#this is (mostly) not a dig against bk moon. he was just writing a funky novel with funky characters. and im sure he didn't mean any harm!

[lloydfrontera]

it doesn't even make sense from a narrative sense!!! that's not what lloyd wished!! he never wanted that kind of position!! it goes directly against what he wished for!! not even in a satisfying 'challenge your character's goal' way! like!!

ok here, let me show you what i mean

"Yes. it's just... All I ever wanted was a proper family that would greet me after i came home from work. With them, I thought it would be nice to live an ordinary and happy life with the money I make.”  “So?”  “So, I worked hard every day. That is, before I found myself here. But my dream hasn’t changed even after I got here.”  “To start a family?”  “Yes, though I've come to covet one more thing,” confessed Lloyd.  “What’s that?”  “Lazing around for the rest of my life.”  “Oh?” Verkis sounded intrigued.  “Now that I have a prosperous life in this fiefdom, I want to protect it and enjoy everything that it offers. And now, I want to stay here and laze around for the rest of my life. With my family, I have come to yearn for the relaxed life of a retiree. And that is why...”  Lloyd meant every word he said, and his voice now contained force.  “It will be just burdensome for me to obtain more power, larger territories, a stronger military, or something along that line. I'll be kept away from leisure to deal with it all. Doesn't it seem like a lot of work? Thus, my only wish is for my family and the people around me to be at ease and happy. I want to live the rest of my life surrounded by their warmth without another day of work.”  “And that is why the Jewel of Truth is a burden to you?”  “Yes, since I already have everything necessary to make my dream come true. Nothing more is needed. So long as I stop the restoration of destiny, I'll be able to achieve my goal. Anything beyond that would just become a stumbling block to my dream.”  -Chapter 313: Swordsmaster Syndrome (1)

like. c'mon. this was such a good moment! it's good storytelling!!

at the start of the story you have lloyd who has lost his loved ones, who is struggling to barely keep himself afloat and whose only wish is to have a family that would welcome him home and enough to keep it safe and comfortable. and he thinks the only way to achieve this is to marry and have kids because that's pretty much the only way our amatonormative society considers appropriate.

and then as the plot goes on we start to realize that. no. actually lloyd doesn't really need to do that because. well. he's already getting a family. as he gets closer and closer to the fronteras and javier you realize that lloyd's wish is coming true!

All I ever wanted was a proper family that would greet me after i came home from work.

and what's better is that it comes to a point lloyd himself realizes this. he realizes that despite his attempts to keep his distance and not take a place he feels he hasn't earned he already loves his new family so much he's willing to do anything to keep them safe no matter the cost.

This change was also manifested in Count Arcos and Countess Marbella, who chucked their gardenind gadgets and rushed to his side. "Lloyd!" "My, are you alright?!" Both of them were completely out of breath as they wrapped their arms around Lloyd. Their hands were caked with dirt that they failed to shake off on their way to him. Lloyd was grateful for that. He was overwhelmed with gratitude toward them for regarding him as their son and always warmly welcoming him with open arms. And he was more appreciative that their concerns preceded their warm welcome and joy to see him. [...] Touched, Lloyd grabbed the count and countess' hands and he looked at the count, his eyes wet with tears. "I am proud of you," Count Arcos encouraged as he patted Lloyd's shoulder. "Good job." "Thank you." Lloyd choked up once more. He then made a decision. He would protect them. He would work harder from now on as he wanted to be with them for as long as possible. With that resolution, he flashed a big smile as he held back his tears. Then he spoke the words he always yearned to say when he had a family. "I am home..." -Chapter 308: Changing the Construction Site (3)

again! lloyd's wish was to have a family, people he loved and the could come back to when he came home. that's it. the 'wife and children' detail was just him working with what he believed was his only option. but then plot happens and he comes to realize that actually no it isn't. there's other ways to get a loving family and he's already doing it. he's already achieved it! now he only has to fight to protect it.

it's a perfect arc. you set up expectations and then you subvert them without cheating your audience of seeing their main character not get his heart's desire just not in the way he initially envisioned. it's great.

and then. you marry him off and separate him from the family he worked so hard to gain and protect so he can have a straight marriage and children. because obviously you can't have a happy ending without that. right. forgot about that 🙄

sigh. anyway. onto better things.

if i think too long about the ending making lloyd leave the home he worked so hard to save behind along with the new found family he sacrificed his life for so he can move to a place he has no emotional connection to where he only knows two people (one of which is actually following him from the aforementioned home) in order to make him get a standard "have a wife and children" 'happy' ending i start wanting to bite people not gonna lie