Evan D. Sherden, Strengthened (7)
"It has been confirmed. The last floor they stepped on before returning was the 21st floor."
The priest confirmed this by using the magic circle as he declared calmly when Evan's party came out of the dungeon. At that moment, there was complete silence among those who were present at the entrance to the dungeon.
"…So, did the party led by my second son really conquer the dungeon up until the 20th floor?"
It was Marquis Soline D. Sherden, the ruler of the dungeon city, who broke the silence.
The priest checked the magic circle again to recheck, read certain information from the regularly arranged strings in it, and spoke again.
"That's right. A party of five people, led by Young Master Evan D. Sherden, defeated the floor master on the 20th floor and set foot on the 21st floor."
"Wow…"
Of course, Evan's party had not only defeated the Floor Masters but also the Imprisoned Chimera, who had been hidden for countless years, as well as the Hidden Boss Blood Orc Warrior on the 20th floor but there was no way such information could be recorded in the magic circle.
If they had only hunted the Floor Masters without targeting the Hidden Bosses, the record would have been shortened by at least two days, and if they had done so, people's reactions would have been even more dramatic than now.
In fact, they were already dramatic as it was.
"How long has it been since Master Evan entered the dungeon?"
"Only 12 days. It's been less than two weeks."
"This is nonsensical. The 20th floor… No matter how talented you are, this is ridiculous to even think of…"
"It's not a matter of talent. Was Evan blessed by the gods?"
The record set by Evan's party was nothing short of being described as legendary.
Of course, the spotlight fell on the others who had entered the dungeon with Evan as well.
"Is it really the first time they went into the dungeon?"
"The young daughter of the Pellati family, the owner of another dungeon city, was with him. Maybe she helped him attack the dungeon."
"It's still remarkable, though. Except for Raihan Drukas, all of them are still just children."
"I'm afraid I can't tell you about the future…"
Evan himself was complaining that their speed was a lot slower compared to the heyday of the game. But this place wasn't in the game anymore; it was reality! These circumstances could no longer be compared to those in the game.
"It's obvious that he was blessed by the gods."
"Well done, Master Evan…"
"Uh…"
It wasn't until after he saw the astonished people around him that Evan also came to realize his achievements.
"Father, is it okay to tell everyone about this?"
"It's okay, Evan. You don't have to worry about that. Even if you get in any kind of trouble, it will be easier for us to handle it." Marquis Soline declared this firmly and looked around at the people who had gathered in the square.
Fortunately, as soon as he had heard that Evan was coming back from the dungeon, he had quickly sprung into action, so it was mostly the Marquis's people who were present there.
He had sent a priest and a wizard to protect the dungeon entrance… The priest smiled as if he was relieved.
"I swear by the Church's holiness that no information will leak from my lips."
"Thank you for saying so. You have defended our son's honour very well. The Marquis won't forget about this act of loyalty."
The Marquis glanced at the knight standing next to him as he spoke. Considering how the knight bowed lightly, it was easy to predict that a certain amount would be paid to the priest.
It made Evan realize that it was natural for nobility to convey it with gestures rather than words.
"And I want to ask you something… Wasn't Eloa von Sirpe a member of the Phoenix Guild?"
"Yes."
The Marquis followed the wizard who was on duty with the priest… Evan turned his attention to the tall impressive woman with pale azure hair. She nodded as if she had been waiting for this.
"Keeping a secret is not that difficult. That is if you just accept one of my little requests."
"Does this have something to do with Evan?"
"Of course not. I am amazed by his unbelievable adventures in the dungeon, but there is no way Master Evan can answer the secret if I ask. So what I want to ask about is the red-eyed child."
Eloa was already one of the best mages in the dungeon city at this point. It was clear that she was aware of the magical powers that Belois had achieved.
"I would like to share a story with her about Maddo. If you can arrange that, it should be enough for me."
"That's something you should ask Belois, not me. Belois, how would you like it? Could you spare her some of your time?"
"Of course, Master Marquis. If you can set a time, I will definitely accept it."
"Good. Thank you for letting me know."
As Belois found herself in a position to learn more magic, she did not give up the opportunity to meet with Eloa, who cast Ice Magic with better proficiency than herself. The Marquis nodded with satisfaction at her words and spoke once more.
"It may be common knowledge to some people that Evan went to the dungeon, but the fact that he conquered the 20th floor should never be known. Let everyone forget what happened today until Evan reveals it himself in front of everyone."
"I will keep that in mind!"
"It will be so, Master!"
The soldiers and knights who were present there all bowed and shouted in unison.
Evan and the party had returned to such pretentious hospitality.
Of course, they had to stop by the Brotherhood Bathhouse before returning to the mansion to relieve all the fatigue and, at the same time, acquire additional proficiency in the skills they had learned and trained in the dungeon.
"Wow!"
Evan sighed like an old man as he soaked himself in the bath. He couldn't help but feel relaxed and cleansed after not washing properly in the dungeon for nearly two weeks.
"It's so good. The water is hot, refreshing, and soothing… Bless him who made the Brotherhood Bathhouse. Oh wait, it was you, Master."
"Wow, I feel like I know now why the explorers really love the Brotherhood Bathhouse so much. Without this, the efficiency of dungeon exploration can change abruptly for the worse…"
"Master Evan is always right…"
All of them were in a good mood. Shine and Raihan chimed in while Evan was praising the quality of the Brotherhood Bathhouse. The three of them then closed their eyes gently and enjoyed the bath.
The energy of the medicinal bath that Evan and Bernard had worked hard to create was working its effects in real time as the fatigue and exhaustion were washed away.
"Woo! Anyway, everyone did a good job this time. I'm sure you'll do well even without me now."
"You sometimes speak very unpredictably, Master. If Master Evan hadn't guided us perfectly, we couldn't have done that much."
"But it's true that Shine's instructions were also good. I was really impressed with your broad vision and quick judgment."
The three talked about their dungeon adventures for a while in the bath. Other people in the bath showed curiosity, but it would be okay as long as they didn't mention the scenes inside the dungeon, including the specific names of the monsters.
"I don't even think I have mastered the Butler's class yet."
It was the Shine who said it sincerely when, in fact, he had already almost mastered most of the Butler class abilities.
It was possible because of his unique talent and his overwhelming ability as a Rookie by reaching level 21 of the dungeon, but he still seemed unaware of this fact.
"If Shine starts teaching and educating the other butlers, all the dungeon explorers in the world will receive mandatory education from butlers before entering the dungeon."
"I agree, Master. But why do you say that when you learned alchemy yourself?"
"It's strange that you learned alchemy. It's so strange, Master! Rather, it's even weirder for me!"
"Master Evan is always right, but this time, I have no choice but to agree with Shine."
Of course, it wasn't just because of alchemy. It was possible because of his overwhelmingly high level of existence that supported him. Evan turned to tackle their strong argument.
"By the way, Raihan hyung, are there any scars left on your body? Your shield technique was perfect, but not all of the attacks were prevented."
"I'm fine, Master. It was a good opportunity to practice my skills and Divine Magic. There are no scars left on my body, and even if some remained, I would assume them to be the medals, so you don't have to worry about that."
Evan nodded in satisfaction at Raihan's trustworthy answer, who had proved his abilities in the dungeon and fully recovered his confidence.
Shine complained of dissatisfaction next to him.
"Master, I think that, if we want to improve our skills properly, we'll have to remove Raihan from the front. Not all monsters can attack us properly. Even though we know that attacking through the gaps in the monsters' defences is the essence of battle, it feels like we are dealing with a scarecrow."
"That's why I let you fight alone again and again. What else? Or do you want to go against the boss one on one?"
Raihan was referencing a Floor Master battle when he said that he let them fight alone again and again. People around them would have been alarmed if they heard these details as Hidden Bosses were not even known to exist, so it was strictly forbidden to speak about them.
"I would like it if you can do that. Honestly, what else can't you do? I am confident."
"It was definitely not a heavy attack."
"No, what else are you talking about? The attack itself was heavy. Usually, you don't stop attacking such an ignorant guy, but avoid it?"
[The Orc Warrior looked very scary. Every time it swung its axe, my heart started thumping in my chest.]
The ghost also chimed into their conversation. Shine nodded solemnly when the ghost sided with him… And then he shouted.
"What?! Why are you here?!"
He looked back to see a ghost floating there, but this time, its clothes had changed depending on the place.
[Because I want to soak in the bath too. It's a really good place.]
"No, it's not that important now. The bracelet was clearly removed…"
Shine looked around with fear. However, no other people were reacting, particularly in an astonishing manner like he was doing, and he soon realized why. That was because the ghost was only visible to Shine.
"What's happening, Shine? Is the ghost lady still following you?"
"That… Yeah."
[You are all in such good shape! How did you train like that at a young age!]
Shine covered the eyes of the haunting ghost. Just as ghosts could exert influence over Shine, Shine could also exert influence over them.
"How did you come out? You can't move freely like this."
[I also got a class.]
"…Class?" Shine asked stupidly. The ghost replied in an innocent voice.
[Yeah.]
[It allows me to deal with the torsions more freely… It is called the 'Shadow Stalker.' Those gods gave me abilities, so I can now participate in battles with you.]
"…"
Shine was lost for words. He then began to fear the day when he would have to re-enter the dungeon.