Chapter 83

“I believe that the most urgent construction project for the royal capital is the construction of a new bridge over the Majena River.”

The audience chamber was vast.

Like the Queen herself, the space was broad and grand—but not overly ornate. Instead, it exuded an air of bold magnificence.

Lloyd’s voice rang clearly through the chamber.

Queen Alicia Termina Magentano’s eyebrow twitched.

“A bridge?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Explain in more detail.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. From what I have heard, the current bridge over the Majena River collapses regularly—frequently enough that people forget about it between incidents.”

“…Regularly?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“That sounds like an exaggeration.”

“From an engineering perspective, the fact that it collapses every few decades qualifies as frequent and repetitive.”

“…Truly?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Lloyd answered with a brazen expression.

To be honest, it was the truth.

A bridge collapsing once every few decades—

From a civil engineering standpoint, that meant far too often.

And indeed, the bridge spanning the Majena River in the royal capital, Magenta, was exactly like that.

‘The novel Iron-Blooded Knight mentioned this issue multiple times. And in about three years from now, according to the story, the bridge actually collapses again after several decades.’

He recalled the geography of the royal capital as described in the novel.

The Majena River, which cut through the capital, never dried up. Thanks to its abundant water supply, the city had flourished for centuries.

But that very abundance was also a double-edged sword.

‘Every spring, the capital suffers floods. The eastern monsoon season drastically increases the river’s water level. And when the massive snowpack from the nearby mountains melts, the river’s flow intensifies even further.’

These seasonal floods had long plagued Magenta.

And for the bridge over the Majena River, it was an outright disaster.

At the shortest, the bridge would last ten years. At best, it might endure fifty to sixty years. But eventually, it would always collapse due to floods.

And each time it collapsed, the royal family had to spend a fortune rebuilding it.

‘There’s even a real-life example of this on Earth.’

Heidelberg, Germany.

He recalled the Karl-Theodor Bridge over the Neckar River.

‘The first version of the Karl-Theodor Bridge was built in the mid-11th century. Then, in 1288, it collapsed due to flooding. And the next one after that?’

It had been the same story.

The second bridge was destroyed in 1308.

The third and fourth bridges collapsed in 1340 and 1400, respectively.

Even the fifth bridge was destroyed in 1470.

And it didn’t stop there.

‘The sixth bridge was taken down by floating ice during a flood in 1565. The seventh was destroyed by Louis XIV’s army during the War of the Palatine Succession. And the eighth bridge? That one was even fortified, built stronger than ever—yet it still collapsed in 1784 due to flooding and ice flows.’

As a result, the Karl-Theodor Bridge standing today was already the ninth iteration.

And the royal capital, Magenta, was just like medieval Heidelberg.

“This bridge over the Majena River has collapsed eleven times—and the one standing today is the twelfth version. To keep rebuilding a bridge that repeatedly collapses is extremely inefficient.”

“You call rebuilding a collapsed bridge inefficient?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“So you are saying that a new bridge must be built?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then, do you claim that the new bridge you propose will not collapse due to spring floods or floating ice?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

In moments like this, confidence was key.

Keeping that in mind, Lloyd boldly answered.

Queen Alicia’s gaze sharpened.

“If it does collapse?”

“Then—”

Lloyd bowed even deeper.

‘That’s when I pack up my bags and flee abroad.’

He swallowed that thought and spoke instead:

“You may take my head.”

“…Are you serious?”

“I am, Your Majesty. However—”

“However?”

“I request that my family’s noble status be permanently guaranteed—until the day my proposed bridge collapses.”

“A guarantee of status… until the bridge collapses?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“……”

Lloyd bowed so low that his head was practically touching the floor.

The Queen narrowed her eyes as she stared at the round shape of his bowed head.

‘This brat…’

A baron’s son from some remote eastern territory—

Yet he dared to negotiate with her.

He was demanding that she permanently guarantee his family’s noble standing.

A guarantee of status.

Its meaning was clear.

One, the Crown would never revoke their fief.

Two, the Crown would pay a lifelong pension—ensuring his family could maintain a noble’s dignity, no matter what happened.

That was the real intent behind his bold request.

‘And what’s more—he’s already talking as if the bridge is a done deal.’

The Queen let out a short laugh.

It was an outrageously audacious and cunning proposal.

His trickery was blatant.

And yet—

It was so shamelessly bold that it was almost endearing.

Even in front of her, the Queen, he remained utterly unfazed.

It was oddly entertaining—like a puppy yapping at a lion, demanding food.

And if he could build a bridge that wouldn’t collapse?

Then even for the royal family, it wouldn’t be a bad deal.

The Queen’s voice softened slightly.

“Then, are you saying that you have a way to build such a bridge?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

She was hooked.

Lloyd could hear it clearly in the Queen’s tone.

Thankfully, his gamble had paid off.

‘Perfect.’

He recalled everything about Queen Alicia from Iron-Blooded Knight.

The Indomitable Monarch, Alicia Termina Magentano.

As someone who wielded absolute power and absolute might, she was bold and decisive.

She was also fair—willing to hear out anyone, regardless of their status.

At the same time, she despised cowards.

She liked people who spoke their minds without hesitation, regardless of their status.

She kept such individuals close without hesitation.

And that was how she lost an arm.

The person she trusted the most poisoned her.

She barely survived—but at the cost of her arm.

The betrayal shattered her.

She changed completely.

She became a ruthless tyrant, trusting no one.

From the Indomitable Monarch to the Monarch of Massacres.

‘But that tragedy hasn’t happened yet.’

In the novel, it would occur three years from now.

For now, Queen Alicia remained brilliant—a lion of justice and fairness.

That was why Lloyd believed his bold proposal would work.

And it was working.

With absolute confidence, he declared:

“If we build a suspension bridge over the Majena River, it will never collapse—no matter the flood.”

“A suspension bridge?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Queen tilted her head.

Lloyd, growing bolder, continued:

“A suspension bridge is ideal for long spans. Typically, it features tall towers on either end, with cables strung between them to support the deck—blah blah blah—secured with anchor blocks at either end—blah blah—one key advantage is that it doesn’t require piers in the river—yada yada—so, in conclusion—”

“Enough. That’s enough.”

“……”

“Have you finished saying your piece?”

“Unfortunately, Your Majesty commanded me to stop before I could finish…”

“That’s quite enough. I understood your point.”

Queen Alicia let out an unintentional sigh and wiped the sweat from her brow with a handkerchief.

For some reason, it felt as if Lloyd’s entire explanation had entered her left ear and immediately exited through the right.

Lloyd’s tone turned coaxing.

“Then, Your Majesty, may I inquire about your decision?”

“My decision?”

The Queen smirked.

“I told you—I intended to test your abilities. You answered my question, and you did so with confidence. What reason would I have to hesitate? Proceed.”

“You are ordering the construction of the new bridge, Your Majesty?”

“Yes. Build it. Prove it. If you succeed, I shall grant you a great reward, considering also your previous contributions in Cremo. However—”

The Queen’s smirk faded, replaced by a stern gaze.

“As great as your confidence was, should you fail, the consequences will be just as severe.”

“I shall bear that in mind, Your Majesty.”

Lloyd bowed deeply.

The dice had been cast.

He had mounted the tiger’s back.

Now, all that remained was to prove himself.

♣

“I have never seen someone so arrogant before me.”

After Lloyd and Javier left the audience chamber—

Queen Alicia let out a dry chuckle.

A middle-aged man standing nearby responded with a low voice.

“He seems intelligent and highly calculative, Your Majesty.”

It was the Captain of the Royal Guard, Sir Cerny.

“You think so too, Sir Cerny?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Hah, yes. He’s much craftier than expected.”

The Queen’s smirk deepened.

Suddenly, she recalled the report she had received from Count Cremo.

The report had described Lloyd Frontera as:

“A cunning talent who, when presented with a clear personal gain, will unleash his full abilities—shocking everyone in the process.”

“Seeing him in person… I must say, that assessment was accurate. But I never imagined he would give me such a wrong answer.”

“A wrong answer, Your Majesty?”

“I am referring to the response Lloyd Frontera gave to my question.”

“You mean his claim that building a new bridge over the Majena River was the most urgent project?”

“Yes.”

“And that was… incorrect?”

“There was an intended answer I had in mind.”

The Queen’s tone was decisive.

In truth, she had already settled on an answer before even posing the question.

And it was not about bridges.

It had nothing to do with the Majena River at all.

“In fact, the answer I was looking for was the restoration of the royal palace.”

“Ah…!”

Sir Cerny inhaled sharply.

“Indeed, that would make sense, Your Majesty. The scheduled decennial restoration of the palace is approaching…”

“Exactly. We built it far too thick and heavy to withstand dragon attacks. As a result, it has become too heavy, requiring frequent maintenance. That was the answer I expected. I assumed that anyone well-versed in construction would immediately arrive at that conclusion.”

But Lloyd Frontera had not.

He had proposed an entirely different answer.

An answer that, technically, was wrong.

And yet—

‘The Majena River’s bridge project has been a problem for ages. But until now, no one has found a proper solution.’

That was the reality.

Even past Queens had faced the same dilemma.

The spring floods caused by the melting snow—

The only way to combat such raging natural forces was to build stronger bridges.

Every time the bridge collapsed, the monarchy simply rebuilt it stronger.

Yet within a few decades, it collapsed again.

And the reason was simple.

A fundamental engineering dilemma.

‘The engineers have always said that making a bridge sturdier means making the piers larger and stronger. But the thicker and stronger the piers, the more pressure they absorb from the river’s current.’

The Queen had little knowledge of construction.

However, she at least understood this much—

The piers that supported a bridge stood within the river itself.

They always had to withstand the force of the flowing water.

But what happens when the piers get thicker?

As their surface area increases—

The water pressure and hydraulic force acting on them also increase.

To counteract this, builders had tried shaping the upstream face of the piers into wedge-like forms.

They had also installed wooden structures upstream to block floating ice.

But these were only temporary solutions.

Once every few decades, the river would experience a flood so severe that such measures would no longer be enough.

And each time, the bridge collapsed.

So, in the end, they had all but given up.

They simply built the bridge as strong as possible.

And when it inevitably collapsed, they rebuilt it.

They accepted it as an unavoidable tax to be paid to nature.

That had been the Magenta royal family’s policy regarding the Majena River bridge.

Thus, Queen Alicia had never expected anyone to come up with a fresh solution to the problem.

No—she hadn’t even considered the possibility.

‘And yet, Lloyd Frontera—he chose that as his answer to my question.’

She had already prepared an answer in her mind.

But Lloyd’s response was far greater than the answer she had anticipated.

‘A wrong answer—yet one far superior to the correct one.’

So, she decided.

‘Let’s wait and see.’

Queen Alicia made up her mind.

She would watch as Lloyd built his suspension bridge—

She would observe his abilities firsthand—

And if he truly proved himself capable—

Then she would absolutely ensure that he was put to good use.

And thus, under the Queen’s expectant gaze, Lloyd’s bridge construction began to move forward—step by step.