Published: January 13, 2026
Daddy was so surprised that he almost stopped talking. In contrast, Brother Murcia looked around the buildings like a country bumpkin visiting the city for the first time.
“As I explained earlier, this town was built for the rapidly increasing number of adventurers and traveling merchants following the discovery of the dungeon. Along this central street, you’ll find shops selling armor, clothing, daily necessities, as well as restaurants and inns. For example, that three-story building over there is an entire inn in itself.”
“...An entire building as just an inn? So the mary trading company is putting that much effort into it...”
Daddy muttered that while looking up at the Kusala Hotel. It seemed he believed the mary trading company had invested heavily in its construction.
“No, no, the mary trading company does have shops here, but about half of the stores in this area belong to the Bell Rango Trading Company, with the rest owned individually. Most private owners start their businesses by borrowing money from me, so their initial capital is quite small.”
Correcting him, Daddy frowned and pondered silently for a few seconds.
“...Show me Seato Village.”
“Understood.”
I didn’t know what conclusion he’d reached, but for now, I followed Daddy’s wishes.
“W-wow. I had no idea Van’s territory had developed so much...”
As Brother Murcia murmured while walking, Dee shook his shoulder with a laugh.
“What are you talking about! If you’re amazed by the adventurers’ town, wait until you see Seato Village — you’ll be stunned!”
“R-really?”
Dee said something unnecessary, and Brother Murcia let out a surprised gasp. Honestly, the adventurers’ town looked way more impressive, so why raise the bar like that?
Feeling a bit uneasy, I guided Daddy, Brother Murcia, Stradale, and the others forward.
We stopped before the castle walls and the water moat, where a ballista was set up. It wasn’t aimed directly at us, but the sound of arrows being loaded echoed clearly, showing it could fire at any moment.
“...They’re not aiming at us, are they?”
Daddy asked in a low voice. I pretended not to hear and raised a hand. Then, Dee shouted commands loudly.
“Open the gate! Lower the bridge!”
As his voice rang out, the drawbridge began to lower, and the gate creaked open. We watched silently until it was fully open, then I turned back to Daddy and the others.
“Welcome to Seato Village.”
I said cheerfully, but Daddy furrowed his brow and lowered his chin.
“Van, that big tower over there...”
“That’s Origo Tower. On the opposite side is the Grape Tower, both used to keep watch on the surroundings. Of course, ballistas face all directions, and there are always more than ten knight order members stationed on the walls for patrol.”
“Come to think of it, the castle walls have a very unusual shape. Is there a reason for that?”
“From above, it looks like a star shape. The pointed sections aren’t connected except by the rooftop drawbridges. So, to attack this village, you have to first capture the pointed parts and then breach the water moat and walls.”
“...That’s certainly a formidable defense. I heard the ballista could take down a flying dragon in one shot...”
“It can easily take down wyverns and armored lizards in a single strike. The operators have become skilled enough to never miss now. Its range is over a kilometer, and it can fire twice in rapid succession.”
“Take down armored lizards? Surely that’s a joke?”
As we talked, we walked further into Seato Village. Brother Murcia asked most of the questions, while Daddy and Stradale followed quietly.
This is bad. We rebuilt the village bathhouse into a large public bath and used the dwarves’ furnace to circulate boiling hot water, but it still can’t compete with the outdoor bath’s size. It lacks impact. The lord’s manor is about the right size, so it hasn’t changed much. I wasn’t sure what else to show them.
While thinking this, Espada, who had been silent until now, cleared his throat and pointed towards the back of the village.