The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 21: The Second Random Draw (1)
*Kaang! Kang-kang!*
The steel shovel moved with steady precision, reflecting the sharp rays of the spring sun with each swing.
With a metallic thud, it hammered the signpost’s head deeper into the ground.
*Kakang!*
Finally, the sign was firmly embedded into the earth. Lloyd paused, wiping the sweat from his brow.
“Hoo…”
A light breeze danced through the air, carrying away the sweat on his skin. The warm sunlight was invigorating, and the sight of the signpost standing proudly before him brought a satisfied smile to his face.
“Well, what do you think?”
Lloyd turned, directing the question to the silver-haired knight standing behind him.
Javier, who had been silently observing, gave him a disinterested look.
“What do I think about what, exactly?”
“This.”
Lloyd pointed at the newly planted signpost.
Javier’s gaze followed his hand to the sign, where bold letters read:
**[Construction Site: Bitumen Coal Mine – Unauthorized Farming Prohibited – By Order of the Lord’s Son]**
“You’ve got to plant these things early, or it’ll be a nightmare later,” Lloyd said with a sly grin.
“How so?”
“Otherwise, before you know it, the place will be covered with chili peppers and cabbages.”
Lloyd smirked bitterly.
“Elderly ladies from the village are bound to spot a patch of decent-looking land and plant every herb and vegetable imaginable—lettuce, peppers, cabbages, you name it. And if we start construction where their gardens are?”
In Korea, Lloyd had witnessed similar things countless times.
In most cases, unauthorized gardens were unceremoniously bulldozed by construction crews. Sometimes, fines were even levied against the people who planted them.
It was a sad but common reality.
Of course, Lloyd had no intention of handling things that way here.
“Destroying their gardens in the name of construction? That’s the quickest way to earn a reputation as a tyrant. Any goodwill I’ve built up with the people? Poof! Gone in a flash, like an eel slipping through your hands.”
“So, in summary, you’d be inviting public backlash.”
“Exactly.”
Lloyd gave a mischievous grin.
He had only recently begun earning the trust of the estate’s people. Losing it over something trivial like a farming dispute was out of the question.
“Anyway, we’ll start construction soon. We’ll dig out a tunnel here and begin mining bitumen coal.”
“Bitumen coal? You mean coal?”
“Yep. Smart as ever.”
“I know a little about it,” Javier replied with a nod. “It’s a black rock that comes from underground. It crumbles easily but burns far better than firewood.”
“That’s right. And we’ll be mining it here.”
“So, there really is bitumen coal beneath this mountain?”
“Yup.”
Lloyd gave a small chuckle.
“The records show that two attempts were made to build a mine here during the previous lord’s time, but both failed. The tunnels collapsed because the ground wasn’t stable enough.”
This was a key detail Lloyd remembered from *The Iron-Blooded Knight* novel.
The story described how his father, Baron Arcos Frontera, eventually took his own life, overwhelmed by debts. Just before his death, he lamented that if the mine project, which had originally been attempted by his predecessor Matthias Frontera, had succeeded, none of these tragedies would have happened.
Lloyd had kept this in mind from the very beginning of his plans to develop the estate.
‘Developing this mine was always going to be one of the essential steps.’
And he made sure to verify everything beforehand.
His recently upgraded intermediate surveying skill was instrumental in confirming the presence of coal veins.
With this skill, Lloyd could scan everything up to five meters underground—rock formations, groundwater, and even mineral deposits.
‘It would’ve been great if the scan could go deeper, but this is good enough for now.’
The surveys confirmed that this location was ideal, and the paved road had been built to facilitate coal transportation from the mine.
“That coal will soon become the lifeblood of our estate. It’s also the most efficient way to prevent the firewood shortage coming this winter.”
“A firewood shortage?”
“Yes. Thanks to the Ondol rooms I’ve been installing everywhere, firewood is going to become scarce. It’s not just a prediction—it’s inevitable.”
Lloyd shrugged.
“The thing with Ondol heating is that it uses up a lot of fuel. Unlike fireplaces that only heat the kitchen, Ondol warms the entire floor of the house, which means we’ll burn through wood faster than ever. Before you know it, the nearby forest will be bare.”
“You mean… we’ll run out of trees to burn?”
“Exactly.”
“So, you anticipated this problem?”
“Of course. Who do you think designed those Ondol rooms? I knew from the start that firewood wouldn’t last through winter.”
Javier’s voice grew cold.
“So you deceived the people, then.”
“Deceived them?”
“Yes. The people of the estate trusted you enough to replace their fireplaces with Ondol heating. When the firewood runs out, they’ll have to suffer through the second half of winter in the cold.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Then you’ve scammed them, haven’t you?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then what do you plan to do?”
“We’ll sell them coal.”
“To the estate’s people?”
“Yep. Once they realize that coal is the best fuel around, they won’t be able to resist buying it.”
That was Lloyd’s plan: introduce Ondol heating to the estate, creating a high demand for fuel.
When the firewood shortage hit, they would rely on coal, which Lloyd would sell to them.
First, he’d profit from installing Ondol rooms. Then, he’d profit again by selling coal.
‘And once the system spreads to neighboring estates, we’ll export the coal there too.’
Ondol and coal would become the twin engines driving the estate’s recovery from debt.
Lloyd’s grin widened as he imagined the profits.
Meanwhile, Javier’s expression grew even more stern.
“So, you planned all of this from the beginning?”
“Yep.”
“From when?”
“From the moment we apologized to the innkeeper and signed the first Ondol contract.”
“……”
“If you’ve got something to say, spit it out. Stop glaring at me.”
“May I speak freely?”
“Sure.”
Javier’s reply was immediate.
“You’re a cunning man.”
“Better than being naïve.”
“And I dislike that.”
“Dislike me?”
“Yes.”
“Well, that’s too bad.”
“Why?”
“Because the guy you dislike is the one who lulls you to sleep every night.”
“……”
“Do you want me to stop the bedtime reading service?”
“……”
“Come on, don’t act so conflicted. I can see the gears turning in your head.”
“……”
“Seriously, Javier. You’re way too obvious when you try to hide your thoughts.”
“……”
“Relax. I’m not going to stop. You’re too adorable for that.”
“I’m not… a puppy,” Javier almost blurted, but Lloyd cut him off.
“I know why you’re upset. You think I’m manipulative and underhanded. But the truth is, saving the estate comes first.”
Lloyd’s mischievous grin softened into something more bittersweet.
“You know, when I was a kid, I thought money wasn’t everything. But as I got older, I realized that’s not true. Money is more important than I ever imagined.”
“Lloyd…”
“Sure, money can’t buy happiness. But it makes life a hell of a lot easier. So let’s be a little dirty, a little sneaky, and earn some money. Let’s pay off the estate’s debts, okay?”
“……”
Javier fell silent.
The disgust he had initially felt began to fade.
Looking at Lloyd, who smiled self-deprecatingly, Javier could almost hear the unspoken message in his gaze.
‘I’ll take the blame. I’ll bear the criticism and judgment. All you have to do is follow me.’
Javier sighed.
“Alright.”
He couldn’t help but smile a little.
“I’ll admit it.”
Lloyd tilted his head in curiosity.
“Admit what? My plan?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“You know,” Lloyd smirked, “I never asked for your approval.”
“……”
“Why would I need it? I’m the lord’s son. I don’t need anyone’s permission to dig a mine.”
“……”
“So stop overthinking it. Now, move aside. I’ve got surveying to do.”
Javier’s elegant expression crumpled in frustration.
Lloyd laughed mischievously.
Messing with Javier was always entertaining.
♣
From that day onward, Lloyd spent most of his time at the planned mine site, surveying the area and analyzing the environment.
He reviewed the failures of the previous mining attempts and tailored his construction plan accordingly.
‘Traditional tunneling methods won’t cut it. They’re too slow and dangerous.’
He had discovered old records detailing the failed attempts—both had used the outdated method of heating and cooling rocks to break them apart.
‘It didn’t even get them 30 meters in before the tunnels collapsed, burying everyone inside.’
This time, Lloyd planned to use the **shield tunneling method**.
At dinner, he explained his plan to the baron, sliding a simple diagram across the table.
“This is the shield method,” Lloyd began.
The baron studied the diagram curiously as Lloyd continued his explanation.
“It involves workers operating inside a cylindrical steel structure called a shield. The shield holds back the earth, preventing collapses as the workers dig the tunnel.”
The baron nodded slowly, intrigued by the idea.
Finally, he agreed to the plan—with one condition.
“You must stay out of the tunnel during construction.”
Lloyd’s protest was swift.
“If I don’t go in, no one will trust the new method enough to follow through.”
After much debate, the baron reluctantly relented.
With everything in place, Lloyd prepared for the next step.
That night, after putting Javier to sleep, Lloyd opened the system menu.
It was time to try the **Random Summon** again.
‘Ppodong won’t be much help in the tunnels. His size makes it too dangerous.’
To speed up construction, Lloyd needed someone with specialized abilities.
He selected the **Random Summon** option.
[Summon Cost (Second Attempt): 70 RP]
[Current RP: 119]
[Proceed with the summon?]
[YES / NO]
He selected **YES**.
*Paaaat!*
A brilliant light illuminated the room as a complex magic circle spread across the floor.
Within the shifting glow, a new silhouette began to take shape.
Lloyd’s eyes widened as the figure materialized.
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