WHILE I WAS POURING ALL THAT ENERGY INTO local development, I finally received a letter from the king.

The royal family confirms that Count Ferdinatto’s territory was successfully defended, it read. Our forces have made great gains in pushing back Yelenetta’s battle lines. In the face of their losses, they have retreated to their own territory, creating an opportunity for our forces to strike back. The northern nobility will join forces to invade Yelenetta in a short, decisive attack. However, as Baron Van Nei Fertio’s Chivalric Order is small, he will not participate in the counteroffensive.

Reading those words, I exhaled a deep sigh of relief. Thank goodness. The king understands that I really, really don’t want to go to war.

As I read further, however, I found some unsettling words. “‘At the time of our counteroffensive into Yelenetta, the Chivalric Orders will convene at a predetermined location that will henceforth serve as the base of operations, with the end goal of reinforcing our troops’? Are we going to be okay if we thin out our defenses like this? Let’s see, what else… ‘The designated location is Baron Van Nei Fertio’s territory’…?”

Wait, what does that last line mean?

Uncertain, I read over the letter once more. “Ah, there’s a date written here.

‘In precisely one week, our forces will gather at Seatoh Village in Baron Van Nei Fertio’s territory.’”

What? Am I missing something? Why would a massive army gather in a puny little territory with only a small Chivalric Order? Counting only the nobility with territory close to Yelenetta, we were tens of thousands of soldiers. Even if they left half their troops behind to defend their main cities, we were still looking at twenty to thirty thousand men making their way to Seatoh Village. And on top of that, the royal forces were heading here too.

“So at least fifty thousand people…?” I wracked my brain. “Uh, if they’re okay with camping roadside, that’ll work, but… Argh, I need to consider meals and commodities, too!”

Actually, this might be a good opportunity to do some expansion. His Highness and the other higher-ups were headed this way, so I needed to give them a warm reception. I groaned. This is going to be a pain.

“He got me good… He’s not making me leave my territory and I’m not on the front lines, but he still found a way to put me in the most annoying situation imaginable.” I set the letter on the table and found myself unthinkingly casting my gaze upward. Not bad, Your Highness.

Till, who was pouring me a glass of tea from the other side of the table, tilted her head at me. “Lord Van, you’re frowning. Is something the matter?”

I waved the letter at her and heaved a deep sigh. “Good old Dino’s making another wild request. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.”

“Good old Dino…? Wait, do you mean His Highness?” Till, who hadn’t initially registered who I was talking about, raised her voice in panic. “You mustn’t refer to him that way!”

I chuckled and summarized the contents of the letter for her. “His Highness is launching a counterattack on Yelenetta and, well, I don’t have to go to the front lines, but for some reason he’s decided to launch the attack from my territory instead of Scudet. We’ve got more than fifty thousand troops on their way here, to this tiny little village… Ah, crap! Dad’s probably coming, too! Argh, this is so annoying!”

Seeing me grip my head in frustration, Till’s panic amplified. “The marquis is coming, too?! This is bad! I need to hurry and clean everything thoroughly! We must also prepare the best foods we have!”

“Uh…that’s what you’re worried about?” How could she be fussing about those sorts of things at a time like this?

She turned on me. “It’s important! A full year has passed since you left home, and we need to demonstrate how much you have accomplished! Let’s show them what a wonderful place Seatoh Village has become!”

She was all fired up. I looked at Khamsin, who was standing guard behind me, out of the corner of my eye. “Looks like Till’s feeling pretty motivated,” I commented quietly.

Khamsin chucked and nodded. “I understand how she feels. I want to show

Master Jalpa how incredible you are, Lord Van.”

“O-oh, really? Well…that’s fine, then.” The sincerity of his words embarrassed me a bit. I redirected my thoughts, focusing instead on my plan of action for the next day. “In that case, I’ll start by placing large orders with the Bell & Rango Company and the Business Guild for provisions, spices, clothes, and weapons. I’ll also request lumber from the Adventurers’ Guild and select some delicious monsters for them to hunt for me. And then, let’s see… Hmm, maybe not a whole wall, but they’ll need some outdoor facilities if they’re going to camp roadside. Oh, and we’ll need a treatment center in case anyone gets hurt.”

I ticked these action items off on my fingers as I spoke, then wrote them out on the paper in front of me. The longer I looked at that to-do list, the more trepidation I felt about the size of this endeavor. A week wasn’t nearly enough time.

Normally the king would operate something like this from a place with plenty of resources and facilities, like one of Marquis Fertio’s huge cities. Hell, Scudet was right there. Why didn’t he pick that instead? I stared at the sheet of paper and sighed. “Man, this stinks.”

There was no use crying over spilled milk, though. I switched gears and sent out requests to the Bell & Rango Company and the Business Guild like I’d planned: rations that would be good for a few days, seasoning, clothing, weapons, medical goods, the whole package. The Chivalric Knights of the various orders probably had lots of arrows and magic tools, at least, so there was no need to order more of those.

Lastly, I had to speak to Esparda and Dee about the treatment center and lodgings for the soldiers. I summoned them and explained the situation, carefully watching their reactions. Esparda wore a small grin, and Dee pounded his chest.

“This is wonderful!” Dee declared. “We’ll show them how much development you’ve done!”

“C’mon, Dee, not you too,” I rebuked. “Provoking the marquis and making an enemy out of him would be the worst possible move right now.”

Esparda raised his eyebrows in what might have been surprise. “Am I correct in inferring that you fear not mere discord with the master, but something more sinister?”

“Well, yes. Honestly, I’m fairly confident I could beat him if it came to that. I saw him use magic in the last battle, and I’ve already thought up a counterplan.

If he came at me head-on, I honestly don’t think we’d lose.”

Esparda and Dee both looked momentarily dumbfounded, but they recovered and started laughing. Esparda, laughing! That was unusual. “Uh, what’s so funny?” I asked.

Dee shook his head, his shoulders trembling. “My apologies. It’s just that Esparda and I have often worried that you lack confidence in your abilities. You’ve never said as much, but it always seemed as though you thought yourself inferior to your father and brothers.”

Esparda tilted his chin down slightly. In a rare display of feeling, he said, “Lord Van, you are the man I have recognized as my new master; I want you to feel confident that you are in no way your father’s inferior. Hearing you say this has made both of us happy.”

Seemed like he wanted a master who was a confident leader. Wryly, I thought, Fine, you got it. Regardless of how strong I am, I know for a fact that Seatoh Village is unbeatable.

With a shrug, I got to business. “I’m thinking of building lodging along the road just outside of the adventurers’ town. If I limit it to only ranked knights and above, I figure space for about three hundred people should work.

Thoughts?”

Dee nodded. “If you limit it to generals and above, space for one to two hundred will be fine.”

Again, Esparda lowered his chin. “No matter the city, only one to two hundred people can expect to stay in any one inn at a time. The others will be fine camping outside. You will need to prepare approximately twenty more luxury suites, though.”

“For the members of the upper nobility, right? In that case, I’ll prepare enough space for two hundred. As for the treatment center, would space for one hundred be fine?”

Dee was the one to answer. “Frankly, even a thousand wouldn’t be enough. If the fighting is fierce, though, no one will complain as long as they have a roof over their heads. A simple building, like a storehouse, should suffice.

However…” He thought for a moment. “Why not really show your father what you can do?”

Esparda nodded. “Agreed. This is an excellent chance to demonstrate your abilities to other nobles. You would do well to convey that you are not someone to cross. To that end, you should make something impressive.”

“Aw, but we only have a week.” I frowned. “I was busy making the forge until yesterday, so I’d appreciate a bit of a break.”

Dee crossed his arms and groaned. He looked troubled. “That being said…”

With a gentle sigh, Esparda said, “Why not add a bathhouse to the facility? In fact, you could make that the main attraction, so that it is more like a rest area.”

“A bathhouse, you say?” That got my attention. Before I knew it, I was sketching out a design in my mind. The facility would be a spacious three-floor building, with the first floor a dedicated bathhouse and rest area. On the second floor I would build small single-person rooms, and on the third I’d build the bigger rooms for the noblemen. Oh, and I could put twelve toilets on each floor! Hmm, and if I made the bath larger, I’d need bigger water wheels, tanks, and scalders.

The process was so much fun that before I knew it, I’d completed the facility, putting together the lodgings and attached bath in only two days.

 

Murcia

“UGH, I’M SO WORRIED.”

I hadn’t slept in a week. My stomach was troubling me, so I hadn’t been eating much, and the lack of food was taking its toll. If I weren’t in a carriage on our march to Seatoh Village, I’d probably have collapsed by now.

Casting my gaze out the window, I realized that the view from the road had changed significantly. Three days ago, we’d been deep in the woods, but now we were surrounded by mountains. Like the deep woods, though, terrible monsters lurked around every corner on the perilous mountain road. It felt like nature itself was telling us that humanity was not yet ready to live in such environments.

“I can’t believe Van was sent here,” I murmured. “He must have been so scared.” Just the thought of Van’s feelings after his expulsion from the family made my heart ache. I had only been able to give him what money I had on hand, and I regretted not asking Father to send some of my men with him.

Guilt and sympathy washed over me, but only until I remembered my own position. “But Van managed to slay a dragon and acquire a peerage in a place like this.” No matter how I looked at it, I knew I’d never be able to achieve feats like those. I would struggle to take down even an immobile dragon. I could see myself now: at a loss for what to do, my magic running dry in the end.

Van had always been brilliant, even when he was a tiny child. He had probably come up with some kind of wild plan to take out the beast. Whatever had happened, though, the battle must have been fierce. And here I was, on my way to the village where this had transpired, wondering what, if anything, I could do to help my little brother.

Voices from outside the carriage interrupted my fretting. “Hey, is that…”

“Did we go the wrong way?”

Hearing the confusion in my soldiers’ voices, I looked ahead to find a large, square building sitting on the side of the road. It was attached to a large water wheel that seemed to be carrying water to its upper levels. White smoke billowed from the windows on the first floor.

As we proceeded, a wall rivaling the royal capital’s came into view behind the building. What was the point of a wall like that if it wouldn’t protect the building in front of it?

What if the wall is there to guard against powerful monsters approaching from the other side? I was still puzzling over this when the carriage came to a sudden stop.

Outside, someone was yelling, “Is this the party of Marquis Jalpa Bul Ati Fertio? I am Dee, commander of Baron Van Nei Fertio’s Chivalric Order! We welcome you with open arms!”

I poked my head out of the window and followed the familiar voice to its source. Before the large building stood a bulky man clad in armor—this was unmistakably Dee—and two young knights I had seen before. Seeing them in good health, relief rushed over me. From behind them emerged Esparda and Till, followed by that one slave boy my little brother had purchased when he was younger and, last but not least, Van himself.

I was calling out to him before I even realized it. “Van!” Getting out of the carriage, I waved at Van, who happily returned the gesture. He appeared unharmed. They had slain a dragon, but Van, Dee, and Esparda looked no worse for wear.

“Murcia!” Van said, making his way over to me.

Father’s Chivalric Order formation was near the center of the march, still a few hundred meters back. It wouldn’t look good for Van, as the lord of the land, to greet and welcome me before he spoke to Father. To save Father face, I hurried back into the carriage and said from inside, “V-Van, go greet Father first. We can talk later, okay?”

But to my shock, Van grabbed the window with two careless hands and stuck his head into the carriage, smiling mischievously. I froze up, but he said, “Long time no see, Murcia. Thanks to you, my territory’s gotten super strong.

Honestly, I wanted to show it to you before anyone else.”

I blinked back sudden tears. So often I had wondered whether my aid had made his future seem even more cruel. To hear his words of gratitude now was overwhelming. “I-it was nothing,” I insisted. “You did this on your own. I couldn’t do anything for you. I should have asked Father to give you more funds or more people, but…I couldn’t…”

It was pathetic of me to keep my head bowed, but I couldn’t lift it; my repentance poured from my mouth. But Van kept his head in the window and let out a breathy laugh.

“Honestly, I probably should’ve died then and there. Even if Father didn’t do it himself, if you hadn’t given me help, I might’ve died before I even got here.

Thank you, Murcia.”

An innocent smile bloomed on his face. I could no longer fight back my tears but I did, at least, keep myself from sobbing, letting out only a single choked noise as I wiped the moisture from my eyes.

“All right, I’m gonna go say hello to the marquis. You can go on ahead to Seatoh Village, okay?” Van said.

“Huh? Isn’t this Seatoh Village?” I asked through my tears, but my little brother was no longer there.

In Van’s place, Dee poked his head into the carriage. “Oho! It has been some time, Lord Murcia! Have you been well?”

“Y-yes. And I’m glad to see you doing well, Deputy Commander Dee… Wait, you’re the commander of Van’s Chivalric Order now, right?”

“Ha ha ha! Indeed! I command the Seatoh Village Chivalric Order, and Sir Esparda commands the Esparda Chivalric Order! I implore you to come watch us train later; I promise you’ll be impressed!”

Dee removed his head from the window then and issued orders to the soldiers near him.

“This is your resting space! The first floor has large baths, one for men and one for women, and the second floor has individual rooms for commissioned officers and higher. Additionally, beyond that wall is a town for adventurers and merchants, and further beyond that is Seatoh Village. General soldiers may not be able to go to Seatoh Village, but you are free to shop and eat in the adventurers’ town!” Dee said, explaining what was in the vicinity.

The soldiers gaped at the building before them. They could barely believe what Dee was saying. The entire first floor of this massive structure was a bath? Not even the royal family possessed such lavish facilities. Not only that, but the wall behind it seemed abnormally strong…yet the town it protected wasn’t even Van’s main city? Dee made it sound like some sort of bonus town, which made things even harder to wrap my head around.

“Were my concerns just entirely off the mark…?” I asked myself. My youngest brother had been sent off to a nameless village on the border, an environment where he would, in all likelihood, die…or so I thought. The sight before me told a very different story.

 

Jalpa

I HURRIED AHEAD TO OUR DESTINATION, PRECEDING His Highness, because I needed to build temporary housing and tents for the men. His Highness had visited Van once, I had heard, and I assumed that he’d greeted the king inside some sort of crumbling ruin. Now that I was accompanying the king, though, that would be unacceptable; if nothing else, I had to prepare temporary lodgings suitable for His Highness to rest in.

With that in mind, I hurried our army along. As we drew near our destination, however, I noticed that the soldiers appeared shaken by something. The closer we came to the border, the narrower the roads grew, and our formation had turned long and narrow as a result. My position was slightly to the rear of the center, so information from the front took some time to reach me.

“What happened ahead?” I asked, leaning out my window. “Go and check.”

A tall knight wearing black armor and a look of fierce determination nodded at me from atop his steed. This was Stradale, the young commander of my Chivalric Order; he was only in his midthirties.

Stradale fixed his blue eyes on me and said, “We are receiving reports from the front, but they do not appear to be accurate, so I have put a temporary stop to any further reporting. We are in the process of re-evaluating the situation, but if you would like to hear the information we currently have…”

“That is fine. Tell me the details of these inaccurate reports.”

Stradale nodded and delivered his summary promptly. “Our forwardmost troops have come upon some sort of massive building. Geographically speaking, it is thought to be part of Baron Van’s territory. However, the wall meant to protect it is in fact behind the structure. The reports have also indicated that the wall is immense and strong.”

This man was as serious as they came, the very definition of honest. I assumed that he was having his men re-evaluate precisely because he did not want to make such a vague report. He was also correct that the details did not add up.

“The forward squad should have arrived by now,” I replied. “There is no need to wait for the re-evaluation. We will soon see for ourselves what lies ahead.”

“Yessir. Understood.”

Just as Stradale said these words, a commotion erupted up front. The stir reached us like a ripple running across the surface of the water.

“Apparently there’s a bathhouse that can fit over a hundred people,” I heard one nearby soldier say.

“I heard they built a rest station outside,” said another.

“Someone said there’s a second town on the other side of the wall. Wasn’t this place supposed to be on the verge of collapse?”

Similar such nonsense came from all around me. I leaned my head out the window and spotted an enormous building in the distance. The design was unfamiliar; it was perfectly square. Beyond it was something that looked like a wall.

I leaned further out of the vehicle. “What is that…?”

As if they had scripted it, that was when I heard Van’s name. “Lord Van?”

“Ah, Lord Van! He looks like he’s doing well.”

“Oh, and Sir Esparda is with him!”

I strained my eyes in response to the men’s words and saw a childlike form approaching our formation from the top of the road. It seemed Van had come to greet us with a handful of his men; the group numbered in the dozens.

“Sir Dee is nowhere to be found, eh?” Stradale murmured to himself.

I had often seen Stradale and Dee exchange stern words. Stradale was exceedingly honest and Dee extremely broadminded, but ultimately, they both recognized and acknowledged one another’s skills. He would never say as much, but I suspected that Stradale felt somewhat lonely after Dee’s departure.

Now that I thought about it, Stradale had merely nodded when we first received word that His Highness had acknowledged Dee as a dragon slayer. That was the reaction of a man who well knew Dee’s abilities.

“Lord Jalpa, Lord Van is here to see you,” Stradale said, noticing that Van drew near.

“He has a peerage now. Call for me when he takes a knee before my carriage.”

“As you wish,” Stradale replied respectfully.

I waited a while, but no summons came. Instead, I heard Van’s voice from outside. “Might I assume this is Marquis Jalpa’s party? Is Marquis Jalpa present? I am Van Nei Fertio, the lord in charge of this land. Thank you for coming!”

I listened to the strange greeting, anger already bubbling up within me. He was a poor excuse for a nobleman.

Stradale called, “Lord Jalpa, Lord Van is here.” His tone gave no hint as to how he interpreted Van’s words.

“Fine,” I said at length. I could not afford to look petty in front of my men, so I contained my rage as I descended from the carriage.

Stradale must have issued orders: the soldiers were split to the right and left of the carriage, leaving the front open. That was where Van and some twenty to thirty others knelt. Among them were archers I recognized from the previous battle against Yelenetta. Esparda was stationed behind Van as well with the usual peevish look on his face. The man always strove to be the best butler possible, so he would not step out of line to speak to me as long as Van was present. Seeing him again made me feel nostalgic, but also a touch sad.

I looked down at the group before me and said, “I am Marquis Jalpa Bul Ati

Fertio. Baron Van Nei Fertio, thank you for your greeting.”

Van raised his head, smiling. “No, no, it’s nothing! Home is just around the corner, after all. If anything, I should thank you for being the first to arrive. Welcome, Lord Jalpa. I am sure the journey must have been exhausting. Worry not, we’ll reach Seatoh Village shortly, and you can rest there.”

“Hmph. Lead the way,” I commanded. Van acknowledged this with a cheerful nod.

He guided us to the building in the distance, where Murcia’s forward squad was making camp. The men were putting up their tents as hastily as if they were in a race. I wondered why they were moving so quickly after the long march.

Apparently noticing my gaze, Van turned around and pointed at the building. “This is a rest area I put together quickly for the various Chivalric Orders. On the first floor is a large bath split into sections for men and women, and on the second floor are individual rooms for around two hundred people. I was thinking of having the lords and their bodyguards stay in Seatoh Village. What would you like to do, Lord Jalpa?”

He said all of this like it was nothing. I frowned and just managed to refrain from snorting. “I applaud you for building such a large structure, but you claim that the entire first floor is a bath? How exactly could you procure so much hot water? I doubt whether you could acquire a tenth of what you would need.”

With a troubled expression, Van pointed to the back of the building. “Right? It was a real pain getting all that hot water. You can’t see from here, but we have a water wheel in the back that carries water to the tank. From there, a portion of the water is boiled and sent to the bath. That way, once the tank fills with hot water, it can continually supply the baths with water at a set temperature. Feel free to take a dip, assuming you don’t mind sharing the space with the regular soldiers.”

“Regular soldiers using the bathhouse first? Child, even if this is just a

standard bath, can you not even remember that peerage takes priority?!” I yelled at the boy in anger. As if a noble would ever deign to bathe in a bathhouse used by those without peerage!

But Van only smiled and waved a hand. “Don’t misunderstand. We have a separate bathhouse prepared for His Majesty and the other nobles. We also have a three-story bathhouse in that town over there that we built for adventurers and merchants, and another bathhouse in Seatoh Village itself. The facility here is for those without peerage or below the rank of baron.”

“Impossible. You expect me to believe any of…” I trailed off, recalling that Van had crafted an immense catapult in front of me back in Scudet. I was not well versed in matters of production magic, but it seemed as though the boy possessed some sort of special power. I looked down at the child once more.

“Fine. In that case, show me.”

“…Right this way!” Van blinked at me, seemingly surprised by my response, but recovered quickly. He smiled a meaningful smile as he led me to the building.

The more I saw the structure, the more mysterious it seemed. Not only was I uncertain what it was made from, its very form was unfamiliar to me.

“Ah, Father!” Murcia was already inside, talking with the sergeants in a spacious room with some tables and chairs.

In the back was Dee, who noticed my presence and bowed deeply to me.

“Oooh! Lord Jalpa! I am glad to see you in good health!”

“Mm, likewise. I heard you took the head of a dragon. You appear unharmed.”

Dee pounded his chest and nodded. “Ha ha ha! Fit as a fiddle!” he said, laughing merrily.

I started to wonder whether this man remembered that he had defected from my Chivalric Order. In fairness, though, it was common enough for talented knights to be poached by other orders. I myself had done the same to orders in neighboring territories, so I had no ground to stand on.

While I was thinking this, Stradale stepped out from behind me. “Sir Dee, it

has been some time.” Dee was older and belonged to a different Chivalric Order now, so this was my commander’s way of showing respect.

For his part, Dee looked at Stradale and smiled. “Oooh! Commander Stradale!

It has been too long!” He laughed. “I see you look as standoffish as ever!” “And I’m glad to see you enjoying yourself as usual.”

While the two of them enjoyed their reunion, I saw, from the corner of my eye, Van pointing to the back of his building. He was saying, “There are toilets on either side of the building. In the back left is the entrance to the women’s bath; on the right is the one for the men’s. In the center is a changing room, and then beyond that is the bathing area itself.”

Van headed to the back of the building, leaving me no choice but to begrudgingly follow him into the changing room. A few soldiers who were in the process of undressing saw me and immediately corrected their posture.

“I’m just giving them a tour. Please be at ease,” Van said, passing through the changing room and opening the door to what he’d claimed was the bathing space.

Steam and hot air escaped through the open door, revealing a massive bathing area. The walls, floor, and pillars were all made from stone. The only windows were high and very narrow, so lamp-like objects adorned the walls, illuminating the room.

To say that it dwarfed the bath in my own home was an understatement. The combined size of the men’s and women’s baths probably exceeded even the royal family’s. I stood there staring, dumbfounded, until Van pointed at the exit.

“Shall we move on?”

“…Yes, of course,” I said stupidly. I had no idea what to say. It must have taken months to build it all. How could he do that with only Esparda, Dee, and a hundred or so residents of a rundown village? What had happened in the year since this boy left home?

We climbed to the second floor where, I learned, the private rooms were each equipped with their own beds, furnishings, and even toilets. My mind groped around for an explanation but came up short.

 

Van

MY OLD MAN MUST’VE BEEN SURPRISED, BECAUSE he went dead silent on me.

Murcia, on the other hand, was looking around like a country bumpkin on his first visit to the big city.

“As I said earlier, we made this town after a nearby dungeon was discovered, leading to a huge influx of adventurers and merchants. On this main street we have a weapons shop, a clothing shop, a general store, a restaurant, and a hotel. That three-story building over there? That whole thing is the hotel.”

“The entire building? Just how much backing did the Mary Chamber of

Commerce provide…?” Jalpa said in a low voice, looking up at the Kusala Hotel.

Seemed like daddy dearest thought the Mary Chamber of Commerce had funded the thing. “Oh, no. The Mary Chamber of Commerce has its own store in the area, but half the stores here are Bell & Rango Company shops and the rest are individually operated. In the latter case, they basically took out loans from me so they could start their ventures, since they didn’t have enough cash on hand.”

A difficult look crossed my father’s face. He was silent for a long, thoughtful moment, and then said, “Show me Seatoh Village.”

“As you wish,” I said, since I had no way to know yet what conclusion he had come to.

“This is amazing,” Murcia said in a low voice. “I had no idea you had developed your territory so much.”

Dee heard him, and his shoulders shook with laughter. “Oh, believe me, if the adventurers’ town surprised you, you’ll want to see Seatoh Village!” “S-seriously?” Murcia yelped.

I was a bit concerned about Dee’s unnecessary promises, though. Man, if we’re talking appearances, the adventurers’ town is way more striking. Why did you have to go and raise the bar so high?

With no other options, I guided Jalpa, Murcia, and Stradale to the village.

We stopped in front of the wall and the moat, prompting the ballista operators to take their positions. They weren’t aiming for us or anything, but I could hear them loading the weapons; they were ready to fire if necessary.

“Surely they do not aim at us,” Jalpa said in a low voice, but I pretended not to hear him.

Dee yelled, “Open the gate and lower the bridge!” His voice echoed around us, and before long, the drawbridge was down and the gate rumbling open. I watched this happen in silence, then turned to Jalpa.

“Welcome to Seatoh Village.”

Jalpa frowned and tipped his chin down. “Van, what is this large tower?”

“Oh, that’s Oligo Tower. On the opposite side is Grape Tower. I built them so that we can see threats approaching. Of course, we also have ballistae aimed in all directions, and I have at least ten members of my Chivalric Order stationed on the wall at all times.”

“Ah, speaking of the wall, it’s shaped rather…uniquely. Is there a reason for that?”

“From above, it’s shaped like a star. The parts that jut out are connected only by a drawbridge up top. This way, anyone who launches an attack on the village will have to take control of the jutting-out corners first, then cross the moat to get through the wall.”

“That does seem like a strong safety feature. If my memory serves, you used those ballistae to take down a wyvern in a single shot.”

“They can one-shot wyverns and armored lizards, yes. Our ballista operators are more experienced now, too, so they don’t miss anymore. Oh, and their range is about one kilometer, and they can fire twice in a row before they need to reload.”

“Armored lizards?” Murcia cut in. “For real?”

We proceeded through the village like that, talking about my defense systems. Murcia did most of the questioning while Jalpa and Stradale trailed behind us and listened silently.

Crap. I expanded the bathhouse in Seatoh Village and used the dwarven forge to circulate the hot water, but it’s still smaller than the one outside. It’s unimpressive! And the one at the manor is perfectly sized for me, so I haven’t modified it. Where am I supposed to bring these guys?

Esparda interrupted my internal panic by clearing his throat and pointing to the far end of the village. “Lord Van, I believe you have yet to show them the dwarven forge or the lake.”

I nodded and plastered a smile back on my face. “Right, right. I suppose I should take them there.”

Behind me, I heard Jalpa whisper, “Did he say dwarf…?” I stole a glance at daddy dearest, but he was already staring off in the distance, where smoke rose from the forge.

Murcia asked, “Are you telling me that you have dwarves, who are notorious for hating humans, living in your village?”

“They’re pretty stubborn, but they’re all good guys at heart,” I replied breezily, resuming the tour.

We passed the side of the manor and headed further back, toward the massive forge. I was a little nervous, given that the forge was a fair bit smaller than we’d originally planned to make it. (Remember, whenever orichalcum needed to be refined, we had to pack the materials and fuel in from the top of the forge.)

But when Jalpa and the others laid eyes on the forge and smithing workshop, they froze, stunned. I glanced at them, then peeked into the workshop. Amidst the waves of hot air stood Havel and the others, covered in soot and happily smithing away.

“Ho ho, look!” crowed Havel. “You guys could never make something like this!”

“Shut yer trap! I’m gonna learn how to forge a katana soon enough!”

“That’s basically just a thin falchion anyway, Havel!”

The group of dwarves bickered as they worked, occasionally breaking it up with loud bouts of laughter. They honestly seemed to be having the time of their lives.

I called out to them. “Hey! I’m here! What’s up?”

Havel and his pals turned around. “Well, if it ain’t Lord Van!” Havel exclaimed. He held up a single-edged black sword. “What d’ya think? Looks like a katana, right?” The sword shone dully; it was impressive. As to whether it looked like a katana, however…

“It looks awesome. If you make it a little thinner and give it a bit more of a curve, I think you’ll have it down.”

“Thinner than it is now? But then it’ll bend too easily!” Havel stared in dismay at the sword he’d crafted.

The other dwarves gripped their stomachs, laughing away. “See!”

“You gotta fold back the plates over and over again! You only did it three or four times!”

“Shut up, all of you!” Havel spat back. “It’s about the form! And I folded the plates over five times, damn it! Doing it more times ain’t gonna make it any tougher!”

“It’ll get sharper after ten times, won’t it?”

“Say that after you’ve made one yourself!”

They were back to yelling at each other and obviously weren’t about to stop anytime soon. I reached into a nearby vase and pulled out a sword they’d forged; they must have chucked a bunch in there when they were done with them. The one I picked was, obviously, old enough that it was no longer hot.

Swords forged by the dwarves were way more impressive than those we’d imported into the village. The one I held was a pretty basic long sword. Made from iron, it felt heavier to me than mithril. I looked it over, held it up, and turned to Havel. “I’m taking this.”

“The swords over there are second-rate. Take as many as you’d like!” he said.

“Havel, you bastard!” complained one of his buddies. “I made the ones over there! Oh, but feel free to take ’em, Lord Van!”

I smirked at the disorderly dwarves and left the workshop, sword in hand. Jalpa and the others had approached the entrance, and they were waiting there for me, wearing expressions of disbelief.

“As you can see, they make weapons and the like for us. Rowdily,” I added with a grimace.

The sword, when I held it up, drew their gazes. Dee and Stradale wore particularly grave expressions, but Jalpa merely looked stern, as befitted a landed nobleman. Dee mumbled, “This sword is of the finest quality I’ve seen yet,” and Stradale nodded his silent agreement.

Jalpa fumed, glaring at the dwarven forge. I glanced at him, then turned to

Murcia. “Brother, does the fact that you’re here mean Marquis Fertio’s Chivalric

Order was split in two?”

Murcia gave me a troubled smile. “Actually—”

Before he could continue, one of my knights emerged from the wall on horseback. “Lord Van! His Highness has arrived! He appears to have led the march here with his royal guard!”

“That was fast!” The royal capital was several times farther away than the marquis’s first city; why had he arrived so quickly? “He must’ve left the capital right after he sent those letters out to the nobility. All right, time to hurry over!

Dee, Esparda, with me! Father, Murcia, you two—”

“You think I could stay here? You fool. If His Highness has arrived, then of course we shall greet him.”

“Oh, right. That makes sense. In that case, it’s time to pause the tour and go say hello.” Whoops, I’d unthinkingly issued orders to my father and earned myself a scolding. Honestly, it was all happening so fast that I just agreed with him and led them all to the gate.

We arrived to find my knights on standby, awaiting my orders. I said, “You’re good! Open the gates!”

Normally, Dee, Esparda, or I would confirm the identity of any visitors, but

given that more than half of our knights had seen the king before, I figured it was okay to skip that process for once. I waited as the gate slowly opened, revealing a four-horse carriage surrounded by knights on horseback.

Actually, all of the knights were on horses. Just how quickly had they rushed here?

As soon as the carriage’s doors were open, the king descended and boomed out a greeting in his familiar, boisterous voice. “Baron Van! Long time no see!”

The citizens around us were so surprised by his straightforward manner that they forgot to kneel. The king was in a jovial mood, though, and paid them no mind, instead heading straight toward me. “I see you’ve gone and built something brilliant! That enormous bath shocked me, and the facilities in the town are so robust—I expect that you must have changed something here as well!”

Noticing who stood behind me, he added, “Ah, Marquis! I saw your knights out and about, and I was looking for you. Have you finished touring the village?”

With a deep bow of his head, Jalpa said, “Yes, for the most part, though I have yet to visit the so-called lake.”

“Oho!” His Highness shouted. “Is that so? As it happens, I have friends there who I must greet. This is a perfect opportunity. Marquis, would you care to join me?”

“O-of course, Your Highness,” Jalpa agreed, bending to the force of the king’s personality. The exchange called to mind the nights of drinking shared between a salaryman and his boss. In that sense, at least, noble society was a lot like my old world. I watched Jalpa follow the king away, the image of the salaryman still lurking in the back of my mind. I might have been imagining things, but Jalpa looked exhausted.

“Baron Van, could you open the gate?” the king asked.

I was so lost in thought I hadn’t noticed that we were already at the back of the village. I replied with a hurried nod and issued orders to the knights on the wall. They acknowledged my orders, and the heavy sounds of the gate opening rang out.

Jalpa had maintained his cool throughout the entire tour, but this proved to be too much. His eyes nearly rolling back into his head from shock, he cried, “AApkallu?!”

Murcia turned to look beyond the gate, his eyes settling on the massive lake surrounded by boat houses. On the surface of the water floated a handful of boats, and at the edge of the lake were tables and chairs where some villagers sat happily chatting and sharing food with their apkallu friends. Nearby, apkallu children joyfully tossed balls back and forth.

His Highness took the scene in. “If I’m not mistaken, there are more apkallu than before. Is their chief still the same? If I recall, it was Sir Ladavesta.”

I was surprised by the king’s excellent memory. Pointing, I said, “You remember well. The apkallu sitting over there is indeed Ladavesta.”

I led the group over to Ladavesta, who was seated in a chair, watching the lake. The king said, “It’s been a while! Have you been well?”

Ladavesta turned, saw the king, and nodded. “Ah, esteemed chief of humans!

I am well. You, Sir Dino, look exhausted, however.”

“Ha ha ha! As it so happens, I rode long hours to get here quickly, but seeing you again has filled me with energy.”

“I see, I see. I am glad to hear it.”

Watching them chat, Jalpa groaned to himself. “How did he make a village like this?”