Chapter 359. Preparations for an Audience (1)
[A new accolade, <Hell’s Optimal Talent>, has been created.]
As he rode Yongyong and departed from the Beneto Kingdom, Lloyd saw the message and couldn’t help but smile.
‘Haha.’
Accolades always appeared at moments like this. It was rare for them to pop up just because a construction project was completed. They typically appeared once the social utility of the project was confirmed. And now was exactly one of those times.
‘Given the nature of civil engineering, this makes sense. It’s a field that prioritizes practicality, not just aesthetics and grandeur. It values how the result is utilized socially.’
Just as the Suez and Panama Canals forever changed global logistics, the railroad through the Pantara Mountains would similarly impact international trade.
Lloyd inspected the accolade details carefully.
[Hell’s Optimal Talent]
[Accolade Grade: Legendary]
“Everyone, today we’re studying the history of railroads. Turn to page 359 of Modern Civil Engineering History. Yes, the famous Pantara Mountain Railroad.
You there, in the front row—can you summarize the background of this railroad’s construction, which we briefly touched on last time?
Excellent, you’re correct. The Pantara Mountain Railroad was a masterpiece undertaken by Lloyd Frontera at the command of the Magentano royal family.
Haha, getting tired of hearing about Lloyd Frontera? He appears here, there, and everywhere. Trust me, I’m as fed up as you are. If it weren’t for that man, our study material would be half as long, even in the sweltering summer heat.
But what can we do? That nuisance laid the foundation for our empire’s civil engineering.
So, shouldn’t we share our misery? Let’s study hard and develop new theories to torment future generations.
Now, the Pantara Mountain Railroad was the world’s first to actively adopt the switchback system…”
[Accolade Effect: You achieved the monumental task of completing the Pantara Mountain Railroad by any means necessary. You manipulated and deceived many, leaving those ensnared by your schemes shivering and the devils of hell in awe. Consequently, all residents and undead of hell will now hold you in higher esteem and affection.]
[Note: In exchange for the increased affection of hell’s residents, you may face the Hell King’s excessive desire to recruit you.]
[Accolade Region: All regions of the human world and hell]
[Accolade Duration: 1,200 years (human world) / 750,000 years (hell)]
[The accolade’s effect applies 24/7 within the accolade region and duration. Depending on your future actions, the accolade’s region and duration may extend or shorten.]
[CP provided monthly by the accolade: 8]
[Current CP: 1,648]
“…”
Having read through the accolade, Lloyd’s eyebrow twitched.
It was all good and grand, except for one detail.
‘This feels like a trap card.’
His eyes scrutinized the ‘Note’ section.
‘Facing the Hell King’s excessive recruitment desire?’
Did this mean he’d be offered a position in hell if he died? Would he be expected to work in the afterlife instead of resting?
It felt unsettling at first glance.
‘I don’t like this at all.’
Not just dislike—he absolutely wanted to avoid this. He was already living a tough life without ever enjoying peace. The prospect of working even in death was a hard pass.
‘Tsk. I’ll have to look into this later.’
Ignoring it might lead to a nasty surprise. But there was a more pressing matter to deal with.
‘First, I need to finish up here, return to the capital, get the Eyes of Summer, deal with the side effects of the Winter Heart, and then tackle the Restoration of Fate.’
He felt a mounting list of tasks. But they were all non-negotiable.
‘Tsk.’
Feeling a surge of melancholy, Lloyd headed back to the Pantara Mountain railroad site.
♣
Wrapping up the railroad work went smoothly. They had already planned the future operations and maintenance of the railroad.
“We’ll run two trips daily, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. If the freight volume gets heavy, we can go up to four trips a day.”
“With such long trains, can we really have that much freight?”
Javier asked, to which Lloyd immediately responded.
“Of course. The Beneto Kingdom and nearby countries will all send their goods through this railroad. The freight going from Magentano to the southwest will also be substantial. Cutting out the detour around the mountains saves months of transport time.”
Plus, the bonus of avoiding monsters, bandits, and other dangers.
“So even if the freight volume is heavy and it takes a month to schedule a train, they’ll still use this route. Paying a small storage fee to wait here is more economical than risking a months-long detour around the mountains.”
They had designed the railroad to handle up to six round trips a day if needed.
“That’s why we built large warehouses at both the departure point here and the arrival point in Beneto Kingdom. It wasn’t just for show.”
“You considered the logistics from the start.”
“Exactly. That’s why there’s a small station at the top of the gorge too.”
Lloyd nodded.
After the first trial run of the uphill route, he had built the small station while working on the downhill route.
“You never know when an emergency might happen during train operations. Plus, maintenance staff need a place to stay.”
“Indeed.”
Building the railroad was crucial, but maintaining it was equally important.
“The resident staff will include thirty Orc warriors and ten Elf archers. They’ll regularly inspect the railroad and handle immediate repairs if needed. Plus, we’ll involve spirits.”
Lloyd smiled.
Spirits were an unexpected but welcome addition to the workforce.
Since they were incorporeal, they could freely roam and inspect the railroad daily.
“…Isn’t that labor exploitation?”
Javier felt incredulous after hearing the plan. Lloyd shrugged.
“Not really. There are plenty of lower-ranking spirits.”
“Plenty?”
“I gathered the higher-ranking spirits and asked. There are over 60,000 of them. They said if they divide the work among themselves, it won’t be a burden.”
“…For free?”
“No way.”
Lloyd chuckled.
“You know I hate giving away things for free, and I don’t like exploiting others either. This is all compensated labor.”
“Compensated how?”
“I’ll make sure no human sets foot in the areas outside the railroad region of the mountains. I’ve already asked the king to enshrine this into law.”
This was the condition he had proposed when he first gathered the higher-ranking spirits.
Javier frowned slightly upon hearing this.
“You seem to be getting more ruthless in your negotiations.”
“Why?”
“You initially disrupted the spirits’ way of life, and then you offer to protect what’s left as a condition. It feels deceitful.”
“I won’t deny it. Let’s call it both.”
“…You wouldn’t be so hated if you didn’t speak.”
“I’ll take that as part of my karma.”
Lloyd gave a wry smile.
Becoming the Spirit King was unexpected, but he wanted to use the spirits effectively. Ensuring no further harm to nature was the best concession he could offer.
“The spirits seem satisfied, and I’m happy to reduce the number of human overseers. We’ve found mutual satisfaction.”
They spent a few more days at the site.
They organized the operations and maintenance systems for the railroad. Lloyd supervised the operational trials of the four trains, each composed of ten cars. He also completed the basic training for the resident staff.
“Everyone understands? The royal staff from Magentano will join in a few days, so please take care until then.”
“Leave it to us, sir!”
“Just make sure to bring plenty of meat.”
The Orc warriors and Elf archers smiled confidently.
As they began to withdraw the workers, they followed the reverse order of their arrival.
The Dwarf engineers, the estate engineers, the White Spear Cavalry, the Elf archers, the 350 dwarfs, and all but the essential Orc warriors were the first to leave the site and return to the Frontera estate.
After the successful withdrawal of the workers,
“Now, to the Queen!”
Lloyd directed Yongyong towards the capital, Magenta.
Upon arrival, he headed straight for the royal palace and requested an audience.
“Understood, Young Lord Frontera. Please wait here while I relay your request to Her Majesty.”
Following the chamberlain’s guidance, he waited in the antechamber. After what felt like a long wait, the chamberlain returned.
“Fortunately, Her Majesty has granted your audience request. Please follow me.”
Walking through the corridors, Lloyd’s heart swelled with pride.
‘Phew. Finally made it this far. Only the final step remains.’
From the moment he went to the Celestial Realm to negotiate with the archangel, he had envisioned this big picture. Now, he was close to achieving the desired outcome. He felt a sense of accomplishment.
‘Now to secure the Eyes of Summer as promised. Then I can stay away from the capital for a while. I won’t have to ask the Queen for anything. Let’s avoid coming here as much as possible.’
Lloyd didn’t want to get too entangled with the Queen, even though she was accommodating and supportive. Getting too close felt burdensome.
‘Like moving next to your generous boss. It’s good to get paid well, but I don’t want to be that close. I’ve already secured plenty of resources and plans to sustain them. I just need to stop the Restoration of Fate.’
So, once he secured the Eyes of Summer, he planned to keep his distance from the Queen.
As he followed the chamberlain, Lloyd realized something was off.
‘Wait a minute.’
He looked around.
They were passing through the palace’s complex passages and corridors, but the direction was familiar in a bad way.
‘Isn’t this the way to the Queen’s private training ground?’
It wasn’t towards the audience hall or the office. It led to the training ground in the annex. Realizing this, Lloyd felt uneasy and asked the chamberlain.
“Excuse me, chamberlain?”
“Yes, Young Lord Frontera. Do you have a question?”
“Yes, I do. Why are we heading to the Queen’s training ground?”
“Ah, I was just about to tell you. Her Majesty has specially requested certain preparations for your visit.”
“Preparations?”
Lloyd swallowed nervously and asked.
The chamberlain turned and smiled meaningfully.
Her Majesty specifically instructed you to bring a sturdy shovel, durable training clothes, and a determined spirit.”
“…”
What?
Hold on a minute.
‘Is this a sparring session with the Queen? I only asked for an audience. Why? How?’
This felt like, ‘Since you’re here, why not stay for some intense training?’
Realizing the situation, Lloyd entered the training ground, feeling a mix of frustration and resignation.
And there, he saw something unexpected.
