Lucien gestured for Sebas to follow him into the study.
"Sebastian. Can I trust you?" he asked, his voice heavy with meaning.
Sebas straightened. "Young master—no, young lord. You can trust this SEBAS."
His tone was firm, emphasizing his name.
Lucien gave a small nod but inwardly, he wasn't the type to take anyone at their word.
Words were cheap. So he activated SCAN.
***
Name: Sebas ♂
Age: 52 years old
Race: Human
Job: Assassin
Level: 65
Title:
• Quiet Fang
• Iron Butler
Skill:
• Blade in the tray
• Silent Step
• Torture
• Poker Face
Magic:
• Household Magic
Loyalty: 100
Status: calm/steady/genuine
***
'Assassin?!' Lucien's heart skipped a beat as his eyes widened in disbelief... But then he read further down.
Instead of the usual Favourability stat, Sebas had Loyalty. It was even maxed at 100. He figured it might be because Sebas was male... or perhaps because he was a servant.
Relief washed over him. Sebas was far stronger than he ever imagined.
All those years of thinking the butler was just "creepy" for walking silently. It turns out, it was an actual skill. And that Torture skill… it sent a chill down his spine.
He realized then... He knew nothing about Sebas.
But he pushed those thoughts aside. He didn't know why Sebas was so loyal but it was enough. He trusted that Sebas would never harm him.
Initially, a dark thought has crept in him. Were his parents truly victims of disease?
But that mystery would remain for another day.
For now, Lucien had confirmation. Sebas was trustworthy.
"Good. Call the mining manager. I have questions for him."
With his SCAN skill, rooting out traitors would be simple. He kept a Nectar Crystal nearby to chew on just in case the strain on using SCAN set in.
Sebas bowed and left immediately.
Lucien waited in silence, gathering his thoughts.
He had chosen this timing carefully... when Vivian had just left for the academy. She wouldn't approve of what he was about to do. Like their parents, she was too kind. But Lucien had accepted the role of the 'bad guy' in the family. The one who would get his hands dirty so hers could stay clean.
He knew his twisted sense of justice was surfacing again but this world was different. Here, he could enforce his version of justice without fear of being judged.
Finally, Sebas returned leading a burly, scarred man into the study. The man looked sickly and disheveled, letting out a hoarse cough from time to time.
"Young lord... the butler said you requested me. Sorry I haven't reported in since... well, that day. Been recovering... caught a cold now." Another cough followed.
Lucien's gaze was cold. He nodded silently and activated SCAN.
***
Name: Dreggor ♂
Age: 35 years old
Race: Human
Job: Rogue
Level: 19
Title:
• Coalheart's Loyal Servant
• Lootwell's Mine Manager
Skill:
• Deception
• Preemptive Strike
Magic:
• Household Magic
Loyalty: -20
Status: evasive/alert/deceptive
***
Lucien's eyes narrowed.
'A Coalheart servant... and negative loyalty. Lying about his sickness too. Just as I thought.'
He clenched his fists under the desk. He had read about political schemes but facing one head-on was something else.
A picture appeared in his mind. He now knew that the perpetrator of everything is the neighboring lord.
"Coalheart bastards…" he muttered. The words were soft but both men heard him.
Sebas showed no reaction. But Dreggor flinched.
The Coalhearts is another Baron family and are famous for their blacksmithing. The Lootwells had been supplying them with ore for years. Lucien once thought the two houses were on good terms.
Apparently not.
They hadn't even realized a Coalheart servant had infiltrated their territory. No wonder the mine's output had been steadily declining over the years. Dreggor was likely smuggling the ores to the Coalhearts all along.
Lucien's voice turned cold and sharp. "Dreggor. Do you know what you've done?"
His charisma-enhanced presence bore down on the man.
Dreggor stammered, "Y-Young lord, I don't know what you—cough, cough—mean."
Still pretending.
"Still playing dumb? Did that Coalheart dog send you?"
The atmosphere shifted. Dreggor's act dropped instantly. His sickly facade melted away into smug arrogance.
"GAHAHA! How?! I covered everything perfectly! Why was I even scared in the first place? Just a brat and a butler? You can't do sh*t to me!"
He laughed loudly, eyes mocking Lucien.
Sebas stepped forward but Lucien raised a hand, signaling him to wait.
"This territory is already as good as ours! What can a little boy do?"
He kept rambling, confident no one in the room posed a threat. Lucien said nothing let him talk.
There was weight behind his words.
In the Vaultmere Kingdom, when a lord dies or disappears, the title typically passes to the nearest relative. But if no relative is present or capable of assuming the role, the neighboring lord has the right to step in and take control.
Given Lootwell's isolated position on the map, who would bother to intervene for a small noble house in a backwater place?
"Sigh… We have to speed things up, you know," Dreggor muttered casually, as if he were chatting over drinks. "Who would've thought the mine my lord wanted would turn into a dungeon? Hah, even better. Now I just need to silence everyone who knows. And thanks to the talisman my lord gave me, the dungeon's entrance is already sealed."
He kept rambling, completely convinced he was untouchable. In his arrogance, he even spilled valuable information without a second thought.
"Well, enough chit-chat. You know what comes next, right?" A twisted grin stretched across his face. "I'll just tell everyone your loyal butler snapped and killed you. GAHAHA!"
With that, he suddenly crouched and reached for a concealed dagger then... lunged forward in a blur, aiming straight for Lucien's neck.
Or so he thought.
In reality, Sebas moved first.
Effortlessly, he caught both of Dreggor's arms, disarming him and slamming him to the floor.
He bound him with a rope. Where he got it from? Lucien had no idea.
Everything happened so fast that Dreggor barely processed what had occurred.
Lucien sat calmly at his desk, watching.
Dreggor struggled furiously, but no amount of thrashing could free him from the iron grip of a level 65 Sebas.
"Idiot," Lucien scoffed, his tone dripping with mockery. "Why's a tier-one mutt like you trying to act tough? Go on, take a wild guess what tier Sebas is."
In this world, power was measured in tiers. Lucien has found out that Tier one covered levels 10 to 19, tier two ranged from 20 to 29, and so on. Sebas, at level 65, was comfortably tier six.
Lucien possessed the System allowing him to see levels and statuses with precision.
Dreggor's face contorted in fury. He took the bait, growling as he summoned every ounce of strength to break free.
'There was no way,' he thought, 'that a forgotten noble house like Lootwell could harbor someone truly powerful.'
But his defiance was pointless.
Sebas had been ready from the moment he stepped into the room. He was prepared to act the instant things turned dangerous. Still, even he was caught off guard. Not by Dreggor but by Lucien.
'To think the young master has grown…' Sebas thought silently. 'He's becoming just like "him"…'
Sebas made a suggestion. "Young lord, I know tortu... certain methods. I believe I can extract useful information."
Lucien didn't hesitate. "Good. Make it hurt. Just don't kill him. Half-dead is fine."
Dreggor turned pale.
He had expected a soft, grieving boy. Instead, he met a future tyrant.
Lucien, meanwhile, was internally cringing. 'Damn... I've always wanted to say that. Did I just sound like a gang boss?'
Sebas dragged the squirming man into another room.
Soon, the air was filled with muffled screams and frantic cries.
Lucien shivered. He did say make it painful but this was on another level.
Still, he felt no pity. Dreggor had shattered his peaceful world. Forgiveness wasn't an option.
Sebas returned later with his expression unreadable as ever.
"Young lord, please... don't confront people like that without me. It's dangerous."
Lucien checked his status and realized Sebas was worried. His Poker Face hid it but the SCAN didn't lie.
"I know, Sebastian. I only did this because you're here. I know you're strong."
Hearing Lucien's words, Sebas remained silent. But even without checking his status, Lucien could tell that Sebas was pleased.
After all… he didn't even correct him for calling him Sebastian.
Then, Sebas shared what he'd learned.
•••
"Got it," Lucien nodded. "Now, help me prepare the plaza. Gather everyone in the territory."
Sebas paused. "May I know your plan?"
"The people have been displeased for a while. They need someone to blame. That's how humans are... It brings them comfort."
Sebas nodded, understanding his young lord's intent.