Published: January 12, 2026
I was rushed with preparations.
Halfway through, I felt desperate.
After all the effort to strengthen the village’s defenses, I never expected to be told to leave the village and fight outside.
If that’s the case, I have to face it with a formation that I can confidently say is absolutely safe.
First, to protect the place we will return to, I left Espada as the acting lord, along with villagers skilled at handling the ballista. Then there’s also the Espada knight order.
“Are you sure it’s okay for me not to come along?”
“You’re the only one who can act as acting lord, after all.”
When I said that, Espada looked around at everyone standing nearby and then nodded deeply.
“I understand. As expected of Lord Van.”
She seemed to fully understand. That’s Espada for you.
The village is settled with that, but the real problem is the team going with me.
“First, Dee and the others will take most of the knights from my order.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Til and Kamushin are too dangerous, so…”
“I’m going! I absolutely want to go!”
“We’re going!”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
I was overwhelmed by their insistence.
Well, I expected they would come.
“Arte is a visitor, so I think I’ll have her wait in the village.”
“… I’ll go too!”
“Huh?”
I couldn’t help but blurt out a dumbfounded voice. But Arte wore an incredibly determined expression for some reason.
“It’s dangerous…”
“I’m prepared.”
Unusually, Arte interrupted me to clearly express her intention. Then she lightly exhaled and crossed her arms.
“Alright. You’ll be by my side at all times, right? If so, I’ll permit you to come along.”
“Yes!”
Arte answered happily, and I gave a wry smile and sighed. The people around us gave us fond looks, but I just ignored them, feeling there was no help for it.
Still, having Arte come along was actually a great help. If I bring her personal puppet doll, it would definitely serve as a sturdy shield.
We lined up large wagons in the spacious clearing inside the village walls and checked the equipment and knight order.
“...Is this enough? I just became a baron, so nobody can say our forces are weak, right?”
When I asked, Dee folded his arms and inspected.
“If you know what’s inside, it’s more than sufficient. Considering Lord Van’s age, this should be fine.”
I nodded vaguely at Dee’s words, and from a distance, Ort, an adventurer who was observing, spoke.
“Shall I take the escort request? Normally, I wouldn’t get involved in wars, but I can accept if it’s Lord Van’s escort.”
With such a wonderful suggestion, I raised both hands and cheered.
“Oh! That’s great! Then I’ll call to all the adventurers and see if anyone will accept the job!”
What a brilliant idea. Increasing numbers so easily like this.
“By the way, Kusala is forcibly joining.”
“Again with that treatment!?”
Kusala jumped at my words. No, what is she surprised about?
“My knight order lacks specialized scouts. We have hunters, but I think they’re a bit different from scouts.”
When I said that, Kusala pouted in dissatisfaction.
“That’s true, but since it’s a request, I’d like you to at least confirm with me if I accept it.”
“Huh? But Kusala, if you don’t accept my request, it’s death penalty…”
“You’re saying I’ll die!? Then I’ll accept it! Of course!”
When I joked, Kusala played along in her usual exaggerated way. The slight tears were probably overacting.
“Alright. Then, Ort, please send the request to all adventurers. Those who accept will receive five gold coins as advance payment, and one large gold coin after completing the task.”
“...Everyone will come for that. Are you sure?”
“How many exactly is ‘everyone’?”
When I asked, Ort frowned thoughtfully.
“Umm... including the ones who came last time, about three or four... probably around 150 people? Maybe even a few more?”
“150 people!? How did it increase so much!?”
I was greatly surprised. Wasn’t it originally about sixty? What happened in such a short time?