The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 33: Building at the Speed of Light with Muscles (1)
“Drilling a hole several meters deep in rock with a single sword… what are you talking about?”
Javier frowned, his gaze filled with skepticism, as if he thought Lloyd was speaking nonsense.
“It’s hard to understand. May I speak frankly?”
“Frankly?”
“Yes.”
“Let me guess, you’re going to hit me with unfiltered facts again, right?”
“As I’ve said repeatedly, I’ve never assaulted you, Lloyd.”
“Oh, but you have.”
“When was that?”
“In the ant nest. You punched me in the chest, remember?”
“That was, of course…”
“And afterward, you gave me a triple slap to help me regain my senses. Am I wrong?”
“It was two slaps. I stopped before the third when you regained consciousness.”
“Ah, so you wish you’d finished the third?”
“Of course no… no, not at all.”
“…”
“Anyway, back to the main point: speaking frankly, I’ve never heard of such a feat with a sword.”
“Never?”
“No. Even among Swordmasters.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
It was true. Creating several-meter-deep holes in rock with a sword, and then making it explode? Such a thing was unheard of. Even in the many stories of legendary Swordmasters, it was impossible.
‘Even Sir Michael, the founding king known as one of the strongest in history despite his slow development, couldn’t do it. His Sword Aura was recorded to reach about one meter. At best, it extended a little beyond the length of the sword.’
The Sword Aura, a technique that channels highly concentrated mana into a sword, is symbolic of a Swordmaster’s power. But even this destructive skill had its limitations—it could only reach as far as the blade itself.
‘Ultimately, a sword is a close-range weapon.’
Regardless of its destructive power, a sword had to make direct contact to be effective. Unlike a mage’s spells that could strike from afar, this was the Swordmaster’s unique trait—and his weakness.
“Yet you’re disregarding all of that, Lord Lloyd, claiming to teach me an imaginary technique that doesn’t even exist. It sounds as if…”
“You think I’m insane?”
“Yes.”
Javier nodded without hesitation.
“That’s exactly it. This sounds like the nonsense of a madman.”
“Oh, look at you, taking this opportunity to dig in.”
“‘Dig in’? What does that mean?”
“Forget it. Anyway—”
Lloyd chuckled.
“What would you do if I actually taught you such a technique?”
“Do you truly believe it’s possible?”
“Of course. Now answer.”
“If your boast proves true—” Javier’s expression turned serious. “I’ll gladly follow your instructions.”
“Really? You’ll do whatever I tell you?”
“Of course.”
Javier nodded. If Lloyd’s claim was genuine, he would lose nothing by agreeing. Still, he assumed this was just an empty boast.
“Great. We have a deal.” Lloyd placed his hand on Javier’s shoulder and spoke casually, “Draw your sword, rotate your mana circles to maximum, and forcefully overlap two circles until they collide.”
“…Pardon?”
“Oh, and don’t involve the other circles in the collision. Keep one protecting your heart; otherwise, the shock might send it spiraling, and that’d be the end of you.”
“What are you even saying…?”
“Just try it.”
“Here, right now?”
“Yes.”
Lloyd nodded, and Javier felt bewildered.
‘Is that even possible?’
This was a fundamental breach of his understanding. Even with the Asrahan Heart Technique, which was practically a part of him, he had never considered such an approach. Mana circles gain a kind of repulsive force as they spin faster, like magnets pushing each other apart.
And yet, Lloyd was telling him to forcefully collide them.
“Don’t worry. Just make sure your heart is shielded by the other circle.”
“…”
Lloyd’s casual tone only made it harder to trust him.
What Javier didn’t know was that his future self in another space and time—the *Iron-Blooded Knight*—would invent this very technique. It was one of the skills that would make him the strongest knight in Lorasia’s history.
‘Of course, that’s far off in the original timeline.’
Lloyd recalled the events in the story.
The technique was called *Confined Blasting*. At that time, Javier had just become a Swordmaster and achieved the fourth mana circle. But even with the combined power of a Swordmaster and the Quadra Circle, he reached a limit against a formidable barrier.
The Wall of Namaran.
This wickedly fortified wall held back thousands of refugees. No amount of Sword Aura or amplified mana from the Quadra Circle could shatter it.
As time ticked away, Javier struggled in vain until the final hour of destiny arrived. In a desperate attempt, he unwittingly collided two of his mana circles—a moment that shattered the wall with an unimaginable force.
‘After that, *Confined Blasting* became his signature move, alongside the Asrahan Heart Technique.’
Lloyd felt a strange sense of satisfaction knowing he was teaching it to Javier now.
‘If I reach the Triple Circle someday, I’ll have to learn it too.’
For Lloyd, though, it wasn’t possible yet. To safely execute the technique, a third circle was needed to protect his heart, meaning *Confined Blasting* was achievable only after mastering the Triple Circle.
‘It won’t be easy, even with the Triple Circle, but…’
Lloyd chuckled.
“You’re still hesitating. You don’t trust me?”
“…”
“Are you scared?”
“Of course not. But—”
“But?”
“I’d like a promise from you.”
“A promise?”
“Yes, if this new technique you’re teaching me is a lie, or a cruel prank, then…”
“If it’s a prank?”
“Then you’ll have to provide free and unlimited lullaby services.”
“What the…?”
It was a bold proposition, but it made it clear how much Javier valued the lullabies.
“So, you’ve become… dependent on my lullabies?”
Javier’s shoulder twitched slightly, and Lloyd continued.
“What will you do if it’s obvious?”
“You’re reading too much into this.”
“Oh really? Then why don’t you look me straight in the eye?”
“I’ve never avoided your gaze, Lord Lloyd.”
“Is my eye on my nose?”
“…”
“Alright, fine. I promise.”
“Do you mean it?”
“Yes. If I’m lying or playing a prank, you get unlimited lullaby services for free.”
“You’ve promised.”
“Yeah, so go ahead. You remember what I told you?”
“Yes.”
*Shing.*
Javier drew his longsword, and Lloyd stepped back a few paces.
‘This is his first try, but Javier won’t mess up.’
Javier, with his Triple Circle and mastery of mana control, had achieved a level of skill akin to a master craftsman.
Lloyd was confident that, despite the novelty of the concept, Javier wouldn’t harm his heart.
‘Though he’ll probably go through some rough practice for a few days.’
The technique would naturally place immense strain on his body. Even for a swordsmanship prodigy like Javier, it would take some time to adjust.
‘So, maybe a week? Perhaps even more than two weeks. I’ll need to factor that into the timeline…’
*Thunk!*
“It worked.”
“…”
Lloyd was speechless, staring at Javier in shock. His gaze then shifted further, where a brand-new trench stretched across the ground.
“That wasn’t as difficult as I feared.”
“…”
A trench—a full 10 meters long—was carved into the ground, not just scratched on the surface, but with a full internal explosion.
“Javier?”
“Yes, Lord Lloyd?”
“Are you… a monster?”
“No, I’m certainly human.”
“…”
A monster, indeed. Or maybe the mythical “friend’s son” you always hear about.
Lloyd looked at Javier in disbelief, who responded with a graceful half-smile.
“Thank you, Lord Lloyd. I see now that you weren’t teasing me.”
“You just realized?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. The nerve.”
“It was unavoidable. It was a concept I’d never imagined before.”
“So, do you believe me now?”
“Yes, but…”
“But? What now?”
“I’m curious as to how you came up with such a precise technique.”
“Why? Can’t I think of things like this?”
“No, it’s not that, but…”
Javier trailed off, and Lloyd straightened up, determined.
“Fine. Keep your promise. Now you understand I’m serious, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’ll follow orders without question?”
“Gladly, whatever the task.”
Despite his aloofness, Javier would do what he promised.
At that moment, a message appeared before Lloyd’s eyes.
*Ding-dong.*
[Javier Asrahan feels grateful for your guidance.]
[Javier Asrahan’s favorability toward you has increased by +3.]
[Current relationship with Javier Asrahan: -11]
[You gained 54 RP from improving your relationship with a key character.]
[Current RP: 561]
‘Good.’
Lloyd was convinced that Javier had truly accepted this mission. Now it was time to test his “abilities” for the quarrying operation.
—
“Alright, from now on, you’re going to play the role of a human dynamite.”
The next morning dawned, and Lloyd stood near a granite outcrop, far to the west of the orc settlement. Holding a large brush, he dipped it into a jar he’d brought along, drawing out a thick, red-tinted paint.
He carefully pressed the brush onto the ground at regular intervals.
“Here. And here. Also here.”
*Splat! Splat! Splat!*
He marked the ground with fist-sized red spots.
“You see the marks?”
“Yes. Am I to pierce them with my sword?”
“Exactly. Smart guy. Pierce, collide the mana circles, boom. Got it?”
“Understood. Is there a specified depth?”
“Yes. Ten meters.”
“Ten meters?”
“That’s the maximum depth you can reach, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then maintain that depth consistently. And make sure to detonate. At full power.”
Lloyd clenched his fist, then opened it with a flourish.
“I’m marking these spots with that depth in mind. When you’re done, quickly run back to me, or you’ll get crushed by falling rock. Got it?”
“…Understood.”
Javier nodded, and Lloyd stepped back dozens of meters from the blast zone.
Lloyd raised his arms high.
“Three! Two! One! Fire in the hole!”
A second later, Javier’s sword was lifted, his figure blurring like a ghost as he pierced each marked spot in rapid succession.
Lloyd clenched his fist.
‘Please succeed.’
If this worked, the quarrying process would be a breeze. Just like dynamite revolutionized quarries in the modern world, Javier’s *Confined Blasting* could speed up the project significantly.
‘This is why I taught him *Confined Blasting*. Do your job!’
Lloyd prayed fervently.
And then he saw it.
*Flash!*
“…”
Blinding light burst from various points across the granite outcrop. Moments later, Javier dashed back, halting right in front of Lloyd.
“I’m back.”
*Click.*
He sheathed his longsword just as—
*BOOM!*
A powerful shockwave and blast of debris surged from the granite field.
The entire rock formation shattered into dozens of pieces, crashing down like a collapsing giant.
*Rumble…!*
The ground shook, and Lloyd clenched his fists, reassured.
“It’s done.”
Finally, all preparations were complete. Now, it was time to begin the construction in earnest.
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