By the time I took off from the office window and circled around to the back of the mansion, Alec and the others had already entered the city, and the cheers had moved from the west gate to Central Street.

As I glided through the air, I saw the 2nd Unit waving from their horses at the citizens calling out to them along the roadside.

…Is this a parade?

The 2nd Unit is usually active outside the city and frequently comes and goes, but it doesn’t normally stir up this kind of reaction.

Perhaps being away from the city for a medium to long-term mission gives it that special sense of occasion.

Thinking about that, I watched them from the sky—but just standing here doing nothing isn’t useful. I should probably go join them.

Time to welcome them back.

“Ayo, Sera!”

Alec noticed me as I was descending and raised his hand, calling my name.

Maybe because of that, all the surrounding gazes focused on me too… Man, this is embarrassing.

“Hey hey, welcome back! Everyone!”

So I shouted loudly toward the returning 2nd Unit, not to be outdone by the cheers around us.

◇

After joining up with them, I walked together with them toward the mansion.

Alec was on my right, Zighart on my left. Not the flashiest lineup, but with the returning members, it was still quite the entourage.

As always, people lined the roadside to catch a glimpse of them, though among them were some whispering while pointing at my cloak.

Their attire looked rather proper—probably people from a merchant house or something?

At least the cloak is getting some attention.

“Sera.”

“Hm?”

Just as we passed through the central plaza and entered the noble district to the south, Alec spoke to me.

Up until now, he’d been busy waving to the citizens along the road, but unsurprisingly, no one from this area was out rubbernecking.

Anyway, setting that aside—what does Alec want with me?

“Where’d you get that outfit?”

“Oh? You noticed?”

“At first I thought it was one of the ones you wear from time to time, but it’s different, huh? Looks good.”

Even though his attention would naturally go to the cloak, he still managed to notice my clothes today.

As expected of someone with sharp eyes.

“I had it made while you guys were away from the city, together with Lady Seria and the others.”

What I’m wearing today is indoor wear that was recently tailored.

It’s a light blue one-piece, loose around the neck and arms, and tied not at the waist but around the chest with a string, designed to be completely stress-free.

The fabric is thick and sturdy, yet soft and smooth—definitely high-quality.

It’s not flashy at all, but that’s exactly why it has a simple elegance to it.

Well, the design was decided without my input, though!

“…It’s different clothes?”

Unlike Alec, with his sharp perception, Zighart didn’t notice at all—not that it’s surprising, in a way.

“It is different clothes, you know?”

I don’t really blame him.

He’d probably notice something if it were a weapon or armor, but women’s clothing is outside his realm of interest. It’s only natural he wouldn’t notice.

Not to mention, I’m wearing Liesel’s cloak right now.

Liesel and I are very different in body size.

What fits her perfectly ends up completely covering my upper body.

With that much hidden, it’s no wonder the clothes underneath can’t be seen—Alec noticing it at all is what’s impressive.

But…

“Fio’s getting something similar made, too.”

That’s right.

When I had this made, Fiora was having one tailored at the same workshop.

The basic design is the same, but hers apparently has a bit more embroidery and decorations, so although it was finished a few days after mine, it’s already been delivered to her.

We haven’t seen it yet, but if she happens to be wearing it when he gets home today, and Zighart fails to notice…

She probably won’t get mad, but she might get a little sulky.

“…I’ll make sure to be careful.”

Zighart must have been thinking the same thing.

He replied in a slightly stiff voice.

And so, while chatting like that, we kept moving forward, and the noble district was soon coming to an end.

Beyond this point are the headquarters of the Knight Order and its affiliated facilities.

Climb the hill beyond those, and you’ll find the estates of Alec and August, as well as the lord’s manor—but we won’t be going that far right now.

First, we’ll stop by headquarters to take care of the post-mission paperwork and formalities.

Though that’s just for Alec and the others—everyone else will be dismissed here.

They’ll probably be granted a few days of leave. As long as they don’t go overboard, a little fun should be fine.

And then…

“Well then, I’ll head back to the mansion first.”

This is where I part ways with them.

“Yeah. Let the lord know we’re back.”

“Sure, sure. See you later—”

I’ve done my part welcoming them back, so now it’s time to report to the lord and return the cloak.

As a gesture of appreciation, I also cast 【Prayer】 on the squad, then began raising altitude with the 【Floating Orb】, aiming for the mansion.

“Hmmph…”

Right now I’m not using 【Wind’s Garment】, so I’m exposed to the outside air, and wearing the cloak is making me sweat a little on my forehead.

Summer’s nearly here, after all.

Still, the mansion’s cooling system should kick in soon, and this outfit should still serve me well for a while.

Nufufu… glad I made a good one.

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

Sera ・【Hideout】+1 【Prayer】【Blessing of Mira】【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】【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