Published: January 13, 2026
At His Majesty’s request, we steadily improved the roads and gradually built outposts here and there. At some point, we were asked if we could add locks, so I made it so they could be easily locked from the inside.
As the days passed—first day, second day, third day—the pace of the mountain march quickly caught up to the plan, and we even managed to surpass it.
“...Huh? Now that I think about it, there haven’t been any talks about the temporary outposts collapsing, have there?”
I asked, turning around to check, and Til, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the carriage, blinked and replied.
“Oh, that’s right. On the contrary, all I hear now is how much easier the march has become thanks to Lord Van. Maybe it was all just a misunderstanding?”
Til answered, and Kamushin, walking beside the carriage, nodded deeply.
“Exactly. There’s no way something made by Lord Van would be defective. Everyone would see through such lies immediately.”
“Well, if it was a design stage mistake, defects could happen. So it’s still too early to say for sure,” I replied with a wry smile, glancing at Kamushin who seemed to blindly trust everything I made.
At that moment, Arte popped her head out of the carriage window.
“Lord Van, Lord Murcia has arrived from the rear.”
“Brother Murcia?”
Surprised by Arte’s words, I stopped paving the road halfway and turned around. Kamushin immediately came over to wipe the sweat off my forehead.
From deep within the newly completed highway, Murcia could be seen walking toward us, accompanied by knights. By the way, Arte’s little face peeking out from the carriage window was quite adorable.
“Lord Murcia.”
Arte, Til, and Kamushin all bowed their heads in greeting. Murcia responded with a raised hand to Til and Kamushin, then turned his body to face Arte and gave a polite nod.
“Miss Arte. It’s been a while.”
Though not exactly noble in demeanor, Murcia greeted us with a kind smile. Arte looked relieved and returned the bow. After exchanging a few customary words, Murcia headed straight toward me.
“Van, are you alright?”
“Huh? Brother, why the sudden concern?”
Taken aback by his immediate worry, I tilted my head and asked.
Murcia seemed to realize his abruptness and nodded slightly before rephrasing.
“Sorry, I should have greeted you properly first.”
“No, no, that’s fine. So, what’s going on?”
I checked again, and Murcia looked at me seriously, studying my face.
“I was worried you might be pushing yourself too hard... The roads have been completed at an incredible pace, so it worried me. But seeing you now, so normal, I’m actually quite surprised.”
Murcia said that with a wry smile. This was truly regrettable. It would be sad if people thought I was fine just because I looked healthy.
So I voiced my complaints loudly.
“I’m tired! From breakfast to lunch, to dinner, and even between snacks, I’ve been paving roads or building outposts nonstop. I work solidly for an hour, then eat or snack in between... The food is delicious, so it’s bearable, but I’d like to rest for at least half a day.”
I shared my grievances about the working conditions. Murcia looked exasperated.
“I was worried you might collapse from overusing your mana, but it seems that’s not the case. You look healthier than I thought, so I’m relieved.”
For some reason, Murcia completely ignored my complaints. I pouted in dissatisfaction, but Murcia chuckled and leaned in closer.
“...You probably already know, but there are people jealous that His Majesty favors you. To be honest, our father, Marquis Jarpa, is likely one of them.”
Lowering his tone, Murcia issued a warning. Was he telling me this even though it might get me on Marquis Jarpa’s bad side if it got out?
He really was such a good-natured brother.
I smiled, then opened my mouth to reassure him.
“Don’t worry. The knights of Seato Village’s knight order are always protecting me, and Dee keeps an eye on other knight orders from the rear. At night, I rest in a sturdy outpost I built for myself, so I don’t think I’ll be bothered. Besides, since stopping the march would be problematic, I’m sure things will be fine from that perspective too.”