After parting ways with Green and Blue, Captain Curtis kindly said to me, "You must be tired, so let's take a little rest," and pulled me into a sweet shop.
Of course, I wasn't fooled by his cheerful smile, and even though I resisted by saying "I'm not tired" and "There are still many things I want to buy," before I knew it, I was being made to sit in a chair by the gentle but surprisingly forceful Captain Curtis.
...After that, it was been business as usual.
I received a stern lecture, "What is going on for an adult woman to go on an overnight trip with three men she's never met before?" At first I thought what Captain Curtis was saying was reasonable and listened in silence, but it went on for so long that I got fed up and interjected.
"Curtis, I'm sorry to say this, but it wasn't an overnight trip. It was an adventure trip to break the fate of Green and his brothers!" (Fia)
I tried to exaggerate a bit in an attempt to make it seemed like it there was no other way, but it turned out to be a mistake, and the criticism came back to me twice as loud.
"That is the bigger problem! Their fate is theirs. There is no need for you to save them, Lady Fi. If a human were to encounter a goddess, they would cling to her and things would get complicated!" (Curtis)
For some reason, I didn't really understand what Captain Curtis was saying. Perhaps it was an analogy to something related to the Empire's goddess worship, but I couldn't quite figure out what it represented. However, I sensed that if I asked if I didn't understand, the answer would be doubled just like before, so I simply put on an expression of understanding and listened. Hehehe, this is how I grow day by day.
And it seemed his silence had been worth it, as Captain Curtis seemed satisfied after having said everything he wanted to say, concluding with the words, "In the end, it's always the same for those who are assigned difficult roles, so I've given up now."
Oh my, I am the one who gets lectured all the time, so why is Captain Curtis always playing the victim? I thought this was strange, but I realized that what he was trying to say was that it was difficult not only for the person giving the sermon, but also for the person giving it.
If both roles are unpleasant, then you shouldn't preach. With that in mind, I went back to continuing my shopping with Captain Curtis.
Well, I noticed something while I was shopping. It seemed that competence can be demonstrated even in the simple act of shopping. After hearing from me the purpose of my shopping, Captain Curtis seemed to have a map of the city in his head, as he took the shortest route possible and bought only what he needed without getting lost. Before I knew it, Captain Curtis had all the luggage I needed for the journey from the next day in his hands.
Even more thoughtfully, Captain Curtis had asked for all of the packages to be delivered to the girls' dormitory by the end of the day. Normally, I would save on delivery fees and carry the package myself no matter how heavy it was, but Captain Curtis seemed to be an expert at this and had even paid the fee without me noticing. Of course, when I noticed and tried to pay, Captain Curtis would not accept it.
I thanked Captain Curtis, knowing that I had have to give something in return later.
"Thank you, Curtis. A knight Captain may have a good salary, but please don't push yourself too hard, okay?" (Fia)
Then, Captain Curtis glanced at me as if he wanted to say something.
"What is it, Curtis?" (Fia)
When I asked him about it, he muttered something incomprehensible.
"No. (Unless she makes a huge mistake, Lady Fi, the owner of Sacred Stones, will be many times richer than a knight captain like me... but I'm sure that Lady Fi will make a huge mistake.)" (Curtis)
"What? What did I do wrong?" (Fia)
"No, don't worry about it. I was just realizing that we need a variety of people around you, Lady Fi." (Curtis)
Seeing Captain Curtis seeming to be convinced by himself, I felt like saying something.
"Well, I know it sounds like I'm being rude, but I've always been good at doing things on my own, you see." (Fia)
Then, Captain Curtis responded calmly.
"Yes, from your perspective, Lady Fi, who doesn't think about things in terms of profit or loss, it may seem like you're doing everything well, but from my perspective, who considers everything in terms of profit and loss, I think there is a lot of room for improvement in your actions, Lady Fi." (Curtis)
"Gah!" (Fia)
I did notice that the stuffed animal I had bought earlier was being sold at another store for about 10% less. And for Captain Curtis, he would be well aware of stores that sold the same products at cheaper prices, so I would not have to buy them at higher price in other stores.
Even though I confessed this and tried to show that I understood what Captain Curtis was saying, he replied, "That doesn't even begin to capture what I want to say. It's completely different." Ugh! What a waste of a confession!
After that, I killed time by looking at some interesting shops, but as the time for my appointment was approaching, I decided to head to the fountain in the central square.
Although we arrived at the fountain 15 minutes before the appointed time, Green and Blue were already there. And then they both got changed.
Previously, they were wearing a simple shirt that was reminiscent of adventurers, but now they were wearing a shirt with a proper collar and embroidery. Looking at their clothes alone one could easily see them as civil servants, or even nobles. In fact, I was impressed by the good posture and manners that made someone appear to be of a higher rank just by wearing a shirt with a little decoration.
"Green, Blue, sorry to have kept you waiting! And you've changed your clothes, haven't you? It's the first time I've seen you in a collared shirt, but you look just like nobles, it suits you." (Fia)
"Eeeep! So, Fia, why are you so cruel? If you don't want me to die young, never utter a word that flatters me!" (Green)
Even though I had intended to compliment him, as soon as he heard my words, Green begged me not to compliment him, as if he had heard a curse.
"My brother's right! Fia, the next time you praise me, I'll praise you three times as much!" (Blue)
As for Blue, he was given some suggestions that were hard to understand.
I found everything so funny that I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"It's strange, isn't it, Curtis? When you're with Captain Clarissa, you're so conscious of him that you act cool, but when you're with me, your true shyness and blushing nature comes out." (Fia)
However, when Captain Curtis heard what I said, he didn't look amused, or rather, he replied with a frown on his face.
"To me, it's more the interpretation of Lady Fi that's odd or novel. Why did you think that their response to you was the standard, Lady Fi?" (Curtis)
"Really? Well, those two, or rather there are three of them if you include their brother, all three of them were shy and blushed when they first met. Oh, by the way, Green told me that it had been so long since he last spoke to a young woman that he couldn't remember it. In other words, he's not used to it, so he gets shy just talking to a woman, right?" (Fia)
Even though I gave an honest answer, Captain Curtis looked at me with a suspicious look.
"That may have been the case six months ago, but now that women are flocking to the place in droves, I suspect they're starting to get tired of it." (Curtis)
"Hehehe, even from your perspective as a male, Green and Blue are good-looking, aren't they?" (Fia)
"No, I never said anything like that." (Curtis)
Captain Curtis answered with a stern expression, but well, Curtis.
He just said that both of them must have a ton of women flocking to them. I guess that's the same as saying they were both good looking? Or maybe he was trying to say that he got a glimpse of the wonderful people inside, not just their appearances?
When I thought about it like that, I did feel like this combination would work well.
I guess it's true that a friend of a friend is a friend, isn't that right?
With this in mind, I headed with the other three to the restaurant that Captain Curtis had reserved.