The Greatest Architect

57. Demon’s Contract (2)

The air in the conference room became cold in an instant.

A deep anger flashes into his eyes.

Lloyd’s gaze became more pale.

“What do you mean?”

I shrugged.

I tilted my head.

I dared to ask again.

“You still haven’t given up your pride, do you? In fact, you were suspicious before, and you were exhausted after checking your heart out. But was it you, too?” What? That’s a very presumptuous question, isn’t it? ”

“What……. ”

“You look great right now. Let’s keep going. ”

Exactly!

I put my hands up, burying myself on the couch.

I flicked my fingers with a cheerful gesture.

“Look, you knew it was me, too. As soon as I saw your face, it would have been nice to say it openly. ”

“…… So, you were right to prank our dye workshop? ”

“Yes, I did. ”

“What the hell have you done? ”

“Do you want to know how? ”

“Phew. Of course. ”

He sighs deeply, still staring at Lloyd.

I had to.

Dye Workshop.

When I think about what happened there recently, I can’t help but sigh.

‘My most precious dye workshop……. ’

The Dye Workshop was a goose that spawned a golden egg for the bird.

Laconata, a cloth watered with a special treatment of a concentrate of radona fruit.

The raconata fabric that was made like that was absolutely beautiful.

The colorful and colorful texture was basic.

The deep sheen that was unusual to use as a handwriting was unappealing.

Impossible to replicate in other territories.

It was the same with Ladona Berries.

Western quadrant of the Eastern Mountains.

It was only through the use of radona berries gathered in the region that we were able to achieve its distinctive color.

What if we planted the Ladona Fruit somewhere else?

I didn’t get a unique color and gloss.

I couldn’t use it for transporting radishes or fruit.

This caused the fruit to deteriorate during transportation.

Likewise, the color of the cloth was corrupted.

Moreover, they even had a special know-how that had been built over a hundred years in the production of Lacona.

Thanks to this, Lacona textiles could only be treated as precious specialties produced here in Lacona itself.

Of course, it was also the largest source of income for feeding the Lakona order.

It was a goose that gave birth to a golden egg that was literally unworthy of its value.

But at some point, the goose became strange.

No, he’s dead.

‘That was…… ridiculous. ’

Any morning of about 50 days ago.

The Dye Workshop Supervisor came to see you.

As soon as I saw myself, I started praying.

I’m sorry.

I’ve committed a mortal sin.

Lacona said the fabric came out strange.

I finished dyeing and said the color changed strangely. I heard that the unique sheen was completely dead.

‘At first, I thought it was just that day. ’

I just thought the results were strange for one day.

There was something wrong with the fruit that became the raw material.

Or something wrong with the fabric.

That’s all I thought.

But it wasn’t.

The next day.

And the day after that.

Ten days later.

A month goes by.

Lacona’s texture did not return its color and sheen.

The beautiful color died without ever before.

I couldn’t find my radiant, dull glow.

Discarded goods that cannot be sold.

He turned into garbage.

‘Since then.’

The Dye Workshop has an emergency.

I shredded the raw material, Radona.

I had to discard all the concentrates I had stored and make a new one.

Nevertheless, Lacona’s color did not return.

I even tried to change the whole cloth.

But the result was the same.

The lost gloss did not return either.

The merchants who were constantly buying natural lacona turned their backs.

I began to cut off even the long-standing trading accounts one by one.

The source of income, which had always been confident, disappeared.

However, we could not find the cause of the situation.

Why Lacona’s color and sheen died.

Even if there are many attempts.

No matter how hard you try.

I couldn’t figure out the cause.

I was crazy and jumpy on my own.

I lost a handful of hair every day because the stress was so intense.

Every night, my stomach aches, and my body rises up to my throat.

Nevertheless, all he could do was doubt that he had no income.

‘Yes, him. Lloyd Frontera. Doubting him was all I could do! ’

In fact, it was just a symptom without evidence.

But I couldn’t help but wonder.

He unlawfully discharged the dye workshop’s effluent.

Because he did so much damage to the Baron Frontera and even threatened him.

At this point, he thought the people of the Frontera family were the ones who had the biggest grudge against him.

And one of the most likely suspects.) was Lloyd’s.

“You’re a little boy, but you’re so young. ’

The thoroughness and gentleness that you have shown many times already.

I thought that personality would be enough to stay after doing this. No matter how much I think about it, all I can think about is Lloyd.

All I didn’t know was how he did it.

That’s why he gave Lloyd an unannounced visit and interview today.

I wanted to check.

What you’ve done with your dye workshop.

Please, I just wanted to find out that way.

“What the hell did you do to my dye workshop? ”

Birch sharpens his teeth.

I stared at Lloyd.

Curse?

Or evil magic?

I couldn’t explain otherwise.

Lloyd smiles bloody.

“Hmm. I want to compliment you for pointing me out. You’re better at reasoning than you look. But what am I supposed to do with this? ”

He shrugs.

“What happened at your dye workshop, technically, was not my doing on purpose? ”

“What do you mean by that? ”

I didn’t do it on purpose.

I wonder what else he’s trying to say.

The bird frowns.

Lloyd’s smile darkened.

And finally the cause of what happened at the dye workshop was in his mouth.

“That’s what happens when you build a monastery. ”

“A monk?”

“Yes. I built it in the valley. Beautifully.”

“What does that have to do with our dye workshop? Tell me the truth! Don’t make fun of me! ”

Finally, the bird explodes.

I snuck over the end of the couch and pushed my torso over the table toward Lloyd.

Lloyd leans comfortably against the couch.

“Tsk. What a rush. Do you know the nature of limestone? ”

“…… what? ”

“Limestone is a type of calcium carbonate deposition. ”

“What the……. ”

What kind of fat talk is that?

Lloyd’s unthinkable description followed.

“Shells, corals, sponges, plankton and many other creatures make skeletons or shells out of calcium carbonate. And when you die, that calcium carbonate builds up at the bottom of the ocean. It deposits over many hours and clumps tightly. That’s limestone. ”

“W-what are you talking about? ”

“Shh. Let’s hear it through. After all, that limestone is used as a pretty good building material. as I did this time when I built a bridge in the valley up in the mountains. And on the one hand, limestone shelves also turn the water around into limestone water. ”

“Stone Collection…? ”

“Yes, it’s a big speech, but it’s actually simple. because calcium ions and magnesium ions in limestone melt into the water, and the composition of the minerals is very slightly different. ”

“Well, what does that have to do with the dye workshop now? ”

“It does matter. ”

“Why?”

“The water that flows to the bottom of the valley where I placed the monastery, that’s the upstream of the Prona River that flows to your territory and our territory. ”

“What……? ”

His stiff-looking face is dazed.

It was like being hit in the back with a head.

Lloyd’s weak description followed.

“Can you feel it now? I worked very hard to get the monastery in the valley. They blew up, dug up, and pulled out the limestone rock that was buried all around the valley. Ah, the process of cutting and processing the quartered limestone has been quite extensive. There was a huge amount of limestone debris and debris all over the valley. like pebbles and sand beneath the valley. Thanks to you.”

A smile that Lloyd was building all the time.

The smile slowly became evil.

“The valley has changed just a little bit closer to the stone count than before. ”

“Then…… it can’t be…… the reason why the color of our dye workshop has changed……. ”

“Yes, because of the subtle changes in the composition of the pro or river. ”

“What nonsense……. ”

“Of course, you have no idea. That change is so subtle and subtle. I don’t feel like I’m tasting it. It’s not going to have a huge impact on people or on the environment. ”

Lloyd’s evil smile darkens.

It was as he said.

Limestone emissions and processing in the valley.

It was difficult to say that there were many minerals in the valley.

In fact, it also had little impact on people, other organisms and the environment around it.

Similar effects on the human body, such as the radioactivity of potassium contained in tropical fruit bananas.

‘Bananas contain a radioactive isotope of potassium, but you have to eat at least 100 million bananas a day to be exposed to it. It’s the same thing, the changes and effects of minerals in the human body, either in the pro or in the river. You want to die of mineral overload, you want to shoot 100 million liters of water? ’

Likewise, the impact of oil collection was extremely small.

Of course, it was only for people and the environment.

“But not your dye workshop. Maybe you’ll use it for dye staining and washing. That must be how the wastewater spilled into our territory. Right?”

“ ……. ”

“That’s the way it’s always been. Chemistry. Oh, you don’t know what chemistry is. Anyway, even the slightest change that doesn’t affect people has a huge impact on sensitive things like dyeing. ”

“Well, like that……. ”

“Oh, what do I do with this? You’re breaking my heart. I like the way Lacona’s clothes look. ”

“ ……. ”

“But you won’t be able to save Lacona forever. because that river, at least 10 years old, will be in that state. But you don’t have to bring water anywhere else to use it. We could make distilled water to get rid of the lime. In the end, the water content will change again, so the laconata color will still be on the run. ”

“I’ll sue you! I will report this injustice to the Noble Court! ”

“Yes, sue. ”

The flimsy bird cries out.

Lloyd takes a swift beating.

“sue all you want. So you think you can win? ”

“What?”

“Stone water, not pollutants in the first place. not toxic ingredients, of course. ”

“ ……. ”

The words of the bird are blocked.

Lloyd’s ruthless factual violence, no, bombing, followed.

“And what do I do with this? I didn’t spray limestone and all those rocks in the valley on purpose. It was sprinkled in the process of development. You know, this doesn’t meet the” intentional intent of doing “that counts in the imperial law, right? ”

“Intentionality? ”

“Yes, the intention of the action. which is clearly not done with the intent to do harm. Besides, if we take this situation any more seriously, it’s your fault. ”

“I can’t believe you’re with me! ”

“You unlawfully discharged toxic wastewater into the pro or river flowing into our territory. That’s why we worked so hard to build a monastery in the valley to overcome it. Blood for mining in the process of doing so. I can’t. Ha. The crab had to emit limestone, the valley had turned to limestone, and the color of his precious laconata cloth had turned into a poop monster chanting Good Morning Hellgate. ”

“Huh-huh-huh-huh-huh-huh-huh-huh…. ”

“Oops. Now do you understand? But don’t cry. ”

“That’s ridiculous. This is ridiculous…. ”

The torso of the bird that has been leaning forward.

The sofa backrest collapsed powerlessly.

I leaned down helplessly.

I looked up at the ceiling with a dejected look in my eyes.

It was only then that I realized the cause of this incident.

His eyes were already unfocused.

‘I got the better of him. ’

I felt like I was being hammered.

I couldn’t think of a way out.

No matter how hard I tried and rolled my head, there was no sharp move.

Sue the Noble Court?

I thought it was useless too.

‘I can’t win. He’s right. There’s no poison in the stone count. It’s just water, but what kind of lawsuit is that? ’

Moreover, even if I sued, even if Heaven really helped me win the court, there seemed to be no answer.

‘It will take at least a year for the verdict to be made. ’

During that time, Lacona’s clothing will continue to look like it is now.

Thousands of customers will run out.

In other words, we lose special products and become beggars.

“That devil! ’

Lloyd is smiling gladly, looking over here.

It gave me the creeps.

I had no idea where he had designed and calculated this situation from.

No, if he struggled here, he would have calculated all that and taken a bigger hit.

‘He would have done enough. ’

My fingertips were trembling.

A feeling of defeat you cannot escape.

Unovercome despair.

That’s what ants in hell feel like.

Someone said, “Close your eyes quietly when you’re having a hard time living.”

The darkness that looks like that feels like its own future.

‘I can’t win. This is not the way. ’

Eventually, he gave up.

No matter how much I calculated, there was no way to win.

So there was only one option left for him.

“I… I was wrong. ”

The bird bows.

He said with an aggressive face.

“I will cease drainage of the wastewater to your lands immediately. So I’m asking you. Just this once… Can’t you forgive me? ”

“Forgiveness? ”

“I see.”

The bird lowers its head deeper.

I had a split tooth, but I didn’t have much choice.

But Lloyd had an unexpected answer.

“Hmm. What should I do about this? The river turned to stone water. There’s no way. ”

“…… what? ”

“This means that no matter how much limestone you remove from the valley, it won’t work. because the large-scale emissions revealed too much limestone rock. ”

“What the……. ”

“It’s true. It was originally covered with limestone rock, a layer of silicic acid, which is a recessive deposition. It was wrapped around limestone like a membrane. But it’s all broken. The limestone’s all exposed, so there’s no way out. ”

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant. Then… ”

“This is what the river will look like in the future. ”

“ ……. ”

I’ve lost my words.

I thought an apology meant something.

That was his last hope.

That hope was about to disappear.

But it was then.

The devil in front of you.

No, Lloyd Frontera had a meaningful smile.

“Well, you’re still asking for forgiveness, but there’s not much you can do to bring Lacona back to life, is there? ”

“Well, something, that way! ”

“Ouch. Let go of my sleeve. ”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m in a hurry… ”

“Never mind. I understand your feelings. So let me make you an offer. ”

“Proposal?”

“Yes, an offer. ”

Jersey looks at Lloyd, biting his lip.

I waited for his proposal.

Lloyd’s mouth finally opens.

“Here’s my proposal. Dye Workshop, Laconata Specialties, are you valuable? ”

“Well, yes. ”

“You want to keep it alive, don’t you? ”

“Of course he is, too. ”

“Very well, then.”

Lloyd’s eyes were filled with laughter.

Since the first landslide two months ago.

I finally brought out the big picture that I had in mind as an offer.

“If you want to restore that specialty and continue to a beautiful tradition, use the water supply in our territory. Of course, the water taxes are very heavy each month. ”