Chapter 194
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Translator: Prime Works
Chapter: 194
Chapter Title: Hole-Drillers (1)
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The full-scale surveying had begun.
It was a process they had always gone through whenever construction was underway up until now.
A process that looked similar every time but was never exactly the same.
This time was no different.
‘Because it’s construction to connect irregularly scattered tunnels underground.’
The locations.
The lengths.
The depths.
Even the directions.
Dozens of tunnels, each completely different.
Those tunnels were randomly scattered across the barren plains between Kandara City and the foothills of the western mountains.
Moreover, most of them were more than five meters below the surface.
In other words, ground-level surveying wouldn’t cut it—the underground scanning option wouldn’t reveal the shape and scale of the tunnels.
“That’s why I need your cooperation.”
This was an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Kandara City.
The very place where Lloyd had been kidnapped about two weeks ago.
Lloyd raised his head in that memorable(?) spot.
He looked around at everyone gathered in the warehouse.
“You didn’t miss any of the maps I mentioned, right?”
Nods.
At Lloyd’s question, Termes and the rebel leaders nodded.
Termes piled dozens of maps collected from everyone onto the table.
“Here they are.”
He spread them out one by one.
“These mark most of the tunnels we’ve secured or identified. I’ve even sorted them somewhat.”
“Sorted how?”
“By proximity to Kandara first. For those at similar distances, by size. That’s the criteria I used.”
“Ooh.”
Lloyd inwardly cheered.
Termes, the rebel leader.
He liked how efficiently the man handled things, beyond expectations.
“Excellent.”
Satisfaction rose in Lloyd’s eyes as he examined the maps.
They were more detailed than expected.
And it seemed they’d managed them systematically—the notations, units, and symbols were neatly standardized.
‘Good. Very good.’
This cut down the workload tremendously.
No need to wrack his brains sorting chaotic maps or unifying units.
“Then it’s my turn now.”
Crack, pop!
Lloyd gathered the maps and stepped back from the table.
He stretched, loosening his whole body.
Termes eyed him curiously.
“Your turn?”
“Oh.”
A grin spread across Lloyd’s lips.
He replied as if it were no big deal.
“I’m going for a run. Based on the maps you provided.”
“You don’t mean running through the tunnels, do you?”
“Yes.”
“…….”
“It’s only natural. I have to survey them. With my own eyes.”
“That’s a long distance.”
“That’s why I’m dressed comfortably like this.”
Sure enough, Lloyd was already in a loose shirt and baggy pants.
He even had a towel draped around his neck.
Full-on neighborhood marathoner gear.
“Thanks to how well you organized the maps, the distance I need to run should be cut in half. See this passage here? Places like this that I don’t need to visit at all are already marked.”
“Should we be relieved about that?”
“Yes. So cheer me on.”
With his body fully warmed up, Lloyd headed out of the warehouse.
Outside, Podong—a ten-meter fluffball—was waiting for him.
“Ppodong!”
“Where’s Kkoming?”
“Ppododong! Ppodong!”
“Wings still sore from being bunched up?”
“Ppodong!”
“Got it. He worked hard on that trip to the capital anyway. I’ll let him rest for a while.”
“Ppodong! Ppododong!”
“Yeah, let’s get going. Come on, Termes, hop on.”
Lloyd mounted Podong’s back with Termes.
The fluffy, bouncy ride after so long brought a smile to his face.
They dashed westward on Podong.
With Termes’s guidance, they soon reached the first tunnel—the closest one to Kandara.
Lloyd entered the tunnel.
And ran alone.
The serious marathon for surveying had begun.
“Hoo, haa!”
He caught his breath lightly as he ran through the passage.
Sometimes straight.
Sometimes winding.
Like an Olympic torch relay, he dashed along with a single torch in hand, activating his surveying skill.
Tzzzzz……!
A flood of tunnel information came in through the surveying.
‘Man, now I’m even doing stuff like this.’
Suddenly running a marathon several meters underground, unasked for.
He couldn’t help but chuckle.
Memories surfaced too.
‘Reminds me of when I first learned swordsmanship.’
Was it for the duel to punish the territory’s traitor, Sir Neumann?
Back then, learning basics from Haviel to build stamina.
Days of running more than he had in his entire life combined.
Of course, now?
He could run faster and longer than back then.
Thanks to the Triple Circle Asrahan Heart Method and his Mana Heart reaching intermediate Sword Expert level.
“Haa! Hoo!”
When was the last time he’d run this hard?
Oh, right.
‘Beast ants.’
During the coal mine construction in the territory.
The mine’s end had connected to the beast ants’ tunnels.
He’d lured them by running underground over and over.
‘Lots of memories from then.’
Another chuckle.
He tucked away the recollections and kept running.
Before he knew it, he’d reached the end of the tunnel.
He checked the map.
‘Good. If we build the waterway along this path, it should work. Block it here, here, and over there to prevent water from flowing elsewhere.’
He quickly marked several spots on the map.
Just like that, one tunnel’s survey wrapped up in an hour or two.
After that?
“Alright, let’s move again.”
“Ppodong!”
Back on Podong for transport.
Guided by Termes to the next tunnel.
Of course, Lloyd didn’t rest in between.
He meticulously surveyed the path between the first and second tunnels.
Predicted and calculated the shortest route to connect them.
By then, they’d arrived at the second tunnel.
“Wait here with Podong until I get back. If you’re bored, play word chain with him.”
“Word chain?”
“Yeah. Podong?”
“Ppodong?”
“Want to start?”
“Ppodong!”
“See? You take ‘dong.’”
Lloyd turned to Termes.
Termes reluctantly played along.
“……Do, dong... circle.”
“Podong’s turn.”
“Ppododong!”
“He says ‘artist.’ Podong’s pronunciation ends with ‘dong,’ got it?”
“…….”
This word chain was rigged.
That’s what Termes wanted to protest.
But Lloyd didn’t wait for a reply and plunged into the tunnel.
Off on his diligent marathon for surveying.
Left alone, Termes had no choice but to turn to Podong.
“Hoo. Coin.”
“Ppodong!”
“East Continent.”
“Ppododong!”
“…….”
Termes felt like he’d hit a bigger wall than when he’d rebelled against the Sultan.
♣
Slash!
“Huh...! Huhuk!”
A massive wall.
A wall so vast it was hard to even gauge.
Was this the feeling of crashing into such a wall?
Serazad trembled with a crushing sense of helplessness clutching her chest.
She swung her sword again.
“Tch!”
Shing-!
Sword Expert advanced level.
A sword honed countless times to reach this stage.
A strike infused with the essence of her blood and sweat.
That’s why she trusted her blade.
At least until this very moment arrived.
Whoosh……!
“……!”
It missed.
Not even grazing, no threat at all.
‘Why?’
Serazad’s jet-black pearl eyes wavered.
Her gaze swiftly tracked the opponent’s trajectory.
Bracing for a possible counter.
But the opponent didn’t counter.
He’d merely stepped slightly out of her sword’s path.
“Are you mocking me right now?”
Serazad’s trembling voice filled the lodging.
Haviel replied with an expressionless face.
“No.”
“Then?”
“I told you. I’m just following Lord Lloyd’s orders.”
“That absurd order to keep me locked in here?”
“Lord Lloyd didn’t say to lock you in here. Just to take good care of you.”
“It’s the same thing!”
Shick! Slash!
Infuriated, Serazad took two quick advancing steps.
She split the rhythm off-beat, unleashing two strikes.
The scimitar, curved in the desert style, sliced diagonally through space.
Perfect timing slipping between breaths.
If the opponent were an ordinary swordsman.
Or even another advanced Sword Expert.
It would’ve caught them off-guard.
Unfortunately, her opponent was Haviel.
“…….”
Swoosh.
Haviel didn’t blink, merely shifting half a step.
That was enough.
Serazad’s trump card attack missed again, futilely.
It only split an innocent table and chair backrest nearby.
“You call this taking care of me? Don’t make me laugh. I’m a bodyguard. Appointed by the Sultan!”
“I know.”
“Then why are you doing this to me!”
“As I said, it’s Lord Lloyd’s command.”
“What did that guy say!”
“He said the desert sun is bad for your skin.”
“……What?”
Serazad, who’d been relentlessly attacking Haviel without pause.
She froze for the first time.
One eyebrow twitched as she asked.
“What did you just say?”
“I’m relaying Lord Lloyd’s exact words.”
“What...”
“He said the desert sun has strong ultraviolet rays that promote skin aging. Plus, the dry air makes it worse. There’s also fine dust, bad for the respiratory system, and long-term it raises the risk of lung diseases.”
“…….”
What was he even saying?
She listened to Haviel in a daze.
“Honestly, I don’t know what ultraviolet rays are either. And keeping you cooped up here during the day isn’t fun for me.”
“Then why stop me from leaving?”
“I’ve said it many times: Lord Lloyd’s orders.”
“Again! That same line!”
Furious, Serazad gripped her scimitar hilt tightly.
Deep down, her heart sank.
‘No. I can’t waste time like this.’
It had been days of her feet being tied like this.
During the day, Haviel blocked her from leaving the lodging.
At night?
Lloyd showed up.
The moment he arrived, he spouted strange, spell-like words.
No chance for real conversation.
Hearing Lloyd’s odd talk made drowsiness flood in like a tsunami.
She tried glaring wide-eyed in resistance.
Pinched her thigh hard.
Yet she still drifted off unknowingly.
The most comfortable, sound sleep of her life—one of the best.
‘That’s the problem!’
The sleep was great.
But when she woke?
The sun was already blazing bright.
No trace of Lloyd.
Instead, Swordmaster Haviel blocked her path.
Just like today, right now, preventing her from leaving.
A flawless confinement system, seamless day and night.
‘This is totally intentional. Those two are openly keeping me here. I don’t know why, but they’re definitely trying to shake me off.’
Anxiety gnawed at her.
The Sultan had given her this chance.
She’d seized the opportunity to prove herself.
If she could make that man, Lloyd Frontera, hers.
Take him back as the Sultan’s son-in-law.
She could finally earn her father’s proper recognition.
‘I can’t let this precious chance slip away like this!’
To do that, she had to get out.
Stick by Lloyd’s side as his guard.
Naturally increase time spent with him.
So first, escape this damn lodging!
Serazad gritted her teeth and swung her sword.
But she couldn’t reach.
Not a single hair.
Not even the hem of his clothes.
Even though Haviel wasn’t countering at all.
Even bare-handed, moving only within two steps.
That fact drove Serazad madder.
“Arrrgh! Please!”
Get caught.
Take one hit(?).
She cried out desperately, swinging her scimitar again and again.
Of course, Haviel firmly rejected her plea.
He effortlessly deflected all her attacks.
While watching her with an odd gaze.
“…….”
Lord Lloyd had tipped him off.
This woman was actually the Sultan’s daughter.
Not just a pure bodyguard in the group.
Better to keep her tied to the lodging so she couldn’t cause trouble.
Avoid her running into the rebels too.
Lloyd’s earnest advice came to mind.
‘Well, someone of her caliber could even help me train.’
Haviel’s gaze deepened as he looked at Serazad.
Her level: advanced Sword Expert.
Far below him.
Yet her sword carried a sharp edge that could make opponents shiver.
‘Impressive talent.’
Haviel admired inwardly.
Not just anyone could unleash such aura.
It wasn’t something you got merely from high skill.
‘It’s the realm of talent.’
In pure talent, she rivaled Queen Alicia.
With a good master and the right trigger?
She could bloom into a brilliant Swordmaster soon enough.
‘Lord Lloyd must know that too.’
A faint crease formed between Haviel’s brows.
The Lloyd he knew was sharp.
He wouldn’t miss the potential in the Sultan’s daughter rampaging before him.
Yet he’d assigned Haviel to her.
Keep her in the lodging.
If needed?
Give her a proper lesson.
Let her experience true swordsmanship.
He’d said it with a chuckle.
“…….”
What if she became a Swordmaster through sparring with him?
The Sultan’s daughter.
An enemy nation’s princess.
If such a woman reached Swordmaster?
It would strengthen the enemy nation.
‘Yet he entrusted this to me... means Lord Lloyd’s painting an even bigger picture.’
He trusted him.
The Lloyd he’d seen so far.
He could trust whatever plan he had.
‘Then I’ll help with that plan.’
Resolved.
He’d train her properly.
In that instant, Haviel’s hand moved.
He picked up a candlestick from one side of the lodging.
Clang-!
His candlestick leisurely blocked Serazad’s scimitar, sparks flying.
“……!”
Serazad’s eyes went wide.
Haviel’s gaze flashed coldly.
From that moment.
Serazad truly regretted the choice she’d made as a child to walk the sole path of the sword.