Chapter 204
Translator: Prime Works
Chapter: 204
Chapter Title: Unexpected Encounter (1)
Very occasionally, there are moments when one realizes they are dreaming.
For instance, when encountering an existence in a dream that feels utterly alien yet vividly real at the same time.
Exactly like right now.
- Are you Lloyd Frontera?
“…….”
Lloyd blinked.
And lifted his head.
It might feel like this if Mount Everest aflame spoke to him.
Before his eyes stood a colossal giant of flames.
Engulfed head to toe in roaring fire, its eyes blazed down from a height that pierced the clouds.
‘What kind of dream is this?’
Still, since it was just a dream.
At least he wouldn’t die at the hands of that flame giant.
Reassured by that thought, Lloyd relaxed his shoulders.
“Yes, that’s me.”
- Liar.
“…….”
- Kim Suho, did you think I wouldn’t recognize you?
“Uh, well.”
He was at a loss for words for a moment.
Could that flame giant be his own conscience?
Perhaps it was prodding at his guilt for shoving aside the real Lloyd and impersonating him.
But fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
The flame giant spoke.
- I am the one who pierces the essence of souls, the ruler of karmic flames. The warden of the nineteen purgatories. Hell’s King, Helkaros.
Like thunder crashing.
Or like an avalanche bearing down.
Hell’s King’s self-introduction shook the entire world with resounding force.
- And the master of Hell Knight Sir Geolexius, who fell by your hand.
“Ah, that Hell Knight?”
- Indeed.
Rumble rumble rumble…!
Hell’s King, Helkaros, bent at the waist.
It felt as if a mountain peak was peering down at him.
Lloyd forced his shrinking shoulders back and lifted his head.
He looked up to meet Helkaros’s gaze.
“Did you come into my dream for that reason, by any chance?”
- Yes, that’s right.
“You’re not here to demand compensation, are you? That was mutual fault and legitimate self-defense, you know.”
- Mutual… fault? Legitimate self-defense?
“Yes.”
Lloyd nodded.
He replied even more innocently.
“Your subordinate and I were both itching to devour each other. In that situation, you can’t just pin the blame on the survivor no matter who got hurt. Right?”
- Do you think I came to you over something as trivial as blame?
“Then why did you come?”
Lloyd asked.
Hell’s King, Helkaros, let out a hollow laugh laced with flames from the corner of his mouth.
- To check if you have the qualities fitting for Hell.
“Pardon?”
What kind of nonsense was this?
Lloyd tilted his head.
Hell’s King continued.
- I’ve been watching you with interest ever since you faced Geolexius. And I saw something distinctly different about you.
“Something different?”
- Stingy. Incredibly so. Petty to the end. So devious it made me wonder if one could stoop that low. Annoying. Like a mosquito that sneaks under the bed to escape an enraged human after sucking blood at night.
“…….”
Hey, why are you suddenly picking on a living person like that?
Lloyd felt a surge of sorrow.
Hell’s King’s praise-disguised diss continued.
- And meticulous. Always ensuring an escape route, like a rat. Sly. The kind I’d hold up as a model for Hell’s demons. And that song. The one that makes your whole body go limp and tempts you to gouge out your eardrums the moment you hear it. The song that even instilled doubt in my days as Hell’s King.
“What’s wrong with my song…?”
- It’s the kind of song I’d want blaring in Hell for tens of thousands of years, 24 hours a day.
“Why?”
- So all the souls damned to Hell would writhe in even greater torment.
“Hey, you’re not thinking of using me as Hell’s live broadcast speaker, are you?”
- Why not?
“…….”
- Truly enviable vocal talent and voice. Plus, with you, I could toy with and mock even the demons protesting the song using every trick in the book. So, how about it? Lloyd, no, Kim Suho. Won’t you trust me and unleash that talent in Hell?
Won’t you…!
You…!
…You…!
Hell’s King’s thunderous voice shook every inch of the dream space.
It wasn’t merely loud.
It was a vibration that grabbed the soul by the roots and shook it wildly.
Lloyd strained not to crumple before that torrent of waves.
And opened his eyes.
“…….”
Tweet tweet, chirp chirp!
Birdsong welcoming an early summer morning.
The white curtains by the bedroom window fluttered gently.
Sunlight filtering through tickled his cheek.
Warmth spread.
Lloyd thought.
‘What a bullshit dream.’
Hell’s King, my ass.
What?
Use my singing for Hell’s broadcast?
So all the wicked souls in Hell would suffer even more richly?
‘That Hell King’s one thrifty bastard.’
Pfft. Recalling the dream he’d just had brought a hollow laugh.
It felt eerily vivid, making it all the more unsettling.
‘Such a bullshit dream, yet unnecessarily realistic.’
Lloyd shuddered his shoulders as he got out of bed.
Truth be told, it wasn’t something he could completely brush off.
Right after defeating Hell Knight Sir Geolexius in Namaran City.
He remembered the message that had appeared before his eyes then.
It had definitely said something like this.
[Hell’s King is amazed by your tremendous feat. The ruler of Hell, having lost a legion commander under his command, has begun eyeing your talent, ingenuity, and potential.]
……Yeah.
“…….”
Tch.
Don’t think about it.
Just a bullshit dream.
Even if Hell’s King was interested in him, would he really burn with recruitment zeal over his singing?
No way that’d happen.
Lloyd deliberately cleared his throat loudly.
“Ahem! Hm!”
Soon, a response came from outside the bedroom.
“Young Master Lloyd? Are you awake?”
“Yeah. Come in.”
The voice that first greeted his ordinary daily morning.
The maid Emily came in beaming, bringing breakfast.
“No need to ask. I didn’t wait much today either.”
“If I say I wasn’t planning to ask, you’ll get sulky, right?”
“Depends on what you say, Young Master.”
“Got it. I was gonna ask enthusiastically.”
“Hehe. The soup’s delicious today. Dig in.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Lloyd picked up his spoon.
Hell, my ass.
He’d enjoy this peaceful daily life forever.
Vowing that, Lloyd savored the soup.
And on the side, he thought.
‘It’s been about five days now.’
Serazad.
The Sultan’s daughter who crossed the desert for a lullaby.
It had been five days since he’d offered her the lullaby recording in exchange for joining the Engineering Corps.
‘She should’ve finished agonizing by now.’
Over the past five days, Serazad had been deep in thought all day.
Watching her, Lloyd could tell.
She’d make her decision soon.
And no matter what she chose, it wouldn’t be a loss for him.
‘Of course not. If she joins the Engineering Corps, it’s like binding a Swordmaster talent to my side. If she refuses and returns to the Sultanate, her path to Swordmaster will be greatly delayed.’
Either way, it was a win for him.
‘So, what answer will she bring?’
The soup had cooled perfectly, just right for gulping down.
Finishing the rest in one go, Lloyd felt half curiosity, half anticipation.
♣
“Whew.”
How to describe her current feelings?
Utterly stymied half, embarrassed half.
Serazad defined her mood that way.
She let out an even deeper sigh and raised her head.
Tweet chirp, tweet chirp.
Birds flitted over the trees along the forest path.
Through the gaps, glimpses of the early summer blue sky and white clouds.
It was a truly beautiful place.
‘But to stay in a foreign land like this for five years.’
She felt stymied.
Was it worth going that far just for one lullaby?
Did she have to invest five years of her life?
And if she made that decision, how would her father react?
‘He’d flip out.’
Obviously.
Who was she?
The Sultan’s daughter. A princess of the nation.
Sure, daughter of a concubine, not the queen.
Just one among dozens of daughters.
Yet that didn’t change the fact she was a princess of the Sultanate.
So she felt embarrassed.
‘I left Ahinsha on my own, and if I join another country’s Engineering Corps for five years, Father… whew, can’t even predict.’
He’d definitely lose it.
But to what degree? Impossible to guess.
That made it even more embarrassing.
‘But I have to become a Swordmaster.’
That was the surest way to earn the Sultan’s recognition.
Once she reached Swordmaster realm.
Everything would change.
‘If I think of it as an investment for that, it’s worth considering.’
She needed the lullaby.
Without it, she’d return to hellish sleepless nights.
She wouldn’t be able to focus on sword training.
Her growth would slow.
The path to Swordmaster would lengthen.
‘Risk Father’s wrath and invest five years, or safely return to Ahinsha and endure the insomnia myself. Is that the choice?’
Serazad sighed deeply again.
Then, suddenly, she froze without realizing.
Beyond the bushes ahead.
Not far away, she heard a sigh similar to hers.
“Whew.”
“…….”
Who could it be?
This was quite the outskirts of Frontera Territory.
A deep forest where even hunters rarely ventured, let alone villagers.
She’d come for a walk precisely because it seemed perfect for solitary reflection.
“…….”
Serazad walked toward it.
Soon enough, she found the source of the sigh.
‘A boy? No, not a child.’
Across the bushes her gaze fell upon.
There sat a ‘grown boy’ with a youthful face.
His height barely reached 160 cm.
Curly orange hair.
Below it, cheeks dotted with freckles, round and plump.
His sharp, clever eyes somehow gave a soft, rabbit-like impression.
His petite build matching his small stature amplified that gentle vibe.
‘Who is he?’
Serazad narrowed her eyes.
Suspicious.
This was the depths of an uninhabited forest.
Yet here was a boy who looked incapable of even a fistfight, let alone combat.
It didn’t fit at all.
Moreover, luxurious carriages and what seemed like his entourage’s luggage surrounded the boy.
‘Hm, what’s going on?’
He didn’t seem dangerous, at least.
From his posture and movements.
No signs of sword training.
Then.
“Lord Julian!”
From the opposite side, a man came running breathlessly, calling the boy.
He stopped before the boy, catching his ragged breath.
“Whew, huff. Did I keep you waiting long?”
“No. I’m fine. What about the rock?”
“Well, it’ll be tough today.”
The man wiped sweat from his brow and shook his head.
Distress crossed the boy called Julian’s face.
“I see. That’s trouble.”
“Sorry. We’re trying our best to clear it, but…”
“Shall I help too?”
“Pardon? No! How could we say that? No need. How dare we expect Lord Julian’s aid for something like this.”
“Hm, I’m fine. It’s just rolling up sleeves to clear mud and push rocks.”
“Th-that’s why we’re doing it.”
“I see…”
“Yes.”
The man nodded firmly.
Julian drooped his shoulders like a puppy in the rain.
“Still, I feel bad. If I weren’t the Royal Academy’s runner-up graduate, I wouldn’t have received this carriage from the royals. Without it, we could just walk to the territory from here. You all wouldn’t have to suffer.”
“Oh, no. Don’t say that.”
The man waved his hands.
“You’re an honorable runner-up graduate. Serving you is an honor and a source of pride for us. Besides, this carriage is a precious gift from the royals, as you said. It’s an honor bestowed upon the runner-up graduate.”
“But it’s just a carriage…”
“Don’t say that. We’re truly fine. Isn’t it a time-honored tradition for graduates receiving this carriage from the royals to return home in it with pride?”
“But who knew a sudden downpour would collapse the road like this…”
“It’s not your fault the road collapsed, Lord Julian. Don’t blame yourself. The slid mountain path is muddy, and the blocking rock is bigger than expected, but it’s manageable. One hard day’s work and we’ll clear it.”
“How about sending someone to the territory to report? It’s not far…”
“No need for that. Consider our pride too. We can handle it. That’s why we’re escorting you, Lord Julian.”
“Then let me at least help a bit…”
“Please rest easy. No need to apologize.”
The man smiled warmly.
His whole body was caked in mud.
Yet he seemed to genuinely enjoy serving the boy called Julian.
To Serazad, the boy and the man left a strong impression.
“…….”
Julian, huh.
Listening from behind the bushes, it suddenly clicked.
During her stay at the Frontera Count’s estate these past few days.
She’d overheard servants chatting excitedly several times.
This family had Lloyd’s younger brother, the second son.
Quite clever, they said.
He’d achieved the feat of runner-up graduation from the Royal Academy.
And he’d return triumphantly to the territory in a few days.
‘That boy—no, young man—is the second son.’
Far more youthful than she’d imagined.
And in quite a predicament.
‘There was a big downpour two days ago.’
A rare proper deluge.
It must’ve caused part of the mountain road to collapse.
Hence, they couldn’t proceed with the royal-gifted carriage.
‘This could benefit me.’
Serazad’s mind raced.
Collapsed mountain road.
Huge rock hard to clear.
Julian’s group stranded because of it.
But if she helped Julian?
‘Lloyd Frontera. I could more easily demand the lullaby recording from him. It’d put me in the position of having done his brother a favor.’
She’d gain a favorable card in negotiations.
This was a clear opportunity.
‘Alright. Let’s help.’
Serazad finished her calculations.
She rose from the bushes.
Stepped out openly and approached.
She called to Julian.
“Hey.”
“Eek!”
“…….”
“Y-you startled me. Who are you?”
Perhaps because she’d emerged so stealthily.
Julian jumped in fright, eyes wide.
Seeing that, Serazad unwittingly thought.
This man somehow looks like a fluffy baby rabbit.