*****

Two days of smooth travel by carriage had passed when the Order of Knights' encampment, established near the highway, finally came into view.

As I stepped down from the carriage upon our arrival, a single knight was there to greet us.

「We have been expecting you, Master Clein. I must thank you for looking after my daughter.」

It was my father.

I’d been absent-mindedly wondering why I hadn't seen him at home lately, but I never imagined that my father—who was supposed to have retired from the knighthood—would be out here taking command in the field.

(Please tell me my brother, who's still an active knight, isn't here too!?) I thought, scanned the surroundings. Fortunately, my brother was nowhere to be seen.

Unlike me, who was sighing with relief that this hadn't turned into a full-blown family reunion, Master Clein maintained a perfectly composed and dignified demeanor. He seemed to already be acquainted with my father and paid no mind to my inner turmoil.

「If anything, I am the one being looked after by Lady Mia. While I understand your respective positions make things complicated, there is no need for you to be overly formal on her account.」

「I must say the same to you. There is no reason to alter your conduct simply because my daughter is present.」

For some reason, a prickly mood began to settle over the introductions, casting a subtle chill across the campsite. Master Clein had gone out of his way to treat me as a noble lady and suggested that my father didn't need to use formal language, yet Father had flatly refused the offer.

Given the gap in their social standing, it might have been unthinkable for Father to act as Master Clein’s equal, but I really wish he could have been a bit more flexible. He truly was a man of no compromise—the "Stiff-Necked Sovereign," the "Grit-Your-Teeth-and-Grind-on-Stubborn."

「You are as awkward a man as ever.」

「I merely fulfill my duties. Nothing more, nothing less.」

(It’s awkward enough just having my boss and my dad talking... but this is the worst atmosphere yet! Please, think of your daughter who has to stand right here!)

I instinctively offered Master Clein a slight, apologetic bow.

「I'm so sorry. My father can be... a bit rigid.」

「There is no need for you to apologize, Mia. As a noble, Viscount Hopewell is technically in the right.」

It seemed impossible to strike up any conversation with my father that wasn't strictly business; he didn't so much as flinch at the exchange. At this point, I couldn't tell if he was being incredibly professional or just plain rude. Then again, since he usually only has the bare minimum of conversation with me anyway, I suppose this was "normal."

While I was mulling this over, Master Clein and Father were already diving into the heart of the matter.

「I’ve looked over the reports, but the miasma seems quite dense.」

「Having expanded our search radius as far as possible, we have confirmed that the miasma damage is still spreading. At this rate, abnormal monster breeding will begin shortly, which may lead to a large-scale disaster.」

「So, if we want to maintain peace while continuing the investigation, we'll have to perform purification work in parallel.」

「Exactly so. Monsters are not kind enough to wait for our preparations. To compensate for the shortage of medicinal herbs, we must purify the miasma as quickly as possible.」

(They're actually talking like serious professionals,) I noted as I listened. Master Clein then turned around and caught my eye.

「We're going to start the purification work before the monster breeding progresses any further. Mia, Leon. Instruct the knights on how to use the purification potions.」

「Yes, sir.」

「Understood.」

Receiving my first official field assignment as a Court Alchemist’s assistant, I straightened my posture. Just because my father happened to be at the workplace didn't mean I could just lounge around. I needed to focus on the task and ensure I didn't make any mistakes.

While Father gathered the knights on-site, Leon and I split up to unload the cargo from the carriage. Checking the contents as we worked, there was no sign that any of the purification potions had broken.

「Quality seems... fine. And the included sprays look good to go, too.」

The purification potions we made this time were designed so you only have to swap the cap when you're ready to use them, allowing you to spray the liquid like a mist. If the miasma has spread over a wide area, the concentration tends to be lower, so this method is recommended to conserve resources. I only learned the details this morning, so I wasn't exactly an expert, though.

As the knights began to gather in increasing numbers, Leon and I split into two groups to start the briefing.

「Based on advance reports of high miasma levels, we have brought a large supply of purification potions. However, in anticipation of potential shortages—」

I was simply summarizing the key points of the situation and explaining the procedure as concisely as I could, but...

「That is all. Are there any points that were unclear so far?」

「NO, MA'AM! NO PROBLEMS AT ALL!!」

(Is this because Father is here?) Just listening to me speak seemed to make them incredibly tense; a heavy, pressurized air hung over the group. It was so intense that Leon whispered to me after finishing his own explanation.

「The knights really have their game faces on today, don't they? They're way more intimidating than usual.」

「Ahaha... I wish they’d relax a bit; it would make it much easier to talk to them.」

(Honestly, I'm the one who wants to purify this atmosphere.) Just because my father was a "Demon Instructor" didn't mean they had to treat his daughter with such terrifying reverence.

Father, seemingly oblivious to the situation he’d created, continued his conversation with Master Clein.

「By the way, is the Order so understaffed that even the man once known as the 'God of War,' Viscount Hopewell, had to take the field?」

「No, I was called out due to the exceptional nature of the situation. There has never been a case of such massive miasma generation so close to the Royal Capital.」

「I imagine not. Usually, this is something you see in abandoned villages, the far frontiers, or old battlefields. To call this a natural disaster... it raises questions.」

「We lack the evidence to definitively call it man-made. In His Majesty's judgment, an old soldier needed to return to the field to ensure a swift response.」

Come to think of it, Father had never returned to active duty since his retirement. Not even when the Order was suffering from a string of casualties and was temporarily short-handed did he return to the front lines. Furthermore, he was out here commanding without even telling his family. I wondered if it was his own will or a direct order from the state, but I knew he wouldn't tell me even if I asked.

「We are exterminating monsters in the immediate vicinity, but they keep appearing out of nowhere. Even with a knight escort, please remain extremely vigilant.」

「Understood. For now, let the knights on-site focus on the purification. We will focus on investigating the surrounding area.」

「As you command.」

With the feeling that things were starting to look a bit ominous, I picked up a purification potion and began my own preparations for the investigation.

*****

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