Chapter 367: How to Redraw the Mana Blueprint (1)
‘… That’s it.’
After a long period of contemplation, Lloyd caught a glimpse of hope. It wasn’t a grand, ingenious scheme, but he saw a way to slightly overcome the current predicament.
‘Yeah, I shouldn’t try to solve everything in one go, especially with matters like this.’
Step by step, like untangling a twisted thread.
‘This time, I’ll address the trigger of the second version of the restoration of fate.’
It was a method he had kept in mind from the start. By solving the trigger and preventing the restoration of fate from even starting…
‘There might be a third or fourth version that begins in succession.’
But that didn’t matter. Every restoration of fate would have a starting point, a triggering event.
‘As long as I stop the triggering events, I can prevent the full restoration process.’
This way, at the very least, he could avoid everyone ending up utterly ruined and even his own life falling apart.
‘Of course, I know this isn’t a fundamental solution, but it should buy us some time. That’s all we need.’
By blocking the triggers and halting the progress of the restoration, even using time freeze if necessary, he could gain the time needed to find a final solution.
Lloyd felt a surge of confidence as he organized his thoughts.
‘I can do this.’
Then, how to solve the Queen’s paralysis in his left arm, which was the current trigger?
‘I’ve already thought of a way.’
A faint smile appeared on Lloyd’s lips as he mounted Ggoming. As they took off, he turned to Javier, who was riding beside him.
“Hey, should we teach the Queen the Asrahan Method?”
“What?”
Javier’s gaze was filled with confusion, as if saying, ‘What kind of nonsense is that?’
Lloyd couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I mean it. I’m thinking of teaching the Queen the Asrahan Method. Since you and I developed it together, I wanted to hear your opinion first.”
“Suddenly passing on the Asrahan Method…”
Javier laughed in disbelief before asking a serious question.
“Lloyd, you know how delicate and difficult it is for a knight to pass on their mana technique, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then you must be saying this because things didn’t go well with the King of Hell.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
“So this is a desperate measure you came up with after much thought. Suggesting we teach the Queen the Asrahan Method.”
“Probably.”
“I’m curious about something.”
“What is it?”
“What kind of conversation did you have with the King of Hell to make you think this way?”
“Want to hear about it?”
“Kind of.”
Javier nodded, genuinely curious.
‘He’s not just curious; he wants to help however he can.’
Is it for his family? Or for me? Probably both, knowing how sincere Javier always is in these matters.
Lloyd opened his mouth, smiling.
“What I discussed with the King of Hell was…”
He revealed about 90 percent of the truth, keeping just two things hidden: the name ‘Kim Suho’ that the King of Hell used and the true nature of the restoration of fate.
‘I can’t let him know that this is the world of the novel The Iron-Blooded Knight, and that all this mess started because I took the original protagonist Javier’s place, and that one of us has to die to fundamentally solve this.’
It was something he couldn’t say.
To protect Javier? No, quite the opposite.
‘He would choose to end his life to save me and the family as soon as he learned the truth.’
That was something Lloyd couldn’t allow. A world without Javier in The Iron-Blooded Knight?
More than anything, he would deeply miss the reliable support Javier always provided.
No, even beyond practical reasons…
‘I don’t want that.’
Javier had become an irreplaceable friend. Despite their constant bickering, there was no one he trusted more.
Losing him without even trying other solutions was absolutely unacceptable.
Thus, he only omitted the cause of the restoration of fate but shared everything else.
That the King of Hell had accelerated the occurrence of the restoration and that even appealing to him would no longer stop it. Therefore, they needed to prevent the triggering events of the restoration of fate.
“So you came up with the idea of teaching the Queen the Asrahan Method to heal her left arm.”
“Exactly.”
“Hmmm.”
“Why? Don’t you like it?”
“No, I’m concerned. You probably know that the current Queen has almost no chance of mastering the Asrahan Method.”
“Yes, I’m aware.”
Lloyd nodded readily, feeling the hot winds of the underworld around him.
“Because the Asrahan Method specializes in absorbing, circulating, and releasing mana. The process requires redrawing the entire body’s mana circulation system from scratch.”
It was true. Redrawing the foundation of the mana circulation system was the process of learning the Asrahan Method.
‘But I had it easy. I was a complete novice with no mana heart or anything, like a blank canvas.’
This made it easy for Lloyd to draw the foundational framework of the Asrahan Method without much trouble.
However, for Javier, who had already reached the upper level of Sword Expert at the time…
‘It was far more difficult for him, like trying to redraw a nearly finished painting without touching the existing elements. It was almost impossibly difficult.’
Yet Javier managed it, thanks to his exceptional talent in swordsmanship.
‘But the Queen is different. She’s talented, but not a genius like Javier.’
Moreover, the Queen’s current state was…
She had already reached the level of a Sword Master long ago, a state of a perfectly completed and framed painting.
For the Queen to learn the Asrahan Method would be like…
‘Repainting the entire foundation without removing the painting from the frame or damaging it. The success rate would be like one in a million.’
Almost impossible, far more difficult than it had been for Javier, whose talent far surpassed the Queen’s.
“Even knowing this, you have a plan in mind?”
“Yes, roughly.”
Maybe because Javier had spent so much time with him, he seemed to understand Lloyd’s intentions quickly. Lloyd couldn’t help but smile.
“You’re right. It’ll be tough, but I see some potential.”
“Understood.”
Javier nodded.
“Let’s proceed with teaching the Asrahan Method to the Queen as you wish, Lloyd.”
“Really? You won’t feel bad?”
“No, it’s fine.”
Javier looked back at Lloyd and smiled faintly.
“After all, it’s a technique we developed together. It’s not something I completed alone. You have equal rights to it, Lloyd. And-”
“And?”
“I trust that you’re not making this suggestion out of selfish motives.”
“Hmm.”
“I know you’re doing this for the greater good, even if you sometimes come across as selfish, cunning, or sly. I understand that you’re willing to bear such criticisms for the sake of others.”
“Hmmmm.”
“So, I trust your decision. If you have a plan, go ahead. I’ll support you with all my strength.”
“Hmmmm.”
“…Lloyd?”
“Yes?”
“Why are you looking at me with such a skeptical expression?”
“Oh, I was wondering what you ate to suddenly say such cheesy things.”
“…”
“Honestly, are you really Javier?”
“…”
“The Javier I know would never praise me so openly. He’d rather criticize and tease me than paint me in a good light.”
“…”
“Or did you secretly invest in stocks and get stuck? Or hoard bitcoins and get burned?”
“I don’t know what stocks or bitcoins are, but-”
“But?”
“I regret my words almost immediately.”
“Right?”
“Yes, sincerely.”
“See? That’s what you get for making people feel awkward.”
“…”
Javier frowned, showing rare frustration, while Lloyd’s lips curled into a mischievous and triumphant smile.
“Alright, I get it. I know your feelings. Let’s proceed as planned. It’s not entirely for the greater good; it’s also for my own benefit.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, of course.”
Lloyd responded nonchalantly, as if it were the most obvious thing.
“Think about it. Who would willingly sacrifice themselves for others? Am I a saint? No, I just want to live well, comfortably, and peacefully.”
It was half true. He wasn’t a hero or a saint, just someone who wanted to live well without causing trouble for others.
He wasn’t a firefighter or a police officer willing to risk his life for others. He was just an ordinary person who preferred a comfortable, wealthy, and healthy life.
So he disliked labeling himself with grandiose terms like saving many people or noble sacrifices for a great cause. It felt hypocritical and made his skin crawl.
‘I’m not that kind of person. Decorating it with such fancy words feels uncomfortable.’
Lloyd shook off the creeping goosebumps.
“Anyway, it’s decided. We’ll teach the Queen the Asrahan Method.”
With that, he urged Ggoming to fly faster. They quickly distanced themselves from the Underworld Fortress, passed through the Hell Gate connected to the Arctic, and boarded Yongyong amidst the biting cold air.
“Southward!”
They flew south, leaving the Arctic Sea, crossing vast mountain ranges, speeding through the centaur highlands, over forests, fields, and cities until they finally reached the capital.
Entering the royal palace, Lloyd requested an audience.
“It seems we meet very often these days, Earl Frontera.”
“Indeed.”
The white-haired chamberlain who always greeted him with a welcoming smile approved his request effortlessly. Before long, he was guided to the Queen’s office.
“Lloyd Frontera, eldest son of the Frontera family, greets Her Majesty, the rightful ruler of Magentano.”
He threw a formal jab, to which Queen Alicia, reviewing documents in her office, responded with a smirk.
“You’re here again, Lloyd Frontera.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“What favor are you here to ask of me this time?”
The Queen’s slight frown and knowing smile hinted at her usual expectation of his visits.
Lloyd also smiled wryly and decided to be honest.
“This time, I’ve come for a matter concerning you, not myself, Your Majesty.”
“For me, you say?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Interesting. Go ahead.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I’ve found a way to heal your precious left arm.”
“…My left arm?”
Queen Alicia’s smile froze. Lloyd bowed his head confidently.
“Yes, Your Majesty. However-”
“However?”
“To implement the treatment, there are some challenging parts you’ll need to endure.”
“Challenging parts? What might those be?”
“May I speak frankly?”
“Go ahead.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Lloyd bowed again. This was the real test. The solution he had boasted to Javier about, the method for the Queen to overcome the impossible and master the Asrahan Method, was…
“If I may be so bold, for the next two months, every day, 24 hours a day, you must stick to me like glue, Your Majesty.”