The First Step: Survival (4)

"The second principle factors in what kinds of dangers you might face and what sort of protection you can establish against them," Sebas continued his explanation.

Anastasia shivered faintly, grimly reminded of her situation. She had almost forgotten that this place was the Garden of Hell—a region said to be the birthing nest for monsters and beasts across Florentia.

"Monsters lurking in the Garden of Hell remain a major factor in how dangerous this region is," he reminded her once more, "and if we ever want to make this region into a place worth calling 'home'... those monsters need to be quelled."

"Uhm... Sir Sebas, I-I understand this second principle w-well enough, but..." the maid Bella stammered, her voice shaking, "... didn't you k-k-kill all of those monsters exactly for this purpose?"

"I did. I cleared the monsters on our path to ensure we had a safer area of entry..."

"T-then...?"

"I could continue quelling all the monsters here, but that would require an exorbitant amount of time," he explained, his tone calm yet firm, "and the monsters here would still continue to reproduce at an unknown rate. There's no guarantee they wouldn't return and attempt to reclaim the land we've liberated."

"No way..." the anxious maid whispered in fear; the minuscule amount of hope in her heart began to dwindle...

Seeing the disheartened state of both her mistress and fellow aide, the knight Martha clenched her fists as she stepped forward to confront the butler.

"Butler... what if I help fend off these monsters as well?" she asked, trying to salvage a bit of courage and pride as Lady Anastasia's knight.

"Oh~, that would be quite helpful, miss knight," Sebas said, a glimmer of approval in his eyes, bringing a spark of hope not just for the knight but also for Lady Anastasia and Bella. "I would like to see your strength myself and how you would fare against one of the monsters here. Though from what I can see..."

The butler's gaze shifted to Martha, appraising her from head to toe. His analytical stare... brought forth a strange, complex feeling for the knight.

This was one of the rare instances when she felt... vulnerable. It wasn't exactly a sense of having her weaknesses exposed, but... it was something else entirely—something that left her slightly... flustered.

"... you can probably take on an A-Rank monster by yourself, miss knight," Sebas concluded, finishing his quick assessment of her, much to her relief.

"I could take on an A-Rank monster, huh..." she muttered, a renewed sense of determination flowing into her.

"Martha..." Anastasia murmured softly, understanding the mix of emotions her loyal knight was experiencing.

"Hate to shatter a bit of your hope, ladies, but the monsters here aren't exclusive to just A-Rank threats," the butler interjected, drawing their attention back to him. "S-Rank monsters also roam this place, and I'm afraid that miss knight might not be able to handle them."

His words cast a heavy, grim silence over the group...

"But... it's not as though your potential stops here, miss knight."

"What...?" Martha's attention snapped back to Sebas as she looked up at him. "What do you mean, butler?"

"It means that you still have the potential to grow stronger," he replied, his grim seriousness giving way to a confident smile. "I can help you become stronger, miss knight~."

"...!"

Hearing those words, hope flickered back to life in Martha's heart...!

She had been weighed down by the feeling of powerlessness, especially when it came to protecting her mistress. That feeling had started the moment she knew she would enter the Garden of Hell—a place crawling with powerful monsters she couldn't possibly defeat.

She had already resigned herself to dying for Lady Anastasia...

But now... this mysterious butler appeared, offering her something she never thought possible—a chance to grow stronger... and to protect the people she cared about...!

"... I'll take that offer, butler," Martha declared, her determined expression contrasting with his ever-relaxed demeanor.

Sebas nodded, a simple smile forming as if her resolve was all he needed to hear.

"Alright... putting aside the monsters here, let's talk about the actual shelter itself."

"That's right... the shelter...!" Anastasia finally spoke up, her curiosity piqued. "What would our actual 'shelter' be, Sir Sebas?"

"Hmm..."

Sebas turned contemplative, stroking his chin as he considered her question. After a moment, he spun around and pointed toward... his campsite.

"... Well, we could use my camping tent for now."

"Wait what?!" Martha's voice cut through the air, her tone sharp. "Hold on, butler! You cannot be serious here! How could you allow our mistress to rest in a dingy tent?!"

"How rude. I'll have you know that I was a dedicated boy scout," Sebas retorted, pouting in exaggerated offense. "I even earned a patch for building tents in under ten minutes, you know?"

"What are you even talking about...?"

"S-Sir Sebas, I'm sorry for interrupting, but..." Bella hesitantly chimed in, "... I also don't think it would be proper for Lady Anastasia to s-sleep in a... tent."

"Hmm, I get it, I do. It's not exactly a good look for a noble lady to sleep in a tent of all things... but honestly, it's the best shelter we have for now."

"But..." Martha was about to argue, but as the words formed in her mind, she paused. She hated to admit it, but she understood his reasoning. Still, the thought of her mistress sleeping in such conditions—

"... I do not mind," Anastasia suddenly said, her voice calm yet resolute...!

"M-my Lady...?!"

"A bit of inconvenience won't kill me. So... I'll take your offer, Sir Sebas."

"Hehe, alright. Good to know you're up for the challenge~," the butler said, his smile widening in approval. "We'll see if we can upgrade our shelter from this 'dingy' tent into an actual noble household worth bragging about, alright? Lady Ana?"

Lady Ana nodded, her determination unwavering as she steeled herself to face the challenges ahead. The sight of her resolute expression sparked a similar strength within both Martha and Bella, bolstering their resolve to support her.

"Alright, ladies," Sebas called for their attention, clapping his hands lightly, "let's move on to the next two principles: water and food~."