Chapter 1: Japan’s Famous Castle

“GREAT WORK TODAY, EVERYONE! I WANTED TO reward your hard work, so my people went and slew a sanguine tiger! They also took down some rock scorpions and hekaton bears on the way! Eat your fill and rest up!”

Having delivered this greeting, I gave the signal. Dee and the others made their way over, leading four horse-drawn carriages stacked with massive monster corpses. Even the well-trained knights couldn’t keep quiet at the sight. “Rock scorpions?!” one exclaimed.

“No way!” said another. “It takes thousands of Order members to take down a sanguine tiger or hekaton bear!”

“Yes, but rock scorpions should be impossible to kill without the help of fire mages!”

The shouts came from every direction. I didn’t know the exact number of people present, but it had to number in the thousands, meaning this barbecue was standing room only. Not even a huge fortress like this could change that. I’d heard once that a certain dome in Japan had seating for fifty thousand people. Now that I was faced with an audience of thousands myself, the mere thought of that number was giving me a headache.

I looked over the gathered crowd. Nobles, mages, and Chivalric Order commanders stood at the front. Behind them were the commanding officers of individual squads, and further back, the general soldiers, surrounding the fires. Getting everything ready had taken some time, so a lot of them looked ravenous at this point.

“Let the barbecue begin!” I cried, raising my own skillet, loaded with meat. “Get some meat on your skillets, cook them up, and feast the night away!”

The soldiers erupted into cheers of elation and relief. Everyone scrambled to get their meat and then started cooking, filling the air with savory scents. Some folks were already digging in.

“Oh, and we have salt! We’re so far from home that I couldn’t provide any other spices, but please make sure to salt your food!”

With that out of the way, I tucked into my own meal. For wild game, albeit high-grade wild game, the bear meat was pretty tasty. This was my first time trying it, and I found it tasted kind of like lean pork. Was that also how bears tasted back in my own world?

As I ate, I noticed the nobles had gathered around the scorpion meat. One said, “It’s been some time since I last partook of rock scorpion! How about you?”

“Well,” said his companion, “I’m embarrassed to admit this is the first time I’ve even seen one.”

“Is that so? It’s quite the delicacy. Please enjoy yourself.”

They were all excited about the scorpion meat, which resembled lobster or crab. Well, it was effectively mountain food, so maybe it was tricky for Scuderia’s nobles to get their hands on it. I found it interesting that the monsters in this area were completely different from those near Seatoh Village. I’d have to investigate what sort of monsters lived near the ocean next.

“Lord Van! Have you tried the scorpion yet?” Khamsin asked, approaching me with a gleam in his eyes. He held multiple skewers of rock scorpion meat in his hands, apparently having cooked them himself so that he could bring me some to try. Till and Arte looked at one another and smiled.

“No, not yet! Thanks a bunch.”

“Might I have a taste as well?” Arte asked.

Looking excited, Khamsin bowed and presented the skewers. I took one cheerfully and learned that, just as I’d expected, it tasted like crab. Exciting!

Everyone kicked back, relaxed, and enjoyed the barbecue. At least, we enjoyed it until we heard sudden yelling from the soldiers on the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range side of the fortress.

The lookouts on the wall shouted something, and pale-faced messengers sprinted over to deliver the message. “M-monsters! A group of horned boars have descended from the cliff! About fifty of them!”

The messengers appeared to belong to one of the other Chivalric Orders. As soon as the various commanders got the message, they leapt into action.

“Sentanta Chivalric Order! Ready yourselves and take formation in front of the wall!”

“Th-the Pinin Chivalric Order will equip themselves with heavy gear!”

“Farina Chivalric Order, ready the horses and support the mage squad!”

Amidst this chaos, the Seatoh Village Chivalric Order sprinted calmly to the wall, then took up their positions behind the ballistae and readied their machine bows. I grilled some more meat while the soldiers gathered near the wall. Once there was barely anyone left in the square, another messenger arrived to deliver a new report. “BBaron Van’s Chivalric Order has eliminated the monsters!”

The few nobles who remained nearby went wide-eyed. One said, “Can’t you do your job right?! These are horned boars! Surely you mean that they pushed them back, not eliminated them!”

“You make it sound as though his men accomplished this on their own!” shouted another.

The poor messenger shrunk in fear. He bowed his head repeatedly before he dared to speak again. “I meant what I said! All the monsters were annihilated by Baron Van’s Chivalric Order! They did not push them back! They slew them all!”

The nobles fell silent. How typical, I thought, side-eying them. Then I turned to Till.

“Can I have more tea, please?”

“Right away.”

The monster attack and their subsequent eradication was the shocking climax that brought our barbecue to a close. People were basically done eating anyway, though, so it wasn’t any huge loss. I ended up instructing people to take whatever leftovers they wanted with them the next day, so if anything, it actually made the soldiers happier.

Unfortunately, the knights above the rank of commanding officer were more focused on me than the meat. The nobility hounded me too.

“Lord Van…” Viscount Pinin whispered to me. He sounded shocked. “Have you developed some kind of poison that allows you to take down large monsters without severely wounding them?”

I cocked my head, setting my teacup on the table. “Huh? I could have sworn that there were rumors about me doing the rounds… Ugh, don’t tell me I’ve been self-conscious all this time for no reason?!”

I turned to Arte, feeling my cheeks flame. It would be mortifying if it turned out I wasn’t even remotely famous. This is

awful! Terrible! I want to dig a hole and bury myself in it!

Arte shot me a pained smile. But then Pinin spoke again, looking troubled. “No, I heard rumors of your prowess well before I was summoned to this battle—that you had slain a large dragon, for example. But when I visited your village, I saw the dwarf forge and assumed that was how you accomplished such a feat.”

Farina nodded. “Indeed. I heard that you used tremendously powerful bolts…but in the end, bolts are just bolts, I thought.” Relief washed over me. I smiled at the two of them. “I get it. Most people would never think to take down large monsters with arrows. Even I surprise myself sometimes.”

Their eyes went wide and dumbfounded. Then someone burst into laughter. “Pfft… Ha ha ha!”

This was enough to break the floodgates. The other nobles and commanders started to laugh as well. The atmosphere lightened and I saw Arte, Till, and Khamsin sag in relief.

Pinin and the others hadn’t been able to distinguish themselves during the big battle against Yelenetta. They’d been positioned in the rear of the long marching formation, literally unable to participate in the fight. They’d never had a chance to see how the Seatoh Village Chivalric Order fought, and given how abnormally fast our village had grown, they must have assumed I was receiving aid from His Majesty or Jalpa. All of which contributed to their suspicions of me as a new member of the nobility and to their jealousy when I was treated like the most accomplished combatant in a battle in which even His Majesty had participated. I was certain they even resented the king at this point.

But whether it was the barbecue or the chance to see my Order in action with our machine bows and ballistae, their attitudes toward me had clearly softened. Compared to their behavior earlier in the day, these nobles were acting downright modest.

“Well, I knew Lord Van was different from the start.”

“I can see why His Majesty requested your aid.”

“Would it be possible to purchase some of those incredible weapons from you?”

These guys were adorable. They were all bearded, middleaged men, but I couldn’t help but see them like pet iguanas. I smirked. There, there. Have as much meat as you want!

Pinin turned to me, a serious look in his eyes. “Lord Van…

Quite frankly, I underestimated you. I thought that you were just a child and assumed, based on how developed your territory was, that you received aid from Marquis Fertio or His Majesty. But I think I always knew, deep down, the reality of the situation.” He looked up at Kumamoto Castle then, narrowing his eyes. “Though I suppose that, having seen you build this in only a day’s time, I would have been forced to accept your abilities either way.”

He laughed again, prompting the other nobles to join in. Even Dee, just returning from the wall, chimed in.

“Ha ha ha! Precisely! I fancy myself his most devoted follower, and not even I thought he should build lodgings beyond the wall!” He looked up at the castle. “How could I have anticipated such a unique, defense-focused castle? Lord Van is always thinking of his citizens and doing his best to make his lands more comfortable to live in. Viscount Panamera and Count Ferdinatto support him because they understand this, and they see how diligently he devotes himself to finding new ways to protect his people. In time, more like-minded individuals will gravitate toward him, creating a force to be reckoned with. Now that you have all seen where Lord Van’s heart lies, is it foolish of me to hope that you, too, will make a priority of allying with him?”

Dee flashed a powerful smile, one that spoke both of confidence and hope for the future. It struck a chord with the nobles who’d been unable to participate in the big battle. At least, that was what it seemed like to me, watching Dee’s impassioned plea bring a tear to their eyes. I thought I even heard some people actively sobbing.

“Uh… What exactly is happening?”

Despite being present for the whole conversation, I had the distinct feeling I’d missed something. I watched, bewildered, as a bunch of grown men openly wept.

I had been excited for the barbecue, but I was even more excited to spend a night in my new Japanese castle. I may not have been able to recreate the texture and feel of tatami, but the view from the castle tower and watchtower were wonderful. Both structures were plucked straight out of old period flicks. I’d managed to emulate the sort of wooden-floored halls you always saw in the big climactic scenes, and I’d even recreated the continuous Japanese-style rooms that were separated by sliding screens.

I started by opening the sliding doors leading to the break rooms for the soldiers. I pulled them apart with both hands, then entered the room beyond, crossing through to the next set of sliding doors and pulling those open in turn. I repeated this process until I arrived at the long hallway surrounding the floor.

“Oooh, awesome!” It was a shame that I was the only one who could appreciate the accuracy. After all, I’d seen the real thing.

My Japanese castle was splendid in every way. It had an exquisite structural beauty that was functional, not just aesthetically pleasing. Exactly what you would expect from one of Japan’s most famous castles.

“What a fascinating castle…” Till murmured, sounding enthralled.

Arte nodded. She and Till were exploring the interior, and she seemed moved by pretty much everything she saw. “I have never seen one quite like it. It’s so entirely unique and full of things I’ve never seen before…and yet there is a lovely harmony to it.”

Khamsin and I checked each floor. He expressed surprise at the abruptness of the stairs. Okay, maybe I didn’t need to replicate

the stair design, I thought.

Meanwhile, Pinin and the others ascended the stairs very carefully, almost like spies infiltrating enemy territory. Pinin was leading the charge, and a look of relief washed over him the moment he spotted me.

“Ooh! Lord Van! I was already impressed by your ability to build a castle in only a few hours, but this is remarkable!”

A nobleman behind him hummed in agreement. “At first I assumed you had simply stuck a few wood boards together.”

The nobles looked around restlessly, touching the sliding doors with great interest. It seemed that my speed had made them assume I’d built a cardboard cutout of a castle. In fairness, that wouldn’t have been a terrible plan if my goal was only to bluff Yelenetta’s army and stall for time. It made sense.

In a gentle tone, Pinin asked, “May we stay here as well?”

The pleading look he gave me was kind of gross. Since he was being so humble about it, though, I decided to respond with kindness. I smiled. “Of course! I even went out of my way to make some modifications so that this castle is nice and secure. I would love it if you all stayed the night and gave me your feedback on the experience!”

The nobles lit up with smiles. “I am grateful for your kindness!”

“It is a truly fascinating design!”

“What sort of contraptions did you install? Just for reference.”

They had clearly come to understand the structural beauty of a Japanese castle. This pleased me for reasons I couldn’t quite put into words, and I decided to let them in on the important secrets hidden in the structure. As far as I was concerned, anyone who liked Japanese castles was a good person.

“This castle was designed with security and defense in mind. The tall watchtowers will all be equipped with ballistae. I also plan to install another level of walls on the top of the castle; these will have holes in them at regular intervals, allowing soldiers to attack with machine bows or throw Molotov cocktails to the ground below. Not only that, but should any intruders manage to get into the castle itself, the stairs are narrow and steep, so those defending on the inside can attack with spears from the top of the stairs. It would be extremely difficult to climb all the way to the top. I’m also looking into setting up modified catapults on the Yelenetta side of the fortress, aimed at the road. These would be able to target a wide area. All of these defensive measures would allow us to defend against even a giant dragon, so if Yelenetta attempts to attack us, I guarantee we’ll be able to fight them off!”

I’d gotten a bit carried away in my passion, and Pinin and the others were now frozen in place, wide-eyed. Maybe they weren’t expecting a castle with such a unique and new design to be fully decked out? This seemed like a problem, so I decided to do some additional explaining.

“Ah, and of course, I plan to build a moat around the structure. I’ll also connect it to the fortress on the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range so that we can hole up inside for as long as possible. That will make it easy to acquire food whenever monsters attack. When I build walls and gates along the road, this whole thing will become an impregnable fortress.”

I struck a triumphant pose…but the nobles just gaped at me.

After a few moments, Pinin took it upon himself to speak for the group. He plastered a clumsy smile on his face. “Th-that is a wonderful idea. I imagine, however, that this will be quite a large project. When do you expect to have it all completed?”

He was probably worried about how long he and the others would be stuck there. I gave him a reassuring smile. “I think it’ll take a week or so if I really put my back into it. I apologize, but without the help of all of you fine people, I suspect it may end up taking me two weeks. Would you be willing to provide me your aid for a little while longer?”

It was important to be humble, which was why I bowed. Pinin and the others exchanged looks.

“Did he just say a week?”

“His abilities are even more absurd than I thought…”

“I have decided to swear my allegiance to Lord Van. Do not try to dissuade me.”

“That’s unfair!”

The verbal attacks started, and suddenly everyone was getting in on it. I watched them fight it out, then turned to Arte. “How many do you think will stick around?”

She offered me a strained smile. “All of them, I imagine.”

My plan was to expand the scale of the fortress that protected the border and to surround the hill at the entrance to the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range with a wall. The whole thing would be enormous— the first structure of any kind that granted access to the mountain range.

I woke up the next morning full of vim, vigor, and mental images of designs. I had enjoyed a quick dip in my small but delightful cypress-like bath the night before, and then slept in my bedding made from modified monster hides. I felt super energized.

“A beautiful morning atop the castle tower!” I opened the sliding door and exited to the outside hallway. I must have been even more excited than I thought! The sun wasn’t quite up yet and the horizon was still dimly lit; when I cast my gaze upward, the sky was dark. “A beautiful daybreak from atop the castle tower!” I amended, planting my hands on my hips and puffing out my chest to take a deep breath of the fresh morning air. The frigid air made my shoulders tremble. “What a superb view!”

Behind me, I heard voices quietly begin to talk among themselves. Arte, Khamsin, and Till, all still in their sleepwear, were talking about little old me.

“What do you think he’s doing?”

“Lord Van must be making sure everything is safe.”

“Are you sure? He has that look he gets when he’s found something interesting…”

At this rate, they were going to think I’d descended into madness. I cleared my throat loudly and turned around. “Ahem! As Khamsin said, I was making sure that no enemies or monsters were approaching. When I saw how peaceful and tranquil things were, I put those feelings into words. There’s no need for concern.”

Arte and Till smirked and nodded, while Khamsin exclaimed his astonishment, his eyes sparkling. I love how innocent he is.

After our little conversation, we all returned to our individual rooms in the tower to change clothes. We talked it over and decided to have breakfast even though it was still a bit early, then began our descent to the floor below.

“Man, maybe these stairs are a little too steep.”

“Going up and down is a bit difficult.”

“As a maid, I can’t help but think about what it would be like to carry food up here, and, well…”

“Huh? I think it’s cool.”

We moved through the castle, chatting away, and came across a pack of suited-up knights. Some of them were there to swap with lookouts, but the others were probably staying ready so that they could leap into action at a moment’s notice. Absolutely wonderful.

The knights waved to us when they spotted us passing through, so I offered them cheerful greetings in kind. “Good morning!”

“G-good morning!”

Most of them seemed bewildered by my friendliness as they stood at attention. If they were readying themselves, I was just getting in the way, so I moved off to the side of the long hall where I wouldn’t stand out.

After a bit of a walk, we reached the outer hall on the stone wall. Out in the castle’s courtyard, a Chivalric Order was performing maintenance on their weapons and armor. Lookouts also walked along the outer wall. The Chivalric Orders must have assigned themselves jobs to perform. The nobles seemed like useless geezers, but it looked like the actual members of their orders were good apples.

I kept to myself and watched everyone work. Only a limited number of people had been able to stay in the new castle the night before, so everyone else slept in the fortress over at the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range. In about a week or so, this whole thing would look much more like a fortress city, and at that point everyone could stay in new lodgings.

That was when I realized I had a problem. Wait. When the fortress city is finished, most of these folks will head back to their own territory. Only the Seatoh Village Chivalric Order and some of the adventurers would remain. And we would go back home after a while ourselves, so in the end, nobody would live here.

“Am I supposed to make a decision on this?” I whispered, gazing down from the wall at the incomplete castle wall and watchtowers.

Arte peered at me. “Is something the matter?”

“Well, this fortress city is going to be huge, right? The problem is that I don’t have anyone to live here.”

Arte blinked. “I had not considered that.”

“Wait, nobody is going to live here?” Till asked. She and Khamsin were listening nearby, and they looked just as surprised.

“About ten thousand knights could stay here,” Khamsin said.

I might have to ask for volunteers from Seatoh Village.

The other issue was transporting goods—the supply lines in the area weren’t anywhere near ready, especially compared to Seatoh Village. It’d take a week or two just to get spices all the way here. If we factored in the process of placing the orders, we were looking at a month’s wait.

“This…is a big problem,” I said. Arte and the others nodded.