◈ 269. [Side Story] Fallen leaves
“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu… … .”
Evangeline had a very bad complexion. It must be because he oversaw the funeral with an injured body.
“Are you okay, Evangeline?”
I asked anxiously and stepped aside. Then, Evangeline smiled calmly and weakly.
“Of course I am fine. Who’s the strongest on the front line here? Isn’t that me?”
Showing off her bluff, Evangeline pounced on her injured area with her hand.
“Kwaeeeek!”
Immediately with a terrifying scream, Evangeline rolled across the floor. what what… … ?
“Are you okay? So why are you bluffing?”
“I almost died… … I’m not joking, I just saw my dad’s face… … .”
“As expected, why didn’t you just rest in the temple… .”
I asked God to be absolutely stable at the temple, but it was Evangeline herself who stepped forward to take over the funeral director.
“But since Uncle Lucas is in that condition, I have to step in and work.”
Evangeline, who jumped up as if she had never screamed, smiled with a trembling mouth. Are you breaking out in a cold sweat?
Evangeline seemed to feel some responsibility for the outcome of this defensive battle.
That’s why I went to the subject who was most injured in this battle without rest.
“… I was confident.”
Looking at the new graves, Evangeline murmured.
“I was confident while awakening and learning new skills. That I can make sure my allies aren’t hurt anymore.”
“… .”
“If only I had a shield. If only there was a window. That I can’t lose anyone anymore. That kind of confidence.”
Evangeline pursed her small lips.
“No. It was easy. It was lacking. I’m really nothing. It is still a long way off.”
“You did your best.”
“I jumped forward on the subject of the shield knight. I didn’t care about protecting allies, but about destroying enemies. But I couldn’t kill the enemy commander, so I couldn’t protect my friend properly.”
Evangeline was reviewing the battle with Lunared.
“If I had done it right, I would have properly blocked the enemy corps commander on the northern wall, and naturally the damage in other places would have been reduced.”
“… .”
“I definitely have my responsibilities.”
“Evangeline.”
I gently rebuked this girl knight.
“You don’t have to think like that. I am the commander here. If I had properly grasped the enemy’s intentions, the front lines wouldn’t have been so dispersed in the first place.”
Seriously.
Lucas Evangeline Damian.
The three with the ultimate awakening are incredibly powerful. But this time, they couldn’t unite and were scattered, so each had to fight separately.
There was no synergy between them at all.
If the three ultimates complemented each other on the same battlefield, this defensive battle would have unfolded in a completely different form.
“It’s my fault as commander. I am responsible for the deaths of people in this defense battle.”
Then, Evangeline pointedly rolled her eyes and fired at him.
“Seniors. please! Because please! Don’t try to carry it alone.”
“what?”
“The conversation I had with my senior when I decided to stay on the front here. Have you already forgotten?”
Was it during Stage 3 when Evangeline decided to stay here?
… At that time, Evangeline clearly said,
“The people’s resentment and responsibility that you are trying to shoulder… I’ll take it with you too. I told you.”
“… .”
okay.
I said so.
“I am the heir to the Margrave of Cross. He is the one who will one day rule this city.”
“… .”
“You don’t have to give me everything. But, senior, please share a little with me.”
Evangeline smiled bashfully, her large emerald eyes curling round and her prominent fangs sparkling.
“To carry everything alone… It is too heavy.”
“… Evangeline.”
“Me and we are next to you. Don’t forget that.”
Only then did I notice
This guy… … Knowing that I would suffer alone, you forced yourself to be the funeral director.
to be by my side
That feeling is special and I’m grateful… … So I couldn’t say anything.
‘You really grow up day by day, Evangeline.’
… The height is still the same.
Big hum.
We stood quietly on the hill watching the grave site being cleared. Before I knew it, people were leaving quite a bit, so it was quiet.
“Aren’t you reciting poetry today?”
Evangeline suddenly asked. me huh? I looked back.
“city?”
“Why, like at my father’s funeral before. I thought you wouldn’t recite it this time.”
“… .”
I awkwardly scratched the back of my neck.
This guy has a very sharp sense of humor. Actually, I prepared one this time as a tribute, but the order was ambiguous, so I left it out.
“Do you want to hear it?”
“Because your voice is good. Come on!”
Evangeline closed her eyes and waved her hand in her ear, saying she was ready to appreciate it. It’s a bit embarrassing to put a plate on.
After catching my breath, I spat out a short verse.
Come closer, we too will fall leaves one day.
Come closer. The night comes and the wind blows.
autumn.
death.
And people who need each other… … .
There are a few more lines before and after, but I just recited that far and kept my mouth shut. Evangeline, who had been listening quietly, smiled.
“It’s good.”
“good?”
“It’s depressing. It has its own flavor.”
A reddish leaf fell beside Evangeline as she shrugged. Evangeline looked up at the tree and murmured.
“It’s autumn already.”
“I know. It is autumn.”
It was just becoming spring when you joined here. It’s already autumn
Time is foolish.
Have I been using my time meaningfully?
Had I been leading the wires here properly… … .
“Seniors!”
Evangeline jumped up in front of me as I tried to sink into my thoughts again. I was freaked out.
“It’s a surprise! Hey, you’re not feeling well, move slowly!”
“Fit that new armor, please! It’s all smashed!”
I was about to say something more, but I stopped talking. Yes, the golem armor that Evangeline was using has become a rag.
“don’t worry. I’ll match you with something awesome.”
“Shields and spears too! It’s all tattered. Do you want this to be repaired?”
“Don’t worry about that either. I will change it to your liking.”
Armor has new equipment in mind, and spears and shields are waiting for exclusive equipment upgrades.
‘You’ll grow more, Evangeline.’
I thought as I saw Evangeline groaning while holding on to the injured part while jumping and jumping, saying that she was excited.
Equipped, tailored, tall, well-balanced, and… .
As the next cross changeback.
You will grow into a great adult.
Looking at Evangeline, who has matured mentally over the past half year, I smiled.
‘… But when do you grow taller?’
You’re the title character in the limited edition of the game. You’re really going to grow up to look like that title illustration, right? Isn’t that a cover scam? huh?
***
After most of the people got out of the graveyard.
I headed in front of Kureha’s grave. Quylan and the 5 punishment troops were still in place.
“Quilan.”
When the name of Quylan, who was wearing a hood attached to his robe, was called, Quylan slowly took off the hood.
A half-wolf and half-human face was revealed, yet clearly recognizable as Quylan.
“majesty.”
“Did the funeral go well?”
“of course. I received the utmost courtesy.”
I specially ordered Give Kureha the best formality possible.
“Someday, if I get my hometown back, I will bury it, but it was a great funeral that was regrettable.”
All day long, Quylan stared at his brother’s tombstone again.
“… My brother will be able to rest a little more comfortably.”
“That would be nice.”
What can be comforting to the dead? Originally, funerals are held to make the survivors feel comfortable.
“Thank you for the great funeral, and thank you for still treating us as human beings.”
At that time, Quylan spoke with difficulty.
“Still, I don’t think we can be in this city either.”
“… .”
I was speechless as I tried to say something.
Crossroads was attacked by werewolves. A lot of people died.
In this situation, there is no way that these tribes with the same wolf blood can live peacefully in the city.
Although they look quite different, they have quite a bit in common with werewolves anyway.
Most people who have been attacked by werewolves will never be friendly.
“The two weeks before and after the New Year’s Eve are like before, but the two weeks before and after the fifteenth day are like now… It will be half-man, half-beast.”
Quylan waved his red haired hand.
“It’s like a dog that molts every season, but it’s supposed to be like this wolf every two weeks. Wouldn’t the people here be very uncomfortable at that time?”
“… .”
“But even for His Highness and the other colleagues who worked so hard for us, it doesn’t seem moral to leave the front line here.”
Quylan looked at my thoughtful gaze.
“Maybe we can? I would like to hear your opinion.”
“… There is only one way.”
I opened my mouth slowly.
“It must be a bit tiring for you guys.”
“We, who camped in steep mountains and swamps and were chased by the Imperial Army, lived a fine life.”
Quylan grinned.
“Please speak comfortably. I’ll follow you.”
The rest of the punishment unit also nodded.
I let out a short breath and opened my mouth.
“We will build an advance base. How about staying there on site?”
***
Outpost.
The place where you fought the black spider army in the tutorial built near the lake.
Originally, this was the main line of defense for the monster front. It’s just that the monsters that couldn’t be stopped here come and knock on the crossroads.
If we can restore this half-destroyed place, we can greatly reduce the number of monsters attacking the Crossroads.
However, the difficulty of maintenance is still a problem.
In front of the enemy’s nose, the enemy’s first wave must be received intact. If it was captured, all the resident troops would die.
Since it is so close to the starting point of the enemy wave, sending materials here and starting restoration construction is a pain.
As a result, the necessary materials were prepared a long time ago, but the restoration work was stopped.
Even in the meantime, defense battles have continued to be successful, so do we have to restore the forward base by pouring money and manpower? I thought the same thing.
But things have changed.
In this defense battle, monsters have dug into the city. Civil damage occurred.
Soldiers also fell while protecting citizens. I felt it deeply.
The battlefield must not be a city. It should be as far away from the city as possible.
‘Start base construction.’
It doesn’t matter how long it takes or whether it wastes money and materials. People’s lives take precedence over time, over money, over materials.
After hearing my story, Quylan nodded.
“Good! Since we still have strength, we can contribute to the restoration of the forward base.”
“I would really appreciate it if you would.”
“Instead, let us build a space only for us at the outpost. Will that be all right?”
“of course. Build and live like a king.”
“Ha ha ha! That I was once a bandit king? I was thinking of decorating it like a living vegetable!”
Quilan laughed heartily and tilted his head.
“So how does that recovery work happen?”
“Originally, the workers from the production union should start restoring it after the workers load and transport the construction materials on the carts.”
So, in the game, it was only possible to dispatch workers to restore it when there was no invasion of monsters between stages.
Moreover, it takes three days to get there, so subtracting the travel time cuts down on the actual recovery time. It is a task that will take a year.
“So let’s use a trick.”
I raised one corner of my mouth and smirked. Quylan groaned.
“Your Highness is a very nice person, but sometimes she laughs like a real villain… … ?”
“That’s my bad problem, listen anyway.”
It’s an option that doesn’t exist in the game. What I thought would be possible in real life.
Making a winning plan outside the rules. The first is right.
“It’s a teleport gate!”
