Mnotia's Den

 The three-day commemorative festival came to a close today. The first day mainly focused on exchanges with foreign countries, including the west. I couldn't quite understand the part about executing foreigners as part of that, but overall, it was bustling. On the second day was the main festival. They showcased the national treasure, a divine sword said to summon lightning. I was startled by the thunder in the clear midday sky, but I guess that was the sword's effect. The third day featured domestic honors and ennoblements. Nothing particularly noteworthy happened. Anyway, I secluded myself in the mansion from the second day onward. As a kid, there wasn't much for me to do, and it felt wrong to have someone constantly attending to me. Plus, dealing with crowds is exhausting. Even though I ended up helping with cleaning and dishwashing due to the numerous guests at the mansion, my activities remained largely unchanged from last year. But the environment is vastly different....

 "Ouch... my head hurts..." Yes, yes, I understand. "It's not my stomach... it's my head..." Mm-hmm. "Lady... to cure a hangover, it's the liver..." "Is that so... it's strange..." Seriana and Elena murmured softly, barely able to speak, lying down together on the bed. In this country, there's no strict drinking age; it's left to individual discretion. While they might have a drink or two during meals, they never drink enough to get a hangover. I'm a little curious about what happened, but first, I need to help them recover. "How's it going? Do you feel a bit better?" I've laid them on the bed and am sitting between them, activating "Prayer" while applying "Miracle's Blessing" to their abdomens. It should boost their healing abilities, and "Prayer" should have its effect too. As for "Miracle's Blessing," I'm not sure, but it feels like it might help,...

 "Welcome back." After storing the items in the Hideout, we stepped outside, where Alex stood in place of a blindfold. "It was quick, huh?" "I just left them by the door. Anyway, thanks." I confirmed that he had settled me on his shoulder and started walking. We had already checked out the commercial district, but what should we do next? "Alex!" "Oh, Ruban." Ruban waved and approached us. He was dressed in his usual adventurer style, sans swords or armor. "What's up? Are you two buddies now?" He used to call him Alexio, but today it was just Alex. Had something happened between them? "He's joining us at our place next year, so we're colleagues." "Oh, I see..." Come to think of it, that was the plan from the beginning. "Sera looks great in that outfit. It suits her well." "Thanks..." He's a gentleman for properly complimenting her. "So, where are the others? Are you a...