Chapter 68: Keeping Sebas
Sebas listened to everything Lucian had to say about the White Dragon King.
The head butler of Nazarick sat in silence afterward, saying nothing. But inside, the information was being processed rapidly.
The king of the frost dragon clan in the Azerlisia Mountains bore the title of White Dragon King.
But based on everything Mr. Lucian had described, its actual strength would not be sufficient to overcome Shalltear.
Shalltear Bloodfallen, Guardian of the first through third underground floors of Nazarick, ranked among the Great Tomb's most formidable combatants overall. If the White Dragon King's abilities were only what had been described, it was nowhere near capable of being what had driven Shalltear out of her own mind.
The intelligence was not enough.
Sebas raised his head. Something that looked like difficulty had settled on that deeply lined face.
"Mr. Lucian." The voice carried the measured restraint of a head butler who knew exactly how much to say. "My lady's curiosity is... rather considerable."
He paused, as though working to find the right words.
"I'm afraid this information won't be enough to satisfy her. If I go back with only this, I expect I'll be facing some form of punishment."
Sebas put a note of resignation into his voice and let those pale grey eyes rest on Lucian with genuine appeal.
"Would Mr. Lucian be willing to share more of what he knows about dragons? The kind of information that doesn't circulate?"
He was still using Solution as his cover story, and playing the sympathy angle into the bargain.
He did feel somewhat apologetic about leaving Solution with the impression of being a demanding and unreasonable mistress. But this was for Nazarick. For completing the task Lord Ainz had given him.
Solution would understand.
Across from him, Lucian's expression was warm.
Inside, he was quietly exasperated.
Can Miss Slime actually punish a level-100 dragonoid? That's about as believable as tattling to the old bones.
Of course, none of that was going to come out of his mouth.
Lucian let his brow settle into a slight furrow, the look of someone working through a decision they didn't particularly want to make.
"It isn't that I don't want to tell you, Mr. Sebas."
He said it with the weight of genuine difficulty, his gaze dropping slightly.
"It's only..."
He let that sit for a moment, his pale green eyes carrying something that looked like real concern.
"These dragon kings of great strength are unpredictable in temperament."
Lucian's voice dropped, as though pressing down on something heavy. "If any of them were to learn that their information had come from me... it would very likely mean ruin for the Aindra family."
Even in refusal, Lucian was leaving Sebas with exactly the impression he wanted: a man of responsibility, protecting his household.
And on the surface, he had disclosed nothing specific.
But in fact, he had already passed on the thing that mattered most: there were dragon kings of truly serious power out there. Ones that made the White Dragon King look modest by comparison.
A conclusion arrived at through inference carried more weight with Nazarick than one delivered directly.
Sebas was quiet for a moment.
He had understood.
Those dragons were formidable. Far beyond the White Dragon King.
Powerful enough that even Mr. Lucian didn't dare help him.
Sebas thought about what Mr. Lucian had done for him over time.
The offer of protection when they first met. The lodging that had been arranged. The Martial Arts notebooks shared without hesitation. This door that had never been closed to him.
Every time, Mr. Lucian had given him something.
If disclosing information about dragons was going to bring disaster down on Mr. Lucian...
Then even if Lord Ainz reprimanded him for failing the assignment, he absolutely could not involve Mr. Lucian in his difficulties.
And at the very least, he had established something useful: certain dragons were exceptionally powerful. Nazarick's direction of inquiry was right. The rest could be pursued through other means, gradually.
Sebas had made his decision.
"In that case, Mr. Lucian."
He rose to his feet, unhurried, with the characteristic steadiness that belonged to him. The hem of his black tailcoat traced a clean arc through the air. He inclined forward slightly, back still perfectly straight, the posture carrying a respect that was neither servile nor showy.
"I'll take my leave."
He turned and walked toward the door.
Steady, measured footsteps.
What.
Lucian's pupils contracted slightly.
He's just leaving?
He watched that perfectly upright back moving steadily away, one step at a time, boots producing a quiet, rhythmic sound against the floorboards.
Don't go.
If you leave, whoever comes next won't be nearly this easy to work with.
The image surfaced immediately: Demiurge stepping into view, those gemstone eyes behind his glasses fixing on Lucian from across the room, an unhurried smile forming at the corner of his mouth.
Even the thought was enough to send something cold up Lucian's spine.
"But—"
The words came out before he had finished deciding to say them.
Sebas's footsteps stopped.
He turned. Those pale grey eyes carried a question as they settled on Lucian.
Outside, the rain had eased without either of them noticing, becoming a fine mist that wrapped the courtyard in a layer of blurred, drifting grey.
Lucian steadied his expression.
He met Sebas's gaze directly.
"Mr. Sebas." Lucian's voice was quiet but carried weight. "If you could do something for me.."
A brief pause.
"I could tell you what you need to know."
Something shifted in Sebas's eyes.
Lucian didn't wait for a response.
"Or rather— through this, you would naturally come to know it yourself."
The sitting room was quiet for a moment.
The mist pressed softly against the windows. The light in the room had dimmed somewhat from earlier, a thin grey veil settling across every surface and object.
Sebas stood where he was and looked at Lucian.
"Mr. Lucian."
Sebas's voice was steady, but something had entered it, a warmth and sincerity that gave it more weight than usual.
"You have done a great deal for me over the time we've known each other, and I have never been in a position to return any of it."
He paused, and those pale grey eyes looked at Lucian with genuine attention.
"Please go ahead and ask. Even if the dragon information weren't on the table, I would do my best to help."
He said it the way someone states something obvious, without ceremony.
Lucian felt something for a moment.
Something had taken hold of his chest, very lightly, and given it a quiet press.
It was an unfamiliar feeling. One he hadn't experienced in a long time.
Every word he had said in this room had been calculated. Every expression, every note of feeling shown, all of it deliberate. The warmth he had extended toward Sebas was the product of calculation. It was not real.
Lucian lowered his eyes briefly. In his chest, something gave a faint, reluctant sound.
Being treated with this kind of sincerity sat uncomfortably. It was like a mirror being suddenly wiped clean, showing him something he hadn't quite wanted to look at.
Lucian pushed the softness aside, gently.
It could not be allowed to interfere with what still needed to happen.
He raised his head and put the warm, composed mask back in place.
"Mr. Sebas." Lucian's tone was earnest. "The Dragon Kingdom. Are you familiar with it?"