Time passed.
People who had evacuated began to return, and others from around the world were mobilized and flocked to Crossroad.
The kings who fought here directly now felt in their bones that this place was, quite literally, the land where the fate of the world would be decided.
Wagons loaded with supplies from various countries poured in endlessly.
The north suffered terrible damage from the heavy snowfall, but just when they were on the brink of death, the sky cleared and the snow stopped.
The previously passive people of the Ariane Kingdom were now at the forefront, helping to restore the city.
Especially King Miller Ariane, who, despite losing an arm, personally carried a shovel and pickaxe to the restoration site, making me want to stop him.
It’s a bit bewildering when a character changes 180 degrees like this... I understand he doesn't want to be disliked, though.
"..."
As I watched the gradually recovering city, I fell into deep thought.The entire world is now cooperative with our front line. This is fortunate.
But the death of 30,000 was by no means fortunate.
It was the death of 30,000 elite troops gathered from all over the world. Not only that, but the entire air fleet was annihilated, and many heroes and soldiers under my command also died.
Human resources and supplies would be easily replenished, but reinforcing troops was a distant prospect.
'Night Bringer was practically a final boss-level monster.'
Compared to the ‘Sleepless Lake Princess,’ it was on the same level, or perhaps even more destructive.
It was such a formidable foe that perhaps this much damage was inevitable.
But the problem was that he was a final boss-level adversary but not the final boss.
The monster invasions will continue. And we have suffered devastating damage to our defenses and troop situation.
'The next defense battle starts in a month.'
The start date of Stage 41 is about a month from now.
For three months, without rest, from Stage 41 to Stage 50, the final 10-round defense game will continue.
Can Crossroad, and the world, withstand this harsh wave of monsters...?
***
A week after the battle ended.
A funeral was held in the west of Crossroad.
In a hurry, we dispatched personnel to the south to retrieve the bodies, but recovering all 30,000 bodies within a week was impossible.
Moreover, the battle with the Black Dragon was so fierce that the bodies were severely damaged.
However, delaying the funeral indefinitely was not respectful to the dead, so we decided to hold it first.
"..."
I looked up at the newly erected gigantic monument.
It was a new communal tombstone erected next to the communal tombstone for those who died in the tutorial stage.
In front of the tombstone, covered with white flowers left by mourners, a blue sacred flame flickered.
A memorial for all the heroes whose bodies were not found.
I clenched my fists tightly in front of it.
I have no regrets.
Without their sacrifice, we would not have been able to defeat Night Bringer.
It was an enemy that everyone on this front barely managed to defeat by pouring out everything from the depths of their souls.
Knowing that they died to protect the world, for a noble cause...
"..."
However, no matter what reasons are given, no matter what rationality is assigned to their deaths,
the pain they felt in their moments of death, and the sorrow their families will feel, will not disappear.
Clenching my teeth, I tried to calm my mind in front of the monument, then turned my gaze away. Beyond the communal tombstone, people were crying in front of the many newly added graves.
I approached one of the closer graves... one of which I was the chief mourner.
Dusk Bringar's grave.
The people of the Bringar Duchy gathered around the grave like clouds, bowing their heads.
As I stood by the grave for a moment, the Dragonblood Knights appeared, carrying Dusk Bringar's coffin. Behind them, the soldiers of the duchy marched with flags at half-mast.
I, along with the Dragonblood Knights, placed the coffin in the ground and sprinkled earth over it.
Amidst the people drenched in tears, I tried to appear calm, but my eyes kept welling up.
After holy water was sprinkled and the afterlife of the deceased was blessed...
The soldiers of the duchy gathered and sang a military song.
It was a song to honor their fallen comrade. Dusk Bringar was the commander-in-chief and a frontline fighting Dragon Lady, so she was a soldier and their comrade.
"..."
Even after the soldiers' mournful song ended,
I quietly stared at Dusk Bringar's grave, now covered in white flowers.
Just like the other kings who were buried here before, a temporary funeral was held here first... and they will be reburied after all the wars are over.
The state funeral of the Bringar Duchy will be held then.
'After all the wars are over, huh...'
The third year, the final winter.
Originally, it should still be late autumn. However, the night summoned by Night Bringer covered the world in snow, causing winter to arrive much earlier than usual.
Now, when this winter ends, the war with the monsters will also be decided. It will be decided then whether those who were buried here first can return to their homeland.
Whether the world ends or continues... whether we can reach the true ending or not.
In this last season, everything will be decided.
‘Until your real funeral is held in your country.’
I bowed deeply toward Dusk Bringar’s grave.
‘I will hold back my tears until then, Duchess.’
***
After the funeral for Dusk Bringar was concluded,
I entrusted the role of chief mourner to the Dragonblood Knights and decided to visit the other graves. As the lord and commander, it was naturally my duty to look after the other bereaved families.
As I moved from grave to grave, offering condolences to the bereaved families... I stopped.
I saw the dark mage Chain sitting in a wheelchair. He was lost in thought in front of the graves of the Blacklist heroes.
"Chain."
"...Ah, Your Highness."
Chain turned around, his entire body wrapped not in his usual chains but in bandages.
His injuries were severe. During the ‘Night Closing’ operation, he had taken all the attacks aimed at the airship La Mancha with his body.
His body was badly wounded, and by overexerting himself to absorb the darkness, all his magic circuits were contaminated and burned out.
He could never fight again, effectively making his retirement certain.
"It might sound strange, but... I feel relieved."
He could no longer use dark magic, appearing as an ordinary middle-aged man. He was neither his usual very young self nor the old self when his life force was exhausted.
Somewhere in the middle, Chain was carefully examining the graves of his fallen comrades.
"I fought without regrets."
"..."
"These guys probably felt the same. To save an infant, to save the city, and to save the world..."
I also examined the graves.
A defensive mage and a gunslinger who died saving Sid, a golem mage who burned her life to protect the city, and a blind swordsman who cut through the darkness with his life’s last swing...
They were all buried here side by side.
"Who would have thought that gambling addicts like us could fight and die for something valuable."
"..."
I couldn’t say anything.
Chain pulled something from his pocket and flicked it forward with his fingers.
Ping-
It was a casino chip.
Chain skillfully flicked it, placing one in front of each comrade’s grave. The last chip spun before falling flat in front of Nobody’s grave.
As he clenched and unclenched his empty hand, I cautiously asked.
"Are you quitting gambling?"
"...Yes, I plan to. I have no friends to play with, and it’s no longer fun."
"What will you do from now on?"
"I’ll think about it while recuperating."
Chain murmured bitterly.
"A black mage who can’t fight, a gambler who’s tired of gambling... I’m not sure what I can do in the future."
After a few more words, I carefully patted Chain’s back and left the spot.
As I walked away, I looked back and saw Chain covering his face with both hands, clenching his teeth and bowing his head.
"..."
Instead of offering empty comfort to his silent sobbing, I quietly walked away again.
Sub party, Blacklist.
Five high-grade heroes I wanted to recruit from the first year while planning the casino construction.
Their end was thus lonely and sorrowful.
***
Among the newly established graves, there were also those of non-humans.
Captured monsters.
Though they were monsters, Scalian and Parekian made significant contributions in this battle.
Therefore, they were given respectful funerals, cremated, and buried here in the cemetery.
"...Uhhh."
Violet was squatting and sniffing in front of their graves.
Somehow, a scale piece was placed in front of Scalian’s grave, and a claw piece in front of Parekian’s grave.
Violet sniffled and tapped the pieces with her fingers, while the other members of the Gambler's Club tried to console her.
"It feels like a dream."
Scarlet blew Violet's nose as she sighed deeply. With a honk, Violet cleared her nose and spoke in a nasal voice.
"Spending time with these dragons, and fighting such a great battle together... it all feels like a dream."
The other Gambler's Club members massaged Violet's shoulders and offered her warm tea, trying to comfort her.
I watched this scene from behind with a bitter smile.
Then it happened.
Ssss-
Suddenly, a snake's hissing sound followed by a long, thin tongue licking Violet's chin.
"Eeeeek?!"
Violet jumped up in fright, turned around, and screamed.
"Kyah! It's here again!"
A huge silver-gray snake had approached and stuck close to Violet.
Ssss!
The sound seemed to indicate it was pleased—none other than Jörmungandr...
"Ah, there you are."
Watching Jörmungandr coiling around Violet, I spoke calmly.
This ‘World Serpent’ was cut in two and even took a direct hit from Night Bringer's breath at the end.
I thought it would surely die, but it didn't. Perhaps to heal, it continued to shed its skin repeatedly, becoming significantly smaller, but it survived.
‘Even though it's smaller, it's still as big as a huge python...’
About the size of an anaconda on Earth? Maybe even bigger?
It lost its enormous size and divinity, and it seemed to have lost the ability to speak... but it survived and quietly remained on our front line. It’s now my captured monster.
And now it's attached to Violet.
"Why am I so popular with monsters?! Especially reptiles?! Why do they act like this?!"
Violet, constantly being licked by Jörmungandr's tongue, yelled tearfully. I laughed heartily.
"Maybe that's just your nature."
"I hate it now! Ughhh!"
The Gambler's Club members, excited, started petting Jörmungandr's smooth scales around the sniffling Violet, who now began crying for a different reason.
After watching this scene for a while, I turned my gaze south, toward the direction of the black lake.
"..."
Along with Jörmungandr, there was Crown, the Pied Piper, who helped us.
Crown, who died in battle, turned into black smoke and disappeared.
Originally, the immortals from the Lake Kingdom would turn into black smoke upon death and resurrect at a predetermined location.
Crown was supposed to resurrect at his base within the Lake Kingdom.
We had agreed in advance. If Crown died in battle, he would find me again after resurrection.
We needed to discuss our promise and how to save Nameless.
But Crown hadn't reappeared after a week.
I tried to enter the Lake Kingdom to find him... and Nameless, but all teleport gates were blocked, making entry impossible.
This situation continues to this day.
"..."
What is happening down there?
As I felt a vague sense of foreboding, I suddenly noticed the main party members waving at me from a distance.
"Senior! Speech, speech!"
"Oh. Is it already that time?"
Since I can't enter the Lake Kingdom right now, there’s nothing I can do.
Let's focus on what I can do here.
Taking a deep breath, I walked toward where the main party members were.
Many people were waiting for me below the podium.
--TL Notes--
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at /MattReading