"This isn't right."
Just after barely escaping the encirclement by the Aegis Special Forces, escorted by three members of the Shadow Squad, I tossed my dented helmet aside and spoke. The blood-splattered trio from the Shadow Squad looked back at me.
"This can't be! Lucas is in danger!"
Lucas had stayed behind in the enemy's den, acting as my decoy. He had swapped clothes with me, letting himself be tied up in my stead.
I looked down at the armor I was wearing, which had belonged to Lucas.
The black armor that was freshly fitted not long ago was now punctured, ripped, and soaked in blood.
Lucas had claimed that he had a way to escape, but...
Could I really trust his words?
Was it possible that he had lied, just to ensure that I would leave without any qualms?
"Your Majesty."
Godhand, who had turned to look at me, spoke in a composed manner.
"Have you ever played chess?"
"Of course, I have."
I've played it both on Earth and in this world; the rules are more or less the same.
"Do you know what the objective of chess is?"
"To capture the opponent's King."
"Correct. And we also need to protect our own King."
Godhand pointed at himself and his two subordinates in turn.
"Pawns like us, or Knights like Captain Lucas, all die for the King. Because that's the stepping stone for victory."
"..."
"If we can save you from a dire situation with our lives, it would be a fair trade."
I clenched my lips shut. Godhand nodded.
"The game continues only if the King remains. For this front to persist, you must be safe, Your Majesty."
"..."
"Captain Lucas has made a choice. Even if it puts him in danger, he decided to save you... A knightly and wholly correct decision."
I took a deep breath.
The heat from my forehead cooled down, clearing my mind.
"Listen carefully, Godhand. The game may continue if the King remains, but..."
And I spoke.
"Simply having the King won't win you the game."
"..."
This time, Godhand was the one to keep his mouth shut.
"A King needs Pawns, Knights, Bishops, Rooks, and a Queen. Only then can a King truly be a King."
"Your Majesty."
"I can only move one square around me. It's because you all stand by me that I can be a battlefield commander."
I looked at Godhand, then turned to Burnout and Bodybag.
"I need you all. And I need Lucas, too."
I want to go on together.
With all my comrades.
Toward the true ending, and beyond...
So, losing Lucas—my main character, my knight, and my strongest card—in a place like this is unacceptable!
"That's idealistic, Your Majesty."
Godhand grinned bitterly.
"Chess is a game where you must lose to gain."
"But this isn't a chessboard; it's the real world."
"That's correct. It's even colder."
"But it's a place where possibilities not confined by rules exist."
And so, I decided.
I decided not just to be a commander but to be a tyrant on the board.
To trample over any rules for victory... A tyrant in the game.
So—I won't weigh exchange rates.
I won't play by sacrificing Pawns and Knights to capture an opponent's Bishop and Rook.
I will force my way, throw a tantrum, lose none of my pieces, and consume the enemy's.
Yes, that's the kind of player I am.
That's what... I've decided.
Beep.
It was then. A system window popped up in front of me.
[Player Authentication Complete.]
[System Usage Enabled.]
"..."
I don't know what error had prevented me earlier, but now I had regained access to the system.
I had many questions, but now wasn't the time. I hurriedly reached into my inventory and grabbed an item. Good, it works.
Godhand rushed me.
"Your Highness, I understand your concerns, but we should first retreat to a safe location and regroup later—"
"It'll be too late. They could kill Lucas right away."
"So what do you plan to do? Go back there?"
"..."
While reviewing my options, I suddenly looked at the wooden sword in my hand.
It was the broken wooden sword that Lucas had brought. The idea flashed through my mind as I saw it.
"Hey, guys. I've got a good idea."
I noticed the white cloth the Shadow Squad members were using as makeshift bandages. Good, this will do.
Smirking, I looked at the three members of the Shadow Squad.
"Do you trust me?"
"..."
The three elves exchanged sardonic glances before nodding at me.
"What should we do, Your Highness?"
***
Lucas, tied to a chair, had become a punching bag.
Mason had been beating Lucas under the guise of torture, and Lucas had remained silent, taking the hits.
"How about saying something, young master?"
Mason growled, wiping his blood-soaked wrists.
"I'd like to have some last words to remember."
Lucas smirked.
"Your punch feels like a feather, Mason."
"...What?"
"Being hit by my master hurt more."
Back then, it hurt because he had disappointed the one he was loyal to.
But now?
His body might be falling apart, but his mind was lighter than ever.
'I'm finally doing something worthy of a loyal servant.'
Dying for one's master...
Wasn't that the most fitting end for a loyal servant?
He had lied to Ash, saying there was a way out. But there wasn't. Lucas had come here prepared to die in Ash's stead.
Could he now say he had atoned for betraying Ash all those years ago...?
"Hey, young master."
Clutching his fist, Mason displayed a sinister expression.
"Provoking me won't make your death any easier."
He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a syringe filled with a succubi sedative.
"I need you to give me every piece of information you have. Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll mutilate you, drug you if I have to, but I'll scrape out every last bit of info in your brain."
Lucas closed his eyes.
And began to channel the remaining magic power into his carotid artery.
He never intended to die from Mason's punches. He planned a clean self-destruction.
Why was it that the last memories that came to mind were from his younger days?
The day they first entered Dustia's Star Bow.
The secret base under the roof, a place where young Ash had invited him...
Step. Step.
Mason advanced menacingly, and Lucas took a final, deep breath.
Just then.
"Ahem!"
A sound of heavy breathing came from outside the hideout.
Knock. Knock-knock. Knock.
Once. Twice. Once.
'...Huh?'
Opening his eyes, Lucas looked puzzled in that direction.
That knock signal was definitely from their childhood...?
Crash!
The door swung open, startling everyone inside.
"Do you wanna build a snowman~?" (TL Note: This was in English, an obvious reference to the Disney movie Frozen)
There stood Ash.
Waving a white flag.
It was an atrociously crude white flag, a broken wooden sword wrapped in white cloth. Ash waved it back and forth, grinning from ear to ear.
"Surrender, surrender! Hello, secret friends? The Prince has returned because he wants to play with you all some more."
The agents who had been guarding the outside broke into a cold sweat as they followed in.
"Ca, Captain! His Highness the Prince returned so suddenly... we couldn't stop him in time..."
"Why? Don't you like it?"
Ash grinned mischievously, fluttering the white flag in his hand.
"Although it's weird for me to say this, I've never been rejected when I asked to play first in my entire life, you know?"
In any case, the intent to surrender was clear. Mason let out a wry laugh, too astonished to react otherwise.
"Your Highness, you're either exceedingly bold or you've lost your mind... What on Earth made you come back--"
"I'll guide you."
At Ash's words, Mason closed his mouth.
"Lake Kingdom. You're kicking up all this fuss because you want to enter it, right?"
Continuing, Ash shrugged his shoulders smugly.
"It's not difficult. I'll take all of you there. Just follow me. I'll personally escort you in."
Ash looked around at the special agents, who were confused by his offer, then raised the white flag above his head and waved it grandly.
"This Price is exceptionally good at guiding people in amusement parks!"
It was a flag-waving maneuver as skillful as that of a tour guide leading tourists.
***
And so.
Following Ash's guidance, the special agents were making their way towards the teleport gate located in the lord's mansion.
"...My lord. Why?"
As Lucas, who was supported by Ash, limped along at the front, he stammered.
"Why... have you returned? I risked my life to get you out..."
"It's because you risked your life."
Ash replied nonchalantly.
"So I have to risk my life to save you, too."
"I am but a mere retainer, my lord. It is only natural for me to die for you. But you should not risk your life for a mere retainer..."
"No."
"Excuse me?"
"Idiot, you're not a dog."
Ash looked at Lucas as if he couldn't believe him.
"Just because people say you're puppy-like, resemble a golden retriever, or whatever, do you think you're actually a dog? No, you fool. You're a human, a human!"
"..."
"And I. I save people."
Ash declared as if making a vow to himself.
"If they're within my reach, I save people. I'm just following my own principles."
Just as Lucas seemed about to say something more, Mason quickly approached from behind.
"I should inform you, Your Highness. I'm quite... hot-headed at the moment, due to your previous deception and the loss of my subordinates."
"Oh dear. You must have a lot of heat in your body. Are you a Yang Cultivator by any chance?" (TL Note: In Cultivation Novels, Yang is represented by Heat, while Yin is represented by Cold. The manlier you are, the more Yang you have, and vice versa.)
Ash threw another joke that Mason chose to ignore and instead growled at him.
"If you try to deceive me again, it won't end well."
"Ooh, scary. A public servant daring to threaten the royal family. You should definitely get a health check-up later. That big belly of yours must be full of fatty liver."
The path to the teleport gate was deserted.
Mason and the special agents remained alert for ambushes, but not a single soldier—let alone ordinary citizens—was in sight.
Ash taunted the tense special agents.
"Hey. I'm the Lord of this city. If we brawl in the middle of the city, innocent people will get hurt. How would you handle that?"
"...You cleared the people out in advance?"
Ash seemed to have ordered his subordinates to evacuate the people from the path beforehand. He shrugged his shoulders.
"Either way, we both achieve our goals, right? You guys get into Lake Kingdom, pay your respects to the Demon King, and I get to safely head home with my knight. Okay?"
Of course, Mason had no intention of letting Ash and Lucas go even if they accomplished their objective, but he quietly nodded.
Arriving in front of the teleport gate, Ash raised his hand to activate it.
"Welcome to a land of fantasy, where a joyous festival is held~ Come to a land of adventure, the land of eternal happiness~"
Humming a strange—Ash insisted it was a theme park song—tune, Ash gestured towards the open gate.
"Well, shall we go? To the Lake Kingdom!"
"..."
Mason tightly gripped Ash's shoulder and jumped into the teleport gate with him.
Flash!
The moment the teleportation ended—a spacious square unfolded before them.
Magical stones emitted light like streetlamps scattered throughout the open space, and a large bonfire was ablaze at the center.
A subtle dampness in the air. And the pitch-black darkness covering the sky...
Mason instinctively knew.
"...We're in the right place."
This was the Lake Kingdom.
Flash! Flash!
Members of the Aegis Special Forces who arrived right after stood agape, scanning their surroundings.
It was their first time experiencing teleport magic and their first time in the Lake Kingdom dungeon, so their bewilderment was understandable.
Therefore, Ash bought some time.
Grinning wickedly, Ash lifted up what he held in his hand—a white flag.
Although Ash's wrists were bound, the white flag he held wasn't taken from him.
It's not a weapon, what could he do with a small surrender flag?—with that line of thinking, the special forces had left it with him.
They had no idea.
What Ash could do with a 'flag.'
"I declare this place—"
Driving the white flag into the ground, Ash shouted,
"—as territory of the Empire!"
Whoosh!
Magic power burst forth from Ash, covering the area in a blinding flash.