Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord

Setting aside Kusala’s suspicion of falsely claiming to be a hero, the real problem was the group approaching from behind Kusala, far larger than a mere caravan.

There were tough-looking bald men with weapons, mohawked figures clad in furs, young men in armor carrying axes—suspicious characters swarming in large numbers. Several wagons rolled along, and some riders on horseback shouted “Uooh!” and “Nuooh!” at the top of their lungs.

It was the apocalypse. The apocalyptic age had arrived.

“Sorry about this. After reporting to the guild, a bunch of fools aiming for quick riches showed up. Well, since this is a frontier village, they’re probably prepared to camp out overnight. To avoid frightening the villagers, please let them stay outside the village,” Kusala said.

But that wasn’t an option. These adventurers would become regular patrons in the future. They had to spread good stories about the village now.

“Wait a moment. For now, we can accommodate about sixty people staying overnight. Let’s at least build a minimal wall around the area. Kusala, you can head back to the village. Thank you for your hard work.”

After saying that, Flamilia bowed gracefully behind Kusala. She was definitely a young lady of noble birth.

Just then, Kusala suddenly looked around as if remembering something.

“Where did the gentlemen go?”

“Ort and the others are exploring around the dungeon. Although, the location seems unfavorable. They haven’t been able to set up a base for dungeon exploration yet.”

“Oh, then it’s my turn now. Well, I’ll take it easy today and from tomorrow I’ll show them how it’s done,” Kusala said cheerfully as she headed back to the village.

Watching her retreating figure, Arte muttered, “That lady was the daughter of the Baron Stratos family, wasn’t she?”

“You know that?”

Arte nodded sadly, lowering her chin.

“...Yes. I heard that after the baron passed away, their family declined. Probably their estate was confiscated…”

“That’s terrible... She looks about the same age as me but has endured such hardships…”

Til covered her mouth and said that, causing Arte to tilt her head.

“Ah, no. There is only one daughter in the Baron Stratos family, and she is probably around thirty years old…”

“Huh?”

Everyone turned their gaze toward the village at Arte’s words.

“…The world is full of mysteries,” Kamushin muttered thoughtfully, but made no further comment. It’s best not to say unnecessary things about a woman’s age.

“Well then, let’s resume town building. The shops won’t be open yet, so let’s start by making temporary fortifications as a stopgap. I think a wall strong enough to hold off medium-sized demonic beasts will do. If something dangerous shows up, everyone can retreat to the village.”

“Understood.”

“We might want to fence the area where the wagons are parked.”

While they were discussing, a group of adventurers finally reached their spot. They looked at them and spoke up.

“Hey, you guys playing around in such a wild place?”

“Kids! Even near the village, it’s dangerous outside!”

“Heh heh heh. Pretty lady, someone like you might get targeted by perverts. We’d love to hug you ourselves. So, better head home quickly.”

Like villains from an apocalyptic story, these ruffians cursed crudely at them.

Wait, were they really cursing?

“…Are they worried about us?”

“Seems so.”

“They’re clumsy but kind people.”

“But their faces are a little scary…”

Though Arte found them a bit unpleasant, personally I was pleasantly surprised. The three adventurers at the front, with faces like the A-un statues of divine guardians, fell silent, and those laughing behind them stepped forward.

“Sorry if we scared you.”

“Yeah, the White Oath guys don’t look too friendly.”

“But they’re really skilled.”

Other adventurers chimed in to defend them. So, these apocalyptic thugs were part of a party called White Oath? Why such a name?

While pondering that, a slender man clad in shining silver armor spoke up.