Fun Territory Defense Chapter 145 (Patreon)

Departure

Before the departure ceremony, Arte and Ferdinand exchanged glances, albeit a little awkwardly, and laughed.

They continued to talk after the barbecue as if they were making up for lost father-daughter time, and by the end they were even able to laugh a little.

On the stage, which had been made simply, were His Majesty, Jalpa, Venturi, Ferdinand, and other high-ranking nobles, and some lower ranking nobles who were in partial command, such as Panamera. For some reason, I was also on the stage.

His Majesty looked at the assembled knights and praised the valor of each of them. Jalpa and the other high-ranking nobles did the same, praising each of the knightly orders for their skill and appearance. To put it bluntly, the ceremony was intended to lift the spirits of every soldier, to give them confidence, and to motivate them.

The day before the event, the soldiers are eating and drinking as if they were at a big feast. The soldiers' motivation would be even higher than before.

As I watched His Majesty's back with this in mind, he spoke just as the ceremony was about to end.

"The elite of my kingdom! If you want to have last night's dinner again, smash Jiernetta and return home alive!"

And then he issued a proclamation that I had never heard before. But it seemed to raise the soldiers' spirits the most, and they cheered tremendously.

His Majesty looked at me and grinned.

Does this mean that we should hunt demonic beasts again and prepare food? Either way, a considerable amount of food will be stored in a week or two. I decide that there is no problem and return the smile.

His Majesty laughs in surprise, but nods lightly and draws his sword.

"Now, let's go to battle!"

At his voice, the soldiers respond with a heroic, earth-shaking voice. And then, as agreed, the Venturi Counts' Knights marched ahead of the others.

Then a group of adventurers approaches the platform, including Ortho, Pluriel, and Xsara.

"Well, I'm off!"

"Please, Ortho-san!"

Ortho and the others, who had been entrusted by His Majesty to guard and escort the mountain paths, smiled with a natural ease that suggested they had plenty of time to spare.

Since they have been in Seat Village for a long time, Ortho and the others are well-equipped with weapons, armor, shields, etc. that I have made. They had fought in dungeons and in the Wolfsburg Mountains, where many powerful monsters and beasts dwelled, so they must have plenty of time to spare.

"Well, it's easy for me to take the lead and be on the lookout. Please feel like you're in a big boat."

As Xsara said this, Ortho and the others turned white.

"What's an innkeeper like you saying, don't boast just because you received a high commission."

"You were always big to begin with, but lately, you've gotten even rounder."

"No, no, aren't you all a bit harsh? Are you jealous of me because I've reduced my debts so much by having the nobles stay with us this time?"

Xsara laughs at Ortho, Pluriel, and the others' comments, his round belly shaking. He's on a roll, isn't he?

Xsara will do his job well, but he is not to be caught off guard or too proud.

"Xsara-san. I heard that if you discuss the future when you are on your way to a site where your life is in danger, the dragon may swallow you whole... Be careful, okay?"

As he blurted this out, everyone's eyes turned to Xsara.

"You know, the people who said they would get married if they accomplished this task, or that they would open a store if they survived, often died during the commission..."

"True..."

Ortho and Pluriel agree with a mysterious look on their faces. Xsara shuddered at that, and her smile twitched.

"No, no way...! Ha, hahaha! You're joking too much, boy!"

I looked at the frightened Xsara with eyes that looked at the poor thing, and he gasped and shushed me.

Okay, that should take the tension out of the situation. I nodded and sent Ortho and the others on their way.

Looking next to me, I saw Arte calling out to Count Ferdinand, who was about to get off the platform and go under the knights.

"...Oh, um, please be careful..."

Ferdinand is momentarily startled by his father's words of concern for his safety, but quickly smiles kindly.

"...I'm off, Arte."

It still wasn't quite natural, but it certainly felt like they were looking out for each other as father and son.

As I watched them with relief, Panamera came up next to me and opened her mouth.

"...Did you do something again, boy? If you knew them before, you would never have believed that they were talking like that."

I shake my head from side to side as Panamera says this to me.

"No, I think Arte changed Count Ferdinand's mind by herself. Arte did an impressive job, she returned to the Count's territory without being asked for help and defeated the army of the Kingdom of Jiernetta."

Panamera laughed as she replied, letting out a gasp.

"I see. So, it was not only Lord Ferdinand who changed."

She murmurs and pats my head.

"Indeed... I never really get tired of being with the boy."

Panamera smiled wryly, in a good mood.