The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 7:Physical Overhaul (1)

The Barony of Frontera.

A modest rural territory located in the remote corner of the continent of Lorasia.

The size of its military was minimal, to say the least.

No, it was beyond minimal—it was pathetic.

The barony had a total of five knights.

And 100 soldiers.

At best, this was a ragtag group of self-defense volunteers.

Such was the state of Frontera’s forces as described in *Knight of Blood and Iron*.

“…But starting today, you lot will become the elite of the elite on this construction site.”

It was a bright, sunny morning.

The perfect weather to begin construction.

Standing in that sunlight, Lloyd looked over the 80 soldiers gathered by the riverbank and spoke.

“You’ll become elite if you work hard enough to haul all of this,” he said, gesturing toward the riverbank.

There, mounds of yellow soil were piled up.

A huge amount of it.

This yellow soil had originally been buried deep underground.

‘But I was able to dig it all up, thanks to Ppodong.’

Lloyd had snuck out early that morning, transformed Ppodong, and in just 30 minutes, established a massive yellow-soil excavation site.

And once morning broke, he brought 80 of the barony’s soldiers to the site.

Their task was to transport this soil to the construction site.

Lloyd looked around at the soldiers.

“You’re probably wondering what this is all about. Why are you being dragged into manual labor like this, right?”

“…”

“But this is what the military is for. What’s the pride of the military? Work, work.”

That was how it was in the South Korean army.

Training to protect the nation?

Sure, that was important, but the reality was a little different.

‘Building fortifications, digging drainage ditches—every day it was building something or tinkering with something. You’d spend your entire service either working or waiting for more work.’

It felt like you’d become the summoned creature of the company’s supply officer.

That’s how Lloyd felt.

He wanted the barony’s soldiers to experience that same feeling.

Was it to torment them?

No.

‘This is physical training disguised as labor.’

Yellow soil is heavy.

Carrying bags filled with it while walking?

It strengthens not only the legs but also the core, back, shoulders, and even forearms.

The bonus is improved endurance.

‘You might call it developing “construction muscles.”’

Lloyd grinned to himself and said, “Anyway, today we’re going to take the first small but important step toward the revival of this barony. It’s for the construction of the ondol rooms for the villagers. Your job is to move this yellow soil to the site.”

“…Yes, sir,” some soldiers reluctantly answered.

Lloyd smiled.

“Good. Then let’s start with some stretching.”

“Huh?”

“Do you want to get injured? If you try carrying heavy loads with stiff bodies, you’ll hurt your back or twist your knees. And then you’ll be the only one suffering. Got it? So, warm up.”

“…”

“Follow me. One, two.”

“H-Huh… One, two…”

“Your voices are too quiet. Move properly. One, two!”

“O-One, two!”

Lloyd slowly demonstrated stretches in front of the soldiers.

At first, the soldiers seemed confused.

But when Lloyd furrowed his brow, they began moving more swiftly.

This was the moment when Lloyd’s infamous reputation as a notorious troublemaker worked in his favor.

‘If they don’t stretch and get injured, all this training will be meaningless.’

Stretching is more important than one might think on a construction site.

Uneven ground.

Scattered dangerous objects.

Like most construction sites, conditions were harsh.

If they attempted to carry heavy materials without proper warm-up?

The likelihood of accidents would increase.

Lloyd wanted to avoid that at all costs.

‘I don’t have the money to pay for medical treatment. It’s better to prevent injuries. That’s why I’m shouting these silly-sounding slogans with such care.’

After finishing the stretches, Lloyd gathered the soldiers in a circle.

He raised his hand.

“Repeat after me. Raise your hand.”

Swoosh!

The soldiers, eyeing each other, reluctantly raised their hands.

Lloyd led the chant.

“Safety helmets, on point!”

Thump, thump!

He tapped his helmet with his hand.

The soldiers mimicked the action.

“Safety helmets… on point!”

“Well done. Safety gloves, on point!”

“Safety gloves, on point!”

“Safety shoes, extra on point!”

“Extra on point!”

At first glance, this might have seemed like something you’d see at a kindergarten assembly, with its childish slogans and procedures.

Even Lloyd, back when he worked part-time at construction sites in South Korea, used to think that during morning roll calls.

But looking back?

Perhaps those routines were the reason he made it through his part-time jobs without getting injured.

Such thoughts often crossed his mind.

That’s why, after finishing the safety check, Lloyd made sure to reinforce the soldiers’ awareness of safety.

“Don’t forget the safety rules. If you think you’ll forget, just read this.”

He picked up a sign he had made in advance.

He planted it firmly into the ground.

The sign read:

**To All Workers!**

**Follow the safety rules on site.**

**If you run around without a helmet, you may lose your balance and have a slight brain injury. Act like an emperor in a hurry, and you’ll soon be a patient.**

**Hate wearing safety shoes? Congrats! Your big toe’s ready to achieve a three-stage separation, something even our rockets struggle with.**

**Think this is all a joke? Then ignore these warnings and watch yourself ascend to the skies in a puff of dioxin.**

**P.S.: Think it won’t happen to you? Lol.**

“…”

The soldiers went silent.

Instinctively, they began adjusting their safety gear.

“Good. If we’re all ready, let’s get started. Group 1, start shoveling and filling bags with yellow soil. Group 2, start transporting them. Move!”

“Move!”

The transportation work began.

Thanks to the intense safety briefing, the soldiers moved quickly and efficiently.

Watching them brought a sense of satisfaction to Lloyd.

‘They’re more obedient than I expected. It was a good idea to convince the baron.’

He recalled the events of two hours earlier that morning.

* * * *

“So, you want to mobilize the soldiers?”

The baron’s voice was filled with curiosity.

Curiosity, doubt, and even a bit of shock.

Lloyd calmly continued his breakfast as he answered.

“Yes.”

“And why?”

“There’s work that needs to be done.”

“What kind of work requires 80 soldiers?”

“Construction.”

“Construction?”

“Yes.”

Lloyd swallowed his bread and wiped his hands on a napkin.

Then he pulled out some documents he had prepared in advance.

He handed them to the baron.

“It’s a business plan.”

“A business plan?”

“Yes. Take your time reading it.”

It was thanks to Ppodong.

Having secured Ppodong the previous night, Lloyd was now confident enough to begin his construction business in earnest.

So he had stayed up late, drafting a business plan.

‘This business requires the baron’s full cooperation.’

After all, this was a project taking place within the barony.

Thus, the approval of the baron, who ruled the land, was essential.

There was also the economic aspect to consider.

‘Hiring workers separately would cost money.’

Wages.

Daily labor fees.

These are expenses that must be factored into any construction site.

But if he could mobilize the baron’s private soldiers for the construction work?

They could be used for free, without paying any daily wages.

After all, these soldiers were already on the baron’s payroll.

“This way, we’ll save a significant amount on costs.”

“And what if the soldiers complain?”

“We can offer a small bonus as an incentive to placate them.”

“Hm, but an ondol construction business…”

“I believe Sir Javier explained it to you last night.”

“Yes, that’s right. That new and strange heating method that involves heating stones under the floor. But why?”

“Are you asking about my intention?”

“Yes.”

The baron’s gaze was full of questions.

Fortunately, it wasn’t as cold as before.

‘It must be thanks to how I dealt with the debt collectors yesterday and handed him that pouch of coins.’

Thanks to that, the baron had been able to pay off this month’s interest.

Naturally, his attitude toward Lloyd had softened.

Lloyd spoke.

“I want to raise money through the villagers.”

“Raise money?”

“Yes. To pay off our debts.”

“…”

“At first, I thought about imposing a special tax. But that…”

“Would face strong opposition.”

“Yes. That’s why I came up with a more legitimate way.”

“And that’s how you came up with this business of installing ondol?”

“Yes. I’ll make money, and in return, the villagers will pay a reasonable fee to enjoy a much warmer winter. It’s a win-win situation.”

“And where…”

The baron’s suspicious gaze fixed on Lloyd.

“Did you learn this?”

“You mean the ondol?”

“Yes. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. Where did you get such an idea?”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”

“Thinking?”

“Yes.”

Lloyd nodded.

In moments like this, you had to be as brazen as possible.

He continued.

“I’ve always had this vague thought. Stones, once heated, take a long time to cool down. So I wondered, what if we laid flat stones on the floor and funneled hot air underneath to heat the floor?”

“…”

“And this time, I had the opportunity to test it out, and it worked better than I expected. It was warmer than I had imagined.”

“You mean the ondol you installed at the tavern?”

“Yes.”

“So that’s what led you to think of turning it into a business?”

“Yes.”

He nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

He was certain of its success.

But there was still a trace of doubt in the baron’s eyes.

“I see. It’s a good plan. I’m impressed by how thorough this business plan is. I didn’t know you had such talents. But…”

The baron’s doubtful question cut through the air.

“Can I trust your intentions?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking if I can trust you.”

“What do you mean by that…”

“Surely you haven’t forgotten what happened two years ago?”

“…”

Two years ago.

That was an event not even mentioned in *Knight of Blood and Iron*.

At this point, making any excuses wouldn’t help.

Lloyd stayed silent.

Fortunately, the baron continued.

“It was just like this back then. There wasn’t a fancy business plan like this, but you made a similar promise. I still remember your words clearly. You said, ‘Father, this time I’ll really focus on my studies. Trust me and invest in me.’”

“…”

“I was thrilled. I thought you had finally come to your senses. So I sold the vacation house and gave you the money for your academy fees. But you…”

“…”

“Squandered it. You spent every last coin with those hooligans you always hung out with. Drinking, partying with women… You held disgusting, shameful parties.”

…Oh, come on.

Lloyd, you absolute scumbag.

Lloyd bit his tongue to hold back a curse.

‘A proper wastrel, indeed. I can’t believe he did something like that.’

No wonder the baron’s reaction had been so lukewarm, even in the face of a flawless business plan.

After pulling off a stunt like that, it made sense that regaining trust would be difficult.

‘Ugh, Lloyd, you trash.’

He could feel the weight of the past hanging over him, thanks to the former owner of this body.

How was he supposed to get through this?

His mind raced at lightning speed.

And finally, he found a solution.

It came to him through his own memories.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve done something similar before, on a much smaller scale.’

It was when he was in middle school.

Back then, he had spent the money his mother gave him for academy fees.

Instead, he’d gone to PC rooms with his friends every evening.

‘I played everything—*League*, Overwatch, *War thunder*.. Man, it was fun.’

But eventually, his mother found out.

She scolded him harshly.

He had to beg for forgiveness, practically groveling.

Only after making an irreversible promise did his mother finally forgive him.

‘Sigh, I guess that’s my only option here.’

With the solution in mind, Lloyd looked up.

He met the baron’s gaze.

Just like the day he had promised his mother never to visit a PC room again, he said to the baron:

“I’ll quit drinking.”

“…What?”

“I mean it. If you trust me this time, I’ll give up alcohol for good.”

“…”

The baron’s expression changed slightly.

As if he were wondering if Lloyd was serious.

Or perhaps suspecting some kind of trick.

Lloyd didn’t say anything more.

He simply held the baron’s gaze, unwavering.

He remained calm, silently conveying that he meant what he said.

How much time passed?

Finally, the baron sighed.

“Is that really true?”

“Yes.”

Truth be told, Lloyd couldn’t drink much anyway.

He didn’t even like it that much.

He had no attachment to alcohol.

So if giving it up meant earning a bit more trust from the baron, it was a win—a huge win.

And finally…

“…Alright, fine.”

The baron nodded.

He returned the business plan to Lloyd.

“You’re willing to go that far, so I’ll trust you this one time. I’ll instruct my steward. From now on, you can use the soldiers of the barony freely for this project.”

“…Thank you.”

“This will be the last time I trust you. Don’t disappoint me.”

The baron’s gaze softened, just a little.

Perhaps there was even a hint of pity.

For a moment, Lloyd thought of his mother’s face on the day of the PC room incident, and he felt a little strange.

He quickly finished his meal and left.

* * * *

‘…So, that’s how it went.’

There were still many hurdles ahead.

With that thought, Lloyd chuckled bitterly.

In the midst of his thoughts, a knight approached him with a complaint.

“…As you can see, I am an honorable knight. I cannot accept orders to oversee this kind of labor, even if they come from you, young master.”

The knight’s face was twisted in disdain.

Of course, Lloyd knew the man’s name.

‘Sir Ulrich.’

He was the knight Lloyd had specifically chosen to oversee today’s work.

One of the five knights of the Barony of Frontera.

And the weakest among them.

When the barony eventually fell, he had been the first to betray the baron.

‘He stole the baron’s prized horse and fled.’

Not only that.

As he fled, he spat in Lloyd’s face.

‘That’s why I put you in charge of today’s work.’

Lloyd had summoned him on purpose.

He had entrusted Ulrich with leading the soldiers.

Because he expected him to rebel like this.

And Ulrich did not disappoint.

Lloyd silently grabbed a shovel.

Then he smiled brightly at Sir Ulrich.

“Ah, so you’re refusing my orders?”

“I am not refusing. I am merely asking that you respect my honor as a knight… Uh!”

Thud!

Before Ulrich could finish his sentence, Lloyd swung the shovel, striking Ulrich’s face with full force.

‘This territory definitely needs an overhaul.’

As Sir Ulrich’s molars flew through the air, Lloyd’s eyes gleamed coldly.