The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 52: Strength in Unity (2)

“There’s a way to avoid handing that land over to those scumbags. Let me explain it to you slowly, but first, can we get rid of that rude guy? Preferably after roughing him up a bit.”

“…What?”

Lloyd Frontera burst into the office, pushing the door open with a bang. His words left the Baron utterly shocked.

The Baron had been in despair, overwhelmed with discouragement. Since morning, he had been suffering from a severe headache, sensing that something was amiss. However, he hadn’t expected it to be the handiwork of Viscount Lacona.

When Sir Curno delivered the message from the Viscount, the Baron was stunned. The Viscount had deliberately discharged toxic wastewater from a dye workshop into the river, causing severe headaches among all the estate’s residents.

And that wasn’t all.

The Viscount’s threat was clear:
‘Unless you hand over half of the Marez reclaimed land, the pollution will continue.’

It was blatant, unfair blackmail.

Though the Baron had threatened to file a lawsuit with the Kingdom’s Noble Court, the response was nothing but mockery. They dared him to try, laughing at how long the legal process would take.

He was furious and humiliated, but powerless. Another option was to report this matter to Count Cremo, the regional overlord, and request a fair mediation. But even that wasn’t a great plan.

‘Count Cremo isn’t exactly proactive in resolving disputes.’

Worse, the wealthy Viscount Lacona might bribe the Count, leading to an even worse outcome than surrendering. In this dirty world, power and money often outweighed justice.

‘Haah.’

A heavy sigh escaped the Baron. It was an unwinnable fight. For the sake of his people, he chose to compromise, convincing himself that he was making the rational decision to avoid further harm.

Just as he was about to declare surrender to Sir Curno, Lloyd barged into the room.

“What… What do you mean? And how do you know about this?”

The Baron was shocked. The Viscount’s threats and his own turmoil had only been shared here in the office, in real-time, between him and Sir Curno. There had been no chance for this conversation to leak.

Yet, Lloyd somehow knew. Was he eavesdropping outside the door? That didn’t seem likely, considering Lloyd was panting heavily, drenched in sweat.

“Hah… Thankfully, I wasn’t too late. There’s no need to be surprised. I deduced this while investigating the source of the headaches this morning.”

“Deduced?”

“Yes. You’ve just been threatened, haven’t you? The Viscount demanded you hand over the Marez reclaimed land, or he’d continue releasing toxic wastewater.”

“….”

Lloyd’s deduction hit the mark, leaving the Baron speechless.

Lloyd continued, “So I’ll say it again—don’t give them an inch of the Marez land. Not even a speck of dirt.”

“The reclaimed land… to Viscount Lacona?”

“Yes.”

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Lloyd stepped into the center of the room, facing Sir Curno directly.

He stared into the knight’s eyes and said, “Why should you yield to leeches trying to snatch up land developed through hard work for free?”

“….”

Sir Curno’s eyes briefly flared with anger at Lloyd’s audacious words, but Lloyd pressed on undeterred.

“There’s only one response to their demands: If they want land, they should work for it themselves. Stop leeching off others like parasites.”

“Are you saying that for me to hear?” Sir Curno asked, his lips curling in irritation.

Lloyd smirked. “Oh, good. At least you’re quick to understand for a parasite.”

“Are you insulting me?”

“Wow, you’re sharp. Bravo.”

“You’ll regret this.”

“Oh, I get it. You’re trying to say insulting you is the same as insulting the Viscount, right? Well, guess what? I am insulting him.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Yup.”

Sir Curno was at a loss for words.

Lloyd’s mocking tone continued to batter him.

“Hey, isn’t it exhausting to serve someone like that? Honestly, are you okay working for a master like him?”

“My lord is—”

“Completely lacking in conscience. He probably hasn’t spent a single penny on maintaining one.”

“That’s not—”

“And yet you can’t let go of your loyalty? Your life must be heading uphill then.”

“Why would my life be—”

“Because it’s all going downhill!”

“….”

“So, feeling like changing your mind now?”

“Not at all. Lloyd Frontera, you continue to mock my lord and insult me.”

“Wow, someone’s done a full 360-degree turn.”

“….”

“Anyway, scurry back and deliver this to your master: The Marez reclaimed land won’t be handed over. Not half, not a single patch, not even a grain of soil.”

“You’re not afraid of the continued pollution, then?”

“So what? I grew up tough, breathing in fine dust without a mask all year round.”

“What nonsense—”

“Are you done? Geez, you’re persistent. Get lost already.”

Lloyd waved him off, exasperated.

Sir Curno’s face hardened as he left, slamming the door behind him.

The Baron snapped back to reality and grabbed Lloyd’s sleeve.

“Is this… is this really okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean rejecting the Viscount’s demands and insulting his envoy… Won’t there be consequences?”

“Well…” Lloyd grinned.

“It’s a relief. I felt something was off this morning, so I acted quickly to uncover the cause of the headaches.”

As Lloyd sprinted to the office, a countermeasure formed in his mind.

“I already told you—there’s a way to avoid handing over the Marez reclaimed land to those scumbags,” he repeated.

“A way, you say? Let’s hear it. But first, sit down,” the Baron said, guiding Lloyd to a seat.

With Lloyd, Javier, and the Baron now seated around a table, the chaotic atmosphere of the office began to settle. Along with it, the Baron’s mind grew calmer.

“Alright. Judging by your confidence, it seems like you have a solid plan. Is that right?”

“Yes,” Lloyd nodded.

“In that case, how about we install a water supply system?”

“A… water supply system?” The Baron tilted his head, unfamiliar with the term.

“Let me explain in simple terms. It’s a system that allows clean water from distant sources to flow directly to the estate through installed pipelines,” Lloyd clarified.

“Clean water from distant sources?”

“Yes.” Lloyd nodded firmly.

The Baron furrowed his brow. “Drawing water… I’ve never heard of such a method.”

“It’s something I’ve considered for a while.”

“You have?”

“Yes,” Lloyd lied, nodding again.

In reality, this idea wasn’t his at all. It was an ancient technology from his previous world, developed by the Roman Empire centuries ago. They had used aqueducts to transport fresh water from distant sources to cities, ensuring a stable water supply for daily life.

Lloyd decided to adapt that technology here and wasn’t shy about taking credit for the idea.

“I’ve often thought about how relying solely on rivers for water can cause trouble. Don’t you agree?”

“Hmm, that’s true,” the Baron admitted.

“Yes. During droughts, rivers dry up, and during floods, the water becomes too muddy to use. That’s why I think it would be great to secure a stable source of clean water year-round by creating a proper intake system.”

“Hmm, that is quite an impressive idea. But—” The Baron tilted his head again.

“Do you really have a way to implement such a system?”

“Yes. I’ve been thinking about it thoroughly and persistently for some time,” Lloyd said, conveniently omitting the fact that ancient Roman engineers had already solved the problem long ago.

Despite Lloyd’s confident response, the Baron’s expression remained clouded with worry.

Even if a sophisticated water supply system could be built, it wouldn’t solve the immediate issue of toxic wastewater that was currently plaguing the estate.

“It’s an excellent and bold idea, truly. But my concern remains. Such a system would take a long time to build, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Then where will we get clean water in the meantime?”

This was the pressing issue weighing on the Baron’s mind. No matter how good the water system might be, it wouldn’t be useful until it was completed. Until then, the estate would have to endure the polluted river water.

But the Baron’s worries were unnecessary. Lloyd had already thought of a solution.

“I have an answer for that as well.”

“An answer?”

“Yes. Do you remember Hamang, one of my contracted summoned creatures?”

“Ah, that pink baby hippo with soft downy fur on its sides, normally adorably round but growing massive when it drinks water?”

“…You’ve memorized that in surprising detail,” Lloyd said, taken aback.

“Hrm! It struck me as quite charming.”

“….”

“Anyway, do you intend to use that summoning beast?”

“Yes,” Lloyd confirmed with a nod.

“I’ll have Hamang haul large amounts of water. We’ll fill a temporary reservoir with it.”

“Hmm, if water can be brought in regularly, we won’t have to worry about shortages while the water system is being built.”

“Exactly. But before we start, I have one request.”

“A request? What is it?”

“Please issue a proclamation to the people in the name of the lord.”

“A proclamation?”

“Yes,” Lloyd replied.

He leaned closer and whispered his detailed plan into the Baron’s ear.

“…Hmm, I see,” the Baron said, nodding.

As Lloyd elaborated, the Baron’s worried expression gradually softened. A spark of confidence began to bloom.

What had seemed like an impossible fight against overwhelming odds now felt like a battle they could win—a chance to not only triumph but also deliver a decisive blow to their adversary.

—

That afternoon, the people of the Frontera estate received a proclamation from their lord.

The message was clear:
The headaches plaguing everyone had a cause, and it was Viscount Lacona’s doing.

“What? You mean to say that the splitting headaches we’ve all had since morning are because of something the Viscount did?”

“Exactly.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Didn’t you hear the proclamation the lord issued earlier?”

Farmers, woodcutters, shepherd boys, housewives, and elderly neighbors—word spread like wildfire among the people.

“They said the dye workshop dumped toxic chemicals into the river.”

“Goodness! Was it an accident?”

“No. It was deliberate.”

“What kind of madness…? Who does such a thing?”

“Apparently, the Viscount even made outrageous demands of the lord.”

“Demands? What kind of demands?”

“You know the Marez reclaimed land, right?”

“Of course. My son is part of the engineering corps that worked on it.”

“The Viscount demanded half of it be handed over.”

“That scoundrel! My son worked so hard, sweating and toiling to create that land, and he wants it for free? This is outrageous!”

“Exactly!”

The people’s outrage boiled over.

Some clenched their fists in anger, condemning the Viscount. Others lamented, questioning why they should endure such injustice.

Perhaps that’s why, the very next morning, when news spread that Lloyd Frontera was starting a project to combat the toxic wastewater crisis, an unprecedented event occurred.

The majority of able-bodied residents volunteered—no, insisted on joining the effort.