Chapter 327. A Dilemma (2)

Everyone has secrets.

However, few enjoy revealing them.

Especially if one must conceal that they are an imposter.

[To obtain the truthful answer from the Jewel of Truth, you must reveal a secret truth about yourself, known only to you, to the world.]

The voice echoed in his ears.

Bubbles swirled around him, each inscribed with letters.

It was the message from the Jewel of Truth.

It demanded a price from him.

Lloyd wrinkled his nose.

“What? Reveal a secret truth? Something related to me, something only I know? I need to expose that to activate the Jewel?”

A sudden suspicion arose.

But as if reading his thoughts, the Jewel responded immediately.

[Yes, to gain a truthful answer.]

“…”

It was true.

Lloyd asked again, almost as a test.

“Then, do I have to reveal a secret about my identity? Like, the fact that I’m not actually Lloyd Frontera?”

[That secret does not meet the requirements of the Jewel’s condition.]

“What? Why not?”

[Because others know that truth besides you.]

“…”

Was it because of the Demon King or the Dragon King Bercus?

It seemed likely.

Lloyd felt a sense of relief.

“Good. It would be much worse if I had to reveal that here in front of everyone.”

It made sense.

“No one in this territory knows that I’m not the real Lloyd. Not Javier, nor the Count or the Countess. The same goes for the territory’s people. They respect and admire me because they think I’m the Count’s son, the heir, who is developing and achieving things for the territory.”

But what if it became known that he wasn’t the Count’s son?

Would people’s goodwill and respect remain?

Lloyd shuddered at the thought.

He wasn’t confident.

In the worst case, he could lose all his status and be expelled.

“Well, I should tell the Count and the Countess someday.”

Revealing his true identity to the Count and Countess.

Informing them of the real Lloyd’s whereabouts.

That was a promise he made to the real Lloyd he met in Hell.

He had no intention of breaking that promise.

He also believed it was the right thing to do for the Count and Countess.

But at least, not now.

“After everything is settled. I’ll reveal it to them only then.”

He made a resolution.

Meanwhile, he pondered.

“Then, what should I reveal to the Jewel? It said the secret about my identity doesn’t count because the Demon King and the Dragon King know about it. So, what’s a secret related to me that only I know and wouldn’t cause much trouble if revealed publicly?”

Lloyd racked his brain.

He thought hard.

After some time, an appropriate secret flashed in his mind.

“Hmm, I wonder if this trivial thing counts?”

He spoke to the Jewel.

“Actually, when I clean my ears, I start by rubbing the bottom of the ear canal with a cotton swab to remove earwax. Then I follow a clockwise routine—left, up, right. For consistent and thorough cleaning, I twist the swab exactly five times in each direction. This has been my ear-cleaning routine since childhood. Does something like this count as a secret?”

He wondered.

If it did count, it would be the least troublesome secret to reveal.

Soon, the Jewel responded.

[You have revealed a secret truth about yourself that only you know.]

“…Oh!”

It worked!

Lloyd clenched his fist in triumph.

Immediately, the flat surface of the altar on top of the Jewel glowed with letters.

The secret he just revealed appeared there.

Crackle!

Like white letters on a black screen.

The words glowed pale.

They floated up underwater.

Rose upwards.

Passed the water surface.

And fixed themselves high in the sky for all to see.

In the most vivid and explicit QHD quality.

[The Jewel of Truth announces: Lloyd Frontera has a unique habit when cleaning his ears. First, he rubs the bottom of his ear canal with a cotton swab… follows a clockwise routine… scrubs five times in each direction for thorough cleaning… This has been his proud ear-cleaning routine since childhood! That’s all from the Jewel of Truth, which reveals only the truth!]

“…”

Was this what they called public shaming?

Lloyd was speechless for quite a while.

He stared blankly at the sky where the letters floated.

He suddenly wanted to hide under a blanket.

“Ugh, I should have thought of a better secret.”

But it was too late.

He gathered his courage and composed himself.

“Alright. Embarrassment is temporary. I revealed a secret that won’t harm me and met the Jewel’s condition. Now I can get the answer I sought.”

Indeed.

That was all that mattered.

The embarrassment would pass.

He should focus on the significant benefits to come.

As he resolved this, someone suddenly dived into the water from above.

“Javier?”

He saw Javier swimming toward him.

His expression was somewhat tense.

“Hey, why did you come down here? I told you to stay far away for safety.”

Using the underwater breathing option, Lloyd spoke to him.

Javier shook his head and gestured with his eyes and hands.

“You’re okay?”

Lloyd asked again.

This time, Javier nodded.

“Hmm, did you come to check what happened because of the letters that appeared in the sky?”

Another nod.

“You came to see if the Jewel’s activation caused any danger?”

Yet another nod.

“So, in conclusion, you’re worried about me?”

“…”

Javier stared at him.

His eyes seemed to say, “How could I be worried about you?”

Then he sighed and shook his head.

“Yeah, right. As if you’d worry about me.”

Nod, nod.

“If it’s not for my sake, then why?”

“…”

“Seriously, can’t you just be honest? So, are the engineers safe and staying at a distance?”

Nod.

Javier kept nodding with his usual, serious expression.

Seeing him like this made Lloyd chuckle inadvertently.

‘This guy.’

He was grateful.

Despite constantly bickering.

Despite always teasing him.

When real danger arose, Javier was always the first to come and protect him.

Looking back, it had always been this way.

During the dangers in the ant nest.

Facing the Giga Titan or Hell Knight.

Through all the countless perils and challenges they faced, Javier was always the first to stand by his side.

They shared all the hardships.

Despite his complaints, Javier never expressed genuine discontent or abandoned him.

Javier was always that kind of person to him.

‘If things had gone according to the original story, he would have spread his fame across the continent by now.’

But because Lloyd didn’t die as in the original story.

Javier couldn’t leave the territory.

He remained a knight of the territory.

Always ready to protect him, rushing to his side at the slightest sign of trouble.

Lloyd felt both sorry and grateful for this.

‘Alright, I’ll take care of you till the end. When I solve the Restoration Phenomenon and live a good life, you’ll live well beside me too.’

Not as a hero shaking the continent.

But living a life of comfort and ease.

He made this promise and smiled at Javier.

“Alright, stay beside me. I’ll activate the Jewel now.”

“…”

Javier blinked, as if to say, “Understood.”

Leaving Javier behind, Lloyd turned to the Jewel.

The mythical structure that provided the most truthful answers to any question.

He placed his hands on the altar.

‘I want to know how to prevent the Restoration Phenomenon.’

He asked the question he had held for so long.

He waited.

Soon, there was a reaction.

Rumble!

Regardless of his will, his mana heart moved.

A small amount of mana was absorbed into the altar.

It amplified within the altar.

Then shot towards the water surface.

Far above, at the water surface, a tremendous ripple spread.

…!

A shockwave that struck the entire body of water held by the dam.

A shockwave that shook his entire body.

Riding the shockwave, the Jewel’s answer echoed in his mind.

[Lloyd Frontera is not the protagonist of this world.]

“…What?”

The voice imprinted itself in his mind with the shockwave.

Lloyd paused.

Not the protagonist of this world.

What did that mean?

‘Well, that’s obvious. I know that. Javier is supposed to be the protagonist. But I asked about how to prevent the Restoration Phenomenon. Why this answer?’

It was strange.

A vague sense of unease grew.

The Jewel’s answer continued.

[The original Lloyd Frontera was supposed to die. But he did not die. Regardless of the essence of the soul, you have kept Lloyd Frontera alive. Instead of Javier Asrahan, who was supposed to be the protagonist, you assumed the role.]

‘What?’

His heart sank.

Why was the Jewel giving this answer?

The unease in his heart grew deeper.

[A non-protagonist assumed the role of the protagonist. The laws governing this world were shaken. Hence, this world perceives you as an ‘error.’]

‘Me…?’

An error?

Because he took Javier’s place as the protagonist?

Because he was playing the role?

[Thus, this world began to react, trying to return Javier Asrahan to his rightful place as the protagonist. To complete the fate that should have seen Lloyd Frontera dead, it periodically inserted unforeseen dangers into the story to remove you and restore Javier Asrahan to his role as the protagonist.]

“…”

Lloyd was speechless.

He unconsciously took a deep breath, recalling the numerous incidents he had faced.

Finally, he realized.

‘So, the incidents in the ant nest, the dark sorcerer, the Giga Titan, the Undead Mastodon, the Hell Knight, and Yongyong… all those events?’

Were they all the world’s attempts to kill him, prompted by its interference?

It seemed unbelievable.

Yet, he couldn’t deny it.

The Jewel’s answer continued.

[But you did not die. By surviving each time, you disrupted the story’s natural flow and did not return the protagonist’s place to Javier Asrahan. Thus, this world chose an alternative method to remove you, the ‘error,’ opting for an ‘imperfect reset.’]

“…”

It was saying that his survival was the problem.

So the world adopted a new method.

That method was the imperfect reset.

‘Could it be that the imperfect reset is…’

[The imperfect reset chosen by the world, is what you know as the ‘Restoration Phenomenon.’]

“….”

So it was true.

Just as he suspected.

‘Damn it.’

Lloyd clenched his fists.

Finally, he understood the nature of the Restoration Phenomenon.

It was infuriating.

‘So, my existence itself is a problem.’

He realized.

A laugh escaped him involuntarily.

He remembered the story of “The Iron Blood Knight.”

Lloyd Frontera, who was supposed to die at the beginning.

He had struggled to survive, to live well in that body.

But his choices and actions had disrupted the world’s flow.

However, he wasn’t hurt by this revealed truth.

No, he was rather shameless.

‘So what? And what now?’

He glared at the altar.

Regardless of disrupting the world’s flow.

Regardless of the world’s attempts to kill him.

He had simply tried to survive, to live well.

‘So, there’s nothing to regret, nothing to be intimidated by. Everyone tries hard to live well. Is that a crime? Is that wrong? Ridiculous nonsense.’

No matter what truth was revealed.

Nothing would change.

‘Anyway, I still intend to live well. To live comfortably and enjoy life. So the reasons behind the Restoration Phenomenon don’t matter. What matters is finding a way to stop that damned Restoration Phenomenon, the imperfect reset.’

That was all he needed.

No matter how the world perceived him.

Whether it was desperate to get rid of him.

‘That’s the world’s problem.’

It had nothing to do with him.

He had no intention of giving it any thought.

‘Alright, then tell me the answer.’

Lloyd glared at the altar.

Then, someone touched his shoulder.

Turning, he saw Javier looking at him.

“…”

His eyes conveyed concern.

Wondering if something had gone wrong.

If there was an issue.

“Don’t worry.”

It seemed his expression wasn’t good.

Thinking this, he smiled at Javier.

And he realized.

It was always Javier.

Despite their bickering.

Despite always teasing him.

Javier was always the first to come and protect him in real danger.

Lloyd couldn’t help but feel grateful.

He thought about how Javier would have achieved fame across the continent if things had followed the original story.

But because Lloyd didn’t die, Javier couldn’t leave the territory.

He stayed as the territory’s knight.

Always ready to protect him.

Lloyd felt sorry but also grateful for that.

‘Alright, I’ll take care of you till the end. When I solve the Restoration Phenomenon and live a good life, you’ll live well beside me too.’

Not as a hero shaking the continent.

But living a life of comfort and ease.

He made this promise and smiled at Javier.

“Alright, stay beside me. I’ll activate the Jewel now.”

“…”

Javier blinked as if saying, “Understood.”

Leaving Javier behind, Lloyd turned to the Jewel.

The mythical structure that provided the most truthful answers to any question.

He placed his hands on the altar.

‘I want to know how to prevent the Restoration Phenomenon.’

He asked the question he had held for so long.

He waited.

Soon, the Jewel responded.

[Therefore, to prevent the Restoration Phenomenon, either you or Javier Asrahan must die or disappear from this world.]