"Um, I am thinking of building a gravity dam downstream of the Prona River."
"Hmm?"
Count Arcos was about to take a spoonful of his soup when his son abruptly emerged and made an equally abrupt suggestion. But he wasn't taken aback. Instead, he offered Lloyd a seat first.
"Son, you must be here because you have something to say. Am I right?"
"Oh, yes, you are."
"Then take a seat first." Count Arcos could tell from the look on Lloyd's face that his son came to make a slightly over-the-top request. But he wasn't in the least bit worried.
I can trust him.
Lloyd had proved his diligence countless times up to this point. He would undoubtedly continue to do so throughout the future as well. But more than that, Lloyd was his son, the count thought. He was ready to accept whatever favor his son would request of him.
"Build a dam downstream of the river?" asked Count Arcos. "A gravity dam? I have never heard of such a thing."
"I am sure you haven't," acknowledged Lloyd.
"Before that," the count went on. "Have you eaten dinner?"
"Not yet," Lloyd replied.
"Care to join us? We can talk while eating."
"Yes, thank you." Seated across from the count, Lloyd stared at the dishes the servants prepared for him as he organized his thoughts in his head. He held his fork and started, "Um, first... I believe I have confused you by barging in on you like this. I know this all sounds new to you, but there's something grave I must tell you today."
"We are your mother and father. Do not worry. Do speak."
Count Arcos smiled gently. Countess Marbella did the same. This soothing atmosphere relieved Lloyd, who was about to reveal the need for the dam. That, however, was only possible with talking about the Jewel of Truth, which was equally impossible with mentioning the restoration of destiny. This conversation, no doubt, was burdensome to Lloyd.
That is why their reactions comforted Lloyd. Their composure and warmth assured him that all of his requests would be accepted, and they would be there to hold his hands during times of trouble. Lloyd felt encouraged and touched, and he was able to bring up the subject more comfortably.
"Okay," revealed Lloyd. "So, to tell you the reason behind this, everyone here, including me, will be gone in five years."
"What?" The count's eyes widened in surprise.
Lloyd continued to speak.
"It is the truth," emphasized Lloyd, "A giant inescapable catastrophe is heading in our direction. Since about a year ago, I have had the same nightmare every night wherein everyone dies. I simply regarded it as a nightmare and nothing more at first. One day, however, Dragon King Verkis advised me that it wasn't a simple nightmare. It is really the future that is ahead of us."
Lloyd couldn't tell the count and countess about the Ending Spoiler and the restoration of destiny as they were. So, he had to come up with this story of his nightmares.
"I was able to confirm that it wasn't just a dream," Lloyd went on to speak, giving no time for them to ask questions. "Thanks to the Dragon King's advice. I asked him what I should do to stop the arrival of such a dreadful future. Then he told me."
"What did he say?" asked Count Arcos, his voice breaking.
"That the future I saw was a wretched disaster I cannot easily change. Even if I could foresee what would happen and when, it would be useless to try to prevent the events from happening. In any case, another accident would occur at another time in some other way. Our impending doom would be inevitable."
"That is terribly wretched. And so?"
"I asked him again. Is there any other way to stop these nightmares from happening? Then he enlightened me with the sole solution to this disaster."
Lloyd stopped there and stared at both. The two of them were intently listening to him with forks in their hands and completely forgot about their food. This made Lloyd feel more confident.
Okay. They're buying my words.
It looked like the diligence he had shown up to this point and the Dragon King's authority worked together to convince them that what he was saying was true. It was a relief.
Breaking the grave ambiance hanging at the dinner table, Lloyd said, "The Dragon King told me that I need to find and build the Jewel of Truth."
"The Jewel of Truth...?"
"That's right." Lloyd nodded. This was the part he didn't need to fabricate in his story. Now that the topic of their discussion moved to the Jewel of Truth, he could speak to them without including any lies.
"He said that the Jewel of Truth was the most powerful treasure of the mythical age. The Dragon King Verkis said that it was the building that revealed the wisest solutions to any problems that it was asked. The Dragon King Verkis said that all I had to do was find this treasure and ask for a solution to stop the impending disaster. Who told me that? Dragon King Verkis."
"I-I see," replied Count Arcos, slightly dazed by the several mentions of the Dragon King. "The Dragon King is truly a kind and wise man."
"Yes, and that is actually the reason why I made the trip to Cremo."
Count Arcos set his utensils down. "To find the Jewel of Truth? Wait, are all the rocks the Bone Dragon brought..."
"Yes, you are right. They are the key construction materials required to build the Jewel of Truth. I found and brought them here."
"I see. It must have been a lot of work."
"Haha, it wasn't much."
"Please. It couldn't have been easy."
The count and the countess looked at him with pity in their gazes. To their reaction, Lloyd could only put on an embarrassed smile. It looked like they were more bothered by the hardships Lloyd had gone through rather than the incoming disaster.
Haha... Their reaction is so unexpected. How touching...
However, this wasn't the time to indulge in mushiness. It was the time to objectively go over the matter at hand. Pulling himself together, Lloyd shared the requirements for building the Jewel of Truth and the unexpected and disastrous stumbling block he encountered on the way.
"So," went on Lloyd. "I concluded that building a dam was the best solution that meets the construction requirements and saves our fiefdom from the most amount of water damage at the same time."
"Are you saying since the tsunami is unavoidable anyway, it is best to make it happen downstream?"
"Yes. That is exactly what I mean." What the count was the crux of the matter. "Since the downstream of the Prona River touches no fiefdom. No one lives around there. So, the tidal wave will not harm anyone."
"I understand your words. You must have rushed down here after finally coming up with this solution just now."
"Yes, I did."
"Ha, my dear Lloyd." Count Arcos called, sighing heavily.
"Yes?"
"Next time," Count Arcos said woefully, "When you encounter a problem that worries you this much, do talk to me about it. I am your father. It must be stressful to think and contemplate all by yourself every time." "Um, that's-"
"I know even if you do not say it out loud," Count Arcos put in. "You must have your reasons for why you could not disclose it to us. That is why you pretended to be okay when you were secretly worried. But next time, do give us a chance. A chance to be with you during your difficult moments."
Lloyd cleared his throat. "Yes... I will. Then, as for the dam construction-"
"It must be done. No doubt about that. How could I reject your request after all the trouble you went through to reach this conclusion?"
"Thank you...!"
He did it. Lloyd succeeded in explaining the restoration of destiny and the need for the jewel construction. He got the permission from Count Arcos, the owner of the fiefdom. Lloyd inwardly clenched his fists.
Haah. That's one more problem out of my way.
Lloyd expected getting approval for the dam construction to be an easy task. The hard part would be figuring out a good explanation for the restoration of destiny and the Jewel of Truth. Now that it was all over, he felt as if he finished one big assignment at school. The following day, he started the construction project.
This is the perfect spot for the dam.
Lloyd was able to find a suitable spot after observing the downstream of the Prona River on the northern border of his fiefdom.
The limestone valley touching both river sides narrows drastically. The slope for the flexure layer sufficiently cuts down as well. And the lower part of the river, that peak over there. It's supporting the pressure coming from the ground like a pair of training wheels on a child's bike.
The more Lloyd looked at it, the more perfect it was. This spot provided the most stability out of all the terrains.
To my luck, I know a dam on earth that was built somewhere with a similar terrain. The Tibi Dam was built in Alicante, Spain.
Lloyd recalled how he had researched the place back in college. The information he looked over then started to come back to him in bits and pieces.
The dam was constructed using only medieval technologies. The construction started in 1579 and was completed after fifteen years in 1594.
Of course, compared to the modern one, its size wasn't anything impressive. It was only 141 feet tall, and the radius of its arch was 351 feet.
But it's the perfect structure for me to reference since I can't rely on modern technology.
For this, Lloyd would have to rely on Javier, the fantastical creatures, the Engineering Corps, and the Skeleton Corps again. He would need to resort to all sorts of tricks in place of what modern technology had to offer. This technological limitation was exactly why Lloyd found medieval architecture to be a more useful reference for him than other modern structures. A case in point was this dam.
The terrain here is similar. So a gravity arch dam like the Tibi Dam should be a good fit for this project.
Lloyd believed that he could build a safe and sturdy dam if he combined the gravity dam that resisted water pressure by using its own weight, much like tanks in video games, with an arch structure to give it more stability.
The limestone that's necessary for dam construction is also plentiful in this area.
This environment couldn't be any more perfect for the construction in many ways. Convinced, Lloyd dutifully surveyed the terrain to determine the location to put the dam. The amount of water the dam would hold. The geographical range of the areas that would be submerged in water due to the dam. The location for the Jewel of Truth. The size and power of the wave. The impact of the wave on the dam. Details of the device that would reduce the impact of it. He considered all the information he collected, possible scenarios, and any other variables he could. For this, he actively used the simulation option in his survey skill.
Lloyd experimented, measured, considered, edited, and designed. He reviewed, revised, and then repeated this entire process. At times, he would scratch his head and rub his tired eyes while he did.
Some nights, after he put Javier to sleep, Lloyd went back to his room and worked through the night, the toil eventually bursting his nose. In the morning, Emily would find his blood-stained shirts and rush to the count and countess to tell on him. Countess Marbella became so worried that she prepared all the healthy meals she knew of to feed her son. Fueled by gratitude, Lloyd would then push himself to review his design once again. He engrossed himself in drawing up a design, making every minute and second count in his day. Ten days, fifteen days, and thirty days passed. And at last, Lloyd finished the design for the dam and the Jewel of Truth.
Haah. That took a while and was quite exhausting.
Lloyd breathed out, feeling sick to his stomach. Even though he was backed by several skills, designing was particularly strenuous on this occasion as there were too many factors to take into account.
But, oh well, like if it wasn't hard any other times.
Lloyd chuckled at the thought. Right. There never was a time when coming up with a design was easy across all of the projects he had done so far.
So, I should work hard this time too. Now that the design is finished. Hmm... Looks like the construction can start in fifteen days, considering the time it'll take to set up the construction schedule and acquire the necessary materials and people.
Lloyd crinkled his nose. Thanks to his obsessive hard work for the past month, there were only a few small preparations left to do before the actual construction could begin.
Time freeze. I need to use the skill again for this project.
The dam construction would require an extraordinary amount of time. But it wouldn't be as much as the Tibi Dam, which took fifteen years to complete. But still, even if he mobilized the fantastical creatures and Yong Yong, the construction would take a fair amount of time to do.
So, Time Freeze is a must for this construction. I need to save time when I can. But to do that... I'll have to inform everyone about it...
Lloyd believed he had to give everyone in the fiefdom a heads-up that there was no need to panic when the world froze outside their fiefdom as it was not the work of an evil magician. He jumped into action right away.
Oh well. This is life.
The night Lloyd finished the design, he abruptly announced at the dinner table, "I can stop time!"
The outburst shocked Count and Countess Frontera, who thought to themselves that their son must have gone through a lot lately to be this deluded.
