The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 32: A Structure to Prevent Muscle Loss (2)

“Hey, I’m going to build you an ice storage.”

*Whooooosh.*

The wind swept across the wasteland, carrying particles of sand that grazed his eyes. Lloyd squinted, looking carefully around the sloped, open space.

“What’s an ice storage?”

Just as he expected, Javier immediately questioned him, and Lloyd couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Bingo.”

“Excuse me?”

“No, that’s not it. Have you ever heard of an ice house?”

“I haven’t.”

“Yeah, I figured.”

An ice storage—an “ice house”—was a facility from history used to store ice during hot seasons. Korea had its own called a *seokbinggo*, while in Europe, they called it an ice house. In the Middle East, in the Yazd region, there’s even a well-preserved ancient ice storage facility called *Moayedi*.

In other words, facilities for storing ice have been around the world for ages. However, what about the continent of Lorasia, where the story of *Iron-Blooded Knight* unfolds? Things were a little different here.

‘Because of magic, those kinds of facilities didn’t really develop.’

In any case, it’s the wealthy who crave ice during the summer. And in this world, there’s no shortage of mages to serve the wealthy’s desires. With a simple spell, you could enjoy a chilled sangria, even in the heat of summer.

“So I’m thinking of building one for the first time here in history.”

“For the orcs?”

“Yeah.”

Lloyd nodded. The sloped ground seemed perfect for building an ice storage. He quickly calculated the number of orc tribe members, their food intake, and the average size of the game they hunted. Based on that, he estimated the dimensions of the ice storage he needed to build.

‘It’ll definitely need to be bigger than the ones from the Joseon era.’

As he took advantage of his surveying and design skills, he recalled an earlier conversation.

—

“If you let me skip leg day, I’ll build a cool food storage for you. But you have to recognize me as a warrior.”

“Squeak?”

In response to Lloyd’s suggestion, Chief Akush raised his thick brow.

“A food storage, you say? Squeak?”

“Exactly. A storage for preserving food.”

“What difference does that make? Squeak?”

“It’ll make a difference, alright.”

“How so? Squeak?”

“The meat you hunt won’t spoil as easily.”

“Squeak? That’s possible? Squeak?”

“Of course.”

Akush squinted in disbelief. Lloyd gave him a confident smile.

“Imagine this: you’ve hunted a huge monster, but before you can even eat half, it starts to rot. Think of the sorrow of wasting all that natural protein.”

“Squeeeak! That makes me angry! Squeak!”

“Exactly.”

“It does! Squeak!”

“But with this, you’ll keep everything fresh and eat it all. Every juicy piece of meat will be absorbed by your body, turning into muscles. Isn’t that great?”

*Puff!*

Chief Akush snorted in excitement at the thought.

“Is that really true, squeak?”

“Of course. Who am I?”

“A benefactor! Squeak!”

“That’s right.”

“Yes, squeak!”

“Thank you for trusting me. Now, let’s get started with a construction contract.”

“A construction… contract, squeak?”

“Yes. In these matters, a contract is essential. Javier?”

Lloyd turned around. Already accustomed to such situations, Javier handed him paper and a pen.

Lloyd quickly drafted a simple order contract.

“It’s always like this. When you start a construction without a proper agreement, things get murky, and disputes arise. What kind of relationship do we have? Wouldn’t it be sad if such things caused issues between us?”

“…I don’t really understand, but I get the feeling that’s true, squeak.”

“Good thinking. You’re wise. Here.”

“Squeak?”

“Sign here.”

“Sign, squeak?”

“It’s a mark to show the Great Chief agrees to the contents of this contract.”

“A mark? I’m good at that, squeak!”

Akush raised his massive fist and slammed it onto the contract.

*BOOM!*

The contract was embedded into the stone below, ten centimeters deep.

‘Whoa.’

A monster indeed.

This orc chief was a different kind of beast compared to Javier. Lloyd was reminded of just how powerful the orc chief was.

‘Well, in the original work, even Javier had a hard time subduing him.’

At that time, Javier had just reached the rank of Swordmaster. This meant that the orc chief in front of him was somewhere between an advanced Sword Expert and a Swordmaster.

‘And that’s purely from physical strength alone—he doesn’t even use mana.’

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying the chief’s power seemed.

But there was no need to be afraid now. This muscular monster was on his side.

Lloyd smiled.

“Thank you for your wise decision, Chief. Now, just trust me from here on out.”

“Of course! I, Akush, trust you, human Lloyd! Squeak!”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

Lloyd signed his name on the contract embedded in the stone. The contract’s basic terms were as follows:

1. Lloyd Frontera will construct an ice storage for the orc tribe.
2. The orc tribe will recognize Lloyd Frontera as a warrior and pay him for the construction.
3. Payment for construction will be made in the form of the exercise equipment currently in use in the tribe.
4. In exchange, Lloyd Frontera will provide new equipment made of stone matching the weight of the items he receives.

In other words, it was a win-win deal.

‘No, not just win-win—it’s beneficial for both parties.’

The equipment and gold coins the tribe used for exercise weren’t really needed by the orcs. In exchange for those items, they’d get stone workout gear that was easier to use. Plus, they’d gain a giant refrigerator for food storage.

“So, I have to do this well to keep my trust intact. I’ll place the entrance here.”

Lloyd muttered as he continued surveying, recalling the recent events. He planned to build the ice storage sincerely.

‘Trust is everything in these matters.’

Underestimating the simplicity or appearance of a client could backfire later. Rushing the job to get a quick gain could lead to significant loss later, especially with a muscle-bound monster like this.

‘Building trust here will be worth it in the long run.’

The orc tribe was a formidable force. Each warrior possessed incredible combat abilities, and when war broke out, dozens of tribes would unite, forming a military force comparable to an elite national army.

‘Scoring points with them is important.’

He might even gain RP (Reputation Points) from them. With that thought, Lloyd focused wholeheartedly on surveying and designing the ice storage.

‘The entrance will face south, and the main room for ice and food storage will be in the cool north.’

He used the traditional Korean *seokbinggo* as his model, recalling his experience from a college club that studied traditional architecture.

‘But this area is very dry.’

The wasteland’s dry conditions would make the ice storage even more efficient than its Korean counterparts. He carefully considered every element that would enhance the facility’s function.

‘First, the hot air needs to rise.’

The structure would be half-buried underground, with the other half slightly raised above ground, topped with a rounded, arch-shaped ceiling to facilitate heat release.

‘I’ll add concave ridges to trap warm air and make ventilation points at each of these low points.’

For the entrance, he designed retaining walls to channel cool winter winds from the mountains into the storage area.

After four days, the design was finally complete.

“Alright, the blueprint is done.”

With his intermediate design skill, he produced a clean blueprint for construction. The next step was to secure construction materials.

‘I can source the clay and limestone for waterproofing here. Rice husks, straw, and sawdust for insulation can be delivered from the estate. The grass layer for the top can be replaced with local thorny plants. The only issue left is granite.’

He glanced westward, where the eastern slopes of the mountain range between the Frontera estate and the wasteland shone in the morning sun.

‘Granite is essential for the ice storage.’

Granite was a hard, even-textured rock that wouldn’t twist or crack, perfect for long-lasting structures like ice storage facilities requiring insulation and waterproofing.

‘But granite is tough to work with.’

Its hardness made it difficult to split in the desired shape.

‘That’s why old Korean statues are so rugged-looking.’

The Korean Peninsula is full of granite, forcing ancestors to painstakingly carve it by hand, taking a lot of time and effort.

Of course, Lloyd had no intention of doing that.

He glanced back, calling to the silver-haired knight who silently followed.

“Hey, Javier?”

“Yes, sir?”

“I’ve got a question.”

“Go ahead.”

“You can cut stone with your sword, right?”

“Yes.”

“How much?”

“I’ve managed about a meter with a single strike.”

“A meter-wide rock?”

“Yes.”

Javier nodded casually. It was astounding that he could split a massive boulder with a mere blade. But Lloyd scoffed.

“Is that it? That’s kind of weak.”

“….”

“I thought you’d be slicing meters off with a single strike.”

“…Such a feat is beyond most Swordmasters.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you’re not just making excuses?”

“No.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Truly?”

“Indeed.”

Javier’s response was colder than usual, sensing that Lloyd was deliberately pressing him.

“I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but if you intend to abuse your position to make unreasonable demands, I must respectfully decline.”

“Oh, is that a strike?”

“I simply mean to refuse an impossible request.”

“Is it really that impossible?”

“Frankly? Yes.”

“Explain.”

“Right now, you’re looking for stone to build this ice storage.”

“Right.”

“And you plan to use me to cut that stone with my sword, yes? That’s what I anticipated, which is why I’m telling you no.”

“So you’re rejecting the idea of working as a stonemason?”

“Because it’s impractical with a sword.”

“Cheeky.”

“Thank you.”

Javier nodded slightly, perhaps thinking he had won this exchange. Lloyd smirked, giving Javier an ominous smile.

“What if I made it possible?”

“Pardon?”

“If I teach you a technique that can pierce and shatter rocks with your sword, will you help me?”

“That’s….”

Javier trailed off, and Lloyd grinned. He was already thinking of a destructive skill Javier mastered in the mid-stages of *Iron-Blooded Knight*. He planned to teach Javier this technique early.