It hurt. Every time that man put up a blatantly false front and tried to bear the burdens all alone, it shook and broke Javier's heart.
Fake Lloyd. Why would you...
Javier let out a subtle sigh and leaned on the wall out in the hallway, silently staring at the tightly closed door to the bedroom across which he could hear small sounds of sobbing. It was that of fake Lloyd Frontera shedding tears without making noises. The usual, shameless composure of the man was gone as he cried like a completely different person. He was only showing his true self when no one else was around him.
He really said he didn't want to die.
Javier inadvertently clenched his fist as he was reminded of Lloyd's statement in agony. He didn't understand why, but it was infuriating for some reason.
Why would you want to bear the burdens all by yourself? Just why?
Javier genuinely wondered. He wasn't the true son of House Frontera. He was only wearing the shell of Lloyd. He had all the excuses to take a step back to avoid certain crises, but he instead always faced the difficulties head-on with more responsibility than the real Lloyd ever showed. He risked his own life each time to solve the issue and would shed tears privately.
Why can't you just tell me that you're having a tough time? Why can't you admit that you're afraid?
But Javier knew Lloyd wouldn't. He wasn't like that. He would always put up a front and act like he was the most poised person in the world.
Come to think of it, he's always shown it. Back in the ant cave, Cremo, Namaran, and against the bone dragon in the Great Garden of Termina. He's always looked for a way out. There was a time when I thought even that was a deliberate act to calm his nerves down before carrying out his plans, but...
Javier concluded that Lloyd had always been genuinely afraid. He did not want to risk his life. Yet, that man still took responsibility and showed resilience in tough situations to overcome problems.
What an idiot.
Javier's clenching became tighter as he strengthened his resolve on one side to protect his idiotic friend, regardless of the adversity that came their way. The grandmaster was determined to keep his pretentious, cowardly buddy safe.
So stop being a crybaby about your own death. You're not going to die, and I'm going to ensure it. Even if it really comes our way, I will die in your place instead. I am willing to.
Javier breathed a small sigh again, as the fraudster's subtle crying noise still reached his ears. The grandmaster's heart broke as he heard the sound that leaked out through Lloyd's palms or the blanket, whichever he was covering his face with.
Jeez.
It was a long night. Javier wished for the darkness to go away as he lifted his chin and stared at the ceiling. The night was perhaps too long.
♣
Javier's wish came true, as the natural flow of time got rid of the darkness and caused the sunlight to fill the skies with brightness and warmth. The look on Lloyd's face as he opened the door to his bedroom was also much brighter.
"What the–"
It was, until he saw Javier in the hallway and frowned. He glared across the hall and saw Javier leaning against the other side with his arms crossed and a mysterious look on his face. He was enduring the slightly dirty look Lloyd gave him, responding with a familiar yet strange composure.
"What are you doing here, so early in the morning?" Lloyd suppressed his instinct that suggested things were about to get awkward and asked.
"Phew," Javier sighed in response.
"What? What's that for? It's too early in the morning for anything to have happened."
"I was just having trouble falling asleep."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Since when were you here?"
"I only just got here."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Lloyd internally breathed a sigh of relief at Javier's nonchalant response. But the question that followed caused his heart to drop.
"Master Lloyd. What were you doing last night?"
"Huh?"
"Something is weird."
"What is?" Lloyd asked back, cautiously wondering what Javier was talking about.
Please don't tell me he heard me cry last night.
But Lloyd was confident he did a good job covering his mouth with his hands and face with his blanket. He was so sure he did a perfect job and didn't allow a single sound to escape his bedroom. His heart pounded really fast as he waited for Javier's response, which was extremely poised as usual as it rattled Lloyd's eardrums.
"Your eyes seem a bit swollen, Master Lloyd."
"What?"
"I'm serious. Your eyelids are much bigger than usual," continued Javier, tilting his face to one side as if he knew something. "Did you cry... by any chance?"
Lloyd faced the biggest obstacle in his life yet. He wondered if Javier heard his cries and contemplated numerous times in a short span, only to put up another act as usual.
"Ha. What the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm only asking this because you look like it. Please don't tell me you had a scary nightmare and cried out a river."
"What? I'm not a kid."
"Hmm. Really?"
"Yeah. Really. Stop asking the obvious."
"Hmm."
"What."
"Something's telling me you're pretending."
"Look at this guy. You're so full of prejudice about ordinary folks with a heart. I'm not like that, mortal."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Tsk. And here I thought you were full of worries."
"That, I am full of," Lloyd replied to Javier's sharp remark rather effortlessly, avoiding the uncomfortable area. Who wouldn't be, when the hell's army is supposed to invade the estate soon?"
"You have a point."
"Of course I do. I always do, as the epitome of hard-working individuals that do their best day and night to bring about the best possible result."
"Hmm. I don't think you're using the correct words."
"I am always correct."
"But are you?"
"Enough bantering. Let's get to work."
Lloyd let out a chuckle and quickly changed the subject. He wanted to. It was true that he saw the most terrifying ending spoiler and had a nightmare about it last night, and that he had been disheartened albeit temporarily. But he did not want to show it.
I don't want to hold anyone back.
It was his life, and he had to take care of his problems. Lloyd knew he could get some help here and there along the way, but it all came down to his decision-making in the end. He had learned this truth the hard way during his days in the tiniest rental rooms in South Korea back in the day, perhaps too early for his age.
Especially when I participated in the bioequivalence clinical trial.
He had met people with similar looks on their faces as he, as blood was drawn regularly from them during the trial. He sat among them like a lab mouse, and that was when he realized everyone there had volunteered for this opportunity to take care of themselves because no one else was going to.
And nothing has changed.
The hell's army was about to invade, and nobody else was going to stop it for him. Lloyd knew he could get some help, but it ultimately came down to his ability to end this once and for all. It was his responsibility.
And it should be. The enforced restoration of fate all began because of me. I am the one that caused all this.
Lloyd had tried his best to lead a better life and a prosperous one at that. He caused many changes that deviated from the predestined fate in the process; the estate that was bound to be ruined thrived, and the lives of those that were supposed to be screwed over changed for the better. Lloyd endeavored to bring positive changes and made multiple accomplishments. It felt great. It felt rewarding.
But he had forgotten that with every action came a responsibility. Each of his accomplishments placed a burden over his shoulders, piling up like a mountain in the end.
All this is mine to bear.
Lloyd couldn't ask someone else to bear these. He wouldn't. He strengthened his resolve once again, suppressed the feelings deep within his heart, and chuckled.
"I think I'm going to start by using the Jewel of Truth."
"What precisely would you be looking for?"
"Information about the hell's army. I want to know exactly how many soldiers we'll be facing."
Lloyd hadn't had a chance to confirm this yet. He had discovered the estimated time of the invasion, but the size of the army wasn't mentioned, or he had failed to identify it because of how dire the situation was within the ending spoiler.
I will have to use the jewel to uncover that bit.
He couldn't use the ending spoiler again, as he was sure his focus would be on the same things as it was the day before. Besides, he was running low on CP; he had spent it like a financially irresponsible person recently. With the determination to save up what he can, Lloyd took Javier on a walk away from the mansion past the villages and the apartment complex on the well-paved road, towards the dam reservoir on the outskirts of the estate. That's where Lloyd had hidden the Jewel of Truth.
Hmm. The dam seems to be well-maintained.
Lloyd habitually inspected the conditions of the dam and its vicinity. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
"Alright, you stay here. I'll be back."
Lloyd instructed Javier to wait for him and took a huge breath, before diving into the reservoir. The sunlight shone through the surface of the water, as the estate developer saw a structure about 200 feet beneath, in the shape of a pyramid; it was the tomb of a high-ranking personnel. It was the Jewel of Truth itself.
Lloyd stood on top of the jewel, at which the key ingredient kiaora he had procured from Seoul was placed on the altar.
Good. The Jewel of Truth is just fine, and nobody seems to have used it in the meantime.
The water residue on the altar was even throughout, indicating no one had placed his or her hand there while he was absent from the estate.
To be fair, nobody can in this state.
This structure was located 200 feet below the water's surface, making it impossible for ordinary humans to use it even if they knew about it. Holding one's breath for an elongated period of time while enduring the water pressure required superhuman resilience.
Even sword experts at the peak of their powers would find it challenging. Without the Asrahan Core Technique, I would say one has to be a swordmaster at least, to be able to do this barely.
Lloyd was spot on.
The elves in my estate aren't greedy or ambitious, and they tend to resort to natural methods if they need to uncover a truth. Orcs don't care about the truth, as they think spending too much time on theoretical things is a waste of time and energy, and they would rather work out their muscles in that time.
Dragon Solitas was too prideful to rely on the Jewel of Truth, instead of taking matters into its own hands. Lloyd was right when he had suspected no one in the entire estate would see the need to use this item, aside from himself.
Alright, time to ask what I came here to find out.
Lloyd placed his two hands on the altar and operated his mana heart, letting the mana circle run.
Zing! The activated mana flowed into the altar and awakened the jewel from a deep slumber, shaking the structure in the process. Light fell from the sky and shone beneath the water's surface, as the mythical tomb opened its eyes and spoke out in a solemn voice that resounded in Lloyd's head amid water bubbles and bright rays.
[You, who wish to obtain a truthful answer from the Jewel of Truth. You must reveal a secret about yourself, that only you are aware of, to this world in exchange for the truth you seek.]
It was a process he had gone through before. Lloyd already knew what he was going to say.
I will reveal my truth. In fact, I secretly love and cherish all of the citizens and those that provide labor in my estate, from the bottom of my heart.
Lloyd made this confession in the usual shameless manner. It was a bit embarrassing, but it was true. That was why he had chosen to leverage this fact about him.
This would be the least damaging one out of all the secrets I harbor. Unless the citizens and laborers actually are aware of how much I love them.
Lloyd was concerned. After all, he had made astounding contributions to the estate and displayed nothing but kindness and compassion. There was a chance that a good number of people in the estate, from young to old, actually knew how much Lloyd cared about them.
Tsk, I have no one else to blame but myself. Perhaps I was being too great of a man. But I do have an alternate answer, in case this doesn't work.
Lloyd expected and waited for the jewel's negative response, preparing to give a different answer right away. The jewel finally replied.
[You have willingly shared a secret that only you had been aware of, as the price to acquire the truth you seek.]
...What?
Lloyd flinched, as the text made of light popped up on the flat side of the altar on top of the structure.
Flash! The texts glowed, as they rose through the waters past the surface, and onto the sky. They were hung over the morning sky for everyone in the vicinity to see, in bolded, enlarged fonts.
[The Jewel of Truth has spoken. Lloyd Frontera actually genuinely loves and cares for all citizens of the Frontera estate, especially those who provide the labor on worksites, from the bottom of his heart. The Jewel of Truth only speaks the truth.]
Lloyd was absolutely flabbergasted as he silently stared at the clear texts floating in the sky. He should have been happy that his answer satisfied the conditions of using the jewel in one try, but he felt rather annoyed for some reason.
Really? No one actually knew how much I cared about them?!
Lloyd couldn't believe it. He was absolutely confident that he had shown empathy and compassion to everyone. Although he certainly displayed his blatant greed for wealth and assigned some tough tasks to the laborers from time to time, he never failed to pay them incentives on top of regular wages on time.
Isn't paying them well without withholding the wage once a perfect way of showing how much I care about them?
Lloyd just couldn't understand what was going on, and this made him sadder. But he was a resilient person. Despite the harsh truth hitting him hard, he was still keen on taking the necessary steps to get to his ultimate goal.
Ugh. Forget it. I need to hear the answer anyway.
He focused on his hands placed on the altar again and asked the question he desired to get the answer to.
I wish to know the exact size of the hell's army that is going to invade this place 90 days later.
As soon as he asked that question, his mana heart responded to something without Lloyd's intervention.
Zing! A small fraction of his mana was absorbed by the altar before it was amplified by the structure and shot out toward the surface of the water. Lloyd felt a great wave 200 feet above him, against the water enclosed by the dam. The shockwave traveled back in the form of water pressure and hit the estate developer in the head, causing the answer he was seeking to resonate within.
[The hell's army will invade the Frontera Estate...]
