I was at a loss as Captain Curtis would not give up no matter what I said. Therefore, I shifted the point.
"But, in reality, you can't leave this land because you're a Captain, right? And since I'm just a knight, it's strange that I can serve you, right? As you guessed, I'm hiding the fact that I'm a Saint... so if I stand out, I'll attract attention and my true identity as a Saint might be revealed. That's the last thing I want." (Fia)
"………………………………………………………………" (Curtis)
Upon hearing what I said, Captain Curtis fell silent with a look of anguish on his face. He remained motionless for several dozen seconds, then he suddenly gritted his teeth and met my gaze.
"In that case... I will join the First Knights. Member, vice-captain, captain, anything is fine. As long as I can be by your side." (Curtis)
"Huh? N-no, I'm saying that you're already the Captain of the Thirteenth Knight Order! If you just throw away that position, you'll attract attention!" (Fia)
When I raised my voice in a rough voice to the Captain, who seemed to be slow to understand, Captain Curtis spoke to me as if trying to persuade me.
"That's not necessarily the case. The First Knights, who guard the royal family, are particularly special. I've heard that many people prefer to be part of the First Knights rather than serving in another order, as they believe that being in His Majesty's service will make them remember you well and may even lead to promotion. After all, in a monarchy, all decisions are made by His Majesty the King alone." (Curtis)
"Huh?" (Fia)
I raised my voice, feeling that it was impossible.
I'm not an expert on topics like career races, but I'm sure Captain Curtis wasn't particularly interested in that area. And then suddenly he changed his view and joins the First Knights in order to get promoted? Or rather, if a knight were to go from Captain to just a member, I think it would be a demotion, even if he was part of the First Knights.
I groaned in anger, but the somewhat optimistic Captain Curtis suddenly burst out laughing, as if everything had been solved.
"Well then, Lady Fi. If I can join the First Knights without causing any discomfort to anyone, then you will allow me to serve you, is that okay?" (Curtis)
"Huh? N-No, I'm just a knight, so it's strange for me to serve you..." (Fia)
I spoke in a hurry, but Captain Curtis didn't seem to be listening to me very much anymore.
…This won't do. It's a bad mix of Captain Curtis and Canopus. He's a mix of Captain Curtis, who was kind and would listen to others, but strangely enough also got his own opinion across, and Canopus, who was serious and wouldn't budge from his beliefs!
I let out a big sigh and glanced at Captain Curtis out of the corner of my eye.
"...What is Captain Curtis's dream? What does he want to do? It's not like Canopus has repainted Captain Curtis, right?" (Fia)
"Being a Curtis is my foundation, so of course it remains. However, when I'm in front of you, it seems that my Canopus side inevitably comes out more strongly. ...I'm Curtis, and I love the people of this land, and I hoped that the knights would become friends with them. Looking back, I think the reason I love the people of this land, and that they adore me, is because I was a resident of a remote island in my previous life." (Curtis)
Captain Curtis smiled quietly as he spoke, and it looked the same as the smile he had before he remembered he was Canopus.
Seeing that smile, I finally felt at ease.
——Ah, thank goodness. Captain Curtis is still here.
Both Captain Curtis and Canopus are here. When I thought about that, I didn't really care about anything else.
"I understand. I don't know how you plan to return to the First Knights, but I look forward to working with you when the time comes." (Fia)
I smiled and held out my hand.
For a moment, Captain Curtis stared at my outstretched right hand with an expression of disbelief, but then he quickly took my hand in both his hands.
"——This time, I will protect you from anyone, anything, and everything in this world." (Curtis)
Captain Curtis spoke this as if making an oath, and he was very serious. So, even though I was trying to respond jokingly, all I could say was "yes."
Author's Note
Thank you for always reading.
After introducing the book in the previous two posts, we received feedback such as, "I bought it," or "I've bought it for a while now."
I thought it was a great book, so I'm glad you read it.
Thank you so much!
Today, I would like to announce the comic adaptation.
The third chapter has been updated, and following Fabian, Commander Savis and Captain Cyril have appeared!
You can jump to it from Rin below, so please feel free to do so.