Chapter 101
[Due to the immense power of your numerous achievements and accomplishments thus far, a hidden condition has been fulfilled. As a result, a new system has been unlocked.]
[ has been activated.]
‘Huh?’
A message suddenly appeared before his eyes.
Lloyd’s eyes widened at the unexpected content.
‘Praise System?’
It was his first time hearing about it.
He’d seen countless messages about things like Affection and RP, but he’d never once heard any mention of a “Compliment” system.
But Lloyd wasn’t flustered.
The answer to the situation was right in the message.
‘A hidden condition, huh.’
The countless achievements and accomplishments he’d accumulated so far.
Lloyd recalled the things he’d done and achieved since arriving in this world.
‘If you look at it as a career, it’s at an incredible level.’
It wasn’t just incredible.
Just by listing a few…
Revived a barony that was on the verge of ruin.
Formed an alliance with a wild orc tribe.
Defeated a monster the size of an apartment building in Cremo and almost became the son-in-law of a count.
And tonight?
He stopped an assassination attempt on the queen.
In other words, he’d saved the country.
‘So all those achievements kept piling up, and that’s what satisfied the hidden condition.’
He could roughly guess the situation.
A sense of anticipation naturally grew.
‘The Praise System. I wonder what it’s like.’
The Affection and RP he’d accumulated and built up until now.
Those systems had been like wings for him.
They’d made things that seemed utterly impossible, possible.
They’d pulled him out of crisis many times.
But now, what kind of power would this newly unlocked system grant him? What impossibility would it bring into the realm of possibility?
With his heart pounding, he looked below the message.
There was a selection window there.
Ding-dong.
[You have selected ‘Praise System Guide’.]
[Praise makes whales dance. Your achievements are turned into individual compliments. People praise you through compliments. Each compliment you possess provides a unique ability bonus. In addition, every month at midnight under the full moon, a certain amount of Compliment Points (CP) will be continuously provided.]
‘Ability bonus… and these so-called Compliment Points, CP.’
He still didn’t quite understand what it all meant.
Lloyd opened the list of compliments.
Ding-dong.
[You have selected ‘List of Owned Compliments’.]
In front of his eyes, one by one, the compliments he now possessed appeared in order.
[Executor of Stern Punishment]
[Builder of a Fallen Territory]
[Honor Warrior of the Barbarian Tribe]
[Guardian of Cremo]
[Bearer of Magentano]
‘…Wait, is this like a title system?’
Suddenly, he recalled various online games he used to play back in South Korea. He remembered the titles you’d get for successfully completing quests.
‘When you equipped a title, you’d get various stats or buffs as a bonus. That’s exactly what this feels like. Let’s check it out first.’
Lloyd selected one of the compliments to test it out.
Ding-dong.
[You have selected the compliment, .]
[Guardian of Cremo]
[Compliment Grade: Regional Folklore]
The gaze of a monster that covered the night sky.
A will that stood tall in front of it.
At his shout, the fires of the city subsided.
With every step he took, the monster’s heart trembled.
No matter how deep the night of disaster.
Morning will surely dawn.
Come. Monster of the deep sea.
Come. To the dawn of protection.
[Compliment Effect: When fighting against opponents more than ten times your weight, you manifest the ‘Indomitable’ trait. Damage dealt to the opponent increases twofold. Damage received from the opponent is halved.]
[Compliment Region: The entire Cremona region, including the trade city of Cremo]
[Compliment Duration: 120 years]
[The compliment’s effect is applied at all times, 24 hours a day, within the region and period where the compliment is active. Furthermore, based on your future actions, the compliment’s applicable region and period may be expanded, extended, reduced, or shortened.]
[Monthly CP provided by the compliment: 6]
[Current CP in possession: 0]
“……”
He still didn’t know what CP was or what it was used for.
But seeing the details, he realized something.
‘This is basically a buff with a 120-year expiration date. Limited to when I’m in the Cremona region.’
Come to think of it, it was an amazing condition.
And its effect was nothing to scoff at.
He instinctively swallowed.
‘Let’s check the others.’
This time, he selected the very first compliment he received, ‘Executor of Stern Punishment.’
Ding-dong.
[Executor of Stern Punishment]
[Compliment Grade: Barony Rumor]
That rascal is up to no good again!
He endured everyone’s ridicule.
Sweated through suspicion and distrust.
Faced the traitor’s sword with dignity.
Showed wisdom without retreat.
Finally brought down the big rat.
He uprooted injustice with wit and will.
He was the infamous eldest son of Frontera.
[Compliment Effect: Your commands have significant authority over subordinates. Subordinates are more attentive to your words. Disobedience and insubordination from subordinates toward your orders are noticeably reduced.]
[Compliment Region: Frontera Barony]
[Compliment Duration: 7 years]
[Monthly CP provided by the compliment: 1]
[Current CP in possession: 0]
‘This one’s pretty good too.’
Judging from its content, it seemed to be a compliment created from the time he took down Sir Neumann, the traitor of the barony.
Of course, compared to his achievements in Cremo, it was minor.
Its duration and region were much more limited as well.
‘Still, it’s better than nothing.’
Unlike a game where you could only equip one title at a time.
The more compliments you collected, the more power you’d have.
The more you gathered, the more helpful they’d be.
Especially if their duration was long and their region was wide.
‘And as long as I possess compliments, I automatically receive CP every month.’
He still didn’t know what CP could be used for.
Even after scouring every corner of the message, there was no information related to that.
‘But if I keep collecting them, they’ll definitely come in handy.’
It wasn’t just speculation—it was a certainty.
Thinking that, Lloyd glanced around.
He quickly surveyed the atmosphere and closed the system window.
It wasn’t the time to leisurely read messages anymore.
‘I’m curious about the other details, but I’ll read them later.’
The banquet hall was quietly chaotic.
No, it was tense.
Countless nobles and royal guards were kneeling on one knee.
They were bowing their heads toward the queen, who stood beside him.
The queen’s solemn voice rang out to them all.
“…Thus, I declare this: everyone who set foot in this banquet hall tonight will be placed under temporary detention until the investigation concludes. This is an urgent measure for the safety of the royal family, so I ask for your sincere cooperation…”
Temporary detention order.
Everyone here would be investigated.
No exceptions until the mastermind behind the attempted regicide was found.
That was the gist of the queen’s declaration.
‘It’s the right move.’
The queen had almost been assassinated, after all.
And the culprit was none other than Sir Cherny, the captain of the royal guard.
So no one could be trusted easily.
Everyone needed to be suspected and checked.
Even high-ranking nobles were subject to a thorough investigation, with no exceptions.
It was a bit harsh and drastic, but given the situation, it was the most necessary measure.
The queen’s proclamation was put into action immediately.
Clang! Clatter!
New troops arrived at the banquet hall.
There weren’t that many of them.
Altogether, there were barely thirty.
But each one radiated a presence greater than that of the royal guards.
Lloyd guessed their identity by the emblem engraved on their armor.
‘Three roses. The Thorn Knights, the queen’s direct order.’
He suddenly remembered something from the novel “The Iron-Blooded Knight.”
A secret royal force, directly under the queen.
If the royal guards were watchdogs who protected the queen in daily life, then the Thorn Knights were the queen’s personal bloodhounds, mobilized solely for rooting out traitors.
‘They all have serious faces.’
Every one of them was a top-tier Sword Expert.
Emotionless killing machines.
That’s how the novel described them.
But seeing them in real life?
The novel’s description felt almost cute in comparison.
Those people approached, their armor clanking right beside him.
Then the queen turned toward him with a meaningful expression.
“Lloyd Frontera.”
“At your command, Your Majesty.”
“You and Sir Asrahan saved my life tonight. So I have one more favor to ask.”
“Are you ordering us to assist the Thorn Knights?”
“Correct. That’s why I like you. You understand quickly.”
The queen’s satisfied smile.
Lloyd answered with a wry smile of his own.
‘It’s going to be a long night.’
His achievement of saving the queen.
Thanks to that, he was no longer a suspect.
Instead, he was to help the Thorn Knights track down suspects.
“I accept your command.”
He’d look into the Praise System later.
Thinking that, Lloyd bowed his head even deeper.
It was the beginning of a busy night.
♣
Morning dawned.
Lloyd could only leave the banquet hall after sunrise.
“Phew.”
Maybe it was because he’d stayed up all night.
Or maybe it was the chaos of saving the queen.
As the bright morning sunlight hit him, he felt dizzy.
‘Ugh, my head.’
He was tired.
No wonder, after a sleepless night spent helping with the investigation.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever tattled this much in my life.’
Yesterday afternoon, he’d reported the academy’s corruption.
And at night?
He had to testify about everything he saw and heard to the queen and the investigators.
Because they needed to find out who was behind the attempted regicide.
‘Well, I tattled on the chief attendant and everyone else, so now the royal family can deal with it.’
What happened next wasn’t his problem.
Either way, he’d saved the queen.
He’d even stopped her from turning dark.
That was enough to achieve his goal.
‘I’d never want to go through something like this again.’
Remembering the commotion of the previous night, he felt exhausted.
Then suddenly, he got curious.
“Hey.”
“You called?”
Javier responded immediately.
Lloyd couldn’t help but laugh.
“Huh. I just said ‘hey,’ but you somehow knew I was calling you.”
“It was just a hunch. Ask whatever you want.”
“Ask? About what?”
“Isn’t there something you’re curious about?”
“…Are you a mind reader?”
“I just had a feeling.”
“Aha, so you’re a psychologist.”
“……”
“It’s nothing special. Did you do it?”
“You mean Swordmaster?”
“Yeah.”
“Yes, I did.”
Pfft!
The sound of someone spitting something out came from Javier’s other side.
Looking over, he saw Julian glancing back and forth between him and Javier with a shocked face.
“What… Sir Asrahan? Swordmaster?”
“Yeah.”
“Why do you say it so casually?”
“Should I have made a big deal out of it?”
“Well, no, but…”
“So?”
“It’s just, you and Sir Asrahan just said it like you were talking about breakfast. Like, ‘Did you eat breakfast?’ ‘Yeah, I did.’”
“Hmm, maybe I should’ve asked it like, ‘Did you have lunch?’”
“Ugh, come on. Don’t joke around.”
“What, it’s not something to make a fuss about, is it?”
Lloyd laughed and shrugged.
Javier becoming a Swordmaster—of course he was happy.
But it was something that was bound to happen anyway, sooner or later.
It just happened a bit earlier than in the novel.
“It’s nothing to get worked up about. For Javier, it’s just achieving his goal for the year. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s correct.”
Javier nodded.
“So I’m relieved. With summer ending, I was starting to get a bit anxious.”
“Worried you wouldn’t achieve your yearly goal?”
“Yes. But today, I did it. I’m happy.”
“But didn’t the queen say anything about it?”
“She did.”
“She told you to serve her, didn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“So what did you do?”
“I refused.”
Once again, Julian spat out his drink.
Javier continued calmly.
“Right after the investigation ended, Her Majesty called me over in private. She spoke to me very seriously.”
“About what?”
“She told me the position of Captain of the Royal Guard was now vacant.”
“So, you mean Her Majesty offered you the position of Captain of the Royal Guard?”
“Yes.”
Javier nodded.
“So I said no.”
“And then?”
“She asked why I was refusing.”
“So what did you tell her?”
“I answered that my one and only lord is Baron Frontera.”
Perhaps feeling assured by his own words, Javier’s voice grew solemn.
“Fortunately, Her Majesty the Queen understood my sincerity. She smiled quietly and said she envied my lord. I’m really glad.”
“Yeah, that’s good.”
Just listening made Lloyd smile.
It was so very Javier.
‘He was like this in the novel too, I think.’
Javier in “The Iron-Blooded Knight.”
He refused not only the queen, but even the emperor’s offer.
And the line he used was almost the same as just now.
‘He said his lifelong lord was the late Baron Frontera, didn’t he?’
Honestly, with that level of skill, he could have had every luxury in the world.
But just for loyalty, he turned down every path lined with roses.
‘He really is a remarkable guy.’
Lloyd clicked his tongue inwardly as he looked at Javier.
Javier was smiling like a student who had finished all his homework.
Of course, that smile didn’t last long.
“But who could have orchestrated all this?”
“The attempted regicide?”
“Yes.”
Javier’s tone grew serious.
“They managed to turn even Sir Cherny, the Captain of the Royal Guard, and a Swordmaster of the kingdom.”
“Yeah, it’s a huge deal.”
A sigh escaped.
Honestly, Lloyd had no clue who was behind it.
Even after reading “The Iron-Blooded Knight,” he didn’t know.
‘The real culprit was never revealed there.’
Just an unfinished plot thread.
The attempted regicide was exactly that.
There seemed to be some shadowy organization, but it was never revealed in the end.
That’s why, at the novel’s ending, Javier was depicted secretly preparing for the lingering threats.
‘These days, authors always do this. Setting up for a sequel.’
An ending that isn’t really an ending.
If it gets popular, they can write a part two, so they leave some unfinished bait.
The attempted regicide in the story was exactly that kind of element.
‘Tsk. Why didn’t part two ever come out?’
Unfortunately, “The Iron-Blooded Knight” ended with only one part.
A second part looked likely, but was never released.
So he never learned the truth behind the unfinished bait.
That was the problem now.
‘It’s annoying.’
The attempted regicide should have happened two and a half years later.
He’d planned to give the queen a heads-up around then.
He had no idea why the incident happened so much earlier this time.
‘But well, at least it was stopped.’
Rustle, rustle.
A few impatient autumn leaves had fallen at some point.
As he walked, autumn brushed softly against his feet.
Thinking things through while walking, his head felt a little clearer.
‘Forget it.’
Either way, the regicide attempt was stopped.
Now it was no longer his concern.
No matter what, his goal was to return to the estate and live the rest of his days like a honeybee, savoring the sweet life.
‘As long as the kingdom doesn’t face some catastrophe or disaster, I’m fine.’
Thinking that put his mind at ease.
He returned to his lodgings.
He slept off his fatigue and lazed around.
Had a slightly late dinner and gazed at the night sky.
Finally, the long-awaited full moon rose bright and high.
Even so, Lloyd kept waiting.
He lay on the grass in the yard outside his lodging, passing the time.
While waiting, he checked the effects of the compliments he hadn’t yet reviewed.
‘Builder of a Fallen Territory makes everyone in the territory cooperative for my construction projects… Honor Warrior of the Barbarian Tribe lets me use the orc tribe’s war cry… Bearer of Magentano gives me Her Majesty Queen Alicia’s absolute trust, and prevents me from ever being suspected of treason.’
Each one was unique and surprisingly practical. He liked them a lot.
Meanwhile, midnight drew near.
The full moon was high in the sky.
And right then, the message he’d been waiting for appeared before his eyes.
Ding-dong.
[The full moon is lighting up the night sky.]
[CP is being provided from your five owned compliments.]
‘Just as I thought.’
Just as he expected.
A faint smile crept onto Lloyd’s lips.
He straightened his posture and read the message in front of him.
[As the Executor of Stern Punishment and Builder of a Fallen Territory, the residents of Frontera send you their compliments. You have acquired 3 CP.]
[As the Honor Warrior of the Barbarian Tribe, you receive the compliments of the Steel Sand Orc Tribe. You have acquired 2 CP.]
[As the Guardian of Cremo, your fame reverberates throughout the entire Cremona region. You have acquired 6 CP.]
[The fact that you are the Bearer of Magentano is spreading throughout the kingdom. You have acquired 11 CP.]
[Current CP in possession: 22]
‘Twenty-two, huh.’
To be honest, he still didn’t know what CP was for.
Maybe that’s why.
He couldn’t really tell if that number was a lot or a little.
But then it happened.
Ding-dong.
As soon as the previous messages vanished, another one appeared.
[You have successfully acquired CP for the first time.]
[Accordingly, you may now use the absolute authority that can be realized by spending CP: ‘Ending Spoiler’.]
[Skill Name: Ending Spoiler]
[Skill Grade: ???]
[Required CP: 20 (first use)]
‘…What?’
Ending? Spoiler?
The message delivered something he never could have expected.
As Lloyd read it, his eyes slowly widened in disbelief.
