Ignoring Garm clinging to her leg, Leticia continued.
"...Still, if possible, it would be best if Garm could come along too. It's my tamed beast, so I want to take on quests together."
Leticia knew she was asking for a lot, but she clearly still wanted Garm by her side.
"Well, I see. In that case, how about we hold off on a formal party for now and operate together on a provisional basis? What do you think, Philia?"
Just as I had done with Philia, I felt it was better to give things a try rather than refuse outright.
"If you're fine with it, Erik-kun, then so am I. After all, I'm only where I am today because you took me in as a provisional party member back then."
"Thank you, both of you!"
"Gau, gau~!"
Leticia and Garm embraced each other in delight.
Afterward, Leticia headed over to the main building to deliver the news.
"Erik-kun, what kind of problems usually come up when you party with a noble?"
"Well, within the party itself, I imagine differences in values could be an issue. As you know, nobles and commoners see things differently, right?"
"Ah... That might be true. But Leticia-san didn't really seem to have that big of a gap in values, did she?"
"She might just be presenting herself that way. Getting top marks at the Academy means she's very smart. Because she fully understands the divide between commoners and nobles, there's a chance she's purposely acting like that around us."
That was my take, though it was entirely possible that was just her natural self.
However, since we hadn't even known each other for an hour, I couldn't be certain of her true nature.
The only real reason I was open to letting Leticia join was simply because Belinda-san had been so kind.
"Three people, even if it's provisional, huh... Alan is probably going to complain again."
"There's not much we can do about Alan... I've been keeping an eye out, but I don't really know that many people in the royal capital to begin with."
"Same here. I don't have anyone I could really call an acquaintance either~"
While the two of us were chatting, Leticia and Garm returned.
It turned out House Fortis was calling for us, so we headed toward the main building.
"It has been a while, Erik-kun. And could you be Philia-chan?"
"Y-Yes! My name is Philia!"
"Fufu, there is no need to be so nervous."
Belinda-san said with a gentle smile, and I shifted my gaze toward the man sitting beside her.
Even though he was seated on the sofa, he was clearly a man of solid, imposing build.
He had blond hair, blue eyes, and rather stern facial features.
"So you two are the children who will be Leticia's companions..."
"Y-Yes."
His voice carried immense pressure, and I answered with a touch of nerves.
As for Philia, she had completely frozen up.
Seeing us like that, Belinda-san let out a soft chuckle.
"Dear? You're so tense that your face looks even scarier than usual."
"Kh! M-My apologies. It has been a long time since I interacted with children... Ahem. I am Vorgus von Fortis. Though I am the head of the count house of Fortis, please feel free to call me Uncle Vorgus."
"Surely that is asking for too much, isn't it? Even I am addressed politely. At best, they would call you Lord Vorgus or Count Fortis."
"I-Is my face really that frightening?"
Flustered, Vorgus-san turned to ask Belinda-san and Leticia.
When both of them nodded, Vorgus-san slumped his shoulders and hung his head in dejection.
"Setting my husband aside for now, Erik-kun, Philia-chan. Will you truly be adventuring together with Leticia?"
"It will be as a provisional party, but yes, that is our intention. We plan to see how things go before deciding whether to make it official."
"Fufu, you truly are a cautious child, Erik-kun. I happen to like cautious children."
Saying that, Belinda-san called in Marcus-san, who had been waiting outside the room.
"Leticia. It seems you have found truly reliable companions."
Marcus-san was carrying a small box, which he handed to Belinda-san.
Belinda-san opened the box and presented it to Leticia.
"Mother, this is..."
"It is a magic tool I used in my youth—a magic tool of perception impairment. If you were to go adventuring looking the way you do, you would draw too much attention, wouldn't you? Fearing that would cause trouble for your companions, I prepared this to give to you once you brought back trustworthy allies."
"Kh! Thank you very much, Mother!"
Leticia accepted the magic tool Belinda-san had prepared and embraced her warmly.
Beside them, Vorgus-san stared enviously at the affectionate mother-daughter hug.
Watching the scene unfold, Philia and I desperately fought back our laughter.