◈ 496. [Side Story] Calculation (2)
The difficulty of < Protect the Empire > increases exponentially from the 3rd year.
Year 12 and year 3 can be considered completely different games.
If the level of difficulty up to the 2nd year is enough to cause cursing, the 3rd year doesn’t even come out. I don’t even have time to curse.
Invasion of monsters becomes frequent and their number increases rapidly.
Until the 12th year, if you can barely block it on the monster front, then from the 3rd year, monsters will pour out with the momentum to really destroy the world.
At least, in the first half of the third year, if you grit your teeth and collect resources and scrape them together, you can survive.
But the second half of the third year is really unbearable.
As if the mouth of hell had been opened, the black lake endlessly covered the surface and spewed out monsters.
Even if the city burns down, the walls collapse, and all the defenders die to endure, in the final offensive of the third year.
Named monsters and corps that have not been dealt with in the meantime are pouring out and marching to the crossroads.
If you can’t defeat the final boss in the dungeon, the final boss will also march along with you.
Well, if you get to this point, you can say it’s practically game over.
So from the 3rd year, it is a time attack.
Before the monster front completely collapses. before the fortress fell and the defense line fell.
You have to complete the dungeon under the black lake and defeat the final boss.
While Tower Defense is established, Dungeon Offense must be successful.
‘so… From here, the quality and quantity of the army must be well controlled.’
The most elite units must be put into the Dungeon Offense.
You must build a death squad with heroes and soldiers who can penetrate the darkness of hell and pierce the heart of the final boss.
And the rest except for this elite unit of the death squad. You must perform tower defense with heroes and soldiers under the 2nd Army.
… A dilemma arises here.
If all the best are put into the dungeon raid, the quality of the troops put into the city defense will be lowered.
Then, the damage on the city defense side increases like a snowball, and eventually the city defense fails before the dungeon attack, and the game is over.
However, if you place a lot of elites on the city defense side, it will be difficult to attack the dungeon.
In the end, you have to succeed in the final boss raid to clear the source of the monster, but if you put too much effort into the city defense, the dungeon attack will fail.
In the 12th year, if raiding dungeons and defending cities were compatible goals.
The third year can be said to be a goal that must be strategically chosen.
So what are my choices?
‘Make them both succeed!’
don’t give up on anything
The number of troops that can be put into Dungeon Offense is limited.
However, the number of troops that can be put into tower defense is not limited.
multi-line. It can be pushed by numbers.
I put the best 1st team heroes and soldiers that I have fostered so far into the dungeon raid.
And the heroes and soldiers of the world defense front are used for city defense.
This was my goal for the third year.
Fallen kings, heads of state, and the elite troops of their personal guards have already reached a certain level of talent and strength.
It’s much more powerful than picking up new troops and nurturing them from scratch.
If you can use it properly, you will be able to do a good enough city defense.
The problem is also… … It would be to unite them into one army.
‘The situation is different from the time of the imperial strategy right now.’
At that time, it was a situation where all you had to do was threaten, conciliate, and bake the fallen kings and bring them together into one lump.
Because this one also needed weight.
However, the upcoming third year will not end simply by coming together.
Saying they’ll take care of their interests, saying they’re pouring gold coins, saying they’re scratching the political itch… … You can’t make them all into a real crossroads army.
‘Actually, at first I thought that would be enough.’
Show the fear of a real monster, provide each faction with what they need, and if it doesn’t work out, take the weaknesses of each faction and threaten them… … Then I thought everyone would come under me.
However, half of the World Defense Front’s forces gathered that way at first betrayed me once in the middle of the Battle of the Ecliptic.
They succumbed to greater interests, greater threats, and the fear of the imperial authority greater than the monster.
then I felt
You need something more than material gain.
‘This is the end of the world.’
The people of Crossroads… … The mercenaries who came here voluntarily had nowhere else to go.
They were people who had no land or opportunity to live if it were not here.
So we gritted our teeth and fought together.
But others on the World Defense Front are different.
They have a place to escape.
They can abandon this place at any time and go to their respective hometowns.
The truth (silli) collapses in front of the greater truth.
Even if you build them up on the wall by overdosing on gold and blank checks, if the threat and fear posed by the monster is greater, they will run away to preserve their lives.
Eventually, the wire breaks down.
‘Something beyond material gain… .’
Just as the people of Crossroads, who were like soil and sand two years ago, have chemically reacted with each other, and now they have become this hard rock.
A way to unite those who have lived in different worlds and in different directions, and have them fight shoulder to shoulder on the front lines here.
An ideal that could unite the newcomers. great cause. spirit of the times.
what could be with it… … .
***
Today’s talk was broken.
Everyone was emotionally charged after punching each other coolly.
It was difficult to have a rational conversation.
However, this is also not something that can be punched coolly.
Well, then there must be his ‘romance’.
Anyway, I got them all sorted out and put them in their respective hotel rooms.
The next meeting is scheduled for tomorrow evening.
In the meantime, let everyone cool down.
“haha! majesty! Popcorn and drinks… … oh.”
Serenade appeared a step later with popcorn and drinks in her arms.
Serenade, who looked around the empty meeting room, put the items she had brought on the table with embarrassment.
“sorry. I’m too late… … .”
“no. Thank you for your consideration.”
Popcorn popped up like a mountain.
It must have been because I was talking nonsense, so I hurriedly brought in corn and ordered the chef to make it like this.
I’m sorry.
I only took two bags of them and left the rest in the hotel lobby.
People who are bored with their mouths will eat it on their own.
I left the hotel with a serenade.
I opened one of the two bags and put the popcorn in my mouth.
Freshly fried, so delicious.
“What’s the schedule after serenade?”
“I was thinking of stopping by the restoration work site in the west, but… Oh, how about His Highness?”
“I was thinking of going to the temple. There are people who haven’t been able to see their faces properly because they’ve been busy.”
I waved the second bag of popcorn in my hand.
“And my postpartum mother might want to try this delicious popcorn.”
Then Serenade hurriedly gestured to the escort (Elise) in a maid outfit standing next to her.
When she gave an order in a whisper, Elise nodded as if she understood, and hurried westward.
Serenade stood next to me with a bright face.
“I sent Elise to the restoration site instead! So that’s it… … May I go to the temple with you?”
I chuckled.
“of course.”
We shared a bag of popcorn and chatted as we walked towards the temple.
It wasn’t long before they arrived at the temple entrance, where Torkel and Zenith were standing.
After the last battle, he had gathered and congratulated all those who had contributed, but it was the first time seeing them separately like this.
I patted both of them on the shoulder saying thank you for your hard work once more.
“Thank you for your hard work, and please take good care of me in the future, Priest Zenith.”
I winked as I shook hands with Janice.
It was also intended to praise him for helping Lily give birth safely, treating the wounded as a priest, and even going into battle himself.
It was also meant to express my sincere gratitude to him for diligently working as a priest despite the doubts on this side.
When managing multiple heroes, no job group is as desperately needed as a good healer.
I was truly glad that Janice wasn’t a traitor.
“And Thorkel.”
I still couldn’t see his face because I pressed the helmet down deeply.
Thorkell’s gaze through the gap in his helmet was much more relaxed.
There was no doubt that there was peace in that gaze, which was always tense and stiff.
“… You’ve been through a lot.”
Instead of long words, I squeezed his gloved hands with both hands.
Torquell didn’t know what to do, but just silently lowered his head.
Passing by those two men, Serenade and I headed inside the temple.
Lily’s room was a single room in the innermost part of the temple.
It wasn’t difficult to find which room it was.
It was because there were other guests besides us.
“I brought you some precious northern fruit!”
“Freshly squeezed goat’s milk! Drinking it all the way will give you strength!”
“After going through such hard work, meat is definitely meat!”
“I am Eastern Seafood! Especially this seaweed seaweed! They say it’s so good for pregnant women! Boil the soup and eat it!”
Various gifts brought by guests were piled up in front of the hospital room.
“Oh, there are so many that they will go bad before I can eat them…” … Are you all going to fatten me up?”
And Lily’s complexion was bright as she sat on the bed, probably because she had eaten well and slept well for the past week.
After the battle, she lost weight and was exhausted, probably because of the severe difficulty in childbirth and being attacked by monsters.
Now it was to the point where the shine flowed across his face.
Baby Sid, who was lying in the cradle next to the bed, also had cheeks up. it’s so cute
Me and Serenade stood outside the hospital room and looked at the mother and child surrounded by the guests.
In particular, Serenade stared intently at Sid.
“baby… It’s really cute.”
“I know. It seems that only the good points of mom and dad resemble each other.”
… By the way, why do you keep glancing at me as well, serenade?
Suddenly, the request that the serenade had made when we first met flashed through my mind.
Big big!
At that time, a priest came and kicked out the guests who came earlier, saying that the visiting time is up to 30 minutes.
Although the guests felt sorry for them, they were quietly kicked out of the hospital room.
“Huh, Your Highness? When did you come?”
It was only then that Lily found me and opened her eyes wide.
Entering the deserted hospital room, I grinned.
“In a few hours ago. How are you feeling?”
“As you can see, I’m in great shape. Thank you for treating me so well at the temple… … .”
“Of course you have to treat me well. It’s my colleague’s birth.”
Sitting on the chair next to the bed, I looked into the cradle.
Perhaps because of the commotion around him, Sid was awake.
I whispered as I peered into the large pale green eyes that resembled God Hand.
“Hi Sid. I am your godfather.”
I jokingly waved my fist in the air.
“If you ever see someone bullying you, tell me right away. got it? Because this godfather will scold everyone.”
Even if you don’t know what it means, Sid laughed.
… Then, right after that, he crumpled his expression and suddenly, yea-! and burst into tears.
what what?! what did i do wrong?!
“That’s right, that’s right, my baby. Mom is here.”
Lily took Sid in her arms with skillful hands and patted him on the back to comfort him.
Sid quickly stopped crying in his mother’s arms and started babbling.
“… .”
I was soaked in an unknown feeling while watching it.
I remembered the day two years ago when I first saw Lily.
At the outpost besieged by the black spiders, she tried to evoke the atmosphere of the party with a smile.
And after two years, he lost the use of his legs, fell in love with another colleague, and gave birth to the child… … .
A senior wizard who is no different from the living history of the monster front here. Lily.
“… .”
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
I slowly looked at Lily.
“… Lily.”
Lily smiled and patted Sid on the back.
“Your Highness. Please speak.”
“It’s sudden, but can you do one favor of mine?”
“yes? please?”
Lily, who was puzzled, eventually nodded her head willingly.
“Sure. Just say it. What can I help you with?”
***
Next afternoon.
Hotel Crossroads. lobby hall. conference room.
“… .”
“… .”
“… .”
A brutal silence lingers.
All the kings who had gathered the day before were gathered together again.
With bandages and gauze wrapped around their bodies, they stared at each other as if they were going to kill each other like yesterday.
Where this desolate air lingers… … .
kiik, kiik.
I appeared.
He dragged the wheelchair in front of Lily.
Hundreds of pairs of eyes focused on us all at once.
Not me to be precise, but Lily’s wheelchair that I pull.
And to Sid in Lily’s arms.
“… Hiccup.”
Lily hiccupped and said
“… cadet.”
Sid raised his big eyes and looked around.
The eyes that had been directed at Lily and Sid moved again, and this time they were fixed on me all at once.
Who is this child and her mother who suddenly appeared at the meeting? It was the eyes.
“ruler.”
I smiled and opened my mouth.
“Before discussing the future of the world… … Would you like to hear the story?”
The ideal I found is the cause, the spirit of the times… … .
It was with this little woman and child.
