Chapter 80. Rise to fame (2)
15 days have passed.
The journey of Lloyd’s party was smooth.
It was chilly weather for the new year, but it did not snow.
Thanks to that, the group’s steps were light.
Lloyd and his wife, Sir Xaviel Bavaria, and even the soldiers who came to Cremo with them. I was able to enjoy a peaceful and secluded journey without any incidents.
After a 15-day journey, the party returned to Baron Frontera.
At the same time, Lloyd’s vacation was over.
‘Since I’m home, I have to work!’
The joy and warmth of returning to the estate?
Lloyd had none of that.
There was a lot to do.
There was literally a mountain of work to be done.
‘We need to finish supplying the ondol. In the cold winter season, you should check if the water supply pipes are not frozen and clogged. Besides, the firewood stocked by the people who have been burning ondol since early winter is going to run out, so I have to prepare to sell bituminous coal.’
that’s how you make money
You have to earn money to pay off your family’s debt.
I have to pay off my debt so I can comfortably stick a straw in this manor.
That way, you will be able to spend the rest of your life sucking honey in a moderately calm and comfortable place.
It was to realize such a grand(?) aspiration into reality.
As soon as Lloyd undressed, he called the baron administrator.
“Did you call, Mr. Lloyd?”
“Yes, I called. I want to ask you a favor.”
“What is your request?”
“Shilo and Meatloaf are in touch?”
Shiloh and Meatloaf.
skinny and fat.
They were the two moneylenders who lent money to the baron’s family and played interest at high interest rates.
The administrator nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then contact me right away. Let’s meet up.”
“Do you have any other business to convey?”
“doesn’t exist. Just telling them that would be enough.”
“All right.”
The administrator stepped down.
Following Lloyd’s instructions, he sent someone to Shiloh and Meatloaf.
Indeed, that afternoon, two moneylenders visited the baron.
However, their attitude was a little different from before.
“Ha ha ha how are you?”
“A lot! Haven’t you been all right?”
Shiloh and Meatloaf were polite like never before. They even brought a gift basket and wine in each hand.
A look I couldn’t have imagined before.
I couldn’t find the arrogant expression that I used to do even in front of the baron.
The reason was simple.
‘Because I don’t want to die.’
Lloyd laughed.
The two had already experienced the threat of the Orc warrior Arosh right in front of their noses during their last visit. They are well aware that Baron Prontera and the Ironsand Orc tribe are blood allies.
For orcs, clans are precious friends.
The enemy of my friend is my enemy.
The rule is to kill enemies.
It must be that he was saving himself because he did not want to become the enemy of the baron.
Lloyd greeted them with a bitter smile.
As soon as we sat down, we got the main topic out.
“Long time no see. Actually, I have good news to tell you, so I called you two like this.”
“Good news?”
“I recently got some money.”
Shiloh and Meatloaf tilt their heads.
It seems that the incident in Cremo has not spread to this region yet.
Lloyd smiled meaningfully at the two.
“Thanks to you, I think I can repay part of the amount owed to you two.”
“You mean redemption?”
“yes.”
“Then how….”
“I think it’s about half of our total debt.”
“omg?”
The eyes of the two moneylenders widened.
It was amazing. I couldn’t believe it.
Amount of debts borne by the Baron Frontera.
Because it was never a good amount.
‘I wouldn’t be able to afford it in the first place. how?’
Shiloh and Meatloaf thought the same thing. On the one hand, they also recalled the situation at the time when Baron Frontera borrowed money from them.
‘At that time, Baron Frontera was confident.’
The baron who came to visit them.
Did you say you were planning to buy the land this time?
But did they say that they were borrowing to make up for the lack of money to buy?
So Shiloh asked.
Are you okay?
Interest is expensive.
Then the baron nodded as if he was okay.
He said that the land he was going to buy would soon skyrocket in price. Then, he also assured me that he would be able to quickly repay the money he borrowed this time with the profit.
And Baron Frontera is ruined.
‘The contractor who arranged the land turned out to be a fraudster.’
As a result of solving the person and finding out, it was said that the fraudster embezzled all of Baron Frontera’s investment money and disappeared. Even the land that Baron Frontera invested in was a false sale, a land that only existed on paper.
It was a complete scam.
However, neither were the two moneylenders who would be kind to Baron Frontera.
‘Because I borrowed money at my own discretion and I have to take responsibility for it.’
In front of money, there is warmth and nothing.
unconditionally according to the contract.
That’s the scary thing about money.
The two moneylenders were more faithful to that principle than anyone else.
The contract was fully fulfilled.
A huge percentage of interest that was taken instead of borrowing money for a short period of time. It was added to the principal every day, without any penalty.
As interest accrued, the principal increased.
As the principal increased, the interest rose again.
Interest is paying interest, and the swollen principal has increased like a bubble.
While Baron Frontera struggled to pay even the interest, the total amount of debt increased so much that it was incomparable to the original principal amount.
So Shiloh and Meatloaf thought to themselves.
That money will never be repaid in my lifetime.
The baron’s ability wouldn’t be able to handle it.
So let’s kill him with interest and take possession of the legacy including the baron’s mansion.
‘Because that’s our way. Even if you take care of that much, it’s a business that leaves much more than the principal you borrowed from the beginning.’
waited
Like a spider watching over a fly that struggles in its web. Like a poisonous snake watching a mouse gasping for poison that spreads throughout its body.
I waited for the baron to dry up and die.
but it wasn’t
An unexpected card came out of the baron family, which was only thought to die. The eldest son, who was said to be a fool, started doing various things from one day and brought the wind of change.
And that crazy Lloyd Frontera was blowing a declaration that they could now pay off half of their entire debt at once.
“Is that true?”
Shiloh asked in disbelief.
Of course, Lloyd nodded as if it was natural.
“yes.”
It was absolutely true.
An amount equal to half of the total debt.
provided in sufficient abundance.
No, even after paying off half of his debts, he was the one who arranged enough money to spare.
‘The Count of Cremo’s help was great.’
Lloyd smiled heartily.
The trading city of Cremo.
It was a grateful town that gave him nuclear benefits.
He sold the used treasures obtained from the Orcs to the Count.
With that, I raised quite a bit of money.
There, he received the count’s request.
Offshore artificial ground work was carried out.
The cost of the project was much higher than originally promised.
It was thanks to the deal (?) he made with the Count the night before he left Cremo.
‘Are you planning to go back to the barony tomorrow?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Sorry. I couldn’t even give you a fair reward for your credit for stopping Giga Titan.’
‘Then can’t I repay you now?’
‘Is there anything you want to receive as a reward?’
‘yes. It’s money.’
‘….’
‘Please double the cost of artificial ground construction.’
‘Write. Join us at 1.5 times.’
‘Didn’t you say that you will repay the credit?’
‘1.6 times.’
‘ha. I fought to the bone to catch Giga Titan.’
‘Whoa. 1.7 times. No more.’
‘thank you.’
…It was the result of a series of constructive and harmonious negotiations.
“It is all cash. Of course you will need to check. Then let’s go.”
Lloyd woke up.
I went downstairs with the two still bewildered moneylenders.
I opened the safe with Baron Prontera’s administrator waiting there.
Gold coins and gold bars glittered in it.
The mouths of the two moneylenders were torn from ear to ear.
That’s how he settled half of the huge debt on the baron family.
Of course, future interest was also cut in half.
‘That means that now half of the water tax from the vassal territory will be accumulated as net profit.’
After completing the calculation, Lloyd raised his head in a satisfied mood.
The treasury is empty again to pay off the debt.
Of course, I had enough confidence to refill it.
In order to do so, he had to move without idle time.
From that day on, Lloyd again spent every day diligently.
“here! catch!”
“yep!”
A direct extension belt was worn around the waist.
After a long time, I grabbed a tool at a construction site.
In the meantime, ondol houses that have been steadily supplied to the barony.
He led the field of making the last ondol.
It was the moment when all contracts were completed and the construction was completed, from the first ondol contract to the additional construction contracts won later.
Ding dong.
[The supply of ondol houses in the Prontera estate has been completed.]
[You have succeeded in introducing and distributing a new heating method to a province. Residents will quickly adapt to this new and simple heating method and will feel great satisfaction.]
[Ondol heating will become established as a unique residential culture in the Frontera region.]
[Ondol heating will become < Frontera floor heating system ) > to decorate a page in the history of the construction of the Laurasia continent.]
[A large amount of RP is specially paid as a bonus for meaningful construction achievements.]
[400 RP has been acquired.]
[Current RP: 1946]
‘Wow.’
A pleasant message decorated my eyes.
Unexpected achievement rewards.
There is even a small construction fee.
It was a welcome benefit that rolled in from time to time.
But Lloyd didn’t stop.
His mouth was not torn at the momentary benefit, and he did not roll around in complacency.
Rather, it spurred more on handling the overdue work.
‘Because of Giga Titan, I’ve been away for too long.’
There was a lot to do.
Headed to the bituminous coal mine.
I went in and out of mines for several days and hung on to safety checks.
After that, I checked the construction of rental housing in the Marez reclaimed land.
It was a house where migrants who signed a contract would come and live when spring comes right away.
‘So it has to be built well.’
migrants under contract.
Most of them were peasants who managed to live a stable, albeit simple, life. Those who did that decided to take a big adventure of their own.
Rather than stably cultivating other people’s land, even if it’s a little burdensome, my land. They were the ones who took the risk and decided to emigrate with such thoughts.
‘They are grateful people. They are also the ones who took a big risk.’
Such is the danger to the poor.
Like moving a house where you live on a monthly rent. Or quit your job and start another job. It’s like canceling insurance even if you’re taking a big loss because you don’t have enough living expenses right now.
Each and every trivial choice is a risky adventure in the abyss. There is no stockpile of assets, so once you fail, there is no chance to recover.
Perhaps people who live a stable life to some extent don’t know that feeling.
But Lloyd felt it firsthand.
In South Korea, I had to live every day in a gosiwon and feel that feeling every moment. I was able to execute a choice that seemed insignificant to others only after resolving my determination and thinking over and over again.
feeling of no back.
The moment of every day when the opportunity cost becomes a matter of survival.
Having experienced it, he knew all too well what kind of determination the migrants had when entering the clearing.
‘First of all, we need to reassure them. Only then will I be able to concentrate on my work.’
At least I wanted to be able to relax at least the time I stay at home.
Only then will the migrants work harder to pioneer the land. The entire clearing will be more abundant.
A cozy home where you can relax.
That, Lloyd thought, was the beginning of clearing settlement. So, I paid more attention to the construction of rental housing.
After that, the work continued.
I checked the water supply carefully to make sure it didn’t freeze.
The condition of stockpiled coal was also checked.
Like that, I ran around busily for almost 20 days.
After that, I was able to handle most of the accumulated work.
But even so, Lloyd couldn’t rest.
“Lord Lloyd!”
It was Lloyd coming out of the warehouse after checking the coal.
The magistrate hurriedly ran toward him.
He shouted urgently in a trembling voice.
“There is a guest so a guest has come!”
“A guest?”
“yes!”
“Then why are you so upset?”
Lloyd tilted his head.
It was strange.
The administrator was a seasoned man. But that kind of person is so flustered that a guest has finally arrived and is talking nonsense.
Have you ever had a really great guest?
Lloyd frowned.
“Who the hell is coming to make such a fuss? Besides, if it’s an important guest, shouldn’t you tell the baron before me?”
Lloyd asked bitterly.
In fact, I had just finished everything and was just trying to get some rest. However, to be honest, it was a little annoying to come and make a fuss about yourself, who was not even the lord.
The administrator hesitated at his harsh question.
“That’s that’s….”
“that is?”
“The envoy has arrived.”
“Chiksa? What?”
“It’s His Royal Highness’s royal envoy from the capital.”
“His Highness the King?”
“yes.”
The administrator nodded vigorously.
And he said it with a bewildered expression, as if he couldn’t believe it himself.
“So, His Royal Highness’s envoy is looking for Lloyd-sama.”
“what?”
The king’s envoy came to visit him?
Finally, Lloyd’s eyes widened.
