"Fia, you said that friends are people who talk together, go out together, and sleep together, didn't you?"
Commander Cyril spoke in a cool tone, but...
Wait, wait!
The last part was funny!
"Commander! I have no intention of interfering with your friendships, but I don't sleep with friends of the opposite sex!!"
"That's good to hear. I was listening to your story while thinking that it was quite a free-spirited way of thinking, so I'm relieved that you corrected it."
"Ugh……"
No good.
I've been made to talk about what I said.
It's too disadvantageous to be reminded of things I don't remember.
"So, so? I do think that friends share many things, but what do you want to share, Commander?"
That's why I tried to change the subject.
"…Yes, perhaps 'memories.' I want you to share my memories."
"Memories?"
When I asked, feeling that this was a topic that touched on Commander Cyril's inner world, he smiled pleasantly.
"Yes, I have a place of memories. I visit it every year to remind myself of my past actions, and I thought you might join me."
"…Well, it seems like a very personal matter, and I'm not sure if it's appropriate for me to accompany you, but if the Commander says it's fine, I'll go. Where is the place?"
"It's my territory."
Territory! Is Commander Cyril really a noble?
While thinking this, I tried to ask casually.
"By the way, what is Commander Cyril's family name?"
"…Fia, you're asking as if you've forgotten, but you probably didn't know my family name from the beginning, did you? It's Sutherland."
"Sutherland!!"
What a surprise.
It's the territory where the 'Blue Knight,' who was my bodyguard in my previous life, lived.
"Commander Cyril, are you a descendant of the 'Blue Knight'?"
When I asked in surprise, Commander Cyril asked back in surprise.
"Have you heard the legend of the 'Blue Knight'? I'm surprised you know such a low-profile knight."
"Low-profile? Based on the kingdom's blue and white flag, the 'Blue Knight' and 'White Knight' were selected from the most excellent two knights in the order, weren't they? I think they are the most famous and honored knights in the order."
"…Fia, the kingdom's flag was blue and white over 300 years ago. Now, the flag of the Nerve Kingdom is red with a black dragon emblem."
…That's right!
Indeed, one of the things that surprised me after my memories from my previous life returned was that the flag had changed.
Since the current royal family's name is Nerve, the dynasty hasn't changed, but I wondered why the flag was changed.
"Then, is the most famous knight now called the 'Red Knight'?"
"…Fia. Red is a forbidden color. It's a color that is not allowed to be used."
"Huh? Is that so?"
"Yes. Red is the color of the Great Saint. We have returned 'the Red of the Great Saint' to the Great Saint."
The Red of the Great Saint…?
I blinked at the unfamiliar term.
Indeed, in my previous life, I, who was called the Great Saint, had the same red hair color as now. Is it related to that?
Or did a few Great Saints appear after my death and do something related to red?
I tilted my head and thought, but since I don't know the movements of the past 300 years, I couldn't figure out the answer… and I felt it was dangerous to continue this conversation with the sharp-witted Commander Cyril, so I tried to change the subject.
"Indeed, I see. By the way, there are no red clothes or curtains for sale, right? If red is a forbidden color, it makes sense. So, is Commander Cyril a descendant of the 'Blue Knight'?"
Still, I was curious if Commander Cyril was connected to the 'Blue Knight' and asked again.
Commander Cyril let out a self-deprecating smile and tilted his head.
"Does it bother you that much? Unfortunately, I am not a descendant of the 'Blue Knight.' You must be referring to the last 'Blue Knight' who bore the Sutherland name. He had no heir to carry on his name, so the Sutherland territory was temporarily taken over by the royal family. The land was managed by the royal family until about 30 years ago when my father received it."
"I see…"
It felt strange to hear about the fate of a former colleague with whom I had spent time.
I wanted to ask if the 'Blue Knight' lived a long life after my death, but I also thought it might not be appropriate to bring it up.
I hoped, albeit belatedly, that my death did not disturb his heart.
…Yes, 300 years too late.
"Understood, Commander. I will accompany you. When will we depart?"
—I was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of loneliness and wanted to see that beautiful land surrounded by the blue sky and sea again.
The 'Blue Knight' loved the Sutherland land.
His tombstone is probably there.
I will visit it while accompanying Commander Cyril.
"Let's see, you must want to rest a bit, so let's depart in three days."
When I agreed with Commander Cyril's smile, I left the commander's office.
I thought that becoming friends with the commander was a setup to push an unreasonable request on me, but it turned out to be nothing major… I thought as I closed the door of the commander's office.
Yeah, after all, the commander is a reasonable knight…
◇◇◇
"Fia?"
As I walked down the corridor from the commander's office, I was called from behind.
I turned around to see the silver prince standing there.
It was Fabian.
"Oh, Fabian. Just not seeing you for a while, and you've become even more princely! How do you get that sparkling effect?"
I couldn't help but mutter, feeling as if there was a sparkling aura around Fabian, not just his silver hair.
Fabian approached with a chuckle.
"As always, you say things that are hard for ordinary people to understand, Fia. That's what makes you interesting. How was the Fourth Monster Knight Order?"
When asked, I didn't know how to respond.
"Well, to be honest, I couldn't achieve my original goal at all. It's a secret, but the Fourth Monster Knight Order's Commander Quentin was on long-term leave, and Deputy Commander Gideon was acting as commander. He didn't like me and assigned me different tasks. I couldn't even start the task Commander Cyril asked me to do."
"Really?"
"That's a shame. I've heard that the Fourth Monster Knight Order is exclusive. Perhaps they didn't like Fia, who is from the First Knight Order, trying to help with their tasks. You should accept it as part of their nature. …Don't worry, everyone knows that Fia works hard. Not achieving the original goal is not Fia's fault."
Fabian tried to lighten my mood with a smile.
I thought, what a handsome guy.
Being handsome both inside and out, he's the best.
"Thanks, Fabian. Commander Cyril didn't scold me at all for not completing the task. Knowing him, even if there were complaints, he would have taken them on himself and smiled to cover for me, so I'm worried if I caused any trouble without realizing it."
"Hehe, Fia, you're a good kid. Don't worry, Commander Cyril doesn't protect people without reason. If he protects someone, there's a reason."
"Huh? …Does that mean I'm considered so unreliable that I can't handle it alone?"
Indeed, to a battle-hardened commander like Cyril, I must seem like a child…
When I asked, worried, Fabian chuckled.
"Hehe, Fia, your thinking is interesting. I don't know what happened in the Fourth Monster Knight Order, but from last night's banquet, anyone who isn't a complete fool can see that you accomplished something significant. Even Commander Cyril and Desmond, not to mention Quentin and Zachary, didn't leave your side."
"Huh? …"
"You don't have to say it. It seems there's a gag order on Fia-related events. …But it's interesting. They didn't even put a gag on you, the key person. Are you free to talk about it?"
I blinked, surprised by Fabian's observation.
…What, what kind of observational skills is that?
Even Fabian, who isn't a commander, can see it.
The knights around me are too capable, and it's a bit annoying.
Even when I looked at Fabian with a slightly annoyed face, he continued without a care.
"By the way, I heard that Commander Cyril will soon visit the Sutherland territory as a representative of Prince Savis."
"Huh……?"
…Did he just say Sutherland?
Sutherland is the place I'm going to visit with Commander Cyril, right?
Wait, Commander Cyril made it sound like a private trip, but is it actually an official event?
Moreover, as a representative of the prince…?
"Fabian, you said as a representative of the prince, not the commander of the knight order?"
If it's as a representative of the prince, it means it's an official event of the kingdom, not a knight order task.
If he's attending as a representative, Commander Cyril's visit to the territory must be a significant national event!
Surprised, I stammered, and Fabian nodded casually.
"Yes. That land was a battlefield 10 years ago. It was called the 'Sorrow of Sutherland,' an internal conflict. Since then, the royal family has visited the place annually to pay respects."
"I didn't know it was an official event! If a representative is appointed, it means that this time, Chief Savis is too busy to visit. But, but, for Commander Cyril to represent the prince… it's amazing. The authority of the head of the knight order is boundless."
"No, in this case, Commander Cyril's position is that of the Sutherland Duke, who has the right to inherit the throne…"
"Fia"
My name was called, interrupting Fabian's words.
I turned around to see Chief Savis standing there.
Well, I thought today would be a day of meeting acquaintances one after another, but even the chief has appeared.
It's like an SS-rank encounter!
I turned to face the chief with Fabian and performed the knight's salute.
Chief Savis approached with large strides and looked down at me.
"Fia, you're going to Sutherland with Cyril, right? …I need to talk to you, so come to Cyril and my office later."
Well, being called directly by the chief of the knight order is no small matter.
…Commander Cyril, it's clear now!
The visit to Sutherland is not the casual trip Commander Cyril made it seem to be at all!!