Chapter 89
“Are you saying all of that is true?”
“Yes.”
“That it wasn’t a misunderstanding or a mistake, but it actually happened?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“So, you stopped the Gigatitan from landing in Cremo, and my brother finished it off, and all of that really happened without any exaggeration?”
“Yes. Absolutely.”
“…”
Julian gulped.
Then he looked across the table.
Seated across from him was a stunning silver-haired man, so strikingly handsome that even this luxurious royal suite seemed plain in comparison.
It was Javier.
“Hoo… If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t believe it, but coming from you, Sir Asrahan, I can’t help but believe it.”
“So you didn’t believe it at first?”
“How could I possibly believe it?”
Only now did a laugh escape, out of sheer disbelief.
Julian shook his head and spoke.
“I actually heard the news from someone sent by the royal family. They told me to keep it to myself for now. Apparently, the full details haven’t reached the capital yet.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. I also heard that Her Majesty plans to summon you and your brother soon to bestow honors and make the story public. But that was all.”
“That was all?”
“I mean the details about how your brother defeated the Gigatitan. Stuff like that.”
Wrinkles formed on Julian’s round nose.
Suddenly, he recalled when someone from the royal family had visited him.
‘You truly have an exceptional brother. I’m envious.’
He still couldn’t forget those parting words.
Was it because he felt proud or honored?
Not at all.
“It was absolutely ridiculous. Think about it. An exceptional brother? Can you believe that?”
“Hmm. Did you suspect the royal messenger was a con artist?”
“Of course I did.”
“As expected.”
“Wouldn’t you? Someone shows up out of nowhere and starts praising your brother for accomplishing some great feat—saying he’s amazing and all that. Of course I was suspicious. But it turned out they were really from the royal family.”
“You must have been confused.”
“Yeah.”
Julian nodded.
“So I thought there must’ve been a mistake or misunderstanding. I mean, we’re talking about Lloyd Frontera here. The guy who couldn’t go a day without getting drunk and causing trouble.”
It was true.
That’s exactly how Julian remembered Lloyd.
Three years ago, the day he left the Frontera Estate to enroll at the academy, was no different.
He had tried to say goodbye before leaving.
Because they were still brothers.
Even if he hated him, he was still his older brother.
So he went to Lloyd’s room.
But he hadn’t even lasted ten seconds before being thrown out.
The moment he opened the door, the stench of alcohol hit him.
Then came the shout, telling him to get lost because he was sleeping.
And finally, the bottle that flew toward him, smashing into the wall beside his face.
The smell of booze, the angry shout, and the shattering bottle.
That was Julian’s last memory of Lloyd Frontera, as he left home three years ago.
“That’s why.”
Julian’s pale hand instinctively brushed the corner of his left eye.
There, barely noticeable, was a tiny scar like a speck.
It was from the fragment of the bottle Lloyd had thrown at him that day.
“I thought that the real credit must belong to some unknown hero. That my brother just happened to be nearby and got mistaken for the one who did it. That people were just confused.”
“You’re saying Lord Lloyd stole someone else’s glory or got it by chance?”
“Exactly.”
Julian nodded firmly and added,
“There was just no other way to explain it. But to think it was all true…”
He really hadn’t known.
A long sigh slipped from his lips.
A faint smile formed at the corner of Javier’s mouth.
“Well. I understand how you feel, Lord Julian. I felt the same way.”
“Even you, Sir Asrahan?”
“Yes.”
Javier nodded.
“It was one day. Just an ordinary day with no sign of change. In fact, the night before, he had caused a drunken scene at a tavern. The very next morning, everything changed.”
“What happened that day?”
“Lord Lloyd changed.”
“Changed how?”
“Literally changed. As if an entirely different soul had taken over.”
Inside the cozy room warmed by the fireplace, with not a single draft in sight, Javier’s calm voice filled the space.
“He became diligent. He started to show consideration. He quit drinking.”
“…What? That’s impossible.”
“But it’s true. Not only did he quit drinking, he also began taking on all sorts of construction projects—things you’d never expect from him.”
“Like that artificial foundation he built for Count Cremo?”
“Yes.”
Javier continued.
“He accomplished many things beyond that. He mixed diligence and cleverness with pettiness and cunning.”
“Pettiness and cunning?”
“Yes, traits he never had before.”
A crease formed between Javier’s brows.
“It was a side of him that was completely different from the reckless man he used to be. He became petty. He refuses to suffer even the slightest loss. The moment he realized a payment for a job was short, he dropped his meal and ran off to collect every last coin.”
“…Wow.”
“And he’s cunning. If he finds someone’s weakness, he’ll use it to torment them endlessly. He’ll grip them tight in his hand and shake them. But no one can fight back. Worse, he even enjoys watching his victims suffer. It’s quite the wicked personality.”
“Isn’t that worse than before?”
“Absolutely. Oh, and there’s one more thing.”
“What is it?”
“He seems to have developed a subtle pride in his looks.”
“What? My brother?”
“Yes.”
“That’s absurd.”
“But it’s true. Sometimes he looks at me with a clear sense of rivalry.”
“Sheesh. He’s lost his mind.”
“Right?”
“Yeah. He should know who he’s up against.”
“Exactly. At least before, he had an accurate grasp of where he stood in terms of looks. But now? Sometimes he sees how many love letters I get and gets openly jealous or annoyed.”
“Such a pity. Poor guy.”
“I agree.”
Julian Frontera, second son of the Baron’s household.
Javier Asrahan, the Baron’s loyal knight.
The two, both the same age and reuniting after three years, bonded deeply over a rather peculiar topic.
Thanks to that, Lloyd—who was hard at work on designs in the next room—could only lament.
“…I can hear everything, you bastards.”
How did he end up with these guys as his brother and knight?
As the muffled voices of gossip filtered in through the wall of the suite’s living room, Lloyd let out a heavy sigh, soaking them in through his cochlea.
But despite the sigh, a smile played on Lloyd’s lips.
It was all thanks to the delightful message that popped up before his eyes.
Ding-dong.
[Julian Frontera’s Affection toward you has increased by +2.]
[Current Relationship with Julian Frontera: -59]
[You have gained 28 RP from a minor improvement in relations with a key character.]
[Current RP: 2,164]
[Your intimacy level with Julian Frontera has improved from to .]
[You received a bonus 5 RP for reaching a higher intimacy level.]
[Current RP: 2,169]
‘Hehehe, yes. Good.’
The message confirming his RP gain.
No matter how many times he saw it—every day, again and again—it always felt fresh and satisfying.
And this particular message felt especially meaningful.
‘It means I’ve got a new RP source now.’
It was true.
Thinking back, that was exactly it.
Julian was a newly discovered character who gave RP.
‘Looking at past cases, it’s clear—not everyone gives me RP just because I become close with them.’
At first, he had thought building friendships with people would naturally earn him RP.
But that wasn’t the case.
Count Cremo was the prime example.
‘No matter how close we became or how much favor I earned, no message ever popped up saying my affection with him increased.’
Not that Count Cremo disliked him. On the contrary, the count showed immense fondness, even proposing a marriage to make Lloyd his son-in-law.
Yet, in all that time, not a single message appeared.
No messages about rising affection.
No RP gains either.
Which led him to a conclusion.
‘There’s a pattern with people who give me RP. A specific condition has to be met before the affection system activates.’
He had begun suspecting it deep down.
And now, in this very moment, he finally found the answer.
‘They have to be part of my faction. That’s the key.’
Reading Julian’s message carefully.
Recalling the time with the Orcs.
He was nearly certain.
‘So far, everyone who gave me RP has been part of the Baron territory. The Baron couple, Javier, Sir Bayern, the villagers, and even the Orcs I formed an official alliance with.’
They were either members of his faction…
Or officially allied.
Only in those relationships did the RP system activate.
Lloyd was almost certain of it now.
And with that perspective, Julian started to feel different.
‘Welcome aboard. First time being a pushover?’
Grin.
The thought of using the guy, squeezing RP from him as he worked him over, made Lloyd’s grin stretch wide with satisfaction.
At the same time, he considered the responsibilities ahead.
‘Well, since I brought him here, I need to take responsibility for him now.’
He had taken Julian out on a leave of absence.
Brought him to the royal residence.
But that alone wasn’t a real solution to the bullying he’d endured.
‘He has to get stronger and tougher on his own.’
Strength stops bullying.
Toughness makes it even better.
That was the most fundamental solution.
It was a truly nasty, unfair truth.
It felt wrong and unjust.
But ultimately, it was the uncomfortable truth he couldn’t deny, no matter how much he wanted to.
‘Sure, there are rules and systems in place to prevent such misfortune. But all those regulations can do is slightly reduce the unfairness. They’re not an absolute shield.’
He recalled the dorm supervisor at the academy.
And the other staff who worked there.
They all stayed silent. Looked away.
They ignored Julian as he was being tormented.
It was the perfect example of just how powerless rules and systems could be.
‘So I’ll have to work him hard—train him, even if it means pushing him.’
Of course, Julian wasn’t his real little brother.
He never had a younger sibling back in Korea.
Besides, it hadn’t even been half a day since he’d last seen the guy’s face.
But the message and the RP system told him what he needed to know.
The confirmed conditions of the system told him clearly.
‘That guy is one of mine now.’
Anyone under his wing was his responsibility.
That principle had to be firmly upheld—only then would others feel it in their bones.
That was the only way to keep gaining allies, to make people stay by his side.
‘And that’s how I’ll earn more RP.’
Lloyd took that truth to heart as he planned his next steps.
He poured even more focus into the suspension bridge’s design and simulation.
Meanwhile, lively voices continued spilling through the wall from the living room.
Julian, Javier, Ppodong, Bangul, and Hamang—laughing and chatting cheerfully.
Among them, Julian’s voice brimmed with the most joy.
Relief and comfort from escaping daily torment and discrimination.
Warmth from being surrounded by those who welcomed him.
That warmth filled every corner of his voice.
Hearing it, Lloyd thought to himself—
Good thing I pulled him out of that dorm.
Let’s take even better care of him from now on.
And so, a night of intense design and warm conversation passed.
♣
The next day dawned.
Lloyd was already busy.
He left the suite the moment he woke up.
Cradled in his arms were dozens of design blueprints.
They were the result of his [Blueprint Output] skill from the night before—an array of bridge designs in various forms.
“I’d like to speak with the person in charge here.”
At the royal forge, he stated his purpose. When he mentioned that he was the one in charge of the construction entrusted by Her Majesty the Queen, the head blacksmith personally came out to greet him.
“What brings you all the way here?”
The man stood at about 120 centimeters tall.
A barrel-shaped body.
Shoulders broad as a wall.
And a thick beard reminiscent of Santa Claus.
An old man with eyes full of stubborn wrinkles looked up at him.
‘So that’s a dwarf.’
It was his first time seeing a dwarf outside of novels.
But Lloyd quickly pulled his curious gaze away.
Instead, he swiftly put on a polite, customer-service smile.
“Good day. I’m Lloyd Frontera. I’ve come with a few production requests for the construction Her Majesty has entrusted me with.”
“Production requests?”
“That’s right.”
“What grand thing are you trying to build? This isn’t a place that makes just anything. And for construction materials, not even weapons or armor? You’d best take that sort of request to another forge.”
“If it were something other forges could handle, I wouldn’t have come all the way here.”
“Hmm, so only we can make it?”
“Exactly.”
“You’re a rather blatant flatterer.”
“I’d prefer to call myself someone with a straightforward personality.”
Lloyd smiled faintly.
Suddenly, a passage from Iron-Blooded Knight came to mind.
The dwarf artisan before him.
He was the head of the royal forge.
Said to be the most skilled craftsman in the kingdom.
There was supposedly nothing he couldn’t make out of metal.
Which meant Lloyd needed this dwarf’s help, no matter what.
‘No other dwarf will do.’
He needed materials that could withstand massive loads to build a suspension bridge.
If it wasn’t of the highest strength and quality, it wouldn’t be trustworthy.
So the job had to go to this master artisan.
But there was a problem.
This dwarf rarely lifted his own hammer unless the job personally interested him, often delegating work to the artisans under him.
‘He’s even known for ignoring direct royal commissions if they don’t pique his interest.’
That meant Lloyd had to stir his curiosity.
He had to make him think, I want to make this myself.
Lloyd reaffirmed this goal and looked around.
He spotted an empty worktable nearby.
He walked over.
Unrolled the blueprints.
Swish!
“Here, have a look at this.”
Lloyd confidently spread out the design.
The dwarf artisan’s eyes fell to the blueprints.
‘This is…’
Wells Corgidus, head of the royal forge and its greatest artisan.
His brow twitched sharply.
At that moment, Lloyd dropped a cryptic line beside his ear.
“Have you ever heard of a bridge that walks through the sky?”
