The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 13: Asrahan Technique (2)

“Asrahan Technique. Teach me that. Are you still going to deny it?”

Javier hesitated.

Unintentionally, his eyes widened.

It couldn’t be helped.

Lloyd, the young master he was merely tasked with protecting, had just said something impossible to come from his lips.

‘How does he know about my mana technique? Lloyd?’

Javier couldn’t understand.

It was the same when it came to his insomnia, but this technique was also his own deeply hidden secret.

Of course, he had never told anyone about it.

He hadn’t even shown a hint.

In fact, he had only named it the “Asrahan Technique” just a month ago!

‘It’s still incomplete, so how on earth does he know about it?’

Did this rowdy young master possess some kind of mind-reading ability?

Javier stared at Lloyd as if facing something mysterious.

Lloyd snorted.

“What? What is it?”

“…”

“Why are you looking at me like that with those judgmental eyes?”

“That’s because, obviously…”

“Obviously?”

“How did you find out?”

This man always managed to expose secrets Javier had tried so hard to keep hidden.

If he tried to deny it, he knew he would only be mocked in return.

Knowing this now, Javier didn’t bother trying to lie.

Instead, he wanted to know the secret behind it all.

The answer came simply.

“You told me everything while sleep-talking.”

“What?”

“Really. You passed out and spilled everything yourself.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes.”

Lloyd smirked.

True?

Of course not.

It was a complete lie.

Javier had never sleep-talked, not even once.

Even in his sleep, the guy looked like a painting with his elegant features.

Lloyd, unfazed by his conscience, continued confidently.

“If you don’t believe me, I can prove it.”

“Prove it? How?”

“For example, like this.”

Recalling the detailed explanation of the Asrahan Technique from *The Iron-Blooded Knight* novel, Lloyd began to recite.

“A human’s mana heart has a limit. A biological limit determined at birth. That’s why there’s a limit to how much mana one can use at once.”

It was similar to the principle of a computer’s RAM or a water bucket.

With 8GB of RAM, there’s a clear limit to how much data can be handled at one time.

A bucket that can hold 1 liter of water can only carry 1 liter.

The same applied to the amount of mana a human could use with their heart.

There was a limit dictated by the size of the heart.

No human could surpass that limit.

“No one is an exception to this. No matter how strong a swordsman, no matter how supreme a knight they become, they can’t break free from it. The reason is simple—because they were born human. The human heart, in its biological form, has a set capacity. That’s why dragons with dragon hearts are considered overpowered.”

“That’s…”

“Shh, just listen. So, you thought: What if I draw mana from outside my body? What if I supplement the mana heart with mana absorbed from the external environment? Then, temporarily, you could unleash mana that surpasses your biological limits, right?”

Lloyd smiled slyly.

Javier’s expression remained calm and composed, but Lloyd didn’t miss the faint tremor in his eyes.

“After that, you secretly developed a new method of mana usage. Not long ago, you even gave it a proper name—the Asrahan Technique. Wasn’t that about a month ago? Am I right?”

“…You are correct.”

“You’re surprisingly quick to admit it.”

“There’s no point denying it when you haven’t missed a single detail.”

“Right? Now, let’s get back to the main point.”

The point Lloyd wanted to make was simple.

“You’ve got such an incredible technique, but instead, you’re teaching me some basic method that anyone can learn. Are you some nursery school fencing instructor? Are you selling a fish-shaped pastry with no filling?”

“But Sir Lloyd…”

“I know. It’s your technique, and you don’t want to teach it to just anyone. But, honestly, am I ‘just anyone’ to you?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.”

“To be precise, Sir Lloyd, you are merely my ward. Moreover—”

“Moreover?”

“Right now, even if I wanted to teach you my technique, it would be impossible.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s still incomplete.”

Javier’s voice turned sharp, like a blade cutting through air.

“You were correct about the concept of my technique. The idea is to absorb external mana and use it as one’s own. But it’s also a method no one has succeeded in yet. Even I have only developed the theory; I have not succeeded in practice.”

“So?”

“It’s dangerous. Especially for a novice like yourself, who doesn’t even know the basics of mana.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes.”

“Are you worrying about me?”

“Of course not.”

“Tch, cold as ever.”

“Thank you.”

“So, because the technique is still incomplete and dangerous, you can’t teach it to me, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then what if it becomes less dangerous?”

“…Pardon?”

Javier’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.

Lloyd chuckled softly.

Javier was probably anxious, wondering what Lloyd would say next.

“Let’s talk about why your technique is incomplete, and where exactly you’re stuck.”

“What do you mean…”

“You absorb external mana and bring it to your mana heart, trying to merge it with the mana you already possess. But it doesn’t work. It always fails when you try to combine them. They repel and clash, leading to repeated failure. Am I right?”

Javier’s gaze wavered.

“How… How do you know that?”

“I told you, I heard it all from your sleep-talking.”

“…”

The lie about sleep-talking, an unbeatable excuse.

Javier was left speechless in front of Lloyd’s magical explanation.

Lloyd’s grin deepened.

‘You wouldn’t know if you were sleep-talking anyway. You pass out like a log.’

Suddenly, Lloyd remembered the content of *The Iron-Blooded Knight*.

At this point in the story, Javier hadn’t completed the Asrahan Technique because of the mana collision issue.

He had tried various methods, but failed every time.

‘It wasn’t until five years later that he came up with a breakthrough and completed the technique.’

From that point, Javier honed the completed technique.

Eventually, he became the first Grand Master in the history of the continent of Lorasia.

Thinking of the breakthrough Javier would come to five years later, Lloyd spoke.

“From my perspective, the mistake seems to be trying to merge the external mana with your own. Isn’t that the error?”

“What?”

Javier’s eyebrows twitched again.

“What are you talking about?”

“Exactly what I said. Why are you trying to force external mana into the mana heart? The heart already has its own capacity, and overloading it causes strain. Plus, there’s no need to mix foreign mana with your own. Isn’t that just a preconceived notion, tied to the traditional way of using mana hearts?”

“Are you saying…”

“Just rotate it outside. Outside the mana heart.”

“…”

Javier’s eyes grew wide with shock.

Even with just this much explanation, Javier seemed to grasp the idea.

Lloyd picked up a twig lying in the corner of the training ground.

With it, he began drawing on the ground.

“When you absorb external mana, try rotating it like this, outside the heart.”

“You mean to form a circular loop around the heart?”

“Exactly. A circle. That sounds like a good name, doesn’t it?”

“And what about the internal mana in the body?”

“There’s no need to mix it. Just manage them separately. Your own mana stays inside the mana heart, while the external mana is rotated in a circular form around the heart. How about that?”

“…”

“I’m just saying what comes to mind. As you know, I’m a novice when it comes to mana. Maybe that’s why I’m not caught up in the usual assumptions.”

“…”

“If you’re unsure, why don’t you try it out?”

“Understood.”

Javier nodded immediately.

He seemed to have grasped the concept.

From then on, Lloyd kept silent.

He quietly stepped aside and watched Javier test out the new technique.

Time passed.

Finally, Javier opened his eyes.

With a meaningful look, he turned to Lloyd.

“Thank you.”

*Ding dong.*

[Javier Asrahan’s favorability toward you has increased by +5.]

[Current relationship with Javier Asrahan: -22]

[You have gained 90 RP from visibly improving your relationship with a key character.]

[Current RP: 187]

[Your intimacy level with Javier Asrahan has increased.]

[You have gained an additional 5 RP as a bonus for increasing your intimacy level.]

[Current RP: 192]

‘It worked.’

Javier’s gratitude, his slightly different gaze, and the favorability message that appeared before Lloyd’s eyes confirmed it.

Javier had successfully completed the Asrahan Technique.

“Did it go well?”

“Yes, Sir Lloyd.”

“Did the circle rotate properly?”

“Yes. It seemed inefficient with just one, so I ended up creating several.”

“How many?”

“Three.”

“Wow.”

To think his first success led to a triple circle.

Javier truly was a monstrous talent.

‘He’s probably close to becoming a Sword Master now.’

Currently, Javier was at the level of a high-rank Sword Expert.

There was still a considerable gap between him and a Sword Master, but…

‘But with three circles formed outside his mana heart, he should be able to hold his own against most Sword Masters. If he’s lucky, he could even draw a tie.’

The strength to transcend one’s current limits.

That was the core of the Asrahan Technique.

‘It’s like adding extra engines with each circle of external mana. It’s like having one auxiliary engine per circle.’

So what about Javier in the novel *The Iron-Blooded Knight*?

When he became a Sword Master, he completed the Asrahan Technique.

At that time, he immediately achieved a quadra-circle.

This put him far beyond any other Sword Master in sheer ability.

‘And after that, he rose to the rank of Grand Master, equipping a fifth circle. In the final battle, he even surpassed that, becoming the only one with six circles, a hexa-circle.’

The novel described that the amount of mana Javier could control at that point far surpassed even that of a dragon heart.

Now, Lloyd had witnessed the completion of the Asrahan Technique, five years earlier than it was supposed to happen in the original story.

But Lloyd shook his head.

Now wasn’t the time for sentimental reflection.

It was time to seize the benefits within reach.

He casually asked Javier.

“So, you’re grateful?”

“Yes, Sir Lloyd.”

“Then you now have a reason to teach me, right?”

“Pardon?”

“The Asrahan Technique.”

“…”

“Oh, come on. You weren’t planning to just thank me and move on, were you?”

“But Sir Lloyd…”

“Go ahead, make your excuse.”

“I still believe that mastering the basics of mana training is more important.”

“Uh-huh, and?”

“So, how about you focus on the basics first, and then learn my technique afterward?”

“Uh-huh, no.”

Of course, it was out of the question.

With only two weeks left until his duel with Sir Neumann, it wasn’t even an option.

“Think about it from my perspective. No matter how hard I work on basic mana training, do you really think I’ll be able to use it effectively in two weeks?”

“I suppose not.”

“Then what? You’re telling me to lose the duel?”

“…”

“Look, I know what you’re thinking. You want me to look at the bigger picture, right? That it’s better to build a solid foundation. And you’re right. But that doesn’t apply to me right now.”

“Why not?”

“Because this duel is that important.”

It was the truth.

Sir Neumann had already betrayed the estate behind the scenes.

If Lloyd didn’t deal with him severely, it would be impossible to restore discipline in the territory.

The reforms Lloyd had been working toward—the improvements that would benefit the land he needed to nurture for life—would be ruined from the start.

“So, I have to win. And I’ll need to learn the Asrahan Technique to do it.”

“But what if I refuse?”

“Oh, so that’s how you want to play it? Well, I’ve got a way to deal with that.”

Lloyd smiled slyly.

He pulled out his trump card.

“If you don’t teach me your technique, I’ll stop my lullaby service.”

“…”

“What? Why are you looking at me like that? Am I being petty?”

“A little.”

“Nothing in life is free. If you don’t like it, just teach me the technique.”

“…”

Javier’s face reflected deep contemplation.

Lloyd’s grin grew wider.

‘He won’t be able to resist. Why? Because he’s already experienced the joy of good sleep.’

For the past few days, Javier had been sleeping soundly.

Thanks to Lloyd’s bedtime stories, which consisted of reciting engineering concepts.

And now, that service was about to be cut off.

Javier’s heart must have dropped.

‘It’s human nature. Once you’ve experienced something and had it taken away, it feels even worse.’

Everyone’s like that.

Once they’ve tasted convenience, it’s hard to live without it.

‘Like when you’ve used a smartphone and can’t go back to a flip phone. Same with robot vacuums, elevator apps, or selfie filters. Once you’ve experienced them, living without them feels impossible.’

Javier was in the same situation.

He had been suffering from insomnia for years.

Now, thanks to Lloyd, he knew the bliss of restful sleep.

He could no longer return to the sleepless nights of the past.

Just as Lloyd expected, Javier nodded.

“Haa, understood.”

“Understood what?”

“I’ll teach you the Asrahan Technique.”

“Good choice.”

Lloyd clenched his fist in triumph.

‘See? I told you I’d make your swordsmanship mine.’

The Asrahan Technique.

Now all that was left was to master it diligently.

♣

Time flew by quickly.

The training continued during that time.

Lloyd’s basic stamina grew stronger.

He also focused on mastering the Asrahan Technique.

Meanwhile, Lloyd made a special request at the blacksmith’s shop.

“Make it out of solid steel. Follow this design exactly.”

“Young Master Lloyd? This is…”

“It’s a weapon I’ll be using. I drew the design myself. Why, is there a problem?”

“No, not at all. But how could this be used as a weapon…”

“Never mind that. Can you make it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. I’m counting on you.”

The blacksmith stared at the blueprint Lloyd had handed him with a perplexed look.

No matter how he looked at it, this didn’t seem like something that could be used as a weapon.

But he had no choice.

The request came from the notorious young master of the lord’s family, infamous for his wild behavior.

The blacksmith had no courage to argue with such a person.

Several more days passed.

Finally, the morning of the duel arrived.

“Young Master Lloyd, the weapon you requested from the blacksmith has arrived.”

The weapon he had commissioned was delivered to the mansion.

Hearing the servant’s voice, Lloyd clenched his fist lightly.

The Asrahan Technique.

His personal weapon.

With this, everything was ready.

‘Sir Neumann, you’re done for.’

Lloyd’s eyes gleamed fiercely.

The time had come to cut down the rotten roots.