The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 31: A Structure to Prevent Muscle Loss (1)

“Father, kuieek!”

Thud thud thud!

Arosh sprinted forward.

Muscles like writhing earthworms bulged and flexed. His calves, thick as lampposts, pounded the ground as he charged. His enormous frame, reminiscent of a Ural Mountain wild boar, moved with a shocking burst of speed.

From the opposite side, an even larger orc responded with excitement.

“My son, kuieek!”

Boom boom boom!

The older orc ran toward him. His muscles, as thick as coiled pythons, strained visibly. Legs thicker than utility poles struck the ground, sending up clouds of dust as a body as massive as a Tunguska nuclear bear barreled forward.

They collided.

Thud!

The air molecules trapped between their massive forms seemed pitiful. But despite what appeared like an earth-shaking crash, Arosh and the older orc, clearly father and son, embraced fiercely, sharing a wild reunion.

“You rascal Arosh, kuieek!”

“Father, kuieek!”

“Are you alright, kuieek?”

“I’m fine! Ugh, kuieek!”

“That’s a relief. But don’t cry, my son, kuieek.”

“Even now, Father?”

“Of course. You’re already thin from hardship. If you cry carelessly, your nutrients will drain and your muscles will shrink, kuieek!”

“Gasp! Muscle loss, kuieek!”

“As a warrior, that’s the one thing you must avoid, isn’t it, kuieek?”

“Father, you’re as wise as ever, kuieek!”

…Not wise, more like his brain is shaped like a dumbbell.

Lloyd let out a deep sigh.

The scene of the orc father and son reunion played out before him.

If they were tossed into a neighborhood gym, they’d probably warm up with three main lifts totaling a ton.

And yet, the first thing they talked about upon meeting was muscle.

In *The Iron-Blooded Knight*, orcs were often described as muscle-headed idiots, and seeing it in person, Lloyd thought, that description couldn’t have been more accurate.

A chuckle escaped him.

He remembered how this all started, back when he first set this plan into motion.

—

“Do you think that plan will work?”

“Yes, probably.”

Lloyd nodded.

He picked up the kettle, tilting it to pour clear tea into the Baron’s cup.

“As I mentioned, Arosh fully trusts me. He sees me as his savior. Plus, I hear he’s the son of the chieftain.”

“The son? Of the chieftain?”

“Yes.”

Lloyd sipped his own tea, taking a moment to swallow.

“I believe the chieftain will recognize his son’s achievements.”

“Because of the queen ant’s head… I see.”

“Yes, and I plan to ride that wave.”

Lloyd’s scheme was to brand it as a joint effort, a collaborative hunt. He and Arosh together had taken down the queen ant, so he would ask to be recognized as a warrior, too.

“But will the chieftain accept you so easily?”

“It won’t be straightforward. We’ll only know if we try. Still, the potential reward is too great to ignore.”

It was true.

If Lloyd could be acknowledged as a warrior by the orc chieftain, he’d gain the assistance of 120 orc warriors as miners.

Strong, brave orcs, tireless in their work, capable of extracting coal efficiently.

They were worth a thousand human miners.

“Plus, aside from food and shelter, labor costs would be minimal. We’d have premium labor for free.”

“But won’t it be dangerous? Going directly to an orc village sounds a bit…”

“It’s fine. Arosh, the chieftain’s son, sees me as his savior.”

“Hmm…”

The Baron’s face darkened.

He disliked the idea of Lloyd putting himself in danger. Orcs were known for being violent and fierce. Venturing into their territory seemed reckless. He wanted to dissuade Lloyd if possible.

Lloyd continued to persuade the hesitant Baron. It became a battle of wills between them.

Of course, Lloyd emerged the victor.

“…Fine. But on one condition.”

“What is it?”

“Take some soldiers with you. At least thirty.”

The Baron insisted on this for safety. Lloyd agreed, viewing the soldiers as a just-in-case measure.

“Understood. I’ll bring 30 engineers along with Sir Asrahan for added security.”

Preparations were made swiftly.

Camping equipment and supplies were gathered, ready for departure the following morning.

The Baron and his wife came out to the mansion’s gate to see them off, showing genuine concern. A pang of guilt crossed Lloyd’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Without him, these people would have met a tragic fate in the original storyline, dying shortly after losing everything.

“Then, we’ll be off.”

With mixed emotions, Lloyd said his farewells.

They set off, crossing the Eastern Mountains.

Arosh proved to be an excellent warrior and guide. His knowledge of the terrain allowed them to avoid dangerous monster habitats. Thanks to him, they arrived at the orc village unscathed after ten days.

And finally…

“Kuieek! Welcome! I am Akush, Arosh’s father, kuieek!”

Lloyd found himself shaking hands with the chieftain, Akush, surrounded by hundreds of watching orcs.

“Yes, pleased to meet you.”

“Arosh told me everything. You saved my son, kuieek?”

“Yes, by chance.”

“Good! Then you are also my savior, kuieek!”

“And a warrior who hunted the queen ant alongside your son, no less.”

“…What, kuieek?”

Akush tilted his head in confusion.

Lloyd glanced at Javier, signaling him.

Javier unwrapped the bundle he was carrying on his back.

A large, black, bulbous object—about the size of a gym ball—was revealed.

“The head of the queen ant. I kept it as a trophy.”

“Ku…kuieek?”

Akush’s large throat bobbed up and down.

It wasn’t just the chieftain who was shocked; the hundreds of orcs gathered were equally stunned.

“Kuieek? What is that, kuieek!”

“That’s the biggest beast ant head I’ve ever seen, kuieek!”

“It looks fierce, kuieek!”

“It must be strong, kuieek!”

“It looks delicious, kuieek!”

“…There’s a feast here, kuieek!”

In a moment, the orc village erupted into admiration and chaos.

This was the moment to seize.

Lloyd couldn’t let them regain their calm and think it through.

He had to ride the wave while it was high.

And so, he spoke quickly.

“I was exploring the anthill when I found the queen ant staggering. So, I managed to take her down. Nearby, I found an orc-made iron sword.”

“An orc-made iron sword, kuieek?”

“Yes. It was Arosh’s.”

Lloyd’s gaze shifted subtly to Arosh, who flared his nostrils with a proud snort.

“The savior’s words are true, kuieek!”

“Then you fought the queen ant, wore her down, and afterward, the savior finished her off, kuieek?”

“Yes. We fought together, kuieek!”

“Hmmm, kuieek…”

Chieftain Akush’s heavy eyelids twitched.

His deep green eyes darted between his son, Lloyd, and the queen ant’s head.

He recognized it instantly.

‘It’s real, kuieek.’

As a chieftain who had spent his life fighting beast ants, he knew their queen’s might better than anyone.

But to think his son had hunted such a powerful foe.

The chieftain’s massive pectoral muscles quivered with emotion.

“My son, kuieek!”

“Yes, kuieek!”

“Congratulations! You are now a warrior! I, Akush, chieftain of the orcs, proclaim Arosh a warrior of the tribe, kuieek!”

“Thank you, kuieek!”

“Good. To celebrate, today is leg day, kuieek!”

“A warrior’s legs, kuieek!”

Upon the chieftain’s declaration, Arosh dashed to one side of the village.

There, he hefted a massive statue onto his shoulders.

A statue that easily weighed half a ton and was gilded.

And it wasn’t the only thing.

Around him, opulent objects were strewn about, repurposed as makeshift workout equipment.

A chandelier used as a barbell weight.

A beam studded with pearls as the bar.

A treasure chest overflowing with gold coins turned into a solid kettlebell!

‘Whoa, insane.’

Lloyd recalled the scenes from *The Iron-Blooded Knight* that described how skilled and ruthless orc warriors were.

Seeing it firsthand was even more shocking.

‘Must be the accumulated spoils of decades of raids. But what do they do with gold and jewels?’

Sigh.

Gold and jewels reduced to workout gear.

Arosh, lifting the gilded statue while grunting, his massive thighs flexing like pythons.

The chieftain’s grin grew wider, watching his son.

“See that? Today is a joyous day, kuieek.”

The chieftain turned to Lloyd, resting a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you, human. You not only saved my son but also showed courage by hunting the queen ant together, kuieek.”

“Does this mean I’m recognized as a warrior?”

Lloyd asked bluntly.

Sometimes, you had to be direct.

The tactic worked; Akush nodded approvingly.

“Of course! I, Akush, chieftain of the orcs, declare the human…kuieek?”

“Lloyd. Lloyd Frontera.”

“…the human Lloyd Frontera as an honored warrior of the tribe, kuieek!”

Finally, the chieftain’s proclamation was made.

The gathered orcs roared in approval.

Then, as if it were obvious, Akush shouted:

“Our human savior is now a warrior! To celebrate, it’s leg day for him too, kuieek!”

“…Excuse me?”

Wait.

Did this mountain of muscle just say what I think he said?

‘He doesn’t really expect me to hoist that 500-kilogram statue and do squats, does he?’

Lloyd swallowed nervously.

But bad premonitions were rarely wrong.

Akush clapped his back and beamed.

“Come! I’ll join you in the celebration, kuieek!”

“……”

“Warriors train their legs, kuieek!”

“……”

Oh heavens.

The world dimmed before him.

The cheers around him grew even louder.

Lloyd felt the daunting dread bubble up like a simmering stew.

“Um?”

“Kuieek?”

“I enjoy working out and have lifted my share of heavy things on the job, but this might be…”

“Kuieek? What do you mean, kuieek?”

“It seems a bit too heavy for me.”

Lloyd spoke honestly.

It was true.

He had always been fairly confident in lifting heavy things.

And the Asrahan meditation technique had enhanced his strength beyond ordinary human limits.

But a 500-kilogram gilded statue, awkwardly shaped and expected to squat with?

“Thanks for the exercise offer, but is there anything lighter?”

He wasn’t eager to end up with a broken back or shattered legs.

So, he asked.

But Akush’s expression hardened.

“What? You can’t lift that, kuieek?”

“That’s correct.”

“You were just acknowledged as a warrior, kuieek?”

“Of course…”

“A warrior unable to lift that? That’s nonsense, kuieek!”

“……”

“That’s one of the lightest in the tribe. It’s for young warriors warming up. If you can’t lift that, you don’t deserve to be called a warrior, kuieek.”

“Excuse me, but I’m not an orc…”

“A warrior must do this, kuieek.”

Akush was already serious.

Lloyd’s face turned grim.

‘Damn.’

He thought things were going smoothly.

Who knew leg day could ambush his plans?

His mind raced.

‘If I can’t do this so-called leg workout, my warrior recognition is at risk. What now?’

Giving up would mean missing out on huge benefits.

He could have 120 strong orc warriors as free laborers.

He didn’t want to give that up.

But he also didn’t want to pretend he could do something impossible and end up seriously hurt.

‘I need a solution.’

Squats were out of the question.

He needed to showcase a different skill.

Something that would earn their respect and validate his claim as a warrior.

Lloyd’s eyes darted around the orc village, taking in everything.

He absorbed the environment, observed their habits, categorized the details, and analyzed them.

Then, suddenly, he noticed something.

‘Wait a second.’

His scanning gaze froze.

It landed on a pit dug in a corner of the village.

“What’s that for?”

He pointed at the pit and asked.

Akush replied.

“That? It’s where we discard meat, kuieek.”

“Discard meat?”

“Yes. We throw it there and cover it with dirt, kuieek.”

Akush nodded.

“We throw away spoiled meat. Eating that would cause stomach aches. If you get sick, you can’t train. If you can’t train, you lose muscle, kuieek.”

A hint of regret shaded the chieftain’s voice.

“It’s a shame. If we could eat all of that, we’d have more muscle. It’s always a pity, kuieek.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, kuieek.”

Akush smacked his lips in frustration.

Lloyd’s lips twitched into a sly grin.

‘This is it.’

A scene from *The Iron-Blooded Knight* flashed in his mind.

It took place much later in the story.

Javier, after a series of adventures, ended up confronting an orc tribe alone.

In a fierce battle, he found a way to make them surrender.

His strategy? Sabotaging the orcs’ hunting.

‘The orcs live in harsh lands. Farming is impossible, and foraging doesn’t yield enough food. So, they rely heavily on hunting for food.’

Hunting massive beasts in the wilds.

That’s how the orcs secured their food supply.

To do that, they needed to be brave and powerful.

But they lacked food preservation techniques.

They just stored the food and ate it as-is.

Which meant their hard-won food spoiled quickly.

‘Javier realized that and disrupted their hunting efforts. In less than ten days, the orc tribe was struggling with food shortages.’

With no proper preservation, food wouldn’t accumulate.

When hunting failed, they faced food scarcity.

Lloyd remembered this from the novel.

“I have a suggestion.”

“A suggestion, kuieek?”

“Yes.”

He looked up at chieftain Akush and said,

“Instead of leg day, how about I build a cool storage room for preserving food? Would you recognize me as a warrior then?”

And perhaps pay me handsomely with those gleaming treasures scattered around.

Earn the warrior status, gain the laborers.

Plus, score a construction contract and line my pockets.

Killing two birds with one stone.

Winning a skirmish and securing the Baron.

Running errands and getting bonus points.

The cunning smile on Lloyd’s lips grew with satisfaction.