The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 8: Physical Overhaul (2)

*Thud!*

“…Guh!”

Sir Ulrich involuntarily screamed.

The world spun around him.

It felt like his cheek had disappeared.

Something flew out of his mouth, soaring into the air, scattering.

It was only then that Sir Ulrich realized, albeit vaguely, what that object was.

‘My teeth?’

Three white teeth spun through the air, each twirling in different directions.

Blood and spit sprayed wildly, tracing complex paths through the air.

‘How… strange.’

In his hazy senses, time seemed to slow down, leaving him in a bizarre, detached state.

In that slowed-down moment, he watched his teeth and blood fly through the air.

In all his 26 years, he had never seen such a sight like this, especially from this perspective.

It was almost amusing.

Though, on the other hand, it made him dizzy.

‘…Wha- what…’

His legs gave out.

His body collapsed.

The ground came closer.

Unwillingly, his head slammed into the dirt.

His lips mashed against the earth in an ungraceful, forced kiss.

Blood once again gushed from his lips.

It was only then that Sir Ulrich’s dulled senses returned to normal.

Accompanied by the sharp, throbbing pain of his shattered cheekbone, torn lips, and uprooted teeth.

“…Gr… grhh?”

It hurt.

It really, truly hurt.

It was excruciating!

“Mmph! Grrk!”

He clutched one side of his face.

The shock and pain scrambled his thoughts.

He tried to make sense of what had happened.

‘Did I hit something? Was it an accident? Or an attack? Who?’

His confused mind desperately tried to piece things together.

But his frantic attempts were in vain, as the answer became all too clear with the descending shovel handle.

“Attack? You bet!”

*Whack!*

“…Hurk!”

The thick handle of the shovel drove directly into his chest.

He couldn’t breathe.

His body curled into a shrimp-like position.

He lifted his eyes, trying to confirm who had attacked him.

Sir Ulrich’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Young… master…? Guh!”

*Thud!*

The shovel handle struck his face once more.

His lips tore even further, and his head jerked to the side.

But Sir Ulrich couldn’t respond properly.

He had taken too many heavy hits, too quickly, while completely defenseless.

‘W-why? What’s going on?’

He couldn’t understand.

He couldn’t fight back.

Getting up was out of the question.

Lloyd’s relentless shovel strikes were too vicious.

Before this merciless onslaught, Sir Ulrich could do nothing but groan and curl up, protecting his head and face with his arms.

*Thud! Crack! Thunk!*

“Ugh! Argh!”

Sir Ulrich’s face contorted in terror.

Amidst his groans and pain, a cold certainty pierced his thoughts.

‘At this rate, I’m really going to die!’

It was true.

Through the small gap between his arms, he saw Lloyd’s expression.

The way the young master was swinging the shovel with calm, focused eyes said it all.

‘Of course. To take down someone stronger, you need to stay calm and calculated.’

*Crack!*

Lloyd kept swinging the shovel with ruthless precision.

He couldn’t give Sir Ulrich any time to recover, or the knight would rise again.

And if that happened, Lloyd’s plan would fall apart.

‘Do you think I’d let go of this perfect opportunity after putting so much effort into getting the first strike?’

The first blow is everything in a fight.

Lloyd had attacked so suddenly, Sir Ulrich hadn’t had a chance to react.

Thanks to that, Lloyd completely controlled the situation.

‘Even a knight can’t recover from a surprise attack like this. Especially not a low-level sword user who’s only just formed his mana heart.’

Lloyd recalled the profiles of the knights from **Knight of Blood and Iron**.

Sir Ulrich was the weakest among the barony’s knights.

He was only a low-tier sword user, having just recently formed his mana heart.

And yet, despite his lack of skill, he had always looked down on Lloyd, subtly disrespecting him.

‘That’s why I called you here today—to set an example. I can’t have anyone opposing me in the future. Especially not here, in this estate.’

Momentum is crucial when dealing with people.

If you yield even once during a conflict, if you keep giving in and making concessions, soon everyone will expect you to keep yielding.

That’s how you become a pushover.

Lloyd had learned this harsh reality back in South Korea.

‘Especially on construction sites. Some of those guys had nasty tempers.’

The so-called “mentors” on site.

Many of them were kind-hearted, good people.

But Lloyd wasn’t so lucky.

He had ended up with a mentor who had a terrible personality.

Every day, he was harassed.

He got chewed out over the smallest things, cursed at the entire time he worked.

At first, Lloyd endured it.

He didn’t dare to fight back.

He smiled, wanting to be seen as the “good guy.”

‘But that wasn’t the answer.’

One day, that same mentor crossed the line by bringing up Lloyd’s parents in a vulgar way.

That’s when Lloyd snapped.

‘Just like this.’

*Thwack!*

This time, Lloyd swung the shovel into Sir Ulrich’s shin.

“Aaaargh!”

Sir Ulrich, who had been trying to get up, grabbed his shin and shrieked.

But Lloyd’s expression didn’t change.

‘After I snapped and stood up for myself, everything got easier.’

Back then, too, he had lost it when he heard that vulgar comment.

He had immediately swung his shovel at the mentor.

It caused an uproar at the construction site.

But after that?

Things got easier.

No one dared to treat him the way they had before.

It was a moment that had taught him an important life lesson.

‘That’s why I brought you here, Sir Ulrich. Among all the knights, you were the weakest, and I knew I’d get the chance to knock you down with a surprise attack.’

It was all part of the plan Lloyd had devised from the novel.

He predicted that Sir Ulrich would oppose or disrespect him at the construction site.

And that prediction turned out to be spot-on.

Sir Ulrich had become the perfect target to be taken down in front of everyone.

*Thunk! Crack! Smash!*

Lloyd didn’t stop.

Eventually, Sir Ulrich couldn’t hold it in any longer and let out a desperate scream.

“Ah! Agh! Young master! Why?”

“Why? Because of insubordination.”

*Whack!*

With each swing of the shovel, Lloyd coldly delivered a remark.

“Now, repeat what you said earlier.”

“Wait… Guh!”

*Crack!*

“You called yourself an ‘honorable knight,’ didn’t you? Said you couldn’t accept orders to supervise such dirty work?”

“But… Ngh!”

*Thud!*

“‘But’ what? Do you think I’ve been misusing soldiers for personal gain? Hm?”

“Guh!”

*Crack!*

“See this? This is an official document allowing me to use soldiers. Signed by my father and issued by the administrator. So, in reality…”

*Smash!*

“You, a knight sworn to loyalty, dared to speak of ‘honor’ while defying a legitimate order from your lord. In other words—”

*Thud!*

“One, you’ve disobeyed your lord’s orders.”

*Crack!*

“Two, you’ve disgraced your lord and betrayed your knightly duty.”

*Smash!*

“And three, you’ve thrown away your own pride and qualifications as a knight.”

*Thwack!*

With a full swing like a golfer hitting a tee shot, Lloyd’s shovel struck upward.

The flat part of the shovel slammed into Sir Ulrich’s chin.

That was the final blow.

*Pfft!*

Blood sprayed into the air as Sir Ulrich’s head snapped back.

Like a puppet with its strings cut, he collapsed.

He was unconscious.

“Huff.”

Lloyd steadied his breath.

The exertion had left him winded.

But it was worth it.

‘Some people need to be removed.’

In ***Knight of Blood and Iron***, Frontera county was in chaos.

Knights like Sir Ulrich, who lacked loyalty and skill, had no place serving the baron.

‘These kinds of people need to be cut off early. Then I’ll fill their positions with people who show potential. That’s the only way this barony can have a future.’

This barony was the foundation of his future.

To cultivate it long-term, it was essential to start replacing its personnel.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, Lloyd glanced around.

“What are you all staring at? Enjoying the show?”

“…!”

The soldiers who had paused their work to watch the commotion flinched and quickly turned their heads away.

Lloyd gestured to a few nearby soldiers.

“You, and you two over there. Come here.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

The three soldiers rushed over.

Lloyd gestured toward Sir Ulrich, who was sprawled out on the ground.

“Take him away. And go fetch Sir Bayern from the manor.”

“Yes, sir!”

They had just witnessed what happened to a knight who dared oppose Lloyd.

Without hesitation, they lifted the unconscious Sir Ulrich and hurried back to the manor.

It wasn’t long before Sir Bayern arrived.

“You called for me, Lord Lloyd?”

Sir Bayern, a knight with a solid build and a sturdy presence, had arrived at the scene.

Lloyd, upon seeing him, smiled in satisfaction.

‘He looks even more reliable than I imagined from the novel.’

Sir Bayern was one of the five knights serving the Frontera Barony.

Unlike the treacherous Sir Ulrich, Sir Bayern and Javier remained loyal to the very end, never betraying their lord.

Lloyd had already deemed him trustworthy based on his role in *Knight of Blood and Iron*.

‘This is the kind of person we need to foster. Even though the novel depicted him as having average talent, trustworthiness comes first.’

Sir Bayern was an honest and diligent man.

And Lloyd’s plan was to entrust the construction team to him, ensuring everything on the field would run smoothly.

‘All of this was part of the plan from the start.’

Lloyd had called Sir Ulrich specifically to create a situation where he could discipline him, removing a problem from the barony.

By making an example out of Sir Ulrich, he could establish authority and set the tone for future operations.

Then, Lloyd could appoint Sir Bayern, the more competent and loyal knight, to manage things.

It was a calculated move to set the estate’s foundation on solid ground.

Lloyd looked at Sir Bayern and spoke.

“Yes, I called for you. I want you to take charge of overseeing this construction site. What do you think?”

“I will carry out any task you ask of me, Lord Lloyd.”

“Good. The task isn’t too complicated. The soldiers are gathering yellow soil here and transporting it to the worksite. Your job is to make sure they’re working properly and not slacking off. Also, ensure they take breaks when needed. We can’t have anyone collapsing from overexertion.”

“Understood.”

Not a word of hesitation.

It was clear Sir Bayern had heard about what had happened to Sir Ulrich, yet he showed no sign of concern or hesitation in his expression. His calm, composed demeanor only deepened Lloyd’s trust in him.

Lloyd handed over control of the soil collection site to Sir Bayern and made his way to the next location—the construction site for the new *ondol* rooms.

There, craftsmen of various trades had gathered: carpenters, stonemasons, plasterers, and other skilled laborers, all summoned from around the territory. They were waiting for Lloyd’s arrival.

Naturally, their gazes were anything but respectful.

To them, Lloyd was nothing more than a spoiled, unruly noble who’d likely never lifted a finger in his life. The fact that someone like him had called them out to a construction site filled them with unease and disdain.

It was clear in their eyes—they wanted nothing to do with him.

But Lloyd didn’t care about their opinions in the slightest.

He casually approached them and stood before the craftsmen.

“Now, I’m going to explain the concept and methods for constructing *ondol*. Pay attention and listen carefully.”

“…What?”

The craftsmen looked at him, confused.

From their perspective, Lloyd was a pampered young noble who had never worked a day in his life. And now, this noble was claiming he would teach seasoned craftsmen the art of construction?

It was laughable, like a child trying to instruct dragons on how to breathe fire.

But their amusement didn’t last long.

“First, take a look at this. Focus.”

*Swish!*

Lloyd unfurled the blueprint for the *ondol* room he planned to build.

These craftsmen, who had been used to constructing buildings with a haphazard approach in the countryside, had never seen a blueprint this meticulously detailed, based on professional architectural skills.

“…”

Then Lloyd launched into a precise and professional explanation, his technical knowledge flowing out effortlessly, like a master reciting a well-practiced melody.

The expressions of the craftsmen gradually shifted as they listened.

Their scorn turned into curiosity. Then, that curiosity transformed into respect as they realized Lloyd knew what he was talking about.

* * * *

Half a day passed.

Just as Lloyd had hoped, Sir Bayern didn’t disappoint.

Thanks to his diligent supervision, the soldiers were able to transport the yellow soil to the site without any issues.

At the same time, the soldiers got a solid workout from the labor.

Lloyd himself had been busy all day as well.

He led the construction team, not from afar, but hands-on. He strapped on his tool belt and personally demonstrated how to lay the *ondol* floor, sweating alongside the workers as he taught them the technique.

‘…Thanks to all this, we’ve made it through the first day of construction without any issues.’

The sky was now tinged with the colors of sunset.

The first official day of work had been completed successfully.

Lloyd surveyed the workers packing up their tools as the site wound down for the day.

‘Thankfully, the craftsmen picked things up faster than expected. Things will get easier from here.’

After all, they were experienced craftsmen.

Their time spent on the job wasn’t just for show.

They had shown strong interest in the *ondol* floor, something they had never seen before. Once Lloyd explained the concept, they quickly grasped the core principles.

With a little more guidance, Lloyd was confident that he could leave the construction work entirely in their capable hands.

‘Once that happens, the system will be in place. The technical work will be handled by the craftsmen, the labor-intensive tasks by the soldiers, and Sir Bayern will oversee everything. That means I won’t have to be on-site every day. I’ll finally be able to focus on other matters.’

The whole point of forming a professional construction team was for the project to run on its own.

To have a system that could generate money while giving Lloyd the freedom to pursue other ventures.

Now that the construction was on track, it was time to shift focus to the next phase.

‘This barony’s overhaul is far from finished.’

Sir Ulrich was only the beginning.

There were still larger, more deep-rooted problems that needed to be removed.

‘It’s about time for the next wave to hit.’

As Lloyd thought this, a voice called out from behind him.

“Lord Lloyd? I’ve come to speak with you regarding the matter of Sir Ulrich.”

The tone was arrogant, laced with contempt.

It wasn’t Javier.

No, Lloyd had been expecting this visitor.

‘Ah, of course. Sir Neumann.’

Sir Neumann, the senior knight of Frontera county.

In *Knight of Blood and Iron*, Neumann was one of the biggest betrayers responsible for the downfall of the barony.

As Lloyd turned to face the knight, he wore a smile akin to a fisherman reeling in his biggest catch.