With only a little time left in the first month of autumn, the arrival of the Holy Coin transport unit was finally drawing near.

According to the schedule, they would arrive in two days.

From the Knight Order, Alec and the First Unit’s captain, Luick, were each leading their troops to meet up with the convoy.

The surrounding area had already been cleared of monsters, and while no bandits had been spotted, they had also been eliminated just in case. With no remaining safety concerns, this might seem like overkill… but maybe that’s just because I know the cargo isn’t actually Holy Coins?

After all, we’re talking about ten thousand of them.

That’s not just a fortune—that’s an entire legacy.

Well… the real ones were transported by me, though…

While the territory’s capital was bustling with activity, a separate group of visitors arrived at the lord’s mansion, independent of the main convoy.

Luban, his lawful wife Kiira, and their soon-to-be one-year-old son, Lizario.

It’s just a day’s journey by carriage, so technically, they’re our neighbors… but man, this guy sure visits often.

Of course, there was a proper reason for it.

When a dungeon is opened, it’s customary for the kingdom to send an official to verify it.

This time, the transport unit’s captain was also assigned to fulfill that role, but the first person to officially step into the newly discovered dungeon within the territory was designated to be the lord, Liesel.

Well… the actual first person to enter was Alec, but this is just for show.

It’s important to make a display of strength at times like this. Zelkis’s father has had a tough time dealing with these things, and if we don’t handle it properly, we’ll be in for trouble down the line.

The dungeon was already open, and some members of the Knight Order and a few adventurers had begun using it, but they’d likely understand that this ceremony was just a formality.

Liesel would be the first official step into the dungeon, but simply walking in and leaving footprints wouldn’t be enough.

If he did something like that, he’d just be looked down on instead.

So, the plan was to hunt a little in the shallow areas.

For that, our selected members were August, Alec, Zighart, and myself as the scout.

Additionally, Luban was chosen to represent the elite of the territory.

Luban was the one who was officially invited, so he could have come alone, but Kiira and their child accompanied him.

They were likely making a calculated move—during this grand event, they had a perfect opportunity to openly meet the lord, the lady, and their children.

This would be reported back to the royal capital and, if things went well, could spread across the kingdom or even to neighboring countries.

Well, that’s one of the perks of their position.

◇

As shouts echoed from various corners of the training grounds, I stood there, watching the training unfold.

“Hah!!”

Liesel took a single sidestep, then, with a sharp cry, swung his wooden sword.

“Ugh!?”

“Guh…!”

At first glance, his strike seemed like an overly wide swing, but he knocked down both of his opponents—one wielding a sword and the other a spear, despite their differing attack ranges.

“I… I surrender.”

One soldier, breathing heavily, admitted defeat.

The other followed suit.

A short distance away, three more soldiers stood, having already placed their weapons on the ground.

It was five against one… and this was the result.

From what I could see, they weren’t weak.

They were actually skilled enough to serve as Liesel’s personal guards.

Yet, they still ended up like this.

I remember how I was completely helpless against him before, but even these trained guards couldn’t put up a fight?

This guy… he’s ridiculously strong!

Since he would be entering the dungeon soon, he was training here, but honestly…

The training was meant to simulate fights against multiple monsters at once, but… did he really need this?

“Sera-kun.”

“Hm?”

“Next, I’d like you to use 【Pray】. Feel free to apply it to them as well.”

“Got it.”

This was the reason I had been called to this training.

During dungeon exploration, I would be freely using 【Pray】.

They probably wanted to get used to its effects in advance.

In fact, this might be the real reason for this training session.

I glanced at the five soldiers. They had already gotten back on their feet, weapons in hand once more.

They had guts, at least.

Alright then… no need to hold back.

“Here we go!”

When I activated 【Pray】, Liesel and all five soldiers were enveloped in a faint glow.

“Sera-kun, could you give a brief explanation?”

“Hm? Oh, right.”

I had already explained it to Liesel, but I guess this was for the other five.

“Um… it enhances physical abilities and magic power. I’m not sure by how much, but it also boosts healing. Even if you get tired, you’ll recover quickly.”

“Exactly. No need to hold back—come at me!”

That was the signal. The five soldiers immediately moved, surrounding Liesel.

Two spear users took the front while the three sword wielders circled around him from the sides and rear.

Their plan was likely for the spear users to apply pressure from the front while the sword users closed in from three directions at once.

However…

The moment their encirclement was complete, Liesel struck.

Even in his normal state, he was fast, but with the boost from 【Pray】, he was even quicker. In an instant, he closed the distance between himself and the spearmen, breaking into their range and pressing his sword to their throats.

The swordsmen, their initial plan foiled, tried to make use of their enhanced bodies to rush him…

But…

“Wow…”

With overwhelming speed, Liesel took them down one by one.

…That was over in an instant.

As I stood there, stunned by the display, Liesel noticed my gaze and smiled.

“The blessing has a long duration too, doesn’t it? Wide range, long duration… I’ll be counting on it.”

“…I see. That’s great.”

I couldn’t help but sound a bit stiff.

I mean… even without the blessing, he’s strong enough to handle the mid and lower levels of the dungeon.

The shallow-level monsters… are probably going to get massacred, huh?

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

Sera ・【Hideout】 +1 【Prayer】 【Mira’s Blessing】 【Wind’s Veil】 ・【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】 ・15 cards

Seriana ・【Area Identification】 ・【】・28 cards

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

Alec ・【Power Strike】 ・【Red Shield】 【Fierce Horned Trumpet】 ・8 cards