After moving to the sofa, Teresa dried my hair, and then I waited there for a while.

Liesel and the others finished their morning work and took a break for lunch.

The people in this room usually split into two groups for lunch.

One group eats together with Liesel and the others, while the other eats in the room used by the servants.

The former group mainly consists of executives, and the latter are the regular bureaucrats.

Since this mansion is on a hill, going all the way into town for meals is a hassle, so their meals are prepared here as well.

Liesel probably wouldn’t mind eating together, but for her subordinates, sharing break time with the higher-ups isn’t exactly relaxing.

She’s being considerate in her own way.

As for me, I eat with the big shots.

Well, it’s not like I need to be formal with them anymore, and I’m just chatting casually next to Seriana anyway.

It’s pretty laid-back.

Incidentally, today’s meal is being held in the second dining hall, which is designed for groups of about a dozen or so people.

Normally, the first dining hall for larger gatherings is used, but since no one from the Knight Order is here today, even including any lunchtime guests, the number of people is about half the usual.

So, the second dining hall is plenty.

There, we’re split into two groups: the Seriana group and the Liesel group.

At Liesel’s table were bureaucrats, executives from the commerce guild… and today’s special guest, the branch head of the Adventurers’ Guild, Karn.

Apparently, they were discussing their concerns about Alec and the others being out of town, and whether it might be possible to move the caravans all at once since those guys were scouting outside the city…

Karn seemed opposed to sending out too many adventurers and was pushing for restraint.

I wonder what Liesel thinks about that?

As for me…

“Sera. Your hand has stopped, you know?”

“Ah… my bad.”

I’d gotten so caught up eavesdropping on their conversation that I’d stopped eating.

Seriana scolded me.

“What is it? Interested in what they’re talking about?”

“A little, yeah…”

I mean, I don’t really care about the merchants, but how the adventurers move does affect me—indirectly, sure—but I’d like to keep an ear on it.

“There doesn’t appear to be any unusual activity from monsters or beasts, but the population movement in this territory has been increasing year by year. I wonder which position they’ll go with…”

At Teresa’s words, Elena also joined the conversation.

“That’s true. The west aside, we need to keep an eye on the south as well… Lord Luban can’t handle it all alone.”

It’s been a few years since the Riana Territory was officially established.

This place, which used to be on the edge of the kingdom—and the edge of Zelkis’s territory—has been steadily developing. But ever since trade with the southern Mercenal Territory began in earnest and a dungeon appeared, there’s been a constant flow of people and goods.

Thinking about it that way, Riana still lacks manpower.

Especially local adventurers.

A good number were assigned to the 2nd unit, and adventurers familiar with Riana’s geography are precious.

Of course, skilled adventurers from other regions also come for the dungeon, but when it comes to escorting merchants, local adventurers who know the land are much more popular.

That’s probably why Karn and the others are sparking off against each other across the table, using Liesel as a go-between.

“…Who do you think is going to win?”

“Karn.”

Seriana responded to my comment casually.

She’s so confident…

“Ah…”

While I was watching the exchange wondering what would happen, it seemed Seriana was right—Liesel sided with Karn’s opinion.

The old guy from the commerce guild slumped his shoulders like, “Good grief…”

“You figured that out quickly.”

“This year’s just that kind of year.”

“Huh?”

What does that mean…?

I thought about it, and then remembered there’d been talk about some deliveries not arriving.

Maybe that’s related?

Thinking that, I could kind of understand what Seriana meant.

Though… I still don’t really know the root cause.

“Ah.”

While thinking about the commerce guild, I remembered there was something I wanted to buy.

“What is it?”

“Yeah. I want some clothes.”

“…Clothes? You?”

Seriana looked at me with a blank expression, like a pigeon hit by a bean bullet or something.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“It’s rare for you to want to buy clothes. It’s not for hunting, right?”

Elena chimed in.

“Something like… clothes to wear indoors at the mansion during spring or autumn, when it’s neither hot nor cold. What I have now feels a bit in-between.”

Saying that, I pointed to what I was currently wearing.

A jinbei that I designed myself and a gifted gown.

They’re both good quality items, but…

This mansion does have decent temperature control, but since it’s made of wood, it’s not as airtight as the buildings from my previous life.

And it’s way bigger too, so even indoors, there’s always a bit of a breeze.

If I stay holed up in Seriana’s room, thin clothes are fine, but stepping out like now gets a little chilly.

It’s relatively warm spring now, but come autumn it’ll get even colder.

Maid outfits are fine too… but honestly, I find the material too thick, and they’re not great for lounging on the bed.

Maybe it’s not exactly “seize the day,” but this seems like a good opportunity to have some indoor clothes made for spring and autumn.

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

Sera ・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Garment】・【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】【Monkey’s Arm】・5 cards

Seriana ・【Area Identification】・【】・39 cards

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

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