Midway through January in the summer.

Preparations for the anniversary festival were entering their final stages, and I was starting to get used to the busyness of the office.

We had just finished lunch and were getting into the afternoon’s work when Seriana suddenly paused, as if she noticed something.

“Sera.”

“Hm?”

Seriana called out to me, sitting on her lap, and pointed straight down.

What is it?

I looked down, but there was nothing there.

If it’s a bug, I’d rather run…

“Zighart is returning. He’s just before the slope. Go greet him.”

“Oh? Got it. I’m off!”

Zighart had headed off to confirm the presence of a Lesser Dragon he had discovered in the northeastern edge of the territory right after the rainy season ended.

I had been wondering why he was taking so long to return, but it looked like he made it back safely.

If it were Alec or Rick from the First Unit, they would’ve sent a messenger ahead the day before their return, but well… yeah.

Anyway, he traveled far in this heat for the sake of the territory.

Greeting him is the least I can do.

I got off her lap, climbed onto the 【Floating Orb】 I had rolled to my feet, and floated up.

I headed toward the window to exit the room, but just before I could, Liesel stopped me.

“Sera-kun. Could you tell Zighart to come here just as he is?”

“Hm? Okaaay.”

Maybe he wants to hear the report directly?

Well, alright.

I replied to Liesel, opened the window, and flew outside.

◇

Flying from the mansion and down the slope, I found Zighart right at the foot of the hill in front of the Knight Order headquarters, together with the soldiers who had returned with him.

Perfect timing…

With him, there’s always a chance he’ll head out drinking with the returning soldiers or adventurers.

From the looks of it, he seemed decently groomed, probably took a bath before departing today.

Liesel said “just as he is” would be fine, but if he were in too rough a state, the mansion staff would frown a bit… This should be okay though.

“Welcome back, Zig-san!”

“Hm? Oh… just got back. It’s rare for you to come outside at this hour. Something up?”

“Is it? Well, whatever. The master said to come to the room as you are.”

“A report, huh…? I was thinking of giving it to August’s old man, but… fine. Guess I’ll go.”

Upon hearing Liesel’s message, Zighart scratched his head in annoyance and grumbled.

Yep, catching him here was definitely the right call.

Anyway, Zighart and I said farewell to the soldiers in front of the HQ and started walking toward the mansion.

“Ah!”

But just before reaching the slope, I suddenly remembered something and blurted out.

“What’s wrong?”

“Fio-san’s in the underground area right now, right…? Should I go call her?”

It’s unlikely she’d be directly handling monster matters herself, but with the men away from town, we might need her and Teresa to handle various tasks.

If we’re going to share information, it’s best to do it all at once to avoid misunderstandings.

“Good point… Sorry, can I ask you to do that?”

“Sure thing. Be right back!”

I said, turning the 【Floating Orb】 around toward the Knight Order HQ.

From here, it’s faster to go through the underground passage via the HQ.

Let’s move, move!

◇

The lounge next to Liesel’s office.

Everyone had already gathered, and Zighart was giving his report.

By the way, I had gone to fetch Fiora and was on my way back through the underground passage, but ran into a messenger sent to summon her.

Apparently, Liesel had the foresight to send someone for her.

He anticipated it quicker, but I won with mobility!

Anyway, back to Zighart’s report.

“Hmm… So there’s no issue?”

“Yeah. Just to be safe, we crossed the western part of the territory and checked a wide area on the opposite shore—no problems there. Of course, there were no signs of anyone approaching either, and I don’t think anything will happen while we’re away from town.”

“I see. Well, nothing has happened so far, so it’s unlikely anything would occur now… Still, this is helpful information. Good work.”

The Lesser Dragon had apparently made that area its territory long ago, and it wasn’t expected to move.

Still, this investigation probably served to eliminate any lingering worries.

Now everyone could focus on the preparations without concern.

“But Sera was listening to the report too… I thought you weren’t going to involve her in this matter.”

Finishing the report, Zighart turned to me and Seriana beside me and said this.

In response, Seriana placed her hand on my head and pushed it firmly downward.

“This girl is terrible at keeping secrets but tries to investigate things on her own if she senses anything wrong. That’s why we need to keep a firm hold on her from our side.”

It’s true… I do tend to poke around when I get curious…

“Grgh…”

Shrinking…

“If Sera-kun stays at the mansion, we can leave town with peace of mind, right?”

Liesel added, trying to be supportive, but Seriana’s grip didn’t loosen much.

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

Sera・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Robe】・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent 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・【Heavy Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・10 cards