[Haviel Asrahan's affinity toward you has increased by +2.]
[Current relationship with Haviel Asrahan: -29]
[You have acquired 36 RP due to a slight improvement in relationship with a key figure.]
[Current RP held: 36]
[You can invest the acquired RP to awaken talent skills.]
'What the hell is this?'
Messages floated in lines before his eyes in midair.
They felt strangely familiar somehow.
'Come to think of it, I saw something like this when I first arrived here.'
It was when Haviel had first woken him up.
He vaguely remembered hearing something about RP back then.
'I thought it was just a weird dream.'
But now it seemed it wasn't.
Either way, it was absurd.
What were talent skills? And what the heck was RP?
'Affinity? Relationship improvement with key figures?'
Lloyd's eyes darted quickly.
He repeatedly checked the messages hovering in the air before him.
The content wasn't hard to understand.
'Haviel's affinity went up, and our relationship improved a bit? So I got this RP thing, and I can use it to awaken skills?'
Lloyd stopped walking.
He turned to look at Haviel.
"Hey."
"Yes."
"What were you just thinking?"
"What do you mean, sir?"
"Were you secretly trash-talking me or sizing me up? Like, 'Man, that guy's a total lost cause, but now that I look closer, he's not as much of a screw-up as I thought,' something along those lines."
"I have never done that."
"You did. You totally did."
"I have not."
"For real? You didn't think I was a complete piece of trash all this time?"
"Yes."
Haviel said it with a straight face.
"There is no purely trash-like person anywhere in this world. No matter how hopeless a human might be, deep down in some corner of their heart, isn't there at least a faint glimmer of something human? That's what I think."
"...That's real comforting."
To say it again, Haviel had this uncanny talent for hurling straight balls that hit with precision—juicy, bone-deep, straight to the marrow—without even realizing it himself.
"Tch. Let's just head home."
He started walking again.
They returned to the baron's mansion.
He sent Haviel off to his quarters.
Once alone, he locked the bedroom door.
He finally opened the messages related to skills.
The method was simple.
"Skill window."
He tried it just in case.
[Opening the skill window.]
"Whoa. It actually works."
He'd thought that stepping into a novel meant novel-like things would happen.
But reality was turning out to be way more novel-like than he'd imagined.
Lloyd marveled as he scanned the skill window that appeared before him.
[Current list of awakenable talent skills]
[Surveying knowledge for terrain and space detected.]
[...Soil mechanics knowledge detected.]
[...Hydrology knowledge detected.]
[Combining the above, 'Basic Surveying' skill can be awakened.]
[RP required for awakening = 15]
'What?'
Surveying.
The literal foundation of civil engineering.
Surveying terrain and space before designing any structure.
Because that's where construction begins.
'And I can awaken that surveying skill?'
It seemed the types of awakenable skills were heavily influenced by one's existing knowledge or talents.
Lloyd became convinced of that fact as more messages appeared.
[Material mechanics knowledge detected. Statics knowledge for handling stationary objects detected.]
[...Structural mechanics knowledge detected.]
[...Sewerage knowledge detected.]
[...Steel structure design and reinforced concrete design knowledge detected.]
[...Extensive knowledge and experience with CAD programs detected.]
[Combining the above talents, 'Basic Design' skill can be awakened.]
[RP required for awakening = 20]
"..."
Surveying plus design. All fields he'd studied to death in school.
Lloyd clenched his fist without realizing it.
'Jackpot.'
He'd been planning to start a construction business anyway.
To pay off the baron's debts.
To make big money.
With an eye toward large-scale civil engineering projects down the line.
And the most essential things for that were precise surveying and design.
'But there's no equipment like that here. Forget GPS surveying. And design? Even worse.'
Even ondol room blueprints had to be drawn by hand.
It was right then that he missed the CAD he'd used so conveniently back in Korea.
But now it was offering to equip him with all that as skills.
Lloyd made a bold decision.
'Awaken Basic Surveying and Basic Design, both of them.'
He invested 15 RP into Basic Surveying first.
The response was immediate.
[Basic Surveying skill has been awakened.]
[Skill Name: Basic Surveying]
[Consumes a small amount of mana. Accurately calculates terrain, area, and elevation of land observed with the naked eye as precise numerical values. Also roughly assesses the properties of soil and water forming the terrain surface.]
[Area that can be surveyed at once: 100㎡]
'Is this for real?'
Lloyd rubbed his eyes.
He could survey a 10-meter by 10-meter area with just his eyes.
And even grasp the soil quality and water properties within that range.
It was outright cheat-level.
'Let's test it out.'
He opened the bedroom window.
The bedroom was conveniently on the second floor.
He had a clear view of the mansion's inner courtyard.
He activated the skill while looking over the courtyard.
"Basic Surveying."
[Beginning survey.]
A message chimed.
At the same time, part of his vision shifted like augmented reality.
10 meters wide.
10 meters long.
Countless numbers and data overlays appeared over that terrain range.
"Whoa."
It felt like turning on a 3D map hack in his head.
While he was at it, he invested the remaining 20 RP to awaken Basic Design too.
[Basic Design skill has been awakened.]
[Skill Name: Basic Design]
[Consumes a small amount of mana. Summons the contents of a desired blueprint in midair as three-dimensional points, lines, and surfaces. Automatically detects and corrects physical property errors in the blueprint.]
[Volume of structure that can be represented at once: 1,000㎥]
'Then let's test this one too.'
He activated the skill right away.
A virtual black space formed in the air before him.
Inside it, he could freely manipulate points, lines, and surfaces.
He could even import the terrain from the Basic Surveying he'd just done!
It was exactly like using CAD as an unrestricted futuristic 3D hologram version.
'Whoa. This is insane.'
At this point, it was beyond admiration—enough to make him faint.
This must be how it feels to become the god of architecture.
'Of course, the surveying and design areas are still pretty small for now.'
That would sort itself out as he leveled up the skills later.
Still, Lloyd felt a twinge of regret.
'It'd be nice if I had talents for heavy machinery or construction equipment too.'
Then he could probably make construction equipment.
But he didn't have those talents.
He was a civil engineering major.
Not mechanical engineering.
Lloyd clicked his tongue in regret as he looked over the skill window.
Then his gaze suddenly stopped on one spot.
'What's this?'
[Fantasy Beast Gacha]
[Invest RP to draw a Fantasy Beast.]
[Powerful and unique Fantasy Beasts will offer absolute loyalty to their summoning master and provide various abilities.]
...read the description.
'Like a gacha pull. Mobile game style?'
What a random thing to have.
He wanted to try it if he could.
But he couldn't.
He didn't have enough RP left.
[1 pull = 50 RP]
'Tch, not even close.'
He'd used up most of his RP awakening the two skills.
Leaving him with just 1 RP.
'Need to farm more RP.'
He already knew how.
Gain affinity from the key people around him.
And improve relationships that way.
He actually had quite a few ways to do that.
Especially at this point in time.
'This is exactly that moment.'
A scene from the novel suddenly came to mind.
Early in Iron-Blooded Knight.
Back when Haviel was still with the baron's family.
The Baron Frontera was tormented daily by debt collectors who showed up constantly.
Maybe even today.
He called a servant.
Quietly asked.
The servant nodded.
"Ah, yes, young master. Some guests just came looking for the lord a little while ago."
As expected.
Guests at this time.
Lloyd grinned.
'Look at this timing. Perfect when I need it.'
He needed it just in time.
And a great idea to earn more RP had come to him.
Lloyd left the bedroom and headed to the baron's study.
♣
"...so what are you gonna do about it, huh!"
As he approached the study, an agitated voice leaked into the hallway.
Was the old mansion just poorly insulated?
Or was the commotion inside louder than expected?
Lloyd realized it was the latter only after opening the door.
"Baron, how long are you gonna keep putting this off? You've already missed the due date by five days!"
"That's right. If you keep dragging this out, we won't just sit idly by."
The debt collectors who had come were two men.
A pot-bellied fatty.
A skinny guy with a pallid, sickly face.
Both had hands on hips, chins raised arrogantly.
Meanwhile, what was Baron Frontera doing?
He sat slumped in his study chair, sighing heavily over and over.
His drooping shoulders and expression made him look like a guilty man.
'Well, can't blame him.'
The potbelly and skinny guy visiting the baron's mansion today.
They were vicious loan sharks.
They never gave up on collecting what was owed.
They'd even sell a debtor's corpse if they had to.
'Of course, they end up getting their heads chopped off by Haviel for pulling that crap.'
But that was still in the future.
A year from now, after the baron killed himself.
'Tch, how'd he end up borrowing from scum like that.'
Lloyd clicked his tongue involuntarily.
He stepped forward.
Spoke in a calm, steady voice.
"No matter what anyone says, Baron Frontera is the lord of this territory. If you're guests, show the respect due to him."
Only then did they notice him.
The two loan sharks turned to look.
The baron raised his deeply bowed head.
"Lloyd?"
The baron's surprised voice.
Lloyd gave a slight bow toward him.
The potbelly tilted his head and butted in.
"And who might you be?"
"The eldest son of this house."
"Eldest son?"
"Yes."
"Ah, the eldest son with the notoriously bizarre reputation?"
"I'm somewhat famous because of it."
"So that's why you're barging in so rudely while adults are talking?"
"For the honor of the baron family, lords of this territory."
"Then that's a problem."
"Why's that?"
"Because it looks like the lord of this territory's about to change."
"Whether it does or not, we'll see if we wait a bit longer."
Lloyd smiled thinly.
"For now, let's see your invitation."
"...What?"
The potbelly's eyebrow twitched.
Lloyd sneered at him even more.
"Invitation. Don't have one?"
"At a time like this, talking about invita—"
"Kingdom Noble Law, Article 3, Section 6. All nobles of the kingdom, regardless of rank or status, hold the rights and honors befitting vassals of the crown. Nobles may exercise their right to protect their privileges."
"What the—"
"To be precise under kingdom law, visiting a noble household without an invitation constitutes grounds for trespassing under the Kingdom Noble Law."
"You're saying we've trespassed right now?"
"Ah, you get it now?"
Lloyd clapped his hands.
Who actually followed that law in real life?
But it was an actual, existing statute.
Suddenly, a satisfying scene from early in the novel Iron-Blooded Knight came to mind.
Right after the Baron and his wife committed suicide.
A funeral was held at the baron's mansion.
The two loan sharks showed up at the funeral.
They threw a fit, demanding the corpses to sell.
That's when Haviel drew his sword.
He cited that exact law.
Slashed them down in one stroke.
Haviel was put on trial afterward.
Luckily, he faced no punishment.
The law did exist, and the loan sharks had overstepped by barging in without invitation and causing a scene.
'Of course, it's not that bad yet, so I can't kill them outright.'
But it was perfect for kicking them out.
"So, please leave for now. Next time you visit, come having learned some manners."
"You think you can just do this and face no consequences?"
"We'll see about that if we wait a bit longer."
The two loan sharks growled.
Pathetic.
Lloyd saw them off with a mocking gaze as they stormed out of the study, fuming.
Only then did Baron Frontera's bewildered voice ring out.
"What... what have you just done?"
He turned to see the baron's face completely frozen.
Well.
Of course.
'When he should be placating the aggressive debt collectors, instead he provoked them and chased them off.'
Lloyd gave a wry smile.
Hyena-like bastards.
Bitter memories from Korea surfaced.
His parents scammed by an investment fraud.
Debt collectors hounding them every day.
His father's back, shrinking smaller each day under the pressure.
'I'll never let that happen again.'
The weaker you cower, the more they push.
Especially against scum like that.
But the baron wasn't in a position for that right now.
Standing tall under pressure is way harder than it sounds.
No—realistically, nearly impossible.
"Answer me. What exactly did you just do?"
The baron's face was twisting up.
He probably thought his clueless son had botched everything.
In times like this, showing was better than explaining for pages.
Lloyd pulled a pouch from his pocket.
Set it on the baron's desk.
It landed with a heavy clink.
"Don't worry."
"What?"
"This should cover this month's interest. Use it to smooth things over. They'll quiet down for a while."
"What... is this?"
The contract money from selling the ondol rooms today.
But he didn't explain directly.
There was someone far more trustworthy than him, at least for now.
"If you're curious, call Sir Asrahan and ask."
Lloyd bowed to the baron.
He slipped out of the study quickly before he could be grabbed.
"Whew."
Only then did his held breath burst out.
He shook his head to calm his pounding heart.
He didn't head to the bedroom.
Instead, he went to the training grounds in the back yard.
The grounds were filled with moonlight, not people.
He paced a bit, waiting.
About an hour later.
'It should be about time for a reaction.'
That's when he thought that.
Finally, the awaited response came.
Ding-dong.
[Arkos Frontera Baron's affinity toward you has increased by +6.]
[Current relationship with Arkos Frontera Baron: -14]
[You have acquired 60 RP due to relationship improvement with a key figure.]
[Current RP held: 61]
'Got it.'
Lloyd clenched his fist.
As expected, the baron must have called Haviel.
He'd heard about what Lloyd had been up to lately through Haviel's explanation.
'Right on plan.'
Explaining your own good deeds has less impact.
Especially from a guy with a history of screw-ups.
'Good job, Haviel.'
Haviel would have explained coolly and objectively.
Making it more credible.
'Thanks to that, I've got 61 RP stacked up.'
Worth waiting in the empty training grounds.
Finally, the time had come to pull his first Fantasy Beast.
(End of Chapter 5)
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