Fun Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord (Novel) - Chapter 109 - The Inspectors Arrive

Chapter 109 – The Inspectors Arrive

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“They’re here!
The caravan!”

“Report to Van-sama!
Hurry!”

The Seat Knight Order members on the wall spotted the multiple wagons appearing far in the distance and sent out a messenger at once.

Through the now considerably expanded Seat Village, with its many new buildings, the messenger rode hard on horseback.

By the front of the lord’s residence, Van just happened to be outside.

He blinked once, then immediately noticed the messenger’s desperate expression and spoke.

“They came!?”

“T-they’ve come!
The caravan!”

“Good!
Report it to the Bell-Rango Company too!
And get the ballistas ready!
Let’s prepare the catapults as well!”

When Van began issuing those orders, Kamushin and Till both jumped in shock.

“Van-sama!?”

“You’re not planning to attack the caravan, are you!?”

At the deathly pale faces of the two, Van nodded with a grave expression.

“If we just decide the Commercial Guild’s inspectors never came…
no, seriously, what are you thinking?”

Saying that, Van gave a troubled smile.

“I think it’s less likely to cause misunderstandings if we disclose everything right from the start than if we try to hide anything. The military secrets Seat Village prides itself on are the ballistas and catapults, so we’ll show them their power and use that as proof that we’re hunting large magical beasts.”

Hearing that explanation, Kamushin and Till both heaved a sigh of relief.

“It’s been war after war lately. I thought Van-sama had turned into some kind of battle maniac…”

“I’m relieved to see that you’re your usual self, Van-sama.”

At those words, Van’s cheeks twitched.

“…I have a lot to say to that, but right now the Commercial Guild investigation comes first. Let’s head over there.”

Sighing, Van led the way with the two of them following.

Van.

Sometimes even I forget that I’m supposed to be a noble. Even when I’m in the lord’s residence, I’m absurdly busy all the time. Surely the hardest worker in the world is Van-kun, a delicate little beautiful boy.

Poor Van-kun.

Thinking that kind of nonsense, I reached the gate in front of the walls.

The gate in the wall was already open, and just outside, before the drawbridge, stood the inspector party looking blankly upward.

That said, I couldn’t tell which of them were the actual inspectors. But there was a caravan that looked like it belonged to the Mary Company, many adventurers around it, and middle-aged men who looked like merchants seated in the drivers’ seats.

Looking over the group gaping up at the walls, I spoke.

“Hello. I’m Van Nei Fertio, lord of Seat Village. May I ask what organizations you belong to?”

I asked, but there was no reply. In fact, they hadn’t even noticed me.

Was it because Van-kun was too small for them to notice? Even though I’d grown a whole five centimeters in a single year. At this rate, by the time I’m twenty I’ll be about two meters tall, and by thirty, two and a half meters. Van-kun’s growth knows no bounds.

While I was escaping reality through those thoughts, Dee, who had followed right behind me, raised his great booming voice.

“I am Dee, retainer to Baron Van Nei Fertio and captain of the Seat Knight Order! And this here is Baron Van Nei Fertio himself, lord of Seat Village!”

At the great voice that reverberated down into the gut, every member of the inspection party turned to look at us.

Clearing my throat, I introduced myself once more. Then a tall man appeared from the large wagon in the middle. He looked to be just shy of forty, a smartly built man in black clothes like a suit.

Behind him came two women. One was a red-haired girl. She looked to be in her mid-teens, but she was dressed in fine clothes and had eyes full of intelligence and confidence. She looked young, but she had to be either an inspector or someone high-ranking in the Mary Company.

The other was a face I recognized. A woman around thirty, dressed in merchant-style clothes that exposed a little more skin than usual, perhaps for travel. Rosalie, the woman merchant from the Mary Company store in the first city of Marquis Fertio’s territory.

While Rosalie quietly bowed once in the rear, the middle-aged man at the front placed his hand to his chest and wore the tired smile of a weary salesman.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Apollo, an investigator in charge of the Kingdom of Scuderia for the Commercial Guild.”

It was a polite greeting. In time with it, the red-haired girl behind him bowed once as well.

“I am Diane Triomphe. Though young, I serve as the head of the Mary Company. It is an honor to meet you, Van-sama.”

To think she was the head of the Mary Company. The Mary Company was far too large to simply call it a family business. She had to be enormously talented.

“Apollo-san, Diane-san, and Rosalie-san. I’ve been expecting you. I figured it was about time you’d arrive.”

At that, Apollo’s and Diane’s eyes widened slightly. Rosalie, who had already spoken with me a number of times, smiled happily.

“Please take care of me.”

I said that once more and smiled at the three of them.

Diane.

Even though we had just finished our journey, Baron Van offered to introduce us to an inn. To be honest, I very much wanted to accept that offer, but Apollo the inspector gently declined it.

As I looked resentfully at Apollo’s back, Van-baron withdrew the offer with complete ease, as though he had expected that.

And then, while showing concern for Apollo and the rest of us, he personally guided us first up onto the top of the wall.

Watching that, I leaned toward Rosalie in some confusion.

“…Is it really true that Van-sama isn’t even ten years old? Could he actually have long-lived blood in him, and really be fifty or something…?”

“No, Van-sama is exactly the age he appears to be. Ever since I first met him more than two years ago, Van-sama has never been normal. Ever since the day he bought that boy soldier as a slave, he’s done nothing but astonish me.”

Hearing Rosalie’s words, I sighed.

“I’d read it in the reports, but hearing and seeing are completely different things… There was a time when I let it go to my head that people called me a genius, but now I feel ashamed.”

Muttering that, I looked at Baron Van walking ahead of us.

I had certainly seen him in the reports and given Apollo the same reports.

A genius who, from childhood, could understand anything after being taught it just once, and who even created new things through unexpected ideas. It seemed he had not been blessed with the sort of magical talent nobles prized, but after being cast out, he prospered in the village where he was sent and received a title.

And the village itself had supposedly developed into a city beyond anything one could call a village.

I had thought I understood that. I’d thought perhaps true genius really was something that far beyond ordinary people.

But reality easily surpassed my imagination.

Before my eyes stood walls that, frankly, looked stronger than those of the royal capital, and Baron Van was climbing their stairs as casually as if he were introducing his own home.

“This is the ballista. It’s one of the key pillars of this village’s defense. We’ll fire a test shot, so please observe.”

He said that lightly, then gave an order to the young soldier standing beside the ballista. Since I had not expected to be given a tour of weapons, Apollo and I both tilted our heads in confusion, and then the giant bolt was fired.

At the violent sound and trembling, sharp enough to hurt the ears, I instinctively tensed up.

I tried following the shot with my eyes, but I could hardly perceive it at all.

Still, in the far distance I could see several trees falling, and I was astonished.

“Amazing. It can reach that far?”

When I said that and turned around, I saw Apollo standing there, utterly speechless. His reaction was on a completely different level from either mine or Rosalie’s surprise.

“…Th-this is unbelievable…”

At Apollo’s small mutter, Rosalie and I looked at each other.