0.20.

"Young Lord, you have a visitor."

"Huh? Why me? Normally, shouldn't it be mom … "

"Lady Anna is already in the drawing room. I've come here to fetch you, they wish to see you."

"O-Oh, okay."

Sequencee hoped off his desk and headed out of the study.

He followed Robert to the drawing room. He knocked before opening the door for him.

The guest was–Gull.

"I'm glad to see that you're doing fine," he waved.

"Yeah, same here," Sequencee sat down beside Anna.

"I wish to express my thanks," he lowered his head.

"???"

Sequencee was sure his mother had created more problems than fortunes during their trip. Gull had missed capitalizing profits from two villages.

"A simple thank you note for protecting us. I now understand why your mother puts so much faith in you," Gull grinned.

"What? Mom, what is this?" Sequencee looked at her suspiciously. Gull definitely didn't come here just to tell him this. He knew they had already settled things between them at Luddite Earldom.

Anna went fufu.

Sequencee groaned, not knowing what to make of the situation.

"Sequencee, I have an deal to make. This is between you and me, your mother is simply here to oversee it. She has given consent."

"Offer? What offer?"

"What do you think of Astrid?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"Would you like her ownership to be transferred to you?"

Sequencee's expression darkened.

"No."

"Do you really not now?"

"Why?" Anna asked.

"What do you mean why? Mom," Sequencee glared at her.

"Ah, right. I forgot that he already has someone dear to him. No wonder," Anna chuckled.

"Mister Gull, I don't like how you're treating her as some object," Sequencee frowned.

"I never thought of her as an object. I'm sure she would oblige if I told her about it."

'That's even worse…'

Sequencee wasn't sure what intentions Gull had in mind, but as the merchant he was, Sequencee was certain he was definitely up to no good.

When Gull left having paid for the private escort commission, Sequencee asked his mom.

"Was this on purpose?"

"It was on purpose."

"What purpose?"

A learning experience. Anna deliberately called him here to let him experience what it was like to be offered something like this. To see is to believe, she didn't want to nurture someone with a delusion of sunshine and rainbows. He needed to know of the darker aspects of the world as well.

"Don't worry, there's no loss in your decision."

"What if I had said yes there? What would you do?"

"I would've accepted it."

"Seriously … "

Was it Gull, or Astrid who wanted this? Whatever it was, it had nothing to do with him now.

===

Reduce alcohol, no fighting, rest as much as you can until the foreign priest arrives with the Gift cure.

That was the simple instruction given to Anna.

"Hah!" Anna slammed the base of the bottle down on the counter. "Which means I won't be able to visit the demon empire so soon."

"Uh, mom, it's alright … "

'I guess the thing about Schwii will have to wait.'

Fiefi's Grub, one of the most popular taverns in Estia, mainly because this was the go-to spot for Anna whenever she wanted a swig of crude alcohol. Owing to her constant visits, it has become a must-visit place for mercenaries that come to Estia.

And today, to celebrate Anna's grand return, drinks were on the house.

Sequencee felt a little annoyed about the whole ordeal though. He didn't like alcohol, but he didn't want to just leave his mom wandering around the streets alone. Convincing himself that the food was worth it, he joined her just to be greeted by a crowd of rowdy drunkards.

"I know what you're thinking. I swear, I'll only be taking this one bottle, no more," Anna promised.

"One bottle is already a lot … " Sequencee eyed the bottle which had a width as large as his arm.

"What? One bottle only? How come?" A drunk mate chided.

"Bro, she's got orders by the priest."

"She fucked the black dragon, now she can't drink?"

"Gahahaha!"

"Oi! Watch your words! She can hear you from here!"

"What? So it's true?"

"Of course it is!"

Yeah … a rowdy bunch.

'Yummy sausages.'

Sequencee shoved the hot dog into his mouth. The food here made him miss those satays made by Mister Dee. He should buy some of it tomorrow.

Cough–

Anna barked a couple times.

"Mom."

"I'm fine," she forced another swing down her throat.

Sequencee glanced at his plate, then back at her. Mustering the determination, he asked. "Mom, why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Challenge Astroth."

She turned to look at the row of beverages on the back counter behind the barista. With a sigh, she started. "Sequencee, your mother isn't as strong as you think she is."

"What are you talking about mom? You're strong as heck."

Anna shook her head. "By the standards of humans, yes, but … there are limits."

Sequencee furrowed his brow. This was something he did not like about his mother. She undermines herself way too much.

"Mom, weren't you the ones who said that anything is possible?"

"I'd like to think it is dear–maybe I am wrong," Anna said with forlorn

Sequencee frowned.

'What's the real issue here?'

"Why? You didn't think like this before."

"A close rival of mine."

'Who? When did she meet her rival? At the castle? The emperor?'

"Rival?"

"You see, I can't possibly do everything. Thinking that I can is just … greedy."

Sequencee pondered deeply. Anna peeked at him, finding his serious-pensive state quite cute.

"Miss Rending Wind, don't talk to yourself like that. If you think you're not strong, how about us? We're worse than dung aren't we?" One of the mercs quipped.

"Gahahahaha–he's on point don't you think?" Another followed up.

"Come on, it's just a little failure. Next time when you get stronger, go beat the shit out of that fucking dragon," one of them guffawed.

Anna blinked.

They were right. If she didn't think she had the strength to protect her own son, how would the other's feel? She was hailed the youngest unofficial SS-rank. To the normal populace it was a pinnacle that most would die for–yet here she was, feeling miserable.

No matter how strong one becomes, no matter how far one goes, no matter what more you pursue– everything is pointless if you don't look at what you already have.

Gratitude.

Chasing security, power and wealth when these elements are put in jeopardy in the process, wasn't that a paradox in itself? It wasn't simply a matter of preparing for an unpredictable future, it was a matter of perception. The difference between a happy noble and a frustrated one is not in wealth or status, but acknowledgement of the present privileges one has in their life.

Anna placed her hand on Sequencee's head.

"Hm?"

"Thank you for saving me."

"O-Oh … "

"I love you."

Yet despite knowing all this, it wasn't enough to dissuade her from worrying about his future.

===

"Mister Dee! Takeaway, twenty skewers!"

"Right on Sequencee."

Mister Dee's satay. Sizzling meat on a stick atop flames, a generous amount of sauce drizzled over each sample, the tantalizing smell of smoky barbeque over charcoal.

He sat on one of the tables as he waited.

'There are a lot of people today.'

"Yo, how's your trip?"

"It was fun."

"I heard your mother got injured, what happened?"

"Uh, she lost her cool and … "

Sequencee talked with the people that were enjoying the food as he waited for his order.

"Whoa? That sounds pretty crazy."

"Man, if only I could join your party, that would be really cool."

"Hey Sequencee. We're going for a hunting request some time in the next two days to exterminate a budding orc settlement. You interested?"

"Well … I don't know if I want to leave my mother's side at this time. Her condition is still uncertain … "

'Though … an orc settlement huh? I wonder where they came from.'

"Then it's alright. We're just curious, you know."

At the age of twelve, he had already gotten his enforcer license, and a few months ago, he was promoted as an A-rank mercenary. He was only thirteen. And because of it, Sequencee himself has been a rather hot topic in the mercenary world.

Part of it was because of Anna's influence, the other part of it had to do with Sequencee's own achievements. While it is imperative that mercenaries hit a certain quest quota before they are given the permission to rank up, more emphasis was placed on skill, efficiency and proficiency.

Sequencee was a prodigy. With a profound mastery of magic possibly contending against a sage of the empire, he had successfully entered and come out of the most notorious dungeon–The Black Ravine's 35th section–alive, and with a crazy kill count to boot.

"Sequencee, here."

"Thanks Mister Dee!"

"Pass my regards to your mother."

"I will, see you."

Sequencee went rushing home. As he checked the order, he noticed that Dee had given him 5 additional skewers more than he had ordered.

"Young Lord," the head butler of the house greeted him.

"I'm back sir Robert! Where's mom?"

"She's waiting at the dining hall."

"Already?"

"May I help with this?" a maid offered.

"Sure thing," Sequencee passed her the packet of satay and made a beeline to the kitchen where dinner had been prepared.

"Oh, how quick," Anna said upon Sequencee's entry.

There was nothing too fancy about their dinner. Simple cream soup with bread, sliced forest hound meat, a bowl of fruit oats and the street satay Sequencee liked.

"I'm thinking of leaving for the demon empire in a week's time."

"Ah?"

Seeing Sequencee's reaction, Anna giggled.

"Don't worry fufu, I'll do my best to persuade Schwii to come this time."

"No, that's not the problem. Are you going to be alright going to the demon empire? In your condition?" Concern was the word to describe Sequencee's current emotion.

"No, no. I will make sure … gfmp?!" Anna leaned forward as vomit leaked from her lips. Her hands covering her mouth, the food in her stomach rising back out her throat–

"?!"

The maids, panicking, quickly attended her with a bowl and towel. Sequencee stroked her back in support as she retched.

Dots of blood visible, staining the stomach contents, ragged breathing accompanied the sweat running down her forehead. She gripped her burning abdomen, her expression paled. After the wave of nausea had calmed down, she dismissed the maids with a wave and leaned against the table.

"I'm fine … " she croaked.

'You're nothing but fine.'

"Mom, maybe you should postpone the trip to the demon empire … "

"We'll see how it goes," there was obvious reluctance in her words.

Sequencee gritted his teeth. "Don't go."