Published: January 15, 2026
Carefree Lord Volume 5! Scheduled for release on August 25th! ☆:.。. o(≧▽≦)o .。.:☆
Thank you all so much! ＼＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／
“Well, well, whatever will be, will be… haha.”
I replied lightly, imagining My Daddy raging with anger.
But inside, I couldn’t calm down. It’s true that both the Fertio Marquisate and Count Ferdinand’s Domain were already losing their subjects to Seato Village. Due to the large war with the Yelinetta Kingdom, many people had fled to Seato Village, which was rumored to be the safest place in the surrounding region.
If we try recruiting people in the city where the lord’s castle is located, the outflow of subjects might accelerate.
No, it should be fine. After all, this city is the most urbanized area in the northern region. It’s not the kind of environment where people would leave a city where they can get anything just to seek a slow life in the countryside.
Reassuring myself inwardly, I looked up at my family home visible through the carriage window. The large castle, with several tall towers and stone walls left in their natural color, gave an overwhelmingly intimidating presence to its surroundings.
Right in front of the main street. Beyond the main gate, I could see the two-story terrace. The room with the window slightly above that was my room. Right now, no one was in there—it was probably just left as a bedroom. Since it looked just like the other windows, no one was paying attention to it.
“Hmm, as expected, the Fertio Marquis’ castle is imposing. They’ve solidified their position with military power.”
As I indulged in sentimentality, Panamera casually muttered this.
“That’s true. As far as I know, this city has never been a battlefield, but I think it’s built strong enough for siege warfare.”
When I responded, Panamera glanced at me and snorted.
“...Hmm, is that so?”
Was something bothering him? Panamera gave a short acknowledgment, folded his arms, and leaned back into his seat. While slightly concerned by his demeanor, Arte spoke up.
“Um, is it really okay to head there without prior notice?”
Panamera shrugged in response to her worried question.
“It’s their own child coming home, so there’s no need for prior notice.”
Panamera’s curt reply made Arte and me exchange glances. But the atmosphere made it hard to ask more.
“...Ah, we’ve already reached the main gate! Look, there’s Mr. Andre, the gatekeeper.”
Noticing the strange mood Panamera was in, Til smiled awkwardly and changed the subject. Looking out the window, I saw the familiar face of the gatekeeper. Row was running toward him and talking.
It must have been just a few seconds. Row quickly turned on his heel and ran back toward us.
“Lord Van, Lord Jarpa has departed with the knight order near the border of the Shelvia Confederation.”
“...Did my bad feeling come true? Do you know when they left?”
“I’ve heard it was two weeks ago.”
I nodded in response to Row’s report.
“Two weeks… then they should have arrived at their destination by now.”
“Hmm, is it that close? If the Marquis is trying to meet the Shelvia Confederation with only his own knight order, he’d have hired mercenaries and prepared around ten thousand soldiers. In that case, they might not have arrived yet.”
“That’s right. Considering they didn’t come to Seato Village, there’s over a month of preparation time. Gathering local mercenary groups and getting ready would take that long. It fits perfectly.”
After agreeing with Panamera’s guess, I called out to Kamushin outside the carriage.
“Hurry and split up to restock food and supplies. If possible, let’s depart early morning tomorrow or the day after.”
“Yes!”
After giving the instructions, Kamushin straightened up and replied. Hearing that, I spoke to the coachman.
“I want to gather some information, so let’s head to the castle.”
“Yes, sir!”
A young knight from the knight order responded and the carriage moved forward. When we reached the gate, the bearded middle-aged gatekeeper, Mr. Andre, looked up at me and called out.