Sebastian Knew


    “Mr. Takumi, good Leo. Where are you headed at this late hour...?”


    “Wuff?”


    Leo and I moved through the mansion and reached the entrance hall. But then we were stopped by a familiar voice.


    Leo turned to see who it was.


    I too turned to look, and saw that in the brightly lit center of the hall, stood a solitary Sebastian.


    “Is something the matter, Sebastian?”


    “That is what I should be asking you, Mr. Takumi. ...Well, I cannot say that I have no idea what you mean to do.”


    “...Ms. Lyra said something like that to me before. Am I really easy to read?”


    “Hohoho. It is part of our job, being observant of our masters and guests. Though, you are definitely in the easy category.”


    “Hmm...”


    “Wuff-wuff.”


    Apparently, even Sebastian had an idea of what I meant to do.


    I suppose it showed on my face?


    Even Leo was barking as if she was laughing. And I felt a little annoyed.


    “Ever since you spoke to Mark, it seemed like there was something inside that you were trying your hardest to hold back. ...It was all I could do to change the subject.


    “Ah, so you knew from then...”


    “No, I wasn’t thinking about that... But could you do that, Leo?”


    “Wuff? Wou!”


    “...I see.”


    After denying it, I turned to ask Leo, who thought about it for a moment and then barked, ‘I can do it!’


    The wall surrounding Ractos wasn’t quite ten meters tall, but was still very high.


    And Leo could jump over it...I would like to see that one day.


    “Hohoho. If you did such a thing, the guards would arrest you as an intruder. Though, I’m sure that good Leo could outrun or...trample over them... But I think that would affect your goal?”


    “Yes...exactly.”


    Sebastian said with a smile, and I nodded.


    Indeed, jumping over the walls would probably result in arrest.


    “So... Just show this to the guard who is on watch duty. If you knock on the gate, then a small window should open up. Just show them this and they will open the door.”


    So saying, Sebastian walked up to me and handed me an object that was about the size of his palm.


    “Is this...a crest?”


    “Yes. I believe that Lady Claire showed it to you before... It is the same thing. This will prove that you are sent from the the duke’s house.”


    “...Because you don’t want people to know?”


    “Yes. While such things will surely be revealed later, right now, it would be best to not make the connection between you and the duke too clear.”


    “I understand... And I will be carefull.”