"Hahahahaha! Van-sama, I have returned!"
"Welcome back, Dee. And thank you too, Arv, for all your hard work."
Though both of them looked a little fatigued, they were in good spirits, and I was relieved to see them return safely. Behind them, the Ceat Knights also looked relieved, their faces lighting up with smiles.
"His Majesty returned ahead of us and heard about our victory. Was everything fine on your end?"
"Of course! Thanks to Van-sama, the defenses are impenetrable! We had no trouble with the mobile ballistae! At first, we were wary of the cannons, but once we realized we could track their shots, it became much easier!"
"Track their shots? The cannonballs?"
"Yes, that's right! If you look up in the direction where the sound came from, you can spot the cannonball right away. The trick is to predict where the cannon is firing from and estimate the angle. I’ll teach you next time if you want!"
Dee, having returned, immediately started spouting unbelievable ideas. Unfortunately, I still value my life and wouldn’t want to take up his advice anytime soon.
On the other hand, Arve was staggering towards me, looking like he was about to burst into tears. His eyes were already brimming with tears, so it was more accurate to say he was crying as he approached.
"...Are you okay?"
I called out, my concern growing as Arve nodded weakly, looking completely worn out.
"I've reached my limit... I've never been so happy to receive the order to return."
"Huh? Was the Yellinetta's Kingdom’s attack that tough? We reinforced the fortress city so thoroughly..."
I asked, surprised. After all, we had ballistae for the cannons, and the structure was designed so it couldn’t be easily breached even if they got close. If they did manage to break through, maybe it was because some flying creatures, like dragons, showed up.
I thought to myself, maybe we should have strengthened our defenses against aerial attacks.
As I asked again, Arv shook his head, leaning in to speak quietly.
"No... The Yellenetta army couldn’t get past the fortress city. The main battlefront shifted quickly to the Yellenetta Kingdom’s capital. But, with the atmosphere of the war... well, the enthusiasm of a certain knight captain was intense, and all that unspent energy went into training... it was some of the harshest training we’ve ever had. We didn’t even know when it would end, and we were all completely exhausted..."
"Wh-what knight captain would that be...?"
I asked, now more curious about the mysterious knight captain. In any case, I decided to try cheering up Arv.
"Well, thanks for your hard work. The people returning from the expedition will get a week off, so go ahead and relax, take a bath, and sleep. Oh, and for those interested, I might give out some stay vouchers for the Kusara Hotel... you know, the inn in Adventurers' Town."
Seeing Arv's exhausted state, I felt sorry for him and decided to put more effort into rewarding him than usual. When I said this, Arv’s eyes lit up and he looked up at me, his face full of joy.
"R-Really?!"
"Did you hear that, everyone?!"
"Yay!"
The knights behind Dee and Arv also raised their hands in celebration, their faces lighting up with excitement.
Huh? They actually look pretty energetic, don’t they?
I thought to myself, watching their reactions, when Dee let out a big laugh and nodded enthusiastically.
"Hahaha! It’s important to keep a balance! But, I don’t need such rest, you see! Let’s start training the ones who stayed behind tomorrow!"
"R-right. I’m counting on you."
"Leave it to me!"
With that, the Ceat Knights, for the first time in a while, were all gathered together.
A little while later, the Count Ventury and Count Ferdinant, who had been involved in the march on Yellenetta’s capital, returned as well, and they seemed to be in high spirits.
Ferdinant, seemingly curious, immediately headed to where Arte was, barely stopping to greet anyone else.
Then, surprisingly, Ventury, who was always full of energy, seemed quite angry for some reason.
"Congratulations on the victory in battle."
I greeted him, but Ventury snorted in displeasure.
"Even though we won a great war against a mighty nation, I didn’t gain any real merit. Just when we were about to launch a full assault on the capital, they surrendered so easily."
"Well, I’d say it’s a good thing we didn’t suffer any losses ourselves."
I responded with a wry smile, but Ventury pointed at me with a smirk on his face.
"There’s no doubt that you’re the greatest contributor. But your response sounds a bit... sarcastic, doesn’t it?"
"Eh? Me?"
I was surprised. After all, I had been on the battlefield for the shortest amount of time. I was sure my contributions would be acknowledged, but I didn’t expect to be the one to receive the highest praise. Personally, I thought Panamera, who had actively participated in two major battles, deserved the most credit.
However, Ventury shook his head.
"No, the fall of Yellenetta’s capital wasn’t the greatest achievement. If you look at the bigger picture, the most important turning point was when Baron Van fortifications and the defense strategy turned the tide."
"...I see. If that’s the case, maybe I could ask for something small for myself, huh?"
I said with a smile, and Ventury raised an intrigued eyebrow.
"Oh? You want something, Baron Van? Now that’s a bit interesting."
Just as Ventury said this, His Majesty entered the room. Ventury and his knights immediately knelt and bowed their heads.
With a smile on his face, His Majesty waved his hand.
"Good, good. Everyone, relax."
After that, His Majesty turned to speak to Ventury.
"Oh, Count! Your performance in this war was excellent. Your magical cavalry was truly outstanding."
"Ha! Thank you!"
Ventury puffed out his chest in pride at the praise, but soon turned to me and spoke again.
"By the way, Your Majesty, about Baron Van..."
"Hm?"
"Huh?"
I was caught off guard when the topic was suddenly brought up and looked up in surprise.
"If Baron Van were to receive the highest honors, it seems there’s something he wants."
"Oh? Is that so! How unusual, Baron Van! What is it you want?"
At Venturi’s pass, His Majesty’s mood instantly brightened as he looked at me. Wait, is this happening too quickly?
Well, I had planned to ask for something anyway, but I was hoping for a better timing. Guess I’ll just have to ask now.
"...Well, it’s not exactly the highest honor, but if possible, I would be thrilled to receive priority trading rights with the Central Continent, which the Yellenetta Kingdom holds..."
I said, imagining delicious spices and rare ingredients. I felt a bit embarrassed to be thinking about food, but I masked it with the innocence of Baron Van.
I smiled awkwardly and looked up at His Majesty.
However, His Majesty, to my surprise, beamed brightly and looked incredibly pleased.
"Mm, understood. Finally, Baron Van, you’ll be able to develop weapons using the black orbs. You’ve mentioned that plan before, and I’m looking forward to seeing it come to fruition with my own eyes!"
His Majesty’s words made Venturi raise his eyebrows.
"Oh? You’ve mentioned this plan before?"
"Mm. It seems that Baron Van’s goal is with the Central Continent, after all. Hahaha! How reassuring!"
His Majesty’s words made Venturi look at me as if he had a new level of respect for me.
Eh? Why is this all happening now?
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