"Yup. That’s going to be the majority of people visiting this region, my lady—those willing to tread into dangerous territory," Sebas remarked lightly… yet, it carried an underlying truth as both their gazes lingered on the entrance of the border wall. "…And the majority of them will be highly capable adventurers who walk the fine line between danger and insanity."
"That… doesn’t sound very reassuring."
"It isn’t… but such is the nature of this land. Only those bold—or reckless—enough would dare step foot here." He glanced at Anastasia, his expression calm, though the gravity of his words hung heavy. "It’s inevitable… and you’ll see more of her kind in ti."
Anastasia’s gaze hardened, a mix of concern and anxiety over the future of her land creeping into her expression. "And… what if they’re not as ’playful’ as she was?"
Sebas paused for a mont, considering her words carefully…
"Then… I’ll deal with them."
Upon hearing his calm yet unwavering declaration, her eyes widened—startled by his bold conviction…!
"You need not worry, my lady," Sebas continued, his voice steady and resolute, "anyone who seeks to bring harm to you, your people, and your land… will have to answer to ."
Anastasia’s lips parted slightly, surprised and even slightly concerned by the sheer certainty in his words…
Yet, there was sothing reassuring about it… sothing that gave her hope.
The warm feeling of being protected and supported by soone reliable.
Still… the thought of handling adventurers like Vivi on a regular basis? She couldn’t help but imagine how exhausting it would be… and thus, a sigh escaped her lips. "If that’s the case… I almost wish the next visitor would be soone a bit more sensible."
"Haha~, I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one, my lady."
She huffed softly at his remark… but her amusent faded as her gaze sharpened, a flicker of concern settling on the butler.
"Sir Sebas…?"
"…Yeah?"
Her lips pressed together briefly, trying her hardest to carefully gather her words…
"…Why didn’t you give out your na to that adventurer?" she finally inquired, her voice quiet yet laced with curiosity.
Sebas… did not answer imdiately—a rare contemplative expression surfacing on his face. This mont of silence worried Anastasia, imagining that this might be sothing he wasn’t comfortable answering…
Yet, she wanted—needed—to know as it might concern not just the safety of this land, but also… how she would co to understand the enigmatic butler of hers…
But eventually…
"It’s… complicated," he admitted at last.
"Complicated…? How so…?"
"A lot of things to consider, my lady, and telling you why would defeat the purpose of that secrecy I have been trying to uphold…" he sighed, but then a small chuckle escaped from his mouth. "Though, I gotta say that I’ve already made a fatal mistake by telling you ladies my ’shortened’ na."
"Yeah, you did…" she muttered under her breath, rembering her first eting with him. "I’ve been wondering myself too—why DID you hesitate on giving your na back then?"
"You wouldn’t trust so no-na stranger, would you?"
"…Hehe, yeah, I would definitely not. Still... you could have just used a fake na."
"I... didn’t think it through, honestly. I’ve got a lot of stuff running through my mind, and I thought that giving myself a fake alias would just give a goddamn identity crisis~."
Anastasia couldn’t help but giggle at his casual honesty, which also made him chuckle too.
But he was not done yet… as his voice dipped into sothing quieter—sothing more… serious. "Besides… I would rather not have my na known so easily."
That sudden shift in his tone only deepened her curiosity. "Why? You said you recognized her—does that an... she would recognize you?"
For a brief mont, silence hung between them.
"It is… possible."
Anastasia’s eyes widened slightly.
"Wait… were you—!" She hesitated, the thought lingering on her tongue. "...were you an adventurer yourself...?!"
Sebas smiled faintly, though the gleam in his eyes hinted at sothing far more complex. "Would it truly surprise you, my lady?"
Her lips parted, but no imdiate words ca. The more she thought about it, the more everything began to add up—his combat prowess, his unshakable composure… even the way he seed utterly unfazed by soone like Vivi.
"You… You really were, weren’t you…?" Her voice softened, trailing off as the realization struck. "…And probably an S-Rank one too, right?"
Sebas neither confird nor denied it outright—but the absence of denial was answer enough.
"As I said before," he spoke, his tone light yet… deliberate, "anyone who seeks to bring harm will have to answer to ."
Anastasia found herself both relieved and troubled by his words. Just who exactly had she hired as her butler…?
’…No, I didn’t hire him. It was… my father…’ Anastasia reflected bitterly, being reminded once again that she was being backed by her forr household…
That thought still didn’t sit well with her yet…
Still… for now, perhaps it was best not to press too far.
"…I see," she murmured at last, her voice thoughtful. "Well… if soone like that cos again, I’ll be counting on you, Sebas."
His response… was a simple thumbs-up that showed his unshakable confidence, and that display of confidence was more than enough to ease her mind.
However, her expression turned thoughtful once again.
"Sir Sebas, since you knew her… could you at least tell what’s the deal with that woman? Is she TRULY that strong of an adventurer? I just… couldn’t picture her as an S-Ranker…"
"Well, looks can be deceiving, you know."
"But with that kind of attitude…?"
Sebas let out a snort at that, raising an eyebrow. "Hah, didn’t you say my personality’s almost similar to hers? Are you saying I’m unreliable, my lady~?"
"N-no, that’s not it! Jeez!" She huffed in frustration, her cheeks puffing slightly. "Please answer my question seriously!"
"Alright~, alright~," he relented with a lazy grin, though his expression grew contemplative for a mont. "Hmmm, while I do have the general gist of what this Vivian gal is as an adventurer… I don’t have much clue in terms of what she’s like behind closed doors."
"I… see."
"But if you still insist on knowing—other than what you’ve already seen, there’s one thing you might want to know about her."
"…And what is that?"
There was a mont of silence from him—a sudden, heavy stillness that made her wary…
"The title ’Sonic Thief’ is her public alias," he explained, a sowhat grim tone lacing his voice. "But her other na? She’s also dubbed as… the Sonic Assassin."
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