Chapter 243

“The Railroad Pass you intend to give me… if I use this… can even a wraith with nowhere to go be reborn?”

“What did you say?”

It was an unexpected question from Lloyd.

Before answering, the King of Hell furrowed his brow.

Then the ruler of Hell asked in return.

“Of course. They can be reborn. That is the very reason the pass was created in the first place. But why do you ask?”

“Well… there’s someone I want to help.”

“Someone you want to help. Is it the very one I’m thinking of?”

“You guessed?”

“Of course.”

The King of Hell let out a soft chuckle.

“Kim Suho. You want to help the wraith of Lloyd Frontera, who was cast out of Hell after you stole his body. Am I wrong?”

“No. You’re right.”

Lloyd admitted it readily.

He needed the King of Hell’s permission anyway.

And it was never something he particularly needed to hide.

So he continued.

“Your guess is correct. I wish to transfer the Railroad Pass bestowed by the ruler of Hell to him.”

“Why?”

“Huh?”

“There must be a reason. The pass I am granting you is by no means a trivial gift. It is an enormous privilege that can free you from Hell’s punishment once under any circumstances. Even if you commit unforgivable crimes, no matter how heinous, dozens or hundreds of times, you could still escape Hell’s punishment and be reborn. You know how valuable that is.”

“Yes. I know.”

“Then why would you hand such an enormous privilege to that wraith? What is your reason?”

“The reason is…”

Lloyd paused for a moment and caught his breath.

He looked into his own heart.

Truthfully, even he didn’t know the reason.

He had simply followed his heart and made the decision somewhat impulsively.

So no matter how much he searched inward, he couldn’t come up with any new answer.

In the end, Lloyd spoke honestly.

“I don’t know.”

“What? You don’t know the reason?”

“Yes.”

And as he answered, a laugh escaped him without him realizing it.

Because he really didn’t know.

And yet, strangely enough, making this decision made him feel at ease.

So at some point, he found himself chuckling.

“I really don’t know. I just thought, let’s do it that way. That’s all. Ah, of course, it’s a shame. Look. My eyes are even tearing up here.”

“Hm. They really are.”

“Yes. It really is a shame. I don’t even know why I’m doing this. But what’s even stranger is that I don’t feel like changing my mind.”

“Kim Suho. You are more foolish than you look.”

“Yes. It seems so. But right now, being foolish makes me feel at peace.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

It truly was strange.

He was giving away an enormous privilege just like that.

And yet, strangely, his heart felt lighter and his mood refreshed.

He said it was a waste, but honestly, it didn’t really feel that way.

‘Tsk. It’s not because I’ve gone soft because of that bastard Frontera. And it’s not because I feel sorry for him either. I’m just sick of his whining. Day in and day out, saying I should take responsibility, help him, whining, throwing tantrums, being a pain in the ass.’

So this was just his way of taking the opportunity to get rid of a nuisance.

The price of getting rid of an annoying burden.

That was all this was.

An investment.

It absolutely wasn’t because he was soft-hearted.

It was because of the Count and Countess.

Lloyd twisted his own feelings around like that, forcing an explanation onto himself.

Watching him, a wry smile formed on the King of Hell’s lips.

At the same time, his gaze grew warmer.

‘Kim Suho.’

He was a cunning fellow.

But not a bad one.

He had merely developed a shrewd disposition from surviving so stubbornly in such a harsh environment.

‘He’s tempting.’

Usually tenacious.

But at crucial moments, he didn’t lose his humanity.

And even then, he still knew how to secure his own interests properly.

That was why.

The more the King of Hell looked at him, the more tempted he became.

‘If that fellow dies and ends up in Hell later, I should keep him by my side and put him to work.’

There would be no need to grandly hand over his authority.

Wouldn’t it be enough simply to grant him enough discretion to move freely?

If he gave him only that much authority…

‘He’d roast and boil the Hell Knights and Satans here just fine. Just like he did during the railroad construction.’

The sight of Lloyd driving thirty thousand Satans to work.

It had been impressive.

Almost like a grandfather watching the clever antics of his grandson.

‘When you die someday, I must definitely keep you by my side and make full use of you.’

The King of Hell inwardly solidified his future recruitment plan (?) and looked down at Lloyd.

Then he spoke.

“Kim Suho. Do you truly intend to transfer the Railroad Pass, this privilege of rebirth, to the wraith of Lloyd Frontera?”

“Yes. That is my intention, Ruler of Hell.”

“Very well. I will honor your will.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me.”

Since I’ll be keeping him by my side and putting him to work anyway, this privilege of rebirth will probably never be used.

The King of Hell hid his true intentions (?) and smiled in satisfaction.

Then, toward the future labor force of Hell he had already marked in his mind, he held out a single document.

“It is the pass bearing my signature. If you present this, no one in Hell will dare stand in your way before the Gate of Rebirth.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Then can the railroad begin operation now?”

“Ah, we just need to conduct the final test run.”

“A test run. Finish it quickly. I, too, wish to enjoy my first time off in 670,000 years.”

“Understood.”

With his business concluded, Lloyd paid his respects to the King of Hell and withdrew.

The moment he left Hell Castle, he headed straight to Hell Castle Station on the Hell Railroad.

There, the prototype train built for testing was waiting.

‘Whew. Still, it turned out better than I expected.’

It was a train he had commissioned bit by bit during the railroad construction.

Its structure was extremely primitive and simple.

He had lined up the giant carts originally used by the Satans to transport souls.

Their wheels had been modified to fit the rails, and frames and canopies had been added to shield against volcanic ash and sparks.

Even the power source was manual.

If the eight Satans in the very front car worked hard, pressing the levers with all their strength, that force would be transmitted through pulleys to the wheel axles, moving the train.

And when those Satans got tired?

Another team of eight standing by would take over.

That was how a total of twenty-four Satans, divided into three groups, took turns sweating to provide propulsion. You could call it an 8-cylinder, no, an 8-Satan-powered bioengineering eco-friendly drive system.

That was the grandeur (?) of the Hell train.

In other words, the Hell train truly embodied the concept of a freight train, faithfully performing the role of rattling and clanking along while crammed full of souls and hauling them to the farthest reaches of Hell.

“So don’t expect ride comfort.”

…….

===

Inside the passenger car remodeled from one of those giant carts, Lloyd plopped down directly on the bare floor without so much as a chair and grinned.

He looked across at the wraith of Frontera sitting opposite him.

Now restored to his original size, the man barely opened his mouth.

“What. Still sulking?”

– …….

“What, why, what. Don’t just look at me like that. Say something.”

– …….

The wraith of Frontera stayed silent.

But the way he looked at Lloyd was different from before.

It wasn’t the old look filled with anger, resentment, helpless misery, desperate clinging, and displaced rage.

The corner of Lloyd’s mouth twitched upward.

“You’re grateful, but because you snapped at me so angrily earlier, now you feel awkward, right?”

– …….

“Looks like it really stings.”

– …Ah, shit. Seriously.

“If you’re grateful, then say so. Don’t curse.”

– What if I’m not grateful?

“Is that so?”

– Of course. What is there to be grateful for? You just startled the hell out of me.

“Ha. So you were startled.”

– Of course I was startled, you bastard. Pulling something I couldn’t even imagine like that….

“Trying to move you to tears?”

– Move to tears, my ass.

“Your personality really is something.”

– So I annoy you?

“No. It’s refreshing. Looks like I won’t have to see you anymore.”

– Same here, you bastard.

“So you’re happy?”

– Of course.

The wraith of Frontera chuckled.

Lloyd smiled the same way.

Meanwhile, the Hell train began its first demonstration run, one destined to remain in the history of Hell.

Clatter! Clank! Chug! Clatter!

The passenger car shook violently.

And along with the deafening noise, the vibration coming up from below was enough to make your butt hurt.

But Lloyd wasn’t particularly uncomfortable.

Because it wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling.

‘Well, this is basically like the military trucks I rode in the army.’

That hard, rattling sensation that made it feel like your pelvis was about to break apart. And on top of that, the chaotic, clamorous noise.

It was a nostalgic (?) kind of discomfort, like the military trucks that everyone in the army had probably ridden at least a few times while being treated like luggage.

With a relaxed smile, Lloyd looked at the wraith of Frontera.

“Hey, if you think you’re going to get motion sickness, let me know.”

– Why?

“I’ll roll up the canopy. Stick your head out and throw up outside.”

– …Should I just kick you out through the canopy?

“Have you already forgotten how you charged at me before and got beaten instead?”

– I haven’t forgotten, you bastard.

“Then let’s quietly head off for rebirth. By the way, how does it feel to be the very first passenger in the history of this train?”

– Well, not really anything special.

The wraith of Frontera scratched his chin.

– I just feel like having a drink for the first time in a while.

“A drink?”

– Yeah.

“You couldn’t drink all this time?”

– Of course not. How would I drink in this state?

“Well, I guess that makes sense.”

Lloyd let out a small laugh, as though he had asked something stupid.

The wraith of Frontera chuckled too.

– Then let me ask you one thing.

“What is it?”

– You’re from another world, right?

“Yeah. You knew?”

– Of course. I clung to you for nearly a year trying to take my body back. How could I not know?

“Well, when you put it like that, fair enough.”

– No regrets about the world you left behind?

“Not really.”

– You heartless bastard. Don’t you miss the family you left there?”

“Yeah. Both my parents are dead.”

– ……They say that if you keep your original family in your heart, then even if you’re apart, it’s the same as being together. Stay strong, bastard.

“What are you even talking about?”

– Anyway. What about our parents? Are they doing well these days?

“Of course. They’re perfectly healthy.”

– Really?

“Yeah.”

Lloyd looked at the wraith of Frontera.

Then, carefully and honestly, he told him.

“Come to think of it, this is a bit old by now, but the Frontera family isn’t a baron family anymore.”

– What? What does that mean?

“We’ve become a count family.”

– Whoa.

“Surprised? I was too. Anyway, the Count has found his hobby again lately.”

– Wood carving?

“Yeah. His study is already full of new carvings.”

– And Mom’s… no, Mother’s flower garden?”

“That’s still there too. Ah, and she doubled the size of it. Because of that, I’m a little worried about the Count’s back and knees.”

– Why that old man’s back and knees?

“He’s started helping in the garden these days. He keeps saying they ache because he has to crouch down and work even though he’s not used to it.”

– Tsk. Still just as silly as ever.

“Aren’t you going to ask about Julian?”

– Forget it. That guy’s smart enough. He’s probably doing just fine on his own.

“Correct. He got married recently.”

– …Cough!

“It’s true.”

– Really?

“Yeah.”

– Who did he marry?

“The daughter of the Sultan from the eastern Sultanate. She’s an advanced Sword Expert too, so she’s ridiculously good at fighting. If they ever have a marital spat, it’ll be something to see.”

– Julian’s going to get beaten to death.

“Probably?”

– …….

Lloyd and the wraith of Frontera.

The two briefly offered their condolences to the younger brother’s yet-to-happen married life.

Then, as if by prior agreement, they burst into laughter together.

“So what do you want to be reborn as?”

– Me?

“Yeah.”

– I don’t know. It’s too sudden. But if I had to say something….

“Like what?”

– A whale.

“A whale?”

– Yeah. A whale.

The wraith of Frontera shook his head.

– I’ve been stuck in this corner of Hell for way too long. It’s been unbearably hot the whole time. So I want to splash around in cold water.

“Then you don’t have to be a whale. You could be a sardine. Or an anchovy.”

– …Those get eaten right away, you bastard.

“Ah. Right.”

– Of course. Anyway, I want to live a little more freely than that. So I don’t really want to be reborn as a human. It sounds suffocating.

“You won’t be able to drink your favorite alcohol if you’re born as a whale.”

– Ah, shit. Seriously. You’d better watch out if I get reborn as a dragon.

“Even if that happened, by the time you grew into an adult dragon, I’d be old, dead, and long gone, right?”

– …….

“Heh.”

– Ugh. This bastard, really.

“Really what?”

– Thanks for helping me like you promised, you bastard.

“You’re only saying that now?”

– So what?

They laughed again.

Inside the violently rattling train.

With the slowly passing landscape of one corner of Hell left behind.

So Lloyd laughed together with the wraith of Frontera.

And at the same time, he felt it.

One side of his heart was growing a little lighter.

A weight he had unknowingly carried all this time was melting away like snow.

It was guilt.

The original sin of having pushed out the real owner, even if it had not been intentional. The guilt of hiding that fact and pretending to be the real one. The sense of sin from concealing the truth from the Count and Countess. And even the feeling of being like a cuckoo chick that had suddenly fallen into the nest.

“…So I’ll take good care of those two. Sorry.”

– It’s fine, bastard.

“And later, I’ll definitely tell them myself. About you and me.”

– Got it, bastard.

“Hoo. Sorry. My mood suddenly got a little weird.”

– You bastard. If you’re sorry, then at least don’t make people cry.

Lloyd smiled bitterly.

Frontera smiled too and wiped away his tears.

The train kept rattling on, slowly pushing the scenery backward.

And in the next car over, Javier Asrahan, knight of the Frontera family, was silently listening to the conversation between the two Lloyds.