The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 51: Strength in Unity (1)

“Heh, what brings you to see your father so early in the morning?”

It was an ordinary breakfast table.

The menu was as usual: whole wheat bread, a handmade sausage, a bit of salad, fried eggs, and goat cheese.

The baron and baroness, sitting together, smiled at Lloyd.

However, their smiles seemed slightly different today.

Although bright, there was a faint shadow of discomfort behind them.

If their usual smile conveyed 100% happiness, today’s was perhaps 90% happiness and 10% pain.

Lloyd didn’t miss that subtle change. Without beating around the bush, he got straight to the point.

“Are you experiencing headaches by any chance?”

“Huh?”

The baron flinched, his eyes widening as if wondering how Lloyd knew.

Soon, he let out a hearty laugh and responded.

“Heh, how did you guess? It’s true, I’ve been struggling with a splitting headache since dawn. Isn’t that right, my dear?”

“Yes. Seeing that we’re both experiencing it, perhaps it’s time to change our pillows.”

“Hmm, I don’t think it’s just the pillows.”

“Then what could it be?”

“Maybe because we’re husband and wife?”

“You mean because couples supposedly grow alike?”

“Of course. You understand me so well. Because I think of you and you care for me, we even share each other’s pain, do we not?”

“Oh, you flatter me.”

“…”

Even in this situation, the baron and baroness flaunted their affection for one another like an unstoppable display of marital bliss.

Watching them, Lloyd couldn’t help but smile wryly.

And he silently reached a conclusion.

‘Everyone in this manor is experiencing headaches.’

Lloyd had been dealing with severe headaches since he woke up.

At first, he thought it was just him.

But it wasn’t.

Javier had the same symptoms, as did the maid who brought their breakfast.

All three had identical complaints—sharp pain in both temples.

This convinced Lloyd that something was off.

It wasn’t just a simple headache.

Skipping breakfast, he went straight to the baron and baroness.

On his way, he observed the maids and servants.

All of them had furrowed brows.

When he asked if they were also experiencing headaches, the answer was always the same: they had woken up with splitting headaches.

And now, even the baron and baroness confirmed the same symptoms.

‘Something’s definitely wrong here.’

Everyone in the manor was suffering from the same condition, which was far from normal.

Still, Lloyd smiled.

“Haha, understood. Then I’ll take my leave now.”

“What? Leaving already?”

“Yes. I just stopped by to say hello. There’s still much to do.”

“Don’t overwork yourself. Take it easy.”

“Of course. Goodbye.”

Lloyd left with a bright smile, escorted by the baroness.

He chose not to inform them of the situation yet.

He believed it was premature.

‘Telling the baron and baroness about this headache wouldn’t change anything right now. It’s not like a solution will magically appear.’

Rather than solving the problem, sharing it might only lead to unnecessary panic and worry.

‘The priority is to figure out the cause.’

Only after identifying the cause could he find a solution. He decided that would be the right time to inform the baron and baroness.

With that thought, Lloyd stepped out into the corridor.

Javier, waiting outside, glanced at him with a questioning look.

“How are they?”

“Same as everyone else.”

“They’re also suffering from headaches?”

“Yeah.”

Javier’s expression darkened.

Lloyd patted his shoulder.

“Why do you look like a puppy that missed its treat?”

“Huh? I’m not a puppy…”

“Let’s go. We’ve got work to do.”

“Yes.”

Lloyd took the lead, and the two exited the manor.

The crisp morning air of early autumn greeted them as they walked down the paved road toward the estate’s center.

The area bustled with activity, reflecting the many lives intertwined within the estate.

Farmers heading to the fields, women carrying fresh goat milk from the morning’s milking, and boys chopping firewood for the day—all busied themselves against the picturesque backdrop of morning life.

Yet, one thing stood out among them all.

Everyone had slightly furrowed brows.

‘Hmm.’

Lloyd frowned slightly himself.

The signs were unmistakable—each person was clearly enduring some kind of headache.

Approaching a farmer heading to the fields, Lloyd called out.

“Hey, good morning!”

“Oh! Young master?”

The farmer paused, then broke into a bright smile upon recognizing Lloyd.

Grasping Lloyd’s hand warmly, he greeted him.

“Well, what brings you here so early, my lord? How have you been?”

“What do you mean, ‘how have I been’? Didn’t we just see each other yesterday while signing the Marez reclamation contracts?”

“Ah, yes, we did.”

“Then how about letting go of my hand now? I appreciate the enthusiasm, but it’s a bit much.”

“Oh, ah! Sorry about that!”

The farmer hastily released his grip.

Lloyd gave him a meaningful look.

“By the way, are you upset with me?”

“What? Of course not, my lord!”

“Then why are you frowning while smiling at me?”

“Huh? Am I?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely.”

“Oh, my. I’m terribly sorry, my lord. It’s just… I’ve had a terrible headache since this morning, and I didn’t realize it.”

“You’ve had a headache since morning?”

“Yes, sir.”

The farmer nodded earnestly.

“Not just me—my wife and kids are all complaining about splitting headaches since early dawn. But what can we do? I had a restless night, after all. My dreams were unsettling.”

“Ah, so it’s because of bad dreams?”

“Yes. I should probably say a prayer before bed tonight.”

“Do that. It’ll help.”

“Thank you, my lord. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Alright. Take care.”

The farmer bowed deeply and hurried off.

As Lloyd watched him go, the smile on his face slowly faded.

Turning to Javier, he spoke.

“Looks like it’s the same, huh?”

“Yes, it seems so.”

Javier’s expression was equally grim.

“If it’s not just him but his whole family, then…”

“Then it’s not just the people in the manor. The estate residents are experiencing the same symptoms.”

This was no small matter.

Lloyd continued to meet with other residents, casually probing their symptoms to avoid raising alarm.

The results were consistent.

Everyone in the estate was suffering from the same headaches.

Lloyd and Javier’s expressions grew even more serious.

“This is no joke. What could be causing this?”

“Perhaps it’s an infectious disease?”

“Hmm, maybe. Or it could be environmental factors.”

“Environmental factors?”

“Something affecting the entire estate—like air or water.”

Lloyd was already leaning toward the idea of environmental causes.

That theory was confirmed when they spoke to a shepherd boy.

“Yes, my head hurts too. But that’s not the real problem.”

“What do you mean?”

When Lloyd questioned him, the shepherd hesitated before responding.

“The animals haven’t been drinking water since yesterday.”

“The animals?”

“Yes, the sheep and the dogs.”

“Ah. They’re refusing to drink water?”

“Yes. I don’t know why. They’ve just stopped drinking. Even when I try to force it, they turn away.”

“All of them? Not just one or two?”

“Yes, all of them. It’s driving me crazy.”

“I see. Thanks for telling me.”

“Huh?”

The shepherd boy tilted his head, confused.

Without a word, Lloyd left him behind and quickened his pace. Walking alongside Javier, he exhaled deeply.

“Phew, found it.”

“You mean the cause?”

“Yeah. That bastard is such a dirty dog.”

“Pardon?”

“Viscount Lacona. You know, that goat-bearded guy who rules the southern estate and demanded half of the Marez reclamation land.”

Lloyd clenched his teeth as he turned toward the manor.

“This is his doing.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Think? With evidence like this, it’s obvious.”

Lloyd chuckled dryly, recalling the information he knew from the novel *Iron-Blooded Knight*. His analysis fell neatly into place.

“Let me ask you something. What’s Viscount Lacona’s specialty product?”

“Hmm, I believe it’s their beautifully dyed fabrics.”

“Right. Fabrics with deep, mysterious colors that don’t bleed easily. But how do they dye those fabrics in the viscount’s territory?”

“I’ve heard they use Radona fruit.”

“Exactly. They extract and concentrate the juice from Radona fruit to dye the fabrics.”

“And that’s relevant because…?”

“The Radona fruit used for the dye contains a mild toxin that causes headaches. The exact kind we’re experiencing now.”

“…”

Javier’s eyes widened slightly as Lloyd continued his explanation.

“And you know how the Prona River flows through the southern territories, passing through the viscount’s land before reaching ours?”

“Yes.”

“There’s your answer. It’s the waste from the dye workshops, dumped straight into the Prona River.”

“Are you suggesting it was intentional?”

“Exactly.”

“Why would he do that?”

“To threaten us, of course. And this is an extremely effective threat. The northern part of our estate, where the river flows, borders no other territory—just rough, barren gorges. By the time the water reaches distant estates, the toxins would already be diluted. That means we’re the only ones suffering from this mess. Now, let’s head back to the manor. Quickly.”

Lloyd quickened his pace, not to report this to the baron but because of a gut feeling.

If his guess was correct, the viscount’s representative would already be at the manor.

‘And in situations like this, my instincts are rarely wrong.’

He rushed toward the manor.

♣

At the same time, in the baron’s study, things were unfolding exactly as Lloyd had anticipated.

A visitor had arrived to meet the baron.

It was none other than a knight sent by Viscount Lacona.

Short but solidly built, with a sharp gaze and a confident stance—it was Sir Courno, the senior knight who had spoken on behalf of the viscount during his last visit to the estate.

Now, Courno was arrogantly addressing Baron Frontera.

“My lord only has one request: to return half of the Marez Swamp land that your family has illegally developed without permission.”

“Illegally developed without permission? That’s nonsense.”

The baron frowned.

“I’m sure my son explained this to you thoroughly. The Marez Swamp was abandoned land for generations. We invested our funds and manpower to develop it. According to the law, the developer owns the land. How is this difficult to understand?”

“My lord has no interest in understanding. That’s why he ordered the dye workshops to release Radona fruit concentrate into the river.”

“…What?”

“Exactly what I said. Surely you’ve experienced the headaches since this morning? That should be enough to convey my lord’s intentions.”

“What in the world…”

“Listen carefully. My lord has declared that he will not stop releasing the concentrate into the river until your family surrenders half of the Marez Swamp. Surely a man of your stature understands the effects of the Radona fruit’s toxins.”

“…”

“So, what do you say? Are you ready to give up half the land?”

“Sir Courno, let me ask you one thing. Is this a threat?”

“Yes.”

“…”

The knight called Courno nodded openly.

The baron was momentarily speechless.

He clenched his teeth.

“This is a lowly and despicable threat. Your master must have no regard for the law. Do you think this will make me hand over the land my son worked so hard to develop?”

“I believe you will.”

“Then I’ll file a formal complaint with the kingdom’s noble court.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“What?”

“By all means, do so.”

A smirk played on Courno’s lips.

“Litigation? Sure. If it goes to court, you’ll probably win.”

“And you’re not afraid of that?”

“Not at all. You won’t last long enough to see the verdict.”

“What are you talking about…”

“No matter how quickly the case proceeds, it’ll take at least a year or two. And the noble court is notorious for its high costs. Can you afford to hold out that long?”

“…”

“You’ve been struggling financially lately, haven’t you?”

Courno’s mocking gaze bore into the baron, who unconsciously bit his lip.

‘This is…’

The baron felt as if he’d been struck on the head with a hammer.

He was furious but found himself at a loss for a countermeasure.

Even the idea of appealing to the noble court, his last resort, had been preemptively dismissed by the viscount’s representative.

‘What should I do?’

He was overwhelmed with helplessness.

Courno was right—the baron’s finances were in dire straits.

While Lloyd’s resourcefulness had kept them afloat, barely managing to avoid defaulting on interest payments, the future remained bleak.

Adding the cost of a noble court lawsuit to their burdens?

‘I wouldn’t survive.’

He tried to think logically.

But no matter how he calculated, the conclusion remained the same: they couldn’t sustain a prolonged legal battle.

Yet tolerating this situation indefinitely wasn’t an option either.

They couldn’t live with the constant headaches caused by the polluted water.

As soon as the estate’s residents discovered the true cause of their suffering, they’d start to leave, one by one.

Most likely, they’d relocate to the viscount’s territory.

This meant the estate would suffer while the viscount benefited.

To prevent such a disaster, only one option seemed viable.

‘Do I have to give in?’

To meet the viscount’s demands and surrender half of the Marez reclamation land.

Grinding his teeth, the baron hated the thought.

He wanted nothing more than to strike Courno across the face.

But he couldn’t.

Right now, they were the weaker side.

For the sake of the estate’s stability and its residents’ lives, he had no choice but to comply.

‘Fine, it was unused land anyway. I should just be thankful we can keep half.’

Swallowing his pride, the baron steadied his emotions, raised his head, and looked at Courno, who smirked at him.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally opened his mouth.

“Very well, I—”

“Shut your mouth and get out of here, right now.”

Bang!

The door to the study flew open with a loud crash.

Both the baron and Courno snapped their heads toward the sound.

They saw Lloyd, drenched in sweat and out of breath, smirking as he pointed at Courno.

“Sorry for barging in. My words are for him. That guy.”

Lloyd grinned and delivered the plan he had been formulating on the way.

“There’s a way to avoid giving those jerks any land. I’ll explain it all, but first, let’s kick that rude bastard out. Preferably after roughing him up a bit.”