Chapter 59: 58

58: [STAGE 3] The Choice

Dun-! Dun-! Dun-!

Ring, ring, ring-!

The sound of drums and bells resonated throughout the city.

The hastily summoned soldiers hurriedly gathered their weapons and climbed up the wall. The cannons and artifacts that had been repaired in a hurry were installed one by one.

Carrying cannonballs, arrows, boiling oil, and furnaces, the workers clamored to move their loads first.

A war was imminent, but an unpredicted surprise would further confuse the frontlines.

In the middle of the mayhem, the party members and I arrived. As soon as I climbed to the top of the wall, I shouted.

“Reconnaissance! Where are they located currently?”

“They can be seen with naked eyes now. In that direction!”

Looking at the location the reconnaissance was pointing at, I could see clouds of dust in the far south.

The monsters were advancing through multiple clouds of dust.

Thud… Thud… Thud…

The gigantic golems stomped their feet in unison. They were approaching in an orderly formation.

They were the monsters I had already met in the dungeon, but the feeling of intimidation was on a different level when hundreds of them rushed at once.

It was as if a huge wall was approaching.

“By when will they enter the range of our cannons?”

“At this rate, it won’t even take them 15 minutes.”

“Before that, we need to get everything lined up and ready for fire! We must hurry!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

The soldiers were sweating profusely in preparation for firing the cannons. They loaded the shells, adjusted the aim, and filled the gunpowder.

As I was watching the process, Lucas came up behind me.

“Master.”

“......”

“Are you planning on just letting it happen?”

I did not answer. Instead, I bit my lips tight.

The stage started out of nowhere.

And the golem corps were divided into two groups.

The main unit of 200 individual golems rushing into the city right now, and the detached unit of 50 golems heading toward the Earl’s orchard.

Which was Evangeline’s current location.

‘Why…’

I bit my lips so hard that I could taste a little bit of iron.

‘Why did the stage start all of a sudden and the monsters split into two groups? Why now?!’

There is no way that all of these things happened coincidentally at the same time.

Malice.

It was clear that some sort of great malice had twisted the situation to its liking.

There was no way things could have become this complicated without that.

Then who possessed this malice?

Why… was that entity so eager to ruin the game for me?

As I was thinking, dozens of soldiers rushed toward me. I looked back, and it was the Twilight Troops, the veteran soldiers that once belonged to the Cross family.

“Your Highness!”

Among the veterans who saluted in unison, the captain of the Twilight Troops stepped out and spoke up.

“We’ve heard about the news. Please send us.”

“What?”

“The defense of the frontline is already solid. It will be enough to stop the enemies with old soldiers like us. Please send us to the orchard. If it is us, I am sure we will be able to rescue Lady Evangeline.”

“......”

“There’s not much time left, Your Highness. The monsters are getting close. There’s not much time left for the rescue units to exit through the southern gate.”

I let out a dry sigh as I was listening to the words of the old soldier.

“There are two errors that can be pointed out from what you just said.”

“Sorry?”

“The first error is that you claim that the defense of the frontline is solid enough. Does it really look like it’s solid?”

I pointed to the fort wall. In front of the still uninstalled artifact, soldiers were shouting and hurrying to install it.

“Because of their sudden appearance, not only the artifacts, but even the alignment work of the cannons is yet to be finished.”

“The installment of the defensive battle equipment will be finished by the time the monsters reach the wall!”

“Alright, so let’s say we finish the installment. If you leave the front lines here, most of the remaining soldiers here are new recruits. Do you really believe that they will be able to fully withstand the attacks of those large monsters?”

“......”

The old soldiers shut their mouths.

It must be because they were very well aware that neither the equipment nor the soldiers were perfectly prepared.

“The second error is that you think you can rescue Evangeline.”

I continued to talk without a break.

“There is no defensive facility on the Earl’s orchard. It's just low hills and plains. 50 golems, large elite monsters, flocking to such a place.”

“......”

“Even if there was a fort wall there for you to fight behind! I say there’s a 100% chance that all of you would be annihilated. However, you claim that you will be able to rescue Evangeline against the odds. Just how do you plan on doing that?”

The reason why this game was classified in the defense genre was its significant advantage, the fort wall.

If you fought the monsters head-on in a plain without a wall,

You’d just be throwing your life away.

The commander of the Twilight Troops replied with a determined expression.

“Even if we all die, we will make sure to rescue Lady…”

“For fuck’s sake, you do not call that a plan!”

Surprised by my sudden shout, the old soldiers retreated a step back in hesitation.

I brushed my bangs back with my hand in a frustrated manner.

“I want a plan with some kind of potential. That will not end in all of you dying in vain!”

“Then just what are we supposed to do? Should we just discard even the slightest possibility of rescuing her? Are you really going to let Lady Evangeline die, Your Highness?”

“......”

“If nobody goes to save Lady Evangeline, she will die for sure! We cannot let that happen!”

I shut my mouth tight.

What they just said was correct. With no support, Evangeline would certainly die.

No matter how broken of a skill set Evangeline—an SSR-rank unit—possessed, she wouldn’t be able to handle 50 large monsters all at once.

There are some boss-level monsters mixed in that group.

‘However, I’ll have to form a rescue team that consists of the most elite units in order to save her.’

It was not even close to being enough with just the Twilight Troops. I’d have to send all of the units from my main party.

Plus, there needs to be some soldiers that will tank the monsters’ attacks while the main party takes care of them.

But if that happens, the defensive battle here cannot even be established.

Even if we manage to save Evangeline, if the frontline collapses, then it’s game over.

‘Damn it…’

I closed my eyes tight.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t think of a plan that could accomplish both rescuing Evangeline and defending the fort wall. Such a dilemma.

‘Is there really no way? None at all?’

At that time, I suddenly remembered a conversation I had with the Earl in the past.

- I had to choose between saving my wife at the frontier or saving thousands of citizens in the city.

The Earl of the Frontier was also in this same situation.

The monsters split into two groups, and as the Lord of the city, the Earl had to choose.

A choice between his wife, or the city.

- What do you think I chose?

I remembered the decrepit eyes of the Earl that were filled with remorse as he asked me that question.

Grit!

I gritted my teeth.

‘I can understand your pain a little bit, Earl…’

I tried to free Evangeline from the monster front here in order to fulfill Earl Cross's will.

She was a talent that had to be recruited and retained at all costs for an efficient playthrough, but I took such an action because I believed that there was something more important than efficiency in people.

But if I stay still like this, all those things will lose their meaning.

Evangeline, the last survivor of the Cross family, will be killed by a monster.

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However, sending a rescue team puts the defense line and the rescue team in danger. Both sides are likely to be annihilated. Actually, it will definitely be a game over.

In the end, I have to decide.

Between people, or the playthrough.

The people,

Or the playthrough…

“......”

I slowly opened my closed eyes. I could feel the gaze of the people who were looking at me.

“I shall order!”

Yes.

The answer was already determined from the beginning.

“Nobody among you will be sent out for the rescue mission.”

The old soldiers turned pale at my words.

My party members clenched their teeth. However, I was not shaken at all.

“I cannot afford to waste any force for no reason. Concentrate all forces on the defense line here.”

A single life, or the lives of tens of thousands of people.

There was nothing to contemplate about in the first place. It should be considered an embarrassment to even try to put them on a scale to evaluate.

“If the fort wall is to be demolished, the thousands of citizens of Crossroad will die.”

“......”

“Not only that, all the cities and villages located north of the frontline will be in danger, and ultimately, the entirety of the human world will be put in danger.”

The frontline must be preserved no matter what happens.

The playthrough must go on no matter what happens.

This is the premise.

What good is an SSR unit if the game is over?

“I will say it again. None of you will be put into the rescue team!”

Having made up my mind, I shouted loudly.

“Go finish the preparations for the defensive battle.”

“......”

“What are you waiting for? Do you not see those monsters approaching?”

I shouted sharply at the soldiers who were frozen in place and unable to move.

“Go prepare for the battle, hurry! Hustle!"

* * *

* * *

Located in the southeast of Crossroad.

An old mansion had been built here on a hill overlooking an oak forest in the distance.

Ivy grew thickly on the walls of the faded mansion, and the windows were so dusty that you couldn't see the inside.

One would be able to tell that the mansion had been maintained very poorly at the first glance.

This was the villa where Earl Cross lived during his lifetime.

A few steps along the hill from this villa, there stood a small orchard.

Unlike the villa, the orchard had clear traces of being managed until relatively recently.

However, it had also lost its owner and was being neglected and unmaintained.

The fruit trees stood in rows on the soil, shivering in the occasional wind.

It was Spring now.

When the sun rose and the day warmed, even on this land polluted with the blood of monsters, the trees would bud and ripen their fruits.

Then Evangeline suddenly realized,

That she would never see it.

Because she will leave this place forever.

“......”

Evangeline reached out and stroked the buds of a fruit tree.

After her mother passed away, and after she left her home, she heard that her father took care of this place alone.

‘How foolish, really.’

The back of her father was drawn in her imagination.

Just a few days ago, her father was standing right here looking after the trees.

Hoping for proper fruit to be produced this year.

Even though he knew that couldn’t happen.

“......”

Evangeline slowly removed her hand from the tree.

So what point does this have now?

Even if there was an unconveyed feeling, even if there was an unresolved misunderstanding,

Even if there was an unhealed wound, they served no purpose anymore.

Evangeline looked around the deserted orchard and the mansion slowly.

‘This place is in ruins.’

Her father and her mother passed away, and she decided to leave.

‘It has always been a ruin, and will continue to be a ruin.’

A bitter sneer caught on Evangeline's small lips.

The ending of the Cross family who had been protecting this area for hundreds of years met a trivial demise.

It was left with nothing but death and dust.

After selling the family name and remaining pride, and stuffing the gold coins into her pocket,

She left the city as the last defeated soldier who ran away without even having a chance to fight.

Evangeline moved her steps, and she stood in front of two tombstones in the backyard of the orchard.

“Mom, Dad.”

Evangeline hesitated as to whether she should keep her eyes on the grave or the tombstone as she spoke.

“You won’t be seeing me anymore. Because I’m off to a place very far away.”

She unknowingly expected a scolding shout to fall on her, but…

There was no answer. Obviously.

“I wanted to say so many things, but… I don’t even remember them anymore.

Whoosh…

The wind blew. It contained the scent of oak and oil in the distance.

“I’m off now.”

Evangeline suddenly felt dizzy.

Her head thumped, and the ground seemed to shake. She wondered if it was just her sentiments playing a trick on her senses.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Evangeline gave a faint smile. She wanted to leave with a smile.

“...Goodbye.”

She turned around

Evangeline quickly wiped her warming eyes with the back of her hand.

“Erhem!”

She raised her hands and patted her cheeks, then lifted her head and looked in front of her. It was really time for her to leave.

“Alright. Let’s head off!”

And the moment Evangeline turned forward.

Boom-!

The stone wall fence in front of her burst to the ground.

As if it had been hit by a giant catapult, the wall was shattered in one fell swoop.

“......?”

She could not understand the situation for a bit.

In front of Evangeline, who was frozen in surprise,

Crush!

Guooo-!

Scattering fragments of the shattered stone wall in all directions, and letting out a ferocious roar through its entire body, a giant steam golem attacked her.

Evangeline let out a foolish noise.

“Huh?”

Crush-!

In the next second, the golem's massive fist slammed Evangeline's slender body.

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