Today is the morning of the third day of the festival.
In other words, the final day.

Well, just because it’s the final day doesn’t mean I’m going to leave right away after coming all the way to the edge of the country. I’ll be staying for a while to take care of some business in the capital of the Riana territory, so the flow of people in this city will remain high for the time being.
That said, it is still the final day.
The stalls will close today, and the commotion from the first day of the festival will likely calm down a bit.

…And so.

I thought that Seriana would be blessing guests with the 【Mira’s Blessing】 again today, but… after breakfast, I was immediately called to Liesel’s office.

“…Huh? Lady Seria is here too?”

When I entered the room, Liesel was sitting at his desk, and next to him was Seriana, dressed in formal attire.
I was still wearing my jinbei… Should I change quickly?

“Yes. You’re still wearing that outfit…”

With a sigh, before Seriana could start her scolding, Liesel’s laughter broke in.

“Ha ha ha! Good morning, Sera. Sorry to call you so early.”

“Ah, good morning…”

I greeted them, but I couldn’t help wondering what this was about.

As I tilted my head in confusion, I saw the butler, Karos, standing in the corner of the room. He was holding a tray with both hands, but I couldn’t see what was on it from my position.
He walked up to Liesel’s desk, placed something on the table, and then backed away.
The item was a small bag, and there was a jingling sound when it was placed down… Was it money?

“Sera-kun, take this.”

Liesel placed the small bag in front of me.

“What is this…? Oh?”

I took it and opened it slightly to look inside. It was filled with many silver coins.
There were two sizes: large silver coins and regular silver coins.

“Are you going on an errand?”

Noble families typically purchase high-end items by calling merchants to their estates, and those transactions are usually paid with gold coins.
However, when shopping at regular stores, gold coins are often inconvenient to use.
Unless it’s a trade between businesses, silver coins and large silver coins are more commonly used for personal purchases.

Perhaps they wanted me to buy something from the stalls?

“You’ll be staying in the estate throughout the festival, right? Today, you should go out.”

“…Huh?”

◇

The Riana Territory, the capital.
It was once a city at the easternmost edge of the Zelkis Territory, called Rutoru.

Because it bordered a magical wilderness, the eastern city walls were constructed sturdily, but other than that, the city was quite rundown, with only its size being its distinguishing feature.
However, since Liesel had been appointed as the governor, the city had been gradually improving, and after it became the capital of the newly established territory, a massive renovation of the entire city was undertaken.
Along with that, the city expanded as well.
Compared to the old Rutoru, it was now more than double the size.

Previously, the city was roughly divided into four districts, but now a new noble district had been added.

The noble district is exactly what it sounds like: it’s where the noble estates are located, and the lord’s mansion and the knights’ headquarters are also there.
Previously, the lord’s mansion was just situated on a hill in the southwestern part of the city, but now, the surrounding land has been requisitioned, and the southwestern part of the expanded city occupies the space.
Although it’s a newly created noble district, there are still plenty of empty spaces, but many of the buildings are new and comparable to those in the royal capital’s noble district.

The central area, which spreads out from the central plaza next to the noble district, is the main shopping and business area.
This area had existed for a long time, but, like the rest of the city, it had expanded to match the growth.

The Adventurers’ Guild, which was once located on the eastern side of the city, now exists in the outskirts of the central area.
Excluding the old Rutoru’s southwestern district, the other three districts are almost entirely within the central area.

The residents have gradually moved out of the central area, but since many of the older homes were in poor condition, they’re pleased with the new buildings.
The expansion of the city walls had been prioritized, but that project is now nearly complete and is expected to finish within a few years.

◇

“It’s really lively today. …Could those people be from other territories?”

“Maybe. They seem to be selling things we don’t usually see around here.”

The central plaza is lined with stalls, and many people have gathered.
I responded to the guards’ comment.
They’re part of the 1st platoon, assigned to be my bodyguards by Liesel.

“Since they’re probably trying to reduce the load as they leave the city, they might want to sell out their goods, even at a lower price.”

Marcus spoke next. He pointed to several stalls and explained which territory each one’s products came from.
He’s quite knowledgeable.

Thinking about Marcus’s future, I’ve been meeting people with a certain drive… perhaps a more aggressive, ambitious type?
I’ve realized lately that he’s not the kind of person suited for rising in power on his own.
Still, there’s no doubt that he’s talented.
I wonder if there’s a way to make use of that…

“Captain!”

Just as I was pondering Marcus’s future, a child’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Garb】・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Snake’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】・7 cards

Seriana・【Area Identification】・【】・28 cards
Elena・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・3 cards
Alec・【Power Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・7 cards