“……Hmm?”

“It seems something happened. Did you find someone who is a good match?”

The subordinates are of the type that tend to hold back…

I’m also part of that group, and I originally didn’t plan on holding back, but… should I be more reserved?

I was pondering this while participating in the conversation, but there was some commotion.

It doesn’t seem like a quarrel, but did they find someone to match with?

To confirm, I raised the altitude of the 【Floating Orb】 slightly and looked in that direction. A soldier was running towards us.

He looked confused, but… this seems a little different.

“Hey! Did something happen?”

Alec asked the soldier what had occurred, his voice slightly tense.

The atmosphere around us, which had been calm just a moment ago, suddenly shifted. Though we were quiet, it was still related to monsters.

I wonder if I should be more careful…

“Ah! The… wolves have stayed down and stopped moving… The adventurers we captured are trying to get them to obey, but…”

“…They’re not moving?”

“Yes.”

…That’s a bit different from what I was expecting.

However, the fact that they won’t listen is strange.

Alec seemed to think the same, so we decided to head over there together.

◇

“…They seem scared.”

“…Yeah. What happened?”

We reached the wolves, but they were lying on the ground, their tails tucked under their legs.

I think I remember hearing that dogs do that when they feel fear in my previous life.

I’m not sure if wolves here behave the same way, but they are clearly scared.

“No… Until just a while ago, they were fine…”

The others around us also looked confused, as if they had no idea.

“They suddenly stopped moving and then started to become scared…”

Alec was deep in thought, looking at the wolves.

Monsters have sharper instincts than we do, so maybe they sensed something.

We’ve already fended off an attack and defeated the Demon Lord-type boss leading it, so nothing should happen anymore… but is there still something going on?

It seemed like everyone was thinking the same, silently waiting for Alec’s next words.

“…?”

We waited, but Alec didn’t say anything. Instead, he looked at me.

“What’s wrong?”

I tilted my head and asked what was going on. Alec opened his mouth with a troubled expression.

“…Hey, aren’t they scared of you?”

“Huh?”

◇

“I’m home! Listen up!”

Fuming, I entered Seriana’s room through the window. Along with Seriana, there were also Teresa and Fiora, who hadn’t been there when I left.

It seemed they had been gathered around something, but apparently, they had interrupted it when I returned.

“What are you angry about as soon as you get back…?”

Seriana placed the stick-like object she was holding on the desk and said in an exasperated voice.

“Ugh! It’s like—wait, Teresa, is that the scabbard I ordered before?”

I was about to explain what happened, but… when I looked from a distance, it had seemed like a stick, but what Seriana had placed wasn’t a stick, but the 【Red Sword】.

The 【Red Sword】 had been without a proper scabbard and was using a temporary, plain one, but now, the scabbard it was stored in was a dull gray with a rough surface, engraved with intricate carvings.

I recognized the design, and it was definitely something Teresa had ordered previously.

“Yes. It was delivered shortly after the princess left. Would you like to see it?”

“Of course! It’s already done?”

I joined the group, and we all looked at the object on the table.

“…Wow?”

I had been present when Teresa placed the order, so I had a bit of an idea about the design, but this… was something else…

“…Me?”

At the base of the dull gray scabbard, there was the engraved profile of a red-haired woman.

It wasn’t just on the front side, but also on the back.

From her head, a snake seemed to coil its way up the blade.

When we discussed the design before, Teresa only mentioned a snake carving, but a red-haired woman with a snake wrapped around her head… the only person I can think of is me?

As I stared at it in surprise, Fiora reached out her finger to point at it.

“Look at the eyes here. They’re made from the claws of the Demon Lord-type we just defeated.”

“Huh…”

The eyes of the woman were a similar color to the scabbard itself, but they had a slight sheen to them.

So, wolf claws…

“We also used powdered bones in the scabbard itself. Just like your umbrella, it doubles as a staff. This scabbard is quite the piece.”

“Hooh…”

Now that I thought about it, I’d heard Teresa had used magic to immobilize the monsters and then struck them with the sword.

So, not only does this scabbard hold the sword, but it’s also designed to enhance its synergy with magic.

Though she says it’s the same, it’s far cooler than my umbrella.

“Since it’s special, I made it easy to use in battle. Also, this carving shows that the owner of the 【Red Sword】 is the princess.”

“You don’t have a family crest, so this is perfect. It’s obvious at a glance.”

Teresa explained the scabbard’s function and design concept, and Seriana agreed with a light-hearted tone.

Well… I understood the meaning and purpose.

However, I had never been told about this…

“Huh…”

Seriana grinned, while Elena and Teresa smiled awkwardly.

I see what happened now.

When Teresa consulted Seriana about the family crest, Seriana must have said, “Carve a face,” and also told her to keep it a secret.

Really… What a sister.

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

Sera: 【Hideout】 +1 【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Garb】・【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】・19 cards

Seriana: 【Range Identification】・【】・34 cards

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

Alec: 【Power Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・9 cards