The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 18: All Roads Lead to Rome (1)

“Ppodong!”

Ppodong jumped down, landing heavily with his chubby belly.

The object trapped between his belly and the ground was thoroughly crushed.

*Crunch!*

A walnut shell was shattered.

With a bright smile, Ppodong fished out the nut from the broken shell.

“Ppodong? Ppododong. Ppodong.”

“Is it good?”

“Ppodong!”

At lightning speed, Ppodong stuffed the walnut piece into his cheeks.

Watching the sight, Lloyd chuckled.

“Want more?”

“Ppodong!”

“Want me to crack the shell for you?”

“Ppodong? Ppododong!”

“Alright, just a second.”

Lloyd grabbed a walnut with his right hand and raised his open left hand.

He activated the *Asrahan Breathing Technique*.

*‘Hoo.’*

With each breath, his heart began to beat steadily.

A faint suction force flowed through his raised hand, drawing the surrounding energy into his palm.

It was the natural mana dispersed in the air.

‘Ah, it works.’

Of course, it wasn’t much—just a small amount of mana gathered from the atmosphere.

And Lloyd’s Asrahan Breathing Technique was still in its infancy, at the level of a single circle.

But even that was enough.

*Grind!*

He channeled the absorbed mana from his heart into the single circle revolving around it.

The mana amplified through the rotation, and he transferred that enhanced energy into his right hand.

With the added force, Lloyd squeezed the walnut.

“Ugh… *Crack!*”

The hard walnut shell shattered in his hand.

‘Phew, got it.’

Cracking a walnut with bare hands—something he wouldn’t have dared attempt before.

Feeling triumphant, Lloyd handed the walnut kernel to Ppodong.

“Here, take it.”

“Ppodong!”

“Is it good?”

“Ppododong!”

“Good, I’m glad.”

Lloyd felt a small sense of relief. His body was no longer as weak as it once was.

‘Everyone here carries a sword, after all.’

This wasn’t South Korea.

Beyond the borders of the estate were bandits as vicious as beasts, all too eager to leave new scars on people’s bodies.

And to survive here without at least some ability to protect himself?

‘I could die from a stray blade at any time—no thanks.’

In hindsight, it had been a wise choice to learn the *Asrahan Breathing Technique* from Javier.

Just then—

*Knock, knock.*

Someone rapped on the bedroom door.

“Lloyd, are you in there?”

It was Javier’s distinctive, cynical tone.

Lloyd smirked and got up to open the door himself.

As expected, Javier stood outside.

“Looks like you’re not one for manners either. Come on in.”

“Manners?”

“Just an expression. Did you take care of everything?”

“I just finished reporting to the baron.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Did the baron have anything to say?”

“Are you asking if he made any specific comments?”

“Yeah.”

“He wished Sir Neumann good luck.”

“Well, Neumann could certainly use some luck right about now.”

At the mention of Neumann, a chuckle escaped Lloyd.

He couldn’t help but think back to the events of a few days ago—the duel and the revelation of Neumann’s betrayal.

‘That guy… what a mix of luck and misfortune.’

Neumann hadn’t died, despite being crushed under the massive belly of the enlarged Ppodong.

But the price for surviving had been steep.

Nearly every bone in his body had been broken. His state had resembled a half-dried squid tossed haphazardly onto a counter.

Even the estate’s physician had shaken his head in disbelief.

“This… isn’t really surviving. Even if the heavens smile on him and he miraculously recovers, he’ll never function properly again. Walking or standing will be impossible. He’ll be spoon-fed gruel for the rest of his life.”

That had been the physician’s grim prognosis.

After barely clinging to life through several days of treatment, Neumann had been expelled from the estate today.

“At least he left with his family, so he won’t die right away.”

“Probably not.”

Neumann wasn’t the only one expelled. Sir Ulrich and Sir Conte, Neumann’s loyal followers, had also been cast out along with him.

Each of them had their tendons cut, ensuring they would never wield a sword again.

‘They’ll never use a blade again. It’s a shame, but at least the estate’s discipline has been restored.’

Those three would have become enemies of the estate sooner or later, as the novel foretold.

Even if they had been forgiven, they would have caused harm in the long run.

Lloyd had wanted to remove such threats early—and now that goal was achieved.

It felt refreshing.

“Well, congratulations are in order. You’re now the deputy commander of the knights, Sir Asrahan. How does it feel?”

“I have no particular feelings about it.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Why’s that?”

“There are only two knights left in the estate—me and Lord Bayern.”

“Ah, so you’re lonely?”

“…”

“Poor thing. You must be bored because you don’t have any friends.”

“That’s not the case…”

“It’s okay. It happens to everyone sometimes, you know?”

“Lloyd…”

“What? Why? What are you going to do, get mad at me?”

“…”

“Is there something you want to ask me?”

Javier’s expression made it clear he had something on his mind.

As expected, he nodded.

“Yes. There’s something I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about that hamster.”

Javier gestured toward Ppodong, who was happily munching on a walnut on the desk.

His expression had turned serious, and his gaze was sharp.

Lloyd tensed slightly.

‘What is he going to ask so seriously?’

A part of him wondered if Javier suspected his summoning magic.

It was a reasonable concern.

‘Even though I’ve been carrying around that basic summoning book for a month, it’s not enough to completely avoid suspicion.’

After all, summoning magic was still magic.

Unless you were a prodigy, mastering summoning magic in just a month was impossible.

‘Not that I can explain the RP system or the fantasy creature gacha. I’ll just have to bluff my way through.’

He decided to stick with the story that he had successfully self-studied summoning.

Javier finally broke the silence with his question.

“What should I call him?”

“…Huh?”

“I’m asking for the hamster’s name.”

“You’re curious about *that*?”

“Yes. Since it’s a creature you summoned, I thought I should know.”

“Ah, you wanted to formally introduce yourself, huh?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you make it sound so serious, though?”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind. His name is Ppodong.”

“Ppodong, you say?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm, a humble name for such an imposing creature.”

“Hey, I named him, you know.”

“Of course. The art of giving modest names to deceive enemies is a fundamental tactic. Well done.”

“…Are you serious?”

“…”

“Enough with the sarcasm. His name is Ppodong, and that’s final.”

“Understood. Ppodong it is.”

Javier knelt to Ppodong’s level and introduced himself.

“Greetings, Ppodong. I am Javier Asrahan, a knight in Lord Lloyd’s service. I look forward to working with you.”

“Ppodong!”

Ppodong reached out with his tiny paw to shake Javier’s long fingers.

Lloyd stifled a yawn.

“Finished your introductions?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now, let’s head out. I was waiting for you, anyway.”

“Waiting for me?”

“Yeah. After all, you’re my guard, and you’re much stronger than me.”

“…”

“Everyone hides their abilities to some extent, right?”

Javier flinched slightly at Lloyd’s words.

Lloyd smirked knowingly.

Javier was already at the advanced level of a sword expert, close to becoming a sword master.

Initially, Lloyd thought Javier didn’t realize his own strength, as the novel had described him that way.

‘But spending time with him up close, I know better.’

Javier was fully aware of his abilities—he was just hiding them.

And Lloyd had a hunch why.

‘The youngest knight on the verge of becoming a sword master… That alone would stir chaos.’

Whether from jealous seniors or ambitious lords trying to recruit him, the attention would bring nothing but trouble.

‘He’s staying under the radar out of loyalty to the baron.’

A commendable man, in both skill and character.

“Alright, let’s go before it gets dark.”

Lloyd stood, satisfied.

Javier also seemed relieved that the conversation was over—he didn’t want this topic to drag on.

‘You keep your secrets, and I’ll keep mine.’

With a shared understanding, they left the mansion together.

As they strolled through the estate, the residents greeted them warmly—very different from how they had reacted in the past.

The change in their attitudes hadn’t gone unnoticed by Lloyd.

‘Huh… Feels like I’ve become a celebrity overnight.’

Lloyd chuckled, curious but not surprised by the shift in behavior.

“Hey, Javier.”

“Yes?”

“Why do they all seem so different now? Weren’t they scared of me before?”

Javier replied matter-of-factly.

“It’s simple—you’ve become a hero.”

“A hero?”

“Yes. In just one month, you defeated the estate’s senior knight, exposed a traitor, and demonstrated impressive summoning magic. Naturally, the people see you differently now.”

“…When you put it like that, it does sound pretty impressive.”

Javier nodded.

“To them, you’ve transformed from a hopeless drunkard into a competent future lord. Of course, they’d be thrilled.”

“…That was a compliment, right?”

“Yes, it was.”

“Felt a bit heavy, though.”

“Heavy? In what way?”

“Like a punch straight to the gut at 170 kilometers per hour.”

“…What?”

“I mean, it hit hard. You’ve got a real talent for throwing verbal punches, you know?”

Javier just stared at him, as cool and composed as ever.

‘Must be nice to be good-looking, huh?’

Lloyd grumbled inwardly at Javier, who seemed like the real-life version of every perfect “friend’s son” people talk about—talented, handsome, and annoyingly flawless.

“Alright, you’ve stared enough. Let’s get moving.”

“Where to?”

“From here to there.”

Lloyd gestured, tracing a path from the mansion’s entrance to the eastern foothills beyond the estate.

He activated his surveying and design skills, scanning the terrain and overlaying the blueprint of future developments in his mind.

“Ever heard the phrase ‘All roads lead to Rome’ [1]?” Lloyd asked, grinning at Javier.

Of course, Javier didn’t understand the significance of that smile.

He had no way of knowing that the road Lloyd was planning would become the lifeline of the estate—turning it into a thriving hub within the kingdom.

At least, not yet.

* * *

Footnotes:

[1] The phrase “All roads lead to Rome” is a metaphor rooted in ancient Roman infrastructure, where a vast network of roads connected to the capital. It suggests that multiple methods can lead to the same goal or outcome.