Published: January 15, 2026
【Murcia】
From early morning, the shouts of the knight order echoed outside. Hearing the familiar voices as a signal, I stirred and got out of bed. Approaching the window, I looked out to see the knights running together as a group. Dee was the most energetic of all, running as if chasing after the armored members.
What was terrifying was that Dee was more heavily equipped than anyone else. As always, he was running clad in full armor, carrying a large shield, and wielding a greatsword as tall as himself.
He was laughing as he chased after the members running ahead.
By the way, the initially worrying problems of food and manpower shortages have somehow been managed, thanks to the supplies regularly sent from Van and the adventurers who transport them.
However, the adventurers often returned having hunted many demonic beasts while keeping watch over the surroundings, which posed a problem. After all, this castle lacks funds to purchase materials. Some of the spoils were loaded onto transport wagons to be taken back, but the rest were left behind.
That said, the adventurers seemed to be commissioned by Van, and they sorted out the materials that could be sold, turning meat that would otherwise rot into jerky. Moreover, they collected resources like timber and ores from the area and stored them at a material depot in the small castle town on the Yelinetta Kingdom’s side.
Perhaps, the Mary Trading Company might soon dispatch caravans here as well.
Even now, the Bell Rango Trading Company runs merchant wagons to and from Seato Village, but it’s insufficient for buying materials and trading armor and daily goods. Considering future population growth, it would be difficult to keep up with demand with mere small-scale operations.
A caravan from a large trading company would make that possible.
While thinking about such things, I also believed it would be difficult to improve the roads through the Wolfsburg Mountains to allow free passage of caravans.
After all, the demonic beasts living there were all large. It would be common for wagons to be destroyed if even a little guard was let down at night. Passing near cliffs was dangerous too—just having a battle nearby could cause a fall.
Weighing the dangers against the benefits, if it were me, I would decide against sending caravans through there.
“…Maybe this way of thinking isn’t good after all.”
After changing clothes, I muttered those words quietly.
It was my nature, but I tended to hesitate and become indecisive when thinking about the worst-case scenarios. My father had pointed out this flaw many times.
On the other hand, I felt that neither my father nor Van had this problem. Yard and Sesto also trusted their own judgments and charged ahead, but that was just shallow thinking.
My father always considered the worst cases too, and built his strategies based on them.
Van was the same. When he took charge of this castle, I asked him how best to defend it. Looking down at the fortress city from the top floor, Van answered,
“In my case, I think about what I would do if I were the enemy. One option is a strong offensive, accepting some losses while being wary of ballistas—deploying thinly but widely on the sides to break through the walls by sheer numbers. Another is developing an approach route that goes unnoticed until the last moment, passing through dangerous mountains and attacking from either side. This would be possible if wyverns are involved. Lastly, a siege by starvation. There’s already a record of penetrating deep into Count Ferdinand’s domain. They could invade from there and cut off supply lines.”
Van spoke like a battle-hardened general. I was stunned, and Van smiled wryly before continuing.
“Of course, there might be other tactics like digging tunnels, setting traps in the river, or launching night raids. So, you have to be flexible regardless. Brother Murcia is cautious, so you’re suitable for defensive battles and small-scale field battles. With Dee too, just do as you think best.”