Chapter 133 – Building the Base

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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There is no helping it even if I brood over it. Once I switched my mindset, I sent out requests to the Bell-Rango Company and the Commercial Guild.

Preserved portable food, seasonings, clothing, weapons and armor, medical supplies, and the like. The various knight orders will surely have enough bows and arrows and magic tools and the like prepared, so there is no need to deliberately prepare additional ones.

After that, I have to consult with Espada and Dee and decide the contents regarding lodging facilities for the soldiers and the clinic.

Thinking that, I called the two of them in. The two heard the circumstances and reacted in their own ways. Espada silently lifted the corners of his mouth, and Dee thumped his chest and opened his mouth.

“That is splendid! Let us have them see just how much Lord Van has developed the territory!”

“Do not say things like that too, Dee… If we turn the marquis house completely into an enemy, it will be annoying beyond measure, will it not?”

When I said that as though admonishing him, Espada raised his brows and showed a slightly surprised face.

“…From Lord Van’s way of speaking, rather than fearing the birth of discord with the head of the house, it sounds more like you are feeling it would be troublesome.”

“Hm? Of course. Honestly, I have confidence that I would win even if we became enemies, you know. During the previous battle I even saw the way he uses magic, so I have already thought of countermeasures. If he comes from the front, we probably will not lose.”

When I straightforwardly answered Espada’s doubt, Espada and Dee each made faces as though caught off guard for an instant, then began laughing.

Rarely enough, even Espada is laughing aloud.

“What? What happened?”

When I asked that, Dee shook his head while his shoulders trembled.

“No, pardon me. I think it is the same for Lord Espada, but I too have always felt that Lord Van somewhat lacked confidence. No, we never put it into words, but I had the impression that somewhere you were feeling inferior to your father and elder brothers.”

When Dee said that, Espada too lowered his chin lightly.

“Lord Van is the person we acknowledged as our new master. We wanted you to have the spirit that you would not lose even to your father. Hearing that spirit of yours makes us glad.”

Again most unusually, Espada spoke his feelings in good spirits. Apparently he had wanted me to become the kind of master who is overflowing with confidence and says, follow me.

Well, leave it to me. Setting me personally aside, this Seat Village is the strongest.

While saying that sort of thing in my head as a joke, I shrugged and moved into the main topic.

“For the time being, I am thinking of making lodging facilities along the road in a place a little apart from the adventurers’ town. If only knights and above with rank will stay there, I think enough for about three hundred people should do, but what do you think?”

When I checked, Dee nodded.

“If it is limited to field officers and above, then one hundred to two hundred should do.”

After Dee said that, Espada groaned while pinching his chin.

“No matter which town is used as the base, the number who can stay at inns is around one hundred to three hundred. The others can camp outdoors. However, some twenty rooms that are more luxurious than the rest must be prepared.”

“For higher nobles, right. Then I will prepare for two hundred, I suppose. After that, the clinic. We have to make it so one hundred people can fit there too, right?”

When I checked, Dee answered.

“Even a thousand would be fine for this, but on a severe battlefield, simply having a roof can already be first-rate. Well, even a simple warehouse-like building would be sufficient. However…”

When he said that, Dee showed the manner of thinking.

“Since that is the case, let us show your father something memorable.”

When Dee told me that, Espada nodded as well.

“That is so. By now, Lord Van’s power has likely already become known among the other nobles. In that case, I think it would be better to make something somewhat elaborate as well, as a lesson that opposing you would not be wise.”

“Eh, even though we only have one week? Yesterday up until then I was making the furnace, so I would like to take it easy.”

When I said that with my lips pointed out, Dee folded his arms and groaned.

“Ngh, however…”

As Dee wore a troubled face, Espada let out a short breath.

“If you like, we do not mind even attaching a sento. If the sento is made the main thing, and it is given a form like a rest facility, that alone should be sufficient.”

“A sento?”

When I heard the word sento, my mood rose a little. The ordinary citizens are all people who have never entered a large bath for many people. So if they see a sento, they will surely be overjoyed.

It cannot be helped. They will be tired from marching and will want to wash off their dirt too, right.

As I gave myself various reasons like that, I immediately drew up the concept of the sento. Make it a wide three-story building, and make the first floor the sento and the rest area. Then the second floor will have small private rooms. The third floor will have broad private rooms for nobles. Shall I make twenty toilets on each floor? Since it will become a considerably large bath facility, let us make the waterwheels, water tanks, and water heaters a little large and build two of them.

While playing around thinking of such things, before I knew it the base was completed. Even to myself it was terrifying that, because I made it in a burst of absorption, the lodging facility with the sento was completed in a mere two days.