Evan D. Sherden Knows the Weight of Promise (2)
Because of how things were last year, he wanted it to be a little quieter this time around. All of the Marquis's vassals, however, wouldn't stop celebrating Evan's birthday unless they died of a plague. When he had asked them not to hold a party, those people instead understood it as asking for a surprise party, so they had planned one without his knowledge.
"Evan, happy birthday!"
"Young master, congratulations on turning thirteen!"
At the maid's call that lunch was ready, he headed down with Belois to be greeted by firecrackers from all sides. Even Bernard and Iloin had shown up, despite the fact that they were supposed to be enjoying their honeymoon!
"Happy birthday, son!"
"Evan, Evan!" There were a lot of gifts on one side of the wall on a huge table with a birthday cake.
"Everyone…"
"Congratulations on one more year, little one!"
"Evan, thank you for staying healthy."
"…I will continue to be by your side, master."
"Evan here's a gift." While Evan stiffened, his eyes wide open, people came in from all over the place to give him greetings and gifts. In fact, Evan had noticed that people were moving busily in the hall earlier thanks to his senses sharpening every day, but he decided to pretend to be surprised and accept their feelings.
"Thank you. Still, I asked you not to be too loud."
"Isn't that why we hid it? Hahahaha!" Leo roared with laughter at surprising Evan. He had a thoughtful expression on his face as he noticed Evan receiving gifts from the others.
"I have to give a gift too. Would it be appropriate to pass on my own skills?"
"I don't think I can learn them, so I'll just accept the thought."
"No, you don't know unless you try. Yes, what would be best…"
"I really don't need it." Leo had already stopped listening, however, and Evan was buried in gifts.
"Evan, birthday!"
"Yes, it is my birthday. You speak so well, Liz."
"Uh! Liz is good at talking!" Evan's feelings were healed by Elizabeth, who had turned two years old a little while ago. Her speech was improving these days, and she was only becoming cuter.
"I like Evan! I like my birthday too!"
"Yes, yes." He instinctively summoned a slime to hold out to her, like he normally did, but his necklace began to shine. This was… it was artefact growth. It was trying to summon another type of slime for the first time! Wasn't the timing amazing?
'Oh, it won't let me stop the summoning. Which means it's an elite…' Until now, whenever an elite slime was summoned, Princess Serena had always been near, but he hadn't seen her for a while.
"Let's see…" He incanted the spell as he had before.
[Myooh…]
Surprisingly, it was a lightning slime, a rare species among the upper-class slimes that flashed with a bright yellow light and shot off sparks. Moreover, because it was an elite slime, it was covered with scaly keratin.
"Oh, that looks similar to the slimes the princess carries.'
"I wish Princess Serena were here… but she's not. I have no choice but to turn it into experience."
[Myoh?!]
Unlike ordinary slimes that moved only by instinct, elite slimes were filled with the will to live. Not that Evan knew that, however. The moment he tried to grab it with the thought it would give Elizabeth a lot of experience, there was a bang as the door opened violently.
"Evan called me!"
"What?!"
[Myoh!)
Evan was surprised (actually this time) when he looked up to see the front door of the mansion suddenly opening. Standing there was a beautiful girl with pink hair and eyes- it was definitely Serena herself.
"What is this also a surprise?! I don't need it!"
"No, we didn't prepare this?!" Shine seemed as frightened as Evan was as he responded. Everyone in the hall had similar expressions, but Serena stepped up to stretch her palm toward Evan while ignoring all of their gazes.
"Come on!"
[Myooh!]
Then, the lightning slime jumped over to her palm and settled down, shooting off harmless sparks as he sailed through the air. Serena smiled kindly as she petted it.
"Good job, Rudy."
"It has a name?! No, that's not important right now!" It had been tamed the moment she appeared. She had clearly grown as a tamer, but Evan had more important things to worry about than that.
"How are you here? Did the king come with you?"
"No, only I did." She had travelled to the dungeon city, which took a few weeks by carriage, alone. Was she telling him to believe that? Evan tilted his head, but the Marquis kindly explained.
"In the royal palace, there is a gate that connects directly here. In case of emergency, it can be activated here as well, so remember that."
"Oh, I see. Then the princess arrived through the gate…but how? Not anyone can use it."
"Not even I know."
"That's right." Serena, who was petting her new pet, spoke proudly as she squared her shoulders.
"I beat all those guarding the gate to come here."
"You're a criminal!"
"But I couldn't let it go because I was going to see you."
No one had given her permission! But wait, she beat them all? Wouldn't the people who guarded the gate be elites among the elite? How did she do it? While Evan was considering that, Shine, who had a close relationship with Serena, decided to ask her outright.
"Your Majesty, why are you here?"
"That's it…I made an appointment with Evan." Everyone's eyes turned to Evan, the same question on their minds. Had he become crazy and promised the princess a reunion, who was like a death flag generator? He tried to calm her down.
"What did we promise?"
"When I get stronger, you said that I could join the Dungeon Knights, right?"
"Oh…" Evan's gaze grew distant as he remembered. He had said something like that. He couldn't defend her, so if she wanted to join the dungeon knights, she had to become much stronger. But he hadn't known Serena would cling to his words! He said it only because he couldn't imagine the princess training sincerely.
"There seems to be something the young master has remembered."
"Ah…" That's why people should be careful with their words. Evan had thought he had been careful, but he hadn't been at all.
"So I got really strong by working hard with Ruby and Lucy. I cut down on sleep, snacks, on studying…and trained hard instead!"
"Don't reduce your studying." Evan felt anxiety welling inside of him at Serena's confident declaration. The first thing he had considered was how strong she had become despite being only twelve, but she had tamed that monster right away. Wait, even if it was a rare monster, it was still a slime!
"I've gotten really strong, so will you make me a knight? How about the vice
Captain?"
"I didn't say I would make you the vice-captain."
"Then, I'll be satisfied as the captain then." He had made another mistake! But, it wasn't like that implied she could become the captain; Evan was quick to correct himself.
"Why don't we prove you're stronger before that?"
"So, I'll prove it now." The princess nodded happily as if she had expected such a reaction.
"I'll go in the dungeon with you to show off my abilities. If I want to become a knight, I can prove it like that, right? You went in when you were only twelve, and I'm twelve now!"
"You learned only the bad things properly!"
"Ah, Your Majesty remembered that."
"…We are reaping the seeds Evan sowed."
"No, now isn't the time for your admiration!" That wouldn't be the end of it. Serena was the princess of the country. What king would allow the princess to become a dungeon knight? Evan appealed to the Marquis, the only one he could rely on in this situation.
"Father, please contact the royal family. How worried His Majesty must be. And, if possible, return the princess to the palace right away…"
"Well? There was no contact from them, but I should do it myself. I will have a conversation with them."
"Father, thank you very much!"
"Really, you're too shy." Evan ignored the princess talking as he desperately gazed at the Marquis's back. The Marquis left for a little while to contact the palace but soon returned with a smile on his face that relieved Evan.
"Evan, let's give up."
"… Yes?" Evan looked up at the Marquis in disbelief, but he just shrugged.
"His Majesty said Serena defeated all of the escorting knights with slimes. At this point, he has given up on controlling her."
"What?!" The guys called the royal guard knights had been defeated by slimes?! This is why the Silk Line was always pushed around by demons throughout the Yo-ma Great War series!
"It is said that all the knights and wizards guarding the gate were also taken out…"
"…" Evan looked at Serena in disbelief, who was bending her delicate arms. It was like she was trying to show off her biceps, but she had no muscles. Perhaps it was true that she had grown stronger. He hated to admit it, but she was already significantly stronger than she had been before.
"Would Evan cruelly refuse a delicate girl who arrived to keep her promise with him?"
"Okay, stop with the pointless comments! I'll take you to the dungeon, so please stop!" Was it really okay for a princess to enter the dungeon knights? Would she be able to obey them? What would the other nobles, or the royal family, think of it? And what about what would happen to her in Yo-ma Great War 4?
"Thank you, Evan! Since listening to you, I've wanted to enter the dungeon!"
"Ha…" Countless questions and worries arose, but no matter what he said, she wouldn't listen. If so, the only way left was to make her give up in the dungeon!
"Exciting, I'm a princess knight now!"
[Myooh!]
"I don't know what you've been reading, but that term is ominous, so don't use it."
Belois was removed from the party, entering the dungeons, and replaced by Serena instead as a part of her entrance test. Belois said it was okay, but was clenching her fists in resentment.
Evan had to calm her by vowing to bring her a present.