Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking [67]

The day after the dragon’s attack.

Bronya stood tensely before Sebastian, the elderly butler.

With his crisp suit, dignified bearing, and perfectly groomed white hair, Sebastian embodied the word gentleman.

As her etiquette teacher, he’d never failed to impress her with his elegant and polished manner.

Now, though, he clicked his pocket watch shut with a solemn expression, its deep blue crystal reflecting the light, as he fixed his gaze on Bronya.

“Miss Bronya,” he began. “I do not recall ever teaching you to be an unpunctual young lady.”

His stern, measured voice carried that distinct, drawn-out intonation unique to Belobog’s nobility.

With his ramrod-straight posture, he made Bronya feel as if she were a child again, back in etiquette lessons, standing in punishment for using unrefined language.

As the Supreme Guardian’s heir, she knew she had no reason to fear an old man.

But Sebastian was different.

Not only did he have an impressive career behind him, he was from an illustrious Architect family. Ten years ago, after retiring as Belobog’s High Arbiter, he had taken on the role of her tutor at her mother’s invitation.

In terms of power, he had reached a point where he could have simply enjoyed a peaceful retirement. Instead, out of hope for Belobog’s future, he had chosen to instruct the next heir.

His strict teachings had always been tempered with kindness, and Bronya deeply respected him as someone who had guided her since childhood.

She truly didn’t want to argue with Sebastian about this.

Trying to keep her expression neutral, she addressed him as she normally would.

“…Sebastian. Do I have a compelling reason to return?”

“—Indeed, you do,” he replied. “And, in fact, you are already quite late, Miss Bronya.”

With his hands clasped behind his back, he continued with an air of nobility that exuded both authority and pressure.

“Yesterday, the Guardian sent numerous letters expressing her desire for your immediate return to Qlipoth Fort. Do you acknowledge this?”

“My mother… the Supreme Guardian did send me letters, and, yes, she did request my return.”

Bronya’s expression grew complex as she answered.

“Then perhaps you know that last night, after finishing her duties, the Guardian waited by the fire for you all night. I waited for you at the door until dawn—”

Sebastian’s eyes held a trace of disappointment that made it hard for Bronya to meet his gaze.

“I understand that you were on the front line, bound by responsibilities. But by now, you have had ample time to complete your tasks or delegate them to others and set out to return home.”

If Sebastian’s tone were even slightly sarcastic, she’d have found some excuse to slip away by now.

As acting commander, she had a certain level of authority here at the front lines—she could even order the Guards to escort him back if she wanted.

But the reality was… she hadn’t yet taken up the mantle of Supreme Guardian. The consequences of such an act were beyond her current station.

She couldn’t tell if Sebastian was genuinely concerned for her or if he was simply following her mother’s orders, testing her loyalty with these carefully chosen words.

Though her instincts told her Sebastian wasn’t a man to play games, returning home would likely mean not a warm reunion, but confinement.

“…For that, I sincerely apologize.”

She had no choice but to bow her head. But this time, she wouldn’t yield as easily.

She would at least let her mother see her resolve—

“However, I still don’t intend to return. No matter whom my mother sends, nor what reason they give, nothing can convince me to abandon my soldiers.”

Sebastian’s gaze softened slightly as he looked upon her; though his expression remained calm, he no longer seemed so displeased.

“I trust you won’t mind explaining your reasons?”

“The dragon’s attack on the city—I’m well aware of it. But… to be frank, no matter what steps we might take, countering such a force is nearly impossible.”

Bronya’s face reflected her own inner turmoil.

“As long as the dragon doesn’t reveal itself, we have no way to track it. And even if we did, a battle with it would only be possible if it chose to descend to the ground, giving up its advantage.”

“I’m listening. Go on.”

“Even if I were to return, assemble a so-called ‘dragon slaying’ force, we’d have no practical way to proceed. Rather than being ‘protected’ by such empty excuses, I’d rather stay where I can actually make a difference.”

Bronya took a deep breath.

“So, I know this may upset you, but I have to be clear—I am not defying my mother out of spite. From the bottom of my heart, I believe that returning now would be a waste of manpower, resources, and time.

“As the heir to the Supreme Guardian, I must think independently. I can’t simply follow her instructions blindly and perpetuate these mistakes—that’s how I see it.”

For some reason, after her speech, the tense atmosphere in the room shifted slightly. The look of disappointment on Sebastian’s face was gone, replaced with a gentle warmth.

“I understand your thoughts, Miss Bronya.”

His softened voice reached her ears, and he continued.

“I also have no intention of making things difficult for you. I know well what hardships you have endured to reach where you are.

“But you must understand one thing. Stripped of her rigid facade of power, the Supreme Guardian, Cocolia, is, at her core, just a mother who worries for her child’s safety, like any other.”

“Yes. I know the recent arguments between you two have worn you down. But please, remember that you’ve spent far more time in harmony than in these clashes. Focusing solely on the discord will only deepen the rift between you.”

He paused, then continued with a more earnest tone.

“In this nation, everyone watches the Supreme Guardian’s every move. Once you occupy that role, you’ll feel the endless pressures from the Architects, the courts, and the people’s expectations. She cannot always reveal her softer, maternal side.

“But this doesn’t mean she’s as cold-hearted as she appears. Her warmth and sorrow are feelings she shares with you alone.

“We know the weight of her burdens is crushing her. But if you can forgive her, I believe she won’t hesitate to offer you a sincere apology.”

Seeing Bronya’s quiet, contemplative expression, the old butler spoke with heartfelt sincerity.

“Miss Bronya, you and she are more than heir and Supreme Guardian—you’re family. Though blood doesn’t bind you, your bond is as strong as any mother and daughter. I hope you’ll avoid choices that might leave you with lasting regrets.”