Zoemi looked down at the unconscious pair of Moyena siblings and then at the youngest Moyena, Reo, and shrugged his shoulders with a dismissive expression.

”They were rude to sir Benevirau, then they got angry at me all on their own, immediately after which Vianee challenged me to a duel for some reason even though he was using far more offensive language than I did, and. Well… I ended up beating up both of them.”

The black-haired boy ended up explaining in an indifferent voice while staring straight into the green-haired boy’s eyes without blinking.

”Before you ask, Aerea had stabbed me with multiple water spears, that’s why she ended up like this – I did not attack her without provocation.”

He added, raising his hand, pointing his index finger into the sky.

”Yes, it is exactly how young master said!”

”…huh…?”

”…wh-what…?”

As for the most surprising thing, the dark-blue-haired young-looking butler vigorously nodded his head in confirmation to Zoemi’s words, leaving both Zoemi and Reo stunned out of their minds.

”Wait… wha… I… Alright, I understand Vianee and Aerea being unreasonable, but… are you telling me that this is sir Benevirau?!”

The green-haired capture target took a step back while pointing in complete and utter disbelief at the misty-gray-eyed butler who looked to be at most eighteen or nineteen.

”Yes, that’s me.”

Benevirau nodded his head again while continuing to hold onto Zoemi as if expecting the black-haired boy to attempt to tan away.

”But… aren’t you supposed to be a thousand years old?! Why do you look so young?!”

Reo gasped, shaking his head refusing to believe the story once the person in question stood right in front of him.

”A mix of a balanced diet, working out, and a several hundred times more mana than an average light magician, I suppose?”

Although it was doubtful whether the green-haired boy actually wanted an answer and wasn’t just showing his shock, Benevirau answered him in a casual voice with a hint of hesitation.

”Alright. You must be the friend who brought the young master home. I will be eternally grateful for that, now, please, allow with me and the young master inside. I would be much obliged if you would be so kind to keep him company while I would be preparing the welcome party!”

”Wh-what…?”

The dark-blue-haired butler nodded at the stunned Reo before tugging on Zoemi’s arm with a barely contained excitement.

”Young master, is there something that you especially like? I will make sure to prepare it!”

”…”

Benevirau was positively fidgetting when he faced Zoemi, showing him a beaming smile that honestly made the black-haired boy blank out for a moment.

|…what the hell is going on…?! I mean, the plan is working, he seems to believe that I am the heir to the Banemor family, but… why…?! Is it that easy?! My voice just so happens to resemble the voice of the late lord Banemor and that’s it? Is it a trap? It must be a trap!|

When things go too smoothly some people’s minds find it suspicious, and Zoemi was certainly one of those people, instantly assuming the worst possible scenario was taking place.

Because, honestly that didn’t make sense.

”…”

The black-haired boy looked over at Reo, and with just one look he was able to tell that the green-haired boy was just as shocked and uneasy as he was.

This must have been a trap of some sort, no question about it.

Will the jolly butler turn murderous the moment they put their guard down?

Possibly – an outcome such as that certainly wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities, that’s for sure.

Honestly… that turnaround was far too sudden to be genuine… right…?

But even so… how were those two youngsters supposed to respond?

|He… he didn’t kill any of the people attempting to take the territory… there is a chance that he just wants to scare us, making an example and that’s it… It can get unpleasant, but honestly, as long as we survive, the more trouble we will go through before getting sent back, the better it would look for my case about being a devoted and honest person…|

Zoemi thought to himself, trying to calm down and not overreact at the situation.

”Young master, is something wrong? Are you doubting my culinary skills? I can assure you that I have been prized by your late grandfather and mother many times before!”

The silence brimming with hesitation seemed to bother Benevirau greatly, as he gulped down his saliva and made a pitiful pleading expression.

”Ah, oh, n-no. I was just wondering what to pick…!”

”Zoemi…?”

The black-haired boy hurriedly shook his head and responded reassuringly, making the confused Reo gasp in disbelief.

It sounded like the green-haired capture target was ready to just escape the Banemor territory as it was, without even making sure how screwed they are – although in his case it might have more to do with his siblings beaten up by the black-haired boy than it did with the dark-blue-haired butler.

…or at least so it seemed because of how many times did he glanced at the unconscious bodies of Aerea and Vianee…

”Please, excuse me for rushing you! Let’s get inside your home, please. You said that you currently are the attendant of the young lady Miriette Lisea Espine – Espine territory is almost on the other side of the kingdom, you must be tired after a long journey! Ah…! Once again, pardon me for rambling, I just already lost hope that I will ever see young lady’s child…! I…! I…!”

Benevirau gasped and hurriedly bowed his head repeatedly while talking extremely fast, getting exasperated all on his own – the dark-blue-haired butler ended up slowing down only because his eyes ended up filling with tears as he got extremely emotional and was on the verge of ugly-crying.

…that certainly was an unexpected behavior from the fearless sage who kept the entire territory away from the kingdom it belonged to for sixteen years…

”There are just so many things I want to ask you, so many things I want to know and apologize for…! Young master… how… how did you end up an attendant in the Espine household…?”

Benevirau’s chin trembled but he managed to brave through and asked while blinking repeatedly to keep himself in check.

”Well… I was born in the…”

”Dear heavens, what am I doing? What am I questioning you like that in front of the house! What if you catch a cold?! Inside! Please, let me take you back inside, young master! And, master’s friend, you come to!”

Zoemi opened his mouth and was going to tell the short version of his life up until that point but only after a few words the dark-blue-haired butler gasped in embarrassment and started hurriedly pulling him towards the mansion while also waving his hand in Reo’s general direction inviting him too.

”What about my siblings…? We can’t leave them like that… can we…?”

The green-haired boy flinched and spurted the first thing that came to his mind to delay walking into the lion’s den.

”…! That’s right, the trash that challenged young master in his own territory… in the very city bearing his mother’s name…”

Unfortunately, it seemed like with his comment Reo had stirred up the anthill of Benevirau’s anger as the dark-blue-haired butler tensed up and looked over his shoulder roughly where Vianee and Aerea were.

*click*

*BLUB*

”!!!”

Without letting go of Zoemi’s arm, Benevirau snapped his fingers and a large ball of water grew from right under the two unconscious Moyenas, making them float on its surface, and carried them outside the mansion grounds and out of sight, leaving both Reo and Zoemi speechless.

”I threw them outside the city. If they come back to bother you again, young master, I will take care of them a little bit more roughly.”

|At least it seems he isn’t keen on murdering others, that’s a good sign.|

The dark-blue-haired-butler assured with a determined expression, unintentionally easing at least one of Zoemi’s fears.

What was left for the black-haired boy to do in such a situation?

Even though Benevirau seemed to be acting genuine – he was over a thousand years old, he certainly had more than enough time to polish his acting skills…

There really was only one way to be certain what was his intention in the end.

Just go along with whatever the dark-blue-haired butler was planning.

”Thank you. I’ll be counting on you.”

”!!!”

Zoemi patted Benevirau’s hand on his arm and spoke to him with a grateful tone, which made the misty-gray-eyed butler lower his head again.

”…young master… I… I am so happy…”

Benevirau sniffled, unable to hold back his tears finally led Zoemi and Reo to the mansion while constantly wiping his eyes with his sleeve.