That evening, as the released glow of sunset blanketed the world.
And at last, after the lengthy journey.
The shape of Fortress City began to enter my sight.
"It's Crossroad!"
Never did I think the day would come when this terrible monster front line would be a welcome sight!
Though I'd been away just over a month, it felt like I'd been gone much longer. Perhaps it was because I had experienced so much.
'So many tasks must have piled up.'
I have to go dungeon exploring, check the equipment I ordered, reexamine the city management plan, establish an advanced base, recruit and train additional characters...
So damn many things to do!
'But I guess I can rest at least today.'
The journey from the Imperial Capital to here took a full three weeks. There's a reason the word poison (毒) is in the term 'fatigue', right? I must make sure to recover from it. (TL Note: Quick explaination, the word 'Fatigue' is '여독', is derived from two Kanji. It's 餘(여), which means leftover, and 毒(독), which means poison. Basically, one must rest after traveling so the fatigue doesn't kill you.)
As I approached the city's north gate, the hero characters and soldiers came out, stood in line, and greeted me.
"Welcome back, Your Highness. We are truly pleased that you've returned safely."
Reina, an imperial officer standing in front with her fifty soldiers, bowed to me.
As both Acting Commander Lucas and Margrave Successor Evangeline came out to greet me, it seemed Reina, being the highest-ranking person, acted as the representative.
"Captain Reina, everything has been well in my absence?"
"Of course, Your Highness. As long as there are enemies to fight, we will always do our job."
"You mean monsters when you speak of enemies to fight?"
"Are there any other enemies on this front?"
Reina responded with a sly smile.
What a sly old snake. I know from Lucas that you tried to kill Margarita at the temple.
But she seemed to have behaved herself since then.
I could see Margarita standing perfectly fine over there. Lilly was also there. I waved at them.
"Have you all been well?"
Margarita and Lilly bowed shyly, smiling at me. They seemed to have been getting along well.
After greeting the other heroes and soldiers, I entered the city through Crossroad's north gate.
"Anything unusual to report, Captain Reina?"
"Nothing much. We fought a defensive battle ten days ago, but we managed to repel them without any significant damage."
I had already checked the stage result window for the defensive battle, and I also heard a report from Lucas on the way. It's a relief they handled it well without me.
Reina paused for a moment before continuing.
"I also sent a rider to the Imperial Capital ahead of Your Highness."
The messenger had been much faster than us, who came by carriage. I gestured with my chin.
"What did they say?"
"Not much has changed. They told us to support three more defensive battles and then return."
"Were there any other instructions for you?"
"Well... there was something like 'Don't cause any trouble.'"
Reina smiled knowingly.
Sure enough, Fernandez had changed his instructions after the incident at the Imperial Capital.
So that's why Reina hadn't attacked Margarita and had behaved herself.
"I'm counting on you for the remaining three defensive battles, Captain Reina."
"I will do my utmost, Your Highness."
Though I couldn't fully trust them, the magician and her subordinate soldiers were top-notch.
I needed to grow my troops to defend this place while they helped with the defense.
As I stepped into the city, citizens who had been engaged in their daily work flooded the streets to greet me.
"Lord!"
"You've returned, Lord!"
"We thought you'd never come back!"
"Why wouldn't I? This is my home."
With a chuckle, I waved back at the citizens. It didn't feel too bad being treated like a lord.
Enjoying the citizens' hospitality, we first headed towards the prison located on the outskirts of Crossroad.
Normally, it served as a resting place for mere drunks and petty thieves, but today was the time to use it as a proper jail.
"Alright, let's go in~"
We stuffed the captured bandits into the prison cells.
The bandits were pale as ghosts. They probably thought they were going to be executed. Haha, such naive fools.
"Watch them closely. Double the guard forces."
"Yes, Your Lordship."
Leaving the prison, I dismissed the soldiers in the city's central square. You guys need a break. How long are you going to follow me around?
The rest went back to their lodgings, and I headed to the lord's mansion with Lucas, Evangeline, and the escort forces that had followed me down from the Imperial Capital.
"In a pleasant place, even if called~ my only resting place is~ my little home~"
Humming happily, I led the way.
Soon, the mansion made of red bricks and marble appeared before our eyes. My sweet home, the Lord's Mansion at Crossroad.
'The Imperial Capital's guesthouse was fine, but indeed, my home in this world is here.'
As we arrived at the mansion, Aider, who had been waiting at the entrance, rushed out.
"Lord! You've returned!"
"Aider."
"I knew you'd come back safely! Now, I've prepared hot bath water and a meal, so please come inside!"
I had much to talk about with Aider, but first, I had to take care of the escorts who had come with me.
"Assign rooms for our guests as well. Let them bathe, and we'll dine together."
"As you command, Lord!"
Following Aider's guidance, everyone went to their rooms. Stretching, I went upstairs to my room in the mansion. It was time to relax in my own space.
Suddenly, someone grabbed my shoulder.
"Huh?"
Confused, I turned to see Evangeline, looking pale, with Lucas standing behind her, rubbing his forehead as though in pain.
I blinked in surprise. What's going on?
"Please... don't be angry."
"...?"
"Promise me. You won't get angry?"
Evangeline forcibly took my little finger and entwined it with hers.
"Okay! Promise made! You can't get angry now!"
Not knowing what was going on, I was taken aback.
"What? Why would I be angry?"
"Don't ask! Just promise! Promise not to get angry at me!"
I was wondering why she was acting like this, but Evangeline's intention soon became clear.
Lord's Mansion, second floor. The Lord's bedroom.
Upon opening the door and stepping in, my jaw dropped.
"What the...?"
Time had settled into the dignified, old-fashioned beige wallpaper... now neatly painted over with pink.
The graceful dark brown furniture had all been replaced with brand-new white wooden ones, and the adorable-sized bed was covered with frills and lace everywhere. Above the soft quilt was even a giant teddy bear.
And, flowers.
Every corner of the room was covered with colorful flowers. The smell of flowers was so strong that it made my head throb.
"..."
I rubbed my eyes fiercely. Was I seeing things because I was tired? Had my sweet home become sweet in a different sense?
"What a tremendous... why does my room look like a flower garden..."
Shivering, I quickly turned around. Aider, Lucas, and Evangeline were there.
"What is this! Why is my room like this?! What is this pink and bling-bling interior?! Why would you do this?! Who did this?!"
I meant, who had such wickedly bright taste to remodel someone else's room into a flower garden style!
At that, Aider and Lucas's eyes all concentrated in one place. I looked in that direction too. The culprit was obvious.
"Whistle~ Whistling... Whistle~"
There, I saw Evangeline, clumsily whistling, her lips rounded, not even whistling properly.
Her big green eyes were desperately avoiding our gaze.
"...Evangeline?"
Startled!
With shoulders jerked, Evangeline poured out cold sweat as she continued to try to whistle. Her protruding lips were trembling.
"May I... demand an explanation?"
"No, um, ahem! So!"
Rolling her round eyes from side to side, Evangeline whined.
"The Lord had left without any promise to return... I thought that maybe he might never come back at all."
"So?"
"The Lord won't return, and Lucas, sir, was losing his mind. I thought that as the heir to the Margrave, I might have to rule this city in the future?"
"So...?"
"Eventually, the lord's mansion will be mine, and the lord's bedroom will be mine too? It's the house I was born in, after all?"
Evangeline pointed to the room with a sheepish smile.
"So I did some remodeling in advance. To my taste. Ah~ But just as the remodeling finished, the Lord came back."
"..."
"So, although I worked hard on the interior, I've stepped aside so that the Lord can use it again."
Humming in agreement, Evangeline pointed at the room with a smack!
"Honestly, isn't it pretty? Admit it? If you stay here, the Lord's dry sensitivity will also grasp~ and blossom."
"..."
"Oh, don't look at me like that! Just try living here for a week? Your dry sensibility will become moist?"
That's when Lucas, who had been shaking his head behind me, whispered.
"I told you, my lord. While you were gone, Evangeline was the one who lost her mind the most among us..."
I collapsed weakly onto the bed.
Transparent, soft-colored frills and lace fluttered and covered my head. I mumbled dispiritedly.
"I'll really... never leave my place again, guys."
One became a spinach-tomato creature, one turned into a delusional teenager, one became a dog, and one became a florist interior designer, randomly remodeling others' rooms.
How had they all gone insane like this? It was all my fault. I vowed never to leave them behind again.
"Phew, I'm glad it's only my room that's like this. If the whole house were like this, I don't know how I'd deal with it."
I sighed deeply and muttered, and then,
"..."
"..."
"..."
The three people in front of me glanced at each other, carefully gauging the situation.
Feeling a chill run down my spine, I asked quietly,
"Did you... mess up other places too?"
Aider stepped forward, chuckling awkwardly.
"We didn't do all of them! Just the entire guest room, dining room, reception area, and about two places on the mansion's exterior?"
"You've wrecked more than half of them!"
As I leaped from the bed, spitting fire, Evangeline hastily held up her little finger.
"You promised not to get angry, right? Promise?! And besides, it will be my house again in three years! What if I just paint it to my liking in advance!"
"Consider the tenant too, you landlord brat-!"
No, I was the one who bought the rights to this house from you in the first place! It's not like I might give it back in three years; it's my house now! What are you doing to someone else's house!
***
Anyway, so.
I had dinner in a cheerfully decorated dining room, remodeled in a flower garden style, along with the guests staying in the guest rooms also remodeled in the flower garden style.
Before the night grew too deep, I left the mansion, accompanied by Lucas and Aider.
Peeking out from behind us, Evangeline, in her pajamas, asked,
"Where are you going, senior? You're not running away because you're angry, are you?"
"No..."
"You're not going to sleep at an inn because you don't like the room, are you?"
"I said no..."
As I adjusted my shoes, Evangeline, who had been mumbling behind me, bowed her head deeply.
"I'm really sorry, senior. I didn't know you'd hate it this much..."
"..."
"I'll take responsibility for the interior and restore it. So please don't be mad..."
"Evangeline."
Exhaling a faint sigh, I turned around with a bitter smile and looked at Evangeline.
"You can change the room however you like."
Evangeline's eyes widened. I shrugged.
"I'm relieved that there were no major accidents in Crossroad while I was gone. That's the most important thing."
No one died, no one was seriously injured, and the city remained intact.
How fortunate that was.
"As long as you and your colleagues are unharmed, and this city is safe, you can change the interior of the room however you like."
Compared to a burnt-down mansion, a mansion filled with flowers, lace, and frills is much more beautiful.
I grinned broadly.
"So don't worry too much. I won't hate you or anything for something like this."
"Senior..."
Evangeline's eyes welled up with tears, her face filled with emotion.
'Yeah~ But I'll have all that flower garden style interior torn down by tomorrow.'
I was certainly glad that the city and my comrades were safe, and the interior design was just that, interior design. However, I was looking forward to seeing your face scream in horror at the interior, which would be demolished tomorrow.
Unaware of my inner thoughts, Evangeline, smiling broadly, asked me, "So, where are you going now?"
"To the prison."
In the hands of Lucas and Aider, there was plenty of food. I grinned.
"I'm going to show our prisoner friends the taste of Crossroad's food."