dungeon. “It will be a little different than usual.”
“huh?”
“Please prepare thoroughly before entering. And please know that many things will change after this.”
After listening to Ader’s warning in a daze, I asked back.
“So what is it? Is it something like, ‘If you enter this dungeon now, the main scenario event will take place’? “Is that the one that appears when you play an RPG that warns you to prepare thoroughly because you can never go back to the way it was before?”
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
When I gave another game-loving example, Ader held her stomach and laughed.
“Well, actually, it’s not that big of a deal…”
Ader smiled and nodded.
“When you visit the dungeon this time, a kind of trigger will activate, progressing to becoming the final boss, and progressing the stage until the ending is confirmed. “It’s something like that.”
“No, it’s huge enough!”
I was freaked out.
Ader scratched the back of his head sheepishly and glanced at me.
“And… it’s also the last time I’ll be in this city.”
“….”
“If you go on a free dungeon exploration this time, this ugly director will leave Crossroads. So I came to say my last goodbye.”
Only then did it really feel real.
The end is indeed near.
Just as there is an event in the game where the ending branch begins, this free exploration also seems to be an event of a similar nature.
Some eventually leave, some eventually fall into darkness, and those who remain…
must continue to fight no matter what happens in the future.
“Ugh… If I ask where you’re going, you won’t even answer?”
“haha.”
Ader just laughed bitterly at my rumblings.
“I am trying to be a small help to you on your way, so please understand.”
“Okay, okay. “Don’t believe it.”
“I don’t know what to say, but… I’d like to tell you a story from the past, would you mind?”
“huh?”
I opened my eyes in surprise and asked urgently.
“Are you finally going to tell me your love story?!”
No matter how much I asked, they only gave me a vague answer, so I can finally hear the last synopsis of < Love in the Lake Kingdom >?!
“yes. Well, it’s also the story of my unrequited love.”
Ader sheepishly wiped the corners of her mouth and cast a gaze that settled like dust behind her glasses.
“This is also everything that happened in the Lake Kingdom 500 years ago.”
“….”
“How did the world’s most prosperous magical kingdom fall? How did it become a hell spewing out monsters? “Who planned it and how did the survivors overcome the destruction?”
Ader laughed bitterly.
“Knowing this will help you with the final zero point adjustment.”
Ader and I sat across from each other on the sofa in the office.
Ader, who was folding her hands and touching her fingers, slowly spoke out.
“Where should I start… No, actually, the starting point of the story is set.”
His gray eyes suddenly sparkled transparently with a faint light.
“Right when I first saw him….”
***
500 years ago.
Lake Kingdom.
The Lake Kingdom, the world’s most prosperous magical city-state, was floating on a clear turquoise lake.
This appearance of the entire country floating in the air above the surface of the lake was in itself a form of showing off the powerful magical level of the Lake Kingdom, and at the same time, it was a form of avoiding enemy attacks.
“It would not be wrong to say that the history of mankind is a history of resistance to destruction.”
The capital of the Lake Kingdom.
The King of the Lake Kingdom, sitting on his throne while looking at the entire country floating in the air, slowly opened his mouth.
“In the distant mythological era, they struggled to survive under the tyranny of various divine beings, and later in the historical era, they did their best to survive as a weak race caught in the middle of the uprisings of countless races.”
“….”
“All the beings that tried to destroy humanity were defined as ‘monsters,’ and we humans fought together against them regardless of nationality or affiliation.”
The king’s speech was calm, but it resonated loudly in the throne room.
“Our Lake Kingdom stood at the cutting edge of humanity.”
In front of the king, numerous knights and wizards were kneeling on one knee and listening to him politely.
“It was our kingdom that first discovered the guardian tree of humanity, and it was our kingdom that was the first among humanity to ignite the spark of magic.”
Additionally, the king’s voice and appearance were being relayed throughout the Lake Kingdom through a magical device.
“There have been countless invasions over the past hundreds of years to extinguish that flame. To avoid that invasion, we moved from the land to the lake… But as the country continued to be in danger, we even ended up floating the entire country in the air like this.”
People filling the streets throughout the floating kingdom of lakes were listening intently to the king’s speech.
“And today. Finally. “It is only now, 500 years after the founding of the nation, that we can proclaim it.”
The King slowly stood up.
There was a dazzling hope on his face that was broadcast throughout the city.
“Proud people of the Lake Kingdom!”
The King roared with open arms.
“We won!”
Wow…!
The people who filled the streets cheered in unison.
“We succeeded in defeating every last monster!”
It was like that.
Today is none other than the victory declaration ceremony.
It was an event to confirm that there were no longer any threats to humanity left in the world after uprooting the blood relatives of the continent’s last monster army.
“I also declare at the same time!”
The King clenched his fists.
“Now our Lake Kingdom has taken over the hegemony of the world!”
Waaaaaa-!
The entire country was shaken by the king’s declaration. Unable to contain their joy, the knights and wizards who filled the throne room also screamed.
The magical achievements of the Lake Kingdom were dramatically higher. It was at a level that could not even be compared to other human countries, and was overwhelmingly ahead of the four major races that discovered and used magic first.
In order to somehow destroy this lake kingdom, not only the nations of different races but also other human nations worked together, but at some point, the technological gap widened to a level where they could not keep up.
Representatives of the four major races, as well as envoys from other human countries, who participated in the victory declaration ceremony, all had bitter smiles on their faces.
Last hundreds of years. The Lake Kingdom took the lead in fighting against monsters and achieved magical development in proportion to the blood shed.
Now is the time to hog the fruit and savor it.
“Be proud, my people! “We have protected this world and we are on top of this world!”
The King shook his fist.
“Now our lake kingdom will live forever and ever! “I will remain the loser of the world!”
The entire city-state rang with cheers and applause.
The princess also smiled brightly and clapped hard as she looked at her father giving a speech in front of the knights and wizards who applauded with tears in their eyes.
A young princess with dazzling silver hair neatly combed down her back and blue-green eyes as deep as a lake.
The name was Ariel.
***
And at the same time.
At this time, under the dazzling sunlight, all the ‘people’ of the Lake Kingdom rejoiced at the king’s declaration.
“Wow….”
All the ‘non-citizens’ in the shadows.
In the exophytic zone outside the intolerant zone. Today too, I was taking on difficult and unpleasant tasks.
“It looks like something good is happening.”
sewer.
A non-citizen boy who was helping with cleaning, covered in dirt and oil, looked towards the distant royal castle.
While quietly listening to the king’s declaration of victory ringing from afar, the boy raised both hands and shouted ‘Hurrah’.
“I wonder if I can go to that royal castle someday…”
The boy muttered, laughing.
“Now there is only glory ahead of our country, but will there ever be a day for someone like me to bask in that light?”
Immediately afterwards, the boy made a screeching sound and grabbed the broom. Over there, the sewage manager was glaring at the boy with harsh eyes.
The boy worked hard with a broom and tongs to clean up trash and rat carcasses from the sewer.
The shining capital and the glory of the country.
It was all just a distant story.
***
The boy didn’t know.
That in just a few days, he would enter that royal castle.
And the road ahead of the Lake Kingdom.
That it will be full of downfall, not glory.
At this time, the boy had no idea.
