Nearly two months have passed since the monster attack that occurred in early January.

This morning, Alec—who had left the capital to scout for any remaining monsters or to check on their habitat—and Zighart, who had gone off somewhere to hone new coordination with the members, returned.

Both groups had set out in different directions at first, but apparently while roaming the hunting grounds throughout the territory, they happened to converge the day before yesterday and, scheduled to return together today, a letter arrived yesterday.

I had planned for everyone to gather in the lower lounge today to discuss what had happened during that time, but these two are the captain and deputy of the 2nd squad—positions of considerable responsibility.

Moreover, this operation was part of the Knight Order’s mission.

They also have an obligation to report to Liesel and August.

However… setting aside Zighart, Alec has children, and Liesel likely took that into account. If things were taken seriously, he’d be stuck at headquarters for days in a continuous series of meetings. Even when Alec did return, he would soon set off again. It seems they made a brief oral report and agreed to submit a written report later. So, as part of that report, a lunch meeting was arranged for everyone to gather.

◇

“Are you ready?”
Teresa, who had been attending to the servant that came to fetch us, turned toward us and said.

Of course, everything was ready.

“Of course. Let’s go,” replied Seriana on behalf of the group. She rose from her seat and started walking toward the door.

Fiora, accompanied by Elena and me, followed in her wake.

As we walked along the corridor, I noticed that everyone was dressed a bit more formally than usual. Our destination was the main building’s dining hall, and today Liesel and the others would also be there. It wasn’t exactly a formal occasion, but with the lord present, we were expected to be somewhat cautious.

Of course, everyone usually dresses decently, but it really comes down to the colors of their clothes and their accessories. Some of them are rather flashy. In contrast, while my attire remains the same as usual, I’ve removed a few of my Blessed Items, leaving me unburdened.

“Hey, are Alec and the others already here?”

“Yes, they’re already here. Zighart is with them, too.”

“Ah, I see.”

I felt a little relieved. Perhaps noticing my reaction, Elena laughed as she spoke to me.

“You… you’re not so tense around your masters, but you get all nervous when dealing with servants, don’t you?”

“I just can’t relax…”

When I have to wait in the presence of Liesel and the others, the servants create an unusually stiff atmosphere. Well, it’s in the lord’s presence, and maybe being completely casual is out of the question, but being treated as a guest—I just can’t seem to relax. It’s one thing if they occasionally serve us, but they end up lingering in the room the whole time…

“You’re going to be adopted by the Müller family soon, so you should get used to having people around…”

Perhaps having overheard this, Seriana turned to look at us while walking.

“Hmm… you seem rather exasperated.”

I understand her reasoning—if I eventually set up my own household, it would be troublesome, so I should get used to it now. I understand, but still…

“I’ll just stay in Sera’s room, so it’s fine…”

In terms of living space, there’s 【Hideout】. I can’t really imagine a place more comfortable than that. Besides, in this mansion, Seriana and Liesel have handpicked a group of reliable servants. Since I’m about to be adopted by the Müller family, maybe they’ll at least introduce me to some, but I don’t have any connections for hiring servants. As far as I know, in any mansion, the staff usually have some sort of mutual connection, which is why they can be trusted. I have none of that, and I’m not too keen on letting unfamiliar people into my personal space… That’s also why Fiora and Zighart still haven’t left that room. It’s one thing for them to keep staying in Seriana’s room forever, but I’d really prefer if they could prepare a room for me in this mansion.

I do work reasonably well and earn a decent income, yet Seriana—perhaps sensing my fundamentally lazy mindset—let out a small sigh. Without further comment, she continued along the corridor and arrived at the main building.

…I wonder if I’ve been met with exasperation?

◇

After that, we continued on, chatting about random things for a bit. We arrived at the medium-sized dining hall in the main building. Inside, there were already the older men from Liesel’s camp, as well as the Knight Order members including August, Rick, Alec, and Zighart. And that’s not all…

“Huh? Monica and her group are here too.”

In the corner of the room, Monica and the captain and vice-captain of her unit appeared somewhat out of place. For a moment, I thought they were her bodyguards, but since they were in plain clothes, they must be participating as well.

“They obtained a Blessed Item, you know. They’ll probably introduce her formally here.”

“Ah… I see.”

We and the Knight Order members already know about it, but the others have only heard about it—so it might just be a chance for her to make an appearance. It seems she was summoned on short notice, so she’s very nervous, but speaking in this setting is probably a bit more comfortable than confronting Liesel directly. The unit’s captain and vice-captain… might not have been so lucky.

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

Sera: 【Hideout】 +1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Robe】・【Floating Orb】 +1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】【Red Sword】・32 cards

Seriana: 【Area Identification】・【】・38 cards

Elena: 【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

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