Fun Territory Defense of the Easy-Going Lord

[Rosso]

I had heard the rumors. Indeed, ever since I heard that the fourth son of the Marquis Fertio family had been granted a peerage before the war with the Kingdom of Yelenetta began in earnest.

They say Van Nei Fertio is a prodigy. Although he showed glimpses of his talent from a young age, he lacked a blessed aptitude for magic and was reportedly sent away to a remote region within the Marquis’s territory.

However, Van’s talent blossomed there. While I thought it must be an exaggeration, he developed a village with only a few subordinates and a hundred or so villagers, and even defeated an adult dragon. There was talk that His Majesty personally verified this, and regarding that rumor, I have corroborated it and found it to be fact. Judging by how heavily he was relied upon afterward and from conversations with nobles who participated in the war, it seemed Van’s talent lay in his abnormally powerful Production Magic and the proposal of tactics that appeared to foresee the future.

The ingenuity and audacity to build a temporary fort in the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range—where it was deemed impossible to build one—and right before the eyes of the Kingdom of Yelenetta’s camp, no less. This is no easy feat, even for a battle-hardened veteran. The reports of Van’s exploits reaching my ears from various other battlefields felt as if I were witnessing and hearing fragments of a legend being spun about a hero.

That very Van had personally visited my territory. Even if the reason was to inspect and investigate the large ship from the Kingdom of Fiesta, I was genuinely delighted by Van’s visit. Upon meeting him, he truly appeared to be just a young child, but even so.

Now then, what impressions would this boy harbor after inspecting the ship of an unknown nation?

Or so I had thought, but…

“……This was unexpected.”

Looking at the precise blueprints spread out before me, that was all I could mutter. Everything exceeded my imagination. Looking at materials one would never think a child had prepared, I realized I was completely overwhelmed.

“Lord Van. Can you not create a prototype ship based on this? Most likely, Lord Tran will begin his return journey in about a week or two. Why don’t we build it in secret and try floating the prototype ship on the sea?”

When I said that, Van showed signs of thinking for a moment. The titled adults, myself included, fell silent waiting for Van’s statement. It could be said that this was proof we recognized Van as a full-fledged head of a noble house. As evidence of this, even Panamera, who treats him like an older sister meddling with her favorite younger brother, remained quiet without making a sound so as not to disturb Van’s contemplation.

Perhaps it was only a few seconds. After thinking quietly, Van opened his mouth. I could sense that everyone was silently focusing their attention on their ears to hear his first words.

Amidst that atmosphere, Van stated his opinion as if it were nothing at all.

“Would it be a problem if I built a ship as a test and had Mr. Tran look at it?”

“…What?”

Not understanding the meaning of Van’s proposal, I asked back reflexively. However, the others seemed to have understood the meaning of Van’s words.

“…Boy. Wouldn’t that cause Lord Tran—and by extension the Kingdom of Fiesta—to harbor unnecessary caution?”

When Panamera said that, Targa pulled his chin back and spoke.

“That is correct. I humbly believe that, if possible, Lord Van’s magic should not be revealed until we are compelled by necessity.”

Targa, who had only recently become a Baron, also understood what Van said and answered as such. Indeed, if one accepts Van’s words at face value, that concern is natural. However, we are talking about the construction of a large sea-faring ship, likely the first in this country. To accomplish that while Tran is still here… simply does not seem possible by any stretch of the imagination.

“…Lord Van. Is this not different from the story of building a fort? To do so easily…”

“Ah, of course, I’m not making a finished product right off the bat. It’s just, like, trying to make a prototype for now. It might be a struggle just to get it to float, after all.”

“T-That may be so, but…”

As I replied in confusion to Van, who spoke so lightly of it, Panamera crossed her arms and groaned.

“…Your Excellency. If Viscount Van could build a ship in a few days, what would you think? Would it be wise to show that to Lord Tran?”

Being asked such a strange question, I nodded, bewildered.

“Honestly, I do not believe it is such a simple task. Well, if he were able to build a ship, let me see… The Kingdom of Fiesta said they have already sent ships to other nations as well. Eventually, Lord Van’s abilities and achievements will likely become known. In that case, there might be more benefits to daring to provide a portion of the information from the start. There are two major benefits: winning the trust of the Kingdom of Fiesta, and leaking information that intentionally limits the perception of Lord Van’s abilities.”

When I answered, Panamera nodded deeply.

“…Understood. Then, let us think of a means to cause them to misjudge Viscount Van’s abilities. Once that is decided, we can start on the ship’s prototype immediately.”

“‘Immediately,’ is it? Very well. Then, I shall officially grant permission. Normally I would want to confirm with His Majesty, but seeing Lord Van’s expression, you wish to build the ship and hear what Lord Tran has to say while he is still here, correct?”

When I answered with a wry smile, Van nodded with a childlike smile.