While Liesel and the other core men had left the city due to the war, the most pressing concern was the safety of Seriana and the children.

Of course, the children are heirs, and Seriana’s influence naturally extends not only throughout the Riana territory but also into neighboring Zelkis territory and even widely across the eastern region.

Moreover, since the orders to the rebel factions hiding in this city haven’t been updated in years, it seems Seriana is the most likely target.

Well… in a way, Seriana is the most well-protected person in this city, and maybe that’s exactly what she wants. Perhaps she’s deliberately keeping things that way.

If you know when and who the target will be, you can prepare all you like.

“Of course, we haven’t neglected preparations. The princess’s room next door is one such measure.”

“Ah… I see.”

I knew it.

Though the timing was coordinated with inspections before the rainy season, the renovation of the lord’s mansion still felt a bit too rushed.

If you follow the usual procedures and take your time with renovations, that just gives the enemy more time to prepare alternative methods.

That’s why they picked a timing that was sudden but not completely unnatural.

“Naturally, I don’t believe they can even reach the mansion, but since the lords are away from the capital, I suppose she took every precaution.”

And with that, the conversation concluded.

“Well… I get the gist of it. So, when’s it supposed to happen? It’s not too far off, but it’s not immediate either, right?”

Preparations for the Memorial Festival are underway, so I figured it would be sometime after that…

“The war will likely break out around early March in autumn.”

“You really just said it plainly…”

And it’s not even that far off.

“They always strike right after the rainy season to prevent the allied forces from bringing in large reinforcements. It’s the usual pattern. Although for the past few decades, it’s mostly been small-scale skirmishes… Do you remember when Grandpa talked about the 【Scarlet Bee Needle】?”

“Gramps, huh…? Ah, yeah, there was that little spat with the western territories, and the Church stepped in to mediate, right?”

The saint from the Church used the 【Scarlet Bee Needle】 to settle the conflict, but I remember him being furious about how biased the judgment was…

My eyes fell on the 【Ankle Bracelet】 fastened around my right ankle.

Now that I understand what it is, I could probably brush it off—but I guess he didn’t back then.

“That’s right. The western powers—the Empire, the United Nations, and the Church—support the anti-alliance movements. Then, before things escalate into a full-scale war, they step in with arbitration that always benefits the west. Reparations come in the form of Holy Coins, favorable dungeon or hunting ground usage rights… even things like orphanage management are used as bargaining chips.”

The west is still more culturally developed, and we probably have to accept some unfavorable conditions because of that.

Still, as someone who grew up in an orphanage, it pisses me off to see something unrelated used for political games!

“…Wait a second? But this time it’s a real war…”

“Yes. This time, those powerful western groups have already pulled out. Most likely, when all their assassination attempts on me failed, they changed strategies. Though it’s true they were involved early on in this war… that’s not something we need to worry about anymore. Liesel and the others will surely return victorious.”

Seriana stated it firmly once again.

While the shift in policy by the western powers is one thing, looking around, the other three didn’t seem to doubt her words either. Looks like the alliance side is set to win.

“Alright… I get it. But, we didn’t all gather here just for that, right?”

“Exactly. Now we get to the main topic. I would have liked to talk about it earlier, but you wear your emotions on your face, and I couldn’t bring it up easily.”

She looked at me with a smirk as she said that, and I was annoyed but couldn’t argue—my face is expressive, after all.

Seeing me like that, she smirked even more before suddenly shifting to a more serious tone.

“You’ve noticed that people are starting to arrive in the city for the Memorial Festival, right? This year, there are barely any foreign visitors, but that means more guests from within the territory and nearby areas. Nobles are one thing, but among the commoners, some are sharp and may have caught on—though only as rumors. So it wouldn’t be strange if someone tried to approach you for information.”

“…Yeah.”

I guess I do come across as approachable…

“That’s an official order from Liesel. You’re not to leave the mansion for a while.”

“What!?”

I’d only just started hunting in the dungeon again, and now this!?

“You can use the closure period before the Memorial Festival however you like. You can manage that, can’t you?”

“Ngh… Fine.”

Seems like that’s already a decided matter. No use complaining.

“Good. Well… even with a war going on, your duties in the capital don’t change. If something comes up, we’ll give you instructions. Just keep that in mind, alright?”

“Yeah. Got it.”

Honestly, I still have a lot I’d like to ask.

Like, what exactly are the rebel factions planning? We even know where they’re gathering—so why not act?

But Seriana and the other three won’t say a word, and I doubt they’d tell me even if I asked.

Maybe it’s more convenient for them if I stay in the dark.

I am curious… but like Seriana said, poking around might cause friction. Even if I stay holed up in the mansion, there’s no telling what could cause a slip-up.

Guess I’ll just leave it to them…

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

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】 【Red Sword】 【Monkey’s Arm】・8 cards

Seriana ・【Area Identification】・【】・40 cards
Elena ・【】・【Green Fang】 【Amber Sword】・4 cards
Alec ・【Power Strike】・【Red Shield】 【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・10 cards