Even after Liesel and the others arrived and we had all chatted for a while, I kept crawling along the ceiling and walls, checking things out. But about ten minutes later, Seriana told me to knock it off.

Well… I guess it’s not exactly calming for the people around us when not only I, but also the lord and lady of the territory are together in an under-construction building.

After thoroughly checking out the parts that caught my attention, I figured it was about time and rejoined Seriana, leaving the hall behind.

Our next destination was Liesel’s room.

It was in the men’s wing, but since we were the only guests currently staying at the mansion, no one seemed to care about the finer details.

And so, for the first time since yesterday, we were back in Liesel’s room.

We sat down in the same seats as yesterday, and today August was with us too, making us a group of four. As we chatted idly, we waited for tea to be brought in.

In situations like this, you have to keep in mind that the servants might come in at any time, so the conversation needs to be harmless—nothing that would cause a problem if overheard. That sounds easy, but it’s actually surprisingly difficult.

With me—the resident problem child—added into the mix, we had to keep the conversation safe, but also accessible enough that everyone could follow along.

Come to think of it, this combination of four people is quite rare.

Usually, Elena, Teresa, or Alec would be with us, and they’d often take the lead in the conversations. So I couldn’t help but wonder how this particular group would manage…

Well… since Liesel’s here, I’m sure he’ll steer the conversation skillfully.

Feeling pretty relaxed, I swung my legs idly and gave half-hearted responses to the ongoing chatter.

◇

We continued chatting for a while about things outside the noble district of the royal capital, but when the tea arrived, it served as a natural break in the conversation.

If we were just going to talk, we could’ve used the lounge on the first floor, so gathering in Liesel’s room must mean there’s something more important to discuss, right?

Following everyone else’s lead, I tilted my head slightly as I picked up my cup—and then Liesel spoke.

“Sera-kun, you were pretty thorough checking out the inside of the hall. Did you find anything interesting?”

“The whole hall itself was interesting, I guess…? It was built with a different mindset than either Zelkis or Riana, you know?”

“Ah… I see. Yeah, for me, born in the royal capital, that sort of layout is pretty normal. But I guess it might seem strange to you…”

Liesel replied with a wry smile.

Then August, wearing a similar expression, stepped in to add more context.

“The mansion in Riana, where Sir Sera currently lives, and the lord’s mansion in Zelkis territory—both were originally designed to function as fortresses against monsters from the frontier. Even within the Mesaria Kingdom, they’re unique types of estates. Other lordly mansions in different territories aren’t like that.”

“Really?”

When I looked at Seriana, she just shrugged.

That gesture alone—without any verbal confirmation—made it clear. She had some idea but didn’t seem confident enough to state it outright.

Even if she had the knowledge, she doesn’t have the same freedom I do to wander beyond the territory.

Since she hasn’t seen them firsthand, she probably feels she can’t say for certain.

“Exactly. And the defenses of the royal capital itself are among the finest in the kingdom—comparable even to the front lines. It might not seem unusual to you, since you’re used to living here now, but most visitors from other territories are surprised by how strict the security is.”

“Huh…”

I gave a half-interested response, but I understood one thing clearly: the capital’s defense is something they take great pride in.

That also reminded me—though it was a bit of an old story—about the time we captured Akame.

Back then, the method used was pretty wild. They dug a tunnel under the city wall to create an entrance and exit for smuggling in monsters.

In the end, the incident was resolved by executing a large number of death row inmates, and I remember thinking, Wow, this got serious fast… But I didn’t really consider the deeper reasons back then.

After today’s conversation, though, I think I finally understand why it was such a big deal.

There was a passage near the noble district that could connect the capital to the outside—a passage big enough for monsters, and one with no inspection or checkpoints. That alone is a huge problem, but it wasn’t just that.

The real issue… was that the individual estates in the noble district had weak defenses.

Strong city walls and strict checkpoints.

A large number of patrolling soldiers, deployed day and night.

All of that could become meaningless in one stroke.

The estates in the noble district had relaxed security precisely because they trusted the capital’s overall defenses. But if something—even without casualties—had gone wrong, the royal family’s image would’ve taken a massive hit.

And with a war expected in a few years, of course they’d respond that harshly.

I can also understand now why they went out of their way to put on such a performative show—they wanted to erase the negative impression as much as possible.

As I nodded along thoughtfully, I happened to lock eyes with Seriana, who was sitting next to me.

She smiled, looking quite pleased.

It felt a little unnerving, like she was reading my thoughts… but I guess I got it right.

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

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