Head Butler 'Sebas' (1)

All three women—the Lady and her two aides—went wide-eyed, utterly stunned by the unbelievable sight before them.

Dead monsters. Bloody, gory, lifeless. All piled into one place.

The smell of blood finally reached their noses, a strong, metallic stench that made them recoil for a moment, but their morbid curiosity held them captive, unable to look away.

The monster corpses were heaped together, forming a large hill—almost mountain-like.

From four-legged mammalian beasts to avian-like winged monstrosities, there were even humanoid-like creatures and bizarre abominations mixed into this gore-fest of a scene.

As their coach drew closer, they realized, with growing unease, that these dead monsters were even larger than they'd initially thought...

The smallest among them was the size of the very coach they were riding in now...!

And all of these monsters were undeniably, horrifyingly dead.

"What is happening here...?" Lady Anastasia finally broke the tense silence as she leaned out from the coach's window, her voice trembling in a mix of shock and unease.

Unfortunately, neither of her two aides could provide an answer to their mistress's seemingly simple question.

Even Martha, the knight who might have stood a chance against just one of these creatures, could not explain this strange, bizarre, and honestly... quite terrifying scene.

The only thing they could do now... was press forward. The Knight Martha gripped the reins of the coach tightly, ensuring the horses would keep moving.

Though it was painfully clear that even the horses were also growing restless from the overwhelming sight and the suffocating stench of blood.

But then, just as their coach was about to pass by this mountain of corpses...

They all noticed something—or rather, someone.

A short distance beyond the grotesque pile of dead monsters... there was a makeshift camp set up beside the road.

There, near a modest campfire, someone sat comfortably in a foldable wooden chair...

It was a man, casually grilling a large slab of meat over the fire.

"Whistle~♫."

The man appeared completely absorbed in his cooking, as though the macabre scene just nearby him were nothing more than a mundane backdrop.

"Hmm...? Oh!"

He finally noticed the approaching coach. Turning toward it, he smiled brightly and raised a hand in greeting.

"Ah! You guys finally came~!" the strange man called out cheerfully. Rising from his chair, he set aside his grilling skewer and began approaching the coach.

Meanwhile, the occupants of the coach were still in a state of complete bewilderment—never in their wildest imaginations had they thought of finding someone frolicking amidst this supposed hellscape.

The gruesome sight of the monstrous corpse mountain was already unsettling enough, but the discovery of someone brave—or perhaps foolish—enough to set up camp near it was beyond shocking.

And yet, as the man drew closer, the women in the coach finally realized what he was:

A butler.

A tall, handsome man, with his black hair neatly combed back. He wore a sharp black dress suit, perfectly tailored to his broad-shouldered figure and exuding an air of refinement—seemingly befitting a servant who served only a master of the highest pedigree.

And Lady Anastasia was the first to realize who this butler was...!

'This is him, isn't he...?!'

This man... was most likely the person that she had been told to meet.

And from his appearance alone, she was sure enough—he was quite likely the person assigned as her personal butler... the very butler who would be the head servant of her new household...!

"Martha! Stop the coach! Right now!" the Lady ordered, her voice carrying a rare urgency.

"H-huh?! Oh, yes! Right away, My Lady!"

Martha immediately pulled the coach's reins, forcing the horses to stop. The horses, having been abruptly reined in, neighed in complaint, but in the end, they finally halted, bringing the coach to a stop.

The female knight then quickly got off from the driver's seat and promptly went over to the coach's door. With a practiced, albeit slightly stiff, motion, she gracefully opened the door of the coach for her mistress.

Lady Anastasia slowly stepped out from the coach, revealing herself to the sunlight and to the man who would be her personal butler.

The supposed butler had initially kept a cheerful attitude over the arrival of his presumed mistress... but when he saw the true appearance of this very woman, his eyes went wide in surprise.

"Wait a minute... aren't you...?!"

The noble lady slowly stepped forward, trying her best to maintain a dignified appearance amidst the grotesque sight near her...

"Greetings," the noble Lady said, courtly bowing toward the surprised man. "You must be the butler who has been assigned to serve my new household, I presume?"

"You...!" The man muttered in disbelief. "... You're Anastasia...!?"

"Yes... I'm Anastasia. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Butler."

Lady Anastasia raised her head, a courteous but also façade smile adorning her face. She observed the butler's reaction upon learning her identity, expecting most scenarios that could unfold.

And from his shock alone, it was clear that he at least knew of her... and deep inside, there was a gnawing insecurity that maybe this person would also react negatively after his initial shock.

But instead... he palmed his face, seemingly in contemplative thought. He turned silent as he hid his expression from her sight, which, of course, made her confused.

"... Is there something wrong, Sir Butler?" The Lady asked, her voice a mix of confusion and a slight bit of anxiety at his odd reaction.

At her side, even Knight Martha and Maid Bella—who the latter had just exited the coach—were also puzzled by their supposed Sir Butler's sudden quietness.

But then... a small chuckle could be heard, and it came from none other than THE Sir Butler himself...!

"Haha... hahaha... Hahaha!"

"W-what—?!"

The three women gasped in unison, completely caught off guard.

The man's initial light chuckle turned into loud, hearty laughter! All three women were startled—genuinely not expecting him to burst into such a laugh...!

"To think that the 'story' has come this far..."