[Defend the Empire] starts to exponentially increase in difficulty from the third year.
The first and second years are practically a different game compared to the third year.
If the difficulty of the first two years already makes you swear, the third year leaves you with no time to even do that.
The frequency of monster invasions increases, and their numbers surge.
If up to the second year the monster front could be barely held back, from the third year, monsters pour out in a tide set to annihilate the world.
At least in the first half of the third year, if you grit your teeth and scrape together resources, you can manage to hold on.
But in the second half of the third year, it's truly impossible to endure.
Like the maw of hell opening, a black lake endlessly covers the surface, spewing out monsters.
You can't help but watch as the city burns, the walls crumble, and the defense forces die fighting, in the final onslaught of the third year.
All the named monsters and legions that weren't dealt with earlier pour out and march towards Crossroad.
If the final boss wasn't defeated in the dungeon, it too joins the march.
At this point, it's pretty much game over.
So, from the third year, it becomes a race against time.
Before the monster front completely collapses. Before the fortress falls and the defense line crumbles.
You must completely conquer the dungeon below the black lake and defeat the final boss.
While maintaining the tower defense, you must succeed in dungeon offense.
'So... from here, the quality and quantity of the army must be well balanced.'
The elite troops must be deployed for dungeon offense.
A suicide squad of heroes and soldiers capable of piercing the darkness of hell and the heart of the final boss must be formed.
And aside from this elite suicide squad, the rest, the heroes and soldiers below the first tier, must conduct the tower defense.
...This is where the dilemma arises.
If you deploy all the elites to conquer the dungeon, the quality of troops for city defense diminishes.
Then the damage on the city defense side snowballs, and eventually, the city defense fails before the dungeon conquest, leading to game over.
But if you allocate too many elites to city defense, the dungeon conquest becomes challenging.
Ultimately, you must succeed in the final boss raid to eradicate the source of the monsters, but if you focus too much on city defense, the dungeon conquest fails.
If in the first and second years dungeon conquest and city defense were compatible goals.
In the third year, you must strategically choose your priorities.
So, my choice is.
'Succeed in both!'
Not giving up on anything.
The number of troops that can be deployed for dungeon offense is limited.
But the number of troops that can be deployed for tower defense is not.
The more, the better. You can push through with sheer numbers.
I will deploy the elite heroes and soldiers I've trained so far for dungeon conquest.
And use the heroes and soldiers of the World Guardian Front for city defense.
That was my goal for the third year.
Fallen kings and the leaders of various countries and their elite guards already possess a certain level of talent and strength.
They are much more powerful than recruiting new troops and training them from scratch.
If used correctly, they can definitely defend the city well.
The problem is... uniting them into a single army.
'The situation is different from when we attacked the Imperial Capital.'
Back then, it was enough to intimidate, persuade, and pressure the fallen kings to unite them into one group.
We needed the numbers then.
But the upcoming third year is not a problem that can be solved simply by uniting.
You can't turn them all into a real Crossroad army by offering them interests, pouring in gold, or scratching their political itches.
'Initially, I thought that would be enough.'
Show them the real fear of the monsters, provide what each force needs, and if that fails, exploit their weaknesses and threaten them... I thought they would all come under my control.
But half of the forces of the World Guardian Front that I gathered initially betrayed me during the mid-stage of the Imperial Capital Conquest.
They succumbed to greater interests, greater threats, and the fear of the Empire's imperial power, which was more formidable than the monsters.
That's when I realized.
Something more than material gain is necessary.
'This is the end of the world.'
The people of Crossroad... the mercenaries who came here on their own accord are those with nowhere else to go.
This is the last place for them, with no other land or opportunities for survival.
That's why they gritted their teeth and fought together.
But it's different for the others in the World Guardian Front.
They have places to flee to.
They can abandon this place and return to their homelands anytime.
Material interests crumble in the face of greater interests.
Even if I deploy them on the walls with gold and promises, if the threat and fear from the monsters are greater, they will run to save their lives.
Then the front will inevitably collapse.
'Something more than material gains...'
Just as the people of Crossroad, who were like dirt and sand two years ago, reacted with each other to become as solid as rock.
From different worlds, living in different directions, what ideal, great cause, or spirit of the times can bind these new recruits together, to stand shoulder to shoulder on this front?
What could it be...
***
Today's conference was adjourned.
Everyone was emotionally charged after a hearty round of fisticuffs.
Rational conversation was difficult.
I couldn't exactly join in the punching, though that would have some 'romantic' merit.
Anyway, I managed to settle things down and sent everyone to their hotel rooms.
The next conference was scheduled for tomorrow evening.
I advised everyone to cool their heads until then.
"Haah, Haah! Your Highness! Here's popcorn and drinks... Oh."
Serenade arrived a bit late, arms full of popcorn and drinks.
Surveying the empty conference room, Serenade awkwardly placed the items on the table.
"I'm sorry. I'm too late..."
"No, thank you for your thoughtfulness."
She made a mountain of popcorn.
Rushing because of my offhand remark, she must have hurriedly procured corn and had the chef pop it.
I felt somewhat guilty.
I took only two bags of popcorn and left the rest in the hotel lobby.
Those craving a snack would help themselves.
Serenade and I left the hotel together.
I opened one bag of popcorn and started eating.
Freshly popped, it was really tasty.
"What's the schedule for the rest of the day, Serenade?"
"I was thinking of visiting the reconstruction site in the west... Ah, and you, Your Highness?"
"I was planning to visit the temple. There are people I haven't properly seen because of being busy."
I showed her the second bag of popcorn in my hand.
"And, the new mother in postpartum care might want to taste this delicious popcorn."
Serenade quickly gestured to Elize, a maid in a uniform standing beside her.
After whispering some instructions, Elize nodded understandingly and dashed off towards the west.
Serenade stood next to me with a bright face.
"Elize will go to the reconstruction site on my behalf! So, um... May I accompany you to the temple?"
I smiled lightly.
"Of course."
We walked towards the temple, sharing a bag of popcorn, and chatting leisurely.
Soon after, we arrived at the temple entrance where Torkel and Zenis were standing.
I had gathered and commended all the contributors after the last battle, but this was the first time I'd seen them individually like this.
I patted both of them on the shoulder, expressing my gratitude and acknowledging their hard work.
"Thank you for your efforts, Zenis, and I'm counting on you in the future, High Priest."
Shaking hands with Zenis, I gave him a nod.
I was acknowledging him for safely assisting with Lilly's childbirth, treating the wounded as a priest, and even joining the battle himself.
But it was also a sincere thanks for his steadfast service as a priest despite my suspicions.
When managing multiple heroes, there's no profession as desperately needed as a good healer.
I was genuinely relieved that Zenis was not a traitor.
"And, Torkel."
His face still hidden under a deeply pulled-down helmet.
Yet, the glimpse of Torkel's eyes through the gap in his helmet seemed much more at ease.
The look that was always tense and rigid now undoubtedly had peace in it.
"...You've worked hard."
Instead of long words, I firmly grasped his gloved hand with both of mine.
Torkel seemed unsure of what to do but quietly nodded in response.
Passing the two men, Serenade and I headed inside the temple.
Lilly's room was a single room at the very back of the temple.
It wasn't hard to find which room it was.
Apart from us, there were many visitors.
"I brought precious northern fruits!"
"Here's freshly squeezed goat milk! Drink it up for strength!"
"After such a hard ordeal, it's definitely meat, meat!"
"I've got seafood from the east! Especially this seaweed, called 'miyeok'! It's so good for pregnant women! Make a soup with it!"
Guests with their hands full of various gifts had piled them up in front of the room.
"Oh my, it's too much... it'll spoil before I can eat it... Are you all trying to fatten me up?"
And Lilly, who had eaten well and rested in the past week, looked much better, sitting up in bed.
After the extreme labor and monster attack, she had been gaunt and haggard, but now her face glowed with health.
The baby, Sid, lying in the crib next to her, had chubby cheeks. Incredibly cute. (TL Note: Originally I named the baby Cid. But, on further thought, it makes more sense that its name is actually Sid, which is pronounced as 'Seed')
Serenade and I stood outside the room, quietly observing the mother and child surrounded by guests.
Especially Serenade, who stared intently at Sid.
"Babies... they're really adorable."
"Indeed. Seems like he got all the good traits from his mom and dad."
...But why does she keep sneaking glances at me, Serenade?
Suddenly, I remembered the request Serenade had made when we first met.
Ahem!
Then, a priest came and asked the first visitors to leave, saying visiting time was limited to 30 minutes.
The guests reluctantly but obediently left the room.
"Oh, Your Highness? When did you arrive?"
Lilly, finally noticing me, widened her eyes in surprise.
Stepping into the now quieter room, I smiled broadly.
"Just now. How are you feeling?"
"As you can see, completely energetic. The temple has been overly kind to me..."
"Of course, they should be. It's the birth of my comrade's child."
Sitting in a chair next to the bed, I looked into the crib.
Sid, awakened by the noise, was not asleep.
Looking into his big, sea-green eyes that resembled his father's, I whispered.
"Hello, Sid. I'm your godfather."
I playfully shook my fist in the air.
"If anyone ever bothers you, you tell me right away, okay? Your godfather will take care of it."
Sid, not understanding a word, laughed heartily.
...Then, suddenly scrunching his face, he burst into tears with a wail, "Waaah!"
What, what's this?! Did I do something wrong?!
"Right, right, my baby. Mommy's here."
Lilly, with adept hands, embraced the crying Sid, patting his back to soothe him.
Sid stopped crying in his mother's arms and began to babble.
"..."
I watched this scene, immersed in indescribable emotions.
I remembered the day I first saw Lilly, two years ago.
Surrounded by black spiders at the forward base, she tried hard to lighten the mood of the party with a smile.
And two years later, unable to use her legs, having fallen in love with another companion, giving birth to this child...
Lilly, the senior sorceress, a living history of this monster frontline.
"..."
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
I slowly faced Lilly.
"...Lilly."
As she patted Sid's back, Lilly smiled brightly.
"Yes, Your Highness. What is it?"
"This is sudden, but can you do me a favor?"
"A favor?"
Lilly, puzzled at first, soon nodded willingly.
"Of course. Just say the word. How can I help?"
***
The next day, afternoon.
Hotel Crossroad. Lobby hall. Conference room.
"..."
"..."
"..."
A tense silence pervaded.
All the kings who had gathered the day before were clustered again.
Staring at each other murderously, wrapped in bandages and gauze, just like yesterday.
In this bleak atmosphere...
Creak. Creeeak.
I made my entrance.
In front, I was pushing Lilly's wheelchair.
Hundreds of pairs of eyes immediately turned towards us.
More precisely, not at me, but at Lilly's wheelchair that I was pushing.
And then at Sid, cradled in Lilly's arms.
"...Hiccup."
Lilly hiccupped,
"...Ah."
and Sid raised his big eyes, looking around.
The gazes that had been on Lilly and Sid shifted again, now piercingly at me.
The look in their eyes seemed to ask, who is this child and mother who suddenly appeared in the conference room?
"Let's."
I started with a bright smile.
"Before discussing the future of the world, may I have a moment... to tell you a story?"
The ideal I was seeking, the cause, the spirit of the age...
It was with this little woman and child.