Chapter 42: A Solution to the Food Shortage (1)
Shylo, the skinny one, and Mitrosh sh sh sh sh , the fat one.
The two loan sharks bolted as fast as they could.
Of course, before fleeing, they didn’t forget to comply with Lloyd’s demands.
They had no choice.
Next to them, Arosh the Orc snorted aggressively, his breath steaming in the air.
He glared at the two loan sharks with eyes like those of an enraged gorilla.
It was as if, the moment Lloyd uttered the words, “These people are enemies of the Frontera Estate,” Arosh would lift the table and bring it crashing down onto their heads without hesitation.
Surely, few humans could remain composed with such a furious Orc standing beside them.
The two loan sharks were no exception.
“If this keeps up, we might really die here.”
Sweat poured from Shylo and Mitrosh sh sh sh sh ’s backs as if their sweat glands had gone into overdrive.
This wasn’t a vague sense of fear or anxiety.
They knew the truth.
To an Orc warrior, human laws meant nothing.
“If we push him too far, he could just kill us here and flee to the wilderness.”
In the end, they’d just be killed by an angry Orc—a senseless death.
The two loan sharks wanted no part of such a miserable end.
As soon as they completed their mental calculations, they both forced business-like smiles onto their faces.
“Oh? When did we ever say we wouldn’t comply with your request, Young Master? Of course, we’ll do it. Absolutely!” Mitrosh sh sh sh sh said hastily.
Shylo quickly chimed in, “Of course, of course. We’re practically family, aren’t we? Got a contract? We can sign it right now.”
“Is that so? Oh my, how gracious of you.”
A sly grin spread across Lloyd’s face.
Lloyd handed them a contract.
Its terms were simple and clear.
1. Allow partial repayment of the baron’s debt going forward.
2. Reduce the interest rates based on the remaining debt.
The two loan sharks, clutching their aching hearts, had no choice but to agree to the contract.
Under Lloyd’s silent but piercing pressure, they not only signed the contract but even affixed their seals.
“Well then… we’ll be off now!”
The moment they sealed the deal, Shylo and Mitrosh sh sh sh sh fled like frightened puppies with their tails between their legs.
Thus, Lloyd’s negotiations(?) with the loan sharks concluded.
His goal was accomplished.
“Perfect. I’ve squeezed out the best possible outcome under the current circumstances.”
The use of Arosh as intimidation proved highly effective.
Orc warriors were unyielding.
They weren’t bound by human laws.
They were like a living embodiment of raw power, wielding fists closer than the law.
For loan sharks who thrived on exploiting legal loopholes, they had encountered their perfect counter.
“Of course, if I were acting on impulse, I’d just threaten them into erasing the debt altogether.”
But that wasn’t an option.
It was impossible from the outset.
“Because that would be illegal. Even if it’s a loan shark’s debt, it’s still a legally recognized obligation.”
If he had nullified the debt through threats, the loan sharks would undoubtedly report it.
The charges? Financial crimes through intimidation.
The entire baronial family would then face serious legal troubles.
“I can’t let that happen.”
On the other hand, the two agreements secured in the contract?
They were the best possible outcomes within the confines of the law.
In other words, Lloyd had achieved the maximum benefit available in this situation.
“I’ll settle for this for now. If you get greedy, you might choke. One step at a time. Slowly but surely, I’ll find a way forward.”
The debt he had to repay was still an enormous amount.
But Lloyd believed that through hard work, it could eventually be repaid.
With that in mind, Lloyd turned to the baron and Arosh.
“Well then, since our estate and the Iron Sand Tribe have officially joined hands, how about we commemorate this moment with a selfie—uh, I mean, a commemorative painting?”
“That sounds wonderful,” the baron replied, nodding enthusiastically.
Arosh tilted his head, confused at the mention of a commemorative painting.
Lloyd instructed the estate’s administrator to summon a painter.
This marked a historic moment—the rural Frontera Estate in the eastern edge of the kingdom and the mighty Iron Sand Tribe beyond the eastern mountains officially becoming blood allies.
♣
From the very next day, Lloyd was busy again, even before he could recover from the exhaustion of crossing the mountains.
“There’s no time to waste.”
Time wasn’t on his side.
Even as he stood there, the days were ticking away.
And with every passing day, the deadline for interest payments crept closer.
He couldn’t afford to waste any time.
He needed to work even harder.
Lloyd organized his priorities.
“First, I need to liquidate the pile of treasures I received as payment for the ice storage construction from the Orcs.”
These treasures, long used as workout equipment, were quite damaged.
Still, if he sold them all at once, it would amount to a considerable sum.
Even accounting for the wear and tear from their rough usage?
He estimated it could cover about 20% of the debt.
And that wasn’t all.
The steel rebar Bangul had been producing in her spare time had also accumulated significantly.
Besides the amount reserved for future construction, there was a separate stockpile intended for sale.
“If I sell both the treasures and the steel, I might be able to pay off 30% of the principal. But there’s no immediate way to sell them.”
No matter how valuable an item was, it was worthless without buyers.
And in the Frontera Estate?
It was just a rural area with farmers, woodcutters, and the occasional traveling merchant.
There was no one who could buy those treasures or steel bars, let alone pay their worth.
“And I can’t just sell them directly to the loan sharks. They’d lowball me for sure. I need to exchange them for gold coins.”
When dealing with loan sharks, cash was king.
With that principle in mind, Lloyd decided he would have to travel to a big city soon to sell the treasures and steel.
But going unprepared was not an option.
If he traveled a long way with such a large amount of goods only to return empty-handed?
If he couldn’t find buyers?
It would be a colossal waste of time and effort.
To avoid such a disaster, Lloyd approached the baron.
He asked the baron to help him find merchants to handle the goods.
“For something like this, it’s best to take care of it first. Leave it to me. Once I make contact, you can head straight to Cremo City with the goods.”
Cremo City was the central trade hub of the Cremona region, which included the Frontera Estate.
“Phew. Then I’ll wait until the preparations are complete to deal with the goods. Meanwhile, I should tackle another task.”
The next priority?
Coal mining.
“That’s why I brought the Orc miners along.”
Lloyd looked up.
In the clearing in front of the mine entrance, 120 burly Orc miners had gathered.
Lloyd addressed them.
“Well then, I trust you’ve all been briefed on what kind of work you’ll be doing today.”
“We’ve heard! Kwuik!”
“We’ll dig! Kwuik!”
“We’ll smash! Kwuiiik!”
The Orc miners raised their massive fists in unison.
Lloyd chuckled wryly.
“Yes, exactly. You’ll enter this tunnel, dig up coal, break rocks, and smash them.”
“Smashing sounds fun! Kwuik!”
“This is exciting! Kwuiiik!”
The Orc miners grew even more enthusiastic, raising the pickaxes and shovels they’d been given for the job.
Their energy made it seem like they were ready for war.
Perhaps because of that, the Orcs were wide-eyed at Lloyd’s next words.
“But not all of you will work at once. There’s a sequence to these tasks.”
“What? Kwuik?”
“What do you mean? Kwuik?”
Puzzled, they tilted their heads.
Lloyd continued.
“Everything must be done for efficiency and safety. Now, from over there to here. And from here to there. Yes, perfect. Let’s divide into groups, shall we?”
With Lloyd’s gestures guiding them, the 120 Orc miners were split into four groups of 30.
“Well done. Now, let’s make it easier to identify each group by assigning names.”
“Chest, Kwuik!”
“Back, Kwuik!”
“Shoulders, Kwuik!”
“Lower Body, Kwuiiiik!”
The Orc miners bellowed in unison, and just like that, the four teams had their names decided.
Lloyd nodded approvingly.
“Well done. Now, I’ll share the work schedules for each team.”
Lloyd’s plan was to divide the Orc miners into teams and assign them shifts.
“A 24-hour shift cycle with alternating day and night shifts, working six days in total.”
And on the seventh day?
“Everyone rests. Rest is crucial, after all.”
The teams would switch day and night shifts every six days. A team that worked during the day previously would work the night shift, and vice versa.
When Lloyd announced this plan, a commotion erupted among the Orc miners.
“Our team will go in first, Kwuik!”
“We’ll dig coal all day long, Kwuiiik!”
“Exercise! Exercise, Kwuik!”
Even mining work was considered exercise by the Orc miners, which led to Lloyd sweating bullets as he tried to calm them down.
Only after explaining that structured work and rest cycles were essential for muscle growth did he manage to persuade them.
Beyond this, Lloyd implemented several measures to ensure worker management.
“Mining is arduous and dangerous work.”
Each team was assigned five combat engineers as safety officers.
He also installed additional ventilation shafts in the tunnels.
Dust-blocking masks were provided.
All overtime work was strictly prohibited.
Bathing facilities were set up at the mine entrance, and comfortable accommodations for the Orc miners to rest in were prepared as well.
“And storage too.”
The baron’s estate warehouse was expanded to store the coal they mined.
It took a full month to establish this comprehensive mining system.
In the meantime, the Orc miners lived up to Lloyd’s expectations spectacularly.
They were, in every sense, the ultimate miners.
They treated the work as a productive workout.
They never tired.
They were brimming with enthusiasm.
With their incredible strength, they swung pickaxes effortlessly and pushed the heavy coal carts with ease.
As a result, coal production skyrocketed.
Every hour, carts full of coal were transported.
The heavy carts were swiftly moved onto paved roads and delivered to the baron’s estate warehouse, filling it to the brim.
With every cartload of coal, a smile crept onto Lloyd’s face.
“Good. Very good.”
The coal being stockpiled would turn into pure profit when winter came.
The thought of it made Lloyd’s grin widen with satisfaction.
There was another reason for his contentment.
**Ding Dong.**
[Anecdotes about your good deeds are spreading across the entire estate.]
[You demonstrated courage and leadership by personally rescuing soldiers kidnapped by the dark sorcerer, risking your life.]
[The engineers you saved spoke highly of you to their families, relatives, and acquaintances for an entire month, spreading your praise far and wide.]
[Now, every resident of the Frontera Estate has heard of your heroic deeds.]
[The entire population praises your noble courage.]
[As a bonus for this social achievement, you have been awarded a large amount of RP.]
[You have gained 300 RP.]
[Current RP balance: 911]
“Nice.”
This was another achievement Lloyd had been anticipating since his return to the estate.
It finally bore fruit in the form of 300 RP—a valuable reward.
“RP is a resource I can use repeatedly and strategically.”
It was an intangible asset and weapon that only he could wield.
Yet, despite this series of successes, Lloyd didn’t let his guard down.
There was still a long road ahead.
A long journey could never be entirely smooth.
Small or significant obstacles would inevitably lie along the way.
Anticipating potential problems early and preparing for them was essential.
“For instance, the Orc miners’ astonishing appetites are one such issue.”
“Appetites?”
That evening, Javier questioned Lloyd.
The silver-haired knight raised his gaze to his young master.
Lloyd, sitting casually on his desk, flashed a knowing smile.
“Yes, their appetites. To put it simply, they eat like crazy.”
It was true.
The Orcs’ eating habits were astonishing.
If they were to debut as mukbang streamers in modern South Korea, they would undoubtedly become an overnight success.
“Well, it’s natural when you think about it. They’re enormous, and it’s all muscle. On top of that, working in the mines for half a day burns a tremendous amount of energy.”
“That’s true. Even I was surprised when I saw how much they ate earlier.”
“Right? For now, we’re managing with the estate’s stockpiled food. But by the year after next, we’re in for a crisis.”
It was a harsh truth.
Currently, the estate’s reserves were sufficient to feed the Orc miners.
But in a year or two, those reserves would undoubtedly run out.
“At that point, we’ll have to spend a fortune buying grain from neighboring estates—unless we come up with a solution.”
“From the way you’re speaking, it sounds like you already have a plan.”
“Does it?”
“Yes.”
“Ding-dong-dang. Correct.”
Lloyd grinned smugly.
“Javier, have you gotten smarter from sticking around with this big brother?”
“I’ve always been smart.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes. And also—”
Javier replied without a change in his expression.
“I am not your younger brother.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you ever feel the urge to call me ‘brother’ just once?”
“Not in the slightest. Never, under any circumstance, not even once.”
“You really dislike it that much?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. If you called me ‘brother’ just once, I was going to share an amazing secret with you.”
“……”
“Are you curious about the secret?”
“Not at all. Never.”
“Tsk. You’re such an arrogant brat.”
“Thank you. However, I am curious about the solution you have in mind.”
“You mean the solution to the Orc-induced food shortage we’ll face in the future?”
“Yes.”
Javier nodded.
The young master he served often baffled him.
This moment was one of those times.
“I can’t figure him out.”
Sometimes, Lloyd would make nonsensical jokes.
At other times, he was petty and conniving, even a little wicked.
To be honest, he could be frustrating and prickly.
But then, there were times when he was unpredictably brilliant, inscrutably mysterious, and almost awe-inspiring.
Like now, when he nonchalantly proposed a plan that Javier couldn’t have imagined.
“It’s simple. I’m going to turn the abandoned swamp in the southern part of the estate into farmable land. I’m thinking of using a method that incorporates vertical drainage technology.”
“……”
“What do you think?”
Lloyd smiled brightly at him.
For some reason, Javier felt overwhelmed.
