Big Shot

"Mr. Shaya." Sebas bowed to Shaya.

"Why are you being so formal?" Shaya smiled. "You weren't like this the last time we met."

"That's just the kind of person I am. I'm very polite." Sebas smiled awkwardly.

Sebas came up from the stairway.

"So, what did you come to see me about?" Shaya asked curiously.

"It's nothing. I simply came to pay you a visit."

As he spoke, Sebas handed the tote bag in his hand to Shaya.

"This is wine brewed by the God of Wine. Ever since the God of Wine disappeared, the wine He brewed has become an absolute rarity. I had to spend a great deal and call in favors just to buy it from the Underworld."

Shaya accepted the bag and took out an onion-shaped glass bottle. The liquid inside glowed like a ruby beneath the sunlight.

He raised a hand and pulled out the stopper. With a pop, a rich fragrance of wine spilled out, leaving his entire soul feeling clear and refreshed from top to bottom.

Sebas took a deep breath beside him, his expression intoxicated and blissful.

Shaya put the stopper back in and said, "It's a very precious gift, but I'm afraid I don't have anything suitable to give in return."

Sebas froze.

Would an existence like this truly be unable to offer a gift worthy of this wine in return?

How could that be!?

Clearly, he had already understood Sebas's intentions.

To be honest, before coming in, Sebas had been anxious over whether Shaya would accept his gift.

After all, for an existence that might have lived from the Age of Gods until now, he might have tasted wines even more precious than this.

Yet this was already the most valuable gift Sebas could offer.

But Shaya's reaction was entirely different from what he had expected. That one sentence—"I don't have anything suitable to give in return"—elevated the value of the gift, gave Sebas ample face, and dispelled the unease in his heart.

Sebas could not help sighing inwardly. Though this existence was like a true god, he possessed none of a god's arrogance.

He was like a sage of old: humble, wise, sincere, and gentle toward others.

Still marveling at this, Sebas hurriedly followed Shaya's lead.

"No, no need."

Then he smiled. "Thanks to you, I've recently become a full employee, and I even received a bonus."

Shaya asked with interest, "Was it because you captured that Nightmare?"

"Yes," Sebas said. "The Underworld hasn't encountered anything like this in centuries."

"Is that so?"

Shaya smiled, but said nothing more.

After a pause, he looked at the wine in his hand. "Once wine is opened, it seems it should be finished quickly."

He looked at Sebas and smiled. "Would you like to drink it with me?"

"You're drinking it now?" Sebas widened his eyes. "Actually, there's no need to rush. Th-this wine won't go bad for at least several hundred years."

"If wine isn't meant for drinking, is it meant for display?" Shaya teased.

"No, that's not what I meant." Sebas could not help saying, "I mean, you could save it for a special day, or drink it when you're happy."

As soon as he said that, Sebas realized something.

To the existence before him, perhaps this wine was not as precious as Sebas had imagined.

He had just wanted to say something when Shaya raised a hand, signaling for him to look around.

"Isn't today a good day?"

Hearing that, Sebas curiously took a few steps forward onto the balcony. Only then did he see the castle in its entirety, a colossal magical construct in motion.

He then looked at the mountain scenery sweeping past before him.

A forest-covered plateau, layered mountain crags, and dense jungle mist blanketing the peaks like fog, half-concealing the valleys. Autumn in a riot of colors, spring with flowers in full bloom—nature was like a careless painter who had overturned her palette here, blending every color together.

In the distance, the snow-capped mountains were white and seemed almost translucent, breathtakingly beautiful.

But the most eye-catching sight was their approaching destination: a great lake atop the plateau.

The clouds and mist seemed both distant and near. Sunlight filtered through them onto the lake, creating a scene like an ink-wash painting. Then a breeze swept past, tearing open the mist. As the water rippled, sunlight poured across the lake's surface, making it sparkle.

Because of his jurisdiction, Sebas spent every day seeing dense city buildings and stone-paved streets. They were still beautiful, but anyone would grow tired of looking at the same scenery for too long.

He had not seen natural scenery like this in a long time.

Shaya's voice came from beside him.

"Fate is impossible to predict. Happiness and accidents—you never know when either will arrive.

"Perhaps the wine will fall to the ground and shatter into pieces in the next moment. Or perhaps I'll acquire an even better wine.

"While it is still in my hands, while it is still the best, I should drink it.

"For most ordinary people, there aren't that many good days in this world. But for me, a warm sunny day is enough."

When someone had once wandered at the edge of life and death, they would always become a little more mature.

After that old man saved him from the snowfield, Shaya had become quite laid-back. Losing his heart had only intensified that state.

He had only one goal in life now: lie flat, let everything take its natural course, and enjoy life while he could.

Sebas came back to himself and smiled. "You're right. Nothing suits fine wine better than beautiful scenery."

After pausing to think, he said regretfully, "Although I'd very much like to enjoy this wine with you amid such scenery, unfortunately, I still have souls to reap.

"There's quite a lot of work today, and I also need to escort an important figure."

Then he mocked himself. "I suppose it isn't only ordinary people. The Grim Reaper is the same."

Shaya asked curiously, "Who is this important figure you mentioned?"

"There's no need to hide it from you."

Sebas pondered for a moment, then solemnly recited,

"The fifth emperor of the Britannia Empire, Moriah Britannia."

Shaya's eyes widened slightly, but soon returned to calm. He fell silent, then turned to look toward the stairway.

It was as though he wanted to see through the stairway to the woman downstairs, who was diligently cleaning.