◈ 529. [STAGE 26] Happy Together
I unknowingly smiled at Mikhail, who was giving thanks.
“We have to help each other. Between those who fight together against the monster.”
“I challenged your command. That means that they can rebel against you later and at any time… … From your point of view, it means that it is an existence that can become an obstacle to the stable command of the front line.”
Mikhail rolled his scarlet eyes and stared at me.
“But you saved me and my knights. I don’t know if it’s your mercy or your unwavering confidence in your command… … Either way, it’s my complete defeat.”
Unlike the monster that was forcibly subjugated by magic, this boy knight in front of me… … I figured I’d put my head down. Acknowledging your own mistakes and the credit of others.
That was a little odd.
“Aren’t you surprisingly good at self-objectification?”
“After committing something, I tend to reflect. Because I need to reduce mistakes in the future. The problem is that I can’t measure the back and forth before committing… … .”
Mikhail let out a sigh.
“Certainly, in this battle, I went out without knowing the subject like a thunderbolt, but I’m not so ugly that I can’t even admit the result.”
To admit that is great.
Admit your mistakes and look to the future.
Perhaps this alone proves that Mikhail has the qualities of a hero.
As if he felt relieved after he uttered it once, Mikhail continued to speak.
“The monsters that appear here are of course incomparably stronger than those that appear in our kingdom, but… … The perfection of combat doctrine against that monster is also overwhelming here at the monster front.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Actually, I originally read reports about monsters appearing in the South. But it wasn’t all that threatening. Has it suddenly become like this in recent years?”
I didn’t answer. Mikhail nodded silently.
“And you, Prince Ash, have been maintaining the front lines against these monsters.”
“It’s the same that each of us had a hard time in our respective positions.”
“You don’t have to be humble. You and your troops have done a great job.”
Mikhail scratched his head and put his hand in front of his chest.
“As the result of the bet, the Sky Knights will faithfully carry out your orders as long as the World Defense Front continues.”
“Don’t expect it.”
“I just want to make one more condition.”
I raised my eyebrows. Mikhail nodded with a hard face.
“Send us to the toughest and highest place.”
“Hoo.”
“Today we showed ugliness, but if we give proper command, we, the Sky Knights, can fly higher than any other heroes.”
True to his words, Mikhail and the Sky Knights are already enough for the 1st Army in terms of stats.
What matters is experience. and appropriate tactics.
If I continue to defeat monsters of this size and strength under proper instruction, the Sky Knights may be able to outperform other parties under my command.
I smiled and put my hand forward.
“I wish you well in the future. Mikhail.”
“Please take care of me too. Prince Ash.”
We held each other’s hands and shook hands.
“Okay, that’s enough for the reflection meeting! Let’s go have a victory banquet!”
I patted Mikhail on the shoulder and led him down the rampart.
“Another specialty of our Crossroads! If we win, let’s eat, drink, and have fun!”
***
Lucas and Evangeline returned safely.
He must have been tired right after the dogfight while riding on the backs of monsters, but Lucas calmly organized the battlefield and reported his criminal record.
What about Evangeline? I immediately ran to prepare for the banquet. Singing songs like ‘playing is the best~’.
“In this battle… There were a few wounded and a few cannons out of order.”
Lucas looked over the report and smiled at me.
“Other than that, no damage. It was a great battle, my lord.”
“It’s the result of everyone doing their job well.”
The existing troops on our front line as well as the newly joined Sky Knights served as decoys well.
Since each of them did their job appropriately, they were able to deal with the difficult group of monsters without much damage.
“Incineration of corpses and retrieval of loot have also been completed. Today’s work ends with this.”
“Let’s close the business and go in. Everyone worked hard, so let’s grease the boat.”
After finishing the battlefield with Lucas and heading to the central square of the city, drinking was already taking place.
An awkward and subtle airflow had flowed between the existing troops of the Crossroads and the newly joined troops, but after fighting together today and drinking and meat circulating, they quickly became close to each other.
Above all, don’t they all have in common that they are soldiers?
No matter where in the world and what kind of enemy they fight, the joys and sorrows that soldiers feel are similar.
As they shared their grievances with each other, the soldiers quickly got along with each other.
and… .
“The shul of Gaesu Junction is so bland~”
Mikhail had become a gongra at that point!
“It’s so fresh that it’s like water. Give me more!” Mikhail
babbles with his twisted tongue as he continues to tilt his glass. I freaked out and snatched the glass from his hand.
“No, you are not underage?! What kind of drink are you drinking! Go get some juice!”
“Ah? In Korea, you are an adult from the age of twelve, right? I only have five fiancées?”
No, your older sister also said that she has five husbands, so why are you hiring so many spouses! What happened to the concept of chastity? Vermillion Kingdom!
Mikhail, who was very drunk, began to hum and drink.
One of the Knights of the Blue Sky, who was watching the scene, bowed his head to me in a cold sweat.
“Sorry for making this look rude. The Crown Prince is weak with alcohol… … .”
“Then you shouldn’t be stopping me from drinking!”
“This time, he said it was really good, so I only gave him one drink… .”
Afterwards, Mikhail put his hands on top of his head and started dancing. Seeing this, the soldiers grabbed their stomachs and started laughing.
It’s okay, but the taste is totally gone!
‘Is this also the result of ‘reckless use’ of the negative trait… … ?’
Suddenly, I started to worry about whether I would be able to control this little boy well in the future. Mmm.
“ha ha ha! There’s nothing wrong with drinking this much! We, the people of Vermillion Kingdom, have griffon blood running through our bodies!”
Mikhail patted me on the chest and boasted.
At that time, Evangeline, who was sitting next to me exchanging a glass of juice with Lucas, wondered when he came and asked Mikhail.
“Then are you saying that Griffon and the people of Vermillion Kingdom are brothers?”
“Okay! They are like real brothers!”
“But how do you ride a griffon?”
“uh?”
“Are you a brother? Are you riding around with a saddle, a rein, and a bridle on your butt? How are you? Are they siblings?”
“uh… ?”
Mikhail stared blankly at his griffon tied right behind him and opened his mouth slightly.
“… Did you hear that?”
The griffon, as if he understood, looked at me with a shocked look on his face with his eyes wide open and his beak wide open.
Mikhail suddenly burst into tears and hugged the griffon by the neck.
“I’m sorry brother, I’m sorry! From now on, you will ride me… … !”
Then, she clung to the griffon for a while longer, crying out loud, and soon fell asleep as if she had passed out… … .
The knights of the Blue Sky Knights took care of the crown prince and returned to his lodgings. Looking at it, Evangeline clicked her tongue.
“I didn’t see it that way, but the crown prince’s young character in Vermillion was ruined… .”
“You broke it… .”
You made me realize the uncomfortable truth about the relationship between the people of Vermilion Kingdom and Griffin. you are the culprit
Anyway, Mikhail, who had lost his taste, went back to his lodgings, but he exchanged more drinks with the rest of the knights of the Blue Sky Knights.
Then, before I knew it, as always, the heroes under my command were sitting and chatting loudly around me. I suddenly looked around at those subordinates.
Junior took care of the young wizards under his command like a younger brother and fed them, while Damian sat around with the priests and wiped his heart out, saying that it was fortunate that there were not many injured today.
Quylan, Yun Torkel, Nobody, etc… … The avant-garde heroes who participated in the hand-to-hand battle today competed with each other to see who was more active today.
The elves of Belldandi, the Holy Grail Exploration Team, Burnout, and Body Bag were, of course, filling each other with nut snacks and mead and putting them in each other’s mouths.
… .
finally.
When Lily appeared with baby Sid in her arms, the square went into a frenzy.
The bearded man mercenaries trembled, saying Sid was cute, and the female mercenaries screamed that he would kiss his aunt just once. You all are a bit scary… … .
“The last party was good too, though.”
Little distance from this frenzied banquet. Dusk Bringer, who was quietly drinking next to me, spat out with a grin.
“As expected, wine and wine are better, like drinking with the soldiers like this.”
“… .”
I smiled and held out my drink. We quietly clinked our glasses and toasted each other.
It was then.
“hmm. Are you having a victory banquet?”
New ones appeared.
The wizards in robes rode on white horses, cutting through the crowd, arrived at the central plaza.
The old wizard at the head of them rolled up his robe and ran a hand through his long beard.
“Because the monster invasion was imminent, I came in a hurry, riding my horse day and night. It seems that the situation is already over?”
It was Diarmudin, the Archmage of the Ivory Tower, who used to play tricks at the councils of kings in the past.
And that wasn’t all. Following them, knights and warriors dressed in their own armor entered the plaza one after another.
“What is it? I arrived just in time for dinner, so it’s a banquet!”
“We didn’t do anything in particular, but will you include it?”
I couldn’t recognize who it was at a glance, but the soldiers around me swayed and recited introductions about them.
“It’s an ‘ivory tower’… !”
“It’s said to be the most elite raiding corps in the nomadic ‘Mirage’!”
“That red beret… The ‘Red Beret’, said to be the strongest in the jungle!”
“The dwarven army has arrived too!”
“That’s the Elf Queen and the Royal Guard… … ?!”
“Are the different races joining in earnest!”
“Is it really that all the world’s most prestigious warriors are gathering?”
Since all of the new troops were on one shoulder in each region, they were fighting with the existing troops and settled in various places in the square.
The heads of each armed group also strode towards the seat where I was drinking with a bloody face.
Looking at that face, I let out a small sigh.
After grabbing hold of one troublesome guy, more and more people pour in one after another.
‘What good. Everyone come in.’
I’ll discipline you one by one and make them all my subordinates!
“Come on, let all the monsters come!”
After passing a new drink to the newcomers.
Announcing the start of the second part of the banquet, I raised the glass in my hand. and shouted
“If we all work together, we can destroy those monsters like today!”
oh oh oh-!
Heroes and soldiers all smiled brightly and raised their respective glasses. The newcomers also greeted each other and began to melt into the banquet.
We laughed, chatted, drank, and talked all night long.
As if the world will never end. like that.
***
… I didn’t know at this time.
That this battle would be the last battle without casualties.
That this was the last moment when everyone on the World Defense Front could laugh together and be happy.
At this time, we were completely unaware.
***
[STAGE 26 – CLEAR!]
[STAGE MVP – Ash(EX)]
[Level Up Character]
– Ash(EX) and 50 others < Expand the list >
[Dead Character]
– None
[Injured Character]
– Mikhail (SSR) ) and 25 people < Expand the list >
[Acquisition Items]
– Elite Beetle Magic Core (SR): 20
– Beetle Legion Mana Stone: 372
– Beetle Advanced Upper: 150
[Captured Monster]
– Beetle Lord Hercules (SSR)
[Stage Clear reward has been paid. Please check your inventory.]
– SR grade reward box: 3 pieces
– R grade reward box: 10 pieces
> > Get Ready For The Next STAGE
> > [Next STAGE : Too Young To Die]
