The only sound in the night over Riana Territory’s capital was the falling rain.

Under Seriana’s orders, I decided to drop in from above at the residence of Alec, the captain of the Second Unit, and Elena, which was built one level below the lord’s mansion.

“Excuse me for intruding—”

On the third floor of Alec’s residence was a room dedicated to monitoring the area outside the capital.

Because of its function, the soldiers kept the windows open to maintain vigilance, even in the rain.

“—!? Ah… Vice Captain Sera, is that you…?”

Hearing my sudden voice from above in the darkness, the soldier instinctively reached for his sword at his waist, but upon recognizing me, he immediately relaxed.

That was close… If I hadn’t spoken up first, he might have cut me down.

“Did I startle you? Sorry about that—”

“You really appear without making a sound… I almost struck you by accident. So… what brings you here at this hour? Are you looking for the captain?”

Though he let out a small chuckle, it seemed like he had been genuinely startled.

Maybe I should start carrying a light with me.

“No, not Alec. I’m here for Elena. Mind if I come in?”

“The madam, huh… Got it. Come on in. If she’s following her usual routine, she should be in the second-floor lounge.”

With that, he stepped aside, creating a path for me.

“Thanks—”

After thanking him, I stepped inside and deactivated 【Wind Cloak】.

I took a quick glance around the room and noticed several beds lined up in the back.

There wasn’t anyone there at the moment, but… was this room also serving as a barracks?

What a tough job.

◇

“This should be the place…?”

Floating along the hallway as I descended to the second floor to find Elena, I realized just how spacious this mansion was.

I remembered where Elena’s room was from my previous visit, but as for the rest… not so much.

Unlike the lord’s mansion, there weren’t guards or servants wandering about, so I decided to aim for the large door in the center of the second floor—it stood out the most.

Might as well knock.

“—Whoa!?”

Just as I was about to knock, the door swung open from the inside.

And the person who appeared was…

“Get in here already…”

Alec, standing before me, must have sensed my presence lingering outside.

As always, I had no idea how he did it.

With his usual exasperated look, he gestured for me to enter.

Since the public opening of the dungeon, he had been spending most of his time there, so it had been a while since I’d seen him.

He didn’t look particularly worn out, so things must have been going smoothly.

With that in mind, I followed him inside.

The room was a spacious 20-tatami-sized chamber furnished with multiple sets of sofas and tables.

Elena was seated at one of them, and on the table in front of her sat what looked like alcohol.

Had she been enjoying a drink?

“Welcome, Sera. It’s unusual for you to drop by at this hour.”

Elena gestured to an open seat as she spoke.

Like Alec, she had already changed into loungewear.

She was clearly in full relaxation mode.

I should make this quick.

“Excuse me for intruding. I actually came to talk to you, Elena.”

I got straight to the point without even taking a seat.

“Hmm? Me?”

“That’s right.”

Elena had likely assumed I was here to talk to Alec.

Realizing that I was actually here for her, she widened her eyes in surprise.

Well, it wasn’t anything shocking, really…

◇

The rainy season had begun, and today marked the fourth day.

It would last about ten more days, but since Seriana and the others had already completed all their tasks, they managed to secure a full break for the entire rainy season.

In other words, it was a two-week-long vacation.

However, Seriana had already grown bored of it by yesterday.

With few shared topics of conversation between us, our long-awaited break had instead become a source of frustration for her.

I thought she could just find something to do, but the work had already been assigned, and barging in now would only cause trouble.

For once, she was showing some restraint.

So instead, she wondered what Elena was doing during her break and sent me to find out.

And if Elena had no plans for tomorrow, I was to invite her to a tea party.

Even if she had to refuse, it would be easier to turn me down than Seriana herself—so that was why I had come here, unannounced, in the middle of the night.

After hearing my explanation, both Alec and Elena exchanged glances before giving small chuckles.

“What’s so funny?”

Tilting my head to the side, I asked.

Alec, still grinning, answered.

“Ah, we just realized how similar they are. Elena was just saying she’s starting to get bored of the break and was thinking of dropping by the mansion tomorrow.”

“…Oh?”

When I looked at Elena, she had a slightly embarrassed expression.

“I’ve been with Lady Seriana for so many years now… When we suddenly spend days apart with nothing to do, it just feels… off.”

“I see…”

If I recalled correctly, Elena had been working under Seriana for about twelve or thirteen years.

They saw each other almost every day.

I guess that’s just how it is.

We chatted a little longer, and in the end, Elena decided to visit the mansion in the morning.

Not for work, but just to spend time there.

Well, with nothing else to do, any excuse was good enough.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera ・【Hideout】+1 【Prayer】 【Mira’s Blessing】 【Wind Cloak】 ・ 【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 ・【Heavy Strike】・【Red Shield】 【Fierce Horned Trumpet】 ・ 8 cards