◈ 041. [STAGE 2]
All weight rats have been destroyed.
The monsters attracted by the Marquis turned their backs on us.
After opening the gate, Lucas and his soldiers attacked the rear of them. Fire support continued on the wall.
The rats broke through one point from the rear to the depths.
Sporadic resistance continued, but those who had already become mere drops of water rather than waves were extremely weak.
The rats were hunted in front of the swords and spears of the humans. It wasn’t long before I was able to get rid of all the remaining rats.
but.
“… .”
Past the field where the soldiers were clearing out the remaining rats one by one.
I hurriedly headed for where Lucas and the veterans were gathered. With Damian who can use healing magic.
“majesty.”
As I approached, Lucas looked at me.
Both Lucas’s new armor and new sword were covered in the rat’s blood.
But Lucas dropped his head heavily, not even thinking about wiping it off.
“Looks like it’s late.”
“… .”
I made my way through the crowd and got into the middle of the crowd.
Marquis Cross was lying there.
The condition of the old knight was appalling. The shape of the armor that had been eaten by the rats was unrecognizable, and the limbs were almost missing.
The teeth marks of the monsters were visible all over the body.
Damian hurriedly ran and used recovery magic on the Marquis.
“I’m sorry, Prince. This wound… … .”
Immediately after, Damian closed his eyes and shook his head.
It must be that there is no way to do anything with your own recovery magic. Even if an SSR grade healer came, these injuries would not be able to be fixed.
Still, I hurriedly took out an advanced stamina potion from my pocket.
This is an advanced potion from the previous reward box. If this is somehow… … .
“Quit.”
Then Marshal Cross muttered painfully.
“It’s not a wound that will heal because it’s swollen, it just looks like it will hurt terribly.”
“Marqueeback!”
“Please raise your body. I can’t see anything.”
Me and Damian slowly supported the Marquess Cross and raised his upper body.
Every time the Marquis cooed, blood dripped down her lips.
“… Is the battle over?”
“exactly. change bag. Your credit is very great.”
“The wall… Wasn’t it pierced?”
“It was pierced, but no monsters let in. Everyone in the city is safe.”
“I’m glad… .”
Marquis Cross raised his quivering eyelids and looked around.
The old soldiers who had guarded this place with him all their lives were standing around with miserable faces on their faces.
A hazy smile crept across Marquis Cross’s mouth.
“Everyone, don’t kill yourself. This is the Monster Front. It is a natural place for someone to die. It’s just my turn.”
“… .”
“Do not grieve over the death of each one. Rather, rejoice that you survived the battle.”
The former lord, who spoke calmly, looked at me blankly.
“This is a city on graves. It is also a derogatory term for the number of dead, but it also means that people live on, even on graves.”
I tried to listen to him.
“The city stops just by mourning and mourning. young lord. It’s good to have a funeral, but make sure to give everyone a corresponding joy.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“Because what keeps people alive is hope… .”
The Marquis slowly closed his eyes, which he had struggled to open.
“So if someone has to die, it’s only right that I die, as I have no hope of losing.”
The bleeding that had barely stopped with Damian’s recovery magic started again. Blood poured out like water from all over the old knight’s body.
Damian looked at me and shook his head. The Marquis muttered with a pale face.
“Promise me one thing, Prince Ash.”
“Tell me Marquis. If it’s something I can listen to, I’ll do my best.”
“If my daughter ever comes here… Tell Abby I’m sorry.”
“… .”
“You are free, please… Live as you please… … .”
I nodded.
“Be sure to tell me that.”
“… Yes, that’s enough.”
Death hung over his face in an instant.
The Marquis, who had been looking at the sky for a while with eyes that were fading, muttered.
“I’m sorry honey… .”
He was apologizing to his dead wife.
“In the end, I couldn’t keep… . The orchard and you… … Our daughter too… … nothing… … .”
“No Marquis.”
I carefully held his hand, which didn’t even have a proper shape left.
“You saved the world. Not just this once, but all your life. You saved every human on the front line.”
“… .”
“The world owes you a great debt.”
There is no answer.
As if he couldn’t hear me anymore, the Marquee had never looked at me. He kept mumbling to himself.
“Sorry. In the end I have nothing… … keep… … couldn’t… … .”
In the margrave’s blood-soaked eyes, only remorse overflowed.
At that moment, I suddenly remembered. I hastily pulled a pouch out of my pocket.
It was a bag of dried fruit given to me by the Marquis at that time.
I didn’t know why I kept carrying this tasteless thing to myself. Maybe it was just for now.
I opened the bag and carefully put the dried fruit into the Margrave’s mouth.
“ah… .”
As he held the bitter fruit in his mouth, a faint smile formed on the bloody lips of the Marquis.
“These grapes are really… .”
He couldn’t chew or swallow, but the Marquis’ face was suddenly calm.
Are you looking at the scenery of the orchard in those happy days when your wife and daughter were together?
“moon… army.”
And the Marquis stopped breathing.
“… .”
I looked down in dismay at the face of the dead old man.
I couldn’t understand.
This man who lost everything while defending the city became a man who hated the city so much that he tried to abolish his family karma.
Why did you come back at the last minute?
What did you die fighting for?
What the hell is on this front that swallows someone’s whole life.
“Heavy Marquis.”
I murmured as I carefully closed his blood-soaked eyelids.
“The lordship of this city… It is too heavy.”
It feels like a thousand muscles are pressing down on both shoulders.
I couldn’t get up for a while next to Margrave Cross’s corpse and was devastated.
The soldiers gathered around me bowed their heads one by one.
Deng-deng-deng-
A bell rang in the distance.
It was the sound of a bell announcing the end of the monster invasion and the lifting of the evacuation order.
The evening glow and the bell (晩鐘) enveloped the empty battlefield.
***
[STAGE 2 – CLEAR!]
[STAGE MVP – Lucas(SSR)]
[Level Up Character]
– Ash(EX) Lv.11 (↑2)
– Lucas(SSR) Lv.31 (↑2)
– Jupiter (SR) Lv.37 (↑1)
– Lily (R) Lv.21 (↑1)
– Damian (N) Lv.24 (↑3)
[Dead and Injured Characters]
– < Guest Character > Charles Cross (SR) : Death
[Acquisition item]
– Rat Legion Manastone: 562
– Ratman Champion Magic Core (R): 3
[Stage clear reward has been given. Please check your inventory.]
– N grade reward box: 3
– SR grade reward box: 1
> > Get Ready For The Next STAGE
> > [STAGE 3: Continuation]
***
Crossroads downtown.
manor house.
I hurriedly walked to the entrance of the mansion.
“Ah lord!”
Ader, who found me, came running with a fuss.
“Are you injured anywhere? I waited anxiously.”
“… Ader.”
“You did a good job with this stage. really great… … .”
I grabbed Ader’s collar without listening to any more behind-the-scenes talk.
“Kek? Lord?”
He pushed the panicking guy and threw him against the wall. Courage!
“Cheuk cool. Lord, what… … .”
“say.”
He groaned and tightened his grip on the collar. Ader’s face was clearly perplexed.
“yes? Cool! yes?”
“Tell me.”
“What are you talking about… .”
“Don’t be shy and tell me, you bastard director!”
I roared with force, almost strangling me.
“The current situation is obviously strange. What the hell is this crazy level of difficulty!”
“… !”
“The tutorial stage is what it used to be, so I skipped it. In Stage 1, the Living Armor came out, but I thought it was because I was unlucky and moved on. but!”
I kept pushing.
“A hostile NPC appeared in Stage 2 and gave orders to the monsters? Hell difficulty won’t do that!”
“… .”
“say! What nonsense did you do? Why is the game so difficult? What else is going to happen in the next stage?”
Beyond Ader’s bangle glasses, gray eyes shook in bewilderment.
I now grabbed Ader by the collar with both hands and shook him.
“Tell me straight up why you are hiding these things when you say you are helping me!”
“… You may not believe it, but my lord.”
Ader, who had been biting his lower lip, opened his mouth slowly.
“I am helping the lord in my own way. Really.”
“Stop talking nonsense! Does this happen when you help? And don’t you say anything to me about helping?”
Then Ader pointed at my neck with the tip of his finger.
“That necklace.”
A leather choker type necklace is worn around my neck. It was a reward item for the tutorial stage.
“The necklace you received when you cleared stage 0 will be unlocked if you clear stage 3.”
“however?”
“Once the function is released, you will understand what you are puzzled about.”
Ader muttered bitterly.
“If you clear one more stage, you will know. Why did these things happen… … .”
“… .”
I couldn’t believe it easily, so I kept glaring at Ader.
“Please, lord. No, Mr. Godeok.”
Ader called me by my nickname on Earth.
“I hope you can handle it. I hope that one day, even after knowing all the truth about this crazy world, you will be able to fight as strong as you are now. sincerely.”
“what?”
“From then on, you won’t really be able to run away.”
I asked awkwardly at Ader, who said something incomprehensible.
“What can I not run away from?”
Even though he was grabbed by the collar and strangled, Ader smiled thinly.
It wasn’t the usual thin smile, but a complex smile as if he had mixed emotions.
“… From this world itself.”
