Evan D. Sherden at the Party (5)
"Cluttered."
That was the first-word Arisha said while looking inside the party hall. Evan had a bitter smile on his face as Shine quietly stood behind them.
"Compared to Maybell's sense, it's not enough."
"Yes, yes. Now I see how great of a party planner Maybell is."
[The second son of the Sherden family and the noble Miss Arisha von Pellati are now entering!]
The moment Evan tried to explain what a party planner was, the attendant standing guard at the entrance announced their arrival. The nobles who were chatting throughout the venue turned to look at them all at once.
"Huh."
"That boy…"
"He came with the daughter of the Pellati family. How pretty."
"Yes, yes. They said the first wife of the Marquis was beautiful, and now I know just by looking at her son."
"You mean that boy is the owner of the Brotherhood Pharmacy?"
"Is that pretty maid with them? I can't see her well."
There was turmoil throughout the party hall. It was no wonder since Sherden's treasure, and his rumoured fiancée had finally appeared in person. Moreover, their beauty surpassed rumours about them.
"Shall we go then, lady?"
"Please escort me, gentle sir."
Evan and Arisha exchanged such conversation as if it were completely natural and then gently held each other's hand as they stepped into the venue. They moved politely but confidently, Evan's black hair and Arisha's platinum fluttering behind them like an aurora, or so it seemed to those in the hall.
"Huh…"
"I feel like my soul is refreshed just by seeing them."
"I don't know if they're engaged, but the rumours of their relationship are true."
"Both are children of the dungeon city that have received the blessings of the heavens…heh."
"Isn't he the commander of the dungeon knights?"
"Are those following them the reputable servant and the maid? The rumours were lacking…they are not behind their masters at all. No, rather…"
"Everything is perfect except for the middle-aged man in the back."
They endured without going to parties such as this until now to hide, but that had only made them more noticeable. However, because their amplified expectations were more than satisfied, they seemed to have a problem with Dain, the escort knight who was in the back. He wiped away his tears.
"Evan, this isn't very fun."
"I'll listen to your complaints later, so focus on acting now."
"…Yes. I haven't forgotten."𝚒nnr𝚎a𝚍.𝚌𝚘𝚖
Meanwhile, Arisha had joined Evan and forgotten all outside interests. Faced with the gazes of all those people, her cheeks were puffed out as if she didn't like it, but she calmed down upon hearing Evan's voice. Yes, she had Evan by her side now. That was enough to receive their gazes calmly.
"Young master, I'll serve you at the table."
"Alright."
On the other hand, Shine seemed to liven up at the attention, escorting the party in a fixed posture Evan had never seen before. Belois was in a similar state, seemingly having more energy than when they entered the dungeon.
"Is that girl a maid? What fool would leave her as a maid? Of course, she's still young…"
"I like the dungeon city's prestige. They're attracting all kinds of wealth from around the world, so even servants like that are decorated as such."
"Isn't he in control of the pharmacy? A little boy who knows nothing…"
"No matter how good he is, he's the second son and not the successor. The Marquis seems to like him, though."
"You, don't be rude. If you don't want the dungeon city to be an enemy, be careful what you say."
The Sherden family that governed the dungeon city was a major player in this country, so even the nobles couldn't talk rudely of them. So, people were whispering in small voices so that they couldn't be heard, except Evan's five senses had already transcended human limits long ago.
"They're talking about subjects they don't dare to discuss in front of us."
"That's because they are rubbish."
It wasn't just Evan. Shine, Belois, and Arisha had all broken through the 20th floor and were able to hear the nobles' whispers.
"Evan, are you going to pretend you don't know? Then I'll take care of it."
"We'll just end up being made a fool, Arisha."
"I've no intention of showing off right now. I'll remember their families and exact revenge later."
"No, that's scary, so please stop."
"But Pellati will surely pay back the insults ten times. To curse Evan is to curse
me."
Arisha's voice was passionate, but her expression was calm, which made it even more frightening. He lightly squeezed her hand.
"You don't need to worry about it. They're saying those things because they can't even guess we're listening…of course, if there is anything that insults us, we won't let it go."
Evan had recognized that he had become strong despite being once helpless, and he wouldn't let others walk over that.
'But that's a separate matter.'
He had no intention of denying his identity or position. He was the second son of the Marquis, who ruled the dungeon city. To insult him was to insult the Marquis, and to go beyond that, the names of not only Evan but also the Marquis would be brought low. If anyone were to cross that line, he would not hesitate to force them to their knees.
"If Evan thinks so… I'm okay too."
"I won't let them insult you, so rest assured, Arisha. Now, let's sit down." The party sat at the simple table prepared for them. The butler, Shine, and the maid, Belois, weren't comfortable yet with attending to them, but they seemed to enjoy the situation.
"I will bring tea, master, young lady."
"Make sure to respond appropriately to anyone who comes."
"…Why are these guys so excited?"
"Sometimes they want to be faithful to their jobs."
Evan and Arisha idly chatted with Shine and Belois while they enjoyed the party's food and drink. They hadn't come here to secure connections; rather, their primary purpose was to spread the rumours about Evan and Arisha's relationship. 1602
'Well, we had a secondary purpose originally, but meeting Anastasia solved it much smoother than planned.'
So Evan just had to focus on his time with Arisha. By the end of the party, the rumours he wanted to spread would come out. No, wasn't that what Arisha wanted?
…It feels like my retreat is being blocked.'
What the hell was Arisha thinking? He couldn't tell, but it was clear she didn't hate him.
'I have to be careful about narrowing the distance. If I ever grow to like Arisha as a member of the opposite sex…'
In the main story of Yo-ma Great War 3, Arisha would love him no matter what route the protagonist took. It could be said that it was absolute fate. Of course, this world wasn't a game, and Evan himself had changed significantly from the game, as had Arisha. So it couldn't be said that it was still unconditional. Those scenes were too intense and terrible for him to forget, however, when Evan had been discouraged by his fiancée's remorse and committed suicide. Negative emotions arose from that remembered trauma.
"Evan is making another funny face."
"You know that I hate that, yet you keep saying it."
"No, I hope that you will have fun when you are with me. I'm not doing it on purpose."
Evan let it go at that point. She had changed after visiting the dungeon.
"… Still, thank you for letting me know."
"Yes, if there is anything I would like to fix, it would be you telling me that right away."
"I'm afraid you'll say it's fun again, so keep it to a minimum."
"But you are so fun."
Although there were many elements to be tackled in their conversation, at least on the surface, the two appeared to be hooked to each other. It was a perfectly formed space just for those two that others couldn't dare step within. However, some would charge in even though they knew defeat awaited them. There was such a person here, a Don Quixote willing to rush the windmill.
"Young master, this is Myrti from Count Duben."
"Huh? Ah."
He had been so absorbed in the conversation that he had lost track of his surroundings. Evan raised his head at Shine's words and looked straight ahead. An aristocrat who looked several years older than him was there.
"Are you Evan from the Marquis of Sherden? I've wanted to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too."
It was impossible to ignore the approaching person, no matter how focused he had been on Arisha. He responded modestly so as not to seem rude.
"Rumors of you are spreading all over the kingdom. Sherden's treasure! Today I see that the rumours weren't exaggerating. It's a great honour to see you here…"
"I'm honoured to see you as well. I'm afraid that the nickname is undeserved. There is another who suits the word 'treasure' better."
"Mh?"
"This is Arisha from the Pellati family who has joined me."
"Uh…?"
Suddenly the atmosphere shifted, and the aristocrat's face stiffened, but Evan pretended not to notice.
"I used to be confident in my appearance, but I was arrogant. I met Arisha here and realized what true beauty was…"
"Uh…?"
"Evan, how embarrassing."
At the right time, Arisha chimed in. She said she was embarrassed, but she had a big smile on her face. If it weren't for the current situation, she wanted to ask what part of her was beautiful.
"And excuse me."
"Oh, I see. I apologize…"
"Oh, no. It's okay…then, have a good time."
At the end of the perfect play, Don Quixote lost to the windmill and ran away in tears. The gallery cried along with him. The windmill showed off its invincibility and slew a dozen more Don Quixotes after that. As a result, an oddly excited atmosphere began to circulate the venue until the party's owner appeared.
At least the first goal was achieved perfectly