Fun Territory Defense of the Easy-Going Lord

“Lord Vaaan! The barbecue party preparations are complete!” Till shouted the completion report from a distance.

Meanwhile, under Espada’s command, trees were being brought in as logs one after another by Arte, Khamsin (after his training), and the members of the Knight Order.

“L-Lady Arte! We can carry that!”

“I-I’m fine…”

Though I doubt she was helping much, Arte was earnestly carrying the end of a log. In fact, the knights were clearly treating her carefully.

“…Alright, we’ve finished two buildings for now, so let’s wrap up for today and celebrate with the barbecue party!” I said in a loud voice, stopping the construction to shift everyone’s focus.

Some of the knights who should have been exhausted, along with Khamsin and Arte, replied in relief. The people who had stayed behind in Seatoh Village simply cheered with joy for the barbecue.

When we moved to the venue, campfires were already set up at equal intervals in the middle of the street. No, I call them campfires because they are too large to be simple bonfires, but the people of Seatoh Village are mostly party people. Lighting such huge fires in the middle of town is certainly not normal.

All around, large chunks of meat were crudely piled high on wooden plates, and fruits and vegetable-like things were similarly piled onto dishes. But everyone’s eyes were drawn to the barrels of alcohol. Since I had prepared plenty of fruit wine, which is popular with young women, all the adults looked eagerly distracted by the liquor.

“Wow, the preparations are perfect.”

When I entered the venue and said that, cheers erupted from the people of Seatoh Village.

“Lord Vaaan!”

Oh, I hear the voices worshipping me. I never thought the number of fervent fans of the super-genius boy Van-kun would be this large. Alright, I shall establish a new religion.

As I walked toward them, offering a divine smile as fan service while thinking that, a fresh wave of cheers rang out.

“Waaah! Start quickly!”

“Meat, meaaat!”

“Lord Van, is it okay to drink from age ten!?”

Intense cheers, surpassing mere fervor, came from all directions. Oh, those weren’t voices praising Van-kun? You blasphemers. I’ll raise your taxes, which are usually less than half the norm, by ten times.

The innocent Van-kun moved to the center of the square, cursing inwardly in his broken heart.

Then, I looked back at the residents who were shouting insults, unaware that their taxes would be raised tenfold in the future. Well, I’m just kidding.

“Alright! Before we begin the barbecue party, let me just state that the drinking age in Seatoh Village is twenty! This is the village rule!”

When I announced that as the first order of business, a tremendous amount of booing erupted.

“Aww!”

“Why is that!?”

“That’s too much!”

The minors started making a ruckus. Perhaps because the proportion of young people has increased recently, the momentum of the booing was incredible. Alright, I’ll make the taxes twenty times the norm. Those who say ‘I’m sorry’ get a one-year tax exemption.

My cheeks twitched slightly, and I returned to the opening address.

“Yes, yes! Well then, let’s start the barbecue party! First, please pour drinks into your cups for the toast! Ah, alcohol is for twenty and older! If anyone under nineteen drinks alcohol, they will be penalized with special training from Dee!”

When I stated the rules and the penalty for violators, the booing instantly stopped, and silence returned to the area.

I scanned the quieted crowd and received a drink from Till. Of course, I was drinking fruit juice, not alcohol.

“Well then, to the development of Seatoh Village and the victory of the Kingdom of Scuderia, Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

Everyone loudly chanted the toast in unison and drank their beverages. The adults immediately became cheerful the moment they drank the alcohol, and the young people laughed while eating meat. The barbecue venue instantly took on the appearance of a huge feast. Perhaps due to the noise, I could hear someone singing nearby.

Just watching made me feel very happy.

“…It’s been a long time,” Till murmured wistfully.

“Oh? Has it been that long?”

When I asked back casually, Till shook her head and smiled wryly.

“No, I just felt that way. I think it’s because a lot has happened.”

Till’s words made me nod in agreement.

“You’re right. It was really tough this time. But Centena is reinforced, and even though Father is injured, we have Stradale, so he’ll be fine. Ah, Talga was a really good knight.”

I voiced my thoughts while glancing sideways. I saw Arte’s profile, her expression still a little dark. It seems the fun atmosphere of the barbecue wasn’t enough to influence her.

Is there any good way? After racking my brain, I came up with an idea.

“…Arte. Could you operate the doll for just a little bit?”

When I called out to her, Arte turned around in surprise.

“Eh?”

I nodded to the half-answering Arte, held a small wood block in my hand, and visualized it in my mind. It was a doll of a girl dressed in a finely detailed dress, about the size of a small child. The skirt was slightly short for ease of movement, but I thought it was a tasteful costume.

Of course, all the joints were articulated.

“Can you make this doll dance, like you did before?”

When I said that, Arte looked slightly perplexed but nodded and began to use her magic. The barbecue party was already at its peak, and most people didn’t notice Arte starting to move the doll.

However, a small child noticed the doll dancing and cried out, and the child’s parents, too, exclaimed in admiration at the doll’s movements.

“Wow!”

“Such a beautiful dance…”

Hearing such comments, Arte looked down, blushing slightly. The doll continued to dance with movements as smooth as if it were alive. Soon, people nearby and those who heard the children’s voices gradually noticed Arte’s doll, and the fun began to increase as they watched it dance.

People gathered around the doll moving with Arte’s magic, laughing happily and showing their surprise. Seeing this, Arte slowly began to smile happily as well.

“…Does she seem okay now?” I murmured while watching Arte.

Arte had been devastated when her cherished dolls were damaged, and the confidence she had been gaining seemed to have been violently reversed. I had hoped to help her regain her self-esteem, even if just a little.

Ideally, she could gain confidence in things other than just the Puppet Magic she controls, but that won’t be easy. Little by little, I hope to spend our days helping Arte become more positive. If she can gain confidence in herself and love who she is, I think Arte will smile even more brightly.

Thinking all this, I took a mouthful of fruit juice and ate the meat that Till had grilled.

The surface was crispy, and I bit into it with a little effort. The savory aroma of the meat tickled my nostrils, and the sweet juices spread from the tender interior into my mouth. The naturally sweet meat is delicious eaten only with salt and black pepper, but it is also exceptionally good with Van-kun’s special barbecue sauce.

When Van-kun’s special sauce, which is a blend of sweet and spicy, was added, combined with the sweetness of the meat itself, it created a wonderful harmony.

“Wow, this is delicious. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside! Does this go well with beer or red wine?”

The overwhelming deliciousness made me involuntarily voice the thought.

Till’s eyes widened and she looked at me.

“…Lord Van? Alcohol is for twenty and older, you know?”