Chapter 328. A Dilemma (3)
[Therefore, to prevent the Restoration Phenomenon, either you or Javier Asrahan must die or disappear from this world.]
‘…What?’
Lloyd froze.
He couldn’t believe his ears.
What did he just hear?
‘This is insane. What nonsense is this?’
He wished what he heard was a mistake or an error.
But the response remained cold and unyielding.
[This is an undeniable fact. The current error in this world is caused by you occupying the role of the protagonist without permission. Hence, the only possible choice is binary. Either you die and relinquish the role to Javier Asrahan, or you kill Javier Asrahan and completely take over the protagonist’s position.]
‘…’
Unconsciously, he turned to look at Javier.
His eyes were filled with even more concern than before.
‘Do I look even paler?’
It seemed likely.
That was why Javier was staring at him with such concern.
Javier, usually composed, was openly worried.
Lloyd forced a smile, hoping it didn’t look too awkward.
But the Jewel, oblivious or indifferent to his feelings, continued to deliver its verdict.
[If either you or Javier Asrahan disappears, this world will recognize the remaining person as the protagonist, and the story will proceed normally from that point. The Restoration Phenomenon, which is an imperfect reset, will cease, and the story will continue with the remaining person as the protagonist.]
“…”
Lloyd didn’t even sigh.
He had suspected that his existence in Lloyd Frontera’s body, his changes to the story, might be connected to the Restoration Phenomenon.
But he never imagined the solution would be such a harsh dilemma.
‘I’d rather it demanded a massive amount of RP. Even if it required 100,000 RP, it would be better than this.’
He truly thought so.
Even if it took 100,000 RP.
He would rather work himself to the bone to solve it.
But this… he couldn’t see a way out.
‘One of us has to die?’
Either he or Javier had to disappear.
Only then would the Restoration Phenomenon, the imperfect reset, stop.
‘What should I do?’
He had no idea.
No matter how hard he thought, no solution came to mind.
He wondered if he would ever find an answer.
‘Wait, then… what if I die and use the Dragon King’s membership benefit to revive? If I come back to life, will that count as having died once and stop the Restoration Phenomenon?’
He asked the question that popped into his head.
But the Jewel shook its metaphorical head.
[That method is impossible. Since you do not truly disappear from this world, the Restoration Phenomenon will continue the moment you revive.]
What?
His last-ditch idea was shot down.
But Lloyd didn’t give up.
Desperately clinging to hope, he asked the Jewel again.
‘Is there any other option? Another way besides one of us dying or disappearing? Maybe a way to delay the Restoration Phenomenon?’
[None.]
“…”
It was a stark, unyielding response, as if to cut off any hope.
And it remained the same.
Desperately, Lloyd asked the Jewel several more questions.
What if he declared he would give up the protagonist’s role to Javier?
What if he revealed his true identity and sought understanding?
What if he left the Frontera territory?
He asked everything that came to mind.
But the Jewel’s answer was consistent.
[Impossible.]
“…”
Was it because the world had already labeled him an error?
Or had the story diverged too far to be corrected by such mild measures?
He didn’t know.
The only thing certain was:
‘It’s either me or Javier. That’s the only way.’
He felt as if the world was closing in on him.
Despite the massive ripple caused by the Jewel above the water.
Despite the waves crashing against the dam and flowing out through the spillways he had prepared.
He couldn’t focus on any of it.
He couldn’t even bring himself to care.
‘What should I do?’
A gnawing feeling in his chest.
Javier, looking at him with worried eyes.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Really.”
He forced a smile.
But the worry didn’t leave Javier’s eyes.
His expression seemed to ask if Lloyd hadn’t received an answer from the Jewel.
Or if he had heard an odd solution.
It was clear from his expression that he was deeply concerned.
So Lloyd reassured him.
“I got the answer. Fortunately, it’s not a strange solution. It looks like we can stop the Restoration Phenomenon smoothly.”
Either you or I will die.
Making that choice would stop it.
Lloyd thought as he smiled.
The more his heart ached.
The more he struggled to find an answer.
He tried to smile brighter.
And he climbed to the surface with Javier.
As they swam to the surface, Lloyd’s mind raced.
How to interpret the Jewel’s binary solution.
How to find a way for both him and Javier to survive.
He racked his brain, trying to think of a cunning plan.
But no clever idea came to mind.
‘This is bad. I really can’t see a way out this time.’
He wanted to clutch his head in frustration.
‘Tricks and cheats only work when there’s a gap to exploit. This time? There’s no gap. The Jewel has explicitly stated that no other method will work.’
One of them had to die.
Or disappear from this world.
There was no other solution.
Even though he kept thinking and pondering, no brilliant idea came to mind.
‘Should one of us just go to another dimension?’
Maybe he could ask the Dragon King to use dimensional magic.
That seemed like a possible solution.
‘Like when I went to Seoul.’
He could go.
Or send Javier.
Whoever went would never return.
That should definitely stop the Restoration Phenomenon.
‘But I don’t like that. I really don’t.’
He shook his head vigorously.
‘I can’t send Javier away. No matter how heartless I am, that’s too much. And I hate the idea of going to Seoul even more.’
Going back to Seoul.
And never returning.
Just thinking about it made his nose wrinkle.
‘I hate that place.’
He truly despised the idea.
There was no one left he knew.
Not even family.
He had more bad memories than good ones.
‘That’s why I’ve been living so hard here. Because I thought I wouldn’t have to live an aimless, suffering life like in Seoul. Because I saw a chance to live a meaningful life. I thought I could be happy and enjoy life here.’
He had built so much here.
And he had just started to feel like he could live a decent life.
Finally getting the respect and admiration he never received before.
‘And now I should give all that up and go back to Seoul? That’s ridiculous.’
The more he thought about it, the more he hated the idea.
‘And I would have to live there in Lloyd Frontera’s body. No family, no home, no property, no bank account, no ID, not even a transportation card. I’d be a homeless illegal immigrant.’
It made him think he’d rather die.
Naturally, he came to a conclusion.
‘So, going back to Seoul is out.’
He needed to find another way.
There had to be a trick he hadn’t thought of.
A loophole he hadn’t discovered yet.
‘There’s still time. Nearly two years until the Restoration Phenomenon starts. And if time runs short, I can use time suspension to buy more time to think.’
So he wouldn’t give up easily.
He wouldn’t despair or feel down.
He wouldn’t lose hope.
He made this resolution.
He kicked his legs harder, swimming up.
In those few seconds of swimming to the surface, he pondered, calculated, and resolved himself.
And as he broke through the water’s surface.
He was greeted by unexpected cheers.
“Waaaaah!”
“…Huh?”
Lloyd blinked.
Cheers were coming from all around.
He brushed wet bangs off his forehead.
And looked around.
Finally, he saw who was cheering.
“The water flowed exactly as you predicted! It’s a success, Sir Lloyd!”
“…Sir Bayern?”
Standing on the cliff at the edge of the newly formed lake, Bayern was shouting.
Next to him were the engineers, holding their shovels high.
And on the opposite cliff, the White Spear Knights were cheering and writing something on their palms.
Thanks to his heightened senses as a swordmaster, he could hear snippets of their conversation.
“Hey, do you have any charcoal left?”
“Hold on, sir. I’m writing it down.”
“I’m afraid I’ll forget it.”
“I’ll write it down first, okay?”
“Make sure you write it accurately. I remember seeing that Sir Lloyd starts cleaning his ears by digging the bottom first.”
“I remember too. Then he goes clockwise, scrubbing five times in each direction, right?”
“Exactly. That’s how it was. Write it down well. It might seem trivial, but there might be some deeper meaning we’re missing.”
“Of course. It’s the lifestyle habit of the most recent person to become a swordmaster.”
“Right. We must learn from it. This is like the latest edition of a textbook.”
“Indeed. It’s time we overcame the swordmaster syndrome, don’t you think?”
“Exactly!”
Their conversation was absurd in many ways.
“…”
Stop it, you lunatics.
I understand the desperation.
I know how hard it is to deal with the swordmaster syndrome.
‘But still, isn’t this too much?’
Lloyd genuinely felt exasperated.
But there was no avoiding it.
The overwhelming praise, cheers, and admiration kept coming, one after another, like a line of sausages.
For example, when he walked and encountered orc warriors.
They would shout with flushed faces.
“As expected of Lloyd! Lloyd is our friend, kwek!”
“Lloyd is amazing! He built a huge dam, kwek!”
“Lloyd is cool! He built the Jewel of Truth too, kwek!”
“But it seems he can’t make a girlfriend, kweeek!”
And so on.
Even the composed elf chief, Muira, was caught up in the excitement.
“Lloyd Frontera, you are truly remarkable.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Saw what…”
“When the Jewel of Truth was activated. The massive waves in the artificial lake mostly flowed out through the spillway you made in the dam. Thanks to that, many plants were unharmed.”
“Oh, you mean the bushes growing at the lake’s edge?”
“Yes. I was deeply moved. Just like when you moved all the plants from the planned submerged area before building the dam.”
“No, that was because many of those plants were valuable herbs…”
“I’m sure you planned it that way. You’re very considerate.”
“…”
He had never calculated it that way.
It just happened by chance.
But Lloyd just smiled awkwardly.
He quietly accepted the overwhelming praise.
In truth, he didn’t have the mental energy to react to each compliment.
He didn’t have the luxury to.
On the surface, he was smiling.
But inside, his mind was in turmoil.
‘Me or Javier.’
One of them had to die or disappear for the fate to be settled.
What a disgusting dilemma.
The more he thought about it, the more his head ached.
He had gone through so much trouble to build the Jewel.
He thought building it would reveal the method to prevent the Restoration Phenomenon.
But the solution turned out to be this harsh choice.
‘Damn it.’
Would he ever find an answer if he kept pondering?
Or would he just waste time?
While he tried to reassure himself.
He had to constantly suppress the anxiety that kept welling up.
‘And… everyone else is just praising me without knowing anything.’
Suddenly, he felt lonely.
He wanted to share his worries.
But no one knew he had such concerns.
He suddenly felt like a lost child.
He felt isolated from everyone.
And he spent five days like this.
In his usual daily life.
Smiling at the praises that didn’t touch his heart.
Trying not to let others see his worries.
It was during one such mealtime.
“When you look so gloomy these days. Is something troubling you that you can’t talk about?”
The Countess asked him cautiously, almost as if patting his back.
