Chapter 91

“It’s because it’s important that I’m leaving it to you.”

“Huh?”

Julian’s pupils shook noticeably.

He said it was important, and that’s why he was entrusting it to him.

Was he serious right now?

No, more importantly—

‘Is this really Lloyd Frontera?’

Never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d hear something like that from his older brother.

No, if someone had told him such a thing would happen in a dream, he would’ve laughed in their face.

But it really did happen.

Right in front of his eyes—so clearly that it was undeniable.

‘He said it’s important, so he’s leaving it to me.’

He looked down at the shovel in his hands.

He was a little dazed.

Still, somehow, it didn’t feel bad.

Then suddenly, Julian remembered one very important thing.

And that was…

“Uh, so, how exactly do you use a shovel?”

“What do you mean ‘how’? Don’t tell me you’ve never used one before?”

“Uh, yeah…”

He nodded.

He really never had.

And yet, he was being entrusted with something so important.

‘He’s going to be disappointed. He’ll scold me and look down on me for not even being able to do that.’

He’d braced himself for that much.

And sure enough—

“Tsk. Can’t be helped. Gimme that.”

Lloyd reached out his hand.

Of course.

Julian, slightly disappointed, handed over the shovel.

But Lloyd, after taking the shovel, didn’t ridicule him or scold him.

Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and cracked his shoulders with a loud crack, crack.

“I’ll show you once. Watch carefully.”

“Huh? Uh-huh?”

“Watch the demonstration properly.”

He didn’t wait for a response.

Before Julian realized, Lloyd had positioned himself in front of a mound of dirt piled like a mountain.

He lowered his waist and legs slightly.

The back of his left hand faced the sky.

“Watch the left hand. You hold it reverse-grip like this. You don’t stab with the shovel tip—you chop, then scoop it out. Got it?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“From this stance, to the back left—like this, and this!”

Papapak!

The shovel carved smooth arcs through the air as it moved the dirt. It darted back to the pile like lightning. Another strike. It sliced the soil, scooped it out. Moved it. Flung it like a fan. Stacked it.

“Got it?”

Thunk.

At some point, Lloyd was leaning on the shovel like it was a staff. The smile he wore as he faced Julian was like that of a seasoned master.

Julian found himself nodding involuntarily.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Good. From now on, just do it the way I showed you.”

“Okay.”

“But straighten your back only once—only when you fill an entire wheelbarrow. Got it?”

“Why’s that?”

“It’s my style.”

“……”

“Anyway, do your best. How fast you shovel will determine how quickly Bangul finishes weaving the wire. I’m off to check the site now.”

Lloyd handed over the shovel.

Julian took it without thinking.

The warmth of his grip still lingered on the handle.

And the moment that warmth touched his palms, a thought occurred to him.

He said he’d never shoveled before.

Then why hadn’t Lloyd laughed or looked down on him?

Why was he going out of his way to teach him like this?

And then—

“Hey, bro.”

“What.”

“I wanted to ask you something.”

He looked up.

He finally put into words something that had been on his mind all this time.

“Where did you learn to do all this?”

He was curious.

It was strange.

He also wanted to ask what kind of things his brother had gone through.

‘Because it’s like he’s become a different person.’

The man standing before him—Lloyd Frontera.

But he was so different from the Lloyd he knew.

He wasn’t drinking anymore.

He’d become kind to him.

That alone was so unfamiliar it felt like his whole body broke out in hives.

“I’m curious. You didn’t even know how to shovel before.”

“I didn’t.”

“Same with summoning magic. You summoned those creatures, right?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“And Sir Asrahan said so too. That you even have a Mana Heart now.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“So what the heck happened while I was away at the academy?”

Something must’ve happened.

There’s no other explanation.

But Lloyd’s response was strange again.

“There’s a reason. I’ll tell you later.”

“When?”

“When I’m ready.”

“……”

Lloyd gave a faint smile.

He had a look in his eyes, like someone carrying a story he couldn’t yet share.

That made him feel even more unfamiliar. And oddly amazing.

So somehow, Julian couldn’t press him further.

He figured Lloyd would tell him when the time came.

At least, that’s what he thought.

In the end, Julian nodded.

And Lloyd quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Phew, that worked.’

Mission “Distract with Serious Vibe and Dodge the Question” — Success.

Lloyd, who had successfully evaded Julian with that clever mood-setting, swiftly left the scene under the excuse of checking on the construction site.

Julian, now alone, gripped the shovel.

“Phew.”

It was the first time he’d held one, and it was heavy.

Still, he vowed to give it his best.

After all, his brother had told him he believed in him.

Honestly, he still found it a bit hard to believe, but it didn’t feel bad.

No, if anything, he was a little happy.

He didn’t want to disappoint him.

Recalling the demonstration Lloyd had shown him, Julian gripped the shovel and moved.

He drove it into the dirt pile with as much force as he could muster.

But the result was nothing like Lloyd’s demonstration.

Piffik!

The shovel head twisted awkwardly.

It didn’t dig into the dirt properly.

Instead, it slipped and flew off in a weird direction.

Startled, Julian lost his grip on the shovel.

“Whoa!”

Tang! Tagleong!

It flew far off, clattering embarrassingly across the ground.

Watching all this, Bangul thumped her chubby tail against the ground. Ppodong, having paused from braiding twine out of wire, squirmed his plump body in amusement.

“Bangul! Bababababangul!”

“Ppodong! Podododododong!”

Were they… laughing?

“……”

Julian dashed off to retrieve the shovel, his face flushed red like a ripe apricot.

The little nobleman’s hardships were only just beginning.

♣

The real construction had begun.

They’d already completed the surveying and blueprints.

Preparation of the trusses and cables for the suspension bridge deck was proceeding smoothly.

Lloyd immediately began construction on the main towers of the suspension bridge.

The first step was the foundation work.

Screeeeech!

Lloyd’s [Triple Circle] spun fiercely.

A 2:3:3 ratio.

Centered around the Alpha Circle, the other two rotated at a 2:3:3 ratio.

Using this ideal rotation ratio as a base, he struck with explosive force.

At that moment, Lloyd drove his shovel into the ground.

The full force of the [Triple Detonation] was channeled into the shovel.

Whooosh, KABOOM—!

Right on the precisely calculated spot.

With terrifying strength.

A massive hole, 2 meters wide and 35 meters deep, was bored into the ground.

One each day.

Nine holes were drilled on each riverbank.

These were for the [cast-in-place piles] that would support the suspension bridge’s main towers.

A massive amount of cement was poured into the holes.

Just like when they constructed an artificial offshore foundation in the trade city of Cremo, the cement was made using Bangul’s volcanic ash as the base, and it filled the holes to the brim. It hardened, forming enormous cement piles that stretched deep into the ground.

Just as the foundation work was completed, spring rain began to fall.

It was the spring monsoon season.

For over ten days, a torrential downpour continued.

The water level of the Magena River rose rapidly.

And at the construction site of the suspension bridge, 100 meters downstream, cracks began to form on the old stone bridge.

It was the first sign of collapse in its 61-year history.

Lloyd grinned to himself.

‘Even the heavens are lending a hand to our site.’

The old bridge showing signs of collapse—

Thanks to that, the royal family’s stance changed.

Instead of repairing the damaged stone bridge, they began actively supporting the construction of the new suspension bridge.

A massive investment flowed into the suspension bridge site.

A larger workforce than before became the new baseline.

That included not only skilled stonemasons—

But also royal court magicians, whose support was a blessing.

‘Thank you—an overwhelming thank you!’

Even the magicians were supporting the construction.

Thanks to them, the project gained insane momentum.

Lloyd’s precise designs, based on data and microscopic-level surveying.

Add to that the royal family’s full financial support and the deployment of top-tier personnel.

The result: ultra-high-speed construction.

‘This is nuts. Completely nuts.’

Even Lloyd, who oversaw and directed the project, was at a loss for words.

The stone blocks for the towers—

All he had to do was provide the cutting dimensions.

Once he explained the shapes and functions of the blocks, the stonemasons got to work. So did the magicians. The processing was completed in the blink of an eye.

It was the same with stacking the tower blocks.

Normally, they would need to use manpower-powered cranes or borrow Ppodong’s strength to lift the giant blocks. No matter how hard they tried, it would be difficult to raise more than ten blocks a day due to their massive size and weight.

But the story changed once the magicians joined.

And not just any magicians—royal magicians.

Swshhhhhh……!

Magic flowed into the massive stone blocks.

They reduced the weight of the colossal blocks by a whopping 80%.

That alone drastically changed the construction speed.

“Pull! On my count!”

“One! Two! One!”

Every time the crane lever, manned by dozens, turned, the giant blocks rose effortlessly.

The burden on Javier and Ppodong, who were receiving the blocks from above, was also greatly reduced.

From below, magic lifted them up.

From above, they were received without risking back injuries.

Every part of the process ran like a flawless gear system.

At its core, of course, was Lloyd’s meticulous design.

Time passed like that.

The wind turned warm.

Magnolias bloomed and fell.

Cherry blossoms scattered in the breeze.

Each morning was filled with the scent of roses.

Julian’s arms, from constant shoveling, grew firm and muscular.

And at last, on the day the first cicada cried out with all its might—

Two 90-meter-high towers stood tall on each side of the Magena River.

The citizens of the royal capital, watching, erupted into cheers.

The old stone bridge had become unreliable.

No one knew when it might collapse.

They crossed it reluctantly, always full of anxiety.

But now, the completion of a new bridge was just around the corner.

And the unique form of the suspension bridge piqued great interest among the capital’s citizens.

“Hey, what do you think they’re doing with those tall towers?”

“You haven’t heard?”

“Huh? Heard what?”

“They’re going to string a line between the tops of those towers.”

“A line?”

“Yeah. Just toss it across like hanging a laundry line.”

“What the…?”

Some citizens tilted their heads, chatting in confusion.

Others expressed curiosity and excitement.

“Hey, did you hear? They’re going to hang a laundry line.”

“A laundry line? You mean between those two towers on either side of the river?”

“Yeah. My neighbor said so. Once they hang it, that becomes the bridge.”

“Come on, that can’t be real.”

“It’s true. They said they’re stringing it up this afternoon.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. I even reserved a spot to watch.”

“No way. Can I come with you?”

“Of course.”

People began gathering along the riverbank in groups.

Every spot with a clear view of the suspension bridge towers was taken. Picnics were laid out. Then they were stunned.

Because they saw the real cable being moved beneath the tower.

“What, what is that…?”

“My goodness. It’s huge.”

“That’s the laundry line? That thing?”

“We need to talk about this laundry line nonsense.”

“It’s thicker than an old tree trunk!”

“And that’s not even a rope—it’s metal!”

It was true.

The cables were all solid metal.

Made from 5mm wire produced by Bangul and braided by Ppodong.

A total of 120 strands of wire were tightly bundled together.

The outer layer was encased in interlinked armor like chainmail, leaving no gaps.

It was, by all means, too massive and serious a material to be dismissed as just a “laundry line.”

Thanks to that, the same question and concern echoed in every citizen’s mind.

‘How are they going to stretch that from the top of one tower to the other?’

‘Will some giant come and throw it across?’

‘Or maybe a boat? No, there aren’t even any schooners on this river. A half-baked boat would just sink from the weight.’

Everyone was curious.

At the same time, they worried.

Could such a massive, heavy metal rope really be suspended midair and hung across the tops of both towers like a laundry line?

No matter how they looked at it, it seemed impossible.

If they tried and failed, it could lead to an accident.

Amid a mix of anxiety and anticipation, thousands of eyes focused on the top of the towers.

There, standing atop the tower, were Lloyd and Bangul.

“Bangul, you ready?”

“Bangul!”

“You bite it and go boom, got it?”

“Babangul!”

Bangul, already enlarged in advance, nodded her round head.

Soon, the cable was lifted from below the tower.

It had been lightened by magic and hoisted up with a crane.

At the end of the cable, a chain was tightly fastened.

Lloyd pulled the chain over and set it down on one side.

Then he picked up a bucket he had prepared beforehand.

The bucket was filled to the brim with dirt.

“Okay, Bangul? Time for a tasty treat.”

“Bangul!”

Bangul opened her huge mouth eagerly.

Lloyd, as if waiting for the moment, dumped the entire bucket of dirt into her mouth.

Then he quickly stepped back.

“Alright, Bangul. Just like we practiced.”

“Chomp chomp, Bangul!”

Bangul gulped down the dirt.

She twisted her round head playfully.

Then she clamped her mouth onto the chain that Lloyd had set aside.

And crouched down.

Bubble bubble!

A chemical reaction was taking place in Bangul’s belly.

The dirt she just swallowed was rapidly digested.

“Bbungul! Ppeubbungul!”

Jingle jingle!

She wagged her chubby tail.

The clear sound of her bell echoed in the ears of everyone around the tower.

And then—

A violent volcanic blast erupted from Bangul’s backside.

KABOOOOOM—!

Volcanic ash and gas exploded outward.

Using the recoil, Bangul’s body shot off like a rocket.

All the while, she held the chain tightly in her jaws.

The chain, firmly attached, pulled the cable along with it.

“Bbunguuuuuuul—!”

FWOOSH……!

That day, the citizens of the royal capital witnessed an astounding sight: Bangul, with the cable in tow, soaring across the sky above the Magena River like an arrow strung with a rope—and they were stunned in awe.