The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 20: All Roads Lead to Rome (3)

Construction had officially begun.

With Lloyd’s enhanced surveying and design skills, the process was smooth from the very first step.

“Ppodong?”

“Ppodong?”

“Alright, I’m going to mark the ground with a line.”

“Ppodong!”

“Can you dig within that line to a consistent depth of 1.5 meters?”

“Ppododong!”

Lloyd asked, and Ppodong nodded eagerly, his plump head bouncing atop Lloyd’s palm.

“Great. But first, let’s eat this.”

“Ppodong!”

Lloyd handed him a red sunflower seed, and Ppodong eagerly munched on it.

*Poof!*

In an instant, Ppodong’s body expanded to a massive size, growing to 10 meters tall.

Meanwhile, Lloyd grabbed his shovel and began drawing lines in the dirt.

He carefully traced the road’s design, following the 2D blueprint that only he could see.

*Scritch! Scritch!*

“From here, we’ll go this way. Follow the lines I’ve drawn exactly, keeping the width at 13 meters.”

“Ppodong! Ppododong!”

*Whrrrrr!*

Ppodong’s giant paws moved with astonishing speed, his plump rear bouncing as he dug up an enormous amount of soil, tossing it behind him.

It was as if a living excavator had taken over the site.

Lloyd gave the next command.

“Engineer Squad One, deploy!”

“Deploy!”

Thirty soldiers from the territory’s engineer corps sprang into action, shovels in hand.

They jumped into the trench that Ppodong had dug—a 13-meter wide, 1.5-meter deep groove. They followed closely behind him, shoveling away the dirt, stones, and roots that Ppodong’s digging had scattered.

*Clang! Clang! Crunch! Thud! Scrape!*

Thirty shovels moved in unison, their synchronized rhythm accompanied by the sound of sweat dripping under the sun.

Each time a soldier tamped down the trench walls and floor, Ppodong came rolling back over the area.

“Ppodong!”

*Thump!*

With a satisfied grunt, Ppodong flattened the ground with his massive body, pressing it firmly with his 25-ton weight.

Afterwards, he rolled along the trench like a living road roller, compacting the soil beneath him.

*Rumble!*

Meanwhile, another team of thirty engineers—the second squad—worked tirelessly, hauling fine sand from the nearby riverbank.

Squad One spread the sand evenly across the trench floor.

Then, the tamping process began again.

The engineers packed the sand down with their shovels.

Ppodong added his weight by rolling over it once more.

The compacted sand was leveled to an exact depth of 30 centimeters.

The same process repeated like perfectly interlocking gears: dig, lay, tamp, and compact.

Over the sand went a 30-centimeter layer of egg-sized gravel.

On top of that came a 30-centimeter layer of fist-sized stones.

Next, a layer of walnut-sized pebbles, again 30 centimeters thick.

Finally, a top layer of fine sand, 20 centimeters deep, was spread evenly.

The two squads of engineers—60 men in total—along with stonemasons and miners, toiled in harmony, sweat dripping as they worked. With proper breaks, meals, and efficient task distribution, the team moved swiftly through the first day of construction.

By the evening, they had completed the foundation work for the first 30 meters of the road.

“Perfect.”

Lloyd grinned in satisfaction.

The construction was progressing faster than he had expected.

‘Having Ppodong on site really speeds things up. Heavy equipment is the key to any project.’

Thanks to Ppodong, who played the dual role of excavator and roller, the work advanced at breakneck speed.

The efficiency of the engineer squads was equally commendable.

‘I’m glad I used them for the Ondol room project. That training is paying off.’

The 60 engineers had become experts with their shovels and developed impressive physical endurance along the way.

‘They’ve built up some solid labor muscles.’

Lloyd briefly reminisced about his time in the Korean military.

He had enlisted to protect his country, but reality had been quite different.

After his assignment to a base, most of his military service involved maintenance work rather than combat training.

He cut grass, repaired fences and drainage systems, patched leaking roofs, and even built greenhouses and storage sheds.

‘All because I had a civil engineering degree.’

It felt like he had become a personal labor drone for his unit’s quartermaster.

‘Ugh, it still gives me chills.’

Watching the engineers work reminded Lloyd of those days.

A sinister grin spread across his face.

‘These guys will get a taste of that, too.’

The engineers were salaried soldiers employed by the estate. As long as Lloyd offered occasional bonuses, there wouldn’t be too many complaints.

They were the perfect workforce—cheap and efficient.

And this was just the beginning.

Lloyd intended to complete the first section of the paved road before the spring rains arrived.

♣

Days passed.

Fortunately, the weather remained clear, and the project advanced smoothly under the bright skies.

The road’s construction progressed rapidly.

Curious citizens gathered in droves, watching the workers with growing interest.

“Whoa! What do you think they’re building?”

“Not sure.”

“I heard it’s something called a ‘paved road.’”

“A paved road? What’s that for?”

“No idea. They say it’s something good.”

“Good for what?”

“…Well, something good, I guess?”

“So you have no idea either.”

“Eh.”

The townspeople whispered amongst themselves, puzzled by the project’s purpose.

Some tried to guess what the new road was for.

“Maybe it’s for a canal?”

“No, it looks like they’re making an ice rink to skate on during winter.”

“Nah, it’s obviously a field. They’re probably laying it out so it’s easier to harvest crops.”

“That doesn’t make much sense. Maybe they’re digging it for a giant game of dominoes?”

“It’s definitely a canal.”

“No way—it’s an ice rink!”

“Look, I’m telling you, it’s a field.”

“Maybe it’s a running track for a sports event.”

Though their guesses varied wildly, the townspeople weren’t entirely clueless.

They understood that well-maintained roads made travel easier and facilitated the transport of goods.

But for a small, isolated territory like theirs, a paved road seemed excessive.

‘Why would Lord Lloyd build such a high-quality road here of all places?’

Even the engineers began to wonder.

“Huff… This is brutal.”

“Quit slacking. You’re not the only one digging.”

“Still… isn’t this too much?”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it. What’s the point of building this road?”

“Well…”

“See? You don’t know either, do you?”

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

The soldier scratched his head while another wiped the sweat from his brow in frustration.

“Our territory doesn’t even have much trade or traffic. So why are we doing this?”

“True. We’re tucked away in the eastern corner of the kingdom, and beyond that, it’s just mountains and wastelands.”

“Exactly. And the road’s heading east, too.”

“What? Seriously?”

“Yeah, see for yourself.”

“…Wow, it really is.”

“Well, no point in complaining. Orders are orders.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

*Thud, thud, thud!*

Despite their grumbling, the soldiers kept working.

Though doubts and complaints surfaced, Lloyd knew this was only temporary.

‘They’re confused now. Some are even resentful. But once the road is complete… everything will change.’

He was confident the results would speak for themselves.

And so, the construction continued without pause.

They dug trenches, laid gravel and sand, and compacted the layers.

Gradually, the road stretched through the center of the estate, reaching the eastern mountainside.

Finally, the foundation was complete, and Lloyd moved on to the next phase—paving the road.

He gathered all the estate’s stonemasons for the task.

“Alright, listen up. Your work is crucial from here on out. Everything so far has been preparation for this moment.”

“Yes, my lord!”

“Here’s how we’ll pave the stones…”

The stonemasons’ eyes gleamed as Lloyd explained the unfamiliar process.

They began paving large, flat stones over the prepared foundation, fitting them together like puzzle pieces.

The 6-meter-wide road was slightly arched at the center to allow rainwater to flow off to the sides, where 50-centimeter wide, 20-centimeter deep drainage channels were installed.

A sturdy 3-meter sidewalk flanked both sides of the road.

‘With this design, the road won’t flood. Water will drain off naturally, and carts won’t mix with pedestrians.’

Lloyd even designated areas to prevent trees from being planted near the road to avoid root damage to the foundation.

Day by day, the paved section extended further.

It passed through the town center, the market, and out toward the estate’s outskirts.

Finally, it reached the eastern mountainside.

The first paved road through the Frontera estate was complete.

At this point, no one fully understood the significance of what Lloyd had accomplished—not the citizens, the engineers, or even Baron Frontera himself.

Then, the spring rains arrived.

For over ten days, heavy rain poured relentlessly.

All the roads turned to mud—except the newly paved one.

This was expected. The road had been built with care, so it held up perfectly under the rain.

But the townspeople still didn’t understand why such a grand road was necessary.

Then, on the morning the rain finally stopped, Lloyd made his way to the road’s eastern end.

At the mountain’s edge, he planted a new sign that none had anticipated.

**[Construction Site: Bitumen Mine – Unauthorized Excavation Prohibited – By Order of the Lord’s Son]**

At last, the grand vision Lloyd had conceived since the day he designed the first Ondol room was beginning to take shape.