“Huh… In-introduce? Wh-what do you mean…?”
At my words, the famous personalities, White and the others, in their public personas, smiled gently.
Come on, give a response, a response.
“…You all are…”
“Greetings, Lady Snow, daughter of the Margrave. It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. We are—”
“No, that’s quite alright, I already know. The Silver Sword, White North Sane. The Crimson Sage… Scarlet Elva… I’ve never seen the dark-haired one before, though.”
“Heh…”
“Oh my, to think the daughter of the Margrave would know our names. I never would have imagined it.”
“Scarlet Elva. There isn’t a mage who doesn’t know the fame of the Crimson Sage. You really are an elf, aren’t you?”
“Heh… Do you dislike high-ranking races, Lady Snow?”
“No. Officially, elves and the Empire are adversaries, but I’m grateful to those like you who ally with the Empire.”
“Oh… it seems the rumors of your brilliance are true. I’d heard that all reincarnated heroes were arrogant.”
Snow and the others spoke across me.
…There’s some tension, isn’t there?
Pretty cool… it’s like, a conversation between edgy outlaws, not letting their guard down.
“So, is there something you need? If it’s official business, you should go through my family—”
“Oh, no, that’s not it. Lady Snow, we just happened to run into a ‘friend’ while wandering after the divine judgment.”
“…A friend?”
At White’s words, Snow’s eyes narrowed slightly.
White glanced over at me.
Huh? Hey, wait, wait, wait.
What are these guys planning to say?
I haven’t even worked out a scenario yet for the relationship between the publicly famous Whites and the homeless Kasuya !
Could it be… are they going to reveal that I’m a Curse…?
—Cunning. I’ll kill them the moment they say anything unnecessary.
Ah, ah, w-what do I do…?
“Yes, a friend. Right, Kasuya boy?”
White smiled at me again.
These guys, surely—
“My disciple, Kasuya . This time, he was unlucky, heh, to get caught up in the Curse Brotherhood’s conspiracy. You really are an unlucky one.”
“H-hah… M-my older brother is, he, he has a habit of sticking his neck into everything.”
Boy.
Disciple.
Older brother.
The three knights, calling me by names different from usual.
No doubt, these guys.
“C-Kasuya -kun… w-where did you meet these ladies? You seem… quite close.”
They’re making up new backstories on their own!?
They’re using their public status to shove in their own made-up narratives!
“Hehehehe.”
Why are they laughing?
No, wait, calm down, Takuto Kasuya .
If you can’t keep up with this level of improvisation, what kind of villain mastermind are you?
It’s time to put my high intellect to full use.
I need to come up with a response that won’t seem off to Snow and that can outdo the fabricated story of these three fools.
Boy, disciple, older brother.
I’ll work backward from the way they refer to me.
Watch me, as I compose a symphony of intellect.
“Snow, the truth is, those ladies… they’re my—masters…”
“M-masters?”
“““What?”””
I won.
Hey, Scarlet, you shouldn’t be questioning it based on how you referred to me.
If someone who calls me ‘my disciple’ is anything other than a master, that’d just be suspicious.
“The leader of the Empire’s S-rank adventurer guild party and one of the Seven Sages of the Empire, a master… then that dark-haired one must be no ordinary person either… Kasuya -kun, where did you meet them?”
Oh no, if they ask too much, my cover will be blown!
I need to go back home and rehearse my story with Navi before I give any more details!
“Huh? A-ah… when I was homeless… when no one would look at me, that time…”
“…Ah, I-I’m sorry…”
Interrogation over! Alright!
My plan requires both the Curse Brotherhood and Snow.
You could say they’re Plan A and Plan B.
Someday, I need to keep interacting with them so they can eventually become the protagonists who corner me…
“Ahem. Y-yes, that’s right, I am indeed… the young man’s—ahem—no, the boy’s master as an adventurer.”
Cough, h-hehe, my disciple, you still need to practice your spells—no, I mean, your magic training. Let’s continue your training later.”
“Huh, huh…? W-well then, I-I’m… the master of his hide-and-seek… hehe…”
The three fools start introducing themselves with rather dreamy expressions.
Heh, amateurs. They’re a hundred years too early to challenge me to a battle of made-up stories.
But, it seems they’re growing too.
I’m looking forward to the day they’ll truly defy me.
“Are your masters feeling unwell?”
“No, it’s just their heads that are a little off, so it’s fine. Now, Snow, about that earlier conversation…”
“…Kasuya -kun. Let’s revisit that discussion another time. Something has come up that I need to take care of. I have an idea in mind. Would you be willing to spare me some time again soon?”
“O-of course.”
“…Thank you for holding my hand. It really made me happy. Well then, see you again.”
Snow whispered softly into my ear, her lips close.
Hmm, as expected of a true foreign princess, her communication style is deep.
“““Master…”””
Snow walked away.
The three fools seemed dazed and out of it.
“…Knights.”
“““Yes, Curse.”””
I addressed them in my Curse mode.
The three fools returned to their roles as knights.
“…I’ve come up with the next plan. Let’s head back home.”
“““As you command, Lord of Curses.”””
I wonder what Snow has in mind.
Whatever it is, I’m looking forward to it.
