Chapter 112: Conqueror of the Fountain (1)
Water jetted out, filling up the water bottle.
Trickle.
“Here, drink this, sir.”
Sir Blanc was snapped out of his trance to find his aide holding out a portable water bottle.
“It’s water, sir,” his aide said, “I thought your throat might be coarse from inhaling all the dust.”
“Oh, thank you,” Sir Blanc said as he took the bottle. As the bottle tilted sideways in his hands, the water inside flowed through his throat. Just then, a certain image came to his mind. The Mastodon herd. The straight route. The column of water. A giant hippopotamus rolling and jetting out water. The hundreds of beasts swam away in sheer terror at the image and force of the creature.
“…”
The cold water absorbed into his empty stomach. The water attack had been impressive and effective as it swept away the entire herd of countless Mastodons. The flood pushed them all the way to the end of the route leading to the northern river.
How can I make sense of what I saw today…?
Sir Blanc asked himself whether what he saw was real. Or was it a terrible dream? Or was a giant scheme at play here? He couldn’t tell which one it was. But there was something certain, and it was that Lloyd Frontera’s plan had worked, saving the barony from the rampage of hundreds of Mastodons while suffering almost no damage.
“Oh, there was some damage.”
Sir Blanc heard a voice coming from beside him, but it didn’t belong to his aide. He turned and found Lloyd Frontera smiling in a wry way distinct from the latter. Sir Blanc wondered when he had come here.
Feeling slightly dazed, Sir Blanc asked, “There was damage?”
“Yes. There was.”
Lloyd shrugged his shoulders, replying in a deprecating manner.
“The fields in the mountain foot have been ruined. That was where we planted the onions, green onions, potatoes, and corn. What a waste, really. The corn in that particular field was very tasty.”
“…”
“Oh, and a portion of the paved road was lost as the flood swept the Mastodons. It really was some tough work building that up. But what else can we do? We have to repair it again.”
Sir Blanc was left speechless. Lloyd Frontera should be receiving a medal for minimizing the damage from the attack of several hundreds of Mastodons. But instead, the man was making a big fuss about relatively trivial losses. Who was this guy?
“Wait a second. The flood attack and the waterway for that, no, the underground route the Mastodons ran into by themselves and swam off for their lives… Was that all in your head when we were constructing the image of the Megalania?” Sir Blanc asked reflexively”
“Of course,” Lloyd answered plainly without any trivial modesty or humility.
“It was tough digging for six days straight, right? It was all part of the plan. I am sure you complained and wondered why I made you dig and move soil when you could always shovel the area right beside the relief image. Well, that was all part of the plan, too. You were annoyed for having to dig following a straight, designated course when you could just dig up one area, right? Of course, that was also part of the plan,” said Lloyd.
“Then the course of the waterway was-”
“Yes, everything was designed after a survey to make use of the Prona River that flows down clockwise as it hugs the barony from the south to the north.”
“…”
“Starting from the point the course of the river breaks westward to the north. To converge it with the downstream that flows after traveling clockwise. Well, thanks to this job, we built up one more waterway we can utilize down the road. All we need is just some repairs and maintenance, and it can be used as a mini canal.”
Killing two birds with one stone. Getting a free parking spot after only purchasing a bag of candy. Obtaining a canal after protecting the Mastodon invasion. All of these were made possible because of the foolish yet careful nature of the Mastodon.
“Well, anyway, the Mastodons should live well now that they are swept to the north. They aren’t going to die so easily by the flood anyway. And since the north is an uninhabited region, it’s not likely for them to come back here.”
“How do you know that they will not come back…?”
“Because they already laid their eyes on the Megalania, their natural enemy.”
“Oh,” Sir Blanc gaped.
“Those beasts will remember everything very well. And so, they won’t be coming here where their natural enemy lives. It’d make more sense for them to avoid this place.”
“Did you calculate that all in your head?”
“Yes, of course. Isn’t it obvious?”
“…”
Sir Blanc was left speechless because it wasn’t obvious to him. He had thought that the best solution was fighting and repelling them off. He had thought that he should simply protect the kingdom’s territory by throwing his life away like it was a worthless trinket.
But we won without a fight, with almost any loss”
No, they even gained something. The fiefdom attained a canal they could use in the future. Sir Blanc wondered how many trials and errors Lloyd Frontera underwent to draw this result. How hard he must have racked his brain to turn his plan into reality. Since he was just a brawn knight, Sir Blanc couldn’t imagine it at all. His Adam’s apple jerked by reflex, and he suddenly thought to himself…
Maybe this was what real combat was really about.
It turned out that rushing toward the enemy wasn’t the magic formula to victory. Parading around in courage wasn’t the answer. Victory ought to be clinched without fighting. Practical benefits must be attained thoroughly. Sir Blanc pondered whether those two were the actual victories he ought to pursue as a commanding knight.
That way, I won’t have to lose my men.
Sir Blanc recalled the countless battles he had fought. He had gone through 12 wars as a member of the White Cavalry. Then, five more after he became the commander of the lancers, including this one. So throughout the 17 occasions of small and large battles, this was the first time he had not lost any men. This time, he didn’t have to clean up the corpses of his men, which had developed into a habit after every battle. This unfamiliar and fresh experience made his heart beat faster, leaving him with an important lesson.
Yes, I used to mask death with valor and honor. I had considered it an honor to fight courageously and die. But here, there was greater valor and honor. To fight and live. To safely return to our families, loved ones, and friends after a battle, so that we can fight a bigger one.
To continue to stay alive and grow stronger and overcome bigger battles. And along the way, protect the country as well as families and their happiness along the way.
That was the way to uphold my honor all the more.
How foolish he had been! And how many men he could have saved had he realized this sooner. Regret, shock, and realization rushed over him. At the same time, he lifted his head and gazed at Lloyd differently.
“Thank you,” Sir Blanc said.
“Excuse me?” Lloyd returned a confused gaze.
“Please take good care of us moving forward,” Sir Blanc uttered, his voice dripping with respect.
Sir Blanc would watch and learn by Lloyd’s side. He would be further enlightened and educated. Just like that, he would consider this respectable man as his teacher.
“Oh, sure. Well, me too.”
Suppressing the awkwardness rising in him, Lloyd held out his hand, and the two shook hands. Sincerity was exchanged. Sir Blanc fought to not break into tears. Lloyd tightened his fingers that were trying to curl in the cringiness of this situation. And just like that, the day they stopped the second monster attack passed.
A few days passed. The repair job in the barony happened fast. They repaired the destroyed fields and redid the paved road washed away by the flood. But it didn’t come without a prize. When the herd of Mastodons jumped into the water to be swept away out of fear, they left five Mastodon babies, which Sir Bayern had discovered.
“So… are you saying you wish to raise them?” Lloyd asked.
“Yes, Master Lloyd.”
Sir Bayern reported with a deep resolution, and five Mastodon babies let out a loud cry as though they were responding to his voice.
Chu!
“Do you see it, Master Lloyd? Thankfully, every one of them is healthy and strong.”
“Yes, I can see that,” Lloyd replied, “but don’t you think it’s going to be dangerous?”
“They won’t be.”
“How would you know that?”
“Because they are adorable.”
“…”
Sir Bayern pointed at the Mastodon babies, but for some reason, Lloyd noticed that Sir Bayern’s face blushed a little contrary to his usual dignified state.
“There is a story I was told once. I heard that full-grown Mastodons raised in the wild are extremely violent around humans, but they are poles apart when you raise them from when they are babies.”
“Are you saying that they can be tamed?” Lloyd asked.
“That’s what I heard.”
“So, are you planning on raising them?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, don’t you think it will be extremely difficult?”
“It won’t be.”
“How would you know that?”
“Because they are adorable,” said Sir Bayern as he cleared his throat. A large feeding bottle was already in his hand. But it wasn’t exactly a feeding bottle. It looked more like he attached a nipple on a small barrel.
“Chu!!”
“Chu!!”
The Mastodon babies, who were the size of a calf, fought to eat first from the feeding bottle. Sir Bayern snorted in satisfaction each time, feeding them the bottle one by one.
Well, well. Sir Bayern, I didn’t know you loved raising pets that much because of the dignified air around you.
Lloyd was slightly nauseated to see a grown man coo at the baby animals and be overwhelmed by happiness, but he decided that it wasn’t a bad thing.
“Hmm. So, you want my permission?” Lloyd asked”
“Yes, please.”
“Hmm, what should I do?”
Sir Bayern waited nervously for the decision. Lloyd thought about it as he looked at Sir Bayern. Mastodon was a herbivore monster reaching up to 13 feet in height. And it showed extraordinary power matching its size. So if Sir Bayern successfully tamed them, they would be set to become a great asset to the fiefdom. They could be a great source of labor for many different chores and projects.
We can make them work in a field, carry heavy loads, or draw a giant carriage. Put them together, and we may have a pollution-free engine locomotive. But they would be excreting massive amounts of feces, much more than cows. That’d be the downside.
Lloyd concluded that there were infinite ways to use them.
“Sure. Raise them well, Sir Bayern.”
“Do you really mean it?”
“If not, would I lie about it?”
“No. Thank you. Okay, Pudding, Puddang, Pungdeong, Pungding, and Pudong. Line up, and greet him. He is Master Lloyd, your master from now on,” Sir Bayern introduced.
“Chu!!”
“Chu!!”
Woah, he named them already…? He really was bent on raising them all up. My goodness, he would have been really upset if I didn’t give my permission.
Lloyd smiled wryly and left him. Even after that, he took care of several things. He picked out the civil engineers who crossed the eastern range with him. And he sent them back over to the eastern range to make run surveillance of the area and check the safety of orc tribes.
I didn’t have the time to do it until now, even though I wanted to.
The previous situations had demanded every second of focus from Lloyd. A moment of distraction was a luxury for him. But now, since he could breathe and relax somewhat, he decided to attempt something he had wanted to try all along but never had the time for.
“Did you hear what I said? You just have to stand still there,” announced Lloyd”
“Right here?”
“Yeah.”
“Does that mean that you will be absorbing a large amount of mana like you explained?” asked Javier.
“Yeah, I will.”
Lloyd wanted to see if he could level up like the time he supercharged his mana heart by absorbing the mana of Queen Magentano in Magentano the capital. So now, Lloyd and Javier were in the training hall in the middle of the night.
“But, Master Lloyd…”
“Yeah, what?”
“But I just became a sword master.”
“Yeah, so?”
“I can now sleep without your lullaby.”
“Aha. So you are no longer suffering from the sword master syndrome. Is that what you want to say?”
“Yes, I can adjust my overly sensitive senses now.”
“So since you have nothing to lose, you don’t want to be used and taken advantage of by me anymore?”
“Yes,” Javier said proudly.
“Do you really think so?”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, go try to sleep on your own tonight,” Lloyd suggested.
Lloyd smiled, brimming with confidence. That same night, when Javier went to bed, he tossed and turned throughout the night, unable to fall asleep. That was when he realized how scary habits were. His body was so accustomed to Lloyd’s lullaby that he could not fall back asleep without it.
“So stay still for me, will you?” proposed Lloyd.
“Yes…”
It was the night after that. Javier was now flopped to the ground of the training hall, smothering the rage burning inside him. At last, Lloyd fired a triple mana blast in the air. He made himself worn out on purpose and activated the Supercharge optional skill. But the attempt failed, and Lloyd could not absorb large amounts of mana as he did from Queen Magentano. The reason was simple. Javier possessed the Asrahan Core Technique just as he did.
Ding Dong.
[Your opponent’s mana circle is reverberating with yours, interrupting the flow of the mana absorption.]
The message appeared in front of his eyes and canceled his mana absorption from Javier. Because of that, Lloyd sucked the mana only from the sand and air of the training hall, just enough to restore the amount of energy he had used up.
“Tsk… You useless punk.”
Lloyd was disappointed, so for a split second, he mulled over the plan of raising Sir Blanc to the level of a sword master and turning him into his personal mana battery. But sadly, he just didn’t have the time for that. The locusts and Mastodons were just the beginning of the monster domino phenomenon that was about to crash down on them.
“But we won’t last if we stop every single one of them. It’s a war of attrition, and a meaningless one.”
The following night, Lloyd gathered everyone at the baron’s office. The baron and baroness, Javier, Sir Bayern, and Sir Blanc sat at the table. Standing in front of them, Lloyd revealed the grand plan he had been developing for a long while. It was a smart measure to put a stop to this monster domino once and for all and acquire permanent peace.
“All we need to do is go to Lake Kapua and wake King Storma, the ruler of the area, and make him work for us. I already have a detailed plan for that. What do you think? Isn’t it simple?”
Everyone in the room gulped dryly, and as the future grew bleak in their minds, they wondered to themselves if there was anything difficult for Lloyd.