Fun Territory Defense of the Easy-Going Lord ~The Nameless Village Is Made Into the Strongest Fortified City by Production Magic~

opened her mouth with a predatory grin.

”…From the looks of it, you’re probably a little younger than Miss Arte, yet you’re much calmer.
Please don’t read too deeply into this question, but… why do you think we are here?”

　The question was very blunt.
I couldn’t help but laugh at how straightforward it was.

“Let me guess, you are here to assess your enemy’s situation.
Perhaps you are even seeking to make me join your cause.”

　After answering in a matter-of-fact tone, Panamera’s eyes widened and she started laughing.

”Huha, hahaha! Incredible! To think that a child could possess such deep insight.
Master Van, you are completely right!”

　Panamera laughed as if it was funny and reveals what she should have kept hidden.

“Lord Ferdinand couldn’t understand Marquis Fertio’s intentions.
Everyone pays attention to the heirs of influential people, but Lord Van had been particularly noteworthy.
Normally, an eight-year old’s aptitude for magic would be assessed and an unveiling ceremony would be held, but no such event was held in your honor.”

　Panamera looking down at my face with observant eyes.

”Well, perhaps your magical aptitude wasn’t of the four elemental magics, but that would not warrant you being installed as a lord of some worthless frontier territory.
After all, you were rumored to be a prodigy.
In addition, the timing of your appointment was strange as well.
In most cases, lords-to-be would receive extensive training, but you were sent right after your magical aptitude test.
It fostered suspicion in Lord Ferdinand, that some such an abnormal individual was entrusted with land on the boundary between this county and the Kingdom of Yelinetta.”

　Panamera joyfully leaked a large amount of sensitive information.

　No, no matter what situation, it is strictly forbidden for high ranking nobles in the country to scout out other nobles or seek to destroy them.
She was an… unusual woman that was to be sure.

　Are you giving this information just to see how I will react?

　Looking to her side, I can see that Arte is scowling.

”…Well, even if I hide my information, it would have been found out eventually.
Let’s just say that I don’t have an aptitude for any of the four-elements magics, which is a shame.
However, the rest of your conjectures are too fantastical.
I’ve simply been banished to a frontier village.”

　Laughing at myself, I say this, prompting Panamera to stare at my face, giddy.

　Then, she suddenly raised her body and let out a deep sigh.

”…Is that true? How boring.
To think that the child prodigy was not as amazing as rumored.”

“You, do you truly think my father has sent me on some kind of grand mission?”

　Panamera’s words made me cringe a little, and I retorted back in anger.
I was kicked out of the house for no other reason than disappointment at my aptitude.
There is no doubt about it.
My dad and my brother are idiots…

　Is was then that Panamera suddenly opened a hand with a terrified expression.

(T.N.
Note: Wasn’t quite sure why opening a hand was the correct movement for “terror”, but I didn’t really get an alternative.)

“How could I have not noticed? I saw everything I needed when I arrived at this land.
In a mere month or two, our scouts had reported that this was just some washed-up border village.
In that short period of time, high walls have been built, and every building was rebuilt with the incredibly high-quality material, the manufacturing method of which is unknown.
There are experienced stewards in the lord’s mansion, and skilled knights to protect its walls.

　After saying that much, Panamera checked Arte’s face for a moment, and then continued to speak quietly.

”…At least, you would have needed around 5 thousand men? To think that they could transport so many troops unnoticed.
But, Marquis Fertio still took such an incredible risk.
And why is that? The only reason would be that the Marquis has high expectations for lord Van and that they intend to establish a military base here.”

“Buh.”

(T.N.
Note: A laughing onomatopoeia.)

　Panamera’s grand misunderstanding blew me away.

　The conversation was flowing in a bad direction.

　But I can’t stop laughing at how amusingly wrong she was.
To be fair, it was a reasonable assumption if one solely looked at the situation without any context or knowledge of prior events.

“…what’s so funny?”

　I heard a low, growling voice.
When I looked, Panamera is staring at us, seeming wary of her surroundings.

　Because my ‘plans’ were exposed, she was afraid of being assassinated. 

　Responding to her killing intent, Dee gently sat down and became ready for battle.
Following Dee’s lead, Kamsin put his hand over the hilt of his sword.

”Huha, hahaha.”

　The more serious the atmosphere became, the more unbearable it became. 

　I knew that everyone’s attention was trained on me, but I let myself laugh for a while more.

(T.N.
Note: Time to come clean, for the T.N.
notes, I just realized that ‘Translator’s Note’ would be abbreviated as T.L.
Note, not T.N.
note.)