Published: January 15, 2026
“Wahaha! Lord Van, we have just returned!”
“Welcome back, Dee. Arb, thank you for your hard work as well.”
Although they looked tired, both of them seemed healthy, which was a relief. The Seato knight order following behind also smiled with a sense of ease.
“His Majesty returned earlier to confirm the victory. Was everything alright?”
“Of course! Thanks to Lord Van, the defense was impenetrable! Attacking with the mobile ballista was no trouble at all! At first, we were cautious of the cannons, but once we realized the cannonballs could be tracked with the eyes, it became much easier!”
“Tracked with the eyes? The cannonballs?”
“Yes. If you look up in the direction where the sound came from, you can spot the cannonballs right away. The trick is to predict the cannon’s firing position and estimate the height. I’ll teach you sometime if there’s a chance!”
Dee said something outrageous as soon as he got back. Unfortunately, I’m not ready to stop being human just yet, so I’ll have to decline Dee’s offer to teach me.
Meanwhile, Arb walked over here unsteadily, looking like she was about to cry. Actually, with tears already gathering in the corners of her eyes, it was more accurate to say she was crying.
“…Are you alright?”
Worried, I asked, and Arb nodded weakly.
“I was at my limit... I’ve never been so happy to receive a recall order.”
“Huh? Was the Yelinetta Kingdom’s attack really that harsh? We strengthened the fortress city that much.”
Surprised by Arb’s words, I asked again. We had ballistae to counter the cannons, and the fortress was built so that even if they got close, they couldn’t break through easily. If they managed to break through, maybe some flying dragon ascendant showed up.
Perhaps we should have strengthened our aerial defenses more.
As I wondered about this, Arb shook her head and then leaned in close to whisper.
“No... The Yelinetta forces couldn’t do anything to the fortress city. The main battlefield soon shifted to the Yelinetta Kingdom’s capital city. However, the atmosphere during the war and the incredible motivation of a certain knight commander stirred up energy with nowhere to go, which was all poured into training... It was harsher training than ever before. Nobody knew when it would end, and everyone was completely exhausted.”
“Wh-who is that knight commander, I wonder... Anyway, good job. Those returning from the expedition will get a week off. You should go to the large communal bath and then get some rest. Oh, and for those who want, I might give out accommodation tickets for the Kusala Hotel... the inn in the adventurer’s town.”
Feeling sorry for Arb’s fatigue, I tried to be more encouraging than usual. Arb’s eyes lit up, and she lifted her face.
“R-Really!?”
“Did you hear that, everyone!?”
“Yay!”
The knights lined up behind Dee and Arb raised both hands in celebration.
Huh? They’re surprisingly lively, aren’t they?
As I watched this, Dee nodded heartily and laughed.
“Wahaha! It’s important to have balance! However, I don’t need such rest! Starting tomorrow, let’s begin training for those who remain behind!”
“…I see. I’m counting on you.”
“Leave it to me!”
And so, the Seato knight order was able to gather all members together for the first time in a while.
By the way, after some time, Count Venturi and Count Ferdinand, who led the advance on the Yelinetta Kingdom’s capital, also returned. They all looked quite energetic.
Ferdinand seemed concerned and said he would immediately check on Arte’s whereabouts, leaving with just a quick greeting.
Meanwhile, Venturi, despite his overly lively mood, was strangely quite angry.
“Congratulations on the victory in battle.”
After saying this, Venturi snorted unhappily.
“Despite winning a war against a great power, we didn’t achieve much distinction. And just when we were about to launch a fierce assault on the capital, they surrendered easily.”
“Well, let’s be glad there were no casualties on our side.”