Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord

From the second floor of the lord's manor, I appeared with Til in tow, unfurled a letter, and began to read aloud.

Below us stood Espada, Dee, the villagers, as well as Ort, Bell, Arte, and the soldiers from Panamera.

Though there were just over two hundred people, seeing them all gathered made the number feel much larger.

“—The slaying of the Forest Dragon, also known as the Lord of the Forest! In recognition of those who played the most important roles in this battle, awards will be presented! The honors will be bestowed by the head of the Viscount Cayenne family, Viscount Panamera Carrera Cayenne!”

Though this award ceremony was conducted in an informal and straightforward manner, the moment Panamera appeared gracefully from the second floor of the lord's manor, the atmosphere shifted.

Seeing the tension rise on the villagers’ faces made me, Van-kun, the lord, reflect on my own dignity.

Panamera took a slow, deliberate look around at everyone before solemnly speaking.

“...The Forest Dragon we all fought and defeated here today is normally a threat that requires deployment of the knight order alongside the court magicians. In a village or small town, it would surely cause complete devastation, and even fortress cities nearby would suffer significant damage.”

As she said this, the villagers grew restless.

“However, this small village survived. More than that, there were no casualties, and the only damage was to a portion of the newly constructed walls and two broken ballistas. This is an almost unbelievable feat.”

The villagers responded with exclamations of admiration. I understood their feelings, but now was not the time for noise.

Panamera relaxed her expression slightly at their reactions and continued.

“I will now call the names of those who made significant contributions to this achievement. First, Dee, deputy commander of the Marquis Fertio family knight order. With a single strike, he severed the Forest Dragon’s neck, over fifteen meters in length, decisively ending this battle. Therefore, the first merit goes to Deputy Commander Dee.”

Cheers erupted from the village at these words. Panamera waited for the applause to die down before speaking again.

“Next, Espada, a rare talent in four element magic. Twice, he averted dire situations and immobilized the dragon with his magic, a feat beyond words. Hence, the second merit is awarded to Espada.”

The villagers voiced their admiration once more. I suppose it’s hard for them to fully grasp the power of a magician.

Finally, Panamera glanced over at me and spoke.

“Lastly, Van Nei Fertio, fourth son of the Marquis Fertio family. Despite being only eight years old, your knowledge, decisiveness, and resourcefulness, along with unprecedented use of magic, drastically strengthened the village’s defenses in a short time. Your contributions were crucial in this Forest Dragon slaying, and as lord, you led the battle from the front lines. Therefore, the third merit goes to Van Nei Fertio.”

The moment Panamera said this, a thunderous cheer erupted as if a roar had broken out.

Voices calling my name echoed around. I blinked in surprise but waved my hand. The cheers I received rivaled those of a top idol.

Hey, everyone’s favorite, Van-kun, at your service. Handshakes cost one silver coin each.

With that, the ceremony concluded smoothly.

Afterwards, the great material harvesting festival took place. This time, Panamera Viscount and over one hundred elite soldiers accompanied us, so materials were collected at an incredible pace.

“Hey! What is this sword!? Could all these really be made by the boy!?”

Panamera shouted as she held up a sword that had cleanly sliced through a dragon’s tooth and looked back at me.

“This sword is specially made for material harvesting, with a focus on sharpness. Though practical, it’s very effective.”

“You gave one to every soldier? Over a hundred swords!? Aren’t these special swords!?”

“I make one sword for five gold coins.”

When I answered, Panamera looked at me as if seeing something unbelievable.