Ethan didn't expect to meet his former companion Zophie earlier than Lance.
In Lance's description, Zophie was a legendary assassin responsible for intelligence gathering. His intelligence had often given the squad the upper hand in battles against the Demon King. Zophie himself was like the stereotypical Assassin Master—silent and taciturn, always maintaining a cool demeanor in everyday life.
Ethan found it hard to connect the "pet" crawling at the feet of the Third Princess of the Empire with the Assassin Master as depicted by Lance.
Zophie was also the reason Lance pretended to faint, aiming to infiltrate the Duke Ash Clan undercover. He was sure that Ilya and the Empire's nobles wouldn't kill Zophie easily. After capturing him, they would likely use Zophie's dire state to provoke him, and at that moment, he would suddenly erupt and rescue his good brother.
"Surprised? In the Imperial Capital, this is normal."
