Finally, the circuit coliseum was finished. The tracks varied in distance from very short, short, and middle distance. There was also a more complex track with nineteen different corners. The Head Chief Cherokan tilted his head when he laid his eyes on it.
"Hmm, this is the coliseum you told me about?" There was hesitation in his voice.
"Yes, it is," replied Lloyd as he folded his arms and nodded.
"Tsk," Cherokan tutted. "This is one eerie building."
"Is that so?" Lloyd chuckled to himself but not over the chief's cynicism. It was rather because his reaction was exactly what was expected.
The chief's reaction isn't a surprise at all. Just imagine if he threw a big fuss over this construction, saying, "Ooh! What a fantabulous building!" That'd be even more ridiculous.
Indeed. Modern technology was not always praised in this world, and besides, the centaurs were no fools. As such, they would determine the value of the coliseum themselves.
Thinking so, Lloyd said, "Chief, why don't you do a test run?"
"What? Me?"
"Yes. As the representative of the centaurs, I believe you should have the honor of being the first to run in the coliseum."
"Hahahaha."
"I'm being serious. Please follow me."
The corners of the chief's lips rose subtly as Lloyd smoothly buttered him up.
Lloyd capitalized on the change in the chief's attitude and guided him to the track. "There are five different kinds of tracks. Three of them are straight tracks that run 330, 875, or 1640 yards in distance for the purpose of drag racing. The other two are complex tracks that are 2,818 and 1,421 yards long, respectively."
"Hmm, then I shall run the 875-yard track," said Cherokan.
"Excellent choice."
The centaurs' propensity for galloping seemed to never change even as they aged. The chief's eyes turned slightly sharp as soon as his hooves touched the track ground. He soon dashed forward.
"Hiya!"
Gallop! The former champion's acceleration of speed was unbelievable. His hooves crossed the finish line in a flash, leaving only a trail of dust behind him. Soon, he was back at the starting line again. Although, there was an entirely different expression on his face.
"Ha... Hahaha!" laughed Cherokan heartily. "This track is something! I am telling you!"
"Really?"
"Ha! Indeed! Ha! Really! Who would have thought?!" He seemed overwhelmed with happiness. After a minute of content silence, he expressed, "It feels completely different from running on an unmanaged plain where you have to watch out for jagged stones to protect your hooves or spiky bushes to not lose balance after getting caught. In contrast, this track allows you to completely focus on running."
"How did the track feel under your hooves?" asked Lloyd.
"Sublime." The chief raised his thumb. "I thought my hooves were sinking into the sand. But instead, the sand acts as a shock absorber while my hooves still feel supported by the sturdy layer of ground underneath it. This means we can freely propel forward without straining our joints."
"Were you able to race faster then?" further asked Lloyd.
"No doubt about that. Any more questions?" There was a slight annoyance in the chief's voice.
"Excuse me?" Lloyd's tone rose a little at the chief's change of attitude.
"I want to run a little more," Cherokan spoke as he looked around.
"Oh," Lloyd said gleefully. "By all means."
"I'll be back. This time, I'll try the complex race track!"
“...”
All pumped up, the chief galloped off toward the complex race track. His dignified bristles perspired with foamy sweats. The news about his impassioned race at the coliseum spread across all the centaurs of the Stone and Wind tribe.
"Did you hear the news about the head chief?"
"Eh? What about him?"
"I heard he broke his running record that was set during his prime."
"What?! At his age? Really?"
"Yeah. Really."
"How?"
"How else? You know the coliseum built by the human."
"He broke his record running there?"
"That's what they say."
"No way."
"Yes way. Amazing, isn't it?"
"Let's try running there too!"
Yearning to break their personal records as well, almost everyone rushed to the coliseum. Lloyd didn't stop their excitement-fueled visits. For a second, he thought about requesting an entrance fee for the facility but decided against it.
This is a trial period.
Just like how video games used beta tests and how movies had trailers, the tracks had to be trialed for them to prove their value.
The best way to promote the coliseum would be to let the centaurs use it themselves.
To make sure that the coliseum was used by all centaurs across the plain, the facility had to be promoted. As such, Lloyd was rather grateful for the large crowd around the coliseum because he knew that each would go out and share their experiences with it. The tracks were open to everyone without any charge for five days. And on the sixth day, he announced a new rule.
[Starting today, the tracks will run on a reservation system.]
[Minimum reservation number: Two centaurs]
[Reservation eligibility: Participants of courtship races]
[How to reserve: Visit the coliseum management office. Complete your reservation by hoof-stamping the document with your name, date and time of the race, and which track you plan to use.]
[Caution: Switching lanes is not allowed while accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in six seconds or less.]
Even though such a sign was posted at the coliseum entrance, hardly any centaur opposed it. This was because Lloyd had been diligently broadcasting that the coliseum was reserved for marriage proposal competitions. When the following morning rolled around, there was a flood of reservations coming in.
Woah. Is this for real? I mean, what kind of son of a gun divorces their wife and proposes to someone to just run on some tracks?
Lloyd clucked his tongue in dismay. The centaurs were even more obsessed with racing than he originally thought. A number of centaurs divorced their partners to try running on the track, only to propose again to the partner that they divorced. They found adequate opponents to challenge, arranged a race, and reserved a track.
Well, I don't have any interest in their competition over love.
It wasn't any of Lloyd's business anyway. He simply focused on making sure that the rules were strictly adhered to: the courtship race was to take place only in the coliseum, and the designated speed limit was to be observed inside the villages.
Fifteen more days passed. With the compliance of regulations, there came slight changes in the atmosphere in the village. First and foremost, the number of accidents dropped noticeably, and so did the rate of bone fractures and other injuries that occurred during courtship races. This was an amazing change that came from two simple rules: race in tracks and trot in villages.
Furthermore, this proved that the solution Lloyd offered to the chief seven months ago was effective. On top of that, there was one more change that happened within the centaurian society. Their core understanding of racing had been transformed.
"Me and my tribe have come to realize the mindset of a true runner. Only run in areas where you are meant to run and when you can do so without harming yourself and anyone else."
"Is that so?"
"Indeed." The chief welcomed Lloyd when he entered the stable at the former's calling. "It's all thanks to you," Cherokan continued, "Everyone's thoughts have changed because of the coliseum you built. There was also a drastic decrease in the number of injuries that occur during courtship races."
"I'm not the only one who is due credit. This would not have been possible without everyone's cooperation."
"Haha. You are good at talking. Anyway, it's time to fulfill my promise to you."
"You're planning to tell me where the Taupo is," said Lloyd.
"Yes."
The time had come for Lloyd to learn where the Taupo, the second key material for the Jewel of Truth, was located. Lloyd perked up his ears.
The chief said, "The Taupo our ancestors brought in the ancient past was composed of 16 total pieces. And everything is at the peak of the icy mountain in the north of the plain."
"At the peak of the icy mountain?"
"Yes. I'm sure you'll be able to find it easily while riding that large skeleton dragon of yours. It stands in a fairly eye-catching spot."
The chief then held out a scroll. Lloyd opened to find a map illustrating the icy mountain terrains and the location of the Taupo.
"Thank you, chief," Lloyd said. At that moment...
Ding dong.
An awaited message popped in front of his eyes.
[The centaur race has opened up to you.]
[Centaur tribal chief Cherokan has accepted you as his true friend and ally.]
[The coliseum you constructed led to the development of a new notion and concept of safe racing among the centaur race.]
[Moving forward, they will further improve their safety consciousness until they establish their first-ever set of traffic rules that will become a turning point in centaur history.]
[The laws will be based on the rules you have set forth, and you will be remembered as the greatest contributor toward the development of traffic regulation throughout the history of the centaur race.]
[The centaurs now consider you as a friend on equal footing.]
[You can now increase your likeability through centaurs and acquire RP.]
[100 RP has been rewarded for forming a new connection with another species of creatures.]
[Current RP: 1,755]
Whew...
Lloyd discretely clenched his fists.
I did it.
Lloyd obtained the location of the second key material for construction and established a likeability status with the centaurs as a bonus. It was only then that a sense of reward filled up his heart.
Truly, this was a long journey.
Just then, the events that took place for the past couple of months came to his mind. How he earned the red speeding ticket in the beginning, raced against the champion of the plain, spent seven long months constructing the coliseum, and another month inspecting its efficacy. All of these tedious processes had to be undertaken just for him to learn the location of the Taupo.
Well, technically, not even one second passed after I started the project since I froze time.
What a relief, Lloyd thought, and at the same time, he realized that he had to deactivate his skills.
Since the icy mountain is outside my no-freeze time zone, I should deactivate my skill.
His work here was done. There was no reason to idle around.
"It has been a pleasure, chief," said Lloyd, "Allow me to give you something extra."
"Extra?"
"Yes," answered Lloyd with a smile. Everything had to end in a beautiful manner. Even if he did a stellar job with the construction and earned the centaur's goodwill, a bad ending was all it took to spoil all his achievements up to this point.
So I should wrap this up nicely. That way, I will be able to ask for his help if I need it in the future.
Life was long, and no one knew what would happen tomorrow. It was right to invest in relationships for the sake of the future. Thinking so, he asked the chief to come closer and explained how to properly maintain the tracks.
"So, do this and that. But if what I am saying doesn't work, please make a repair request at the Frontera Fiefdom. It's in the east of the Magentano Kingdom."
"Frontera Fiefdom?"
"Yes, that's my home."
After providing the chief with maintenance instructions for the tracks, Lloyd shook hands with him for the last time and left the stable. He then looked up and saw the ice wall that was shaped like an upside-down rice bowl. There was also the view of the sky, which hadn't changed in the last eight months. He saw the sun that had also stood still at the center of it as well.
I cannot believe I did this.
Lloyd couldn't believe it. Feeling dazed, he opened the skill window and got ready to normalize the time. Just then...
Hmm?
Lloyd squinted his eyes.
Something strange... is coming over here.
Something was coming toward the ice wall from the outside. Soon, it folded its wings and body slammed into the ice wall.
Crash! A large crack formed at the ice wall and widened. A giant head came through it. There appeared a white silhouette of a creature that was larger and paler than Yong Yong and a pair of icy eyes that was glaring right at Lloyd below two horns.
A dragon?
The moment his eyes were filled with fright, the dragon asked a question icily. "Human! You have the Heart of Winter. Am I right?"
“.....!”
Lloyd's heart sank. His shoulders shuddered. The moment Lloyd was confronted with Ice Dragon Tyrannus, who traveled all the way here to confiscate the Heart of Winter, the moment he sensed unexpected danger, Lloyd put on another layer of shamelessness on his face and licked his lips. He naturally put on a straight face and an innocent act that would make one say, "Oops, sorry. My bad. Wrong person."
"Me? No, I don't."
