Dungeon Defense (WN)

“ ……. ”

I got up out of the chair without a word.

Ivar stares at this side with a puzzled face. I walked out of the office ignoring her gaze. The pace is unusually fast. The more my heart fluttered, the more my body rushed to walk, the cooler my face was.

“Your Majesty? Your Highness, where...? The State Department!? Your Highness... ”

You hear Ivar's cry behind your back. And it got away at a rapid rate.

The sound of footsteps makes a commotion in the palace's colorful hallways. One more step, one more step. One step at a time. I moved my feet mechanically like a man possessed by something.

The maids came out on the way. They straighten their stance and bend at the waist.

“I see a great being. ”

“I see a great being. ”

Among them, there was a maid who seemed to have quite a good attitude, and gracefully lifted the top of her teeth. The maid knew very well that she had greeted quite well. She was proud of it.

‘What makes you so proud? ’

A question came to mind as I watched the maids greet me in succession.

It wasn't just body movements. When she said, "I see a great being," she took pride in every little and subtle pronunciation. It's like having such a great meaning hidden in the greeting itself. But what's so great about it?

The answer was clear. The role of a servant. There they were feeling proud.

A magnificent and splendid imperial palace. Volunteer for a magnificent Man-Majeon.

Clean thoroughly

Keep it beautiful.

It is not an honor given to anyone. Only for the servant girl, only for those with professional skills and high level of education. That was the pride of the maidens.

However, how trivial is the pride of the maids in my eyes.

The Empire is neither great nor glorious.

It is an enormous nonsense that a previously deceased Anticorpse Puppet has ascended to the Emperor.

In reality, the Demon Kings hold power because they are wearing masks called the Human Empire. The Emperor's theme actually supports the Republicanism of the entire continent... There is no such thing as a sure identity.

It is not an empire or an empire. Habsburg, but not Habsburg. Nothing. What is it that the maids are so proud of?

“I see a great being. ”

Am I not the same?

If the ladies served in the Imperial Palace, I, Dantalian, had only served this world. Just as they played the role of maids, so did the role of Dantalian. I felt proud of it…….

It was not a pleasant pride. However, I was proud. Who else could have done this role if not for me? Who would have made it here if it wasn't for me?

It is the tallest mountain range of all mountains and the broadest base of all bases. I'm not just someone who goes up. It's not just people who fall down. I'm falling! But if you turn the Earth upside down, it's rising.

Yes, I climb up by falling.

Who among all the fallen has chosen this path? Who could turn themselves upside down for the world? What a human being would do to turn the world upside down for himself.

This devotion, this sacrifice. Engagement in the role and respect for the stage. This was me. This was Dantalian.

‘But how worthless is my pride? ’

My eyes narrowed.

‘The Imperial Palace is not great at all. It's just that the maids make the imperial palace look great. It's the same! The world isn't great at all. I'm just decorating the world. ’

I bit my lip. The smell of blood spread to the soles of my tongue.

‘But no one respects this world! ’

That was the difference.

There were many maids who cleaned this imperial palace. Hundreds of them. As long as the Empire is maintained, the Imperial Palace will always be held by hundreds of people and hundreds of hands. But what about this world? Who takes care of the palace in the name of the world?

Who remembers that Jack Orland's death was not so unjust.

Who can justly assess the 200,000 lives lost in the Moon Blind War?

Who knows how noble Pymon was?

So many people.

So many people are forgotten without a sound.

If I don't do it.

Only I know that this is all my responsibility for twisting history and creating it.

If I don't do it...

“Huh? Dantalian? ”

I opened the conference room door wide and walked in. In the meeting room where the wizards would gather after preliminary sessions, only Garmiginman was lying on the couch alone. He took off half his clothes and drank wine shaking.

“What, are you scared to come in? You're not here for a meeting, are you? You're late, so we decided to reopen at dinner a long time ago. Isn't this the first time you've broken your promise? ”

“ ……. ”

“But it worked out just fine. You've been so neglectful of me lately. No matter how shocking the death of Pymon may have been, it's not easy for a man to cry about it for so long. Now, this sister will listen to you. Let's have a drink together. ”

Gamekin laughs as he taps the seat next to his couch. It was a sign to come and enjoy it together. I looked straight at his face and muttered in my mind.

‘Status window.’

Nor did I think of anything.

I immediately turned my back and left the interview room. Gamikin shouts from behind.

“Dantalian? Hey, Dantalian. Dantalian! What, are you really doing this to me?! I know what happens when I go crazy, and I'm just like this!? If you don't come and apologize right now, I'm gonna burn Pymon's morgue to the ground! Dantalian!”

The thud, the noise was loud. You must have thrown a glass at him. But I ignored it and turned my back.

This time I found Citri's private office. Citri was talking seriously about something with two Mountain Demon Kings. They were somewhat surprised when I came upon them. Citri was the same.

“Hey, Dantalian.... ”

Citri glances at my lower half and tilts her head. I was curious when I saw my left foot was fine. Citri looked carefully at my eyes again, then frowned like a mathematician facing the challenges of the century.

“... That's right. Did something happen? ”

Citri stood up with a worried face. Looking at her slowly approaching, I said to myself.

‘Status window.’

Nothing appears.

Citri suddenly opened her eyes in shock. She barged in and grabbed my hand.

“What, what? What's going on? Talk to me. ”

I slowly pushed Citri's hand out of mine. My hands kept shaking, and I had to move slowly. Citri tried to grab my arm again, but before that, I turned around and left the office.

“Dantalian...? ”

Leaving a weak voice behind, I walked frantically.

There was no destination. I was drawn to the myriad of thoughts in my head, and my footsteps moved on my own.

Among them, there was one echo that sounded the venomous skull big and deep. One sentence was repeated endlessly, as if the whole body were a cave used to echo the echo.

I got caught.

Daisy found out.

Daisy saw the meaning of my part, the meaning of my stage. The play that was supposed to start perfectly and end perfectly was ruined. I was responsible for everything and the crash scenario was broken.

"If you want to take full responsibility for the world, fine. ’

"But who is responsible for you? ’

Daisy never told me that.

In my head, Daisy's voice sounded so vivid. In a blunt, cold voice. In a tone with a slight twist in the middle of nowhere.

‘If no one is responsible for your father. ’

"I have no choice but to do it for you. ’

What should I do?

I have to stay Dantalian all the way. Now that Daisy's been spotted, what am I supposed to do? Daisy was telling me there was nothing wrong with me. But Dantalian did everything wrong.

…….

Suddenly I came to my senses.

I stand in a chunk in the backyard of the imperial palace.

It was always a place to sit and drink alongside Barbato. How did you know I was here? A monster living in a pond raises its head to the surface of the water.

The eel-like head twitches toward this side. Maybe it's because Barbato sometimes throws sweets at him. When I was indifferent with no reaction, the fish rolled its eyes as if it were strange.

‘Look at that. I've never seen a fish that ugly in my life. Dantalian, aren't you the one who was reborn? He looks a little irritated. ’

‘You're playing. I'm the guy who came all the way up here with one face. ’

‘Okay, I've decided now. His name is Dantalian from now on. ’

The fish opened its mouth several times into the air and soon slipped under the water.

Only the cherry blossoms fell on the surface of the pond.

‘Hey, Dantalian. A long time ago, here's a cookie I cooked for you to eat. Thank you.'

Under the blooming cherry blossom tree, I heard laughter, not from this world.

The biceps, the...

My heart is tightening.

I knelt on the ground. Then, holding her breasts with both hands, she bows her head inward. My body was the smallest in the world. And I vomited something without a sound.

“ ……. ”

Little by little.

“ ……, ……. ”

Little by little.

Suddenly, someone was gently hugging my back. Someone else was shaking. In fact, it was hard for me to tell whether I was trembling or whether she was trembling. But she was whispering something on my behalf.

“I'm sorry, Dantalian. ”

“ ……. ”

“Sorry…… sorry…… Dantalian, sorry. Sorry……. ”

I'm so sorry about Laffith. I apologized.

“ ……. ”

I wanted to open my mouth and tell her something. You said you didn't do anything wrong, and you wanted me to know it was the right thing to do. But for some reason, there was no voice.

I couldn't say anything.

I just held Laffith's arms together with my own. Laffith's tremors spread to the palms of his hands. I thought maybe Lapis was, too. So we both felt each other's body temperatures.

The play didn't end.

The play just failed.

One giant play that we've been planning and performing for the past eight years, must have collapsed at this moment. Laffith and I accepted each other's defeat without a word…….