Chapter 119
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Translator: Prime Works
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: A Joyful Day (1)
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Lloyd opened his eyes.
And without realizing it, he blinked.
The scenery around him felt unfamiliar.
It wasn't the baron's mansion.
When he opened the window, a rundown village came into view.
Turning his gaze eastward revealed a majestic mountain range.
It was different from the baron's bedroom he'd grown accustomed to over the past year and a half.
'Royal tombs?'
A blue sky and green fields.
Dozens of dome-shaped mounds, each tens of meters tall, dotted the landscape.
It looked just like the royal tombs of Gyeongju etched in his memory from some time ago.
"Ha...."
What in the world was going on?
Why was his eye level so low?
It was as if he'd regressed into the memories of his twelve-year-old boyhood.
"......"
Was he dreaming, by any chance?
With that thought, he looked down at his hands.
They were small.
Soft and tender.
The calluses on his palms from digging with a shovel.
The scar on the back of his hand from an army work accident.
Neither was there yet.
The palms and backs of his hands, which he blankly flexed, were unmistakably those of a young boy.
'No matter how I look at it....'
This is weird.
He'd definitely returned to the barony late last night.
Exhausted, he'd collapsed into bed and fallen asleep.
Today, as he drifted off, he'd vowed to clear all the remaining debts at the baron's house.
'Why all of a sudden....'
He was swallowing his bewilderment with such thoughts when—
"Suho. Why you waitin'?"
A familiar voice came from behind.
A bit rough and gruff voice. The dialect his mom nagged him to fix but he never could.
Yet within that roughness and gruffness, the occasional warmth that seeped through.
"......Father?"
Startled, he turned around.
There stood a silhouette with the sun at his back.
He soon crouched down to meet his eye level and grinned.
"Whoa. What's gotten into ya. Callin' me Daddy all proper-like."
"Uh, that...."
"Look at our boy, all grown up now. Here, take this."
"......"
He blankly stared at the item his father held out.
A small bottle of herbal tonic.
A pack of sticker gum with character illustrations.
'Is this really that day?'
Suddenly, it came back to him.
His father was always busy.
So there weren't many memories with him.
He barely remembered ever going on a trip just the two of them.
If anything, this was the one and only memory.
Early autumn at age twelve.
A trip to Gyeongju with just his father.
The weather had been nice that day, just like today.
Blue skies, green royal tombs, white clouds.
For once, he'd held his father's hand and walked quite a bit.
No, before that, he'd gotten motion sick from blinking wrong on the bus or something.
"Whoa? You okay? Want Daddy to warm it up for ya?"
"......"
"Come on, drink it quick and let out a burp. That's all ya gotta do. Hurry."
"......"
He ended up taking the herbal tonic.
Unknowingly, something hot welled up from his chest.
He gulped it down in one go, forcing it back down.
"Here, this too."
"......"
Before he knew it, his father had unwrapped the gum.
Sticker gum held out to him.
Panback gum, the kind he'd loved as a kid.
"......"
Why on earth was he having a dream like this?
Unable to believe it, he looked at his father's face again.
His father gave him a worried look.
"You alright? Can't burp, huh?"
"Ah, no. It's...."
He didn't know what to say.
A ton of words came to mind, but his chest kept welling up, and his mouth wouldn't move.
"I'm fine."
He barely managed.
His father grinned.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Not knowing what else to say, he reached out.
He grabbed his father's large hand.
They walked.
Just like that day at age twelve.
"......"
He kind of got it now.
It was definitely a dream.
Too vivid, sure, but still a dream.
But when would this dream end?
How long could he see his father's face after so long?
He was lost in such thoughts while walking when—
"But Suho."
His father called.
His stomach felt fine now.
Was he still worried?
Looking up, he saw his father's eyes trembling.
Soon, his eyes grew misty.
In a voice laced with a sigh.
He spoke.
"You've really been through a lot all this time."
"......Yes?"
These weren't words from his memory.
On that day at twelve, there'd been no such conversation.
Dazed amid the confusion, his father's nose tip reddened.
"I'm sorry. Meetin' a bum of a dad like me, wonder how much you suffered, innocent child."
"......"
"So I'm proud of ya."
"That's...."
"Good job, our boy."
Pat pat.
"......"
Lloyd opened his eyes.
What came into view was the familiar interior.
The baron's bedroom he'd grown accustomed to over the past year and a half.
"Haa."
Morning already.
It was a dream.
He got up.
Called the maid as usual.
Washed his face with the washbasin water she brought.
Dressed properly and ate breakfast.
Woke Haviel and started the day's work as planned.
Summoned the administrator and gave him tasks.
"Shailo and Mitrov are back?"
"Ah, yes, Lord Lloyd. I heard they returned two days ago."
"Those guys sure have a nose for danger."
The two moneylenders who fled the territory first when the monster attacks began.
A wry smile crossed his face at the news of their return.
"Good timing. Call them over."
"Understood. Any specific message?"
"Why bother. Just call them. Ah, no."
Lloyd grinned.
"The time has come to joyfully tie off our long-standing ties—say that, and it'll be perfect."
"Yes, I'll relay it as commanded."
"Yeah, thanks."
The administrator withdrew.
After that, he waited.
Shailo and Mitrov.
He spent half a day lost in thought until the two moneylenders arrived after the message.
Honestly, his mind was all over the place.
'Is it because today is the day I finally clear all the debts?'
Or maybe because of the dream from dawn.
He couldn't tell.
Unable to sort out his mood or emotions clearly, he greeted the two moneylenders.
"Heh heh heh. Long time no see?"
"Eek, our young master still looks as sharp as ever."
Shailo and Mitrov, arriving with gift wine and cracking jokes.
Their faces used to be utterly loathsome.
Faces that seemed like they'd chase him to hell, making him uncomfortable.
But not anymore.
Had some affection grown despite everything?
Suppressing the wry smile that came naturally, he said,
"Glad you could make it. Hope you've both been well."
"Heh heh, nearly died."
"That locust swarm, oh man."
"Fortunate. You made it through safe. And now, today, you can collect the remaining debt."
Shailo and Mitrov, mid-joke.
Their faces froze in that smiling expression.
They soon tilted their heads.
As if unable to believe it.
With bewildered looks, they asked,
"Collect the remaining debt? What does that mean?"
"No way...."
"Yes, exactly. The time has come to joyfully tie off our long-standing ties. I assume that's what my messenger said."
"......"
The two moneylenders fell silent.
He grinned at them and stood.
"Amount confirmation first, I suppose. This way, please."
Today, he would finally pay off all remaining debts.
At that thought, his knees trembled briefly.
♣
The final debt settlement was simple.
Absurdly straightforward, to the point of feeling empty.
He handed over the check received from the queen in the capital.
They verified the amount and the queen's signature authenticity.
They checked the contract.
Wrote confirmation documents that the remaining debt was cleared, and added signatures and seals.
That was it.
A perfunctory handshake thanking them for their service all this time.
Sending off the two moneylenders—that was the entire process.
"......"
Was this the feeling after paying off a mountain of debt?
No real sense of accomplishment.
Just emptiness.
Unreal.
Even a touch of letdown.
Is this normal?
"I thought it'd feel different."
The feeling after clearing all debts.
He'd vaguely imagined it before.
No, actually, hundreds of times.
Not just since coming to the baron's house.
Back in the stifling goshiwon days, desperately scraping by, he'd fantasized about what life would be like after paying off debts.
Before that, even before his parents passed, it was similar.
If he hit the lottery and cleared the piled-up debts at once, he'd be overjoyed, maybe take his parents on a commemorative trip—that's what he'd thought.
'But none of those fantasies included this emptiness.'
Now that the moment had actually arrived.
This moment he'd thought would be filled with endless joy.
Experiencing it, it felt underwhelming—a hollow laugh escaped.
At least the joyful reactions from those around him.
That brought some sense of reality to having paid off the debts.
"Heh, heh heh heh! This... this...!"
It was the first time seeing the baron so elated.
The baron couldn't continue his words.
He kept swallowing his trembling voice.
In the end, unable to say more, he'd pulled him into a fierce hug.
Patted his back for a long while.
And the baroness, beside him, watched with misty eyes.
As if saying well done, good job.
"......"
Why did his father's gaze from the dream come to mind?
Others came too.
To praise the merit of clearing the family's massive debts.
"Lord Lloyd. Truly impressive. No one else could have done this."
"I was a fool to ever doubt you, Lord Lloyd. I sincerely respect you."
The administrator and Sir Bayern's honest sincerity came through.
Servants and maids he passed in the corridors.
Farmers he met while walking the territory.
Everyone showered him with various praises.
'Word sure spreads fast.'
He'd paid off the debts around lunchtime.
Just three or four hours since the moneylenders left.
The sun hadn't even begun to set, yet the whole territory buzzed.
Congratulations.
Truly admirable.
Had he ever been praised this much in his life?
Thanks to that, a new praise title even generated.
Ding dong.
[Through your varied wit, ingenuity, and diligence over a long time, you have achieved the feat of clearing your family's massive debts.]
[All who hear this news can't stop marveling and praising you.]
[A new praise title for you, [Frontera's Eldest Son], has been created.]
[[Frontera's Eldest Son]]
[Praise Grade: Regional Folk Tale]
Life throws debts your way sometimes.
You end up owing sometimes.
But listen.
When misfortune strikes.
When unbearable debt weighs on your shoulders.
Most folks despair at that fact.
They lament their fate and bad luck, collapsing in defeat.
That's not bad.
In a way, it's natural.
'Cause we're human; anyone can do it.
That's why that person's amazing.
No one believed in him.
Everyone thought it impossible.
Yet he didn't despair easily or collapse.
So, son.
When life's weight crushes you someday.
Remember what that man achieved.
Opportunity is open to everyone.
[Praise Effect: Limited to the Creemo region, you gain top-tier economic credit. You can always secure investments at the lowest interest rates and most favorable terms. Additionally, no debt collection pressure on invested amounts.]
[Praise Duration: Lifetime]
[CP provided monthly by this praise: 2]
[Current CP held: 2]
An eye-opening great option.
And lifetime duration too.
Worthy of a cheer.
But not today.
Maybe because of the unusually scattered mood.
Lloyd glanced at the floating message window once and closed it.
Instead, he called to the one walking beside him.
"Hey."
"Yes, Lord Lloyd."
"What was your father like?"
"......"
He felt Haviel's gaze turn toward him.
Unknowingly, a grin formed.
"Just curious all of a sudden. Sorry if the personal question was rude."
"......Did you eat something bad today?"
"Nope."
"Then why apologize so readily?"
"Just. Some days are like that, right?"
Yeah.
Some days are like that.
Very rarely, days when Lloyd Frontera feels like Kim Suho again. Days when he takes off the mask always on his face and takes a deep breath.
"......A rough man."
Haviel's voice suddenly tapped his ear.
Like quiet mutterings, it continued softly.
"Truth is, I was too young, so the impression isn't clear. Just hazy memories, like looking through layers of glass. Still, one thing I remember vividly: my father was a very rough man."
"Why do you remember him that way?"
"Because the only thing he did was pat my back right before bed at night."
Haviel's smile spread in the sunset glow.
"He was a busy man. Hard to even see his face all day. I'd wait and finally doze off late. No, I pretended to sleep to avoid Mother's scolding. Until midnight."
"He came home at midnight?"
"Yes."
Where was the guy's gaze directed?
At the deepening sunset?
At past memories?
"He worked late every day, coming home at midnight. Then he'd pat the back of the pretending-to-sleep me with his dirt-covered palms. That was it. The feel of those large palms' calluses. Even the patting was clumsy.... Things like that."
"Yeah, I see."
Maybe we're alike in that way.
After that, he and Haviel exchanged no words.
Instead of talk, they walked in sync.
Sometimes slow, side by side.
They walked like that for a long while before returning to the mansion.
Ate dinner as usual, put Haviel to bed, and returned to his bedroom.
"Whew."
A day similar to usual yet somehow different passed like this.
So honestly, he still didn't know what his mood was.
'Funny, really.'
Suppressing the hollow laugh that bubbled up, he lay down.
Blankly stared at the dark bedroom ceiling.
Beyond the pitch-black ceiling, hazy memories sprouted.
Like pages from a yellowed diary.
Days from his childhood.
His parents' figures.
The worsening family finances.
The mountain of debts too overwhelming to face.
His parents' slumped shoulders under that weight.
'Really, funny.'
Laughter came again.
But his nose kept tingling.
He hoped to have the same dream tonight.
And if he met his father, he wanted to say this.
'Hey, I managed to pull it off here, at least.'
With that, he cried.
It was the first time since coming to this world.