Published: January 19, 2026
We went to the capital city of the Yelinetta Kingdom and, as planned, discovered the hidden treasure that had been secretly kept from the Kingdom of Scuderia. We completed compiling the inventory. The only thing left was to report to His Majesty and receive a reward. Nice job.
I had Cosworth and Earlhardt review the contents of the inventory, and they signed off without any objections. I smiled and said goodbye to the stern-faced members of the Yelinetta royal family, then left the capital city with Panamera.
“Boy, that irony was quite well done.”
“Huh? Irony?”
“Did you see the faces of King Yelinetta and the others? With this, the ranking is settled. Neither I, a Count, nor you, a Viscount, could be challenged. Spiritually, they’ve completely become a vassal state of our country.”
“Is that so? I feel like I did something bad.”
“...Boy, you possess astonishing knowledge in many areas, yet you haven’t learned how to handle nobles properly? A noble who’s only kind will soon bring about their own ruin. I’ll inform Lord Espada about this.”
“...Please, anything but that.”
As we chatted, we headed back the way we came. On the way, we reached the fortress city Murcia and noticed the population had clearly increased.
“Oh, the residents are finally...!”
As I looked around the town, Murcia himself, the lord of the fortress, spotted us.
“Ah, Van!”
Hearing my name, I stopped and raised a hand.
“Brother Murcia! How have you been?”
“Not well, not well at all!”
For once, Murcia showed a sign of weakness. I couldn’t help but feel guilty.
“Ah, haha... The population is growing, and soon managing the city will really begin.”
“I can’t laugh... I just can’t laugh, Van...”
Murcia shook his head from side to side. Oh no, he’s struggling. Poor brother. But being a handsome and gentle nobleman, Murcia’s troubled expression suited him well. The noble ladies would surely not leave him alone.
But this was no time to be thinking foolish thoughts.
Right now, the fortress city Murcia is gathering immigrants and adventurers not only from Seato Village but also many from within the Yelinetta Kingdom territory. Normally, they would gather in fortress city Cayenne, but perhaps for some reason, many chose Murcia instead.
Because of this, the population of fortress city Murcia surged to about seven hundred. Considering the area, it’s still quite sparse. Compared to before, when the population was less than a hundred, this growth is astonishing.
Normally, population growth is good for maintaining a fortress city. But only if the infrastructure to support them already exists. This city has mostly defensive facilities, and just recently the Bell Rango Trading Company managed to open a shop. They’re currently all helping a few carpenters build shops and houses.
The hard part now is keeping track of the immigrants’ names, genders, ages, and making the registry. Also, since the immigrants come from different statuses and origins, conflicts are frequent. Resolving those is also a huge effort.
Led by Murcia, we moved to the main keep. Panamera followed with a curious look at what she might find, but Murcia seemed too overwhelmed to pay attention.
In the keep’s office, we found three people working with desperate expressions. They were the three administrator candidates trained by Espada. One was Emira, sent as Murcia’s assistant from the city’s founding.
They noticed us and all looked up, eyes wide open. Emira, like Murcia, looked on the verge of tears.
“Lord Van!”
“W-we’ve been expecting you!”
“P-please give us a moment...!”
They put down their documents and rushed over.
“Yeah, it’s been a while, everyone. Let’s hear what’s going on.”
I smiled wryly and sat down. They glanced at Murcia, who nodded and took the lead in speaking.
“First, we’ve confirmed all immigrants’ names, ages, races, genders, professions, magical aptitude, and households; the registry is complete. For now, the residences are just for the knight order, but everyone is staying in the soldiers’ barracks. Also, my knights have all become proficient in operating the ballistae, so we’ve divided into three squads, rotating patrols and training. Regarding food, supplies, and daily necessities, the Bell Rango Trading Company and Mary Trading Company are cooperating, so things are manageable.”