Published: January 17, 2026
Brother Murcia was troubled by the increasing population. Wanting to do something to help him, the handsome young boy Van-kun—brilliant, a bundle of intelligence, yet pure-hearted and devoted to his siblings—was working hard.
Yes, with the rapid population growth in mind, it was necessary to install new housing and facilities. Normally, since it involved remodeling not only the surface of the fortress city but also the underground, it would require an enormous amount of time, effort, and budget.
However, with the genius boy Van-kun, who wished to be called a great sage or prodigy, this was possible. Truly, Van Construction Inc. had a four-point advantage: fast, cheap, skillful, and amazing.
Lost in such thoughts and humming to himself, I completed drainage systems, a large communal bath, and five apartment buildings—all public facilities—within three days. Murcia was overjoyed. Emira and the others were also happy, finally able to focus on city management, which Espada had taught them.
Alright, alright, then I’ll finish up the rest so we can start taking in residents immediately.
That was my plan, but the next morning, an unexpected visitor arrived, and things took a turn.
“Lord Van! You have a visitor!”
Til came running in a flurry, calling for me.
“A visitor in the fortress city Murcia? I wonder who it could be?”
“A representative from the commerce guild!”
“Apollosan? Hmm, I met him recently, and I thought he said he was heading to the capital city next…”
Saying that, I quickly changed clothes with Til’s help and hurried toward the city gate. Panamera and Murcia were already there.
“Oh, you’re late.”
“Van, you’re awake.”
Panamera and Murcia spoke with different tones. Panamera looked amused, as if expecting something interesting, while Murcia appeared somewhat worried.
“Good morning. I heard someone from the commerce guild came…”
I approached the two, and Panamera nodded, glancing right outside the gate.
“I wanted to hear their business, but they requested to see the boy specifically. So here we are, waiting.”
I smiled wryly at Panamera’s words and looked where he was staring. There stood a woman wearing a robe, accompanied by men who looked like adventurers. The woman seemed to be in her mid-twenties. She was a tall woman with pale blue hair, giving off an athletic vibe.
“Are you Lord Van nei Feltio?”
She asked me, and I nodded in response.
“Yes. I’m Van nei Feltio. When I heard you were from the commerce guild, I thought you might be Apollosan…”
When I asked, the woman furrowed her brows in a slight frown.
“Oh, I apologize. Apollosan can’t come immediately due to circumstances… I, Arrow, have come as his proxy. Like Apollosan, I’m a commerce guild representative for the central region of the Grant Continent. Nice to meet you.”
“Oh, that’s very polite… Wait, Apollosan is responsible for the central region of this continent? That’s an enormous area, isn’t it?”
“Yes. There are ten representatives for the central region, so we manage somehow… Actually, the southern and western regional reps have it even tougher…”
Hearing about the commerce guild’s astounding service area, I began to suspect it might be some kind of exploitative company. Arrow, however, smiled wryly and offered that as a kind of explanation. Looks like I might have to speak directly with someone in charge at the commerce guild.
While I was thinking this, Arrow suddenly looked surprised and spoke up.
“Oh, yes! I brought a letter from Apollosan! I haven’t heard the details, but it’s an urgent matter!”
She said this and produced a letter sealed with red wax, holding it out to me. Ah, this is Apollosan’s seal. Thinking so, I broke the wax and opened the letter.
“Um…”
As I read the letter, Panamera, restless, spoke up.
“What is it? What does it say?”
He really was like a child. Smiling wryly at Panamera’s eagerness, I quickly scanned the contents—and was stunned.
“Panamera-san, is there a ship in the Kingdom of Scuderia that crosses the sea?”