Chapter 197
Hi everyone! The main story of Greatest Estate Developer has officially concluded, but don't worry—Side Stories will be released next week. As promised, I'll also be reposting the earlier chapters starting from Chapter 1, though they won't follow a fixed schedule. Thank you all so much for your amazing support! I hope you'll continue supporting me, especially with my upcoming translation projects.
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Ding-dong.
[New Praise, <Veteran Young Master from the West> has been created.]
‘Ooh.’
Lloyd clenched his fist as he watched the neatly popping messages before his eyes.
He had already successfully completed numerous projects.
He had gathered various achievements and praises.
Naturally, he expected at least one decent praise to come out this time as well.
‘No, I’d be disappointed if something like this didn’t pop up now.’
It was a project he had invested a full four months in.
He had poured an entire page of his youth into the hot, dry desert.
So, this much reward should be coming.
Lloyd rolled his eyes, anticipating.
[Veteran Young Master from the West]
[Praise Grade: Local Hagiography]
There is no water.
We are thirsty.
The Sultan has abandoned us.
Even the administrators have run away.
No one helps us.
That’s what we thought.
That it would be like that forever.
That it would be the same even if everyone died.
Everyone had given up like that.
That’s why—
When a young master from a neighboring country woke us up one night.
When he shared water, making a big show of it.
We thought he was a really strange person.
We even thought he was someone with ulterior motives.
We didn’t know then.
That that young master wouldn’t give up on us.
That he would work every day, covering his whole body in sand, for us—whom even the Sultan and the administrators had abandoned.
So, how has this place changed now?
Before answering, let me ask a question.
Sir, what kind of tea do you like?
[Praise Effect: By solving the chronic drought in the Kandahar Region, you have become the benefactor and hero of the entire local population. Also, these heartwarming stories will spread throughout the desert region by word of mouth. All desert tribal shamans in this world bestow blessings upon your name with gratitude and respect. Thanks to this, you will not suffer from dehydration in any situation within the area where the praise’s effect reaches.]
[Praise Area: All desert regions, all regions with an average annual temperature above 40°C]
[Praise Duration: 300 years]
[The effect of the praise is applied 24 hours a day within the area and duration of the praise. Also, the area and duration of the praise may be expanded, extended, reduced, or shortened depending on your future actions.]
[CP provided by the praise each month: 4]
[Currently held CP: 614]
‘Wow.’
Lloyd was purely impressed after reading the praise’s contents.
He couldn’t help it.
‘A dehydration immunity effect, huh.’
Desert regions, or hellish environments with average temperatures above 40 degrees.
Even with conditions attached, dehydration immunity was still a tremendous effect.
Dehydration.
Few things could take a person’s life as easily as that.
‘Of course. A person dies once they lose about 12% of their body’s moisture. And dehydration isn’t exactly hard to get.’
Repeated vomiting and diarrhea from a nasty disease.
Neglecting to replenish fluids while sweating excessively.
Or being stranded in the desert or on the high seas.
Any of that could quickly drain the body and lead to dehydration.
But this blocked it.
At least in the desert, it meant he wouldn’t die of thirst.
‘Or falling into a fiery hell due to incredible misfortune.’
Well, of course, that wouldn’t happen.
Lloyd shrugged.
He enjoyed the pleasant feeling of gaining a new praise.
But what he had to deal with didn’t end there.
Along with the praise appearing as a message, real praise that struck his eardrums poured out.
“Mister, water!”
It was right after he returned from teaching the use and management of Qanats in villages throughout the Kandahar Region.
As he entered Kandara City, someone shouted toward him.
A tiny kid—probably only about six—came running up.
And suddenly held out a wooden cup to him.
Splash!
More than half of the water in the cup sloshed out.
Soaking his pants.
“Huh?”
Lloyd flinched.
But he didn’t blame the kid.
Because of the kid’s sparkling eyes as he looked up at him.
“Wateeer!”
“…You want me to drink?”
“Uh-huh!”
“So you’re giving this to me?”
“Uh-huh!”
The kid nodded, cheeks chubby and flushed.
His black eyes sparkled even more as he spoke.
“Mommy said! She said you gave Selim water!”
“Ah, is your name Selim?”
“Uh-huh!”
“So Selim is giving Mister a water present too?”
“Uh-huh! She said Mister must be thirsty too!”
“……”
Lloyd accepted the half-filled cup.
Slowly, he drank.
As he did, he felt the gazes gathering on him.
Many citizens of Kandara were gathered, watching.
Some with warm eyes.
Others clapping.
Each expressing gratitude and goodwill.
“……”
‘I was just doing what I needed to do to achieve my purpose.’
To make the special envoy negotiations succeed.
To prevent a war from breaking out with the Sultanate.
To live comfortably.
But was it really okay for him to receive this kind of treatment?
‘This feeling is strange.’
He felt embarrassed.
On the one hand, he felt ashamed and sorry.
Especially toward the rebels, including Termes.
“……That praise and support earlier, you guys should have received it, not me.”
That evening, Lloyd told Termes his honest feelings.
“Because you’ve been doing all kinds of work against the Sultan who abandoned this region. You raised funds to buy water and help those in need, and you tried to restore the wells the runaway officials abandoned.”
Lloyd’s words were true.
And Termes and the rebels didn’t stop there.
While doing those things, they tried to persuade the local lords.
They argued that the wealth and prosperity concentrated in the capital, Ahinsa, should be distributed to the regions, and that to do so, the military power scattered across the regions should be gathered to pressure the Sultan. They persistently urged the lords to unite.
“But we haven’t actually succeeded in supplying water to the entire region like this.”
Termes looked back and smirked.
He was already dressed in travel clothes.
Not only him.
The rebel executives, too.
Their families, too.
Everyone was wearing sturdy travel clothes.
Camels were loaded with supplies needed for a long journey.
Because tonight, they would begin their journey to seek asylum in the Frontera territory.
Termes said,
“It’s true that we tried. But we didn’t achieve that much. So there’s no need for you to feel sorry for us. Rather, we should be grateful.”
His smile deepened.
“Thanks to you, the people of this region have found a way to live. We can also secure a new foothold and start anew in the Frontera territory. That means everything you said back then—when we kidnapped you—has been put into practice.”
“Termes.”
“Thank you. You are no different from our benefactor. That’s why.”
Thud.
Termes suddenly knelt on one knee.
The rebel men behind him did the same.
Everyone bowed respectfully.
Termes declared,
“I, Damietta Termes, son of Murat Termes, and my comrades all swear in this place unwavering loyalty until the moment of death to you, Lloyd Frontera.”
‘Whoa.’
There was no time to stop him.
Termes, who had suddenly knelt, blurted out an oath of loyalty.
At the same time, another message appeared before Lloyd’s eyes.
Ding-dong.
[Affinity Unlocked]
[Sultanate Rebel Leader Damietta Termes has sworn loyalty to you.]
[Damietta Termes will cherish your grace for the rest of his life and will willingly follow you without change until the moment of death.]
[Therefore, you can now increase your affinity with Damietta Termes and acquire RP.]
[50 RP is specially awarded as an affinity unlock bonus.]
[Currently held RP: 2,755]
[Damietta Termes’s affinity towards you has increased by +11.]
[Current relationship with Damietta Termes: +61]
[77 RP has been acquired due to improved relationship with a character.]
[Currently held RP: 2,832]
[Also, please note that the affinity scores of the rebel comrades who swore loyalty with Damietta Termes are added to the average affinity score of all residents of the Frontera territory.]
‘Woah.’
Praise, affinity, and even RP.
What kind of day was it today?
Lloyd quickly forced the corners of his mouth down before they climbed to his ears.
And, making an effort to ignore Turtle Neck, who was gesturing, ‘True loyalty starts after death!’, he looked at Termes and the rebel men.
“……Thank you, everyone.”
When someone sincerely hands you something, you have to respond in kind.
No, at least you have to look sincere.
That is courtesy.
Lloyd accepted Termes’s oath of loyalty with a serious expression, eyes, and voice.
“I will work even harder so as not to disappoint you.”
“……My lord.”
“The night will be cold. I hope you make it safely to the Frontera territory.”
“Yes, my lord. Then we’ll go ahead first.”
“Do so. Turtle Neck?”
Squeak!
At Lloyd’s call, Turtle Neck quickly stepped forward.
“From now on, you and the Bone Corps will guide these people. You can do that, right?”
Squeak!
Turtle Neck nodded his skull vigorously.
Turtle Neck and the Bone Corps had already crossed the desert once.
Thanks to that, they knew—bone-deep—which paths were dangerous for living humans and which routes were safe.
Moreover, Termes and the rebel men were born and raised in the desert.
A reliable guide called the Bone Corps, combined with desert travelers.
There was little to worry about.
Thus, the Bone Corps, Termes, and the rebel forces left Kandara and embarked on a long journey of exile.
Only then could Lloyd breathe a sigh of relief.
“Hooah.”
He was used to praise received as messages.
But praise received directly from real people felt different.
It was burdensome and embarrassing.
On the one hand, it was also awkward.
When he was shamelessly promoting good deeds to get the rebels’ cooperation, he was still comfortable.
‘Why is it that when the mat is actually laid out and I get real praise, I’m just completely embarrassed? What is this? I’m not some disobedient person or something.’
A bitter smile came out on its own.
He returned to his lodgings like that.
He prepared for the journey to the Sultanate capital, Ahinsa, scheduled for the next day.
But even there, the burdensome praise toward him continued.
The next target was unexpectedly the attendant the Sultan had assigned to him.
“I sincerely respect you, Lloyd-nim.”
“……”
Why was this guy doing this again?
In the hallway of the lodgings, Lloyd stared at the head attendant with a dumbfounded face.
The head attendant, who looked to be in his early 40s, spoke seriously.
“Actually, I knew from the beginning. I couldn’t help but notice that Lloyd-nim was carrying out the construction with the cooperation of the rebels operating here.”
“……Oh, so you did know, after all?”
“Yes.”
The head attendant nodded.
“We also have eyes and ears. So I thought long and hard. Should I stop it? Should I report that he joined hands with those who dare rebel against the Sultan? But I didn’t. No, I thought I shouldn’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I believed Lloyd-nim completing the Qanat was the way to stabilize the lives of the residents of this region, and that it was also the way to benefit the Sultan.”
“So, from a broad perspective, you thought it was an act of loyalty to the Sultan?”
“That’s true publicly, but not privately.”
“Not privately?”
“Because I personally felt respect.”
“……Cough.”
“I respect you, Lloyd-nim.”
“Ah, I understand. This hand, please…….”
“Can I hold it for just 10 more seconds? When I return to Ahinsa, I want to proudly tell my son the story of holding the hand of a respectable man.”
“……Gghhiipp.”
It was curling up.
Not only his hands and feet, but even his hypothalamic terminal neuron tissue and duodenal villi were holding hands, crossing the wall, and curling up into a holiday special package.
But Lloyd endured that moment with all his mental strength.
He also endured the sparkling, burdensome gaze of the man in his 40s.
He even signed the paper the man handed him.
‘Ah, damn it. Why do only dark middle-aged men like me like this.’
The father-in-law candidates who tried to make him their son-in-law every time.
And the men who unhesitatingly fired off comments about loyalty and respect.
The more he thought about it, the more sadness surged up.
Mulling over those feelings, he departed from Kandara with his party the next day.
He received a cheering send-off from the citizens.
He endured the cold of the desert night and the swaying of the camels.
After several days of travel like that, he returned to the Sultanate capital, Ahinsa.
But even here, his popularity did not fade.
To be precise, the ultimate king among the middle-aged men who volunteered to be his father-in-law was lurking in the palace of Ahinsa.
“……Why have you not yet become my son-in-law?”
The moment Lloyd entered the palace to report the completion of the Qanat, Sultan Samarkhan revealed his burning eyes, grinding teeth, and fervent fan spirit openly.
This one (Epilogue) was actually pretty cool.