Fun Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord (Novel) - Chapter 115 - Arte's Return and the Adventurers' Town

Chapter 115 – Arte’s Return and the Adventurers’ Town

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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I went to inspect the adventurers’ town.
Well, rather than an inspection, it felt more like a walk, but if Van-kun walked around with a great many attendants following him, then surely he ought to be radiating quite a bit of dignity and presence.
The residents would no doubt be startled and wonder what was happening.

“Ah, it’s Van-sama.”

“Van-sama came to hang out.”

“Van-sama!
We finally got our hands on mithril ore, so could you make me a dagger…!”

“Move, I’m first.”

The adventurers who suddenly spotted their lord in town approached me in a surprisingly friendly manner.
Some of them even walked over holding ores or swords they thought might be usable as weapon materials.

Wait, I’m a lord, right?
I do have a title too, don’t I?

I suddenly started feeling uneasy.

Then Dee, with a vein pulsing at his temple, stepped forward and bellowed.

“Would you like to be beaten flat!?
There is a limit to insolence!”

That roar reverberated all the way down into the gut, and even the adventurers, a rough bunch to a man, shut their mouths without thinking.

With a bitter smile at that, I turned to Espada.

“Walking through the town in person really is different from just seeing it in the reports.
You were right, though.
At this rate, even the shops and warehouses for storing goods are starting to be insufficient. That said, the Bell-Rango Company probably doesn’t have the room to open a new shop either…”

I looked around the lively town and lamented the lack of manpower. At that, Espada narrowed his eyes and glanced at me.

“…As I noted in the report I handed you twelve days ago, there are villagers here who wish to do business with adventurers. If Van-sama happens to have the time, they would like you to build them a new shop.”

Hearing that, I broke out into a cold sweat. His voice sounded only his usual level of scary, but his eyes definitely carried pressure.

“A-ah, yes, that, of course. I know. Obviously. Since their customers are adventurers who use their bodies for a living, then… um, something like an inn…”

I gave a vague, stumbling answer, and Espada quietly closed his eyes.

“…Yes. They want to run an inn that can provide meals.”

“R-right? Exactly? Since this town only has the one Bell-Rango Company store, I think it’s a very good idea.”

Amazingly, my guess had hit the mark. I replied while feeling a level of relief close to death.

At that, Espada dipped his chin slightly.

“I’ve already confirmed that they are capable of running such a business. I judged that they possess the minimum business knowledge and cooking skill necessary. They also have family, so there should be no staffing issue.”

“Then it sounds perfect. Let’s build it right now. Are they originally from old Seat Village?”

“No, they are a former adventurer. A member of Orto’s party, named Kusara…”

“Kusara!? Wait, what? When did he become one of the villagers…?”

I was so surprised I ended up raising my voice. Espada looked down at me with a furrow between his brows.

“If you had read the report properly, that level of surprise should have been impossible…”

“Ah, sorry… I didn’t read it properly…”

I apologized honestly before I could make him truly angry. One of the forty-eight life skills I possess. Surely even demon-like Espada would have no response to that.

Just as the psychological battle between Espada and me was about to begin, noise from the adventurers and the members of the Espa Knight Order broke in.

One knight came running in from the gate on the highway side.

“They’ve returned!”

Breathing hard, the young knight gave his report. He didn’t say who, because there weren’t that many people living in Seat Village who were currently away from the territory.

“Arte and the others, I assume?”

When I checked, the knight hurriedly straightened his back and gave the report again properly.

“Yes! Lady Arte and the members of the Seat Knight Order! Also the adventurers led by Lord Orto are with them! Their losses appear light!”

At that, I gave a deep nod.

“Good. Whatever the exact outcome, the fact that everyone returned safely is what matters most.”

What a relief.

Thinking that, I headed for the gate to welcome them. There I came face to face with the returning group just as they were passing through the gate.

In the driver’s seats of each wagon sat members of the strongest Mechanical Bow Unit No. 2 of my proud Seat Knight Order. None of them looked injured, and they smiled and bowed when they saw me.

Orto and the others were there as well, but instead of coming over, they just stood there wearing meaningful smiles. I was wondering what that was about when the door of the wagon stopped in the middle opened from within, and then I understood.

First came Plurier, the elven magician. She too smiled when she saw my face and then shifted her gaze toward the inside of the wagon.

And then, from within the wagon, there emerged Arte, her beautiful slightly wavy white hair swaying, dressed in a light gown.

Extreme experiences called war. A long journey by wagon. And on top of that, she had surely witnessed her home and her territory being invaded by a foreign nation.

There was no doubt that one of those things, or perhaps all of them together, was the cause.

“…!”

So when Arte looked at my face and the tears and emotions she had been holding back all spilled over, and then on top of that, in front of a countless audience, she ran straight to me and threw herself into my arms, there was no one who could possibly blame her.

So a person can run pretty well even while wearing a dress.

That kind of utterly irrelevant thought floated through my head, but vanished in an instant in front of Arte clinging to me and shaking at the shoulders.

“Welcome back, Arte. You did well.”

I had no idea what else to say, so that was all that came out.

At once, Arte broke into audible sobs.

“V-Van-sama…! I-I…”

“It’s all right, it’s all right. Tell me later.”

At the wordless sounds coming out of Arte, I smiled bitterly and stroked her back to calm her down.

“Whoa, Van-sama made her cry.”

“Hey, you. Stop teasing.”

“…Why are you the one crying too?”

I could hear that kind of exchange coming from the adventurers around us. A crying count’s daughter and a baron comforting her. This was bad. At this rate it felt like the whole thing was going to get turned into some sort of opera.

Still holding Arte in my arms, I turned only my eyes toward Orto and the others, asking for help.

But Orto just gave me a radiant grin and a thumbs-up, while Plurier watched me with the sort of warm smile one gives to something heartwarming.

No good. They weren’t going to save me.

Even so, Arte didn’t look likely to calm down enough for me to move. As I wondered what to do and looked around, seeing Till openly crying made me give up.

Fine. Do whatever you want. Turn me into the subject of a song if you must. But I am charging royalties.

And while stroking the back of the sobbing Arte, I found myself thinking exactly that.