The First Night (5)

The cold, calm night in the wilderness of the Garden of Hell seemed to grow still as the question from the brunette knight hung in the air.

"'Who am I,' you say?" The enigmatic butler repeated... his voice calm, matching his nonchalant expression.

Unlike the knight, who stood with a rather anxious stance, her unease evident.

"... I'm Sebas, the butler, you know~?"

"Don't be ridiculous, butler," Martha retorted sharply, her voice tinged with frustration, "I know you're more than just that."

"What are you talking about, Miss Knight? I am but a humble butler."

"Don't lie to me either. You're not just some run-of-the-mill butler... not after killing a pack of wyverns all by yourself."

Sebas remained silent, his expression unmoving. Yet... something about his eyes had a chilling effect on Martha, as if she were gazing into the eyes of a warrior concealed beneath his calm demeanor.

Even so, Martha held her ground, resolutely standing firm as she tried to gauge the man who dared to call himself merely a 'humble butler.'

From the very moment she first laid eyes on him, suspicion had gnawed at the edges of her thoughts, whispering doubts about his true identity.

"... Being able to slaughter all those monsters by yourself, casually camping in the most dangerous, untamed land in Florentia, and the fact that you are so unfazed about consuming monster meat in general..."

She paused, her voice trailing off as her mind replayed the events she had witnessed.

"These are not feats of any normal human..."

"Well, true to that. I'm not exactly a normal human myself."

"... You're openly admitting you're not normal?"

"If that answer satisfies your curiosity, sure, let's go with that."

"Of course, I won't," Martha snapped, her tone sharp. "I cannot rest easy without knowing what kind of danger might harm Lady Anastasia... especially coming from a complete stranger like you whom Her Grace only just met today."

She paused... her gaze never leaving Sebas, who still remained seated by the fire... unbothered and silent.

"... I know you were hired by the House Rosavich specifically because of your strength. That much is clear. Without your intervention, neither I nor especially Lady Anastasia, or even Bella... would be alive to see tomorrow's sunrise," she admitted, her voice steady... yet a trace of reluctance lingered in her words.

"... As her knight, I am sworn to protect Lady Anastasia with my life, and yet... your existence makes me question whether I'm even needed..."

Her grip tightened slightly around the hilt of her sword... the feeling of frustration—the feeling of inadequacy welling up within her. But... she stopped herself, steeling her resolve... and bowed her head.

"But even so, I will prioritize my mistress's safety above my own feelings, and for that, I am... grateful. Thank you for saving us."

His eyebrow raised—her sudden display of gratitude did surprise the butler a little, not expecting to receive a thank-you from the seemingly prideful knight.

"... Though however grateful I am to you, there's something about you that still... unsettles me."

"Unsettles you?"

Martha took a deep breath, steadying herself.

"Yes... You yourself—You are far beyond anything I could have imagined. The way you carry yourself and your feat alone. It felt to me that it was... something else entirely. Something... otherworldly."

"Heh... 'otherworldly,' you say?"

Sebas couldn't help but chuckle at hearing that single word, which of course served to confuse Martha, but she ignored it for now to focus on something more crucial.

"... I've met some of the finest adventurers in Florentia, but..." She paused, choosing her next words carefully, "... not even the top-ranked adventurers I've known... not even they possess the kind of presence that you have."

Her gaze burned into him, seeking answers from his ever-calm visage.

"If I know any better, you are either one of the few elusive S-Rank adventurers of Florentia—the few that have reached the pinnacle of an adventurer... or..."

She looked straight into his eyes once more, trying to break the facade he wore.

"... you might even be the reincarnation of the legendary hero himself...!"

When the words left her mouth, a tense silence ensued.

Sebas, of course, remained silent. His expression didn't waver from before, his eyes calm as they met Martha's intense stare.

"... Hero, huh..." he repeated, breaking the silence. He shifted his gaze from hers, staring at the crackling fire as if he was lost in thought. "... I'm not that grand of a person, Miss Knight."

"Be that as it may... I cannot help but feel that way."

"Then what do you suggest for me to ease your doubts?"

"Obviously, by telling me who you are."

"That... I cannot do, Miss Knight," he replied firmly. "My so-called employer has stressed that I should never divulge much of my identity to anyone—not even Lady Ana herself."

His calm tone silenced the knight, a stark reminder of their situation once more.

"Though I hate to admit it... *sigh*, I did make a rather fatal mistake of telling you ladies my name," the butler muttered, lamenting to himself.

"'Sebas'... right?"

"Yup. You three, and honestly any normal person, would probably connect the dots sooner or later by that name alone," he continued, finishing the bowl of stew before adding, "... but the crown would not care much about my presence in the long run... they are more interested in Lady Ana's 'death sentence.'"

He put the empty bowl of stew down on the ground and stood up, turning toward his longsword resting nearby. With deliberate movements, he picked it up, then gestured for her to follow him outside the campsite.

She complied silently, her gaze wary as she trailed behind him, but... she knew his intention.

"The crown expected her to die in this godforsaken land..." he began, his voice calm yet carrying an unsettling weight as he casually led her toward a low-grass meadow under the moonlight.

Yet... she could feel it—feel the gravity behind every word.

"And if they realized she was still alive and breathing..." His steps slowed as he turned around, facing the grimacing knight, "... Sooner or later, they would send the entire force of the kingdom to end her life."

A tense silence enveloped them, the air heavy with unspoken truths, until his voice broke through—sharper, colder...!

"... After all, they could never let go of the woman who had killed the crown prince."