Chapter 62: Erecting the Statue (2)
“Whew… So this is Cremo.”
Lloyd, standing on the hill, sighed, and a cold air puffed out of his mouth as he exhaled. The air immediately dissipated as it appeared. Before he knew it, winter was creeping near already. The city that stood tall and thick against the blanket of the gray sea came into Lloyd’s view.
This world also has some great cities.
That was the review of Cremo, the city of commerce. To be honest, Lloyd had been skeptical about the size of the city. He didn’t think it could be very big. He had a hazy idea that the cities here wouldn’t be comparable to the modern cities in South Korea, and even if they were big, they would be the size of small cities in the province.
However, that proved to be wrong.
Now that I’m here, I can see it’s bigger than expected.
Of course, the city didn’t have any skyscrapers like Seoul and Busan. Most of the buildings were two-stories tall, and the large ones were three or four-stories tall. Despite that, the size of the city was impressively large.
This place feels like Busan during the Middle Ages.
The hill overlooked the vast shore. The city was formed along the coastline, and a group of sailboats went in and out of the pier on the shore. The workers busily working around the pier resembled a colony of ants, and surely, the size and vitality reflected the city’s location at the center of the province.
And I was able to learn some quite useful skills on our way here.
He suddenly recalled his journey after departing the Frontera barony.
“Hey, Javier?”
“Yes, Master Lloyd.”
“Teach me how to ride a horse.”
It was three mornings after they set off on the journey to Cremo. Lloyd, who had been goofing around in the carriage, spoke to Javier. He thought that it’d be good to learn the skill since he was traveling anyway. Besides, he was getting unbearably bored of dozing off in the carriage.
Not to mention, it’s so burdensome to ride behind Javier every time I ride the horse.
In fact, Lloyd didn’t know how to ride the horse. Suho Kim of South Korea and Lloyd Frontera, the owner of this body, didn’t know a thing about horse riding.
The reason was simple
.
Lloyd chose to drink and party over learning how to ride a horse.
However, he coincidentally received a chance to travel afar. It was the perfect opportunity to learn the skill.
“So teach me horse riding. How about it?”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Javier nodded. Lloyd cocked his head to the side.
“Huh…? Why are you agreeing?”
“Is there a reason for me to deny your request?”
“No, there isn’t. But why are you being so complaisant?”
“Javier, is that you? You’re not him, are you? Tell me honestly. Where is Javier? Where did you hide him?”
“Do you not want to learn how to ride a horse?”
“Tsk. You are such a buzzkill.”
“I do not want to exchange jokes with you, Master Lloyd.”
“How much?”
“I’d rather scrape the dirt off my foot and eat it.”
“Wow.”
Lloyd wondered if he truly hated it to that extent, but his words betrayed his face, which had a faint smile.
“Then come over here. Before we get started, I will teach you the basics of horseback riding.”
That was how Lloyd started to take horseback riding lessons with Javier. Their journey was slow but steady. Winter came closer with each passing day. As the wind blew colder, Lloyd’s riding posture stabilized.
The better he became at horseback riding, the closer he got to Cremo city. And today at last…The delegation safely arrived at Cremo after enduring fifteen days of the cold and bitter winter wind.
“Now, let’s find a place to rest,” instructed Lloyd.
They went down the hill and entered the city. Just like its name as the city of commerce, the roads were wide and crowded. People from all over the region bustled through the streets as carriages and humans passed alongside each other. Merchants and customers yelled at each other to settle on a price. Beads of sweat streaked down the faces of the porters, who were flushed red. The streets rippled with a wave of people moving through the crowd, and everyone shouted from all directions. The City of Cremo was a chaotic mixture reminiscent of bibimbap. The sight dazed everyone in the delegation. The twenty civil engineers became dumbfounded and speechless as they experienced their first encounter with a bustling metropolis like Cremo. The same went for Javier. No, in his case, it was worse for him.
His eyes constantly scanned around the area nonstop. He strove to take in all the sounds that came around him. The sword master’s position an arm’s reach from him, Javier’s senses were incredibly sensitive even giving him insomnia. When the man was thrown into the congested streets, his senses became overwhelmed. He felt the congestion clearer and more vividly than anyone else in the area. Lloyd’s wry smile became just as wide.
“Hey,” called Lloyd.
“Yes, Master Lloyd.”
“Loosen up.”
“I am loosened up.”
“It doesn’t look like it.”
“I really am.”
“Then why do your eyes keep rolling to the sides?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re practically scanning the entire area right now. It’s like you’re in the middle of a war.”
Javier flinched but remained silent.
Me? I was that tense?
Lloyd continued to speak.
“I understand this is your first time in such a chaotic place, but can you please be a little more natural? It’s so obvious you’re a country bumpkin.”
“Don’t just stand there. Let’s go.”
Lloyd tapped Javier on the shoulder. Javier followed, a little bit confused.
“Master Lloyd.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you okay, Master Lloyd?”
“Me? What do you mean?”
“I am asking if you are not feeling overwhelmed by the chaos.”
“Yeah. I’m fine. This place isn’t too crowded.”
Lloyd let out a chuckle. It was true, compared to his old home country, South Korea, the congestion of this city felt like nothing.
If you think about the rush hour in Sindorim station, well, this place feels like a peaceful park.
Sindorim station produced an infinite number of human sandwiches as passengers constantly flooded in and out of the train. Anybody could get a free taste of someone’s armpit as it rushed toward their mouth. Everyone was indiscriminately shoved against each other by force. Sindorim Station during rush hour was a hellish place. Lloyd had a plethora of experiences with the chaos and congestion of the Sindorim Station. He was a veteran there.
I had to ride from the Sindorim Station if I wanted to get home from school. Oh, my eventful past.
Lloyd put away his memories as if he were bestowing a medal on his old self. He tactfully led the delegation, which was left half-dazed by the congestion.
“Stop spacing out everyone, and come over here.”
They moved to one side of the bustling road. By asking the merchants for directions, they were able to find a decent inn without wandering around for long. Lloyd then lightly unpacked and cleaned himself. Afterward, he took Javier with him to the center of the city. They moved toward the large mansion that stood tall above the others. It was the manor of Count Cremo, the great lord of the Cremona province and the owner of this very city.
He is also my kind customer who will buy all of the treasures I brought today.
Whatever the case was, the purpose of coming to this place rested on selling the treasures from the orc tribe to help pay off their debt. Thankfully, getting into the count’s mansion was easy.
“I am Lloyd Frontera, the eldest son of Baron Frontera. I am here to show you the items you have expressed your desire to purchase via letter.”
He showed the necklace, which was engraved with a symbol of the Frontera barony. It was also the identification that proved his membership in the noble family. Just like that, Lloyd passed through the gate. Past the vast stadium-sized garden, he walked into the main building of the estate.
It’s gigantic.
The mansion undoubtedly had the size befitting its status. It couldn’t be compared to the one in the Frontera barony, which just barely passed as a mansion. This, on the other hand, was the type of estate owned by Hollywood celebrities shown on TV, or closer to the elegant mansions that belonged to the European nobles. That was the kind of mansion Lloyd and Javier were standing before.
“The count is currently at the parlor. Please follow me.”
The old man, who looked like the butler of the mansion, led the way from the main building gate. Lloyd walked around, guided by the old man. The butler began to speak.
“It must have been a long journey from the Frontera barony. Given your distance from the city, allow me to share with you some special precautions as you may not know the count’s current situation.”
“Precautions?” asked Lloyd.
The butler spoke as he continued walking. “The count’s spirit is not very well these days. Therefore, when you meet him, I ask you to keep the conversation to the minimum outside of formalities.”
“Do you mean I should speak only what is necessary?”
“Yes. For there is no need to utter something unnecessary and be nitpicked for your words.”
“Is that how disturbed he is?” asked Lloyd.
“Yes.”
“Excuse me, if it is not too much, may I know why?” asked Lloyd carefully.
The count was the most powerful man in this province. What would happen if Lloyd made a mistake in front of him and he got on the count’s bad side? The consequences would be devastating and Lloyd didn’t want that to happen. Thus, it would be best if he acted carefully. To Lloyd’s relief, the butler explained without putting up a fight as if he understood where Lloyd was coming from.
“It is because of the series of delayed constructions.”
“Construction delays? What do you mean?”
“The count is currently pushing ahead with the installation of the statue in the sea, but things have been slowing down lately.”
“Installation of the statue…”
Oh, I know. The reason the count decided to purchase my second treasures in the first place was to get cheap jewels to adorn the statue with.
“Things are slowing down, I see. But what is behind the delay?”
“No developer is coming forth to lead the construction.”
The butler continued to explain.
“From the very beginning, the count has always planned on erecting a giant mermaid statue on the shore. It was the solution to a long-standing problem of ours.”
“A long-standing problem?”
“Gigatitan.”
“Oh.” Lloyd nodded.
Lloyd recalled something when he heard the name.
Gigatitan is, as far as I can remember, a giant monster that looks like a lobster.
In The Knight of Blood and Iron, the monster was described as having a 295-foot-long body and a shell so hard and thick that no cannons from the warships could penetrate into it.
It’s normally known to reside in the deep sea, but I remember, this city was an exception.
The only exception, actually. It must have been about ten years ago. One Gigatian appeared in the sea of the peaceful Cremo port. It instantly demolished two passing merchant ships. Because of that…
“The count requested help from the Royal Navy. His Majesty accepted it right away as soon as he realized the gravity of the situation. The navy fleet confidently took off to take care of the giant monster.”
The butler continued to explain.
“However, all three attempts to kill the creature failed. It was so because there was no means even for the navy to lay an attack on the Gigatian in the water. In fact, the navy turned back home after losing three ships.”
The old man’s explanation was the same as described in the novel. Lloyd nodded in understanding.
Afterward, the Gigatitan goes to inhabit the coast of Cremo. The Royal Navy decides to wait and see, and the count has no choice but to accept the fate of uncomfortable co-existence with the giant monster.
Thankfully, however, the monster appeared only about three or four times a year, and it never attacked the city on land. That was what made it possible for the city to bear the discomfort of living with the monster. The city then made observation posts across the nearby coasts. They were meant to observe the emergence of the Gigatitan. The observation posts used beacon fires and reflectors when they noticed the emergence of the monster. Once the news was received, the port issued an escape order to all the ships on the coast. When that happened, the ships sailed far away into the sea. Thanks to such an alert system, there were only a few instances of ships getting wrecked in the decade following the monster’s first emergence.
As such, the palace entirely scrapped its plan to kill the monster. There was only one reason. The loss that would be incurred during the process of killing the monster looked to be greater than the loss in continuing their uncomfortable co-existence with the monster.
In fact, their evaluation was spot on. It certainly was the case overall. Losing one or two ships intermittently proved to be less damage than deploying a massive number of navy capabilities to the monster. However, Count Cremo begged to differ.
“And just like that, it has been ten years since we last decided to coexist with the monster. We have since seen a forty percent reduction in trade.”
The butler sighed at length. Lloyd nodded in understanding.
He’s right. Ten years later, the city will be overshadowed by another port for its role in commerce.
This was all because of the Gigatitan. It didn’t cause any immediate damage in the moment, but it was a disaster that was waiting to blow up at any time. From the merchants’ shoes, that alone was risk enough of losing a ship.
I think that’s why they all went away to use other ports.
That was likely why the count decided to put up the statue. It was his way of going against the Gigatitan. Lloyd cocked his head to the side. “So, will erecting the mermaid statue drive away the Gigatitan?”
“Yes, it is likely,” the butler nodded as if it was obvious.
“This is not a simple myth. The mermaids are the most powerful tribe in the sea.”
“Ah, I am already aware of that.”
It was the indisputable truth. In the background of The Knight of Blood and Iron, the mermaids in this world were truly powerful. They weren’t the same as the weak and frail creatures who sang songs under the sea in cartoons. They were so muscular and strong that swimmers with Olympic gold medals looked like a child compared to them. Their shoulders were as wide as the Pacific. Their pecs looked firm enough to bounce off flying meteors. They had prominent six-pack abs. Their thick veins look like worms. Literally speaking, they were unrivaled swimmers who spent their whole lives doing hardcore, extreme training. If the orcs were the buff tribe on land, it was the mermaids in the sea.
“Does it mean that you can receive help from the mermaids if you put up the statue?” asked Lloyd.
“We will not be receiving the help, but we can scare the monster.”
“Scare the monster?”
“Yes. Sometimes, the mermaids form a giant army and hunt down the Gigatitan.”
“Aha. So you mean that putting up a giant version of the mermaid would discourage the monster as it will be led to think that it has met its nemesis.”
“That is right. It may possibly go somewhere else once it feels threatened.”
“Hmm, that does make sense.”
This wasn’t a surefire method, but it did hold some potential. The count must have thought that alone was reason enough to erect a mermaid statue.
“But did you say that there are no developers? That is a little strange.”
It indeed was strange. The count was pushing ahead with the construction for the prosperity of the city. The compensation would certainly be massive, so why did no one step forward to take the job? With a short sigh, the butler explained and answered Lloyd’s curiosity.
“The required construction is extremely difficult and esoteric. No, it is almost impossible.”
“How so?”
“What do you think is necessary to put up a statue in the sea?”
“Of course,” said Lloyd, “you need firm ground.”
“Yes, that is right. But the count has added a condition in constructing the foundation.”
“What was it?”
“He wants the ground the statue will be on to be vertically stacked to the surface.”
“Phew.” Lloyd licked his lips in regret.
He finally understood why no developers had volunteered to take the project, and it was because of the statue’s foundation.
An ordinary reclamation method will never satisfy his condition.
Generally, creating land on top of the sea required a ginormous amount of soil to be poured into it. That would cause the ocean floor to become the shape of a pyramid.
However, the count raised opposition to this common method. He had set this ridiculous condition for the construction, but this term was just one of his desperate attempts. Lloyd was able to guess somewhat why the count made such a condition.
“Did he put such a condition because he didn’t want the construction to interfere with the navigation of the ships?”
“Is that your guess?”
“Yes, though simply put.”
The butler widened his eyes when Lloyd asked the question. Lloyd silently put a smile on his face.
Yes, this port didn’t have a wide waterway at the entrance.
He recalled the geography of the shore on his way here. It was sunk in the shape of a half-moon. Compared to the size of the natural port, this one didn’t have a wide waterway.
That must have been the reason why the count flustered everyone by setting such a peculiar condition for construction.
The waterways are already narrow enough, it’ll get even more difficult when the reclamation process narrows it further. The water level around the reclaimed land would become seriously shallow.
The current waterway was extremely narrow, and it was going to get narrower. That would affect the navigation of the ships, and if they were struck with bad luck, they’d be stranded or crash. One wrong decision to drive out the Gigatitan could blow up into a ludicrous disaster if the waterway got narrowed and became avoided by everyone.
But it’s not like the statue can be put up far into the sea. The water would be too deep in the first place to start construction if that’s the case.
Lloyd could see the dilemma the count was going through as he tried to put up the statue to drive away the Gigatitan and preserve the waterway.
“Can’t it be built on land? There seems to be enough space beside the port.”
“That will be difficult.”
The butler made a bitter smile at Lloyd’s question.
“It must be erected on top of water. Do you think the Gigatitan will fear a mermaid resting on land? The mermaid had to be in the water or at least in shallow waters. That was how the mermaid would look real and threatening to the Gigatitan.”
“Aha.”
So that’s why they’re trying to build it in the sea instead of comfortably on the land.
However, the construction was not going as well as he thought it would go. Lloyd understood at last why the count was in a bad mood.
“Anyway, this is the reason why no developers have come forth to start the construction for several months now.”
Before Lloyd knew it, he was already in front of the parlor. The butler stopped in the hallway and turned around to face Lloyd. His gaze was serious, and his voice sounded firm.
“You will now be meeting the count. So, make sure to refrain from making any unnecessary remarks. In particular, be careful that you do not mention the words ‘Gigatitan,’ ‘statue,’ ‘construction,’ etc. Please keep my advice in mind. I answered all your questions to make sure that we are on the same page. Do you understand, Young Master?”
“Yes, I will keep it in mind.”
Lloyd nodded with a sincere expression on his face. The butler smiled in satisfaction and knocked on the door.
“Thank you for understanding. Well then.”
At last, a clear ring of a bell signaled them to come inside. The butler opened the door, and he elegantly motioned his hand. Lloyd entered the parlor guided by the butler. A middle-aged man with a strong build stood inside the parlor. He looked highly dignified and was dressed luxuriously. He was Count Cremo. Lloyd bowed in respect as soon as he saw the count.
Recalling the very words the butler had said a while ago, Lloyd courteously introduced himself, saying, “I, Lloyd Frontera, the eldest son of the Frontera family, am honored to be in your presence to be given the opportunity to suggest a new ‘construction’ method for building the foundation where the ‘statue’ will be put up to drive the ‘Gigatitan’ away.”