Chapter 264
The construction of the underwater cave sauna began.
“So, from now on, you’ll be collecting the secretion of tube worms.”
“Worm… secretion?”
“Yes.”
“How much should I bring?”
“As much as possible. Just keep going. Until I say it’s enough.”
Lloyd chuckled, handing over a conch shell.
A size unlike any ordinary conch shell.
Big enough for a person to fit inside.
Sighs escaped Javier as he accepted the shell.
“I understand.”
He was not pleased.
But there was no choice.
The impostor’s actions had always turned out right.
Probably, this time would be no different.
‘Always embarking on peculiar tasks. Issuing incomprehensible orders or displaying eccentricities. But, in hindsight, those actions and commands always had a clear reason and purpose.’
That was the fake Lloyd who had saved the Fronteira family from crises until now.
Javier thought this time would be the same.
‘How constructing a sauna underwater will connect to stopping the phenomenon of fate’s restoration, I have no idea. But let’s follow him. Let’s trust him.’
With these thoughts, Javier moved without resistance, recalling the deeds of the fake Lloyd he had seen and felt so far.
Approaching the bubbling hydrothermal vent,
Hiss!
Hundreds of tube worms greeted him.
Sensing danger, they shot out sticky secretions.
Javier quickly raised the conch shell.
Moving at the perfect timing, he caught the worm secretions with the shell.
‘This, usually, these worms use this stickiness to build their homes. It’s like glue.’
He seemed to understand why Lloyd had asked for the tube worm secretions.
It was to use them as a substitute for cement underwater.
From that moment, Javier spent his days collecting tube worm secretions and transporting them to the sauna construction site.
At the site, Lloyd mixed the secretions with the silt from the sea bed.
Then, he applied it meticulously to the floors, walls, and ceilings of the underwater cave.
Humming along, Lloyd plastered the special underwater tube worm cement.
His appearance was reminiscent of a plasterer at a construction site.
In fact, he smoothly finished almost all surfaces of the underwater cave to be used as a sauna with the tube worm cement.
It was an enormous amount of manual labor for one person to accomplish.
But his physical strength had long surpassed that of ordinary people.
Huffing and puffing, Lloyd had reached an intermediate sword expert level and had acquired the Freefall Circle.
As a result, he possessed the tireless energy of an Energizer.
He moved without pause, not forgetting to secure and install the hydrothermal pipes to draw up hot water from the vent.
“Hey, we’re done with the tube worm secretions now. Let’s bring something else.”
“Are you referring to the clamshells?”
“Oh, you’re getting the hang of it without me saying anything?”
“I’ve been through enough construction with Lord Lloyd to know.”
Javier’s sigh-filled complaints followed.
“After surveying comes designing. Basic construction. Ground leveling. Framing. Pouring cement. Finishing. And if pipes need to be installed, like now, I’ve pretty much got the hang of how the site operates.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, lucky you. Must be fun. I sincerely congratulate you.”
“…”
Really, how did I end up here, dragged to the bottom of the sea, doing this kind of work with that person?
Haviel felt an overwhelming sense of self-deprecation to the core of his soul.
Yet, his busy movements did not stop.
He brought over the previously collected clamshells.
Together with Lloyd, they diligently cut them.
Sized to fit the pipes, they were trimmed and shaped.
The joints between the pipes were glued with tube worm cement.
And five hydrothermal vent chimneys were connected to the hydrothermal pipes.
“Push!”
Crunch!
Lloyd and Haviel moved in unison.
Careful not to get burnt by the hot water, they pushed the pipe from a safe distance.
The precisely sized hydrothermal pipe perfectly covered the vent chimney.
Bubbling! Cracking!
The hydrothermal vent chimney, spewing 400-degree Celsius acidic hydrogen sulfide, lead, and iron-enriched seawater, pushed into the hydrothermal pipe.
At that moment, Lloyd activated his surveying skill.
[Beginning the scan.]
Tsststssts!
His gaze meticulously scanned the installed hydrothermal pipe.
Checking for any leaks of hot water.
Ensuring no toxic substances were seeping through.
With the discerning eye of choosing Australian beef sirloin with his hard-earned salary.
And soon, he could be reassured.
“Good. No leaks anywhere.”
From the hydrothermal vent chimney where the hydrothermal pipe begins, all the way inside the sauna.
Even beyond the sauna cave to the exit.
No leaks were detected anywhere.
It was a perfect construction.
From that point on, Lloyd accelerated the construction.
He devoted more effort to installing the hydrothermal pipes.
To prevent unnecessary heat leakage, most of the hydrothermal pipes were covered with tube worm cement.
However, in places where heat needed to flow out, specifically in each room inside the sauna, the hydrothermal pipes were deliberately exposed.
A clear change occurred.
“Wow, it’s gotten hot.”
The temperature inside the sauna significantly rose.
Afterward, the interior of the cave was neatly finished.
Doors were installed using large clamshells and crab shells.
Themes were created for each sauna area.
The traditional (?) mud sauna.
The seaweed-filled marine forest bath.
The mysterious, glowing plankton-filled emerald sauna.
The concept of being buried in warm, white sand to sweat it out, the tropical beach sauna.
And others like the Himalayan ice sauna, the spinning washing machine sauna, and the extreme bungee jumping sauna.
Efforts were made to ensure the merfolk visitors wouldn’t get bored.
And in the largest hall-sized space, a resting area was set up.
“If this were a Korean-style sauna, it’d be the place to lounge around reading comics and peeling eggs.”
Thus, after 21 days of construction,
The sauna was completed at the speed of light.
“Phew. Lucky there was an underwater cave near the hydrothermal vent.”
The structure of the cave was also fantastic.
A gift from nature explicitly for building a sauna.
This saved a lot of time and effort that would have been spent on the foundational work.
Focusing only on installing hydrothermal pipes and interior work was possible.
“Now it’s time to welcome the guests.”
With the sauna completed,
It was time to bring in the merfolk to be “steamed.”
Rotolua was tasked with this role.
“How is it? When are the people you mentioned coming?”
“Ah, about that…”
The evening the sauna was completed,
Rotolua showed signs of discomfort.
“Um, actually, I did manage to make some promises to a few acquaintances days ago. They all promised to come by once the sauna was finished, saying they would definitely visit later on. They all made such promises but…”
“But? Don’t tell me?”
“…”
“They’re saying they’ll come later?”
“I’m sorry. I have no face to show.”
Rotolua slumped his shoulders.
Lloyd internally clicked his tongue at that sight.
‘Tsk tsk. I had a feeling something was off.’
Rotolua was always an outsider in merfolk society, with hardly any friends.
So, Lloyd hadn’t held high expectations.
He had thought, ‘Really?’ even when Rotolua was bragging with a bright smile a few days ago that he had made some promises with a few acquaintances.
It seemed that premonition was correct.
‘Saying they’ll come later is the same as saying they won’t come at all. It’s equivalent to when Koreans say, let’s eat together sometime.’
But Lloyd wasn’t disappointed.
Instead, he patted Rotolua on the shoulder.
“It’s okay. Don’t be too downhearted. I have a plan.”
“Um, did you anticipate this situation in advance?”
“Yes.”
Of course.
Lloyd continued.
“To the merfolk here, the concept of a sauna is too unfamiliar. It’s a completely new concept to them. Plus, it’s a facility made by land-dwellers like me and Haviel, not their own kind. That’s why.”
“You thought the merfolk wouldn’t view the sauna favorably?”
“Yes. I believed we couldn’t attract guests without using a method to significantly boost their curiosity or anticipation.”
“Um, what kind of preparation did you make in advance?”
“Here it is. Just a moment.”
Lloyd fetched two large objects from behind the sauna counter.
Rotolua’s eyes widened in realization of what those objects (?) were.
“Those… aren’t those deep-sea lobster and king crab shells?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Lloyd smiled broadly.
“Haviel and I will use these for sauna promotion.”
Haviel, who had been watching their exchange, twitched his shoulders slightly.
His blue eyes looked at Lloyd as if he were crazy.
Lloyd’s smile became even more shameless.
“What. Why? What?”
“…”
“Don’t swear with your eyes, speak with your mouth.”
“Can’t I just swear with my mouth instead?”
“Because I’m asking you to wear this?”
Lloyd lifted the human-sized king crab shell.
Haviel’s expression soured.
“I am not a clown.”
“Right. I know. You’re a knight.”
“Yes. I’m glad you acknowledge that fact. But then, why, Lord Lloyd, are you asking me, a knight, to wear such a ridiculous thing?”
“For the family you serve?”
“…”
“If you wear this, everything will be solved. The Fronteira family will prosper even more. We can avoid danger. This, if you think about it, isn’t just for my sake. I also hate doing this.”
“…”
“But, what if you refuse? Ah, that was it. That moment was the beginning of the downfall of the Fronteira family. No one knew then. But the wheels of tragedy had already started turning… I wonder if a history teacher’s voice will echo in a classroom about 200 years from now.”
“That’s absurd…”
“Knight Asrahan refused to cooperate. We failed to attract merfolk as guests. The sauna failed. We couldn’t find the orb. The family fell into ruin. Society collapsed. The territory’s people fell into despair.”
“…”
“A boy from the territory, starved all day. So did his puppy. They hugged each other, relying on each other’s warmth through the cold night. But no one extended a helping hand to the boy and his puppy. Thus, the last breath of the boy and his puppy slowly, surely ended. In that last moment, a tear like dew formed at the corner of the boy’s eye. The boy whispered a sad soliloquy with his last breath. Ah, if only Knight Asrahan had worn the king crab shell…”
“…”
“The puppy, hearing that will, whimpered and licked the boy’s cheek. But the boy did not move. The puppy realized it was time to follow the boy. So, the puppy…”
“I will wear it.”
“Good, you made the right decision, puppy.”
“…”
“Oh, because you so suddenly fit in, I got confused. Ahem, I mean, you made the right decision, Haviel.”
“…”
Javier clenched his mouth shut.
As if he had been waiting for it, Lloyd dumped the king crab shell into his arms.
That shameless face was unbearable.
Yet, on the other hand, he had to admit.
‘Whatever his reasons, I don’t know, but.’
Somehow, this fake Lloyd was truly trying to save the family.
Setting aside his peculiar and bizarre methods, supporting this fake in his endeavors was also correct.
Otherwise, the lord would die three years later.
“…”
So, wear it.
Just close your eyes and try.
Javier swallowed his pride.
He wore the pink king crab shell.
Inserted his hands into the pincers.
Thus, transformed (?) with only his legs sticking out from under the shell.
Meanwhile, Lloyd also donned the lobster shell.
He even hung a prepared sign around his neck.
The sign read, “The First Sauna Opening in the Merfolk Kingdom! Completely Free Event!”
“Let’s go.”
“…”
“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and follow.”
“…”
Lloyd, wearing the lobster shell and waddling away, glanced back at him momentarily.
Seeing his back, Javier nearly wrote a heartfelt resignation letter on the spot.
‘Sigh.’
Let’s endure. Just endure.
This is all for the lord and the family.
With that conviction, he moved with Lloyd.
They entered the merfolk city.
Settled in the busiest egg district.
From then on, Javier had to listen to Lloyd’s enthusiastic solicitation.
“Ladies and gentlemen! This is not an everyday occurrence! To celebrate the opening of the first sauna in the Merfolk Kingdom, a completely free event! Do you want to relieve muscle fatigue without smelling sulfur safely? Are your joints feeling stiff these days? Just try steaming, dear brothers and sisters!”
“…”
Despite such words, utterly devoid of shame.
Javier marvelled at Lloyd for being able to shout them out without a hint of embarrassment.
At the same time, he thought.
‘No matter how much he does this, it seems ineffective.’
Indeed, it appeared so.
Their unusual attire.
Lloyd’s noisy shouting.
Thanks to that, quite a few merfolk stopped swimming to watch.
Merfolk were gathering around out of curiosity.
But that was all.
‘They’re all laughing.’
Just out of curiosity.
Because it’s funny.
Like watching clowns.
They were just throwing a brief moment of attention this way.
Merely treating this as a spectacle to gossip about.
It didn’t seem like any of the gathered merfolk were genuinely interested in the sauna.
‘What was he thinking doing this…’
This act, it seems utterly ineffective.
Just a pitiful and ridiculous flailing.
Javier, inside the king crab shell, tasted bitterness.
Then, should he stop this fake Lloyd now? To spare him from blatant ridicule.
Just as he harbored such thoughts,
Lloyd approached.
“And furthermore, dear brothers, sisters, and merfolk! If you come to our sauna!”
Shouting boisterously, he stretched out both hands.
He touched his shoulder, no, the king crab shell.
Suddenly.
Pressed hard.
“With steaming, you can continue to admire this face!”
Pop!
With a sudden forceful press, breaking through the king crab shell like squeezing out a pimple’s core.
In an instant, Javier’s head popped out as if squeezed from the shell.
Thus, unexpectedly, Javier’s face was exposed.
“…!”
The effect was astounding.
