Chapter 263: Returning Home

We successfully defended against the assault on Centena and even managed to secure a negotiation for a favorable alliance with the Shelvia Confederation.

Though seriously wounded, Jalpa is recovering, and Centena’s defense capabilities have been significantly bolstered. It was a sufficient contribution.

Moreover, the main conflict between Yelenetta and our forces is undoubtedly moving in our favor. Considering they brought tens of thousands of troops to Centena, a decisive end seems to be approaching quickly.

With such optimistic thoughts, I returned to Seatoh Village.

I was in a hurry to get home, so I only stopped in two towns and bought only a modest amount of souvenirs.

I was quite exhausted, but seeing the sight of Seatoh Village and the Adventurer’s Town come into view filled me with an enormous sense of relief. After all, Seatoh Village must be my true home now.

“Welcome home, Lord Van.”

“I’m home, Espada.”

As the castle gate opened, Espada and the others immediately came out to greet me. It seemed everything was fine in the Seatoh Village Knight Order as well. Surrounded by cheerful greetings from everyone, I entered Seatoh Village and headed for the Lord’s manor.

“Lord Van!”

“Welcome back!”

“Hi, everyone! I’m home!”

Receiving cheers akin to those for an idol, I headed straight to the Lord’s manor.

“We’ve finally made it home.”

Upon reaching the manor, Till was the first to jump out of the carriage. As I laughed watching her, Espada cleared his throat pointedly.

“Before questioning a lady’s conduct, is that how a maid who serves Lord Van should behave…?”

“S-sorry!”

She must have been letting her guard down, having not been scolded for a while. Till ended up being lectured by Espada for her un-maid-like behavior.

The exchange between these two felt somewhat nostalgic. As I watched them with a wry smile, Khamsin came out next and looked at Law.

“Lord Law! Please let’s spar!”

“Ehh!? Right now!?”

Law, who had just dismounted his horse, was aghast. Khamsin, looking completely motivated, started practicing sword swings, creating an atmosphere where Law couldn’t possibly refuse.

Law drooped his shoulders but trudged over to Khamsin with his sword in hand.

He’s a good-natured guy who always takes care of others.

Just as Till was being scolded and Law and Khamsin were moving off to spar, Arte finally descended from the carriage.

She had cheered up considerably, but Arte still had moments when her expression darkened unexpectedly. Till had been very worried and tried to lift her spirits with tea and sweets. It was a childish approach, but Till must have genuinely tried her best.

Thanks to that, Arte had brightened up quite a bit, but I had still seen her crying while looking at the dolls just the night before during our encampment.

“…Alright! Since we’re finally home, we’re going to have a barbecue party today! Espada, do we have ingredients?”

To cheer Arte up, I asked Espada, who was still lecturing Till. Till turned around with a look of awe, but unfortunately, I hadn’t said it just to interrupt the lecture.

Well, she looks happy, so I’ll let her believe that.

“It seems we have quite a bit of leftover monster meat from the Adventurers’ recent dungeon runs. Since cured and preserved meats have a storage limit, there should be no problem using them for a barbecue.”

Hearing Espada’s reply, I nodded and looked at Till.

“Then, call the Bell-Rango Trading Company and ask them to help prepare the barbecue party. Tell me if you need anything prepared—I’ll make whatever is necessary.”

When I said that, Till happily responded.

“Yes! I’ll go right away then!”

Till skipped off to carry out the task. Watching her go silently, Espada looked at me.

“…In that case, I believe we have a little over two hours, and I have something I would like you to construct during that time, Lord Van.”

“Huh? What am I making?”

When I asked back, Espada pulled out a bundle of papers that looked like a ledger. He flipped through the pages and stopped halfway.

“Our population increased about a month ago, and again two weeks ago. Approximately one thousand immigrants flowed in from the Marquis and Count territories, just as before, and the Bell-Rango and Mary Trading Companies brought in about three hundred slaves. I purchased them on my own judgment.”

“Ah, yes. That’s fine, but… are you perhaps talking about building houses?”

I asked tentatively, and Espada confirmed with a nod.

“Ehh!? Seatoh Village already has carpenters! I thought they had built quite a few already…”

“We lack the manpower. Even if we calculate four people per house, we need over three hundred houses. They have only managed to build about ten houses in the past month. In the first place, Lord Van, while it may seem slow to you, it normally takes nearly a month to construct a residential building. Considering that, the number of people working as carpenters is also…”

“Daah! I get it, I get it. I’ll do my best. Let me do my best. Arte, you go rest in the house first. I’ll call for you later.”

I quickly cut him off before a tedious lecture began. Reluctantly, I left Arte behind and headed off to build houses.

With Till also gone, it was a rare situation where I was moving with just Espada.

A considerable number of houses have already been built from the front of the castle wall toward the center. Furthermore, there are shops and inns, and at the edge of the village, there is a dwarf’s forge and blacksmith zone. Normally, more facilities would be needed, but unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury for that.

I should ask the Bell-Rango and Mary Trading Companies for support next time. New facilities require personnel with specialized knowledge.

“There are many empty lots on the right side of the entrance, so maybe I’ll start building houses there.”

When I said that, Espada rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger, groaning in thought.

“That seems right. From the entrance to the Lord’s manor in the center, buildings used by everyone, such as shops and the Adventurer’s Guild, are already lined up. It would be more efficient if they were also lined up on both sides of the entrance. It’s a bit further away, but it might be better to concentrate the residential buildings on the left side of the Lord’s manor when viewed from the entrance. Also, the population growth is faster than anticipated. Larger buildings that can house multiple households would be better.”

I see. It seems Espada was also thinking about improving the village. If multiple households need to live together, then apartments are the way to go. Naturally, I have no intention of building celebrity residences like “tower mansions” in this remote village.

“Then, maybe I’ll create a street along the castle wall and build apartments. They’ll only be about three stories high, but I plan to build them large enough for six households to live in, so lining those up should house quite a few people.”

When I said that, Espada showed a moment of contemplation. After a second or two of deliberation, he pointed at a nearby residence.

“I ask this to confirm the limit: in a plot size equivalent to two of those houses, how many stories can you build a building?”

“Eh? Two of those houses? Hmm, if I put a staircase in the middle and had two 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom units on each floor, four stories… no, I think five stories might be possible? With a wider plot, ten stories would probably be fine, but…”

I stopped there, sensing a bad premonition. I looked at Espada, who was muttering something under his breath.

“Two hundred people in a ten-meter square plot for forty people, versus four hundred people in a plot for eighty people. Considering the future, taller residences seem better. However, considering the possibility of decay and collapse several decades from now, dealing with that would become difficult. It might be better to limit the residences to three to four stories and, if Seatoh Village’s land runs out, combine it with the Adventurer’s Town to make one large city.”

Espada, in a country where earthquakes are rare, was actually considering collapse and proposing city planning accordingly. Truly intelligent people must consider various possibilities and dangers like this. I, on the other hand, would have just said, “The bigger, the better.”

“Then, let’s go with three stories. It’s better to have the roads in a grid pattern, right?”

“That’s correct… If we build them back-to-back, we can run a road in between them.”

“Good, let’s go with that. In that case, I’ll have them start bringing in wood blocks and logs to the planned construction site. I need someone to gather manpower…”

“Ah, I-I will go…!”

Just as I had a rough plan from talking with Espada and was about to prepare the materials for construction, Arte suddenly appeared behind me and volunteered for the job.

“Arte? You should have rested in the house.”

I said this in surprise, but Arte shook her head and spoke with a serious expression.

“No, I will call the knights. Please wait a moment.”

Saying that, Arte quickly headed toward the castle gate. The guardhouse is right in front of the gate, so she’s heading in the right direction, but wouldn’t the guards be surprised if Arte came to summon people alone?

“Espada. Can you go with her?”

“Hmm, I see… Understood.”

Espada consented without hesitation and walked off, following Arte.