Chapter 139
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Translator: Prime Works
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: Leader of the Weary (2)
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Whoosh!
A downpour hammered down.
Countless raindrops drenched the Eastern Mountains area.
They gathered in the hillsides and valleys.
They flowed toward the lowlands.
Beneath the western slopes.
Toward Frontera County.
The streams of water that flowed in like that met the terraced fields.
Gurgle, gurgle!
These were streams that had naturally flowed down the slopes for thousands, tens of thousands of years.
But this time was different.
Man-made terraced terrain blocked their path.
They pooled in the spaces prepared for paddies and fields.
They seeped in large quantities into the spaces between retaining walls and cut slopes.
And then they flowed out gurgling between the gabion retaining walls.
'Nice!'
Lloyd shuttled back and forth to the site amid the pouring rain.
Each time, he activated the underground scanning option of his Surveying skill.
Beyond the gabion retaining walls.
He observed in real-time how the water drained from the spaces filled with backfill material inside.
The results were extremely satisfying.
'Drainage? Perfectly smooth. No signs of the inner soil washing away, tilting, or settling. Haah, to think I've created something like this.'
Even confirming the results with his eyes filled him with pride.
If a professor from the university he attended in Korea saw this, what would they say?
He'd probably receive every possible praise and a barrage of A+ grades, then get dragged off to grad school.
'......'
Better not entertain such horrifying thoughts.
Lloyd hurriedly shook his head to clear the stray ideas.
It was the perfect time, with the rainy season finally arriving.
There was no better chance to test the retaining walls to their limits than during the monsoons.
Throughout the rainy season, he inspected and diagnosed every retaining wall.
Of course, not a single one collapsed or showed any issues during that time.
It was perfect construction, through and through.
'Alright, on to the next phase.'
Lloyd immediately tightened the reins of the plan.
Building retaining walls and reclaiming the land didn't end the job.
Now it was time to distribute it properly among the people.
"So, you'll need to approve all of this."
"All of...... this?"
"Yes."
Thud!
Lloyd placed the stack of documents on the desk.
At that moment, the desk legs creaked, letting out an uneasy groan.
The Frontera Count flinched and pulled back from the desk.
Then he raised his gaze.
He stared blankly, thinking.
The top of this stack of papers—did it reach the ceiling?
"What is all this?"
He asked.
Lloyd grinned.
"Contracts and site attendance confirmation sheets."
"Contracts? Site atten—what?"
"To explain in detail, these are lists of the refugee workers who voluntarily participated in the terraced farmland retaining wall construction, along with their attendance and work records."
"......"
"Every time they arrived at the site in the morning. During the morning snack break. At lunch and afternoon snack times. And when they clocked out—they stamped the attendance log. For every single refugee worker on site."
"Wh-why?"
"It's my way of meticulous work management. Prevents proxy attendance, too."
"Proxy attendance?"
"Someone could slack off but pretend to work. It's bound to happen on big sites with lots of people and lax oversight. Especially when they're earning farmland plots based on work hours."
Lloyd shrugged.
It was true.
From the start, he'd had everyone sign contracts.
Through those contracts, he'd promised.
Work hard, and he'd distribute reclaimed land as reward.
So participate in as many sites as possible, for as long as their stamina allowed.
'But not everyone's as diligent as the employer might hope.'
It was the same everywhere.
There were always those who looked for loopholes.
The type who wanted easy gains without effort—they were eternal.
Lloyd figured it would be no different here.
"That's why I was especially strict with the attendance logs. To make proxy attendance as impossible as possible. And thanks to that, well, we ended up with this much paperwork."
"......So, I have to go through all of it?"
"Just sign."
"......"
"Sir Asrahan, Sir Bayern, and I have already reviewed everything. We've even sorted them by cumulative work hours, from highest to lowest."
"......"
"We barely slept for three days straight because of it. Compared to that, this is just signing."
"......"
That signing alone might break his wrist.
But the Count just let out a deep sigh, without refusing Lloyd's request.
No one knew better than him how hard his son had worked overseeing the site all winter.
'It really was that intense. Lately, I could barely see him even at meals.'
He'd worried if he was pushing too hard.
What if he collapsed from overwork?
What if he caught a cold or fell ill and took to bed?
He wanted to help however he could.
But no ideas came to mind.
All he could do was cheer and support his son from the heart. Make sure no obstacles arose from the refugee camps.
That was his best effort, how he'd spent the winter.
Those feelings hadn't changed.
"Alright. Hearing you out, I see. You've worked so hard all this time—if I can't even help with this signing, how could I face you?"
"Haha. Right?"
"Of course."
"So, if you could finish the signing by dinner tonight."
"......Huh?"
"Then, I'll leave it to you?"
Bang!
Having said his piece, Lloyd closed the office door and slipped out.
The Count was left alone, face blank.
Creak↗
Only the oblivious desk leg broke the office silence with its pointless noise.
That night, the maids and manservants of the Count's estate had to sleep while listening to the Frontera Count's grumbling moans as he clutched his right wrist until dawn.
♣
The plan progressed smoothly, step by step.
The Frontera Count's sacrifice—his wrist joint offered up as tribute.
Building on that effort, the land distribution flew along.
"Alright, total work hours...... Ooh, you're in the upper ranks?"
"Ah, yes."
"Let's see. Thanks to all those hours, you have plenty of good spots to choose from. How about this one first?"
Rustle!
Lloyd spread a large map over the distribution contract table.
It showed the entirety of the newly constructed terraced farmland.
Lloyd pointed firmly at several spots on the map.
"Here, and here, and here. Not too high up, so commuting will be easy. Excellent drainage, and above all, the plots are nice and square—perfect for sowing, fertilizing, and harvesting."
"Uh, then this field it is."
"This one? Great. Contract here. You know how to sign from last time, right?"
"Of course. Thank you!"
......And so on.
Lloyd had compiled and categorized every refugee worker's hours and details from the reclamation work.
He distributed the land strictly based on that data and their contributions.
'This is only natural.'
Good plots for those who worked hard.
Corner scraps or leftovers for the half-hearted participants.
Of course, a few grumbled.
But they were a tiny minority.
Even those who got poorer land mostly accepted it.
The attendance logs, managed under Lloyd's iron grip, were so thorough and meticulous.
Plus, the untouchable image Lloyd had built among the refugees throughout the construction played a role.
'He's on a whole other level from us. Not just because of his status. His caliber is different.'
Before long, that's how the refugees saw Lloyd.
So even if they got a slightly inferior plot?
Most just accepted it.
If he said so, then it was so.
Better to follow obediently.
Besides, in their homeless, landless state, getting any plot to live and work on was already a huge grace and consideration.
That was the natural thought among the refugees.
Thanks to that, right after wrapping up the multi-day terraced land distribution contracts.
A barrage of delightful messages popped up before Lloyd's eyes.
Ding-dong!
[You have completed the distribution of terraced farmland in Frontera Territory.]
[In this process, you have left the first case on the continent of practically applying reinforced earth retaining walls. This construction example will endure forever in the history of civil engineering on the Lorasia Continent, guiding countless successors on a new path.]
[You have entered the tail end of the top 10 civil engineers in continental history.]
[Future civil engineering students will sigh at the expanded exam scope and curse your name.]
[As a bonus for this shining achievement, a large amount of RP is specially awarded.]
[Acquired 800 RP.]
[Current RP: 4,070]
'Yes!'
Lloyd clenched his fist at the messages.
His name etched in continental history, blah blah.
That stuff didn't really matter to him.
What thrilled and mattered was the massive RP earned from the achievement.
'800. This patches up the RP I blew on premium random draws for the gacha.'
Not fully covering the prior three duds, but satisfying enough.
But the rewards didn't end there.
Ding-dong!
Another alert rang out.
New messages scrolled up.
[You have not only helped numerous refugees but also demonstrated the capability to successfully execute a major project for their self-reliance and settlement.]
[Accordingly, tens of thousands of refugees are sending you fervent praise.]
[A new praise for you has been generated.]
[New praise, [Leader of the Weary], has been created.]
[Leader of the Weary]
[Praise Grade: Territory History]
Lost their homes.
Food supplies ran out.
Not even a campfire.
Had to wander aimlessly.
Thought everything was over.
Wept with endless sighs as companions.
Crawled on, soothing crying infants at the breast.
Stumbled desperately seeking a place to die.
No paradise anywhere.
Not even a spot to lay their bodies.
Gave up preemptively, despaired.
Then they met you.
Finally realized.
Even I had given up on myself.
Yet one who reached out to such a me.
Still, one person remained.
[Praise Effect: The refugees settled in Frontera County truly respect and admire you. To repay the grace, they will till the land with their best efforts. For the next 30 years, the Eastern Mountains terraced farmland bumper crop probability increases by 300%. Harvest yield increases by 200%.]
[Praise Area: Frontera County]
[Praise Duration: 30 years]
[The praise effect applies 24/7 within the praised area and duration. Additionally, depending on your future actions, the praised area and duration may expand/extend, shrink/shorten.]
[CP provided monthly by the praise: 3]
[Current CP: 108]
'Wow.'
After reading all the messages, Lloyd's mouth stretched ear to ear.
'This is the option!'
Bumper crop odds tripled.
Plus base yield doubled.
His mind raced.
'Bumper or not, yield doubles flat? For 30 years? And considering the massive terraced farmland area......'
This was a real jackpot.
Farmland area rivaling Marez Reclaimed Land.
Its productivity doubled in one go.
And if luck hits a bumper crop?
'Six times the harvest.'
Jackpot.
Like a salaryman making 3 million won a month suddenly getting 6 million deposited as a special bonus—every month, for 30 years.
'Kuhhuk!'
One major worry off his chest.
With this output, no big concerns for the refugees ahead.
Workload lightened, too.
'Supply from the capital was tight even if not short. From next year, no food worries. No more reclamation. No need for extra projects!'
He'd planned to expand reclamation based on the terraces.
To reduce reliance on capital supplies. For self-sufficiency in emergencies.
That was the calculation.
Even prepping inwardly for future rounds.
But this praise reward?
No need for more reclamation.
Work reduced.
One step closer to the honeybee life.
'Ahahah! Too good!'
Lloyd flung himself onto the bed.
He thrashed limbs wildly, face flushed with joy.
No one watching, so no issue.
After a while.
Catching his breath, he stared at the ceiling.
Joy faded briefly.
As breathing steadied, cool reason returned.
First thought that hit:
'Mid-check, shall we?'
The mood struck suddenly.
Was he pushing things right? Would executing the plan straight through cause no issues?
Time for a big-picture review.
'Truth is, I've been getting these random bad vibes lately.'
It was true.
Couldn't pinpoint why.
Just occasional gut feelings of unease.
Old lady worries?
Stress buildup?
Possible.
But Lloyd shook his head.
'No. Situation looks optimistic, but coldly analyzed—not entirely. Dangers lurk subtly.'
On the surface, everything rolled smoothly.
Refugee apartment complexes built without hitch. Eastern Mountains terraces a roaring success.
Huge productivity boost from the praise.
All perfect.
But if something went wrong?
An unexpected snag?
'Refugee settlement or land management could falter.'
Territory development would take a serious hit.
Worst case, total collapse.
'Population exploded too fast.'
Territory bulked up.
One mistake?
That much harder to fix.
'If it implodes, I'm the only loser. Could spend life bones grinding to salvage a wrecked territory. Can't just ignore these gut feelings.'
Such hunches rarely missed in his experience.
What was a bad vibe?
'The life big data built from n years of personal fuck-ups, layered thick like Cambrian strata. Seems eerily reliable.'
So.
After brief deliberation, Lloyd decided.
'Been a while. Let's use it. Ending Spoiler.'
CP was plentiful.
He opened the skill window.
Selected Ending Spoiler.
Ding-dong.
[Skill Name: Ending Spoiler]
[Skill Grade: ???]
[Required CP: 40 (Round 2)]
[Consume CP to peek a snippet of the finale for the current story arc. It could be happy end or sad end.]
CP doubled from round 1.
But Lloyd didn't hesitate.
Selected 'Execute' at the bottom.
[Use Skill: Ending Spoiler?]
[Current CP: 108]
[YES / NO]
'Obviously YES.'
[Skill: Ending Spoiler activated.]
[40 CP consumed.]
[Current CP: 68]
Right after selecting YES.
Zzzzz......
Time around him slowed to a halt.
The afternoon sunlight slanting in gradually.
Dust kicked up from earlier fuss, floating midair.
All frozen, pinned in time like specimens.
Five steps ahead, space rippled.
A round, deep blue portal opened.
Milky realm visible inside.
A familiar phenomenon.
Lloyd stayed calm, stepped forward.
Reached into the portal's milky space.
Splash...... flash!
Vision drowned in light.
Momentary vertigo.
At the edge, Lloyd slowly opened his eyes.
The ending scene of the ongoing story.
The secret finale crept into view.
That instant.
'What......'
Lloyd's eyes widened unwittingly.