Frontera Barony.
A plain rural territory tucked away in a corner of the Lorasia Continent.
The size of its forces was modest, to put it mildly.
No, modest was an understatement—it was downright pathetic.
It had a total of five knights under its command.
Private soldiers numbered a hundred.
Even they were little more than a ragtag militia.
That was the state of the Frontera Barony's forces as described in the novel *Iron-Blooded Knight*.
"...But starting today, you lot will be reborn as the elite of the elite right here on this site."
It was a clear, sunny morning.
Perfect weather to kick off construction.
Amid that sunlight, Lloyd addressed the eighty able-bodied men gathered by the riverbank.
"If you shovel this stuff diligently and haul it out."
His hand pointed to one side of the riverbank.
There lay yellow ochre clay.
An enormous amount of it.
Originally, it had been buried underground.
'But I managed to excavate it all. Thanks to Ppoddong.'
He had snuck here at dawn.
By transforming Ppoddong, he had set up a large-scale ochre extraction site in just thirty minutes.
And as morning broke, he had brought eighty of the territory's soldiers here.
To carry the ochre from the extraction site to the construction field.
He scanned the soldiers.
"You're probably wondering what this is all about. Why drag you into manual labor like this."
"..."
"But that's the army for you. What's the flower of the military? Work details. Work."
That was how it was in the Republic of Korea Army.
Combat training to defend the nation?
Important, sure, but reality was a bit different.
'Trench digging, drainage work, building this today, that tomorrow. Whenever there's a spare moment, it's work, work, work, and before you know it, your service is up.'
It felt like being summoned as the company supply officer's errand boy.
That was why.
He wanted the territory's soldiers to experience that same feeling.
Just to torment them?
No.
'It's physical training disguised as labor.'
Ochre clay is heavy.
Fill a sack with it and carry it?
It trains everything from your legs to your lower back, core, shoulders, back, and forearms.
Endurance improves as a bonus.
'They call it manual labor muscle.'
Lloyd thought that as he spoke.
"Anyway, today we take the first small but precious step toward the territory's revival. It's the ondol room construction project for the territory's people. For that, you'll be hauling the ochre here to the site."
"...Yes, Young Master."
A few soldiers replied half-heartedly.
Lloyd grinned.
"Good. Let's start with stretching."
"Yes?"
"You want to get hurt on the job? Strain a stiff body hauling materials, throw out your back or knee, and you're the one who loses. Got it? So we loosen up first."
"..."
"Follow me. One, two."
"One... two..."
"Louder. Make the motions crisp. One, two!"
"One, two!"
Lloyd stretched slowly in front of the soldiers.
At first, the soldiers looked bewildered.
But when Lloyd scowled, they all started moving briskly.
The infamous pro troublemaker and rascal.
This was the moment his built-up notoriety shone (?).
'Stretching before work is key to actual training.'
Stretching on a construction site is more important than you think.
The ground is uneven everywhere.
Or hazardous materials scattered about.
Like most sites, conditions were poor.
Haul heavy loads with an unlimbered body in a place like that?
The odds of an accident skyrocket.
Lloyd wanted to prevent that at all costs.
'We don't have cash for medical bills. Better prevent and save. That's why I'm chanting these silly slogans with full sincerity.'
After stretching, he gathered the soldiers in a circle.
Then raised his hand.
"Follow me. Hands up."
Whoosh!
The soldiers raised their hands, glancing around.
Lloyd led the chant.
"Safety helmets on—great!"
Thud thud!
He smacked the top of his own helmet with his palm.
The soldiers echoed the slogan and mimicked the motion.
"Ah, safety helmets on... great!"
"Good. Safety gloves on—great!"
"Safety gloves on—great!"
"Safety boots on—real great!"
"Real great!"
At a glance, it was childish, kindergarten-level sloganeering and checks.
Truth be told, back when Lloyd did day labor in Korea, he had thought the same during morning roll calls.
But looking back now?
Maybe those checks were why he finished his gigs safely.
That was his take.
That was why.
After the checks, he didn't forget to arm the soldiers' safety mindset one last time.
"Don't forget the safety rules, everyone. If you might, check this now and then."
He held up a signboard he had prepared in advance.
Planted it firmly in the ground.
The signboard was densely packed with text like this:
Workers!
Let's follow site safety rules.
Skip the hard hat and you might lose a cow and tweak your brain a bit. Rush around like you're the emperor of maneuvers, and you'll end up the patient of maneuvers.
Safety boots too bothersome? Yep, now your big toe's prepped for a three-stage separation even Naro couldn't achieve.
Think it's all lies? Ignore the advice then and ascend in a puff of dioxin.
P.S. Won't happen to you, right? Lol.
"..."
The soldiers fell silent.
They unconsciously fiddled with their safety gear.
"Good. Ready? Let's go. Team 1 shovels and bags the ochre. Team 2 hauls. Execute!"
"Execute!"
The transport work began.
Thanks to the intense (?) mental training, the soldiers moved briskly.
It filled him with satisfaction just watching.
'As expected of territory private soldiers—they obey relatively well. Good thing I convinced the baron.'
Suddenly, he recalled the events from two hours earlier that morning.
♣
"So, you want to mobilize the soldiers?"
The baron's questioning voice.
It carried bewilderment.
Bewilderment mixed with doubt and absurdity.
Lloyd calmly continued breakfast as he replied.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"There's work that needs doing."
"What kind of work requires mobilizing eighty soldiers?"
"Construction."
"Construction?"
"Yes."
Lloyd swallowed his bread and wiped his hands with a napkin.
He pulled out prepared documents.
Handed them to the baron.
"It's the business plan."
"Business plan?"
"Please take a close look."
It was thanks to acquiring Ppoddong last night.
He finally felt confident to start full-scale construction.
So he had worked through the night drafting the business plan.
'This project absolutely needs the baron's cooperation.'
After all, it was construction within the territory.
The baron's permission as the lord was essential.
Economically, too.
'Hiring separate laborers costs money.'
Labor costs.
Or daily wages.
An unavoidable expense on any construction site.
But mobilize the baron's private soldiers?
Free labor, no daily wages needed.
They were already on the baron's payroll.
"So we can save quite a bit on costs."
"What if discontent brews among the soldiers?"
"We can smooth it over with a small bonus under special allowances."
"Hmm, but an ondol construction business..."
"I assume Haviel explained it to you last night."
"Indeed. The bizarre yet novel heating method of warming stones laid under the floor. But why?"
"Are you asking my intent?"
"Yes."
The baron's gaze was full of questions.
Fortunately, not as cold as before.
'Probably because I chased off the moneylenders yesterday and handed him the coin purse.'
That let the baron cover this month's interest.
His gaze toward Lloyd naturally softened.
Lloyd spoke.
"I wanted to raise money through the territory folk."
"Money?"
"Yes. Money to pay off the debts."
"..."
"I first thought of collecting via special taxes or such. But that would..."
"Spark major backlash."
"Yes. So I devised a legal method with minimal resistance."
"And that led you to this ondol construction business?"
"Yes. I make money, and the people pay a fair price but get to spend a much warmer winter. Win-win for both sides."
"But this..."
The baron's suspicious gaze turned his way.
"Where did you learn it?"
"The ondol?"
"Yes. I've never seen anything like it in my life. So where did you learn this?"
"I've been thinking about it for a while."
"Thinking?"
"Yes."
Lloyd nodded.
In times like this, bolder the better.
He continued.
"Just vaguely pondering it before. Stones hold heat well once warmed. So what if we lay flat stones on the indoor floor and run hot air beneath to warm it?"
"..."
"And this time, with the chance, I actually made one, and it worked better than expected. Warmer than I thought."
"The ondol you made for the tavern owner?"
"Yes."
"So that sparked the idea to turn it into a business?"
"Yes."
He nodded as if it were obvious.
Truth be told, he had absolute confidence.
But the baron's gaze still held a lingering suspicion.
"Fine, the plan is good. This business plan is meticulously done—impressively so. Makes me wonder if you had this talent. But..."
The baron's doubtful question flew.
"Can I trust your intentions?"
"Pardon?"
"Can I trust you?"
"What do you mean..."
"Surely you haven't forgotten that incident two years ago?"
"..."
Two years ago.
Not even mentioned in the novel *Iron-Blooded Knight*.
Best not to give a sloppy answer now.
Lloyd waited silently.
Fortunately, the baron spoke first.
"It was just like this back then. No grand business plan like now, of course. But I still vividly remember what you said. You told me, 'Father, this time I'll really buckle down and study properly. So trust me and invest once.' "
"..."
"I was thrilled. Thought you'd finally shaped up. So I readily gave you the money from selling the villa. For academy tuition. But you..."
"..."
"Wasted it. Every last coin, perfectly. With those thug friends you hung with. Drunken, debauched parties with women."
...Ah, for real.
Lloyd this bastard.
He swallowed the curse rising in his throat.
'Rascal through and through. Who'd have thought he'd pull something like that.'
No wonder the baron's reaction was lukewarm despite the perfect business plan.
After something like that, no easy trust. Made sense.
'Wow, Lloyd, you trash.'
High-level trolling from this body's former owner.
How to deflect this?
His brain spun at light speed.
And finally, a solution dawned.
From his own past, suddenly recalled.
'Come to think, I pulled something similar, smaller scale.'
Middle school, probably.
He had skimmed money his mom gave for cram school.
Spent evenings at PC bangs with friends.
'From LoL to Overwatch, Warzone... Fun times.'
But mom found out eventually.
Got an epic scolding.
Had to grovel till his hands and feet swapped.
Finally made an unbreakable promise to get forgiven.
'Tch, guess that's the only way now.'
Having thought of the fix, Lloyd looked up.
Met the baron's eyes.
Just like that day promising mom no more PC bangs, he said to the baron.
"I'll quit drinking."
"...What?"
"That's my word. If you trust me this time, I'll quit alcohol completely."
"..."
The baron's eyes grew strange.
As if questioning sincerity.
Or suspecting a ploy.
Lloyd gave no reply.
Just held the baron's gaze steadily.
Silent as if affirming with calm eyes.
How long passed?
Finally, the baron sighed.
"Is that for real?"
"Yes."
He wasn't big on booze anyway.
Didn't particularly like it.
No lingering attachment to drinking.
Sacrifice booze to gain even a bit of the baron's trust?
Pure profit, massive gain.
And finally.
"...Fine, I get it."
The baron nodded.
He returned the business plan.
"You say that much, so I'll trust you this once. I'll tell my administrator. For carrying out this plan, you'll have free use of the territory's private soldiers going forward."
"...Thank you."
"This trust is the absolute last time. Don't disappoint me."
The baron's gaze toward him.
Seemed more lenient than before.
Or a touch sympathetic.
For a moment, it evoked his mom's face from the PC bang fiasco, stirring odd feelings.
Lloyd hurriedly finished eating and left.
♣
'...We went through that, but still.'
Plenty of mountains left to climb.
Lloyd gave a wry smile at the thought.
While he was lost in reverie briefly.
A certain knight approached, protesting.
"...As you see, I am an honorable knight. I cannot accept orders—even from you, Young Master—to oversee hauling dirt piles."
The knight's face toward him.
Vicious-looking man.
Of course, Lloyd knew his name.
'Sir Ulrich.'
The one he had personally picked to lead today's soldiers.
One of the Frontera Barony's five knights.
The weakest among them.
Yet the first to betray when the baron's family fell.
'Casually stole the baron's favorite horse and fled.'
Not all.
Even spat in Lloyd's face on the way out.
'That's why I assigned you this site today.'
Deliberately summoned him.
Put him in charge of the soldiers.
Expecting this exact backlash.
And he delivered (?) as hoped.
Lloyd silently gripped a shovel.
Flashed a bright smile at Sir Ulrich.
"Aha. So you'll defy my orders?"
"Not defiance. I'm asking you to respect my honor as a knight... Gah!"
Crack!
As Sir Ulrich tried to retort.
The shovel head Lloyd swung smashed fiercely into his face.
'This territory definitely needs a physique overhaul.'
Sir Ulrich's molars scattered into the air.
Lloyd's eyes gleamed coldly through the gap.
(End of Chapter 7)
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