“……What, Seriana. You didn’t tell Sera about this?”

“I gave her a simple explanation. Isn’t that right?”

The old man seemed to think I hadn’t been told anything based on my reaction, but Seriana shook her head firmly and said that while looking at me, even as I glared at her.

Well… to be fair, it’s not like I haven’t been told anything.

When I asked if she was hiding something else, she said no, but this is… well, it feels like something, even if it’s not exactly a secret. It’s more like this is something Seriana herself didn’t know. Calling that a lie seems off… hmm.

As I hesitated over how to respond, Seriana grabbed my head and forcefully turned it toward the old man.

“This girl doesn’t need to worry about it, so please continue.”

“You two haven’t changed at all…”

The old man let out a sigh as he looked at us, then composed his previously relaxed expression and began speaking again.

“There’s no suspicious group outside the royal capital… That’s almost certainly true. We’ve investigated thoroughly. Since winter, anyone entering the royal capital region from the outside has to pass through stricter inspections. Even if they managed to slip past those, after that incident a few years ago—which involved you, too—we’ve increased the number of patrol units, and the cities and villages have been similarly fortified. There’s nowhere for anyone to hide.”

I hadn’t heard about the increase in patrols, but I had been told they were investigating the royal capital region. I understood the rest too.

Anyone trying to enter from outside would be turned away by those strict checkpoints, and even if they got through, there’s no longer anywhere like that old hideout they tried to take me to back when I was kidnapped.

Which means, anyone without a clear identity can’t visit cities or villages, and they wouldn’t be able to use inns either.

So then, what—are they just hiding outside?

The royal capital region—even outside of magic zones like Riana—is still filled with monsters wandering about, so spending the night out there isn’t exactly safe.

For a regular person, it’d be nearly impossible. But if someone had the strength and was planning to do something violent, it wouldn’t be out of the question.

There are rivers and beasts in the forests, and wild herbs grow too.

And if you approach human settlements just a little, you’ll find farms as well.

So it’s not just about surviving the night—you could potentially live out there long-term if you wanted to.

Of course, only if you’re someone with no issues…!

In the royal capital region, which is mostly open plains, there’s no place where one could stay hidden from patrolling soldiers for long. It’d be impossible for any suspicious group to stay concealed.

That’s why the old man could be so certain.

“So, does that mean there’s no danger at all?”

“No, that’s only if we’re talking about groups. We don’t know about individuals who entered the royal capital region ahead of time as mercenaries escorting merchants or adventurers. Of course, we’ve got a pretty complete grasp of foreign nationals. If any of them start acting strange, we’ll get a report immediately.”

“……Oh?”

So individuals who were already inside the royal capital region, living normal lives as adventurers or something like that, wouldn’t have shown up in that earlier investigation—but they’re still being tracked, and would be caught immediately if anything came up… I see.

I guess it’s similar to how Seriana and the others were leaving those adventurers in the church district of the domain capital alone?

In our case, that was based on the assumption of Seriana’s blessing, but this is being handled through organizational strength.

When it comes to monsters, maybe we’re on par, but for these kinds of detailed operations, the knights of the royal capital are far more capable than us. They’re probably worth trusting.

“I don’t intend to investigate the entire royal capital again. That much I’ll leave to the soldiers there… But Grandfather, what do you plan to do?”

“Hmm. It’s not easy to slip into the noble district, and their stay won’t be long. There’s no need to be overly paranoid. Still, from tomorrow on, either I or Oriana will accompany you to any meetings. Understood?”

“Yes. I suppose we have no choice.”

Seriana shrugged at the old man’s words.

If it’s just us, our guard detail is limited, but if the old man and his people join us, they can provide their own protection too.

I hesitate to call it a loophole, but it’s a clever workaround.

Still…

“Think something really is going to happen?”

“Who knows.”

“At the very least, the noble district of the royal capital is well protected. Nothing too strange is likely to happen—and even if someone wanted to, they couldn’t do much. But if they do try, it’ll probably be a desperate move. We can’t let our guard down. It may be a bit restrictive, but the Müller family will also provide escort during your stay. If either of you needs to meet with someone in town, have them come to you.”

“Hmm…”

“I had hoped to take a look around the area near the church if I got the chance… Will that be difficult?”

The church, huh…

I did want to see what kind of influence it had on the royal capital…

“The church? Hmm… I’ll have to consult with the others, but I imagine it’ll be difficult.”

Hearing him put it that plainly, there’s really nothing I can say.

I’m probably not in any real danger anymore, but I’m still acting as a guard.

Guess I’ll just stick close to Seriana instead of going out.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Sera ・ Blessing ・ 【Hideout】 +1 【Prayer】 【Mira’s Blessing】 【Wind’s Garment】

Blessed Item ・ 【Floating Orb】 +1 【Shadow Sword】 +1 【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】 ・ 3 cards

Seriana ・ 【Area Detection】 ・ 【】 ・ 0 cards

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

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