Chapter 122
An apartment.
The most common type of housing in South Korea.
From the capital region to provincial cities, even small towns—if there wasn’t one, it felt empty, disappointing, and unsettling, like a dinner table missing kimchi.
That was the status of apartments in South Korea.
Naturally, Lloyd also lived in one back in Korea.
‘Ever since elementary school—right up until the house was auctioned off.’
A standard 34-pyeong Korean apartment.
One living room, three bedrooms.
The veranda lined with his father’s potted plants.
Wallpaper in the living room chosen by his mom’s questionable taste.
Looking back, it felt a little tacky—but warm, comforting. A place he longed to return to.
He still dreamed of that apartment sometimes.
Even the faint scent of bleach lingering after his mom cleaned the bathroom would show up in his dreams.
That’s how deeply tied that home was to Lloyd’s memories.
‘Of course, I’m not trying to build that kind of apartment here.’
The conditions didn’t allow it.
There was no reason to go that far.
What he was proposing to the baron was apartment construction purely as an efficient means to house refugees.
“So I thought about it. I mulled it over. What would be the best way to accommodate the maximum number of people in a small space—efficiently and safely?”
“Mmm, and that led you to ‘apartment’?”
“Yes.”
The baron tilted his head.
He couldn’t quite grasp the unfamiliar concept.
Seeing that, Lloyd nodded enthusiastically.
“Actually, I didn’t come up with the idea. Remember when I visited the royal capital and went to see Julian at the academy?”
“Mmm, I do.”
“While waiting for him, I happened to pick up a book in the academy library, and it mentioned this concept.”
A complete lie, of course.
No such book existed.
But the baron had no way to check.
In moments like this, a white lie was harmless.
If needed later, he could just say the book mysteriously vanished.
“It introduced the architectural styles of ancient kingdoms.”
“Then this ‘apartment’ you mention is an ancient architectural style?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Lloyd smiled faintly.
That part wasn’t a lie.
It was real, and it existed.
Though technically, it was from Earth—not the continent of Lorasia.
“There was a little-known ancient empire called ‘Rome.’ In that empire, there were multi-family buildings called ‘insulae’.”
“Insulae?”
“Yes. Structures built from wood, brick, mud, and primitive cement. Usually limited to six stories for safety, but some went up to ten.”
“Hoho, ten stories.”
“There’s more. There was another nation called ‘Islam.’ In its city, Cairo, there were seven-story apartments, each housing hundreds. Some even had rooftop gardens.”
“Hundreds in one building?”
“Yes. There are records of buildings as tall as 14 stories. And in Yemen, there’s a place called Shibam with 11-story mud-brick apartments.”
“Hmm… so what you’re suggesting is stacking homes vertically to house more people on less land?”
“Yes, that’s exactly it.”
Lloyd smiled confidently.
He was introducing a completely new construction concept to the baron.
Confidence was key in moments like these.
‘That’s right. Even if you’re bluffing a little, you have to sell it right. That’s how you win in society.’
He recalled his time in Korea.
Even on dusty construction sites, the same principle applied.
If you wanted recognition for your work, you had to make noise.
Even if it meant playing politics.
In most workplaces, the ones recruited into better teams weren’t just the capable ones—they were the ones who made their abilities visible.
In short, if your mouth matched your skills, you earned more than those with the same talent who stayed quiet.
‘This is no different.’
You had to sell it.
Make it sound amazing.
Plant seeds of expectation.
With that, Lloyd wetted his lips like a door-to-door mat salesman ready to pitch.
He shifted gears and powered up his tongue.
“Once built, apartments offer many advantages. First—administrative management of the refugees becomes easier.”
“Administrative management?”
“Yes. For example, if a single building houses a thousand people, you can assign a leader per building to manage headcounts, check health conditions, distribute supplies, and so on.”
“Hmm, that makes sense. And the second benefit?”
“Stacking housing vertically means less land is used per person. That’s a big advantage for a small estate like ours. Which ties into the third benefit.”
“Third?”
“Yes. Once the refugees settle and become residents, a commercial district will naturally form around the apartments.”
“A commercial district? You mean taverns, shops, eateries?”
“Yes. Thanks to the apartments, there will be densely populated zones. A high population in a small area equals strong purchasing power.”
That was exactly how it worked in Korea.
Commercial hubs always formed around apartment complexes.
Concentrated population.
Stable spending.
Without needing a push, shops sprang up. Then movie theaters, franchise restaurants, cafés, cram schools, hospitals, grocery stores, salons, and convenience stores followed.
Population drew in commerce.
“Also, one more thing. Apartments are easy to build.”
“How so?”
“Because they’re standardized.”
Lloyd shrugged.
“If hundreds of households move into a single building, all the units will be identical—like they were stamped out. That makes construction easier, and maintenance too. Plus, it improves insulation during winter.”
“Insulation?”
“Yes. Each unit is surrounded on all sides—left, right, above, and below—by other units. That means less heat escapes, so heating becomes easier and more efficient. It’ll be warmer.”
“I see…”
The baron nodded blankly.
Lloyd’s list of benefits—
They all sounded convincing.
Then came the final benefit, one that hit the baron’s interest like a drumroll finale.
“Lastly, it strengthens estate defense.”
“Defense?”
Efficient administration.
Smaller land use.
Thriving commerce.
Easy construction and maintenance.
And now, enhanced defense?
The baron’s wide eyes locked onto Lloyd’s smiling face.
Lloyd picked up a pen and began drawing on a piece of paper.
It was a doughnut-shaped structure with a hollow center.
“There’s one more ancient apartment design I forgot to mention. This one—based on a building called ‘Tulou’ from the Fujian province. See? A wide open plaza in the middle, surrounded by buildings. I plan to use a square donut layout instead of a circle, though.”
“This looks… like a fortress.”
“Yes. All the windows face inward toward the plaza. The outer wall is solid, serving as a defensive barrier. There’s only one entrance—here. Close that main gate, and the apartment becomes an impregnable fortress.”
“Then what’s the plaza in the center used for?”
“Communal living,” Lloyd answered confidently.
“Each unit will only have a basic bedroom and living room. Cooking, eating, washing, bathing, even using the toilet—all will be done in shared facilities in the central plaza: wells, kitchens, public baths, communal restrooms, and more.”
“…”
“That’s the only way to pack in and shelter as many people as possible. Like a beehive.”
“…”
“And all the benefits I mentioned earlier? They’re a perfect match for our estate’s current situation.”
“…”
The baron stared at his son, feeling dazed.
Lloyd gave a shameless grin.
“Of course, it’ll take time. We’ll need to pick the land, do the surveying, design the layout, and secure materials. Realistically, we’d aim to finish construction and move-in before next winter. So we need to build temporary shelters for the refugees first.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Um, but why are you looking at me like that?”
“Sigh… I was just thinking how fortunate I am to have a son like you.”
“…”
“Hoho, does that embarrass you?”
“Well, not exactly embarrassed, but… yeah, kind of. Hearing it face-to-face is a bit cringe.”
Lloyd scratched his head.
He had managed to sell the plan through sheer persuasion.
But hearing praise straight to his face?
Still awkward.
Even the warm gaze full of pride from his father felt a bit overwhelming.
Maybe somewhere deep inside, the old Kim Suho who once cowered in a cramped exam prep room still lingered.
Lloyd smiled sheepishly.
♣
A few days passed.
In that time, Lloyd accelerated construction of temporary shelters for the refugees.
‘Keep the design simple. Build fast.’
He dug square pits 20 meters wide and long, 50 cm deep.
Then placed molds over the pits.
Inside each mold, zigzag tunnels were embedded.
Each rectangular tunnel was about 20 cm wide, crisscrossing the entire floor. The end connected to a chimney.
It was a cement [ondol] heating system.
‘Back when I first made an ondol room, we didn’t have Bangul or the Volcanic Explosion Skill.’
Back then, he couldn’t even make cement.
Now, everything was different.
It was safer and more convenient than ever.
‘And all thanks to this [Design Skill].’
He used the design and [Simulation Mode] to test heat flow and exhaust paths.
As a result, he created a much more efficient ondol layout.
Then he mass-produced it like fish-shaped buns.
“Pour it!”
“One, two, three! Heave-ho!”
“Heave-ho, push!”
The human engineering corps and orc miners worked together.
They mixed cement using Bangul’s volcanic ash and poured it into the molds.
Once cured and hardened, the result was a 400-square-meter flat surface with an ondol system.
“Alright, lay down the wood panels!”
“Yes, sir!”
They covered the cement base with thin wood.
Then erected posts on all sides.
One side stood 3 meters tall, the other 2 meters.
Thick canvas was stretched over the top.
And thus, a massive heated tent was completed—its sloped roof ready for winter snowfall.
“Alright, now that we’ve built one, you all know what to do. Build the rest just like this. Same design, same specs. Can you handle it?”
“Of course.”
Sir Bayern nodded firmly.
Now a veteran construction commander, he was as reliable as any site supervisor.
With him overseeing the rest of the shelters, Lloyd could focus on apartment construction.
‘But the problem is money.’
Throughout the planning phase, Lloyd often frowned.
That really was the problem—money.
‘I spent nearly everything paying off the loan sharks.’
He had scraped together everything—down to his soul—to pay that debt.
There wasn’t much left.
Sure, there was the monthly water tax from Viscount Lacona.
And he still had a stash of Bangul’s steel poop, yet to find a buyer.
But none of that was liquid cash.
‘Thankfully, material costs are low. Bangul provides the rebar and cement for free. Labor’s cheap too—it’s our own engineering corps. But even so, there’s no margin. We can’t even afford to pay the masons and blacksmiths properly.’
And refugees were pouring in like a flood.
The tents built for them weren’t cheap.
Just the canvas cost a fortune.
Then there was food, medicine, clothing, and other essentials.
And now they had to build an unprecedentedly large apartment complex?
Naturally, funds were running dry.
‘I need to secure money from somewhere.’
He had one idea in mind.
Maybe he could approach the Count of Cremo.
Thanks to the recent he earned while settling the debt: [The Firstborn of Frontera].
‘Effect: In the Cremo region, you gain top-tier financial credit. You can always receive investment under the lowest interest and most favorable terms. You will not be subject to any repayment pressure or debt collection… I think that was it.’
That was the effect of the Praise.
So, he could definitely get investment.
But he hesitated.
‘After just getting out of debt, I’m going to borrow again?’
Even if it was a no-pressure loan.
The idea left a bitter taste.
So Lloyd delayed for days, unsure.
Then—unexpected help arrived.
“This is serious. This just came from the capital.”
One afternoon, while Lloyd was deep in thought, Baron Frontera summoned him.
The moment Lloyd stepped into the office, the baron handed him a letter.
“What’s this?”
“A royal decree.”
Indeed, the envelope was sealed with the royal magical crest.
“A messenger bird arrived just now. When I opened it, I found this. A royal emissary will likely arrive in a few days as well.”
“…”
Lloyd took the decree.
What sort of command would it be?
He opened it.
[From ancient times, the royal family has devoted itself to the peace and well-being of nobles, citizens, and all people of the kingdom. Yet a great calamity has struck the Eastern Mountains. The Queen is gravely concerned.]
It was about the monster domino effect in the Eastern Mountains.
Lloyd’s eyes scanned further.
[Multiple territories bordering the Eastern Mountains have been attacked by monsters… many citizens have lost homes and livelihoods… they too are beloved subjects… all lords are hereby commanded to actively shelter and protect the refugees under their rule.]
‘Hmph.’
Lloyd’s eyes narrowed.
[Directive: All territories within the Eastern Cremo region are to prioritize the acceptance and protection of refugees. Issued by Queen Alicia Termina Magentano, Royal Capital of Magenta, 11th month, Year 617.]
“Sigh. This is troubling.”
As soon as Lloyd finished reading, the baron sighed deeply.
His face was pale.
His grumbling was full of dread.
“Of course we must take in refugees—but to receive a royal decree like this? What are we supposed to do? We have neither the funds nor the food.”
He was being honest.
He had accepted refugees for humanitarian reasons.
But there were limits.
The refugees were far too many.
And this was only a small barony.
If only Viscount Lacona’s land to the south had shared the burden…
But everyone kept coming here.
All thanks to Lloyd’s growing reputation.
The guardian of Cremo.
The savior of the Queen.
The hero who twice repelled monster invasions.
Naturally, refugees believed: “If we go to Frontera, we’ll be safe.”
That hope had become their guiding light.
“And now, even if we wanted to refuse, we can’t. The Queen herself has commanded it. Sigh… what are we going to do?”
The baron was overwhelmed.
He imagined the territory falling into ruin under the refugee burden.
Then—
“Well, this is great news.”
“…What?”
His son suddenly started spouting nonsense.
And smiling, no less.
“Lloyd. Are you seriously laughing in this situation?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m happy.”
“…”
Had his brilliant son finally snapped under the pressure?
The baron asked anxiously.
“Happy? Why on earth?”
“Because I get to send a reply. That’s why I’m happy.”
“A reply?”
“Yes.”
“To whom?”
“To Her Majesty the Queen, of course.”
“To the Queen? You’re writing back?”
“Yes.”
Lloyd grinned brightly.
“This is perfect. I’ve been worrying about our budget for days.”
“So?”
“So, along with my reply—I plan to use my ultimate secret weapon to solve the money problem.”
“Secret weapon?”
“Yes. Her Majesty’s decree gave me the perfect excuse to use it.”
“…”
The baron felt his heart pound.
His son clearly saw something he didn’t.
‘While I was overwhelmed, he found a way to turn this around…’
He was impressed.
He was proud.
He asked, hopeful,
“This secret weapon—if you’re talking it up this much, it must be amazing. What is it?”
The baron looked at Lloyd with anticipation.
Lloyd beamed shamelessly, like a titanium wallflower in full bloom.
“Begging, whining, and throwing a tantrum.” (T/N: Typical Lloyd. HAHAHAHA)