"Oh, Fia, you look awful. Did you not sleep well? I thought you could sleep well anywhere." (Oria)
When I woke up, my sister looked at me with a worried look on her face.
"Well, I did sleep, but... I had a dream about something old and nostalgic..." (Fia)
When I answered absentmindedly, my sister suddenly gave me a small smile.
"Maybe it's because you fell asleep last night talking about your childhood, Fia. Did you have a good dream?" (Oria)
"Huh?" (Fia)
When asked if it was a good dream, I couldn't help but think deeply.
...It must have been a good dream. I don't have any bad memories of Sirius. However, I felt like if I spoke out loud, something would spill out, so I just nodded silently.
After checking my expression, my sister gave me a pat on the head and left the room. As the door slammed shut, I let out a big breath.
...Maybe my heart is just a little weaker. Remembering someone from my past life who is no longer here as if they were a savior. I hadn't had to remember _SIRUISU_ even once up until now...
I sat up in bed and rested my head on my knees. Then, as if it were a continuation of a dream, I thought back to my past life.
If…… If it had not been my brothers who accompanied me to the Demon King castle, but _SIRIOSU_, Canopus, and the White Knight in my previous life, what would have happened?
But I quickly realize that there was no point in thinking about it since I wouldn't know the answer anyway. I shook my head as if to change my mood, then jumped off the bed. I walked quickly over to my luggage in the corner of the room and took out a change of clothes.
...Ah, but that may be it. Perhaps it would only be when there was a knight of _SIRIOUSU_ level and I was able to borrow the power of the spirits that I would be able to feel like I was worthy of facing off against the Demon King's right hand.
A knight of Sirius level... Comparing this life with my previous one, the knights in my previous life were thought to be of a higher level, and Sirius stood out among them, so it would be nearly impossible to meet a knight as strong as him.
I let out a sigh and thought back to my past life 300 years ago —— when I returned to the royal capital from Sutherland.
In the first place, when I visited Sutherland in my previous life, I ended up missing out on the original event of defeating monsters in the Barbizet principality. Of course, I had intended to cover the situation so that the monster extermination could proceed smoothly even without me, but it seemed my instructions were insufficient, and most of the accompanying knights ended up following Sutherland, so I heard later that there was a shortage of fighting power on the ground.
_SIRUISU_ was the one who singlehandedly made up for this lack of manpower. As soon as he heard about my departure, he rushed to the Barbizet principality and became the main force that took down four five-meter-class blue dragons in a short time.
...He was as strong as Zavilia, wasn't he? A knight of that monstrous caliber wouldn't likely appear naturally. So, although I could train the knights we had now, I didn't know how to train knights to be on par with the demonic beasts.
So I thought I'd go back to basics.
For some reason, the Demon King's right-hand never made an appearance and seemed to be hiding alongside the Demon King. Therefore, for a while, I would not borrow the power of the spirits and would try not to be found out as a saint.
However, that demon probably hasn't disappeared yet—and it's likely he'd show up again someday, so I needed to think about that time as well.
So that my life —— Fia Ruud would not be destroyed. To protect my big sister Oria, Curtis, the many other knights I had become friends with in the Knights' Order, and all of whom were important to me. What can I do to achieve this?
It wasn't a question that could be answered right away, but I decided to continue thinking about it without running away. And I was going to do what I could. Unlike in my previous life, where I suddenly encountered the Demon King's right-hand, now I knew who my enemy was.
Okay, let's do it!
"I'll do my best today too!!" (Fia)
Just as I spoke up, my sister returned.
When my sister saw that I had recovered, she smiled brightly.
"Hehehe, if Fia is happy, then I feel happy too." (Oria)
She said as she handed me a glass of water.
Taking it with both hands and drinking it, I tasted a faint hint of citrus. It tasted like seasonal fruit, mixed in by my sister, who knew my tastes well.
…See, this is how my older sister thinks of me as if it's the most natural thing in the world. That's why I should be able to do anything for you, sister.
Thinking that, I left my sister's room with her. After having breakfast with the other knights in the dining hall, I entered the interview room, where the same people from yesterday were already there. Everyone looked healthy and rosy, probably because they hadn't slept in bed for a while, but Captain Ghai, sitting in the center, looked gaunt and pale.
"Oh my, Captain Ghai, you look awful! Didn't Captain Curtis let you sleep?" (Oria)
In response to Oria's surprised voice, Captain Ghai spoke in a lifeless voice.
"Oria, please stop saying things that may lead to misunderstandings. It's the truth, so I recommend you to remain silent." (Ghai)
"...What's the matter, Captain? That's a strange way of speaking." (Oria)
My sister frowned and looked at Captain Ghai.
The Captain looked up, exhausted, and continued speaking in the same tone.
"I decided to try and express just how much damage Curtis has done to me. Look, after being tortured by Curtis all night, my brilliant brain is on the verge of collapse!!" (Ghai)
"...If you speak one more word in the same tone, I will request a transfer." (Ghai)
Apparently deciding that Captain Ghai was just messing around, my older sister warned the captain in a lower voice than usual. At that moment, Captain Ghai straightened his back and let out a crisp voice.
"What the heck! My brilliant brain is beyond the reach of a mere Curtis! Come on, Oria, let's work together again today." (Ghai)
"It seems that your brain is still not functioning properly. You are talking to me as if I work with you on a daily basis, but all I do with you on a daily basis is say hello." (Oria)
"Y-yes... No, I knew it! I knew it too! However, I don't really understand, but as expected of the companions of the 'Charming Red Witch', the people your sister brought back were all handsome to the point of being annoying! There's no one here! There's not a single person with faces like that in this fortress!! If they were all gathered from the royal capital, then even I'd want to show off a little, right!?" (Ghai)
As Captain Ghai made a lengthy excuse, my older sister muttered some brief words of comfort.
"Captain, a man's worth isn't just his face." (Oria)
"Guh! Oria just confirmed that I'm ugly!!" (Ghai)
Saying that, Captain Ghai slumped face down on the desk, and I thought, maybe this might actually work.
There was no doubt that Captain Ghai was in love with my kind, intelligent, strong and beautiful older sister, but I didn't think she herself was interested. And while it's true that she certainly didn't seem interested, aside from that, my sister was a very caring person, so I had always thought that a man who required a lot of attention might actually be a good match for her.
In that sense, since Captain Ghai seems like it would require a lot of work, perhaps it will actually meet my sister's expectations. Well, Captain Ghai might be too much work and fall into the category of troublesome.
With that thought in mind, I went to sit with my sister at the table where everyone else was seated. Then Captain Curtis stood up and eagerly pulled his chair back the width of my body. I thanked him and sat down, and just as if on cue, Blue placed a glass of delicious-smelling beer in front of me. Of course, Blue placed a glass in front of my older sister as well, but Captain Ghai and my older sister must have noticed that he served me first since I was farther away from Blue.
"…………"
Everyone remained silent, but I could feel questioning looks from Captain Ghai and my sister. Still, I kept my head down, pretending not to notice, when Captain Ghai, who hadn't at all read my feelings of not wanting to be touched, exclaimed in admiration.
"The Charming Red Witch is seriously amazing! She has all the handsome men at her mercy!" (Ghai)
After hearing Captain Ghai's words, Captain Curtis, who had been silently watching the events unfold, suddenly grimaced as veins began to form on his forehead.