The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 13

“The Asrahan core Technique. I want you to teach me that. And don’t even think of playing dumb this time.”

“...”

Javier was dumbfounded. His eyes widened, and his mouth hung open in disbelief.

It was only natural.

To Javier, the person in front of him was nothing but an object of protection. And yet he uttered something Javier had never imagined even once.

Master Lloyd knows about my mana training? How?

He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

It was the same when his master talked about his insomnia. But this mana training dumbfounded him all the more. It was exclusive to himself only, a secret he had never mentioned nor hinted of in his lifetime.

Plus, it had been only a month since he named the training, ‘Asrahan Core Technique’.

How did he find this out? I haven’t even completed it yet…

Javier wondered for a second if Lloyd mastered the art of mind-reading.

In that flash of a second, LLoyd appeared like a mysterious and inexplicable being Javier’s eyes reflecting his emotions as he looked at his master.

Lloyd scoffed at the sigh. “What? Why? What?”

“...”

“Why are you squinting your eyes like that?” Lloyd demanded to know.

“Well, of course…”

“Of course, what?” Lloyd retorted.

“How did you find out about it?”

For the past few weeks, Lloyd had been exposing Javier’s innermost thoughts he only kept to himself.

And each time Javier tried to deny them, Lloyd blatantly scoffed and mocked him. So since Javier held enough of such experiences, he decided that he shouldn’t deny it anymore.

But he wanted to find out how his young master saw him through like that.

However, Lloyd’s answer was simple.

“You said it all in your sleep,” Lloyd answered coolly.

“Pardon?” Javier furrowed.

“I’m telling you. You explained it to me in your sleep,” Lloyd reiterated.

“Are you telling the truth?”

“Mhm.” Lloyd brightly smiled.

Telling the truth, my foot. It’s obviously a lie.

Javier never snored nor talked in his sleep.

Even in his sleep, he slept like a piece of fine sculpture, matching his elegant appearance.

But Lloyd decided to silence his revolting conscience and take the low road by lying.

“Do you want me to prove it to you?” Lloyd suggested.

“Prove? How?”

“Well, I’ll tell you the details,” Lloyd said.

So he began to narrate the Asrahan Core Technique, which he had read in The Knight of Blood and Iron.

“There is a limit to a human’s manaheart. It’s biological and determined from birth. So that means there’s a limit to the amount one can mobilize in a go.”

The principle was simple. It was the same idea behind a computer RAM or a water bucket.

An 8GB of RAM could store data only as much as the storage allows and nothing more. In the same way, one liter of bucket could contain only as much as the bucket can carry, which is one liter of liquid.

The same went for the amount of mana humans can use and mobilize with their hearts.

Its limit was the size of the heart. No human could go over the limit.

“There are no exceptions. Even the strongest swordsmen and knights who’ve reached extraordinary feats. Why? It’s simple,” Lloyd explained confidently. “Because they’re born humans. A human body, no, specifically, a human heart can never overcome the biological capacity one is born with. That explains why dragons are such buffed characters in stories. They have a dragon heart.”

“That is-”

“Shh. I’m not done yet.” Lloyd cut him short. “So you thought to yourself. What if I can draw in the mana from the outside instead of sourcing it in my body? What would happen if I concentrated the mana absorbed from external sources into my manaheart? You wondered if you could temporarily overcome your biological limits and use more mana than you can handle.”

Lloyd grinned after he finished.

Javier appeared chic and calm.

But he couldn’t fool Lloyd, who caught the slight tremble in Javier’s eyes.

“And your questions led you to secretly research new ways to manipulate mana. And you gave a name to it. The Asrahan Core Technique. About a month ago, if I’m correct. Right?”

“Yes… you are correct,” Javier answered hesitantly.

“Hey, you okay? You’re conceding awfully fast today.”

“That is because you are so right about everything that I cannot even think of denying.”

“As I thought, then let’s go back to where we left off.”

Lloyd figured that it was time to bring up what he really had in mind.

“First, how dare you? You had a sleek, amazing technique up your sleeve, and dared try to teach me the simplest and most boring technique everyone knows how to use?” Lloyd accusingly raised his voice. “Did you used to teach preschool kids who just were happy with everything you do? How dare you try to scam me like that.”

“But, Master Lloyd-”

“I know,” Lloyd looked at Javier gravely. “This technique is yours, and you don’t give it out to strangers. But come on. I’m not a stranger to you, am I?”

“Yes, you are,” Javier answered resolutely.

“Dang.”

“Technically speaking, you are just a master I protect and-”

“And?” Anticipation clouded over Lloyd’s face.

“And even if I wish to teach you my technique, it is impossible.”

“How so?”

“Because it is incomplete.”

Javier’s face grew solemn.

“The concept you just explained is correct,” Javier went on. “The idea is that you absorb the mana from external sources, so you can use it. But no one has ever succeeded in this. I simply heard about the theory.” Javier shrugged. “I, for one, never succeeded in this.”

“So?” Lloyd asked.

“It is dangerous,” Javier explained matter-of-factly, “and it is especially so for someone like you, Master Lloyd, who is taking baby steps in dealing with mana”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Are you saying that because you are worried about me?”

“Of course not.”

“Tsk. So straightforward.”

“Thank you.”

“So what you’re saying is you can’t teach me that because it’s dangerous, right?”

“Yes,” Javier answered.

“What if it’s not dangerous?”

“Excuse me…?”

There was a slight quiver in Javier’s eyebrows.

Lloyd chuckled.

He must be nervous about what I’m going to bring up this time.

“Allow me to point out the part you’re stuck with, why it’s yet to be completed.”

“I do not know what you’re getting at…”

“You absorb the mana from outside, it works. You transfer it to your manaheart, it works. But when you’re about to combine that with the mana that was already in your body… Bam.” Lloyd clapped his hands in exaggeration.

“That’s where you get stuck. You mix the two, but two different manas clash and bounce off. That’s the part you’re struggling with, right?” Lloyd said.

Javier’s eyes trembled.

“How did you know that?”

“How else? I told you. I heard you talk in your sleep,” Lloyd reminded Javier.

“...”

This lie- that Javier talked in his sleep- worked perfectly to silence Javier and clear Lloyd from any suspicions.It was like a cheat code.

The corners of Lloyd’s lips rose further up.

I bet he’s got nothing to say. I mean, how can he prove that he didn’t say it when he was completely out of it while happily sleeping?

Just then, Lloyd recalled the beginning of The Knight of Blood and Iron.

In the story, Javier wasn’t able to perfect the technique because of the mana collision at first. So he tried out several other methods but failed each time. It took five more years until he came up with a new approach to complete the technique. Afterward, he worked even harder to polish the finished product. And at last, he became the first grand master in the history of the Lorasia continent.

Lloyd remembered the approach that took Javier five years to find. Thinking that in his head, Lloyd said, “In my perspective, I think it’s a mistake, mind you, not error, to combine the internal and external mana into one.”

“What?”

Javier’s brow rose upward.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“It’s just as I said. Why do you have to shove the external mana into the manaheart?” Lloyd inquired. “If you do that, it takes a toll on the heart because of the storage capacity of your manaheart. And why do you have to mix the two manas in the first place? Don’t you think you’re being a bit narrow minded?”

“You mean…”

“You can always circulate the mana outside. Outside the manaheart,” Lloyd concluded, raising his hands in the air.

“...”

Javier’s eyes widened in utter shock.

This should be enough info for him to work with.

Lloyd picked up a wood branch in the corner of the training hall.

He then began to illustrate his point by drawing on the ground.

“Look. You absorb the mana from outside, and… you rotate it this way. Around the heart and manaheart,” Lloyd explained as he drew a heart.

“Do you mean that I should create a man circle and wrap the heart with it?” Javier inquired.

“That’s it. A circle. It’s a good name.” Lloyd confirmed.

“But what about the natural mana in your body…”

“You don’t have to mix the two. You operate it separately. Your natural mana works inside your manaheart, while the one outside will rotate your manaheart from the outside in a circular form. What do you think?”

“...”

“Hey, I’m just suggesting here. You know that I’m just a noob with this stuff. So I guess I was able to think outside the box,” Lloyd commented.

“...”

“Well, you can always try it out if you’re doubtful.”

“I will.” Javier immediately nodded his head.

It appeared that he understood what his young master meant.

After that, Lloyd talked no more.

He simply stepped aside and watched Javier test out the new method.

Sometime later…

Javier finally opened his eyes.

And he turned and looked at Lloyd.

“Thank you.”

Ding Dong.

[Your likeability with Javier Asrahan has increased by five points.]

[Current RP with Javier Asrahan: -22]

[You have earned 90 RP by improving relationships with main characters.]

[Current RP: 187]

[Your relationship state with Javier Asrahan has been changed from Hatred to Awkward]

[You have earned 5 RP as a bonus for the improvement.]

[Current RP: 192]

He did it.

He could tell from how Javier thanked him. And his gaze was a little bit different. It was more adoring. Not only that, the likeability message itself proved that Javier succeeded.

“Did it go well?” Lloyd asked him nonetheless.

“Yes, Master Lloyd,” Javier replied.

“What about the circle?”

“It worked,” Javier answered, his voice sounding a bit exhilarated. “But I created several circles because it seemed inefficient to utilize just one circle and focus all the absorbed mana there.”

“How many did you make?”

“Three.”

“Dang.”

First, he succeeds in separating the manas at the first attempt, and now he creates three circles in one go?

Lloyd once again realized that Javier was a knight with monstrous potential.

I guess it’s just a matter of time until he becomes a sword master.

Currently, Javier was a high-level sword expert, so he still had ways to go before he could step up and move on to the next level.

But since he was able to create three circles around the manaheart, combating a sword master shouldn’t take that much of a toll on him. If he’s lucky, the fight might end up in a draw.

The advantage of using the Asrahan Core Technique was that it empowered the users to go beyond their current level.

That was possible because it absorbed the mana from an external source to be added to the existing mana. Each circle was like a supplementary engine added to the main one.

Javier’s success reminded Lloyd of what happened in the novel.

In the novel, Javier completes the Asrahan Core Technique when he is a sword master. As soon as he perfects it, he creates four circles, or the quadra-circles. That alone equips him with unrivaled power among his fellow sword masters. And when he rises as the grandmaster, he succeeds in creating penta-circles. In the final part of the epic, he achieves the extraordinary feat of hexa-circles. The story describes that the mana Javier uses in one motion far exceeds that of a dragon heart’s.

But of course, Javier was ignorant of all of this.He had no idea that he had just fast-forwarded the beginning of his epic story, the completion of the Asrahan Core Technique by five years.

Lloyd was dazed, basking in joy to witness such a legendary moment up close.

But he shook his head because it wasn’t the time to be impressed. It didn’t put the food on his table. This was the time to seize any opportunities that would make him rich.

“You must be grateful to me, aren’t you Javier?” Lloyd said, his voice sounding meaningful and suggestive.

“Yes, Master Lloyd,” Javier replied.

“Then I guess now you have a reason to teach me then.”

“Pardon?” Javier furrowed.

“The Asrahan Core Technique,” Lloyd said as he took a step forward.

“...”

“Eh? What’s that attitude? Don’t tell me that you’re just going to thank me and turn around and leave.”

“But, Master Lloyd-”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“I believe that you should learn the basics first, how to reinforce and draw the mana, and that is more important.”

“Yeah, so?”

“So why don’t you learn the basics first and my technique later?”

“Yeah, no.” Lloyd rejected the offer flatly.

That was mainly because the duel was happening in 15 days. He was in a hurry.

“Try to put yourself in my shoes,” Lloyd explained. “Do you think that this basic mana training would come useful in a duel that’s happening in 15 days?”

“I do not think it will,” Javier confessed.

“Right? So I guess what you’re saying is that I should just lose in the duel, right?”

“...”

“I know. I know what you’re thinking right now, Javier. Look at the long-term. Immediate defeat wouldn’t harm me much. It’s better to master the basics,” Lloyd stated. “You’re not wrong about that. It really isn’t wrong. But to me, it is wrong.”

“How so?”

“Because this duel matters a lot to me.”

Lloyd was telling the truth.

Sir Neumann had already betrayed the barony behind everyone’s back.

And Lloyd finally grabbed the chance to make an example out of him and show everyone what happens to those who betray the fiefdom.

But if he lost, that would be it for him, who needed the fiefdom to stay wealthy and opulent for the rest of his life. Everything would be a mess.

“I must win, come hell or high water,” Lloyd stated, his voice brimming with determination. “And I’m going to learn the Asrahan Core Technique”

“But what if I say no?” Javier asked.

“Oh, is that how you want to play this? Well, I have my ways then.” Lloyd brightly smiled.

He had a surefire offer that would get Javier to accept the deal.

“If you don’t teach me your technique, say goodbye to my lullaby service.”

“...”

“What? Why? What? Why are you looking at me like that? You think I’m being a cheap shot?”

“A little bit,” Javier confessed.

“Well, there is no such thing as free lunch. You can always teach me your technique if you feel wronged.”

“...”

Javier was deep in thought.

Lloyd flashed a meaningful smile.

You won’t be able to reject the deal. I know because you’ve already tasted the sweetness of undisrupted, peaceful sleep.

For the past few days, Javier had been sleeping like a baby, thanks to Lloyd’s narration of the lectures he learned back when he was a civil engineering student.

Lloyd had confidence that Javier’s heart sank just about now when he announced the cancellation of the lullaby service.

We humans are like that. It sucks more when we’ve received something only for it to be taken away.

This was a universal truth.

There was no going back after experiencing the convenience and comfort certain objects and services provided.

People can’t go back to using 2G phones because they know how convenient it is to use smartphones. It’s the same for robot vacuums, height boosters, apps, and elevators. The discomfort of living without them becomes too overwhelming to bear.

Javier must be going through this right now.

He had been suffering from insomnia for many years now.

And it was just now that he learned what it was like to rest well.

There was no going back for him.

And just as Lloyd expected, Javier nodded.

“Whew… All right.”

“All right, what?”

“I will teach you the Asrahan Core Technique.”

“Good choice.”

Lloyd clenched his fists.

I knew it. And your sword skills shall be mine eventually.

The Asrahan Core Technique.

It was time to master it.

♣

Time flew. The date of the duel was coming near.

Training never stopped the entire time.

Lloyd’s basic stamina improved by many folds, and he focused on the Asrahan Core Technique.

And he commissioned a blacksmith to create a special weapon for him.

“It has to be pure steel. Here’s the design,” Lloyd said as he held out the design to the blacksmith.

“Master Lloyd? What is this?”

“It’s the design of my weapon. Why? Is it strange?”

“No, but how are you going to fight with this…” the blacksmith muttered.

“No questions please. Can you make it?”

“Eh? Y-yes.”

“I’ll leave you to it then”

The blacksmith was dumbfounded when he received the design from Lloyd. He looked at it several times. It didn't look like a suitable weapon to be used in a fight.

But what could he do?

The blacksmith knew what Lloyd was like: the son of the feudal lord and the worst hooligan. So he couldn’t dare work up the courage to comment on Lloyd’s choice.

A few days later.

It was finally the day. The duel was happening today.

“Young master, the blacksmith delivered the weapon.”

The weapon Lloyd commissioned was delivered to the estate.

As he heard the maid announcing the delivery, Lloyd softly clenched his fists.

The Asrahan Core Technique. And my special weapon…

Everything was all set.

Sir Neumann. You’re so dead.

Lloyd’s eyes flashed with fierce determination.

At last, the day has come for him to nip the bud.