I’m currently using 【Fairy’s Eye】 to carefully observe the inner walls and ceiling of the hall, just as I did in the room we’re staying in.

The walls are exposed wood grain up to about one meter from the floor, and from there upward, they’re covered in a slightly glossy white wallpaper.

Sunlight pouring in through the windows reflects off the white wallpaper, and although we haven’t turned on the lights yet, the hall is brightly lit.

At night, I suppose the lighting will take over for the sunlight.

Not all the magic tools have been installed yet, but wiring for lighting and climate control has already been laid through the ceiling and walls.

This hall is about two stories high, giving it a sense of openness—or rather, it’s designed in a way that won’t feel cramped even when people are gathered here.

There are several large windows along the walls, which probably enhances that effect even more.

It does seem a bit careless in terms of security, but most of the parties held here will likely be celebratory in nature, so they probably prioritized comfort.

Also, it’s not just about design.

While the materials used in the interior are of good quality, they don’t appear to be particularly special. It doesn’t look like the building was designed with defense in mind from the start.

The exterior hasn’t been completed yet, so that’s still unclear, but judging from the interior and the overall atmosphere of the residence, they probably won’t fortify this one hall like a fortress.

After all, this is the royal capital. While there’ll be minimum security, full-scale protection is likely left to the Knight Order stationed here.

That’s probably just common sense.

Still… other than my time in the orphanage, I’ve always lived in estates built with combat in mind—Zelkis’ lord’s mansion, Lortle’s magistrate’s mansion, and Riana’s lord’s mansion.

Even Seriana’s room had provisions for defending against monsters and bandits…

That sort of environment probably became my standard without me even realizing it.

I stayed at the Müller family’s mansion in the royal capital for nearly a year, and that place, like this one, wasn’t heavily fortified either.

But back then, it was just a place to stay—I never thought of it as my own home, so I didn’t pay much attention to that kind of thing.

So I guess it doesn’t count.

Still, a lord’s mansion or a magistrate’s mansion…

Come to think of it, I’ve always been living in the best mansion in whatever territory I was in.

That’s pretty luxurious.

As I was drifting along the ceiling thinking about my history with housing, I suddenly heard my name being called from below.

“Sera!”

Turning my head toward the voice, I saw Seriana signaling for me to come down.

Maybe because she was wearing a skirt, she had stayed down below instead of coming up—did something happen?

Thinking that, I descended toward her…

“What is it? Oh?”

I understood why she’d called me right away.

“Hey, Seria, Sera. I saw you both from the room, so I thought I’d drop by.”

Almost at the same time I descended, the hall door opened from the outside, and in walked Liesel—completely off-duty, wearing neither armor nor even a sword—along with August and a man who looked like a government official.

◇

While I had been fixated on the hall’s construction materials and magical wiring, it seemed Seriana had been carefully examining the interior while I was clinging to the ceiling and walls.

She was asking Liesel about things like the carvings on the walls and what paintings might go where.

Liesel answered her, and the government official standing behind him jotted it all down.

I wonder if those notes will influence the rest of the work here later…

“What’s wrong, Vice Captain?”

August, dressed casually like Liesel but still apparently in work mode, asked me the question.

“Ah, no, it’s nothing. But…”

Just as Liesel was answering Seriana’s questions, August answered mine.

Well… my questions probably weren’t as intellectual as Seriana’s, but the fact that he still answered seriously says a lot about the kind of person he is.

He’s a serious guy.

Anyway, about my question…

Just as I’d suspected, this hall doesn’t have much in the way of defenses.

The mansion’s security, the patrol soldiers in the noble district, the Knight Order stationed at the castle, and the soldiers who regularly protect the royal capital…

It’s all built on the assumption that we’ll be protected by them.

According to August, minimizing the level of protection in the noble district is a way of outwardly expressing trust in the royal family.

Thinking back, when we first arrived at the mansion, the soldiers guarding it included the ones Liesel had brought from Riana.

And now that I think about it, while the mansion is securely guarded at key points, the overall number of guards actually feels pretty low.

Certainly, it would be rude to station your own armed forces right next to the castle.

I nodded in agreement, satisfied.

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

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】 ・ 3 cards

Seriana ・ 【Area Detection】 ・ 【】 ・ 0 cards

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

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