Chapter 254
Swoosh, splash!
Waves broke beneath the spring sunlight.
A cargo ship entered the harbor, cutting cleanly through the water.
Sailors bustled on and off the vessel.
Cremo Harbor, which he was visiting again after a long time, was as lively as ever.
No, it seemed even more vibrant than the last time he had been here.
Looking at it, Lloyd felt an indescribable emotion well up inside him.
“Hoo.”
This bustling harbor.
It was all thanks to him defeating the Giga Titan.
With that colossal monster gone, the harbor’s hidden danger had finally disappeared.
And because of that, merchant ships from all kinds of nations, which had stopped coming here, had begun using the harbor again.
That was how it had finally grown into a place this lively.
Thinking about that, Lloyd’s fist trembled slightly.
Was it a sense of accomplishment?
No.
‘……Ah! I should’ve demanded more reward money back then!’
A foolish regret that struck him belatedly.
The lingering attachment and regret he was only realizing now!
As he recalled the time, years ago, when he had gotten rid of the Giga Titan, regret surged up inside him like a thick, bubbling bone broth espresso.
‘I knew the harbor would develop if I dealt with the Giga Titan…… but I didn’t know it’d be to this extent. I was a fool. I was stupid. I got complacent. I should’ve just closed my eyes and demanded way more compensation back then. Or if not that, I should’ve at least insisted on getting a small cut of the harbor tariffs or something.’
If he had done that?
If he had really steeled himself and done it?
He felt like he would have been sitting on a mountain of money by now.
The harbor’s dramatically increased trade volume.
If he had taken even just one percent of those tariffs?
He probably wouldn’t have had to go begging the King for support funds.
He likely wouldn’t have had to struggle so much to make money in Namaran.
‘I could’ve been living way more comfortably and leisurely. Sigh!’
Lloyd wiped at his eyes, which had grown damp with frustration like the wallpaper of a half-basement apartment in the rainy season.
The lively sight of Cremo Harbor beneath the bright sunlight.
Watching that beautiful scene, he felt a dull ache rise faintly in his lower abdomen.
Naturally, his steps quickened.
“……Tch. Let’s just hurry up and get this over with.”
“Are you planning to meet Count Cremo?”
“Yeah, of course.”
In response to Javier, who was following behind him, Lloyd flashed him a grin.
“Wherever you go, greeting the person in power first is basic, isn’t it?”
“Such social maneuvering. Like a sycophant clinging to those in power.”
“Hey. Can’t you just call it ordinary social life?”
“I’ve never lived that kind of life.”
“Wow. That’s nice. I’m jealous.”
“Yes, I admit it. It’s all thanks to your consideration, Lloyd-nim. I was able to grow up in comfort and focus solely on swordsmanship.”
And what about you?
What kind of life did you live in that other world?
Javier looked at Lloyd with a meaningful gaze.
And inwardly, he recalled—
The few days just before they had departed from Frontera Estate.
During that time, he had ended up hearing it every morning.
Even though he had no intention of listening, the words had reached his ears anyway.
‘Dragon King Verkis. Every morning after waking him, Lloyd-nim would say strange things.’
Things like asking whether a changed fate could return.
Saying that this place was actually a world inside a novel.
Saying that because of that, the Count and Countess, Julian, and others he had saved would meet with accidents one after another and die.
At first, Javier had thought it was nonsense.
He assumed there must be some reason for it, and that Lloyd was deliberately saying strange things to irritate the Dragon King.
But after hearing it every single day, it stopped sounding like that.
‘It was too coherent to dismiss as nonsense.’
Moreover, Lloyd was not the real Lloyd Frontera.
His true identity was a man named Kim Suho from another world.
Once he took that into account, the words Javier had dismissed as nonsense began to sound different.
In particular, the part about a calamity befalling Count Frontera and his wife felt the most serious.
It had been shocking.
It was the first time he had learned such things.
That this world was merely a story inside a novel from another dimension.
That in that story, the Frontera family had met a miserable end.
And even the fact that it was this fake Lloyd who had prevented that tragedy.
‘But he said that misfortune would return. That it had to be stopped…… He clung to the Dragon King and begged for a solution.’
Lloyd was walking ahead.
Javier’s gaze on his back deepened.
‘Perhaps my choice was not wrong.’
Even though he knew the real Lloyd Frontera existed.
Even though he knew the truth that this man was a fake.
He was still the one Javier had chosen to watch over.
Because of that, he had agonized over it.
But now, perhaps not.
The decision and resolve to watch over this fake Lloyd.
That did not seem wrong.
‘That is why. That is also why I followed you here to Cremo without complaint. And why I am determined to protect you.’
He would protect that fake.
He would uphold that fake’s will.
And if it meant preventing tragedy from befalling the Frontera family—
Then he was prepared to bear and shoulder any danger.
Just as he had done until now.
Just as he had thought ever since they left Frontera Estate two days ago.
Just as he had reaffirmed while flying here together on Ggoming.
The silver-haired knight solidified his resolve.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at Count Cremo’s mansion.
“Hooa. It’s been a while since I’ve been here too.”
Lloyd looked up at the mansion with a faintly sentimental feeling.
The first time he had come here, he had been tense and anxious, still unable even to pay off his family’s debts.
‘Of course, things aren’t exactly easy now either.’
No, in a sense, this was an even greater crisis than being buried in debt.
If things went on like this for only three more years, starting with Count Frontera, his family and all the people around him would meet miserable ends one after another.
So he absolutely had to find a clue here.
Lloyd steeled himself and entered the mansion.
He stated his identity and purpose to the guard.
Fortunately, the wait afterward was almost nonexistent.
Because the moment Count Cremo heard that Lloyd had come, he set aside everything else and personally came out to greet him.
“Oho, how long has it been? The hero of our Cremo. The pride of the Cremo region. What brings Lloyd Frontera all the way here?”
“……Ahaha.”
“Hmm? Why are you laughing like that?”
“It’s nothing. It’s just that seeing you again after so long, Count, your complexion looks even better.”
“That’s all thanks to you. Ever since that Giga Titan disappeared, merchant ships have been pouring into the harbor. It’s finally breathing freely again, hahaha!”
Thump, thump!
Count Cremo’s hands, as broad as pot lids or bear paws, pounded Lloyd’s back.
‘The way he treats me is completely different from before.’
Lloyd smiled wryly to himself.
The first time he came here, he had needed to scheme and rack his brains over all sorts of things.
And only after that had he barely secured the construction job.
But now it was different.
The feat of defeating the Giga Titan.
Because of that one accomplishment, he was now treated as a hero in Cremo.
‘But first, the important thing.’
Lloyd composed himself.
He had not come here simply to be welcomed warmly or to bask in praise.
The moment he sat down across the desk from the Count, he stated the reason for his visit.
“Actually, Count, I came today because I have a request.”
“A request? What is it?”
“Could you possibly introduce me to the most experienced whaling captain in this harbor?”
“A whaling ship? You mean the Arctic Emperor Whale whalers?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
Lloyd nodded.
Sailors whose very bones were seasoned by the experience of sailing the northern seas.
Only people like that could provide a clue about the Mermaid Kingdom.
At least, that was Lloyd’s hope, and Count Cremo readily responded to it.
“If it’s sailors like that, I know a few. There may even be some in port right now. Do you have some business with them?”
“Yes. If possible, I’d like to meet them as soon as I can. There are some things I need to ask.”
“Good. I’ll arrange it for you. But—”
The Count nodded without hesitation.
Then he looked at Lloyd with a peculiar gaze.
“The hero of Cremo. The pride of the Cremo region. Just how old has Lloyd Frontera become now?”
“……Huh? My age?”
“It seems the age to start a family has long since passed. Aren’t you in a hurry?”
“I’m not in a hurry.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Really.”
“Not at all?”
“Yes. Not at all.”
“Tsk. You leave me no opening.”
“My apologies.”
Lloyd smiled awkwardly.
Count Cremo still hadn’t let go of his lingering attachment (?).
And he suspected many nobles of the kingdom were probably the same.
But Lloyd had absolutely no intention of entertaining such marriage proposals.
‘I’m sorry. I just want to date and marry normally, that’s all.’
He didn’t want to pair himself up with someone whose face he didn’t know and for whom he felt nothing, just while calculating gains and losses.
That was why, rather than some noble lady, he wanted to meet an ordinary person.
(T/N : Ordinary person he says lol . IYKYK)
‘Anyway, this isn’t important right now.’
Having neatly sidestepped the pressure, Lloyd left the mansion.
Fortunately, the very next day, word came from the Count.
The meeting with a veteran sailor had been arranged without delay.
“Let me introduce you. This is Felipe. He’s the most seasoned sailor I know, and for twenty-three years he has served as captain of the Pelicania, the fastest Emperor Whale whaling ship in the Arctic Ocean.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Felipe.”
The moment Count Cremo finished the introduction, Captain Felipe extended his hand.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Lloyd Frontera.”
The hand that met his in a handshake was thick.
Rough, calloused.
That single firm handshake alone conveyed how many storms Felipe must have weathered as a captain.
‘He really did bring me a genuine veteran.’
Eyes that looked permanently narrowed from years of staring into the distant horizon.
Even the fine wrinkles naturally etched around them made the man seem immensely experienced.
Feeling even more confident, Lloyd brought up his reason for coming.
“First of all, thank you for arranging this meeting. Actually, I needed to meet someone like Captain Felipe because there’s something I want to ask.”
“Me? What are you curious about?”
“By any chance, do you know much about mermaids?”
“Mermaids?”
“Yes.”
Lloyd nodded.
“Of course, I know as much as most people do. Mermaids are the strongest beings in the sea. With tremendous physical strength and swimming ability, they roam all the oceans of the world, and even Giga Titans tremble before their legions.”
“Hmm. That’s about as much as anyone can generally know. What more are you trying to find out?”
“I want to know where the Mermaid Kingdom is.”
“The Mermaid Kingdom?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you want to know that?”
“It’s because of a personal matter.”
“So you have some business that requires going there?”
“Yes. Do you know where it is?”
“No, I don’t. But I do know, roughly, how one might find it.”
Captain Felipe replied, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening.
Lloyd’s eyes lit up.
“Could you tell me?”
“Well, it isn’t difficult.”
Captain Felipe said,
“Go to the Arctic Ocean. The place where the coldest winds and waves rage. The sea where massive icebergs drift endlessly, threatening every ship that sails through it. Deep beneath those waters lies their kingdom.”
“Ooh.”
Lloyd unconsciously clenched his fist.
Got it.
At last, he knew.
If a veteran like this said so, then it had to be right.
So now, all he had to do was summon the Bone Dragon Yongyong, prepare whatever diving equipment he needed, and plunge into the Arctic Ocean—
That was when it happened.
Captain Felipe’s next words splashed cold water over him.
“But that’s not a place you can go to just because you know where it is.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. It’s not a place you can reach simply by knowing the location.”
“Is it because it’s too deep?”
If it wasn’t merely deep sea, but the truly abyssal depths—
Then that would make things difficult.
Yongyong might be sturdy, but Lloyd himself would never be able to withstand the pressure of the deep ocean.
Even with the Asrahan Heart Technique or Mana Heart, there would be limits.
‘Hmm. Then even if it costs a fortune, I’d have to make some kind of magical preparations.’
Just as Lloyd was thinking that—
Captain Felipe let out a soft chuckle and slowly shook his head.
“Too deep…… It isn’t that kind of problem. This is a matter of permission.”
“Permission?”
“That’s what I was told. Back when I was still a greenhorn, my senior sailors drilled it into me. If you ever happen to encounter mermaids at sea, you absolutely must ask their permission to pass through those waters. Since the sea is essentially their home, that’s only natural. They said it would be the same if you ever happened to visit the Mermaid Kingdom.”
The captain continued,
“Of course, my story may sound a little strange. But I can say one thing with certainty. If you want to find the Mermaid Kingdom, you will need the permission and acknowledgment of the mermaids.”
“Hmm. Excuse me, but do you have any basis for believing that?”
“Of course. Because I’ve been there.”
“You don’t mean…… to the Mermaid Kingdom?”
“That’s right. Just once. And only for a very short time. It was before I had even turned twenty, so it must have been about thirty-one years ago. That day, I was chipping ice off the side of the ship. Then I slipped. Fell into the sea, and immediately felt the cold hit me.”
“And then what happened?”
“I shouted. But the wind and snowstorm were too fierce. No one on deck heard me. In the end? The ship sailed away without even realizing I’d fallen overboard. I thought I was going to freeze to death. I was terrified and desperate. But that was when it happened. A being I had never seen before appeared in front of me.”
“A mermaid.”
“Right. It was imposing. It stared at me closely. It seemed uncertain whether I was an intruder or not. I was scared. I desperately felt that I had to show I wasn’t an intruder. So I acted. And because of that, I succeeded. I received permission from that mermaid to briefly descend with it to the Mermaid Kingdom. I was treated there, and was eventually able to return safely to land.”
“Ooh. Is that really true?”
“It’s true. Otherwise, would I still be alive and standing here now?”
“Indeed.”
Lloyd was impressed.
And as expected of a veteran who had weathered all sorts of storms.
‘Got it.’
He clenched his fist tightly inwardly.
The Gem of Truth the Dragon King had mentioned.
The legendary object said to be passed down among the mermaids.
With that gem, he would be able to stop the Phenomenon of Fate’s Restoration.
Or at the very least, learn how to stop that damned thing.
That was why he had come all the way here.
To find a clue leading to the Mermaid Kingdom.
‘Jackpot.’
In one shot, he had found a living witness who had actually been there.
This didn’t even feel like finding a clue anymore.
It felt like he’d found a guided tour straight to the Mermaid Kingdom.
“Then……”
Filled with excited anticipation, Lloyd asked,
“When you fell into the sea and encountered that mermaid, what exactly did you do to earn its acknowledgment?”
“The secret to earning a mermaid’s acknowledgment, you mean?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
At last, he would find out.
He really could go to the Mermaid Kingdom!
At that moment, as a hopeful flame bloomed brightly in Lloyd’s heart—
Captain Felipe answered with a radiant smile.
“I sang it a beautiful song.”
……What the fuck did you say?