When Seriana informed everyone in the room that it was time for a break, she moved to the lounge adjacent to the office.

And then, Seriana started by listening to my report—but… there really wasn’t much to report.

Everyone dug the holes, placed the coffins in them, and then I scattered the chemicals from above as the finishing touch.

That was all.

I don’t think it was meaningless, but there wasn’t really any way to expand on the story.

As I spoke while thinking about that, it still served well enough to fill the time until Elena and the others finished preparing tea, and by the time I was done talking, they were ready.

The two of them came over and began placing the tea on the table.

“So then…”

I took a sip of tea and opened my mouth to speak.

I more or less had a guess, but it was about time to hear it straight.

“So, what was the message about in the end? Did the war end or something?”

Well… that’s probably it.

“Oh? You figured it out? That’s exactly right.”

Seriana looked a little surprised as she listened to my words.

Then, after setting her cup down, she began to speak.

“It’s still just a preliminary report, but it seems the war ended in victory for the allied side, with no major damage sustained.”

“Ooh…”

“There are still talks to be had with the enemy nation regarding reparations and such, but… it seems none of our troops were harmed. Just as expected.”

“Ah… so everyone made it back safely. That’s why Elena seemed a bit cheerful.”

They must’ve sent the messenger just to report the outcome.

It wasn’t detailed information by any means, but knowing that we won and that our side suffered no losses was more than enough.

“D-Did I really look like that?”

Elena, sitting beside Seriana, looked a little embarrassed at my words… but it was obvious even at a glance.

“I didn’t say anything since pointing it out would’ve been unkind, but yes, it was plain as day.”

Seriana added teasingly, causing Elena to blush even more, but even with Alec involved, it was war after all.

Of course she’d be worried.

And knowing he was safe must’ve brought a huge sense of relief.

But more importantly…

“You didn’t seem to change at all, Lady Seria… Didn’t you worry about your husband or anything?”

Seriana sometimes acts aloof to hide her embarrassment, but in doing so, she tends to give herself away.

However, today she was operating in full business-as-usual mode.

Not a hint of change.

“I am a duchess, you know. And of a territory that borders the Demon Realm. If anything had happened to a person like that, there would’ve been word no matter what. I don’t know the exact date, but the fact that it’s been over a month since the war started and no urgent messages have come through means nothing has happened to him.”

“…I see.”

Liesel herself, along with Alec, Zighart, Luban, and August… All highly skilled and cautious individuals.

There really wasn’t any cause for concern.

I knew that, of course, but hearing it put so clearly made me feel even more at ease.

So the war’s over, huh.

“That means everyone will be coming back soon?”

Riana didn’t play a particularly important role in the war, and she likely wouldn’t be involved in any post-war arrangements.

The messenger who arrived today probably left after witnessing the end of the war. Liesel and the others probably won’t be staying long either, so I figure they’ll be back soon enough.

“Alec and Zighart should arrive by the end of this month or the beginning of next. As for Luban… who knows? He tends to move independently.”

Luban isn’t exactly formally employed, so if he made it all the way to the royal capital, he might take the opportunity to attend to some things there.

But…

“Hm? Your husband and the commander aren’t coming back with them?”

“The two of them will stay in the royal capital. Riana’s residence in the capital has been constructed, but it’s not fully operational yet, right?”

“Yeah.”

The capital residence is meant to serve as something like an embassy for Riana’s domain.

When I previously visited the capital with Teresa, we made plenty of preparations. I believe it’s livable, but the distance from here to the capital is just too great…

We can’t easily send our people there, and our exchange with other territories hasn’t really taken off. Though someone has been appointed to manage it, it’s still not ready to fulfill its intended role.

Teresa’s visit was over a year ago, and the gap’s been too long.

But apparently, Liesel and the others are taking this opportunity to make rapid progress.

Those two are originally from the royal capital, and there’s no issue with their status.

“Right now, lords and nobles from all across the country are gathering in the capital, and it coincides with the enrollment season too, doesn’t it? It’s a good chance for cross-border interaction as well. So, they’ll come back after all that’s done. Isn’t that convenient for you, too?”

“Huh? …Ah, yeah, it might be!”

I’ll be heading to the capital in the spring to handle some things there, so I’ll probably return around the same time as them.

Well… my travel speed is different, so we might not move together, but it’s still reassuring to have familiar faces around.

“Looks like the current structure at the estate will stay in place for a while longer…”

Saying that, Seriana let out a deep sigh.

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

Sera ・Blessed Item・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Garment】

Blessed Item ・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】+1【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】・【】・0 cards

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

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