◈ 414. [Side Story] Return (4)
Crossroads. Alchemy Workshop.
jump!
Panting, I opened the door and entered, calling my name urgently.
“Lily!”
Lily’s room was near the entrance to the workshop. It was a consideration for her disabled leg.
Jumping into it, I cried out.
“I heard something big happened! what the hell… … Days… .”
I was speechless.
Lily was sitting at her desk in her studio, checking out the artifacts.
“… majesty?”
Lily, who had been looking at me sternly, let out a puzzled voice.
“My God, are you back?”
“Oh yes yes. back… … but.”
I raised my trembling hand and pointed at Lily.
“you… What is that boat… … ?”
Lily, sitting in a chair… … oh my god. My stomach was hugely bloated.
I approached Lily, covering my mouth with my hand.
“My stomach… Why did the ship come out like this?”
“Oh that… .”
“No matter how stressed you are, you should have eaten in moderation! How did you end up with such extreme abdominal obesity!”
“So this isn’t belly fat?!”
Lily sighed and put her hands on her stomach.
“I am pregnant.”
“Eh?”
I gaped.
“Who’s that kid?!”
“… who would it be Of course it’s God Hand.”
Lily glanced at me as if asking for something obvious.
I was really speechless.
At that time, Body Bag and Burnout came out from inside the workshop and greeted me. With the help of the two, Lily moved from a chair to a wheelchair.
“Before the goblin army invades… It seems she was pregnant then. When I calculated the date, I was already about 8 months pregnant.”
“Eight months… .”
So, is it two months later? No, because they are mixed race, is the period different?
When I looked at Lily’s bloated belly and didn’t know what to do, Lily reprimanded me.
“majesty. I know you’re surprised, but don’t you have something to say when your subordinate announces the pregnancy?”
“Oops! that’s right therefore… .”
I stopped hesitating and belatedly said a greeting that I should have said.
“congratulations… ?!”
“Thank you, Your Highness. It’s like getting stabbed in the side and bowing down.”
Laughing bitterly, Lily asked Bodybag and Burnout to clean up the studio. The two elves calmly followed Lily’s request.
Lily said as she left the studio and drove the wheelchair outside.
“It wasn’t always easy to move around, but my stomach was like this, so it got harder… I’m getting help from both of them. I just want to thank you for being willing to help.”
Dragging the wheelchair seemed quite difficult, so I carefully pushed it from behind. Lily nodded, saying thank you.
“I know, Your Highness. what are you worried about Everyone was worried.”
Lily, who came out to the backyard of the workshop and breathed in the outside air in silence for a while, slowly opened her mouth.
“The child has no father, the mother cannot use her legs, and even the child in her belly is a cross between a human and an elf… … They are even mixed-bloods who are treated with disdain.”
“… .”
“i know. That it will be very difficult.”
What can I say more?
I listened quietly. Lily continued.
“When I found out I was pregnant, I worried a lot. Should I wean the child? should i give birth? Even if I give birth, how will I live in the future? … .”
The early autumn sunlight shone through the greenery in the backyard and fell on Lily’s face. Lily quietly closed her eyes.
“I’m so helpless, should I just die with the child? I thought so too.”
“… .”
“But I can’t… I didn’t have the courage.”
Lily pursed her lips.
“The courage to let go of a child. Courage to die together. There wasn’t. So just… … I decided to give birth.”
“… .”
“I decided to live.”
I decided to live.
How many nights did she spend in agony to come to this six-letter conclusion?
Needless to say, I wasn’t by Lily’s side when she was in agony. So, Lily, who came to a conclusion by herself and continued to fight, was strong.
“no. You are a very courageous person, Lily.”
Saying it sincerely, I nodded.
“I will help you. Giving birth and raising children… … .”
“… .”
“Although the working environment here at the Kaiju Front is a little poor, the welfare is okay? Trust only the lord.”
There is a saying that it takes a whole village to raise a child.
It means that many people need help for a child to grow up safely.
I was willing to help any help I could give for Lily and her child. And that thought won’t be different from others.
“Didn’t you promise then? If you decide to take on the challenge, I will help.”
maybe Lily.
It may be that she is facing a bigger challenge than all the challenges she has taken on in the meantime.
So you will need more help than ever.
“I will not decline, Your Highness.”
Lily put her hand on her stomach and smiled shyly.
“Because it doesn’t seem like that.”
… I thought the little kids had grown up unrecognizably while I was away.
But it wasn’t just children.
Adults are big too.
Looking into Lily’s eyes, which seemed to have deepened by an inch, I frowned at the tip of my nose.
“ruler! I’ll tell you my personal history here and report how the artifacts and the aqueous facility were destroyed while Your Highness was away. Oh, did you see the giant skull hanging on the southern wall? That’s really cool… … .”
Lily started reporting to me like an Artifact manager.
I listened intently to her report, but couldn’t take my eyes off her belly.
The Crossroads here is called the city on graves.
But even here people fall in love, have children, and… … live
even on the grave. overcoming death
– I decided to live.
I don’t think I’ll be able to forget these six words from Lily for a long time.
So even more.
The wires here so that they can live… … We must protect the world.
I clenched my fist as hard as I could.
***
In addition to the Alchemy Workshop, he toured other workshops and greeted the Guildmasters after a long time.
Other than that, say hello to other mercenaries and soldiers.
On the way back to the mansion after completing the survival report.
“… .”
I stopped the carriage in front of the temple.
A large man in a helmet was sweeping the temple entrance with a broom. I got out of the carriage and approached him.
“Torkel.”
He was Thorkel, the leader of the Leper Slayers.
As I approached, calling my name, Thorkell looked at me in amazement.
“majesty… ! Are you back?!”
“haha. It’s been a long way, but yes. It came back like this.”
I smiled awkwardly and checked Thorkel’s whereabouts.
“Have you been doing odd jobs at the temple ever since?”
“yes. That’s right.”
Torkel scratched the back of his helmeted head with his hand and replied in his characteristic dull voice.
“I still can’t find the answer… .”
“… .”
By a group of goblins who attacked the temple here.
The Leper Slayer was wiped out except for Torkel, the leader.
Saint Marherita, who was the chief priest, was killed by an arrow instead of Thorkel.
I don’t know what the temple meant to him, but the reason why he couldn’t leave this place and continued to do odd jobs… … It’s like knowing
Torkell calmly explained how the temple had worked during the half year I was gone, and I listened in silence.
And news too.
“They say that a new priest will be appointed at this temple in a few weeks.”
I opened my eyes wide at Thorkel’s words.
“A new priest? Are you saying there will be dispatches from the Central Church?”
“That’s right. Actually, of course no one came, and I wondered if Damian was going to become the priest as it is… A while ago, I got a call from the Central Church. He said he would arrive soon.”
It was really surprising news. Does this mean that there was another foolish priest who wanted to come to this remote area?
“… .”
otherwise
Is there someone who will monitor the movements of this place as a spy, as the church has done in the past?
“In the meantime, I was able to be in the temple like this because Damian-nim, acting chief priest, generously allowed me to do so… When the new priest comes, he will probably be kicked out.”
Thorkel slowly turned and looked around the temple.
“Because I am the one who killed the saintess, who was a leper and was a former priest.”
“… .”
“Ah, this is just a depressing story… sorry.”
Thorkel bowed respectfully to me.
“If you need me, please call me and write me. If Your Highness calls, I will gladly go to the battlefield and die.”
“… .”
“then… Take a look. majesty.”
And Thorkel started combing again.
I watched for a while as he cleaned the area around the temple with stiff but skillful movements like a machine, and then I climbed into the carriage.
The report of survival has come to an end.
Now it’s time to prepare for the next stage.
***
That evening.
My heroes came to my mansion one after another. Because we decided to have dinner and talk about this and that.
The manor house was full of life for the first time in a long time.
The waitresses were so happy about my return that they brought out all sorts of dishes that I didn’t even order with a smile on their faces.
The meal was delicious and the ambience was great. I felt relieved.
… If it wasn’t for the interior of the mansion’s flower garden, everything would have been perfect.
While I was gone, the manor house had once again been transformed into a petit petit bling bling interior. There is only one person who would do something like this with this taste.
I glared at the culprit and gnashed my teeth.
“Evangeline… !”
“Whis whistle whistle~”
Evangeline, who may have grown taller in half a year, but still can’t whistle, murmured.
Everyone burst into laughter. No, it’s nothing to laugh about! Why do I make the house look like this whenever I’m away!
Anyway, except for the interior, everything was good.
Over dinner, I briefly recounted my experience.
Falling into the depths of the dungeon. Defeating the two nightmare corps commanders.
The story of the bottom villagers and the Masons. And finally, to the one that redefined itself in the spirit world… … .
I didn’t tell you everything, but I did say what I needed to tell everyone.
especially.
“So I want to apologize.”
I’ll have to make sure of this part.
“I should apologize for disappearing for half a year, but what I want to apologize for more than that… This is the attitude I showed you before I disappeared.”
I was about to become a monster.
Because I believed it was the way to protect more people.
To do so, he broke his own flag. But there was something I overlooked at this time.
That this flag no longer belongs to me. It was a banner that everyone on the frontlines raised together.
Forgetting that, I acted self-righteously.
My colleagues rebelled against me. Didn’t follow my orders.
to keep me
to defend our flag.
Thanks to that, I was able to realize something more important.
“At that time, thanks to all of you, I was able to not cross the line. Thanks to all of you, I was able to come back.”
Everyone here defended me and my flag.
“Thank. every.”
I bowed my head to everyone.
“… We really appreciate it, Your Highness.”
After a moment of silence, Lucas, who was sitting next to me, smiled.
“Thank you for coming back.”
It might also mean thanking you for coming back physically.
Thank you for coming back as me holding the old flag again… … That’s what Lucas said. I smiled across the face.
meal is over Around the time when teacups and refreshments are served to everyone.
I talked about future work.
“First of all, tidy up. There are three challenges we face.”
After making a fist, I stretched out one index finger and shook it.
“The first is to look at the situation in the world.”
Like it or not, what you have to do to live. it’s politics
“They say that Fernandez-nim won the battle for the imperial throne… Soon the aftermath will hit here too.”
Thinking of the hand that Fernandez extended to the Crossroads here.
By no means will the aftermath come in a benign form.
“Leave all ears wide open and prepare for the shock that will come from the ecliptic.”
Then I spread my index and middle fingers.
“second. Dungeon exploration.”
Dungeon Offense.
Perhaps the most important thing to clear this game.
“The next time you explore the dungeon, go to the ‘Magic Tower’ in Area 8 and retrieve the Holy Grail.”
Everyone is seriously listening to what I have to say. I nodded.
“It’s a bigger and more threatening place than any dungeon I’ve ever explored. You’ll have to be fully prepared before leaving.”
Finally, I stretched out my index and middle and three ring fingers.
“And the last and greatest thing right around the corner. It is the next defense.”
Tower Defense.
The essence of this damn game.
“It’s really a defensive battle as soon as you return… … .”
I grinned.
“How exciting!”
Stage 20.
The next boss stage was right in front of us.
