Something straight out of a novel happened to me. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a novel.
An indomitable epic led by the cold-blooded hero, Javier Asrahan, the 'Iron-Blooded Knight.'
I had entered the world of that grand story. I had become the drunken young master whom Javier served during his unknown days. At the time, I didn't know it. In other words, this was the beginning of the story about how I, an ordinary civil engineering student, was reborn as the guardian of a world.
[RP (Relationship Point) system activated.]
[You can earn RP by improving your relationships with major characters.]
[Earned RP can be invested to develop talent and skills.]
[Currently held RP: 0]
Strange messages rang in my head like alarms. What the heck is RP, and what is skill creation?
"I'm tired. I'm sleepy."
Suho tossed and turned in bed, frowning. It was annoying. Of course, during the day, he attended classes. At night, he worked his part-time job. In the midst of all that, he stayed up late reading novels to change his mood, so it was natural that he was tired. No, it was almost like karma.
"But I finished all my homework."
It was fine to wake up 30 minutes later than usual. A satisfied smile appeared on Suho's face at that thought. However, his smile didn't last long.
"… Please come out."
A strange voice echoed in his ears. It was cold but had a certain sharpness to it.
"Is this a dream?"
It was probably just a sound he heard while sleeping. Suho tossed and turned again. However, that gesture didn't stop the urging voice.
"It's late. It's time to wake up, Lloyd."
... Huh? It wasn't a dream. The voice was definitely coming from right next to him.
"How?"
In his daze, his mind suddenly snapped to attention. This was a 6.5-square-meter room. He always remembered to lock the door. But someone had come in and spoken to him? Suho cautiously opened his eyes, and before he could process anything, his body froze.
"Are you awake? You woke up early today."
A silver-haired, handsome man sat neatly next to the bed. He must have just turned twenty. His face was devoid of a single smile. His appearance resembled a blade sharpened by the frost of eternal snow.
"Javier... Asrahan?" Suho muttered without realizing it. It was clear. The novel The Iron-Blooded Knight that he had read all night long. The illustration of the protagonist, Javier Asrahan, looked exactly like this man. No, it was exactly the same. Even the way he smiled with only one lip curling was elegant, almost like a painting.
"You finally remember my name. Thank you."
"..."
Looking at his expression, it didn't seem like he was thankful at all.
"But why are you here?"
Suho blurted out without thinking. Javier's smirk deepened slightly.
"Because my lord has entrusted me with your escort."
"Master? Escort?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"To prepare for when something like last night happens."
"Last night, I..."
"You were so drunk you couldn't even walk. You caused a commotion in the tavern, destroying three tables, five chairs, nineteen plates, and six candlesticks. Oh, and you also badly damaged the buffalo horn ornament the tavern owner cherished."
... I am innocent. I swear. I was just reading books in my room. But my head started to hurt. I got a hangover... and I didn't even drink alcohol. It felt a little unfair.
"Phew, let me get some water first."
Suho needed to clear his mind. He drank the water Javier had brought him and looked around the bedroom. It was unfamiliar, clean, and spacious. It was on a completely different level from the room he rented, with its dirty yellow wallpaper.
"This is amazing."
Could this really be a novel-like possession? And as a noble? Suho had accepted this reality(?)—compared to his life living in a goshiwon (shared housing) without family, this was heaven. However, there was something that caught his eye.
"What is that?"
Suho pointed to a display case opposite the bed. A red paper was stuck to it, and it didn't match the surroundings. And it wasn't just there. On the large bookshelf. On the tea table. On the chair Javier was sitting on. Even on the bed Suho had been lying on. Every piece of furniture had a red sticker attached to it.
"No way."
Suho swallowed dryly, not realizing it. The answer to his guess came with Javier's reply.
"Have you forgotten already? It's a seizure notice. It was put up yesterday."
"..."
A concise answer. And suddenly, Suho remembered. The baronial family that Javier served falls into ruin early in the novel. The baron and his wife are tricked by a conman, losing all their wealth and land, and eventually commit suicide. What about the baron's eldest son, Lloyd? He becomes an alcoholic and dies of illness. After that, Javier builds a grave for Lloyd and leaves the land. That marks the beginning of the epic journey where Javier Asrahan rises to become the protagonist.
"So, at the beginning, I was possessed by a drunken, rotten young master? Me?"
The excitement of becoming a nobleman quickly faded. Something felt off.
"Whew, it's true. It's true."
A few hours later, Suho—no, Lloyd—stood before a full-length mirror. A red seizure sticker was stuck to it, just like all the other furniture. In the mirror stood a sleek, black-haired man. It was Lloyd.
"That's me now."
Actually, he still couldn't quite believe it. But he didn't hate it. No, to be honest, he liked it. Life in Korea had been tough.
"I've had a really hard time."
He was the only son of an ordinary family. He took the college entrance exam like everyone else. He majored in civil engineering at college. But while he was in the military, something happened. The shadow of a real estate investment scam crushed his parents. When they passed away, they left him with a huge amount of debt. All their property was seized. In order to avoid the remaining debt, he had to renounce his inheritance.
"If it weren't for the low-income scholarship, I wouldn't have been able to go to school."
He studied hard. But living expenses were a separate issue. He had to work part-time. It wasn't easy to maintain his grades while working. The small room he rented was about 6.5 square meters. He had nosebleeds seven times a week. The free rice and kimchi from the dormitory were the only things that kept him alive. That's how Suho survived, by being overly careful until yesterday.
"But now, I've become a nobleman in a fantasy novel I hadn't read in years."
He wasn't a grand nobleman like a duke or an earl. He was just a baron who ran a country estate. But Lloyd liked that more.
"I hope I don't get involved in any big, unnecessary incidents. Like treason, for example."
In historical or medieval dramas, that's always the problem. No matter how successful a powerful family is, if they get involved in treason, they're done for. They're literally beheaded in one shot, with no room for excuses.
"In that case, I'd rather be a baron on the frontier. I guess it's a niche market."
There was no need to get involved in huge incidents like treason. He could live comfortably in the countryside, enjoying the honey. A peaceful life with job security in his long-standing occupation.
"Of course, this is assuming the debt to the Baron is resolved."
That's the problem.
"Why did it have to be at this moment?"
Javier's explanation came to mind. The date the seizure notice was attached was yesterday, right? In other words, if the date had been just a month or two earlier, the conman could have been stopped. Suho really wanted to grab the novelist by the collar.
"But it's already happened, so we have to deal with it."
Otherwise, the Baron and his wife will commit suicide next year. The mansion and estate will be sold, and they'll become beggars.
"It's the same as in Korea."
It was a nightmare. He didn't want to witness that again. To avoid it, he had to make money. Money to pay off the baron's debt. He stared at the mirror for a long time, then something suddenly came to mind. He turned to Javier, who was standing next to him.
"Hey."
"Yes, Lloyd?"
"Our territory, it's wealthy, right?"
"Yes."
"How much money would we get if we collected money from the people in the territory?"
"Are you talking about taxes?"
"No, not that."
"Explain...?"
"Like the IMF gold collection campaign… No, never mind."
Lloyd shook his head, wondering if collecting money from the people in the territory would help. But when he thought about it, it didn't seem right. If he collected money without justification, there would undoubtedly be a huge backlash.
"Even if you save up that much, it's not an amount that can be paid off all at once."
The plot of the novel came to mind. The deadline to repay the debt was two years away. However, before that time arrived, the Baron and his wife had committed suicide. The debt collection continued, the interest piled up, and the swamp of unpayable debt grew deeper. Trapped in that pile of debt, the couple lost all hope.
"That point is exactly one year from now."
And then, Lloyd died five months later in the attic of his regular tavern, vomiting blood. This was mentioned at the beginning of The Iron-Blooded Knight.
"Damn. This isn't even a decal."
Maybe this was exactly what my family had gone through in Korea. The more he thought about it, the more disgusted he felt.
"Tsk. Let's go for a walk."
Since ancient times, walking has been the best way to clear a complicated mind. It had been a habit since he was Kim Soo-ho in South Korea. No, it was almost his only comfort. Walking didn't cost money. So, he left the room with Javier and entered the hallway of the mansion. They happened to cross paths with a woman coming from the opposite direction. She exuded an air of culture and elegance. A middle-aged woman, she had aged gracefully.
"No way?"
A name suddenly came to mind: Marbella Frontera. The landlady of the Baron's house, and Lloyd Frontera's mother. She was the only woman of her age who could have that kind of presence in the mansion. Lloyd swallowed hard.
"We happened to run into each other right away."
Are there any parents who don't recognize their own children? Wouldn't they realize that I'm not their son? Fortunately, those worries were unfounded. The Baroness clicked her tongue as soon as she saw him.
"Are you going out to drink again?"
"..."
Her eyes turned toward him, full of worry and concern. Was it because she disapproved of her son, who drank and caused trouble every day while the house was falling apart? Lloyd couldn't figure out why.
"Enjoy it in moderation. It's not good for your health."
"..."
The woman passed by with a small sigh. Lloyd had to calm his chest in secret.
"I didn't get caught. Should I say that's fortunate?"
Lloyd Frontera was a man who drank every day as soon as he opened his eyes. Because of this, even his mother was worried about him, laden with so much prejudice.
"It's a bit bitter, though."
Suddenly, he remembered his first year of college. Back then, his family was still wealthy. He was just a freshman, naive and unaware of the world. He used to go to bars and clubs every day. Whenever he did, his mother would silently prepare a bowl of buckwheat soup for him. But now, that was all in the past, a time he couldn't return to.
"Tsk."
Lloyd bit his lower lip. His steps lengthened as he left the mansion. Was that why? The people he passed on the street hurriedly moved aside, lowering their heads to avoid making eye contact. One woman clenched her hands, trembling. A farmer's face turned pale. Thanks to this, he immediately realized his situation.
"Yeah, that's the kind of guy Lloyd was."
The content of the novel resurfaced in his mind. The scoundrel of the Baron of Frontera—that was Lloyd Frontera. When drunk, he would often break or throw things. He would brutally assault and verbally abuse his subordinates. In short, he was a piece of trash, equipped with the worst traits as a passive.
"That's why everyone hates me. Seems like I'm completely despised."
A bitter smile spread across his face.
"Hey."
He asked Javier, who was following him, in a grumbling tone.
"Why is everyone like that? They don't usually treat a lord's son like this."
That was basic common sense. The lord's son was the most powerful person in the area. So, unless the lord's son was a complete jerk, people would at least smile and pretend to respect him. They'd try to be kind, like the owner of a chicken restaurant serving the son of a building owner who stops by. Or the perennial manager who acts like a yes-man to the son of a president who joined the store as an employee. Isn't that how it should be for a lord's son?
"Generally speaking, yes."
"Generally speaking? But?"
"Yes."
"Then what about now?"
Javier's response was cold.
"It's an emergency."
"An emergency?"
"Yes. A state of emergency in the territory typically means the appearance of a threat to the livelihood and safety of the residents."
"... That's me?"
"Yes."
"Well, that's blunt."
"What's a fastball?"
"Ah, that hurts my bones. Really."
"..."
Javier stared at him, his eyes questioning the strange things Lloyd was saying. But even that expression was cold and elegant, like a painting.
"Yeah, that's the kind of guy he was. Javier."
A noble and honorable knight. A man who did not tolerate injustice. A hero, literally the epitome of a knight. In the novel, Javier eventually became famous throughout the entire continent of Laurasia. Of course, his character had not changed, even though he was unknown at this point.
"It's difficult to push forward like that. I swear I have never assaulted you, Lloyd."
"Is that so?"
"No, it hasn't happened."
"Don't you know what 'assault' is?"
"I don't know."
"Have I ever seemed unpleasant to you?"
"None. Absolutely not."
No, it seemed like there was enough. Lloyd could tell.
"This guy hates me too."
Javier was a noble knight who valued honor, so it was natural for him to despise a scoundrel like Lloyd. However, he was the one who remained by Lloyd's side until his death. He stayed loyal to his master, the Baron, until the end.
"Anyway, he's a great guy."
A swordsman who could be counted among the best in Laurasia's history. An unprecedented Grand Master. The man who would become such a legend was now Lloyd's faithful escort. Feeling a bit strange, Lloyd continued walking. Before he knew it, they had arrived at a shabby building.
"Where is this?"
"It's a tavern."
"A tavern?"
"Yes. It's where Lloyd spends more time than in the mansion."
"This is my regular pub?"
"Of course. Unless Lloyd has been frequenting other taverns without me knowing."
"..."
Oh my. Lloyd clicked his tongue internally. He was just taking a walk, yet somehow, he ended up at his usual pub. How often did he visit this place? Even though his soul had been switched, his body seemed to automatically know where to go.
-'This isn't some sort of homing instinct. Are you a dog? A salmon in its spawning season? Or are you General Kim Yu-sin?'
He muttered under his breath as he walked past the eldest son of the Baron, the original owner of this body, and turned away.
-'No matter how you look at it, drinking in the daytime is a bit much.'
Lloyd might enjoy it, but I certainly wouldn't. I already have enough to worry about, and now there's alcohol to think about too? No, I won't go there.
-"Are you leaving already?"
-"Of course," I answered immediately, but Javiel's response was unexpected.
"Then I'm disappointed."
"...What?"
"It's exactly as I said. I'm disappointed in you, Lloyd."
"Did you really expect me to treat you to a drink in the middle of the day?"
"No."
"Then?"
"I thought you came here to apologize and make amends for the trouble you caused last night."
"But you're just going to turn around and say you're disappointed?"
"Yes. It's the duty of a nobleman to take responsibility for his actions, according to his position."
"..."
This guy. I've felt it for a while now, but his sharp words are no joke. Even his fastballs could easily hit 160 km/h. In other words, Javier has an uncanny ability to deliver every piece of advice with precision, as though he's weighing every word carefully.
"This tavern is the place where the owner has worked his entire life. Even though it's a modest place, last night, Lloyd caused a lot of trouble and damaged valuable furniture in that precious space."
"..."
"Moreover, as you know, Lloyd, the owner is a single parent caring for his elderly mother."
"His mother?"
"Yes. Her health has been declining recently, and the tavern owner has been deeply worried about her."
"So, you're saying I was tormenting that poor guy?"
"Yes."
"..."
I didn't do it, but Javier's sharp remarks kept coming.
"Actually, the owner came to me last night. He said his mother was already suffering from the late winter cold and that her condition had worsened. Now, with the damage caused, he feels like she may not survive much longer."
"..."
"You can't turn away from this. After all, Lord Lloyd, you're the future owner of this territory..."
"Wait a minute. That's going a bit too far."
Lloyd cut him off. Was it because it was hard to hear? No, it was because a thought suddenly crossed his mind as he listened to Javier.
"I heard you say the tavern owner's mother is struggling with the late winter cold?"
"Yes, but..."
"Then, can't we just light a fire to warm the floor?"
"...Huh?"
"Don't the people here know about the gudeul style of heating?"
"..."
He didn't know. I could see it in his eyes. The moment Lloyd realized that, it all clicked for him.
'Now that I think about it, there wasn't any kind of sink in my bedroom at the Baron's mansion either.'
Lloyd had been a civil engineer. Wherever he went, it was a habit to examine the structure of a building first. That's how he quickly understood the layout of the Baron's house. There was no heating system, like gudeul or ondol. Instead, there was a fireplace taking up one side of the room. So, the tavern owner's house was probably similar. No, unlike the nobles' homes, where every room had a fireplace, the tavern's entire house would likely be heated by a single stove in the kitchen.
'Then of course it's cold. A fireplace loses much more heat than a stove.'
Of course, the gudeul has its downsides. To implement it, the floor would have to be completely torn out and rebuilt. The building's insulation would also need to be reinforced. And the fuel consumption would be extreme. However, both of these downsides could be…
'Overcome. No, used. I can do it.'
What if he used his professional knowledge? In the midst of the bleak reality, where there was no way to pay off the huge debt, a plan to raise a large sum of money came to mind. An idea took shape. A grand vision was forming.
'This is it. It's not just about the tavern owner's house—this is bigger. A large-scale construction project. And it has a good chance of success.'
Feeling confident, Lloyd decided to make his big idea a reality. Without wasting any time, he walked straight into the tavern.