Chapter 204

Very rarely, there are moments when you realize you’re dreaming.

For example, when you encounter something so alien—yet so vivid—that it can only be a dream.

Like now.

– Are you Lloyd Frontera?

“……”

Lloyd blinked, then raised his head.

Would this be how it felt if a burning Mount Everest spoke to him?

A giant of flame stood before him.

Flickering fire adorned its entire body, and from a height that seemed to pierce the clouds, it looked down at him with blazing eyes.

‘What kind of dream is this?’

Still, it was a dream.

At least he wouldn’t die to a flame giant.

With that thought, Lloyd relaxed his shoulders.

“Yes, I’m Lloyd.”

– Lies.

“……”

– Kim Suho, did you think I wouldn’t recognize you?

“Uh, that’s…”

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Was this flame giant his conscience?

Was it stabbing at his guilt for driving out the real Lloyd and pretending to be him?

But fortunately, that wasn’t it.

The flame giant spoke.

– I am the one who sees through the essence of souls, the ruler of karmic fire, the guardian of the nineteen hells—Hellkaros, the King of Hell.

Like a thunderclap.

Or a landslide roaring toward him.

The King of Hell’s self-introduction echoed, shaking the entire world.

– And I am also the master of Giorexius, the Hell Knight who fell by your hand.

“Ah, you mean that Hell Knight?”

– That’s right.

Kugugugu……!

Hellkaros lowered his waist.

It felt like a mountain peak leaning down to loom over him.

Lloyd forced his shoulders—instinctively trying to shrink—to straighten, then raised his head.

He looked up at Hellkaros.

“Did you come into my dream because of that?”

– Yes.

“You’re not going to demand compensation, are you? That was clearly mutual negligence and self-defense.”

– Mutual… negligence? Self-defense?

“Yes.”

Lloyd nodded, answering even more clearly.

“Your subordinate and I were in a situation where we couldn’t stand each other. In that kind of situation, you can’t unconditionally pin responsibility on the survivor just because someone got hurt. Don’t you think so?”

– Do you think I came to you to debate mere responsibility?

“Then why did you come?”

Lloyd asked.

Hellkaros let out a chuckle laced with flame.

– I came to examine the qualities of one fit for Hell.

“Excuse me?”

What kind of nonsense was that?

Lloyd tilted his head.

Hellkaros continued.

– I’ve been watching you with interest ever since you faced Giorexius. And I’ve noticed something quite different about you.

“What do you mean, ‘different’?”

– You were petty. To an unspeakable degree. You were spiteful. To the point where I wondered if it was acceptable to be so mean. You were annoying—like a mosquito that sucks blood in the middle of the night and hides under the bed to avoid an angry human.

“……”

Hey. Why are you suddenly coming at me?

A deep sense of sorrow welled up inside Lloyd.

Hellkaros’s “praise,” disguised as insults, continued.

– Moreover, you were meticulous—like a rat that always makes sure it has an escape route. You were sly, to the point where I wanted to tell our demons in Hell to take you as an example. And that song. The moment I heard it, all the strength drained from my body, and I wanted to erase my eardrums. That amazing song that even made me relish the regret of the days I’ve lived as the King of Hell.

“What’s wrong with my song…”

– It was a song I want to play in Hell for tens of thousands of years. Twenty-four hours a day.

“Why?”

– Because then, all the souls that fall into Hell will writhe in even greater agony.

“Hey, you’re not going to use me as a live speaker for Hell broadcasts, are you?”

– Why not?

“……”

– Truly, it’s a talent and a voice I covet. Besides, if it’s you, you’ll be able to manipulate and ridicule even the demons who protest against that song, using all sorts of methods. So what do you say? Lloyd—no, Kim Suho. Would you like to trust me and unleash that talent in Hell?

Would you……!

You……!

……!

Hellkaros’s thunderous voice shook every space in the dream.

It wasn’t just loud.

It was a wave that grabbed the bottom of your soul by the hair and shook it violently.

Lloyd struggled not to be crushed by that torrent.

And then he opened his eyes.

“……”

Chirp, chirp!

Birdsong in the early-summer morning.

White curtains by the window fluttered gently.

Sunlight seeped through and tickled his cheek.

Warmth.

Lloyd thought.

‘What a load of crap.’

King of Hell, my ass.

What?

Use my song for Hell broadcasts?

So all the evil souls that fall into Hell can suffer and writhe even more?

‘That King of Hell is quite thrifty.’

Pfft. A hollow laugh slipped out as he recalled the dream.

It was unsettling precisely because it had been so vivid.

‘It’s just a load of crap, but it’s unnecessarily vivid.’

Lloyd got out of bed and shuddered.

The truth was, he couldn’t help being a little concerned.

Was it right after he defeated the Hell Knight Giorexius in Namaran?

He remembered the message that had appeared before his eyes at the time.

He clearly saw it.

[The King of Hell is impressed by the tremendous feat you have shown. The ruler of Hell, who has lost his legion commander, has begun to covet your talent, wit, and potential for development.]

……Like that.

“……”

Tsk.

Let’s not think about it.

It’s just a load of crap.

Even if the King of Hell is interested in him, there’s no way he’d be burning with the intention of recruiting him because of his singing skills.

That kind of thing will never happen.

There’s no way that would really happen.

Lloyd deliberately cleared his throat loudly.

“Ahem! Ahem!”

A response came from outside the bedroom.

“Lloyd, Master Lloyd? Are you awake?”

“Yeah. Come in.”

The first voice to greet him on an ordinary morning.

Emily the maid smiled brightly as she brought breakfast.

“You don’t have to ask. I didn’t wait long today either.”

“Yeah, if I say I didn’t even intend to ask, you’ll sulk, right?”

“It depends on what you do, Master Lloyd.”

“Okay. I was going to ask you passionately.”

“Hehet. The soup is delicious today. Eat up.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Lloyd picked up his spoon.

Hell, my ass.

He was going to enjoy this peaceful life forever.

With that determination, Lloyd ate the soup happily.

And at the same time, he thought.

‘Has it been about five days now?’

Scheherazade.

The Sultan’s daughter who crossed the desert just to get a lullaby.

It had already been five days since he’d set the condition: enlist in the Engineering Corps in exchange for recording the lullaby.

‘It’s about time she finished agonizing over it.’

For the past five days, Scheherazade had been lost in thought from morning to night.

Watching her, Lloyd could tell.

She would decide soon.

And no matter what she decided, it wouldn’t be a loss for him.

‘If she enlists, I get to keep someone with Swordmaster talent at my side. If she refuses and returns to the Sultanate, the time it takes her to become a Swordmaster will be greatly delayed.’

Either way, it wasn’t a loss.

‘So what kind of answer will she come up with?’

The soup had cooled to the perfect temperature.

Lloyd finished the rest in one go, curiosity and anticipation mixing in his chest.

♣

“Hoo.”

If she had to describe her current feelings?

Half despair, half awkwardness.

Scheherazade defined them that way.

She sighed even deeper and lifted her head.

Chirp, chirp.

Birds flew over the trees along the forest path.

Between them, the early-summer sky shone blue, clouds drifting white.

It was a truly beautiful place.

‘But to stay in a foreign country like this for five years…’

A sense of helplessness pressed down on her.

Was it really necessary to go that far just for a lullaby?

Was it really necessary to invest five years of her life?

And how would her father react if she made such a decision?

‘He’d be furious.’

Of course he would.

Who was she?

The Sultan’s daughter. A princess of the nation.

True, she was the daughter of a concubine, not the Queen Consort.

Just one among dozens of daughters.

Even so, she was still a princess of the Sultanate.

That was why she was trapped.

‘I left Ahinsa without permission. If I spend five years in the Engineering Corps of another country… what would the Sultan say? Hoo, I can’t even imagine.’

He would be furious.

She couldn’t even guess how furious.

That was why she felt even more suffocated.

‘But I have to become a Swordmaster.’

Because that was the most certain way to be recognized by the Sultan.

Once she reached the realm of Swordmaster, everything would be different.

‘If I treat it as an investment for that, it’s worth trying.’

She needed the lullaby.

Without it, she would be dragged back into hellish sleepless nights.

She wouldn’t be able to focus on sword training.

Her growth would slow.

The path to Swordmaster would stretch farther away.

‘So is this a choice between investing five years while enduring my father’s wrath… or returning safely to Ahinsa and enduring insomnia on my own?’

Scheherazade sighed deeply once more.

Then, without realizing it, she stopped.

Because she heard a sigh similar to her own from beyond the bushes ahead.

“Hoo.”

“……”

Who was it?

This was far from Frontera territory.

A deep forest where not only commoners, but even hunters rarely came.

That was why she’d come out here—thinking it would be the best place to reflect alone.

“……”

Scheherazade moved toward the sound.

Not long after, she found its source.

‘A boy? No. He’s not a child.’

Beyond the bushes stood a youthful-looking young man.

Barely 160 centimeters tall.

Curly orange hair.

Round, freckled cheeks beneath it.

Even his unusually intelligent eyes had a gentle impression, like a rabbit’s.

His small frame only made that softness stand out more.

‘Who is he?’

Scheherazade narrowed her eyes.

Something felt suspicious.

This was a deep forest with no one around.

Yet a young man who didn’t look capable of a fistfight, let alone combat.

It didn’t fit.

And around him were a luxurious carriage and items that looked like a group’s belongings.

‘Hmm. What’s going on?’

For now, he didn’t seem dangerous.

Not from his posture or movements.

She couldn’t sense any trace of sword training.

Then—

“Julian-nim!”

A man called out from the opposite side and hurried over.

He stopped in front of the young man, breathing hard.

“Hoo, huff. Have you been waiting long?”

“No. I’m fine. What about the rock?”

“That… I don’t think it’ll be possible today.”

The man wiped sweat from his forehead and shook his head.

A troubled look crossed the face of the young man called Julian.

“Is that so? That’s a big problem.”

“I’m sorry. We’re trying to move it, but…”

“Then should I help too?”

“Yes? No! What are you saying? You don’t have to do that. How could we dare ask Julian-nim’s help with something like this?”

“Hmm, I’m fine. It’s just rolling up our sleeves together, clearing the mud, and pushing the rock.”

“That’s… that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

“Is that so…”

“Yes.”

The man nodded firmly.

Julian’s shoulders drooped like a rain-soaked puppy.

“Still, I feel sorry for no reason. If I hadn’t been the valedictorian of the academy, I wouldn’t have received this carriage from the royal family. If it weren’t for this carriage, we could just walk to the territory from here. You wouldn’t have to go through so much trouble.”

“Oh, no. What are you saying?”

The man waved his hand.

“You are an honorable valedictorian. And we feel pride serving someone like you. Besides, this carriage is, as you said, a precious item bestowed by the royal family. It’s an honor bestowed upon the valedictorian.”

“Still, it’s just a carriage…”

“Don’t say that. We’re truly fine. Isn’t it a glorious tradition that graduates who receive this carriage from the royal family must return to their hometown in it?”

“But I didn’t expect a sudden rainstorm and the road collapsing…”

“It wasn’t Julian-nim who collapsed the road. Don’t blame yourself. The mountain path is badly muddy, and the rock blocking the road is bigger than I expected, but it’s fine. If we work hard for just one day, we can clear it enough.”

“What if we send someone to the territory to inform them? It’s not far…”

“There’s no need. Please consider our pride as well. We can handle it. That’s why we’re escorting Julian-nim.”

“Then if I help a little…”

“Please wait comfortably. You don’t have to feel sorry.”

The man smiled, satisfied.

Mud covered him from head to toe.

Even so, he seemed genuinely pleased to assist Julian.

To Scheherazade, the sight of the two of them was strangely impressive.

“……”

Julian.

Listening from behind the bushes, a name suddenly surfaced in her mind.

Over the past few days at the Frontera Count’s mansion, she’d overheard servants chatting happily more than once.

They’d said Lloyd had a younger brother—the second son.

They’d said he was clever.

That he had graduated as the valedictorian from the royal academy.

That he would be returning to the territory in triumph within a few days.

‘Is that boy—no, that man—Lloyd’s younger brother?’

He was younger than she’d imagined.

And he seemed to be in a difficult situation.

‘There was a heavy rainstorm two days ago.’

A downpour, the first in a while.

It seemed part of the mountain path had collapsed because of it.

That was why they couldn’t move the carriage bestowed by the royal family.

‘This could be useful to me.’

Scheherazade’s mind began to move quickly.

A collapsed mountain path.

A rock too large to shift.

Julian’s group stranded because of it.

But if she helped Julian…

‘Lloyd Frontera. I’ll be able to ask him for a lullaby recording more easily, because I’ll have done his younger brother a favor.’

A favorable card in negotiation.

This was a clear opportunity.

‘Okay. Let’s help.’

Scheherazade finished her calculations.

She rose from the bushes.

Dropping her stealth openly, she stepped out and approached.

She spoke to Julian.

“Excuse me.”

“M-my!”

“……”

“Y-you startled me. Who are you?”

Maybe because she revealed herself too suddenly and spoke at once, Julian flinched, eyes widening.

Watching him, Scheherazade suddenly found herself thinking.

This man… somehow, he’s like a fluffy baby rabbit.