Chapter 313: Swordmaster Syndrome (1)
Hey, Dragon King’s protégé? Big trouble. If you want to keep building the Jewel of Truth, come here quickly. Hurry.
“Hmm?”
Lloyd hesitated.
While working under the sun, supervising the ongoing foundational construction of the dam, an unexpected voice pierced his ears, causing him to frown. He responded,
“Dragon King?”
Yes, it’s me. You know where I am, right? Get here in one second. Hurry.
“…”
What could it be about?
Lloyd’s frown deepened, puzzled.
‘Why would that sleepy dragon call me out of the blue?’
More importantly, what sort of significant event would cause such a reaction without even waking him?
It was shocking.
‘He hasn’t woken up since I used time freeze.’
Literally, the time outside the territory had been stopped.
There was no need anymore to give the Dragon King wake-up calls. He had happily entered into what he called ‘free nap mode’.
‘But he woke up first. And he’s calling me, saying it’s a big deal. This sounds serious.’
It certainly wasn’t ordinary.
Given the sleepy dragon was making such a fuss,
it seemed something serious and dangerous had indeed occurred.
“Baron Bayern, hold on a moment. Keep an eye on things here.”
He left the construction site in the capable hands of Baron Bayern and rushed to the guest quarters of the mansion.
“Pant, pant! What’s the matter?”
Disregarding formalities, he flung open the door of the quarters and found,
“Ah, you’re here.”
Dragon King Berchis was lying down.
However, his posture was somewhat unnatural.
Specifically, his neck was bent at an awkward and seemingly uncomfortable angle.
Lloyd, wiping sweat from his forehead, asked,
“You said it was urgent, so I came right away. Am I late? What’s the matter?”
“Ah, yes, it’s urgent. Fortunately, you’re not late. The matter is this.”
Berchis stayed in his lying position,
his eyes rolling about,
pointing to his neck with his gaze, without moving a finger,
and then he cheerfully said,
“I’ve got a crick in my neck.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I’ve got a crick. Really.”
“…”
“It’s serious. Just because I slept in the same position for about a month, I ended up with this. Maybe I’m not what I used to be. Ah, I miss the old days. Back then, I could sleep directly for about five hundred years without a crick, not even feeling itchy.”
“…”
“Anyway, that’s why I called you.”
“Um…”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“So, you’re telling me you called me in such an urgent tone just because you have a crick in your neck from sleeping?”
“Yes.”
“…”
“Isn’t it serious?”
…Not at all!
Lloyd screamed only in his mind.
He felt like jumping up right then and delivering a flying side kick to the Dragon King’s solar plexus.
‘I was already so busy!’
And it wasn’t an understatement; he really was.
The massive dam and the construction of the Jewel of Truth.
Successfully and safely completing it required attention to countless details.
There were many factors to consider.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the site.
There was no chance even to think about rest.
After the workers finished their daily tasks, he had to oversee the site wrap-up.
He had to stay behind alone to check the day’s construction status and diagnose safety.
And then, he had to review the next day’s work plan, checking if the necessary materials and equipment were ready!
Literally, there was no time to rest!
Even working all day wasn’t enough!
‘And to think, you called someone who’s working their bones off just because you have a crick, and you asked me to rush over in one second? Oh, this dragon, really!’
If only he could grab him by the scruff of his neck and shake him vigorously.
That impulse sprouted spontaneously, like fresh grass on a blue meadow.
But Lloyd didn’t do that.
Instead of getting angry, he laughed.
Instead of bursting out, he spoke amiably.
“Oh my, of course, it’s serious. What can I do for you?”
Suppressing the murderous look in his eyes.
With trembling lips curled up to his ears.
He armed himself with a spirit of service.
It was a perfect corporate-level smile for socializing.
But Dragon King Berchis was as shameless as ever.
“Rub it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Here.”
“…”
Berchis again indicated his neck with his eyes.
A few strands of hair on the back of Lloyd’s head stood on end.
“Uh, if I may suggest something?”
“Hmm?”
“Wouldn’t it be simpler to use a healing spell than having me massage it?”
“Ah, that. It’s too much hassle.”
“…”
“Using magic means I have to think. But if I call you? Then I don’t have to bother. How convenient.”
“…”
“Come on, rub it.”
“…Understood.”
Why were tears welling up in his eyes?
Lloyd suddenly realized that when a person is frustrated to the point of bursting, tears naturally start to well up.
And he firmly grasped the Dragon King’s neck.
‘Ah, I want to choke him right now.’
A little bit of emotion (?) was definitely involved.
Putting strength into his hands.
With a mindset to make him feel it.
He grabbed the Dragon King’s nape.
And he expected,
‘He’ll scream in pain. My grip is quite strong, thanks to daily shoveling and various constructions. It will hurt quite a bit. Hehe!’
If the Dragon King complained of pain.
He would feign surprise and regret, apologizing profusely.
Only then would he adjust the strength.
That was Lloyd’s gratifying plan for petty revenge.
But his well-thought-out plan was thwarted from the start.
Crack?
“Huh?”
Lloyd paused.
‘My hand… won’t go in?’
He had gripped the Dragon King’s nape as hard as he could,
but his fingers didn’t press into the skin at all.
It felt like grabbing a rock.
No, more like clutching a lump of titanium.
‘Why is it so hard?’
He was inwardly flustered.
Not to mention the skin, the muscles underneath were even harder.
Not exaggerating, but it felt like a knife would break if it were to stab him.
‘Is it because he’s a Dragon King? Even in human form, his whole body is so tough and powerful?’
It was absurd.
And even more absurdly, the Dragon King nagged him.
“Hey, are you not doing it properly?”
“Excuse me?”
“Weren’t you supposed to give a massage?”
“Well, I am trying my best here.”
“No, not really. I don’t feel a thing.”
“…”
“Are you deliberately doing a sloppy job? Did you get mad because I called you while you were working? So you’re holding a grudge and not putting in effort?”
“…”
“Should I get upset and cancel my support then?”
“…I’ll try harder!”
Damn, damn, damn!
Lloyd gritted his teeth and applied more strength to his grip.
But still, his fingers didn’t penetrate the Dragon King’s nape by even a millimeter.
It seemed impossible with just physical strength.
Whirring!
He employed the Asrahan technique.
He awakened three mana circles and powered them up.
Extracted mana from Mana Heart.
Amplified the extracted mana with the circles.
Recharged the amplified mana back into Mana Heart.
Transferred that power explosively into his arms through Mana Heart.
That power was fully channeled into his grip.
Finally, it started to take effect.
Pop!
‘It’s working! It’s going in!’
Little by little, very slightly.
The tips of his fingers began to press into the skin on the Dragon King’s nape.
Initially, it was 0.1 millimeters.
Applying more force, it went to 0.3 millimeters.
Using full force, it pressed down to 0.5 millimeters.
Finally, the Dragon King’s expression eased a bit.
“Ah, it tickles. Keep going.”
“Urgh! Got it… I understand!”
The first time massaging a stiff spot is always hard.
Once you manage to soften up a tough spot?
The knotted muscles gradually relax.
Lloyd remembered this and pushed himself further (?).
‘This is really, no joke! Ahhh!’
He had never massaged his father’s shoulders in Korea with such dedication.
Suppressing the rising sense of self-loathing, he persevered.
Sweat droplets sprang from his body like natural mineral water.
And while he was fully engaged in massaging the Dragon King’s nape,
An unexpected question came from the Dragon King.
“So, what will you do once you finish building the Jewel of Truth?”
“…Urgh, What?!”
“The Jewel of Truth, I mean. What will you do with it?”
“What will I do? Well, I plan to ask it for ways to prevent the phenomenon of fate restoration.”
“Ah, I knew that.”
The Dragon King’s reply seemed a bit cynical.
He asked again.
“Suppose you manage to stop the phenomenon of fate restoration. What then? What will you do with the Jewel of Truth after that?”
“…”
Lloyd was speechless.
Not because he didn’t have an answer.
It was a sudden realization.
‘The Dragon King called me for this. To ask me this question.’
So all that talk about a crick in his neck?
It was just an excuse.
‘Is he worried I might misuse the Jewel of Truth?’
Such a guess crossed Lloyd’s mind.
And it was accurate.
That was precisely what the Dragon King Berchis was most concerned about.
‘That this human would actually build the Jewel, I never expected.’
Lying on the bed, receiving the massage,
Dragon King Berchis shot a regretful look towards the pillow.
To be honest, he had no particular thoughts when he first revealed the existence of the Jewel of Truth to Lloyd.
He really didn’t know.
That Lloyd would find the site for the Jewel.
That he would gather all the scattered core materials.
Such events were beyond even his wildest dreams.
‘For an average human, no, even for a dragon, it would have been impossible. That’s why I casually revealed it. I never thought he would actually find everything. I didn’t expect things to escalate this much. I never imagined this situation where the Jewel is actually built would come to pass.’
But it had all come true.
It had become a reality.
That’s why he was worried.
‘What if this guy gets greedy after building the Jewel? What if he starts abusing it?’
What kind of disaster would that bring upon the world?
What would he have to do then?
It was a pressing concern.
‘After all, I was the one who told him about the existence of the Jewel of Truth. But what if he completes it and then does something foolish, causing harm to the world? That would be my responsibility.’
He felt he would have to bear that responsibility.
That’s why.
He wanted to hear what this human thought.
Humans were naturally greedy for such a powerful artifact.
He wanted to see how he would disguise and dress up that greed.
If he sensed any improper desire from this human,
‘I’ll destroy the Jewel.’
Never to let him build it again.
To crush any hope of reconstruction.
To grind the core materials and everything else into dust.
With that resolution, Dragon King Berchis waited for Lloyd’s answer.
And at the end of that wait.
“Um, I…”
Finally, Lloyd spoke.
“Honestly, the Jewel is a bit of a burden.”
“Hmm?”
For an excuse or to hide greed, it seemed a bit weak and straightforward.
Berchis furrowed his brows.
Lloyd continued,
“It really is. It feels like a cumbersome burden to enjoy anything.”
“Why a burden?”
“Actually, I’ve had a tough life.”
“Tough?”
“Yes.”
Lloyd nodded.
His initially excited voice gradually became quieter,
as if cautiously revealing his true feelings.
“I had to bleed every day because I had no money. I’d wake up at dawn to go to work. I’d sweat unwillingly all day, exhausted from fatigue, yet I still had to work. And amidst all that, I had to study too. Because there was something I desperately wanted to achieve.”
“Something you wanted to achieve?”
“I wanted to have a family. A normal one.”
“In the world you were in?”
“Yes. Just to have a family, even if it was ordinary, to welcome me home after a day’s work. I hoped we could live comfortably, even if just normally, without major worries, on the money I earned.”
“And then?”
“I worked hard every day, and then suddenly, I ended up here. But even here, that dream hasn’t changed.”
“To have a family?”
“Yes. But now I’ve added another desire.”
“Another desire?”
“To live off the land.”
“Really?”
“Now that I have a thriving domain, I want to tap into it. I’ve become greedy for a life of leisure, embracing that honey jar for the rest of my life. That’s why.”
It was sincere.
Power returned to Lloyd’s voice.
“Power, a larger domain, an army, those things would just be a hassle to manage. It would just mean less time to enjoy myself, wouldn’t it? It would just be annoying. So, I just hope my family and the people around me are comfortable and happy. I want to live a life of ease within their warm kindness for the rest of my life.”
“So, the Jewel is a burden?”
“Yes. I already have everything I need to live a leisurely life as a layabout. I want nothing more. Once we prevent the phenomenon of fate restoration, everything will truly be achieved. Anything more would only interfere with a layabout’s life.”
“…”
“And you, Dragon King?”
“Uh.”
“Why are your eyes moist?”
“I’m moved.”
“…Wow.”
Lloyd was dumbfounded.
Berchis was sincere.
‘Ah, I was blind. This guy, he was a layabout dreamer just like me.’
A sudden realization rang through the Dragon King’s heart.
Already a master-level layabout, the Dragon King could recognize it immediately.
This human before him,
was a promising layabout sapling.
He harbored simple, precious ambitions and sincerity.
A desire not to work all his life!
A hope for leisure!
And an aspiration for the life of a wealthy, idle landlord!
As a natural lazybones and layabout, the Dragon King couldn’t help but recognize such aspirations and sincerity.
That’s why.
“Massage stop.”
Berchis halted Lloyd’s massage.
He looked at Lloyd with deeply moved eyes.
“I’ve heard your sincerity. I understand. Keep up the good work.”
“Th-thank you.”
The Dragon King internally decided.
Not to destroy the Jewel.
Just to watch this human build it.
Thus, he genuinely acknowledged Lloyd’s dreams and hopes.
And at that moment,
as a result of using all his mana heart and circles while massaging the Dragon King’s nape,
a notification popped up in front of Lloyd’s eyes.
Ding dong.
With an unexpected notification sound,
[You have pushed the capabilities of your Mana Heart to the limit.]
[As a result, you have gained a small amount of experience.]
[The newly gained experience has been added to your accumulated experience.]
[Skill level up!]
[Skill Name: Mana Heart]
[Stage: Advanced Sword Expert Lv.1]
[Physical Ability Enhancement Rate: 1,500%]
[Currently held exclusive skill options: ① Shock Absorption ② Poison Immunity ③ Trance ④ Half-Dragon Half-Human ⑤ Time Freeze]
[RP needed for next level-up: 2,000]
[Mana Heart skill has been upgraded to <Advanced Sword Expert>.]
‘…Huh?’
An entirely unexpected message.
Lloyd’s eyes widened in surprise.