Fun Territory Defense of the Easy-Going Lord

“Now, this is a banquet prepared with the utmost skill by chefs recognized by the Royal Family. Please enjoy it to the fullest without leaving anything behind.”

“Thank you very much!”

After touring the Royal Castle, the banquet was held in a dining hall with an abnormally high ceiling. Dishes were lined up without gaps on a long table where twenty people could sit comfortably. By the way, each of us had a server attached, and Till was serving me with her chest puffed out… no, actually, she was challenging the task with her shoulders stiff and tense. She seemed quite nervous, breathing roughly while standing behind me and glancing occasionally at the other maids.

On the other hand, I was finding numerous dishes I had never seen before and couldn’t stop my excitement.

“Ah, this looks delicious too. Till, give me a bite of this one as well. Ah, you don’t have to be so elaborate with the plating…”

“Please wait a moment longer… Alright, and finally, placing this torque leaf on top…”

I wonder what she is competing against. Every time Till served a portion of a dish, she re-plated it so carefully it looked like it belonged in a display window. It was very beautiful, but I just wanted to eat the next dish quickly.

“Yeah, it’s delicious. Thank you, Till.”

“No, no! Now, which dish would you like next?”

That said, I must not forget my gratitude toward Till. Thinking that, when I said thank you, Till held the plate in one hand with a beaming smile, striking a pose full of motivation.

Seeing that exchange, His Majesty and Panamera laughed aloud.

“Hahahaha! The atmosphere is different from usual, but such a banquet isn’t bad!”

“Your Majesty. In Viscount Van‘s territory, this is the standard for banquets.”

“Ooh, I envy Count Panamera who can enjoy that anytime. That reminds me, how is the new territory? It is your first own territory, is it not?”

“I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be entrusted with such magnificent land. In the future, my territory will develop further and function as an important base not only for the Kingdom of Scuderia but also for monitoring the Kingdom of Yelenetta. I intend to do my utmost to fulfill that grave responsibility magnificently.”

Panamera responded to His Majesty‘s question with a politeness rarely seen. It was strangely amusing. Panamera-san feigning innocence: priceless. If she took off that cat suit she’s wearing (feigned innocence), she is the Empress of Ashes. It’s an outrageous story. If this were a cat café, it would be nothing short of a scam.

Thinking such goofy thoughts, I carried the new dish Till served me to my mouth.

It was a slightly salty salad with a popping texture. The vegetables were crisp, and when chewed, they had a sweet taste and were delicious. Huh? Is this an Izakaya menu? Does Izakaya Berlinetta not have yakitori? Ah, this herb-grilled meat is super delicious. The skin is grilled to a crisp, and when bitten through, the soft meat overflows with juices in my mouth. It is even better that it is seasoned spicy to enhance the rich umami. This Izakaya is a winner.

“Ooh, it seems Viscount Van is enjoying himself too.”

As I was enjoying the meal with a smile, His Majesty nodded with satisfaction and said that. Then, Aperta, who had been eating with a straight face next to him, turned only his face toward us.

“Your Majesty. Shall we talk about the Kingdom of Fiesta soon?”

“Hmm, that is true… We are in the middle of a meal, but do you mind?”

“Ah, ywes.”

“Boy, swallow what is in your mouth quickly.”

“…Okay, I swallowed it.”

Told by Panamera, I hurriedly finished chewing, and His Majesty nodded with a wry smile.

“There is no tension, but this is just right.”

Prefacing with that, he raised his face.

“…So, I do not mind if you speak just as you felt. How do you view the Kingdom of Fiesta? I wish to hear your opinions on the future as well.”

His Majesty lowered the tone of his voice and asked. To that, Panamera straightened her posture and answered first.

“Ha! As expected of a maritime nation, I feel they are currently the most powerful nation on the sea. If we fight on land, we will never lose, but I believe we should avoid combat at sea… Also, regarding the future, I feel we should form an alliance as soon as possible. I only spoke with one person who would be equivalent to a Knight Commander in our terms, but I judged him to have an honest personality typical of a man of the sea. Based on my experience, a country that entrusts such a person as a leader to bundle troops is tenacious and extremely troublesome to deal with as an enemy.”

His Majesty nodded deeply at Panamera‘s opinion, which focused on battle. Then, he looked at me next.

“And so, what does Viscount Van think?”

When His Majesty said that, everyone’s eyes turned to me. Feeling their gazes, I thought about the Kingdom of Fiesta from a different perspective in response to His Majesty‘s words.