The Greatest Estate Designer - Chapter 42

The two loan sharks, Shiloh and Meatloaf, fled in a hurry. Of course, they didn’t forget to agree to Lloyd’s demands first. They didn’t have much of a choice after all.

Arosh, who was standing beside Lloyd, snorted. He glared at the two loan sharks with his angry gorilla-like eyes. He was prepared to lift the table and throw them at the loan sharks’ heads as soon as ‘they are the enemies of the Baron Frontera’ left Lloyd’s mouth.

Perhaps, only a few humans would be able to remain calm in the presence of such an enraged orc. The two loan sharks certainly weren’t one of those.

‘I’m afraid we’ll die at this rate if we don’t do anything about it,’ the two loan sharks thought.

Shiloh and Meatloaf’s backs were sweating profusely. What they were feeling right now was more than just vague apprehension or anxiety. They were both well aware that human rules meant nothing to the Orc Warrior.

‘If we do something wrong, he can just kill us and run away to the wilderness.’

The two loan sharks refused to die untimely at the hands of an angry orc. As soon as they finished calculating the pros and cons in their brains, they immediately put on a business smile. 

“Oh? When did we say we wouldn’t comply with the Young Master’s demands? Naturally, we have to listen to it. Um, of course, we will,” Meatloaf hastily said.

Without hesitation, Shiloh also added, “Of course we will do it. What kind of relationship do you think we have? Do you need a written vow? I can write one right away.”

“Really? Oh, my, I’m so grateful.” Naturally, a sly smile fully bloomed on Lloyd’s face.

Just like that, Lloyd then gave the written vow to the two loan sharks. Only two stipulations were written inside: allow the Baron to pay the debt in installments, and reduce the amount of interest based on the amount of remaining debt.

“….” Holding back the bitter feelings in their hearts, the two loan sharks agreed to the written vow. Under Lloyd’s silent pressure that was transmitted from his glare, they had to sign and stamp the written vow as well.

“Then…. We will get going now!” As soon as Shiloh and Meatloaf stamped their fingerprints on the written vow, they bolted like puppies that had to poop.

Lloyd’s attempt at negotiating(?) with them went well. His target was achieved.

‘It’s just perfect. We’ve gotten the best possible result we can get out of this situation.’

Intimidating them with Arosh’s help was very effective.

Orc warriors had the personality of acting without properly evaluating or judging the situation. They weren’t bound by human laws. A fist, unlike a law, was a tangible entity. For the two loan sharks who enjoyed exploiting the laws and system, Arosh was almost like their perfect counter pick.

‘Needless to say, If I were to do it in my own way, I’d like to threaten them properly and ensure I’m free of debt.’

He couldn’t do it since it was impossible to begin with.

‘It’s a violation of the law. Even though it’s a private loan, it’s a fact that we have a legal debt.’

What if a legal debt was voided due to a threat?

The two loan sharks would surely file a report. Roughly, the charge would be a financial crime committed through extortion. Shortly speaking, the entire Barony would be in big legal trouble.

‘That’d be a hassle.’

On the other hand, what about the two points of agreement Lloyd successfully secured in the written vow earlier? Those were the utmost gains he could get while still remaining inside the bounds of the law.

Simply put, he had gained the most benefit he could get from this situation.

‘Let’s be satisfied with this much for now. If we try to eat too much, we could get indigestion. Take one step at a time, nice and slow, and a path will open up.’

The debt was still far from being paid off. However, if he worked hard enough, he could eventually pay all of them someday. With that in mind, Lloyd returned his gaze to the Baron and Arosh.

“Now, now, since our territory and the Steel and Sand Tribe have finally joined hands, which is long-awaited, let’s take a commemorative selfie… I mean, a commemorative painting?”

“That would be nice.” The Baron happily nodded. Meanwhile, Arosh tilted his head at the mention of commemorative painting.

Lloyd then asked the mansion’s administrator to summon the painter.

The Barony of Frontera, a rural fief in the eastern corner of the kingdom, and the Steel and Sand Tribe, a powerhouse located beyond the eastern mountain range.

This was a historic moment in which two different forces were officially reborn as blood allies.

The next day, Lloyd began to busily work before the fatigue from his journey across the mountain range had faded off. 

‘Because I don’t have the time to do things haphazardly.’

Time wasn’t on his side. Even while he was doing all this, time continued to tick by. With each passing day, the day to pay the interest came closer.

Thus, he couldn’t slack off. He had to be more diligent. 

Lloyd made a list of tasks that needed to be done.

‘First of all, I want to sell the pile of treasure I received from the Orc Tribe as payment for the construction of the Seokbinggo.’

The gold and silver treasure had been used as exercise equipment for a long time. Thanks to that, the damage was quite severe. However, what if he sold them all at once? It’d become a quite large sum of money.

Even when taking the damage caused by the long, harsh use as exercise equipment into consideration, maybe it could pay 20% of the debt.

That wasn’t all. There were also the steel rebars Bangul had pooped occasionally. Excluding some that was stored for future construction projects, some steel rebars were set aside to be sold.

‘If I sell the treasure and the steel rebars, I might be able to pay off 30% of the debt. However, there’s no way to quickly sell them all.’

No matter how valuable and expensive the items were, it’d be useless if nobody wanted to purchase them.

What about the Frontera Barony? Only ordinary farmers, woodcutters, and merchants from the outskirts occasionally stopped by the territory. Lloyd couldn’t find anyone to buy the treasures and the rebars, nor anyone who could pay for them.

‘But I couldn’t give those to the loan sharks like that. If I do that, they’ll try to cut down the price as much as they can. I have to turn them into gold coins.’

To deal with the loan sharks, Lloyd chose to do it with cash. Lloyd, who had firmly established that principle, thought that he needed to go to a big city soon to sell the treasures and rebars and turn them into gold coins.

Of course, going without any preparation was forbidden. What if he blindly went a long way with such a large amount of goods and lost it? What if he couldn’t find a place to sell it? So much time and effort would be wasted. It’d be literally making a trip for nothing.

So, Lloyd went to see the Baron to inquire about the merchant who would handle the goods he had gotten this time.

“If that’s the case, of course I should be the one who’ll take care of it first. All right, I’ll try to ask the merchants so you can take the goods to Cremo as soon as I get in touch with them,” the Baron said.

The city of Cremo was the central trading city in the Cremona province, which included Barony Frontera. 

‘Hoo, then I’ll have to wait until it’s time to sell the goods. Let’s do something in the meantime.’

The remaining work that had to be prioritized was coal mining.

‘This is the reason why I brought orc miners here.’

Lloyd raised his head. 120 orc miners gathered in the open space in front of the entrance of the mine.

Lloyd said to them, “Now, now, I’m sure everyone has heard in advance about what we’re going to do today.”

“I heard, oink!”

“I’m going to dig it up, oink!”

“I’m going to break it down, oiinkk!”

The orc miners raised their big fists up in the air. Lloyd held back his bitter smile.

“Yes, that’s right. We’re going to go inside the mine right here, dig up coal, split stones, and break them down.”

“Breaking stones down is fun, oink!”

“I’m excited, oinkk!”

The orc miners were getting even more excited. They raised the shovels and pickaxes provided for the job. It seemed as if they were ready to be dispatched to the battlefield right away.

Maybe that was why, when they heard Lloyd’s next words, the orcs’ eyes widened in surprise.

“Not everyone here will work all at once, there’s a work shift.”

“What, oink?”

“What are you talking about, oink?”

Pondering, the orcs tilted their heads.

Lloyd continued, “Everything is for work safety and efficiency. Okay, from there to there, from here to there. Yes, that’s good. Let’s split into groups.”

Lloyd ordered the orcs with the gesture of his hands. After a little commotion, the 120 orcs were divided into four groups of 30 orcs each.

“Good job. Next, let’s decide a name for each group so it’s easy to distinguish.”

“Chest, oink.”

“Back, oink.”

“Shoulder, oink.”

“Legs, oink.”

The orc miners shouted loudly. Thus, the names of the four groups were decided in an instant. 

In response, Lloyd said, “Yes, well done. Next I’ll tell you the work schedule for each day.”

Lloyd’s plan was to divide the orc miners into groups and put them to work.

‘There will be 2 shifts in a single day, day and night. And the groups will rotate each day.’

They’d be working for a total of 6 days a week. What about the 7th day?

‘I’m going to give everyone a break. Rest is important.’

For the 6 days next week, the day and night shift would be swapped. The group that previously worked during the day would work at night, while the group that previously worked at the night would work during the day. 

When Lloyd announced his plan, there was a commotion among the orc miners.

“Then, our team will be the first to work, oink!”

“We’re going to mine coal all day, oink!”

“Exercise! Exercise! Oink!”

… the orc miners even saw mine work as a form of exercise. Because of this, Lloyd had to work hard for a long time to calm them down. He wasn’t able to persuade them until he explained to them that exercising and relaxing on a regular basis was beneficial for muscle building.

Lloyd was also in charge of several other issues for the workforce.

‘Mining is hard and dangerous.’

Five soldiers were assigned to each group. Lloyd appointed them as security guards. Moreover, additional ventilation pipes were installed in the mine. He also provided masks to protect them from dust. All overtime work was strictly prohibited. A bathhouse was also constructed at the mine’s entrance. Of course, he also provided accommodations for the orc miners so that they could rest comfortably.

‘Plus the warehouse.’

The warehouse that was attached to the Baron’s mansion had been expanded. It was a facility made to store the coal that was mined. It took him a full month to prepare and establish the whole mining system.

In the meantime, the orc miners showed off their majestic skills (?) to their heart’s content. They already perfectly lived up to Lloyd’s expectations from the very beginning.

There was really no better miner than the orcs

The work was regarded as a fulfilling exercise. They never got tired. They were overflowing with motivation. They kept working using the pickaxe with phenomenal muscle strength. They pushed a tremendously heavy mine cart full of coal very well. 

Because of this, the coal mining had gained an explosive momentum.

Every hour, a cart was loaded with coal. The heavy cart was quickly moved through the paved road. The warehouse at Baron’s mansion was gradually filled with coal.

Whenever that happened, a smile adorned Lloyd’s face.

‘Good. Very good.’

Now, bituminous coal was piling up. When winter came, it’d turn into money. A happy smile automatically bloomed at the thought. 

There was something else that made Lloyd happy.

Ding dong.

[There’s a moving story about you spreading throughout the territory.]

[You once showed the bravery and initiative to put everything at stake to save the soldiers that were kidnapped by the black mage.]

[At the time, the rescued soldiers from the Construction Team had praised you until their mouths dry to their family, relatives, and acquaintances throughout the month.]

[All Barony Frontera residents have now heard your moving story.]

[All of the residents are praising you for your noble courage.]

[As a bonus for this social achievement, a large amount of RP will be specially rewarded.]

[300 RP has been obtained]

[Current RP: 911]

‘Good.’

It was another achievement Lloyd had been looking forward to since he had returned to the territory. It eventually yielded a profitable result of 300 RP.

‘RP is a long-term asset that can be accumulated and used at any time.’

It was both an intangible asset and weapon only he could use. Obviously, in the midst of successive achievements, Lloyd never felt complacent.

There was still a long way to go, and the way wouldn’t be smooth all the time. There must be small or big obstacles scattered in the way. He needed to clear foreseeable obstacles or prepare for it ahead of time.

“Orc miners’ marvelous appetite is one of those foreseeable obstacles, for example!”

“What do you mean by marvelous appetite?”

It was already evening.

Javier asked about the words Lloyd had just uttered. The silver-haired knight raised his eyes and looked at the Young Master, whom he was escorting.

Then, his Young Master, Lloyd, sat on his bedroom’s desk while grinning.

“I mean it literally. They eat like pigs.”

That was a fact. The orcs had a voracious appetite. If they debuted as a mukbang streamer in South Korea, their success would undoubtedly be guaranteed.

“If you calculate it, it’s only natural. Their bodies are huge, aren’t they? Plus, it’s all muscle. Working in the mine for half a day can be physically taxing.”

“Well, I was a little surprised when I saw them eating earlier.”

“Right? We’re holding out for now because there is food stocked in the territory, but it’ll be a disaster in the year after the next.”

That, too, was a fact.

Now, the orcs could be fed with the food they had stored. However, after one or two years, the food reserves would run out.

“By then, we’ll have to pay a lot of money to buy grain from the neighboring fief. That is, if we do nothing about it.”

“By the way, it sounds like Young Master has already planned countermeasures in advance.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.”

“Ding dong deng.” Lloyd smiled contentedly. “Is it because our Javier has been spending so much time hanging out with this hyung? You’ve gotten a lot smarter, haven’t you?”

“I’ve always been smart.”

“Oh, did you?”

“Yes, and I-” Javier replied expressionlessly. “Am not Lloyd-nim’s dongsaeng”

“Oh, is this how it is?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you get the urge to call me hyung every now and then?”

“Not at all, absolutely not, never, I swear never, I vehemently disagree, and I refuse to do so.”

“Do you hate it that much?”

“Yes.”

“Hm, I was going to tell you a great secret of mine if you called me hyung even once.”

“….”

“Perhaps, are you curious about what kind of secret it is?”

“Nope, never.”

“Tsk. Cheeky guy.”

“Thank you. However, I’m a little curious about the countermeasures you have in mind.”

“How to solve food shortage from the orcs’ huge appetite in the future?”

“Yes.” Javier nodded.

The Young Master he served could be confusing at times. That, too, was the case at this moment.

‘I don’t know the true him,’ Javier thought. 

The Young Master frequently said nonsensical things. But, he was also petty sometimes. There was also his clever and evil side. Frankly speaking, he was cunning like a fox, making Javier annoyed to death, it was painful. Sometimes, however, he was making the impossible possible, incomprehensible, and mysterious.

For example, there was a moment like now when Young Master smiled as if it was no big deal and nonchalantly talked about a plan Javier would never dare to imagine.

“It’s easy. We’ll turn the abandoned swampy terrain at the south of the territory into a farmable land. Well, if I were to consider the method, how about combining and applying the Vertical Drain (VD) method?”

“….”

“How’s that?”

Lloyd grinned towards Javier. Somehow, Javier felt overwhelmed.

Author’s note: It’s easy, right?