"You over there, my beneficiary. There's a huge problem. You better hurry up here if you want to continue building the Jewel of Truth. Now."
Hmm?
Under the sun, Lloyd winced at the piercing voice that interrupted him while he was managing the construction site.
"Dragon King Verkis?" replied Lloyd.
"Yes, it's me. You know where I am. Run over here within one second. Pronto."
What could it be? The frown on Lloyd's face deepened. He was confused about what was happening.
What does that sleepyhead need from me?
What terrified Lloyd more was the fact that the Dragon King woke up by himself. How serious could this possibly be?
I've never woken him up since I activated the Time Freeze skill.
As time had stopped flowing outside the fiefdom, Lloyd didn't need to wake Verkis up in the morning. Verkis, too, had happily exclaimed, "Okay, I can freely sleep now?" and went straight into slumber.
Yet, he just woke up by himself. And he's calling for me while saying that something terrible has happened. I've got a bad feeling about this.
Something had happened without a doubt. Something grave and dangerous, given the fuss this lazy dragon was throwing.
"Sir Bayern," called Lloyd. "I need to go somewhere. Watch over the site for me."
After entrusting the job to Sir Bayern, Lloyd rushed to the guest's chamber.
"Ha... Is something wrong?" Lloyd barged in on the room without knocking first. And then, he saw.
"Ah, there you are."
The Dragon King was lying in bed, but there was something awkward about his posture. To be exact, his neck was tilted in an unnatural angle. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Lloyd asked, "I came running right away since you said it was trouble. Am I late? Did something happen?"
"Yes, something did," replied Verkis gravely. "But you're not late, thankfully. Here's what happened."
Lying flat on the bed, Verkis rolled his eyes to point his neck. He didn't even lift a finger.
And then he said in a cheerful voice, "I have muscle cramps."
"Come again?" Lloyd gawped.
"I have muscle cramps."
“...”
"This is bad," Verkis went. "I can't believe I have muscle cramps just from sleeping in the same position for a mere month. My body isn't the same anymore. Ha. I miss my younger days. I used to sleep for 500 years straight and not even feel an itch, let alone a cramp."
Lloyd didn't respond.
"Anyway, that's why I called you."
"Um..." Lloyd swallowed. "You see...'
"Okay, do speak now."
"So, you rushed to call me because you got a stiff neck while sleeping?"
"Yes."
“...”
"Why? Is it not a big deal?" Verkis asked cheerfully.
No, it's not!
Lloyd screamed but only inwardly. And if only he could, he wanted to jump and lay a double kick to the dragon's gut.
I'm already slammed with work as it is!
It was true. He was really busy at the moment. There were countless elements to be taken into account to ensure the success of the construction of the dam and the Jewel of the Truth. He couldn't take his eyes off the construction site. Taking a break was a luxury he couldn't afford. He couldn't even think of resting even after all the laborers left as he had to help wrap up the construction site at the end of the day. This meant staying alone at the site, inspecting the work that was done, checking over safety measures, and preparing necessary work materials and equipment for the following day. He wasn't exaggerating when he said he had no time for rest. He barely had time to sleep or eat!
And as I'm working myself to death, the Dragon King urgently summoned me over a few cramps? Ugh, this bastard!
Lloyd yearned to grab the dragon by his collar and aggressively shake him. The violent impulse surged in him like a plant blooming in a green meadow. But instead of giving in to his emotions, Lloyd controlled himself and put on a smile.
"Certainly," Lloyd groveled by force, "It is a big deal. It really is. Now, what can I do for you?"
Lloyd repressed all the murderous desire he had from seeping into his eyes and put on a big smile,
transforming himself into a polite salesman.
But Dragon King Verkis was brazen and shameless. "Give me a massage."
Lloyd stopped. "Excuse me?"
"Here." Dragon King Verkis pointed at his neck with his gaze.
A few strands of hair rose at the back of Lloyd's head. "Um, excuse me, Dragon King Verkis."
"Yeah?"
"Isn't it more convenient if you use your healing magic instead of getting a massage?" Lloyd stressed.
"Oh, that?" drawled Verkis. "That's too much work."
“...”
"I need to use my brain for that. But if I call you, I won't have to do any of that. Much more convenient for me."
“...”
"Okay. Start the massage."
"Understood..."
Why are my eyes getting wet? But it was rage and anger that prompted such emotions. Lloyd grabbed the neck of the Dragon King.
Haah. I want to strangle him just like this.
Lloyd put his emotions into his hands and used all the strength he had to press down. Gripping the back of Verkis, his anticipation grew.
He's going to end up screaming in pain for sure. My grip is quite strong with all the shoveling and construction work I do. This is going to hurt quite a bit for him. Kekeke!
And the moment the Dragon King groaned, Lloyd would feign surprise and put on an apologetic look and control his strength then. This petty idea for revenge pleased Lloyd. But his plan didn't go as he imagined. Crack!
Hmm? Lloyd stopped. I can't get my hands in. Why?
Even though his grip had enough force, his fingers failed to press into the dragon's skin. It felt like he was grabbing a rock. No, a chunk of titanium.
Why is this so hard?
Lloyd was flustered. The muscles under his skin were worse. Without exaggeration, it seemed that any sword would break in half before it even cut into his skin.
Is it because he's the Dragon King? How's he so sturdy and powerful even in his human form?
Lloyd felt dumbstruck. Then came another blow that contributed to his dismay - a scolding from the Dragon King.
"Come on. Do it properly!" demanded Verkis impatiently.
"Excuse me?" Lloyd's tone rose a little.
"I thought you were going to massage me."
"Um, I'm trying my best."
"No, you're not," huffed Verkis in an annoyed voice. "Not in the slightest. I don't feel a thing."
“...”
"Are you half-assing this on purpose because you're annoyed that I called you out in the middle of work? Are you taking your grudge out on me? Wow... I'm seeing a completely different side of you. I didn't know this was the kind of person you were. Had I known, I'd have never given you my help."
“...”
"Right. Humans are always like this. They don't know how to be grateful. I gave you aid, sent you to another dimension to find the key materials for the Jewel of Truth, and even personally came to your fiefdom to sleep. And yet, when I call you for help, what do you do? You wrinkle your face in grimace and won't even use any strength to massage me out of spite."
“...”
"What, do you want me to get upset and cancel your sponsorship now?"
The warning knocked sense into Lloyd at once. "I will try harder!"
Crud! Crud! Crud!
Lloyd tightened his grip, almost crying inside. But it was far from enough to dig into the dragon's skin.
Okay, my physical strength isn't enough.
Ziiing! As such, Lloyd activated the Asrahan Core Technique, formed a three-strand circle, and activated it at full force. He then extracted mana from his manaheart, amplified it, and brought it back to his manaheart again. The manaheart sent explosive strength to his arms and hands. At last, the effect started to show.
I did it! I'm getting in!
Ever so slightly, his fingertips began to press into the back of the Dragon King's neck skin. At first, it went in by a tenth of an inch. And then, it tripled. And some more until the facial expression on the Dragon King softened.
"Ugh, that tickles. You can do it!" encouraged Verkis heartily.
"Arggh! Argh! I will... My Lord!"
Massaging tense muscles was hard, but that would only be the case in the beginning. Once the knots loosened up, the muscle would soften, Lloyd thought. He buckled down and got to his task at hand.
You've got to be kidding me! Arggh!
Lloyd had never massaged anyone with this much devotion, not even his father in South Korea. A sense of shame started to bloom in him as he put in more effort to press down. His back began to become soaked in sweat. Lloyd painstakingly gave the king a neck massage for a seemingly endless period of time. As he did, a question came from the Dragon King.
"By the way, what do you plan on doing after building the Jewel of Truth?"
"Eek! Whew! What was that?" Lloyd wiped the sweat off his face.
"The Jewel of Truth. What do you plan on doing with it afterward?" Verkis spoke casually again.
"What do you mean what will I do? I'm going to ask how I can stop the restoration of destiny."
"Yeah, I know that part," Verkis retorted cynically. "I mean, after you go through all the steps to stop it. What will you do with the Jewel of Truth?"
Lloyd was speechless, not because he had nothing to say. It had finally dawned on him.
This is why he called me. It was to ask me this question.
At last, Lloyd understood. The muscle cramps and whatnot. It was nothing but a pretense.
Is he worried that I might misuse it?
Lloyd assumed so, and he was right. Dragon King Verkis was indeed worried about that possibility.
It never occurred to me that this human would build the Jewel of Truth.
Dragon King Verkis cast a remorseful gaze at his pillows as he lay down on his belly. In all honesty, he never knew that Lloyd would find the lot for the Jewel of Truth and find all the key materials for it scattered around the world. This was something Verkis had never even fathomed could happen.
It would be impossible for a dragon to accomplish such a thing, let alone a human. That's why I casually told him about it. The possibility of him finding all the materials for the jewel never crossed my mind. I didn't know the situation would get this serious or that the jewel would actually get built again.
But it was all coming true. That was why he was concerned.
What if he gets greedy after the jewel is constructed? What if he abuses its power?
What will happen then? What kind of evil will he do to the world? And what will I need to do then? These questions pestered Verkis.
Anyway, since I'm the one who taught Lloyd about the jewel, I'm responsible if he does something unnecessary and brings harm to the world.
Verkis thought he should take the fault if that happened. As such, he wanted to hear what Lloyd's plan was. The human would obviously get greedy over the Jewel, and the dragon wanted to know how he'd mask it. If Verkis sensed any perverted desire in Lloyd...
I'll destroy the silly thing then.
He would grind it into dust. That way no one would ever build it again. Thinking so, Verkis waited for Lloyd's answer. And eventually...
"Um... I..." Lloyd finally spoke. "I find the jewel to be quite burdensome, honestly."
"What?"
What a weak and shameless mask to cover his greed, Verkis thought as he frowned.
"Really," Lloyd continued to speak. "To me, I feel that having high aspirations becomes a burden more than anything."
"A burden? Why?"
"The thing is, I have led a life of struggle."
"Struggle?"
"Yes." Lloyd nodded. Now, his excited voice has calmed down, as if he was pouring his heart out. "I used to get nosebleeds every day. I had to get to work as soon as I opened my eyes in the early morning, sweating throughout the day even though I didn't want to. Even when I was exhausted, I had to push myself to work. Amidst all that, I still had to study because of my future aspirations."
"What was it?"
"To start an ordinary family," casually said Lloyd.
"In the world you came from?"
"Yes. It's just... All I wanted was a proper family that would greet me after I came home from work. With them, I thought it would be nice to live an ordinary and happy life with the money I make."
“So?"
"So, I worked hard every day. That is, before I found myself here. But my dream hasn't changed even after I got here."
"To start a family?"
"Yes, though I've come to covet one more thing," confessed Lloyd.
"What's that?"
"Lazing around for the rest of my life."
"Ohh?" Verkis sounded intrigued.
"Now that I have a prosperous life in this fiefdom, I want to protect it and enjoy everything that it offers. And now, I want to stay here and laze around for the rest of my life. With my family, I have come to yearn for the relaxed life of a retiree. And that is why...."
Lloyd meant every word he said, and his voice now contained force.
"It will be just burdensome for me to obtain more power, larger territories, a stronger military, or something along that line. I'll be kept away from leisure to deal with it all. Doesn't it seem like a lot of work? Thus, my only wish is for my family and the people around me to be at ease and happy. I want to live the rest of my life surrounded by their warmth without another day of work."
"And that is why the Jewel of Truth is a burden to you?"
"Yes, since I already have everything necessary to make my dream come true. Nothing more is needed. So long as I stop the restoration of destiny, I'll be able to achieve my goal. Anything beyond that would just become a stumbling block to my dream."
“...”
"So," went on Lloyd. "I don't plan to use the Jewel of Truth after stopping my destiny unless things get seriously dire. That's my plan. Since I wish to lead a happy and relaxed life as a bum."
“...”
"My king?"
"What?" blurted Verkis.
"Why are your eyes wet?"
"I'm touched."
"What..." Lloyd was astonished. Verkis was serious.
Ha. I was wrong. This kid is a wannabe bum, just like me.
Lloyd's speech tugged at Dragon King Verkis's heartstrings, and this new profound realization rang in his heart. He could instantly recognize what Lloyd was. This human was a wannabe bum. Verkis knew this because he, too, was a master bum. Lloyd turned out to be a boy with modest aspirations for life. The desire to not work for life! The greed to be relaxed all the while! The attitude of the rich landlord who led the life of an unemployed bum! Due to his chronic laziness, he could see Lloyd's desire and genuineness.
"Stop." Verkis stopped Lloyd's massage. And he stared at him, slightly touched. "Thanks for baring your heart. I understand. Good luck with your goal."
"T-Thank you."
Dragon King Verkis decided. He wouldn't destroy the Jewel of Truth. He would just watch over the construction process. Just like that, he accepted Lloyd's dreams and aspirations. At that exact moment, the result of fully harnessing his manaheart and circle while massaging the Dragon King appeared in front of Lloyd's eyes.
Ding dong.
With an unexpected alarm sound...
[You have pushed your manaheart to its maximum capacity.]
[As a result, you have earned experience points.]
[The new experience points are being added to your current inventory of experience points.]
[Skill Class Level Up!]
[Skill Name: Manaheart.]
[Stage: High-Level Sword Expert Lv. 1]
[Physical Ability Improvement Rate: 1,500%]
[Currently Owned Optional Skills: 1. Shock Neutralizer / 2. Complete Resistance to Poison / 3. Frenzy / 4. Half-Human Half-Dragon / 5. Time Freeze]
[Required RP to level up: 2,000]
[Your Manaheart skill level has risen to the rank of <High-Level Sword Expert>.]
Eh...? Lloyd's eyes widened at the unexpected message.
