658. [Side Story] Last Night On Earth
Dusk Bringer, who had been staring blankly at me, jumped up.
“ash! Aren’t you hurt anywhere?!”
“No, it is the Archduke who was injured, Archduke! Lie down longer because the injury is serious.”
“what? What is that… ugh!”
Dusk Bringer, who had been raising his little body, groaned and collapsed on the bed. Only then did she discover the bandages wrapped around her body.
“what. This is… what is it…?”
“Looks like you’ve lost all your memories. Don’t you remember that I wrapped myself up and got a breath instead?”
“Ah…”
Dusk Bringer let out a weak voice as if recalling the end of the battle with Ipian, the Black Dragon’s Eye.
“That’s right… You guys tried to do something dangerous again, so
I didn’t know…”
I was heartbroken, but I said it sternly.
“The Archduke even put on the armor he was wearing and took the breath with his bare body, right? No, if you’re going to do that, wear armor.”
“…Your safety is our first priority.”
Dusk Bringer muttered in a voice still half asleep.
“The life of the commander-in-chief here is at stake, so how can he spare my armor?”
“…”
I kept my mouth shut.
After all, my recklessness in not taking care of myself is hurting my heroes in the end.
If I don’t fix this in the future, more heroes will die trying to protect me.
‘But what should I do when the level of difficulty stops me…’
Scratching my head with a sigh, I explained the situation after that.
“Fortunately, Moo-myeong cut Aipian’s head right after that, and the breath stopped, so it’s a shame. A few more seconds of exposure could have resulted in much worse injuries.”
“That’s right, I’m sure it’s an unknown sister… Huhu.”
That bastard’s older sister, Taryeong… How did the seniority ranks on the frontlines get twisted like this?
Anyway, to finish explaining the situation at the time… Anonymous dropped Ipian’s head and the battle ended afterwards.
However, in the last few seconds, Ipian’s exhausting breath burned Dusk Bringer’s body.
Even though the shield was spread with the runaway red dragon’s magic, it melted in an instant and even the heroes standing behind it suffered light burns.
Then return to Crossroads. A few days to recover from injuries, repair equipment, and wait for Dusk Bringer to come to his senses.
Dusk Bringer finally woke up today. To be honest, I was really scared because I wondered if it would ever go on like this, but I’m glad I did.
I grabbed an apple from her bedside basket and cut it myself. My skills aren’t very good, so I didn’t get a pretty cut, but I still have to feed this young lady.
“Strangely, the elders here on the frontlines keep throwing their lives away. Who keeps looking for a retirement angle? I’m not blaspheming!”
“…Yes, anyway, it was fine as long as no one was seriously injured.”
“No, he said he was badly injured…”
When I handed over the peeled apple, Dusk Bringer ate it without muttering.
“So what day is it today? And what time is it now? It looks like it’s night because it’s dark…”
“…”
I stopped peeling the apples.
And he met eyes with Dusk Bringer. Dusk Bringer blinked his amber eyes, not knowing why.
“Huh…”
I don’t feel like telling the patient everything, but I should tell the truth.
“Current time is noon, Grand Duke.”
“…what?”
Dusk Bringer panicked and gestured out the window.
“What do you mean by that? Anyway, it’s difficult for young people to joke these days…”
“I’m not kidding, Grand Duke.”
I sighed and got up from my seat and pulled aside the curtains hanging over the window.
“…!”
Dusk Bringer widened his eyes and jumped up from the bed.
I looked up at the sky with her.
“It got darker and darker a few days ago… Even the hour that should be the brightest today has become like this.”
“….”
“The day is gone from this world.”
The sky outside the window was dark.
In the middle of the stuffy black sky, as if it were covered with an artificial curtain… the sun shimmered far and dimly like a full moon.
I dared to say it one more time to Dusk Bringer, who clenched his fists.
“‘Night’ is coming, Grand Duke.”
The Night-Bringer… as its name suggests, is ready to descend.
And he cast a veil over the world of night.
Dusk Bringer looked back at me with a pale face and sharp teeth. And the moment she was about to say something-
“Your Excellency?!”
“You’re awake, Your Excellency!”
Four of her royal guards rushed into the hospital room in a hurry.
Originally, they were taking care of Dusk Bringer day and night, and I gave them a shift so that they could take a break, but Dusk Bringer was awake at this time.
The dragon knights who came in with tears in their eyes clung to the Grand Duke like children.
While Dusk Bringer was embarrassed, he appeased the dragon knights and was scolded by the dragon knights for throwing himself recklessly and getting hurt.
“…”
Watching him from a distance, I slowly bit my body and left the hospital room. It was because I didn’t want to disturb the time the ruler and subjects were spending.
‘I don’t think there’s any need to accurately notify me of the remaining time right now.’
When I came out of the hospital room, the long hallway of the temple spread out.
Standing in the hallway, which was densely lit with candles and torches even though it was midday, I looked up at the dark sky again.
“….”
In front of the ‘Night’ that really approached, I clenched my teeth without realizing it.
Now, the showdown is right in front of us.
Stage 40. Until the invasion of the Night Bringer.
Only 7 days from now-
***
Whii-i-i-
the sound of the cold wind scratches my ears.
Even though it was still autumn, the sky was covered with darkness and the sunlight was weak… The temperature dropped rapidly. It looks like it will snow soon.
‘It’s not enough at night, so it’s been a while since winter.’
Did you have to bring the last season of the 3rd year strategy right in front of you like this?
“He’s been a huge nuisance even before he appeared.”
manor house. office.
When I returned, I threw some more firewood into the stove in the office with a babble. Nervously pushing the tinder and rummaging around the stove, I continued to grumble.
“A bastard who doesn’t feel comfortable unless he advertises everywhere that he’s coming… A bastard who enjoys causing trouble and suffering because of him… A bastard who is like a division commander visiting a military base on holiday…” …Huh
? Wait a minute, is this about me?
Every time I was bored, I reflected on myself when I invaded the lodgings of the heroes. No, but playing with my subordinates is fun! Are you like that too? huh?
“This ‘veil of darkness’ is emerging from the Black Lake and is gradually covering the entire sky.”
And on holidays, the main party members gathered in the office to play with the division commander.
Among them, Junior reported to me with a serious face.
“At first, it was just above the lake, but it gradually widened and was now swallowed up by the crossroads, and if it continues at this rate, it is expected that within a few days, it will cover the entire southern sky… and eventually the entire world.”
“That’s a damn big thing…”
Stop the power show, you evil dragon bastard! You alone are destroying the worldview balance!
“…I’m asking because I’m curious, but how does the world understand celestial bodies like the sun or moon?”
“yes?”
“What is it? Like the geocentric theory or the theory of a flat earth or something like that…”
I was curious about what the people of this world would think in the face of this phenomenon of the sky becoming dark. How is the planetarium of this world?
Then Junior glanced at me as if he was saying something strange.
“Of course, the heliocentric theory is the correct theory. The ground is not flat, but spherical…”
“What! Why do you know so well!”
‘I became a heliocentric genius who fell into the geocentric world view’… Well, I was just delusional by myself in a fantasy possessed by such a different world! Presenting a new planetarium that has never been seen before, wow, Prince Ash is amazing. I wanted to hear some reactions like this!
This place was accepting the heliocentric theory as if it were natural. I drank some useless kimchi soup. Eh.
“Huh, but the earth turns…”
“Yes?”
“No, it’s the prince’s usual nonsense… By the way, does it make sense to cover this much sky with magic?”
I tried to show off my earth science knowledge that I learned in high school but had forgotten about, but Junior answered calmly again.
“The opponent is an evil dragon from the Age of Mythology who rules the ‘night’. There is nothing you can’t do.”
“…Oh, I see. There is nothing you can’t do.”
This damn fantasy world! Common sense seems to match the earth, but it doesn’t fit again!
“Ehh…”
I wiped my forehead with my finger.
Whether scientific or magical, this is not the time to deny reality. Because there are things that are actually happening right in front of your eyes.
Anyway, the skies are covered in darkness, the temperature is dropping, and early winter is coming.
Right now, it’s about the sky above the Crossroads, but a week later when the Night Bringer marches out… the day might really disappear all over the world.
If we don’t defeat the Night Bringer, that night will last forever.
The world will freeze and drown in endless darkness.
“…The soldiers are getting nervous, lord.”
Lucas opened his mouth cautiously. Evangeline followed suit.
“Not to mention citizens. The whole city is in an uproar.”
“Right. Both the soldiers and the citizens…”
The next moment we stared at the last member of the main party as if we had promised.
Click click click click….
Damian was quietly cleaning his horse gun and checking its condition.
The expression is calm and there is no shaking in the hands, but the problem is that I have never seen Damian do this even in the office.
are anxious Even the heroes who fight the monsters at the front.
‘If I’m not anxious, that’ll be even weirder.’
If the world is still dark when you open your eyes in the morning, is there anything more terrifying than that?
All the while, the word doom has been hovering around us in a hazy air with an invisible aura. Even though I was anxious, the feeling was dull.
However, now that the day has been deleted, destruction has become a clear reality and hangs over our heads.
No one can help but be afraid.
The end of the world is just around the corner.
“We provide winter clothing prepared for the winter and supply firewood that we have stocked up. Start dispensing to citizens as well.”
So I instructed the real thing.
To keep the hearts of people floating in anxiety on the ground.
“I do what I can do as I have been instructed in advance.”
All of the Ipian’s magic core recovered this time, as well as the high-quality magic core and materials he had stockpiled, were put into equipment production.
People worked day and night, and the southern wall was finally finished. Ahead of the final battle with the Black Dragon Corps, everyone is trying their best to die.
From Plan A for subjugating the Black Dragon to Plan F in case of failure, only at the Crossroads.
Soldiers from various countries gathered from all over the world put their heads together and concocted wisdom.
Under the direction of my father, Emperor Traha, the Crossroads was also finishing preparations for the decisive battle.
‘Of course, Plan A… If the direct subjugation fails, all subsequent countermeasures from that point on will be nothing more than a desperate attempt…’
Still, it’s better than not trying. Because that struggle might be eaten.
“I’ve said it many times, but the heroes who will directly subdue the black dragon… rest a little longer.”
I looked around at the main party members and smiled softly.
The tactics to deal with the black dragon were briefly briefed in advance. Detailed tactical instructions will be given again soon…
But still, I wanted to give the heroes a faithful break.
In order to fully recover from the injuries sustained in the last battle and to exert all of one’s strength in the final showdown with the black dragon.
And again…
Maybe this is the last peaceful time we can spend.
“Let everyone take a break until I summon them. It’s good to be alone in thoughts, to spend time with loved ones, or to just sleep without doing anything.”
I smiled.
“Let’s spend this long night in our own way.”
As soon as the words were finished, the four of them looked at each other…
“Master, then I’m going to take a nap here… I’m tired after staying up all night.”
“oh! me too! I want to sigh too! Uncle look out Give me your lap as a pillow!”
“Then, Your Highness, I will only finish the memo I was writing.”
“This room is warm, so it’s easy to breathe… I’ll stay a little longer, Prince.”
In this way, all four of them naturally took their seats on the sofa in my office and each lay down. Oh ho, it will come out like that, right?
I whimpered and dragged my chair behind the desk, put it between the children’s sofas, and sat down on it.
There has been no further conversation since.
We spent a quiet time in front of a burning fireplace, listening to each other’s breathing…
Looking into the small, shimmering wood fire, I made a wish.
May this long night ahead of the final battle be peaceful for everyone.
