The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 14: The Four Weapons of a Scoundrel (1)

A clear, sunny noon in early spring.

It was a time when most people would be finishing their morning tasks.

Farmers sweating in the fields, woodcutters working by the foothills, shepherds playing their flutes in the meadows, brewers making liquor at the brewery, and even housewives wrestling with laundry at the riverside—all the residents of the territory would normally be enjoying lunch and a short rest.

But today was different.

The training grounds attached to Baron Frontera’s mansion were hosting a special and rare event.

“Hey, how do you think today’s duel will go?”

“Duel? It’s obvious, isn’t it?”

“Do you think so too?”

“Of course. How could Lloyd possibly beat Sir Neumann?”

“True enough. We’re lucky, though. When else would we get to watch something like this?”

“Hah! You’re right. When else would we get to see that brat of a young master rolling around in the dirt?”

Farmers who had set aside their work for the day gathered at the edges of the training ground, whispering to each other.

Nearby, groups of women who had postponed their midday meals chattered among themselves.

“Still, I’m a bit worried.”

“Worried? About what?”

“About Young Master Lloyd. What if he somehow wins against Sir Neumann? He’ll become even more insufferable.”

“Oh, please. Why worry about something like that?”

“Why not? I heard Sir Ulrich got beaten up pretty badly by Young Master Lloyd, didn’t he?”

“But this time, it’s Sir Neumann.”

“Hmm, so you think there’s no chance Lloyd will win?”

“That’s how I see it. Sir Neumann is the strongest knight in our territory. We should be thankful—we’re in for quite a show!”

And so it went.

The large crowd of territory residents who had gathered to watch the duel mostly predicted Lloyd’s defeat.

They supported Sir Neumann’s victory.

As far as they knew, Lloyd was someone who had no skill in swordsmanship.

Even though he had quieted down recently, just a month or two ago, Lloyd Frontera had been a man who spent every day drunk.

Not only that, he always made sure to lead the way in causing trouble.

There were hardly any residents in the territory who hadn’t suffered from his tantrums and destructive behavior.

‘I just hope I can finally see that bastard Lloyd get beaten today.’

Maybe then, he’ll settle down.

No, he **needs** to settle down.

That was the honest hope of most of the onlookers.

However, there were a few who quietly supported Lloyd.

“Still, Young Master Lloyd hasn’t caused any trouble recently,” said a young shepherd boy cautiously.

His comment was immediately countered by the nearby woodcutters.

“Hey, kid. People don’t change their nature so easily.”

“Huh? But it’s true.”

“Yeah, it’s true. But so what? Just because he’s been quiet for a month or two, that doesn’t mean it’s over. He has to keep proving himself.”

“Still, he installed heated floors in our house.”

“Tsk. It wasn’t free, was it?”

“Even so, it’s so warm and comfortable.”

“Eh, forget it. Typical talk from a naive shepherd boy.”

“I’m not lying! It’s real!”

“Fine. I’ve signed a contract too, so I’ll see what it’s like once my floors are installed. For now, let’s just watch.”

“Alright…”

Among those who secretly supported Lloyd, the Baron and Baroness Frontera were also included.

In fact, Baron Frontera had even called Sir Neumann before the duel to make a special request.

“Neumann, listen carefully.”

“Speak, my lord.”

“Today, I trust you’ll take care of my son.”

“I understand. Do not worry.”

“Good. Although my son may have been disrespectful to you, he is someone you will eventually serve. So please, don’t be too harsh on him, and make sure he doesn’t get seriously injured.”

“I will bear that in mind.”

And so it went.

In short, out of all the people gathered in the training ground, there wasn’t a single person who expected Lloyd to win. And the moment Lloyd arrived at the training ground, their expectations became a certainty.

“Young Master Lloyd has arrived!”

A servant from the mansion shouted.

Everyone turned their gaze toward the entrance of the training ground.

Soon enough, Lloyd strolled in casually.

With a shovel in his hand.

“…Huh?”

The eyes of everyone in the crowd widened in disbelief.

A shovel?

This was the training ground.

Lloyd was here to duel.

So why had he brought a shovel instead of a sword, an axe, or a spear?

“Hey, is there some construction scheduled for today?”

“What do you mean?”

“The floor heating project Lloyd has been working on recently.”

“Is he doing it here too? That can’t be right.”

“Exactly.”

“Yeah, exactly.”

Soldiers, enjoying a day off from the construction project, murmured among themselves.

No one could understand the situation.

Meanwhile, Lloyd remained calm as he stood in the center of the training ground.

Beneath the bright sunlight, the details of the shovel in his hand became clearer.

The shovel was made entirely of solid steel, even the handle.

This could only mean one thing.

The shovel wasn’t a tool; it was a weapon.

As if to answer everyone’s speculations, Lloyd declared loudly, turning to Baron Frontera seated at the head of the audience.

“I, Lloyd Frontera, son of Arcos Frontera, am ready for my duel with Sir Neumann.”

It was a clear and confident declaration.

The baron frowned.

“Ready for the duel?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Do you have a weapon?”

“This, as you can see, is my weapon.”

Lloyd smiled and lifted his steel shovel.

“…”

Just as the baron feared.

He had hoped his son had finally come to his senses.

He thought Lloyd had turned over a new leaf.

But apparently not. His eldest son was still out of his mind.

‘To think he would approach this duel with such an absurd attitude.’

Baron Frontera secretly gritted his teeth.

His disappointment was beyond words.

He shot a hardened glance at Sir Neumann.

He gave him a slight nod.

‘Feel free to be rough with him. Help knock some sense into him.’

‘I understand. I’ll gladly do so.’

Understanding the baron’s intentions, Sir Neumann also nodded.

It was exactly what he wanted.

No, it was what he **desperately** wanted.

Roughing up this arrogant young master who had dared to disrespect him.

Sir Neumann’s desire intensified when he saw the bizarre stance Lloyd had taken with his shovel.

The crowd murmured.

Lloyd had taken up a strange stance with the shovel, widening the distance between his hands on the shaft.

His left hand gripped just below the blade, while his right hand held the handle at the top.

His arms bent slightly, and he held the shovel as if aiming the blade tip at Sir Neumann.

From Sir Neumann’s perspective, it was an awkward, unheard-of stance.

Sir Neumann’s nose twitched in irritation.

“Sir Lloyd, do you not realize this is a duel?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Then what is that stance?”

“It’s my battle stance.”

“Are you mocking me with this childish play?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Then what are you trying to do?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m getting ready to beat you with this.”

“…You’ll regret those words.”

“Do what you must.”

“….”

*Grind!*

Sir Neumann clenched his teeth.

He swallowed his rising fury and turned to the baron.

“I, too, am ready for the duel.”

His voice was cold and sharp.

Hearing his chilling tone, the residents watching the duel gulped nervously and clenched their fists.

Somehow, it seemed like today’s duel would fulfill their hopes for a spectacular show.

Finally, Baron Frontera made his announcement.

“I, Baron Arcos Frontera, declare the start of this honorable duel.”

The duel officially began.

At that very moment, Sir Neumann bared his teeth.

He immediately sprang forward as if he had been waiting for this moment.

‘You arrogant brat! I’ll teach you a lesson!’

*Swish!*

Sir Neumann’s feet moved swiftly.

He kicked off the ground.

His body surged forward.

It was a smooth and quick advance that far surpassed the abilities of an ordinary person.

Before the duel started, the distance between Sir Neumann and Lloyd was about 4 meters.

Sir Neumann closed that gap with a single leap!

“Whoa!”

The residents watching couldn’t help but gasp in awe.

Before that sound even finished, Sir Neumann’s sword was already in motion.

He didn’t even bother drawing it from its scabbard.

Instead, he swung the entire sheathed sword with tremendous force.

‘I’ll break a bone or two first!’

After all, the best way to deal with a mad dog is a good beating.

Besides, he had long since lost his fondness for this backwater territory.

Now was the perfect time to crush this arrogant brat underfoot once and for all.

‘I’ll relieve all this pent-up stress! The baron won’t blame me either! And after this, I’ll leave this territory, just as we planned! Hahaha!’

He envisioned his rosy future.

He thought of his accomplice.

Some called that man a real estate fraudster.

But Sir Neumann didn’t see it that way.

‘It’s a legitimate business!’

That man had used Sir Neumann to obtain information about the Frontera estate.

With that knowledge, the man seized Baron Frontera’s assets.

And in return?

Sir Neumann received a handsome reward.

But that wasn’t the end.

The businessman promised him more.

He had told Sir Neumann to leave this backwater and join him.

There, Sir Neumann would receive the recognition and rewards his abilities deserved.

‘Of course! I’m not someone who should be stuck rotting in this backwater!’

He had always harbored an ambition in his heart.

The dream of achieving wealth and glory with his sword.

Now, that dream was within reach.

But first, he would crush this arrogant young master before him.

‘Just like this!’

*Whoosh!*

The sheathed sword slashed through the air with deadly momentum.

From the upper right to the lower left.

It cut diagonally.

The strike aimed for Lloyd’s left collarbone.

‘First, I’ll shatter a collarbone!’

A cruel light gleamed in Sir Neumann’s eyes.

At the same time, he was certain.

There was no way an amateur like Lloyd could block this strike. A man standing in a strange, clumsy stance, holding a shovel of all things? It was impossible.

Everyone thought the same.

Baron Frontera, whose expression had hardened.

The baroness, who clasped her hands tightly.

And all the onlookers who had gathered to watch.

Everyone was convinced of Lloyd’s impending defeat.

Except for one person—Javier.

‘Sir Lloyd’s stance… It doesn’t seem like a joke.’

Javier watched Lloyd with narrowed eyes.

Lloyd’s posture looked awkward, unfamiliar, and strange.

But strangely, it seemed stable.

It looked comfortable.

It wasn’t a stance learned in haste.

It wasn’t something he had practiced once or twice.

‘But during our training, I’ve never seen him use a stance like this.’

Could it be that Lloyd had secretly practiced it elsewhere?

One thing was certain.

‘Without a doubt, this stance was designed purely for real combat.’

Realizing this, a chill ran down Javier’s spine.

There was a chance the duel’s outcome would be the exact opposite of what everyone expected.

And in the next moment, Javier’s intuition proved correct.

*Whip!*

The steel shovel, which had remained still until now, suddenly moved.

It drew a clean line upward.

It intercepted the descending sword.

*Clang!*

The movement was so simple and effortless that it almost seemed easy.

Yet, despite the fact that his attack had been blocked, Sir Neumann didn’t worry in the slightest.

‘Just this pathetic defense?’

He assumed Lloyd had only managed to block by sheer luck.

It seemed like the action of a novice who had raised his shovel in a panic.

In contrast, Sir Neumann?

He had reached the level of a low-rank Sword Expert.

He could wield mana, something Lloyd couldn’t even dream of.

‘I’ll crush that feeble defense with this power!’

*Whoosh!*

Sir Neumann’s eyes flashed fiercely.

His sword began to glow faintly.

Mana flowed into the blade.

A faint aura of sword energy formed.

But in the next moment, the faint aura disappeared.

No, it wasn’t just gone—it had been absorbed into the steel shovel. Transferred.

Even the mana from Sir Neumann’s body and mana heart seemed to be sucked out!

‘…What?’

Sir Neumann’s eyes widened in shock.

At the same time, the steel shovel moved again.

*Clang!*

“…!”

It easily pushed his sword aside.

The motion was as casual as swatting away an annoying fly.

Sir Neumann wanted to resist.

But he couldn’t.

For some reason, he felt as though all the strength had drained from his body.

And then, the head of the steel shovel thrust forward at a strange angle.

*Thud!*

“…Urk!”

A powerful impact struck his face.

Blood spurted from Sir Neumann’s mouth as his head snapped violently to the side.