Chapter 60: The Devil’s Contract (5)
The viscount finished signing the contract. It was done in a snap, his pen marking the paper without a second of hesitation. This was understandable coming from the viscount, after all, the last of his hopes were crushed into nothing.
“Sir Curno, was it? I could tell from the moment the knight came in and threw a fit that the viscount was waiting to see how the situation panned out. He was just too transparent.”
Lloyd spoke as he sat on the back of the saddle. They were on their way to the barony.
Javier, who was in the front, nodded. “I thought the same as well.”
It really was the case. Sure, there was no way of stopping Sir Curno from throwing himself into the reception room. What happened after could have been handled by the viscount. He could have yelled or lashed out at the knight to keep a tight rein on him, but instead, he did nothing.
“He was betting on the senior knight to turn the tables. It was his last hope, and you struck it down,” said Lloyd.
“As expected, I was right.”
“Yeah, so how do you feel about getting a new title?”
“What do you mean by a new title?”
“Urinator Creator.”
“It’s true, isn’t it? You wielded your sword and sliced Sir Curno’s sword in half. That made the knight weep in panic and wet his pants. Right?”
“Anyway,” continued Lloyd, “that shameful event is going to keep Sir Curno humble. He won’t be able to stand up straight for a while. Surely, it’ll keep him tossing and turning in bed all night. If I were him, I’d pack my bags and move to another fiefdom tonight. No, I think I’d cross over to another continent where no one knows me. Anyway, good job. You were awesome.”
“I simply stopped a coward from striking someone from behind, that’s all.”
“Exactly! You are the Urinator Creator.”
Javier didn’t say anything again.
“Why? Do you not like it?”
“I do not think that deserves an answer.”
“Can I assume that you like the nickname then, huh?”
“Never. I do not like it.”
Javier clutched and gave an unnecessarily hard pull at the horse’s reins. Lloyd smiled mischievously.
“Anyway, rumors of your swordsmanship will spread to all corners of the world.”
It was true. Javier had cut Sir Curno’s sword in half. Slicing through a sword in one stroke was definitely not an easy feat. Heck, it was hard to do even if one struck against a flat surface. Sir Curno was the senior knight of the viscounty. The man had a reputation for possessing decent sword skills.
“Rumors say that Sir Curno is bordering on being a mid-level sword expert. What do you think? How did it feel to clash swords with him?” asked Lloyd.
“He was better than what the rumors said. I felt that the man’s skills were clearly beyond a mid-level sword expert. That’s for sure.”
“And yet, you sliced through his sword in one stroke.”
“Is that so?” asked Javier.
“Yeah, thanks to that, the rumor will spread not only to the viscounty but to nearby provinces.”
“What kind of rumor do you think it will be?”
“Perhaps,” said Lloyd, “it will be something to the effect of Javier Asrahan, the youngest knight of the Frontera barony in the corner of the eastern region, defeated a mid-level sword expert of a neighboring fiefdom.”
“Then I will receive the qualifier that I am a high-level sword expert,” said Javier.
“I would assume so.”
That probably would happen. It was only possible to slice through an opponent’s sword when you were one level higher. As such, from now on, the Frontera barony would be known for having a high-level sword expert as a knight.
“It will come with both the good and bad,” announced Lloyd.
“The good and bad?”
“First, it will reduce the number of people who look down on our fiefdom. We now have a fatal and destructive weapon.”
“Then, what is bad?” asked Javier.
“You.”
“Excuse me…?” Javier glanced slightly behind.
“A lot of people will want you from now on.”
“Want me? Who in the world does?”
“Who else? The countless lords, great merchants, and such nearby our fiefdom.”
“Do you mean that they will try to hire me?”
“Of course,” Lloyd said as he nodded before continuing.
“Think about it. You are a high-level sword expert. And what’s more, you’re a young twenty-year-old who’s still wet behind the ears. If you were a powerful lord or great merchant, what do you think you would do after hearing the news?”
“I would want him to be my right-hand man…”
“Right?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, so they’ll try to make you their aide and pour money into your training. Why? It’s because you are only twenty. After just ten years of diligently investing in you, they could obtain a sword master who’s only about thirty years old.”
A thirty-year-old sword master. That would be groundbreaking news. Especially when all the existing sword masters were over forty years old.
It’d be like having twenty-year-old Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Michael Jordan, or Messi around me.
If anybody succeeded in bringing Javier to their side, he would easily be able to serve for at least two generations. There was no possibility for the other lords, influential merchants, and perhaps even for the king to leave this man of talent alone.
“We might go through some rough times,” said Lloyd.
He looked at Javier in the front. He could only see the back of the knight, so he could not read his expression. However, Lloyd could feel what expression Javier was making.
“I see, rough times. It does not matter. I do not have any intention to serve any other lord.”
Of course, Javier has always been this kind of man.
His character was the same in the original novel, The Knight of Blood and Iron. He wasn’t swayed by people around him. That was true even when the Frontera barony was falling apart in the novel. He could have left the dying fiefdom if he wanted to at any time and gone to serve a more powerful and promising lord and live a comfortable life.
However, Javier didn’t do that. Even when the baron died, no, even after his death, Javier remained loyal. He didn’t serve another lord until the very end, even after he became a sword master. Powerful princes, kings, and emperors stuck out their hands to work with him, but he declined all of them. Instead, he savagely said that the only lord he would serve in his lifetime was Baron Frontera.
Anyway, this guy is just something.
It wasn’t easy living like him. No, it was realistically impossible. However, that impossibility was possible for Javier, who stubbornly stuck to this principle his whole life.
I won’t have to worry about him running off to other masters.
However, the competition for Javier would still exist. So it was imperative for Lloyd to make sure that the barony would not be affected by it. Lloyd was mentally planning for the future when he suddenly let out a chuckle. He chuckled because he remembered another knight who stayed loyal to Baron Frontera in the novel.
“Oh, by the way, did Sir Bayern say anything to you?” asked Lloyd,
“I do not know what you mean.”
“Of course you do. I’m talking about the mana blast you’ve been using during every construction.”
“Oh.” Javier nodded, finally understanding what Lloyd meant.
“Yes, Sir Bayern did say something to me after he saw me use the mana blast.”
“What did he say?” asked Lloyd.
“That it was excellent.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
“He didn’t react by saying something like he wants to learn the skill himself or wants to check your sword fighting level?”
“Oh, he did say once that he was envious of me,” Javier replied.
“That was all.”
“Sounds like Bayern all right.”
It was just like the novel. Lloyd recalled what had been said a few times in the novel about Sir Bayern.
The novel says that he’s mediocre in terms of talent, but he’s steadfast, fair, and unselfish.
Just as the novel had described, it appeared that the knight didn’t feel much envy when Javier got stronger and better. No, it appeared more like he welcomed it.
He must be thinking that it is better for the fiefdom now that Javier is getting stronger.
The man prioritized the development and betterment of the fiefdom over his competitive spirit. Lloyd told himself that he made the right choice to entrust him with the task of managing the civil engineering group. At the same time, Lloyd thought that it was about time that he helped Sir Bayern get stronger.
“By the way,” said Javier.
“Hmm?”
“Why did you do that a while ago?”
Javier’s sharp question pierced into Lloyd’s trance, instantly shattering it. Lloyd tilted his head.
“A while ago? What do you mean?”
“I am referring to the request for a duel by Sir Curno.”
There was an edge in Javier’s voice. It was as if he was pointing out a mistake.
“It was quite rash of you.”
“Wait, because I said no to the duel?” said Lloyd.
“Instead of flatly saying no, it is my opinion that you should have given him a clear reason behind your rejection.”
Javier went on.
“You will only become the center of gossip if you reject a duel without any evident reason. Of course, Master Lloyd, I know that you are not the type of person who cares about that. But you are not an ordinary individual. You are clearly a member of the Frontera family, therefore…”
“My perfunctory and flat rejection of the duel will only affect the reputation of the fiefdom and the barony. That’s what you want to say, right?” Lloyd said, finishing Javier’s sentence.
“Yes…” Javier nodded in front of Lloyd. He then added, “If it was Master Julian, he would have dealt with the matter more sophisticatedly.”
“Julian?”
“Yes.”
“Tsk, why do you have to bring him up?”
Lloyd couldn’t help but chuckle. That was because he suddenly recalled another character in The Knight of Blood and Iron. Julian, Lloyd’s younger brother was five years younger than Lloyd and the second son of the baron. Unlike the drunkard Lloyd, Julian was hard-working and kind. He seemed to only take after the good traits of the baron and baroness.
That’s why the baron has high expectations for him, and he’s now studying abroad in one of the academies in the capital.
In the novel, he met a tragic end. He was kicked out of the academy because he couldn’t pay the tuition. Later that same night, he bumped into a burglar in the back alley, much of his bad luck. Julian refused the burglar’s demand to hand over an old pendant from his mother, the baroness. In the process of protecting the jewel, the boy was stabbed. In the dark, solitary alleyway with no one passing by, he pitifully passed away. That was the fate of Julian Frontera in the novel.
But of course, it will be a bit different now.
Since the barony didn’t go under, Julian wouldn’t be kicked out of the academy. He wouldn’t be roaming around the backstreet like in the novel and bumping into a burglar. While such thoughts kept Lloyd in a state of trance, Javier continued his nagging by throwing truth bombs on him.
“…fore, you should be a little more mature like your younger brother, Julian Frontera. Your behaviors and actions have bigger consequences than you think. You need to have a sense of responsibility for how the reputation and honor of the Frontera family depend on your actions.”
“Oh, sure,” Lloyd agreed.
“Of course, I cannot deny that you have achieved a great accomplishment this time. It is deserving of praise, surely. It is exactly for that very reason that I dare think your more noble-like behavior would be icing on the cake.”
“So, are you saying that I should act more honorably the next time I reject a duel request?”
“Yes,” said Javier.
“Instead of provoking the other party like a maverick and leaving my back unprotected?”
“Yes.”
“But Javier, I have you.”
“Excuse me…?”
One seemingly casual remark caused Javier to flinch as he heard it. Lloyd tittered.
“You were beside me. I trusted that you would have my back no matter what situation I found myself in. After all, you are just that much capable and reliable.”
For some reason, Javier didn’t respond. Lloyd cocked his head. “Hmm. No reaction, eh? Didn’t my words give you the chills?”
Silence.
“Hey?”
Silence again.
“Did you pass out?”
“I didn’t pass out. But-”
“But?”
“I barely held myself from throwing up.”
“Wow. You almost threw up?”
“Yes.”
“Was my sincerity that awful?”
“Yes.”
Javier’s head nodded up and down as if that was obviously the case.
Just then, however, a completely contradictory message popped in front of Loyd’s eyes.
[Javier Asrahan is moved by your sincere words.]
[The uncomfortable doubts Javier Asrahan has been harboring toward you are disappearing.]
[Your countless kind and considerate gestures are finally being interpreted by Javier Asrahan as they are without any misunderstanding.]
The cascading message appeared, using the back of Javier’s silver hair as the background.
Lloyd widened his eyes as he looked at it.
[Your likeability with Javier Asrahan has increased by fourteen points.]
[Current RP with Javier Asrahan: plus five]
[You have earned 252 RP by greatly improving relationships with the main character.]
[Current RP: 1607]
[The intimacy level with Javier Asrahan has increased two levels from
[You have earned fifty RP as a bonus for the two-level increase in intimacy.]
[Current RP: 1657]
Lloyd earned more than 300 RP in an instant.
This is almost like when I achieved a great social achievement.
The pack included a total of eighteen RP. Lloyd heartily stared at the back of Javier’s head as if he were looking at a bar of gold. If he could, he wanted to stroke Javier’s chestnut-like head.
At the same time, Lloyd realized one thing.
There was a reason why my likeability with this one increased only menially.
Honestly, Lloyd had done a lot for Javier up to this point. He had cured his malignant insomnia for him, helped complete the Asrahan Core Technique when Javier was stuck and risked his life and piggybacked Javier out of the ant cave. Not only that, he had taught Javier the mana blast, which was an advanced skill for the Asrahan Core Technique. There were more than a few things that Javier should be grateful for. As such, it wouldn’t have been strange if his likeability soared through the sky.
But it was different in reality.
His likeability barely increased with this man for some strange reason. Whenever he saw an increase, the change was as small and minute as an ant’s eye booger. At first, Lloyd was confused, but eventually, he accepted it.
I’d thought that it was because of his uniquely cynical attitude.
But looking back, that wasn’t the case.
It was because he didn’t trust me and doubted my sincerity.
Javier had literally built a wall around his heart. That was why Javier took all his kind gestures with a grain of salt.
You petty brat!
That was one thought he had. However, on the flip side, Lloyd somewhat understood when he put himself in Javier’s shoes.
He was saved and then raised by the baron as a child. He’s seen all of Lloyd’s foolishness throughout the entire time.
From kindergarten to when he came of age. Javier grew up to witness and watch all sorts of nasty things Lloyd did for many, many years. As such, Javier must have decided that Lloyd’s vile and horrid behavior was almost like an ancient tradition that couldn’t be discarded. A few months of acting like a changed man wasn’t enough to make Javier come around.
Javier isn’t a softie who opens his heart to others that easily.
It was Javier’s personality. He was inherently a careful person, careful of getting attached to others. He showed his true sincerity when he opened up, but that didn’t happen easily. His heart had finally started opening, though it was just by a few millimeters. Lloyd grinned at the back of Javier’s head.
“Hey,” Lloyd called.
“Yes.”
“Did you hate me that much?”
“May I be frank?”
“Yeah,” permitted Lloyd.
“I hate you even now.”
“Wow.”
“Do you remember the first time I grabbed a wooden sword when I was six?” asked Javier.
“No, not at all.”
“Master Lloyd, you broke the first ever wooden sword the lord had bestowed on me right in front of my eyes.”
“Woah…” gasped Lloyd.
“Actually, I have not thrown away the broken wooden sword.”
“Did you keep it in your room?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” asked Lloyd.
“As a way to never forget your gratitude toward the baron or something?”
“No, I keep it to not forget what you have done.”
“Ack…”
Hah, Lloyd Frontera. Seriously, how much of a piece of trash were you…
Lloyd became speechless. Now, he understood the reason behind Javier’s grouchy attitude all this time. Javier continued to speak.
“So I still horribly despise you even now. I ask you, please try your best not to act as if we are friends.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“Yes.”
[Javier Asrahan is throwing a tantrum.]
[Javier Asrahan is letting go of the deep-seated resentment in his heart.]
[Javier Asrahan, unlike his seemingly cynical attitude, feels slightly favorable towards you for listening to his words.]
[Your likeability with Javier Asrahan has increased by one point.]
[Current RP with Javier Asrahan: plus six]
[You have earned 18 RP by slightly improving your relationship with the main character.]
[Current RP: 1675]
This lying bastard…
A bitter smile escaped from Lloyd. After that, Javier’s nagging and grouchy mumbling continued. The complaints didn’t sound cold in Lloyd’s ears anymore. It was grouchy but not cold. Lloyd happily accepted his tantrum. The two of them were on a galloping horse, so they couldn’t read each other’s expressions.
However, they were wearing a similar smile. The sun had already set by the time they arrived safely at the barony. When they arrived, they found the fiefdom holding a modest festival to celebrate the completion of the water supply system. Aside from that, fresh and welcoming news awaited Lloyd.
“Right on time. Did your meeting with the viscount go smoothly?” asked the baron.
“Yes.”
The baron walked up and welcomed Lloyd first.
“Good job. You did very well.”
“Thank you,” replied Lloyd.
“All right, tell me about it a little later since everything went well. For now, I want you to take a look at this.”
The baron then pulled something out of his pocket. It was a message written on a rolled piece of parchment paper.
“It came in this afternoon. Do you remember what you asked of me the last time?” asked the baron.
“What I asked of you?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, do you mean my request for you to look into potential buyers for the treasures I obtained from the orc tribe?”
“That is right. An answer came earlier this afternoon.”
The baron flashed a big smile.
“Count Cremo in Cremo, the city of commerce, expressed his willingness to purchase all of the treasures at once, and he sent you a message asking you to bring them there.”
The baron opened the letter with a smile. Lloyd smiled the same when he read it. At last, Lloyd had the chance to sell all the treasure sitting in the storage.