Swaa...! The mystifying starlight obscured Lloyd's view, and the dimensional magic circle devoured the entire space around him. Soon, gravity disappeared, and everything became weightless as if it was a piece of feather or a bubble. The darkness and starlight dizzily danced around them for a while until Lloyd and Javier felt their feet touch the firm ground.
"Haah..." Lloyd sucked in breath involuntarily. He felt sick and dizzy. His stomach churned.
Goodness. Couldn't something be done to make dimensional shifting and teleportation more comfortable?
These two magic spells never failed to give its passengers motion sickness every time it was used. Lloyd took deep breaths to calm his stomach while reminiscing about the anti-nausea pills that were available back in Korea. Soon, his vision returned to normal.
The Gwanghwamun area of Seoul was gone now. Instead, Lloyd caught sight of a vintage-style bedroom with a half-open window and curtain that was swaying against a soft breeze. He also saw a sleeping man on the bed inside, who continued to be asleep despite the strong sunlight that made his eyes squeeze. The man was Dragon King Verkis, the sleepyhead who couldn't even be bothered to cover his eyes with his hand or turn over to the other side to avoid the sunlight. When Lloyd saw him, he finally realized something.
I'm back safely.
Lloyd felt it all the more now that he was really back at the Frontera Manor's guest chamber. On top of Verkis, there was one more thing that made his return feel more real.
"Master Lloyd, have you been crying?"
His piercing voice. His chilly voice hardly seemed to rise in any situation. Javier was intensely staring at Lloyd with an observant gaze. Lloyd flinched, feeling exposed.
"Cry?" denied Lloyd hastily. "I don't know what you mean."
"The reason is beyond me, but your eyes are wet." Javier's gaze fixed on Lloyd's eyes.
"My eyes?" Lloyd widened his eyes to prove Javier was wrong. "No way."
"It's true. They are red and puffy as well," pressed Javier.
Lloyd cleared his throat, thinking of some excuses to save himself.
"Your nose as well. It is red."
Lloyd cleared his throat again, still thinking.
"There. You just sniffed your runny nose."
"It's a cold," Lloyd finally managed.
"Excuse me?" Javier tilted his head to the side.
Lloyd looked straight into Javier's eyes and said, "We've just visited a foreign land, haven't we?"
"Yes, we did."
"The air over there was too murky and unfamiliar to me, so I must have caught a cold."
Javier shook his head defiantly. "I seriously do not think that is the case."
"Why?"
"Because you are fine now." Javier was unconvinced.
"It looks like the cold is going away then."
Javier didn't respond to this. He only shot Lloyd an accusatory gaze.
"We've returned home. The air is clean. The wind is refreshing," Lloyd said cheerfully.
"And so, you are getting better because of all of this?" asked Javier.
"Yeah," Lloyd argued shamelessly. "You saw how Seoul was a while ago. It was the worst. The air was dirty, and metal carriages made noises as they were wheeled around. There were some individuals dressed in weird clothes, thrusting something flat and square toward other people as they made clicking sounds. Don't you agree?"
"Hmm," Javier observed, "You looked terribly comfortable there though."
"What?" Lloyd squealed. "Me?"
"Yes." This time, Javier nodded. "If I may, you looked like a person who returned to their hometown for the first time in a while."
"The heck? Nonsense," Lloyd gaped in disbelief as if the idea was outrageous.
"Is that so?"
"Of course."
"Well, if you say so," acknowledged Javier at last.
"Indeed." Lloyd felt guilty and also slightly suspicious about the questions Javier was asking him now.
It feels like he's testing me out.
Does Javier know that I am fake? Did I unconsciously do stuff in Seoul that gave me away? Even though Lloyd considered those questions, there was no way for him to know what Javier was thinking. Lloyd decided to change the subject.
"Anyway, let's put this down. Isn't it heavy for you?"
"Oh."
Both of them were still carrying the love lock railing or the Kiaora on their shoulders. Hundreds of locks clanged aloud as they dropped the railing to the ground.
"Whew," grumbled Lloyd, "It's beyond me why people hung these locks up when they look so ugly."
"Perhaps they contain a promise between two lovers of a long future together. That appeared to be the case from what I observed," remarked Javier.
"That's the problem," huffed Lloyd annoyingly. "Promise of a long future together, my foot. Do you think those lovers will stay together forever just because of these things? Not at all. So, this is what needs to be done. This!"
Crack! Crack! Lloyd grabbed a lock using the Asrahan Core Technique and gave it a twist. The lock cracked in his hand, giving him the same pleasing feeling you get when you pop bubble wrap. Just then...
Ding dong.
An unexpected message popped in front of him with a notification sound.
[You are currently getting rid of the impurities installed in Kiaora.]
[The Kiaora rejoices over it.]
[The Kiaora will return to its true shape and capacity when all of its impurities are removed.]
Hmm?
The messages were uncalled for. But Lloyd understood what he had to do right away.
"Hey," He said as he looked up at Javier. "Let's tear these down."
"Come again?"
"I said, let's tear them down. These locks aren't part of the Kiaora anyway."
"So, are you saying we should rip them off?" asked Javier.
"Yeah," acknowledged Lloyd. "Think about it. It'll be troublesome if these weird locks are left dangling on key construction material for the Jewel of Truth."
Javier crossed his arms. "Come to think of it, you have a point, Young Master."
"Right?"
"Yes, although I slightly pity and feel sorry for your petty and narrow-minded attitude that has even come to envy couples living in another dimension."
Lloyd clutched his heart. "Damn... You don't pull back your punches even in this situation, do you?"
"I did not throw any punches, Master Lloyd," stated Javier coolly.
"Don't you know? Hurting someone with your words is also a form of violence."
"Well," Javier replied casually, "Then you should end your life as a bachelor if you feel wronged."
"It's not that I can't do it. I'm just choosing not to."
"Yes, yes. I'm sure it is."
Lloyd stared at Javier in disbelief.
"Are you not going to take these off?" Javier asked, turning a blind eye to Lloyd's reaction.
Lloyd lifted his head and forced a big smile to make sure that the tears in his eyes wouldn't fall down his cheeks.
Haah. Today is a good day. A good day, indeed. Damn it.
Lloyd crouched before the Kiaora as he held back his tears and began to remove the locks on it beside Javier. Thankfully, their strength allowed them to finish the job in no time. The moment the last lock was removed, the Kiaora started to transform. Bzzt! Bzzt!
The ordinary metal railing suddenly grew soft, almost as if it was melting. Then, it transformed into a sleek cube that was a shade larger than a basketball. It was the true form of the Kiaora.
Ding Dong!
A message appeared with a clear, ringing sound.
[You have attained the Kiaora, a key material for the Jewel of Truth.]
[You have succeeded in excavating all five key materials of the Aotearoa that were destroyed during the mythical age.]
[This is truly an impressive excavation that will be remembered in history.]
[When the Jewel of Truth is restored, your name will be remembered in history as the excavator who found these key materials.]
[For that achievement, you have been awarded a large amount of bonus RP.]
[You have acquired 2,800 RP.]
[Current RP: 11,755]
This is what I'm talking about!
Lloyd clenched his fists. But there were more rewards for him to come.
[You have excavated and collected all of the core materials of the Jewel of Truth scattered across the world.]
[This was not an ordinary excavation but an honorable accomplishment that largely contributed to the reconstruction of a relic of the mythical age.]
[For that, you have earned a special award.]
[You have earned the right to select the land upon which the Jewel of Truth will be constructed.]
[You can now build the Jewel of Truth on the venue of your choice.]
What...?
Lloyd read the messages several times as he couldn't believe it. At last, he understood what the words in front of him meant.
Wow!
Lloyd could build the Jewel of Truth on the venue of his choice. This meant that he didn't have to travel all the way to build it in the Mermaid Kingdom.
I can build it in my fiefdom! He naturally concluded.
I mean, why not? I should keep everything good at home! In my neighborhood!
Lloyd screamed inwardly. I have to get my hands on the good stuff before anyone else. My neighborhood deserves all the amazing facilities that are available. Everything good has to be mine, whatever that is. Even if this line of thinking explicitly captured the "Please In My Front Yard (PIMFY)" mindset, Lloyd believed he deserved it.
I've built great facilities for countless other neighborhoods up to this point!
Of course, it was done for the sake of money and came with a generous amount of compensation. But still, Lloyd couldn't help but feel jealous as he recalled his previous construction projects.
For starters, there's the suspension bridge I built to curry favor with the queen! And the railroad in Hell, the jjümjilbang in the Mermaid Kingdom, and the coliseum for the centaurs. The seokbinggo for the orcs. The Qanat in the desert. Imagine if I built all of these things inside my fiefdom! Our land value would have soared through the roof!
If Lloyd had constructed all those facilities in his fiefdom, the land price would have rocketed for its advanced technology. But he had to painfully give them up to other fiefdoms. Recalling those bitter days, he made a decision without a hint of hesitation.
I busted my gut to find all the key materials. And I'll have to bust my gut again to construct the Jewel of Truth. You know what? Come to think of it, it was me who did everything. Me, myself, and I. So, I deserve this. The Jewel of Truth has to be built in my fiefdom, and to do that. Hmm... I've got to meet with the queen of the merpeople.
Originally, the Jewel of Truth was promised to be erected in the Mermaid Kingdom in exchange for the queen's cooperation. But now that there was a change of plans, Lloyd had to convince the queen.
I needed to make a trip down there to collect the tauranga that I tossed under the sea anyway.
Lloyd briefly walked Javier through the plan. Javier widely welcomed the idea of building the Jewel of Truth in the fiefdom. Truly, he put the interest of the fiefdom before anything else. At the same time, he was worried.
"Are you sure this is all right, Master Lloyd? The queen will surely oppose the plan," Javier said.
"Don't worry. I'm confident that I can convince her."
"Convince her?" Javier asked inquisitively. "How?"
"I'm going to offer a deal that will make the queen joyfully cheer and accept the moment she hears about it."
"A deal?" Javier gave him a look that demanded further explanation.
"You'll find out once you get there. Let's get moving."
Lloyd left the Kiaora beside the Verkis's bed and slipped out of the chamber. Afterward, he got on Ggoming's back and flew northward. Midway, he met Yong Yong and got on its back, flying half a day more until he arrived at the Arctic Sea. It wasn't as cold as before. The climate was warmer now, mainly because of the Hell Gate in the sky. There was dry, hot air continuously blowing through the gate.
It has gotten warmer.
The floating glaciers had visibly dwindled in number. But Lloyd paid no attention to it.
"All right, let's go!"
Lloyd jumped high and dove into the sea. The [Upper Abdomen! Upper Abdomen! Upper Abdomen!] and [Underwater Breathing] skills were put into effect immediately.
When he swam further into the sea, he soon arrived at the kingdom and met the muscular merpeople who easily recognized Lloyd. He was quickly led to speak with the even more muscular queen.
"It has been a long time, my queen. It's me, Lloyd Frontera," he greeted.
"Yes, it has been a long time. It appears that your forearm muscles have grown thicker."
"Haha, your traps have gotten larger as well."
"Is that so?" the queen replied. "I am sure you do not mean it, but thank you."
"Please do not mention it. May I reveal why I came here?"
"Of course, you can." This time, as well, the queen was easygoing as always.
Suppressing the worry that his plan might dampen her spirit, Lloyd went on, "My queen, I have found all of the key construction materials for the Jewel of Truth at last."
"You did?" She rose from her reefed throne.
"Yes," said Lloyd, "With that, I am thinking of changing the location of the construction site."
"You can't be wanting to build it on your own land, are you?"
"Unfortunately, that is right." Lloyd acknowledged right away. It was better to be honest and straightforward when breaking bad news to someone. The best way to preserve their relationship was to be truthful and avoid beating around the bush. "To be honest, I earned the right to select where to construct the Jewel of Truth once I discovered all of its key materials. Therefore, I wish to build it in a place where I can easily manage it."
"More like you have become greedy and want to have the Jewel all to yourself." Her voice was sharp.
"I would be lying if I said that was not a part of my decision," conceded Lloyd.
"So? What is your plan?" The queen narrowed her eyes.
Without backing down, Lloyd continued speaking, "I am thinking of offering you massive assistance on something in exchange for building the jewel in my fiefdom."
"What kind of assistance?"
"Your Majesty, the climate of the Arctic Sea has changed recently, hasn't it?"
"Hmm." The climate of the Arctic Sea. A faint look of concern came over her the moment she heard Lloyd's words.
Lloyd inwardly exclaimed when he caught it on her face. He knew he was right. Confident, Lloyd reeled off, "It should be alarming. The Hell gate continues to belch out hot and dry air, but no one knows why it opened in the first place."
"You're right..." affirmed the queen. "It's been a headache for me. I was worried about it before, but now, things have spun out of control. There is no way we can stop what's happening. We don't know why the gate opened up in the first place."
"You haven't found the cause behind the situation?" inquired Lloyd.
"No, we haven't, nor do we know how to. The glaciers are melting away by the day. The Arctic Sea's changing temperature and salinity have put many marine animals at risk of losing their habitats. Despite that, nothing comes to mind to mend the situation." The queen's face darkened.
It was true. The Hell Gate suddenly emerged and started emitting hellishly hot air, warming the Arctic Sea with every passing second. The melting glaciers and the dramatic temperature and salinity changes put countless animals in the Arctic in danger.
Lloyd clucked his tongue. "I knew that would be the case."
Lloyd shamelessly pretended to feel sympathetic as if the story was breaking his heart or the opening of the Hell gate was unrelated to him. And as if he didn't cause the issue in the first place, Lloyd offered the queen a deal that would make her joyfully cheer.
"If I can make the Arctic air turn cold again... Will you then allow me to change the location for building the Jewel of Truth?"
