The Greatest Estate Designer - Chapter 39

The black mage was dead. Of course, Lloyd didn’t watch the process in person. Inside, he was still Kim Suho from the Republic of Korea. He had no desire to watch people die.

‘Once was enough.’

The image of the last time he saw his parents flashed through his mind. Lloyd frowned and buried it deep within his heart before returning to reality.

“Hey. hey. Be careful, everyone. Don’t lose focus and step on the wrong spot. Keep an eye on the ground to avoid tripping over a stone.”

“We understand!” the soldiers replied.

These emaciated soldiers were imprisoned and nearly starved to death. Because of the remaining magic booby traps, guiding them out of the dungeon wasn’t an easy task. It took them several hours to cautiously get out of the dungeon.

After that, Lloyd ordered Javier to retrieve the items inside the dungeon’s laboratory. The insulation materials that were piled on one side of the lab were also brought out. 

Obviously, this didn’t mean all of the tasks had been completed. After all, the soldiers’ condition was at the lowest point.

“Argh, these guys are struggling because of their weakened bodies  as a result of what happened, huh. Give it to me, punk,” Lloyd said.

“Wha-? Young master?”

“That’s enough, give it to me.”

The soldier was struggling when he tried carrying a straw bale for the Seokbinggo’s insulation down the mountain. Lloyd approached the soldier and casually snatched the straw bale. The soldier, whose straw bale had been seized, was understandably taken aback.

“Ex-excuse me, young master? I should be the one carrying that. How could a noble be the one who….”

“Oh my god, you said quite a lot. However, if you collapsed, who are you going to hold back?”

“I will not collapse.”

“Yeah, in words only?”

“….”

“Right now, your complexion looks like shit.”

“That’s…”

“I told you, due to your tardiness, the construction has been delayed for a long time. What if you passed out here? We’ll have to move even slower because I need to take care of you. Don’t you think so?”

“….”

“It’s not because I want to look good in your eyes, don’t get me wrong.”

“I-I understand.”

“If you understand, don’t faint and follow me carefully. Heave-ho!”

Lloyd slung the straw bale he’d taken from the soldier over his shoulder. Without waiting for the soldier’s response, he withdrew to the very back of the line and matched his walking pace with the slowest soldier. Of course, his mouth itched to nag the soldier incessantly.

“Hey, why are you walking while looking at me?”

“N-no, I don’t.”

“No, what do you mean no? I can sense you staring at me!”

“I apologize.”

“If you’re sorry, is your responsibility as a soldier over?”

“No, not at all.”

“Aren’t you already crossing the line?”

“….”

“Ugh, you’re going to cry if I continue to do this. Enough, let’s keep walking.”

That way, Lloyd encouraged the soldiers with his nagging and didn’t hesitate to help carry the tired soldiers’ loads. This happened repeatedly as they made their way through the mountain.

“Phew, I’m glad I can walk easily today. It seems I’m indebted to Lloyd-nim.”

“Right? Yesterday, me too.”

“Oh, me too. I’m extremely grateful.”

Late at night, the soldiers were gathering at the temporary campsite. They chattered among themselves behind Lloyd’s back, being very careful to avoid being overheard by others.

“But, is Young Master Lloyd really here to save us?”

“I suppose that’s the case.”

“What, I think he’s here to get his insulation materials back.”

“Still, he did save us. Honestly, I thought I was gonna die there.”

“I had the same thought.”

The soldiers were deeply thankful to Lloyd for saving them. When they heard Javier’s advice, their gratitude was amplified even more.

“You can’t just be awkwardly thankful; you have to live with gratitude to Lloyd for the rest of your life.”

“Huh? Sir Asrahan?”

The soldiers were visibly nervous when Javier abruptly intervened in their conversation.

Expressionlessly, Javier continued, “I advised Lloyd-nim to return to the territory first to prepare before attacking the black mage.  Nevertheless, Lloyd-nim rejected my suggestion. He was afraid that if we did that, all of you would die. That’s why he entered the black mage’s dungeon willingly and recklessly with me alone.”

“….”

“If it weren’t for Lloyd’s decision, by now, you’d have starved to death in the black mage’s dungeon or sacrificed for a ritual. I want all of you to remember that fact in your heart for the rest of your lives.”

“We understand.”

The soldiers were even more touched. After all, the one who said that wasn’t just anybody but the Sir Asrahan himself!

Javier Asrahan was not one to embellish or sugarcoat his words. He was always honest, fair, level-headed, and completely dependable.

‘For our sake, Lloyd-nim….’

That person was once called a ruffian. There was a lot of gossip and rumors about him. The soldiers themselves had spoken ill of him behind his back countless times.

That same person had put his own life on the line to save them, mere soldiers. 

Touched, the soldiers, who were sitting in front of a campfire, wiped their eyes. The smoke burns our eyes, they reasoned while smiling.

Each of them etched their grateful feelings deep within their hearts. Thanks to this, a very-welcome message popped in front of Lloyd’s eyes.

Ding dong.

[The rescued soldiers from the Construction Team are deeply moved by your actions.]

[For the time being, they are the only ones who are impressed. However, when you return to the territory later, a moving story about your actions will be widely spread by the soldiers’ word of mouth. This could grant you a social achievement.]

‘Oh, look at that~’

‘Jackpot!’, Lloyd shouted inwardly. 

Fortunately, he had succeeded in saving the soldiers and obtaining valuable magic materials. He was also able to return with all of the Seokbinggo’s insulation materials.

As soon as he arrived at the orc village, he immediately began to give the Seokbinggo some finishing touches.

‘The prolonged construction period was a critical failure.’

Civil engineering has always had to contend with the passage of time. Why? Because the longer the construction period, the higher the construction cost.

“So, let’s get moving. It’s nice to have some free days to rest without me, right?” Lloyd encouraged the Construction Team members who remained in the orc village.

Lloyd took off his jacket and personally led the construction on-site. Together with the soldiers, they worked hard. 

The lime was mixed with mud. Then, he added in appropriate amounts of rice husk, straw, and sawdust. He mixed and folded the mixture until its texture was akin to stiff porridge.

The finished product resembled urethane foam, a material used for insulation in Korea, but his was made from natural base materials.

‘This will do.’

The gaps between the stacked granite blocks and the floor were filled with handmade natural insulation. Then, it was tightly pressed, making sure there wasn’t a single empty gap. The top of the arched ceiling also got the same treatment.

“Now, make sure it’s really dense! Press, press!”

“Press, press!”

Lloyd’s command was combined with the soldiers’ yells. Amidst the loud commands and shouts, the insulation mixture covered the exterior of the arched ceiling in no time.

On top of the insulation mixture, a thick layer of lime mixed with mud was applied once more. It would act as a waterproof layer, preventing water from entering, whether it was from below or above.  Finally, a thick layer of soil was applied on top.

These made the ceiling bulky, similar to a burial mound. Only the air vents, which had been made in advance, were slightly higher than the mound. The air vents were then covered with a slab of stone each. Lastly, the thorny grass, which was a native plant of the desert, was scooped and densely planted on the ‘burial mound’. 

‘A substantial amount of this thorny grass was required to block the sun’s heat radiation.’

The blades of grass would primarily block the sun’s heat. Meanwhile, the roots would absorb the moisture from below.

“Phew, is this the last thorny grass?”

Lloyd’s shovel moved to place a clump of the thorny grass, which had been scooped up together with its roots, on top of the ‘burial mound’.

He gently pressed it down with the flat part of the shovel and watered it. The water would aid the roots stay in place.

After all of this, the construction of the Seokbinggo was finally finished.

However, there were still some things he needed to do. 

“Oiinkk? The savior has finished building the Seokbinggo. But it’s not as cool as what I heard, oink,” Arosh remarked. The young orc had come running with his nostrils palpitating when he heard the news that the construction of the Seokbinggo was complete.

The Seokbinggo was supposedly a place that could collect cool air and store food for an extended period of time. Arosh’s pectoral muscles were already tense with anticipation. 

However, when Arosh entered the Seokbinggo, he was left wondering why. The inside wasn’t as cold as he had anticipated.

“What’s wrong with this? It’s not that cold, oink.”

“Right? It’s obviously a little cooler than the sweltering summer heat outside, but it’s exactly how it should be.”

“That’s right. It’s a little cooler here than it is outside, but I’m not sure if it makes much of a difference, oiinkk.” Arosh tilted his huge head. He was a little disappointed, but he still had complete faith in his savior, Lloyd. Since Lloyd had always come up with mysterious tricks so far, Arosh wondered what was on his mind at this moment.

Arosh’s guess was right.

“True, it’s not going to be very cold just yet.”

“Not yet, oink?”

“Yeah. Ice is an essential component of the Seokbinggo, but the Seokbinggo has yet to be filled with ice.”

“Ice? Do you mean to say you need to fill it with ice to cool it down, oink?”

“Exactly. Regardless of how many Seokbinggo you have, it will never be completely cold if left as it is. Just like you can’t get a cold icebox unless you put some ice in it.”

“Ice… box, oink?”

“Yeah, there’s something like that.”

“I don’t understand. Anyway, where are you going to get the ice, oink?”

“Normally, there isn’t a way to get ice right now.”

“Normally, oink?”

That was a fact. Even now, the scorching sun still shone brightly outside. Let alone getting ice, they had to hope the stream would not dry up. 

Arosh flared his nostrils and said, “I think you have an idea. Am I correct, oink?”

“Yeah, you’re correct,” Lloyd replied while smiling. “Right now, we couldn’t procure ice using normal ways, so I’m going to make some and fill the Seokbinggo with it.”

“Are you going to make ice? How could it be possible, oiinkk?”

“How, I wonder. Still, I’ll do an excellent job.”

It was the middle of summer. Obviously, there was nowhere for him to get ice. Bringing an ice mage, on the other hand, wasn’t an option.

Hence, there was only one way left: make the ice himself.

‘I have the Asrahan Core Technique.’

If he utilized it properly, he’d be able to make ice. Keeping that in mind, he immediately started the process of making ice.

First, Lloyd fed Ppodong a red sunflower seed. He then asked Ppodong, who had become huge, for help.

“Hey, Ppodong?”

“Ppo-dong?”

“Do you know about the river at the base of the mountain range?”

“Ppo-dong!”

“Yeah, that one. Can you go there and get me some water?”

“Ppo-do-dong?”

“Fill both of your cheek pockets with water. Can you do it for me?”

“Ppo-do-dong! Ppo-dong!”

“Ah, while you’re at it, take Bangul with you. Hey, Bangul? You should eat a sunflower seed as well. Here, there you go.”

“Ba-ngul!”

Boom!

Bangul ate the red sunflower seed and became huge too.

Ppodong carried Bangul on his back.

“Bangul, return with plenty of water! Don’t turn it into steel dung. If necessary, put some strength in your butt and hold it in. Do you understand?

“Ba-ngul!”

The two gigantic fantasy species went on their way with their chubby buttocks shaking. They both returned after a while, their cheeks and belly full of water.

“Good job. Can you spit it out here?”

“Ppo-dong! Uweeeek-”

“Ba-ngul! Uweeeek-”

Shwaaa!

Water from the two fantasy species was poured into an ice mold made of granite that Lloyd had previously made until it was full.

‘This is the giant version of the ice cube mold that’s divided into several compartments. The one that’s usually kept in the freezer.’

He made use of the granites that were left over after the Seokbinggo was built. He had worked hard to cut and make the mold, a giant version of the ice cube mold that everyone in Korea had at home.

He and the soldiers moved the ice mold, which was divided into compartments, inside the Seokbinggo. After the move was completed, Lloyd sent everyone out and shut the door of the Seokbinggo. Lloyd was left alone inside.

‘Then, let’s get started.’

Lloyd went to a corner inside the Seokbinggo. He put the straws that were piled there into the massive ice mold that was filled with water. He fixed a thick layer of straws in place by pressing them onto the inner bottom and side surfaces of the ice mold. Its purpose was to allow him to easily remove the ice from the mold without damaging it later, after the water had frozen.

After meticulously laying the straws on the inner bottom and sides of each compartment of the ice mold, Lloyd prepared himself before beginning to earnestly make ice.

‘Stay focused.’

Lloyd kneeled down in front of the mold. With rolled-up sleeves, he dipped his arm into the water. In that position, he calmed himself down to boost his concentration.

Then, he activated the Asrahan Core Technique.

Kiiiing….

Like a car being started, his two mana circles began to rotate. They rotated around his heart, creating a suction force. The force was then expanding through his blood vessels and muscles. It passed through his shoulders, forearms before finally reaching his fingertips.

His fingertips absorbed the surrounding mana. Up until this point, the method had been the same as the standard Asrahan Core Technique. Starting here, Lloyd attempted to change one thing.

‘Only absorb warm mana, not all mana.’

The mana was slowly being absorbed.

Naturally, it didn’t work as well as he had hoped. Because he was unfamiliar with the method, the rotation of his mana circles became unstable.

However, Lloyd didn’t give up. The more he attempted to do it, the better he became.

Completely focused, he kept on trying to pick and absorb warm mana from the water he was dipping his hands in. Lloyd spent a long time working on applying the Asrahan Core Technique method he had in mind. 

One hour.

Two hours.

And then it became three hours.

There was a change in the water inside the ice mold. 

Tsss, tsssss….

The previously warm water inside the ice mold began to lose heat. Its temperature gradually dropped little by little. A thin layer of ice began to form at the surface. 

Simultaneously, a message rang inside Lloyd’s head. 

Ding dong.

[A new Asrahan Core Technique application method has been developed.]

[This special attempt has raised the Asrahan Core Technique’s level.]

After the successful attempt at producing ice, the Seokbinggo was finally completed. Lloyd’s research and attempts to produce ice resulted in the Core Technique’s growth.

Author’s note: The owner of a patbingsu (red bean shaved ice) stall who was passing by: This is the talent I’ve been looking for!