[Status Window]
Name: Sebastian Bonewit
Rank: S-Class
Occupation: Butler
Title: None
HP: 1000/1000
MP: 2500/2500
[Stats]
Strength: 8000
Stamina: 7600
Agility: 8500
Intelligence: 170
Sense: 6000
(Points earned from him: 0)
[Skills]
Passive Skill: Arm of Monarch (Everyone besides those acknowledged by Sebastian shall feel a degree of oppression)
Active Skill: Hand of Weight (Help control and manipulate gravity in any desired way)
'Am I that weak, or is he just that much stronger than me? No, no… no matter how I look at it, these are Divine General-level stats.'
'At this point in time, he's one of the strongest creatures alive… Why the fuck is he my butler again?' thought Johan, breathing through his nose.
'How could Johan even lose to Leor when this guy was by his side? I only even fought him in the game just once…' Johan thought, becoming more confused by the second.
"Master?" Sebastian asked, a trace of worry in his eyes.
Johan nodded authoritatively. "Let's leave now. Arrange the carriage. I'll join in a moment."
Sebastian nodded and immediately left the garden.
'System, do you know anything about why he wasn't present in most of the choices?' Johan asked the only omniscient entity he knew.
Pleasantly familiar white text appeared on the blue screen:
[Sebastian died of old age]
'Seriously? That's so anticlimactic.' His eyelids drooped, but he nodded in understanding.
'Even though he has the firepower to wipe out the entire Aurelian Empire, he's still just an old man… I wonder if I can save him somehow,' Johan thought, staring at the dandelions on the ground.
Johan's ocean-blue eyes sharpened as he looked toward the screen.
'I need to do something, first survive the incoming disaster, and then save Sebastian… but if I had a million points, maybe I would've already…'
There was such a quick, and easy way to do this if he just had made the evil choice in the first quest.
But, he shook his head solemnly, yet firmly.
'Is the power that comes from losing everything you loved in both previous, and current life, then eventually losing yourself really worth it?' he asked himself, and planned to memorise this question whenever his heart grew too greedy for his own sake.
His boot hit the grass, his footsteps growing firmer, as if he'd just made up his mind.
'No matter. I am Johan now… Sebastian, Selene, Kirin, Theo, and Acier— My family, all are my responsibility now. I need enough power to save them! But power comes in different ways. I need no cheats… I just gotta survive, and make sure they do too, doesn't matter how?'
'I don't need the system, the sysmtem needs me,' Johan thought, clenching his hands with amusement.
'Even the real Johan would've never chosen the fourth option. Though maybe… I could choose high-reward options for others.
Like that bastard Leor, seducing my daughter—I won't even feel guilty.' Johan laughed maliciously as he entered the hallway, making the maids tremble, while covering their bodies.
A cool breeze brushed against Johan's pale skin, making him look up at the cloudy sky. White pigeons flew freely overhead.
Then, he thought of something and turned his gaze forward. 'Power feels good…' He grinned to himself.
A wooden carriage, about the size of a seven-seater car, was tied to two very muscular black horses grazing on the grass.
Sebastian was playfully rubbing the chin of the horse on the right, making it puff happily.
Thirteen knights, clad in shining gold armor that reflected the dim sunlight, stood alert. Their helmets, revealing only their eyes and noses, gave them an imposing look as they saluted respectfully toward Johan.
"Sebastian." Sebastian immediately straightened his posture and turned toward the man with flowing white hair.
His respectful gaze probing, as if asking, Yes?
"Sebastian, call Selene. Let me show her what she'll have to deal with in the future as the next leader of the house Matilda," Johan said in a solemn tone, his expression unreadable.
His plan was simple: Spend more time with Selene, and at the court, show some indirect support to Leor to earn her trust.
He knew with certainty that Selene will definitely beg him to spare Leor, and this could be the straw that finally softens their relationship.
Sebastian's eyes widened slightly but he quickly masked it with a practiced smile.
But, he still asked hesitantly, his voice filled with hidden worry "Are… you sure, Master? Today might not be the best time. The young lady might interfere and stain your reputation at the hearing…"
Johan nodded seriously. "No worries. This will only make her learning experience even more valuable."
Sebastian nodded in understanding. If Selene acted too ruthlessly, and tried to go against the court's decisions, she would definitely be humiliated thoroughly by hundreds of people.
Knowing Johan's methods, Sebastian suspected this was his way to teach Selene about how to behave.
He instantly rushed upstairs through the marble hallway towards Selene's room.
Johan walked toward the carriage with a nostalgic smile, the cold fresh air was something he never got in his previous life in a bustling city.
Just as he clutched the door handle to open it gently, he froze—recognizing someone already seated by the window.
She was looking outside, toward the beautiful white jasmines along the side.
Sensing someone too, she immediately turned toward the door and bowed with practiced ease.
"...Olivia, I told you to leave. Why are you still here?" Johan asked hesitantly, taking the seat facing her.
'Will she still betray me? She must be here to gather more information about me, no?'
'I can actually understand that, since 'I' killed her family… but I can't allow that!'
His gaze turned cold as he looked at her.
Olivia moved the green strands away from her serious brown eyes. "Mr Sebastian brought me Kisabe and the money." she started in a grateful tone.
Then, her voice grew soft, "I sent him to the Crimson Empire— to start anew, and live the life of freedom he always dreamed about…
He's only ten, yet remarkably sharp for his age to survive alone," She said with a solemn smile, completely ignoring Johan's original question.
"He'll probably forget about me—and his experiences in the dungeon," she added with a shaky voice, her tone uncertain, and hopeful, as if she wanted him to forget about her.
'Hmm? I guess the Crimson Empire makes sense, it's the only Empire where war never happens, but why is she telling me this?' thought Johan to himself, happy about her brother.
But in contrast to his thoughts, his voice became colder.
"You still haven't answered my question. Why didn't you leave with him? And no matter how smart, he's still a kid with a life changing amount of money." He said in a deep voice.
Adding, almost in a scoff, "Do you really think he won't be targeted by crooks?"
He had thought of such a perfect plan—killing two birds with one stone—giving the siblings freedom and removing a future enemy, but yet, this.
Maybe he just needs to scare her into leaving. Maybe she's just underestimating Johan, and thinks she can manipulate him.
But, to Johan's surprise, Olivia's voice sounded genuine.
"...I just want to stay here for a while longer. Please. But if you don't want that… I will leave right away. I know Kisabe will survive, I have arranged someone to take care of her."
Olivia's voice faded into a faint whisper, as if silently begging not to be thrown out.
Johan's eyes widened, 'why is she not taking the chance to escape from me? Why is so enthusiastic about staying with me?' He was at a loss.
Olivia's brows furrowed. She had actually been planning to meet with Leor and work with him to take Johan down—to free her brother.
It was a perfect deal.
Leor could gain information about someone targeting him, and she could save her brother, her infant child, and herself. And Leor was a good and fair person—making it fairly easy to work with him.
And his ability… even at its weakest version, it was strong enough to destroy worlds.
He could wipe out everyone targeting him, and gain the respect of highest authorities, eventually nullifying the court case.
It's a wolf-eats-rabbit world, after all.
But what happened yesterday… It raised her hopes.
'Maybe my child could live a normal life with his father.'
And, she chose to stay.
But if she had misunderstood the signs, and made a wrong decision again, like a long time ago when she had looked at his face, and he started to have an interest in her body, leading to her life becoming hell.
'He will probably execute both me and my child…'
So she decided not to tell him that… She was pregnant with his child.
And besides that, there was one more reason, 'I also have to make sure he doesn't just send someone to kill Kisabe… No one turns from devil to saint overnight.
Give me freedom? Enough with the games already. I am willing to take a risk for my life to give a better chance to my baby, but never Kisabe's'
Her thoughts turned cold and prigmatic.
She sighed, rememberin who she had given Kisabe too, he will definitely be safe.
Johan's face turned serious looking at Olivia's cold eyes, just as he was about to say something—
"Father."
A gentle, weak voice rang in his ears, uncertain of the word: Father.
A.N.= I am thinking of OliviaxJohan. Now hear me out, it's pretty intresting romance plot, like when stockholm syndrom meets guilt and regret. Just pray I can execute it well, but ngl I am sure I can :D