Starting with the events that happened along the way, we went over everything about the interior of the base as well, and then decided to consolidate all the information.

In addition to what I had seen myself, there was also the information held by Seriana and the others.

There were accounts from merchants who had dealings with the other side, soldiers on patrol, and the Adventurer Guild—various perspectives that offered surprisingly dense information.

Until recently, all this information had been scattered, but now that each department had started to exchange information with one another, everything had become much more organized and easier to understand, giving us a far clearer picture of the situation on the other side.

Most of the adventurers and merchants operating around the eastern base had been working in the area for a long time, and while none of them were directly involved in the church district incident that happened in autumn, some still had connections to those who were. Among the merchants who had been penalized, there were even some who had done business with the base. It seems they were summoned during the period right after I resolved things and collapsed into bed.

And that was despite the heavy rain at the time.

Given the circumstances, it couldn’t be helped, and of course, they seemed to understand that as well—but that might’ve affected their attitude toward the base.

Teresa explained all that to Alec and the others in a concise manner.

And I nodded along as I listened.

There’s so much I didn’t know.

Of course, it wasn’t just me—Alec and the others were also nodding earnestly as they listened.

Every so often, Alec and the others asked questions or offered answers of their own.

Apparently, they had been somewhat aware of the situation on the other side, but they had been away from their territory since around last summer…

The duration was less than half a year, but it was also when the territory’s capital saw some of the biggest developments in a sense.

We need to make sure to supplement that part thoroughly.

“When it comes to patrolling the territory, we already cleaned up the major highways during our return trip. I’ll leave the west side of the capital to others and head east myself. I’ll stop by and have a brief chat while I’m at it. What about you, Zighart?”

“Let’s see… I’ll go with you. I’ve been away from here for a while, and it’s a good opportunity. Besides, it’s been a while since I’ve had a proper hunt in that area.”

Anyway, after discussing everything, we concluded that the quickest solution was for Alec and the others to head to the base.

To begin with, we aren’t asking them for anything right now, and if we can resolve their dissatisfaction—or rather, their uncertainty—then that would be ideal.

Fortunately, as Alec said, the major western highways in the territory have already been dealt with, and the smaller areas are currently being handled by Rick and the others.

Luban should be returning around now, and he’ll take care of the southern side.

Alec and the others are quite popular in the territory, so some might be disappointed that they’re not joining the patrol, but it shouldn’t be a problem.

In terms of priority, this matter ranks higher.

Still…

I can understand Alec going, but Zighart too?

Sounds like he’s planning to go hunting, and now I kind of want to go too…

I was just about to say something, when—

“Sera.”

“Hmm?”

“Would you mind checking the western highway for a while?”

“The western one?”

Seriana’s sudden command—or more like a request—made me tilt my head in confusion.

The western highway refers to the main road that extends from the west gate of the territory’s capital and connects to Zelkis’s primary trade route—the very same large highway Alec mentioned just moments ago.

It’s also connected to major cities in Riana, making it a key artery. Soldiers patrol it regularly, and the inspection has already been completed.

To be blunt, I don’t think there’s any need for me to patrol it…

“I want you to inspect the highway and its surroundings up to the border with Zelkis. If any monsters appear on the road, eliminate them. As for the corpses, you can order nearby city soldiers to take care of them.”

“Hnn…?”

When I go out hunting, I usually check the soldiers’ patrol routes and schedules, as well as the skill levels of other adventurers hunting in the same area, and the overall hunting conditions.

Then I time the disposal of corpses to align with their activities and ask them to take care of it.

By the way, I let them keep the corpses I leave with them as a sort of bonus allowance.

Rather than asking—it’s more like I commission them, I guess?

In any case, I’ve never had people go out just for corpse disposal.

I could technically issue orders based on my position, but… well, it’s just not my style.

Seriana and the others should know that about me…

“I don’t mind, but is there something going on?”

The highway patrol’s already been completed.

If I were to take charge of roads that branch off to other towns or villages, that would make sense…

“You’ll understand soon enough. There’s no need to rush, but I want it done within the month.”

“Hmph… Well, alright then.”

Within the month, huh…

We’re supposed to depart for the Noble Academy this month, and while the timing doesn’t quite match up, maybe this is meant to coincide?

I’m still not sure what her reason is, but it might be a nice chance to enjoy some relaxing hunts for the first time in a while, so maybe it’s not such a bad idea?

Thinking that, I tilted my head slightly but didn’t press the matter any further, and quietly listened as the conversation picked back up again.

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

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