“Ah! Vice Captain Sera, there’s a frozen section over there.”

Monica, who had spotted a frozen part of the waterway flowing outside the town, pointed and raised her voice.

Looking in that direction, the waterway wasn’t completely blocked, but part of it had frozen, causing the flow to slow down.

“You’re right. Alright, Monica, could you take care of that?”

“Yes!”

Following my instructions, Monica sprinkled a liquid onto the frozen section.

It was a chemical that ignites when it reacts with water.

The flames erupted instantly, melting the frozen part.

Meanwhile, I kept a watchful eye on the surroundings to ensure no monsters were approaching.

This area isn’t very populated and is close to the forest, so sometimes monsters do appear.

But… there’s no sign of any today.

A bit of an anticlimax.

“Vice Captain Sera, it’s done!”

“Alright. Let’s move on to the next spot!”

“Yes!”

With that, Monica activated 【Green Shoes】 and started running at full speed.

Not wanting to fall behind, I accelerated the 【Floating Orb】 and lined up next to her.

“You seem to be getting the hang of it!”

“Yes! At first, I was confused by the difference in speed compared to my own, but now I’m fine! Oh… I’m flying!”

While talking with me, Monica was running beside me, but as we neared a downhill slope, she jumped at once.

She probably flew about 20 meters, right?

She landed firmly and immediately started running again.

Impressive.

◇

The 【Green Shoes】 was an item Monica had recently pulled from a gacha.

When activated, the magic covers both legs up to the knees.

The effect increases running speed and, as demonstrated earlier, jumping ability.

It doesn’t enhance the leg muscles themselves, but instead supports the movement, which is key. It’s not suited for combat.

At first, Monica was getting used to it in the underground training area, but as she mentioned, she struggled a bit with the difference between her own physical abilities and the item’s performance.

In this world, high-speed movement is something most commoners never experience unless riding a horse… so it’s understandable.

Monica had been a little downhearted because she wasn’t using it effectively, but Teresa suggested using it outdoors for a change of pace.

It had been nearly a month since the ambush, and there were few monsters in the shallow parts of the forest, so running around the town’s outskirts should be fine.

For commoners, it’s advised not to use enchanted items in public, but Monica’s a soldier, and her father is well-known among adventurers, so it was okay.

For safety, I accompanied her as a guardian, and we tried running outside the town. To our surprise, it worked quite well.

Her jumping ability had improved, so indoors, she had subconsciously been holding back, which probably caused some imbalance.

So, when it came time to figure out her duties, we still couldn’t make a final decision, but it was midwinter, and a job had come up—checking the frozen sections of the waterway.

This was a patrol I used to do, and afterward, the Knight Order soldiers took over. It wasn’t the most exciting task.

The waterway runs all around the town, covering a distance of over 10 kilometers.

With a horse, it wouldn’t take too long, but sending knights for a simple patrol would be too much.

On foot, it would take a considerable amount of time.

That’s why it’s split between several teams, but even though it’s near the town, it’s still outside, and no one should go alone, so we always went in groups.

It requires a team of at least ten people.

So, although Monica’s main job is guarding the mansion, there was no objection to her taking over this task.

Well… since I couldn’t let her do this on her own, I accompanied her, given my superior mobility. It was all completed in less than 20 minutes.

With fewer outings during winter, it was a good walk.

Though, I was flying!

◇

“That’s done now.”

We finished the patrol after a round of the town.

Unlike me, who can protect myself from the cold with 【Wind Garb】, Monica, despite wearing thick clothes, had been running fast, so she must have gotten cold.

Her cheeks were red.

Personally, I’d like her to go straight to the bath and warm up…

“Yeah. By the way, could I leave the report to you as usual?”

“Yes. I’ll take care of it from here. Vice Captain Sera, thank you for your hard work!”

She answered with a crisp salute.

Even though it was just a walk, it was still a proper job for the Knight Order, and if it’s finished, the report is necessary.

By the way, reports aren’t made at the main Knight Order headquarters but at the outpost attached to the training grounds.

The outpost, with its familiar ex-adventurer staff, is much more comfortable for Monica than dealing with the gruff and intimidating high-ranking officers at the main headquarters.

I plan to return to the mansion and enjoy a warm cup of tea, but this also adds to her accomplishments, so I’ll make sure she gives it her best effort.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Sera ・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind Garb】・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy Eyes】【Dragon’s Lungs】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】【Red Sword】・19 cards

Seriana ・【Range Identification】・【】・34 cards

Elena ・【】・【Green Fangs】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec ・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・9 cards