Chapter 212

Chapter 212

I explained what happened yesterday, and Damien seemed disheartened to hear he had lost control again.

This was the second time he had gone berserk. I couldnt turn a blind eye any longer.

"So, youre under arrest for now."

One of Damiens arms was shackled to the wall with a metal chain and handcuffs.

It might seem like a harsh measure, but he did open fire on us in his rampage. Precautions had to be taken.

Damien didnt have much of a reaction to his imprisonment, but he was visibly shocked by my next words.

"Also, your magic gun, Black Queen, is being confiscated. You wont get it back for a while."

"What?"

"A team of wizards and alchemists came to examine you and the Black Queen. They said that the dark energy emanating from the gun is already corroding your soul."

I spoke sternly.

"They recommended immediate severance of contact between you and the gun, and thats what I intend to do."

Pale-faced, Damien pleaded with me.

"Your Majesty, please! I promise to behave if I stay here. Cant you leave the gun with me?"

"What are you talking about? That gun is the reason all of this happened."

As if Id give it back. Who knows what hed do, spewing out more dark aura.

"Ever since that gun started emitting black aura, you can neither eat properly nor sleep, right? I heard it from the temple priests."

"..."

"Its for your own good that Im doing this. Understand that."

"But, Your Majesty, although Ive been suffering from nightmares due to the Black Queen..."

Damien hesitated before mumbling,

"I was able to dream of Van."

"..."

"I saw Vans face vividly, someone I thought Id never see again. Thats why I couldnt let go of the Black Queen."

So he kept the Black Queen close, even though it brought him daily pain, just to see his friends face in his nightmares.

"You must have really cherished that friend."

Damien closed his mouth tightly instead of replying.

Silence enveloped the room. I looked around Damiens sparse chamber, decorated in the unique, bleak style of the temple. There were few furnishingsa closet, a desk, and a hamster cage.

He did mention once that he was raising a hamster. I moved closer to the cage.

- Cheep cheep.

A tiny hamster peeked out from a pile of hay, its small eyes fixed on me. It seemed to resemble its owner. Was that just my imagination?

"Whats its name?"

"Podong," he replied.

"Its not as chubby as its name suggests."

"I couldnt properly care for him yesterday. Even a day without proper food makes him lose weight."

Is that how hamsters usually are? Ive never raised one, so I dont know.

"Make sure Podong becomes chubby again, and Damien, focus on your own recovery."

Pointing to his forlorn face, I slowly headed toward the door.

"Youre benched for the season. Dont participate in the upcoming defense battle; just recuperate here. Well talk about the Black Queen later."

"!"

Damien tried to follow me desperately but was held back by the chain and handcuffs.

He staggered, the sound of metal clinking filling the air, and then he cried out urgently,

"But Your Majesty! I have to be there!"

"..."

"Youve never led a defense without me since you took over this place! You always need my sniping skills!"

"Damien."

I opened the door and looked back at him expressionlessly.

"I once told you to be my trigger. You agreed to do so."

"...Yes."

"What I need is a gun that aims and shoots according to my will. But youve become a dangerous weapon, unpredictable in what or whom you might target."

Damien closed his mouth and lowered his head. I stepped out of the room.

"You cant be on the frontline in this condition. Focus on your recovery."

"Your Highness..."

"Its an order from your commander."

I gave him a slight smile one last time.

"Its body is massive. And so its neural centers, which command its body, are scattered."

I pointed to three places on Jormungandrs body sketch.

The head. The middle of the body. And near the tail.

"We destroy the three most crucial centers. That will stop it."

Its sort of a target-destruction mechanism.

If we succeed in destroying these three points, Jormungandr would have to retreat to its nest to recover.

If we fail? It would destroy the wall, devour the city, and keep moving north.

"So, this defense operation will closely resemble close-quarters combat."

Landing directly on the giant snakes body. Destroying the protruding neural centers. Naturally, this would resemble hand-to-hand combat.

This was also why the operation could be planned without Damien.

In this mission to defeat Jormungandr, long-range sniping abilities werent highly needed.

"Nine days until the next defense operation starts. That means we have just six days until Jormungandr sticks its head out of the lake."

Because the defense starts at the lakes entrance, the time is even more critical compared to traditional defenses based on the creatures arrival at the walls.

"During this time, well create weapons capable of damaging the creature, and you all will undergo intensive training."

I looked around at the heroes.

"This defensive battle will be entirely different from those weve faced before. Well have to operate on the monsters body for a maximum of three days, so the threat level is unlike our previous encounters with large monsters."

I nodded solemnly at all the party members who looked at me with anxious eyes.

"Brace yourselves."

I then announced the formation.

The main party of four, minus Damien. A support party of five. A Penal Squad of five.

In total, 14 people were set to land directly on Jormungandrs body to execute this perilous operation.

I had decided not to bring any regular soldiers. We would be spending three days on the body of a boss monster that exuded malevolent energy.

It was an operation that could only be endured by hero-tier characters.

As always, the members of the main party nodded with resolute faces. The support party and the Penal Squad also obeyed my command with stern expressions.

"If Jormungandr breaks through the southern front and heads north, its path will cross the Imperial Capital."

From the perspective of the support party, it was obviously a situation worth risking their lives to prevent.

"My homeland is also in that path."

With a stern face, Kuilan clenched both fists.

"Im willing to risk my life, Your Highness."

The Penal Squad seemed to have their own serious reasons to commit. I gave a faint smile to the bandit king who was burning with determination.

"Lilly, and Saintess Margarita!"

I called out to the two who had been anxiously waiting for their names. I gestured to them.

"You two will stay as reserves in Crossroad."

Their faces instantly lit up, but it wasnt the time to rejoice.

"This defensive battle poses a risk that the city itself may be swept away. Hence, the evacuation of the citizens will also be conducted differently."

Previously, even if monsters penetrated the city, they would mainly focus on killing humans and seldom touched the citys facilities and buildings.

Thats why previous evacuations merely involved temporarily relocating citizens to the north of the city.

However, the level of threat this time was different. The entire city could be annihilated.

If we dont prepare, in the worst-case scenario, Jormungandr could flatten the city and destroy its infrastructure, putting all the citizens lives at risk.

"Lilly, cooperate with all the artisans and guild members to construct emergency shelters, water storage, and food warehouses. Establish them in the empty plains northeast of the city."

"Yes, understood!"

"Saintess, Ill assign labor to you. Construct makeshift medical facilities in the citys northeast. Make sure there are enough beds and medicinal supplies."

"As you command, Your Highness."

I nodded gravely at the two who answered with serious faces.

"I hope your efforts will prove unnecessary."

Their role was to prepare for the worst.

Of course, the best outcome would be to repel Jormungandr before it reaches the walls.

If the monster does make it to the walls, then all is lost.

But I am the Lord of this land.

Even if the game ends, even if the operation fails, even if the world perishes

I still have a responsibility to those who survive. Thats why we have to prepare for the worst.

I hope they work diligently, but I also hope that all their efforts prove futile.

Reading my thoughts, Lilly and Margarita nodded once again.

Both of them had now lost their usual timid expressions, instead bearing the faces of heroes of this front line.