I blinked rapidly as I stared at the broad back in front of me.
I wonder what would have happened to Captain Curtis?
As I was wondering about this, I remembered that, yes, it was Captain Curtis' first time meeting Green and Blue.
Basically, Captain Curtis was very anxious about me. To those who didn't know him, Green might look a little bad, so he might have been worried.
Understanding the reason for Captain Curtis' behavior, I popped up behind the Captain, stood next to him, and gave him a reassuring pat on the arm.
"Curtis, these two are acquaintances of mine. The green-haired man is Green, and the blue-haired man is Blue. About six months ago, we went on an adventure together in the monster forest near the Ruud territory." (Fia)
"...Wow, so you're coming all the way from the Empire to our country for an adventure? It's like a game for royalty and nobility, isn't it?" (Curtis)
"Hya?!"
He looked up in surprise at Captain Curtis, who, without any hints, correctly guessed that the two were from the Empire. Green and Blue also had wary expressions on their faces and were silently gazing at Captain Curtis.
...Hey, then maybe there's no need to show your abilities at a time like this? Guessing the answer without any hints was a feat that an ordinary person couldn't do. I wondered what it's like to say that so casually and act as if you don't think for a second that you're wrong.
But it was a problem precisely because it was true. He was a reliable ally, but in situations like this, I thought he might be too competent. As I thought this and frowned, one of the knights came running up to Captain Clarissa in a panic.
"Captain Clarissa! Viscount Gutter's son is causing a disturbance in a restaurant in the central district. We are unable to do anything about it, so would you be able to deal with it?"
"Well, it was just starting to get interesting!... I guess I have to work as long as I'm getting paid. Well, see you later, Fia-chan. And Curtis, I'll leave it to you." (Clarissa)
Captain Clarissa sighed in great regret and left with the knight who had come to call him.
Once the mood maker, Captain Clarissa, left the room, the atmosphere was filled with a silent silence.
Hmm, this isn't good, I thought, so I pretended not to notice the tense atmosphere, tried to keep my voice cheerful, and went back to continuing my introduction.
"...And this is Captain Curtis. Captain Curtis is the captain of a knight who protects Sutherland, the southernmost land of the kingdom, but he has left Sutherland for a while and is currently working in the royal capital." (Fia)
I introduced them, smiling more than necessary, but the other three kept their faces blank-faced. On the contrary, they remained silent and exchanged sharp glances as if glaring at each other.
Unable to contain myself any longer, I asked out loud, looking around at the three of them.
"Hey! What's wrong, you three? A friend of a friend is supposed to be a friend, right?" (Fia)
"Lady Fi, that's not necessarily the case. More importantly, this is the first time I've heard about your adventure together six months ago. If you don't mind, could you tell me who accompanied you?" (Curtis)
"Huh?" (Fia)
Sensing something ominous in Captain Curtis' voice, I quickly looked up and was met with a fierce, glaring gaze.
...Th-this is bad, bad, bad. Captain Curtis was in escort knight mode from his previous life.
"The party members who accompanied me six months ago were the three brothers Red, Green, and Blue, whom I was meeting for the first time, and myself☆"
...But it's not really the kind of atmosphere where I can say that.
If I said it, I felt there was a 100% chance that I would be scolded. Whether I said it cheerfully or apologetically, I felt like I would be scolded either way. Well, that's bad...
Feeling helpless, I grinned and tried to brush it off.
"Ehehehehe, Curtis. Who cares about something that's already over? They were gentlemen. And more importantly, why did you think the Green were from the Empire?" (Fia)
However, it seemed that Captain Curtis had no intention of being fooled, and just glared at me.
"In other words, Lady Fi, you went on an adventure with just the men you met for the first time. That's fine, this isn't something we should talk about in public, so let's continue when we're alone. Now, about where these two are from..." (Curtis)
As I watched Captain Curtis continued speaking, I began to regret my actions, wondering if I had made a mistake. No matter how you look at it, if he had just gotten angry like that, it would have been a shorter process. Even so, if he were to set up a time for just the two of us again, I was sure I would get a long, hard scolding. Ahh, I've failed!
As I hung my head, the words Captain Curtis fell upon me.
"These beautiful hair color and the names 'Green' and 'Blue' make me think of a certain pair of brothers who recently appeared in the public eye of the Empire. If there was one more person with red hair, a name like 'Red', it would be perfect." (Curtis)
"Oh, you know him well! Green's and Blue's brother is Red! Ah, no, but that's a fake name." (Fia)
When Green looked up in surprise after the name of his brother was guessed correctly, Captain Curtis nodded slightly, as if he had understood something.
"Yes, that was the story. They gave a false name to the Goddess, and then that false name became their real name... the story was about a famous pair of brothers in the Empire." (Curtis)
"Hmm? The Empire is certainly a country that worships the Goddess, so are there people there who have actually met the Goddess? ...Um, so in other words, the three brothers Red, Green, and Blue who are famous for meeting the Goddess are from the Empire, and because you used pseudonyms based on their names, you assumed that these Green brothers were from the Empire?" (Fia)
"…………That's about it." (Curtis)
After hearing my speculation, Captain Curtis looked at me as if he wanted to say something, but then nodded as if he understood something.
"Oh, Lady Fi, you don't know who they are, do you?" (Curtis)
"Huh?" (Fia)
"No, there's no need to teach me things I don't know... Yes, it's nice to meet you two. I'm Curtis. And goodbye. I'm escorting Lady Fi, so you can return to your home country in peace." (Curtis)
Captain Curtis muttered something as if he had understood it, then his mood suddenly turned cold, and he gave a short, dismissive greeting to Green and Blue.
"Curtis! I know you care about me and that it's natural to be wary of people you meet for the first time, but please, just talk to us. I'm sure you'll find that they're wonderful people." (Fia)
Surprised by the cold response, I asked Captain Curtis to be kinder, but, unusually, he did not agree.
"There is no one more wonderful than you. I know the best, so this is unnecessary." (Curtis)
"Curtis!" (Fia)
I thought to myself, this was really just me being too biased, as I stared at Captain Curtis.
"Curtis, tonight is our celebration for completing training, but you said it would be lonely if it was just the two of us. How about inviting Green and Blue?" (Fia)
"I have to say that's an idea I don't agree with at all." (Curtis)
"But, this is the first time I've met these guys since we parted six months ago. I'd like to talk to you about a lot of things." (Fia)
"......It's a celebration of Lady Fi, so if Lady Fi wishes." (Curtis)
In the end, Captain Curtis, Green, and Blue finally seemed to understand my desire for them to get along, and although Captain Curtis was reluctant, he accepted my proposal.
...Hehe, Captain Curtis is a worrier, but he's also very kind. Once you get them to accept you, you're yours. I'm sure they'll like you and start treating you nicely. Thinking this, I turned to Green and Blue.
"Green and Blue, are you staying in the royal capital for a while? Curtis and I are planning to have dinner together tonight, would you like to join us?" (Fia)
"Is that okay?" (Green)
"Of course I'll go!" (Blue)
Green and Blue answered my question at the same time.
Well, they are brothers after all, they work so well together, I thought, answering with a smile.
"Well, I'll be waiting for you, okay? Well, then, let's meet at 6 in the evening by the fountain you can see over there. See you later." (Fia)
I was so happy to see the two old friends and looking forward to having dinner together that I waved vigorously until they were out of sight.