After the evening meeting in the conference room, time passed without any particular events, and before I knew it, night had fallen.

Well, for the Central Knight Order members, they have an early departure tomorrow, so it’s not like they can afford to get carried away.

Since they’ll be traveling by ship, it’ll be much easier than the journey here, but it’s still a long way back to the royal capital.

However, for Riana, this was actually a bit of a celebration.

The men were holding back since they would be appearing before them tomorrow, but for the women, that wasn’t an issue.

And so, they had gathered in Seriana’s bedroom for a drink.

The members included Elena, Teresa, and, surprisingly, even Fiora.

That said, it was really just a matter of replacing their usual tea with light alcohol, so the atmosphere hadn’t changed much.

The only difference was that their postures were a little more relaxed, with some letting their hair down.

Well, even if they get drunk, I’ll take care of things in the morning, so it’s no problem.

Kiira had been here earlier as well, but since she had an early morning ahead, she was the only one to leave early.

“Welcome back.”

“Yes, I’ve just returned.”

Teresa, who had gone to escort Kiira back to her room, had returned.

Kiira’s room was just a few doors down in the same South Wing, yet she still needed an escort—truly a noble custom.

Teresa was the same, though… Well, she is a guest.

“Ah… Hey.”

Since I obviously couldn’t drink, I was munching on some nuts and walnut-like snacks when something suddenly came to mind.

“Hey, about that Demon King Type creature you mentioned defeating earlier… Why did everyone look so serious? I get that even weak monsters can become that strong under certain circumstances, but…”

We disbanded right after that, so I didn’t get a chance to ask. But since we were all gathered now and the conversation had settled, it seemed like the perfect time!

However, when I casually asked, the four of them exchanged glances.

…Could this mean something troublesome is happening behind the scenes?

“It’s nothing major. If an adventurer or mercenary were the one who defeated ‘White Mist,’ there’s a chance they might come to Riana as well, don’t you think?”

“A new dungeon has appeared, after all.”

Seriana nodded at that statement.

“That in itself isn’t a bad thing, but…”

She let out a sigh before continuing.

Basically, it was a matter of local interests.

As an emerging territory, Riana was attracting many people from outside, including foreigners.

Naturally, that included adventurers and merchants.

The greatest specialty of Riana Territory was the materials harvested from the magical beasts of the Demon Lands.

Whether used as-is or processed, they were highly valued and traded at steep prices across the continent.

The ones bringing in these materials were local hunters and adventurers, who were skilled at hunting in the Demon Lands.

And the ones they almost exclusively traded with were the local merchants and merchant guilds.

This relationship had been firmly established since the time when Riana, as a borderland of the Zelkis Territory, was too remote for the lord’s influence to reach, forcing them to be self-sufficient.

As a result, it was an extremely strong network, making it difficult for outsiders to break into the trade.

However, since dungeons had never existed within the territory before, the local merchants lacked the know-how to handle them.

That was precisely why many saw this as a business opportunity.

Many merchants had started coming to Riana, looking to establish businesses.

Well, with an increasing population, there were ample opportunities for trade.

The problem, however, was if someone powerful enough to defeat a named Demon King Type creature entered Riana while keeping their strength hidden and then partnered with outside merchants.

That could allow them to infiltrate and disrupt the existing business relationships.

And then, there was also the simple issue of security.

Was it a man or a woman? One person or multiple?

Or were they even in Riana to begin with?

Having to remain vigilant despite knowing nothing was a heavy burden.

So, that was why they were being cautious.

Security-wise, I suppose that’s necessary, but as an adventurer, I wonder…

The magical beasts of the Demon Lands aren’t just tough to defeat; transporting the materials is the real challenge.

Whenever I defeat one, I leave the transportation to the patrolling soldiers, but that’s only when I’m near the outskirts of the forest.

If you go deeper, you have to transport everything yourself or arrange for it to be carried out.

That’s the difficult part.

The high value of Demon Land materials isn’t just because of the strength of the monsters; it’s also due to the difficulty of transportation.

It’s practically impossible.

Hmm… It feels like they’re avoiding the topic.

Maybe they think it’s better not to tell me everything.

Well, if something really happens, they’ll let me know then.

“…Yawn.”

Now that I had asked what I wanted to, a yawn escaped me.

“…You seriously made us explain everything and now you’re yawning?”

“Madam has been busy since early morning today. Perhaps it’s time for her to rest?”

Seeing me yawn, Seriana sighed in exasperation, while Teresa stepped in to cover for me.

It’s true that I was up early today, but I also took some naps, so maybe I really am sleepy.

“Yeah, I think I’ll head to bed.”

“Alright. Then… shall we move elsewhere?”

“Ah, I don’t mind if you stay here. I can sleep just fine even if it’s bright or noisy.”

Seriana suggested moving to another room, but this place was the most comfortable for everyone.

And I could sleep through pretty much anything.

“…Oh, that’s true. Then we’ll stay here.”

The others seemed to recall something and chuckled softly.

Alright, time to brush my teeth and go to sleep.

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

Sera – 【Hideout】+1, 【Prayer】, 【Mira’s Blessing】, 【Wind’s Cloak】, ・【Floating Orb】+1, 【Shadow Sword】, 【Scarlet Bee Needle】, 【Fairy’s Eye】, 【Dragon’s Lung】, 【Amber Sword】, 【Danrem’s Thread】, 【Snake’s Tail】, 【Ankle Bracelet】, 【Amber Shield】, 【Purple Wings】 ・15 cards

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

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

Alec – 【Strong Strike】, 【Red Shield】, 【Fierce Horned Trumpet】 ・8 cards