"Huh...? What did you say, Guild Master...?"
"You heard me right, Sebas," the Guild Master said, her voice calm but teasing as she continued presenting the quest paper to him, "S-Rank Quest... Becoming a Head Butler!"
"..."
And now he was left in stunned silence, still feeling completely incredulous. He couldn't believe what he was hearing coming out of her mouth, considering how absurd it was.
"Becoming... a Head Butler?!?'
He quickly directed his attention to the quest paper itself... and indeed, it was written boldly:
'S-Rank: Head Butler Position.'
"You gotta be kidding me, Guild Master..."
"No, this is a serious quest, Sebas."
"You can NOT be serious here!" He shot back, a mix of disbelief and annoyance coloring his words. "What kind of quest asks someone to be a butler?!"
"I am quite serious, Sebas," she replied with a raised brow. "This is a legitimate quest. You've been given difficult jobs before, haven't you? This one will be no different than before."
"… As a butler? And it's not just any butler, but the position for head butler to boot? You seriously expect me to just... play as a butler?"
"You're not playing around as a butler, Sebas," she corrected him. "You are indeed going to be appointed as a head butler."
"… You're not joking?"
"No," she answered without any shred of hesitation.
"..."
Sebastian continued to stare back at the Guild Master, trying to find any sign of humor—any hint that she was pulling his leg, but... he found none.
Her expression remained unyielding—serious, focused, as though this was as normal a quest as any. There was no trace of a joke nor any mischievous glint in her eye. None of that.
Sebastian knew the Guild Master well enough to recognize when she was joking and when she wasn't. This wasn't one of those times.
He had to reel himself back for a moment, trying to comprehend the whole thing carefully. He then came closer to the Guild Master's table—to the S-Rank quest paper—and carefully took it from her hand.
The Alpha Knight had to carefully read the quest's description, examining the content.
'S-Rank Quest: Head Butler Position'
'A prestigious noble house is seeking a highly capable individual to fill in the position of Head Butler for a new noble house! The ideal candidate will manage the household, oversee daily operations, and ensure the smooth running of the estate. Previous experience in a similar role is NOT required. What's essential is the ability to handle high-pressure situations and serve with utmost discretion. Apply now for this challenging yet rewarding position~.'
"... It sounds like some scam job listing."
"Hehe~, I assure you, Sebas, it's a completely legitimate quest."
"Who made the request then? Is it this so-called 'prestigious noble house'? Or is it for this 'new' noble house they're apparently backing?"
"Unfortunately, I cannot disclose the identity of the client by the request of the noble house themselves."
"And you expect me to believe this quest is legit?" he shot back, his suspicion ever so increasing.
"Yes, Sebas," the Guild Master confirmed. "I completely understand your wariness about the nature of this quest. However, the situation and circumstances behind it are rather delicate... requiring careful consideration and discretion."
"..."
Sebastian contemplated the Guild Master's words as he looked back once again at the quest paper. He really was still not convinced by it... but the Guild Master herself insisted on its legitimacy.
"... Why me?"
"Pardon?"
"Why are you offering me this quest then, Guild Master?" he asked, his suspicion still lingering. "Shouldn't this kind of job offer go to someone with actual experience as a butler? You know... someone trained in etiquette, household management, and all that noble nonsense?"
"As mentioned in the Quest's description: no experience is required for this role, Sebas."
"You can't be saying that, Guild Master," he retorted back. "This quest even specifically asked for the 'Head Butler' position... an even higher role with a huge load of responsibilities. Like hell someone with no experience nor any service skill could even pull off this job."
"Don't worry about that. You WILL be trained to meet the minimum standard for the work, so rest assured."
"Hey! Don't assume I'm just going to agree!" he growled, irritation clear in his voice. "I haven't said anything about accepting this quest! Why would they even make this offer to the Adventurers Guild in the first place?!"
"Hmmm..."
"Guild Master...?"
The Guild Master turned silent, her face shifting into a contemplative expression... seeming as if she was debating whether to reveal the reasoning behind her decision.
This, however, only served to further confuse Sebastian. He really wasn't grasping her intentions behind offering him this quest...
"... You didn't pick me just because I have a typical name for a butler, did you?"
"What are you talking about, Sebas?" She finally broke her silence, tilting her head slightly in genuine confusion.
"Uh... no, never mind, I'm just saying stuff," he muttered, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "But, really... why me then?"
The Guild Master closed her eyes for a moment, carefully contemplating his question. Eventually... she stood up from her seat.
Without another word, she walked toward a large map displayed on the side wall of her office.
It was the map of Florentia—a grand kingdom bordered at the edge of the continent and the very land where they currently resided.
"Once again, I cannot divulge much of the information given by the client..." she spoke with a tone of importance, her gaze fixed on the map, "... however, there are a few things that I can at least tell you about this quest."
The Guild Master's hand extended toward the map, her index finger tracing a deliberate path before stopping at the northeastern edge of Florentia.
"This region... is where our new noble will establish their foundation."
Sebastian leaned forward slightly, his gaze following her finger... only for his expression to harden the moment he recognized the area.
"Wait... that place—!"
"Yes..."
Her voice carried the weight of certainty as her finger hovered over the unmarked region.
"The unnamed, ungoverned land within our borders... a territory overrun by dangerous monsters... that it has long since been dubbed... The Garden of Hell."
Sebastian's brows furrowed as the grim realization sank in.
The Garden of Hell.
A place said to be the birthplace of the monsters that had been plaguing Florentia.
In fact, it was the place where the Red Dragon—the very one the Alpha Knight himself had slain—most likely hailed from.
It was a place so dangerous that the kingdom itself had mandated strict laws and regulations for entering that godforsaken land.
The borders surrounding that place had also been heavily fortified, with the highest degree of security in the kingdom, in the desperate hope that none of the monsters would ever cross into the heart of Florentia.
"You gotta be kidding me..." he muttered, his voice dripping with unease. "That's not a territory... That's a damned death sentence."
"Perhaps," the Guild Master conceded, her tone unflinching, "but Florentia has no choice but to act. That land, as wild and dangerous as it is, remains part of our kingdom. The crown cannot afford to leave it untouched any longer."
"So... they're sending some unlucky blue-blood brat to govern it?"
The Guild Master nodded, her expression grim, almost unreadable.
"Yes... A young noble has been... 'tasked' with restoring order to that forsaken land. But... they will not survive long enough to establish a foothold there. No one would... unless..."
The Guild Master turned fully toward Sebastian, expectation evident on her visage...
"... Someone who is a frequent guest of the Garden of Hell would be their guide."
"You don't mean...!"
"Yes, Sebastian. You are that person for the job," she confirmed, her tone resolute, "You're the powerful warrior who could vanquish the beasts that call that land home... and help this poor blue-blood youngster build a place they could truly call... their home."
"... So they needed someone who could become the bodyguard for this noble brat?"
"Under technicality, yes," she replied, her voice steady. "Your main job is to keep them safe and sound. However, you are also going to help them build their footing in the region as well. That's why the position of head butler is needed for it."
"Why so damn complicated?" Sebastian frowned. "Why not just have one person being a bodyguard and the other working as the head butler instead?"
"In truth, the bodyguard position has already been fulfilled. But... the client feared that this bodyguard would not be enough to fully protect their young noble."
"So why not hire more...?"
"The circumstances, Sebas," the Guild Master reminded him, "The client was forced to abide by Florentia's restrictions, which allowed them to bring only one bodyguard, one maid, and… one butler."
"What the hell...? Why would the damn kingdom enforce such an unreasonable restriction for the kid?!"
She sighed heavily, her frustration was quite visible, "unfortunately, again, circumstances."
"Ugh…! Hold on! That doesn't explain why me, though. There are plenty of other strong adventurers to choose from, you know?"
"Yes, but unlike them…" She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a near whisper, "No one knows who you truly are."
"… What?"