It was one morning, just as January in spring came to an end.

The members of the 2nd Unit had been gathered in the hall of the Knight Order headquarters at the foot of the estate.

Of course, that included me, Alec and Zighart—who’d been fooling around in the dungeon during our break—and the Wolves, too.

The training of those Wolves had finally been completed, and today, they were to be officially granted names by Liesel. A sort of ceremony was being held to mark the occasion.

Man… they’ve been at it since last winter, so it’s been over three months now.

Whether that’s considered long or short, I’m not sure, but for me, it felt long.

Only recently have I had the chance to accompany them for outdoor training. Up until then, I mostly kept my distance.

It’s not like I particularly love Wolves or anything, but I was curious about them the whole time.

From now on, I guess I can interact with them a little more casually!

“Knight Rett. Knight Hugo.”

“Hah!”

Responding crisply to Liesel’s words, the two knights kneeling before him answered in unison.

They were the official masters of the Wolves.

If I recall, Rett is in his late twenties, and Hugo is in his early thirties, right?

Both of them are locals and former adventurers.

We officers are seated along the wall of the hall, so we get a clear side view of the lined-up unit members.

The nervous expressions of the two before Liesel were perfectly visible.

In fact, the two Wolves sitting calmly beside them—one black, one brown—looked more composed than their masters.

For reference, the names of the Wolves are: the black-furred one under Rett’s command is named Gilly, and the brown-furred one under Hugo is named Bale.

Simple names, but short and easy to remember. Also, none of the Knight Order members—or even the visiting contractors—had the same names, so these were chosen.

Apparently, Liesel personally checked everyone’s names.

Right now, the two are receiving armbands embroidered with the Wolves’ names from Liesel. They’re made from the hide of the Wolf Demon King-type that was defeated last year.

It was the material from the boss of a particularly large pack that August and the others took down together.

When I asked Rob to do maintenance on my gear the other day, he mentioned a Knight Order commission—this was it.

The explanation about what the armbands are made of is currently underway… but Rett and Hugo look completely pale, beyond nervous.

They should have known they’d be receiving armbands ahead of time, but… it seems they weren’t told about the material.

Even if it was earned from the same battle in a different location—and considering my jacket is made from Demon King-type hide too—it makes sense that the masters would wear something made of it… but as a surprise? That’s a heavy one.

Well… it just shows how much is expected of them. I hope they’ll live up to it.

◇

After the ceremony ended, a small luncheon was held back at headquarters.

Not just Alec and Zighart, but also Liesel and August joined in to mingle with the unit members.

As for me, I didn’t attend. I returned to Seriana’s room with Teresa and Fiora.

I’ll leave the guys to it.

With Liesel and the others around, they’re not going to get too wild, but at least I won’t have to bother putting on a polite act.

Since there was a ceremony today, all kinds of appointments had been rescheduled. Seriana and the others had the whole day off, so we decided to enjoy a leisurely lunch on our own.

Afterward, we were enjoying some tea when Elena brought over a box from Seriana’s desk and placed it in front of me.

“What’s this?”

“It’s from the Lord to you. Go ahead and open it.”

From Liesel?

It’s not my birthday or any kind of gift-giving occasion…

Puzzled, I opened the lid. Inside was something black… black… what is this?

“What is this?”

Something black and leather-like was inside, but I couldn’t tell what it was.

I took it out of the box and examined it, turning it over and over. There was embroidery resembling the profile of a Wolf, but I still couldn’t figure out what it was.

In shape, it looked somewhat like a shoulder pouch—but not really. It also resembled just a belt.

But it wasn’t a belt either.

Tilting my head in confusion, Seriana spoke.

“Teresa.”

“Yes, Princess. Excuse me.”

With that, Teresa took the item from my hands and looped it from my left shoulder down under my right arm, fastening it in place.

At last, I had a clue what it was.

“A shoulder guard?”

It covered my entire left shoulder, but when I tested by rotating my arm, it didn’t catch on anything.

It looked stiff at first glance, but it was more flexible than I expected.

“That’s right. The material is from a Wolf Demon King-type.”

Upon further inquiry, I learned it was made from the same material as the armbands Rett and Hugo received in the ceremony.

My jacket is also made from Demon King-type Wolf hide. Even if I don’t directly command the Wolves, I’ll likely be working with them often, so it makes sense to coordinate with the armband—it was made with that in mind.

Apparently, Seriana directed the design. Instead of an armband, it was made into a shoulder guard to make it easier to activate 【Monkey’s Arm】.

Even if people don’t recognize it as such, they might suspect something’s hidden beneath. And having a way to conceal your shoulder isn’t a bad idea.

“This suits you better, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah… this way I can operate more freely. Thanks, Lady Seria.”

When I expressed my gratitude, she smiled gently.

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

Sera ・【Hideout】+1 【Prayer】 【Mira’s Blessing】 【Wind Garment】 ・【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】 【Monkey’s Arm】 ・4 cards

Seriana ・【Area Identification】・【】・39 cards

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

Alec ・【Power Strike】・【Red Shield】 【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・10 cards