Fun Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord (Novel) - Chapter 95 - Van's Souvenir

Chapter 95 – Van’s Souvenir

===================

Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

===================

Now then, starting with the base first, I thought, when suddenly an angry shout rang out from behind me.

“Y-you brat…!
Baron Van!
Such insolent conduct before His Majesty…!”

Wow, he was seriously mad.

Cold sweat running down me at the sound of the shouting footsteps drawing closer, I quickly got to work.

First came the giant wheeled base.
Since I had already made several of them for Seat Village, I finished one base in the blink of an eye.

Magic, like anything else, was something you got used to if you did it enough.

And, just as I had expected, the instant the base was complete, the approaching footsteps and angry shouting stopped dead.

Letting out a small sigh of relief, I continued building the catapult section on top.

The pillars rose, a great axle formed, and a central beam sprouted up.
It was an amusing sight, even to me.
It might have been close to the feeling of watching a really good clay animation.

Then, as if wrapping around the central beam, another huge axle appeared on the left and right, and from there rods extended forward and back. At a glance it looked like a giant seesaw, but what was inside it was vicious.

For the materials as well, I used mithril alloy and the like in the areas that would bear especially heavy loads, such as the springs, axles, bearings, and main shaft.

And so the Van-brand Super-Ultimate-Strong Catapult that took shape was a thing worthy of utterly stunning all who saw it.

One wagon carried enough material for one catapult. The completed catapult itself was large enough that you had to look up to see it.

While everyone stood there with eyes wide and frozen in place, I built a second catapult.

At that point Count Ventury, who had finally finished rebooting, raised his voice.

“W-what, what, what is this!?”

When I turned at that shout, not only Count Ventury but also my dear daddy, Arte’s daddy, and Panamera were standing in front of the manor.

Then His Majesty emerged a little later, accompanied by several knights.

“Ohh! So this is Baron Van’s new weapon!”

As soon as His Majesty said that, he came closest to the catapult. Behind him followed Panamera with a wry smile.

“You have made something awfully flashy yet again.”

Panamera offered that impression in a tone of exasperation.

“No, no. The really flashy part is when it actually moves. Please look forward to it.”

After replying lightly like that, I made more catapults and also built lightweight ballistas.

Once everything was complete, I turned back to His Majesty.

“Now then. I leave this set of catapults and ballistas, along with my proud knight order, in Viscount Panamera’s care.”

When I said that, His Majesty and Panamera nodded silently.

Then the high nobles, who until then had stood there too stunned to move, finally opened their mouths.

“W-wait just a moment!”

“Does not a single one of you find this strange!? What was that magic just now!?”

As Count Ventury shouted and came striding toward me, Kamushin, standing beside the wagon, unconsciously put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

At the sight of Kamushin turning to face them with a slightly lowered stance, not only Count Ventury but the surrounding knights too had the atmosphere around them shift.

As the air tightened all at once, I deliberately grabbed Kamushin by the scruff of the neck and pulled him back.

“My apologies for my child. Since my father is here, I’ll leave without saying anything more unnecessary. If you want details, please ask Viscount Panamera. Well then.”

I bowed once and stepped back another pace. Kamushin too hurriedly bowed his head and retreated.

Then, instead of Count Ventury, His Majesty opened his mouth.

“Hmm. With this many weapons, can we certainly win?”

Wearing a fearless smile, His Majesty asked that. I stopped, turned my whole body toward him, and answered.

“I won’t say certainly. But I have done everything possible. If the enemy does not exceed my predictions, we can win with a probability of over ninety percent.”

At that, His Majesty raised the corner of his mouth and nodded.

“Then that is sufficient. In that case, let us meet again another time.”

“Yes. Well then.”

That was the whole of our exchange. After bowing deeply, I turned on my heel.

All right. I can go home now, right? I’m going, okay? I’m really going home now.

Thinking that inside my head, I started back on the road home.

“…It certainly looks impressive, but can it really be used? What do you think, Lord Fertio?”

“Even I am seeing it for the first time… but His Majesty and Viscount Panamera have seen it before and understand its capabilities.”

“Hmm…”

While Count Ventury and Marquis Fertio were having such a conversation as they looked at the catapults, the king and Panamera were conducting their final checks.

They stood before the Repeating Mechanical Bow unit Van had left behind, and the king spoke to Bora, who stood in the very front rank with her back straight.

“Hmm. Are you the captain of this unit?”

“Y-y-y-yes! My name is Bora!”

Spoken to directly by the king, Bora gave her name amid her nervousness, and the king smiled and nodded.

“I remember seeing you before. I am counting on you.”

“…! Th-thank you, I am deeply honored!”

The king had remembered her. At that fact, Bora thanked him while practically reeling with dizziness.

Then Panamera, who had been entrusted with the unit, opened his mouth.

“Captain Bora. You are an extremely important force entrusted to me by Baron Van. I shall take every care to ensure that you suffer no losses.”

“Sir! Ah, thank you very much!”

Bora returned thanks to Panamera’s words. However, Panamera continued speaking over the tail end of Bora’s reply.

“However, once entrusted to me, you will be treated as members of my knight order. You will of course obey orders absolutely, and you will learn the pride and manners of knights as members of my knight order.”

Told that with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, Bora answered in a loud voice, though her face stiffened just a little.

“Y-yes, sir! I will take that to heart!”

Perhaps reacting to Panamera’s words and Bora’s response, tension ran through the members of the Repeating Mechanical Bow unit, who until then had had a somewhat loose side to them.

Watching that slowly, the king nodded.

“As expected of a viscount. In just this short while, you have changed the look on the faces of the soldiers placed in your care.”

Told that in a small voice, Panamera dipped his chin without changing expression.

“Baron Van’s knight order certainly possesses high combat ability. However, that is simply because it depends on the many weapons the Baron has created. To speak plainly, I consider the knights’ training and abilities themselves to be low.”

“Hmm. Indeed. Knowing Baron Van, he has probably only been teaching them how to use the weapons, how to form ranks, and how to fight, without much roaring at them. Even with a knight commander who slew a dragon, one man cannot watch every corner. For better or worse, even on the battlefield they seem somewhat relaxed.”

“Yes. Training together with other knight orders will be a good experience for them. Since we have the opportunity, let us put them through intensive instruction for two or three weeks at least.”

Exchanging those words, Panamera and the king smiled.

Though they had not heard the conversation, simply seeing the way those two spoke made Bora and the others break into cold sweat unconsciously.