Evan D. Sherden, Apart from Legend (5)

“Happy birthday, Evan!”

“Come over here, kid, and blow the candle quickly.”

“Happy birthday, Evan!”

Evan’s birthday was as loud as ever. Evan thought his birthday was nothing more than an excuse for the Marquis’ family to revel and enjoy, but he decided to go along with the flow for now.

“A present for you, Brother Evan!”

“Is this from dear Liz? Thank you.”

Elizabeth, Evan’s three-year-old sister, was in the fashion of saying a series of ‘Brother Evan’ words these days.

Envious of it, Eric followed Elizabeth around, asking her to call him Brother Eric, but she had no inclination of being soft with Eric; the beginnings of a proud aristocrat lady.

“Just what is this… Slime?”

“Liz made it! Cute!”

“Well, yeah! It does look very cute!”

Her gift was a slime doll with a very fluffy texture, though Evan didn’t know what the materials were. The touch was similar to a slime’s, so Evan desperately restrained himself from practicing crushing his fists.

“I’ll make you a bigger one next year!”

“Yes……but what is this made of?”

“That’s a secret!”

Liz, an arrogant aristocrat in the making, was already learning how to harbor secrets at a very early age.

Will this be how she marks her adulthood?

But it would be his duty to take care of her as long as she was within his reach. Evan spoke once more, pinching Elizabeth’s still-tiny hand.

“Do you want to catch the slime?”

“Yes!”

“When I see my brother, I feel like I want to crush the slime.”

Last year, Evan had tried to pop the slime with Liz in his arms. Fortunately, the necklace of Miraseul had evolved… As expected, many unfortunate series of incidents had been avoided in the past two years. Serena was standing next to Evan now.

Smiling, the princess asked Marquis Sorain.

“Dear Chimpanzee, isn’t it time for Evan to get engaged, too? How about me?”

“Our Sherden desires a love-free, mutually beneficial marriage, Your Highness.”

Evan was the first to hear this in his life. Why the hell did the Marquis try to push Evan’s and Arisha’s engagement before? However, Serena was a relentless lady.

“Dear Marquis, how often does a princess of an honourable nation offer herself to a family for marriage? It would be best for Evan to jump at the first chance and tie the knot with me.”

“Our Evan does not bait the fish that’s already been caught, Your Highness.”

“Well, this fish is still roaming the open seas. So, shall I await Evan until a worthier man comes for my hand?”

“As you wish, Your Highness, for we do not see a man more worthy than our Evan.”

“Hmm! So, Marquis, this is what I brought for the engagement dowry…”

As it was her plan to persuade the Marquis Sorain, Serena carefully took out the hidden property she had kept as she had left the palace and tried to entice the Marquis with it. However, Evan, who had been watching the scene, seized it shortly after.

“I’ll give it back later. A young girl like you shouldn’t can’t carry these many valuables.”

“Oh, Evan, why must you take away my precious things with your wild hands……!”

“Don’t word it so weirdly. I said I’d give it back later.”

When she had come to the dungeon city, Evan hadn’t expected that she would be this serious.

How did she grow up so regretfully in a year?

Evan had no desire to meet the King.

“Happy birthday, Evan. Here is a gift.”

“Arisha…… thanks.”

What about Arisha on the other hand? They had a rough beginning because Evan didn’t want her to get too close to him. As time went on, their bond strengthened, and they maintained a comfortable healthy relationship.

Now Evan could even accept Arisha’s word ‘fun’. Perhaps that might be her positive emotional expression.

She seemed satisfied with her relationship with Evan, with her life in the Dungeon Knights.

Evan was also very pleased with his relationship with Arisha now. Especially in the sense that she had always managed to stop Serena’s advances.

“Can I open it?”

“Yes. Everything in there will be good for your body. It was pretty expensive, as well.”

“…Huh?”

However, Evan’s face hardened slightly as soon as he unpacked the gift and checked the contents.

It contained body parts that were dropped from monsters with rare probability. There was the heart of Turtle man, Lizardman’s immature tail, the concentrate of Honey Milk Parasite, which was rumored to be good for the body.

They were probably from Pellati. Evan’s hair stood on edge with the sweet yet eerie scent of the rare body parts of various sea monsters mixed. This..this was…

“Evan, you are always overdoing things. I hope you take them and get well. Will you have some?”

“Uh… yeah.”

This gift was meant to be received when Evan’s favorability reaches Step 4 with Arisha in the Yo-Ma Great War Series 3!

Of course, all of these were incredibly rare, and not obtainable with money.

But frankly speaking, all of it was rumored to be good for a man’s energy!

“Why did you choose this gift?”

“My father recommended it.”

“I’m sure he did!”

It was the same, even in the game!

“I was told to hand it over when it was just the two of us, but I wanted to give it to you when everyone was giving gifts to you. They say it’s a good reagent material, but it’s an interesting gift for the alchemist, Evan, right?”

The way she spoke, she seemed quite confident, but there was anxiety on her face. Evan couldn’t help but think of the gift event in the Yo-Ma Great War Series 3.

Having Arisha as a close companion made him feel happy now; he was grateful to have her.

If she met the main character someday, would she remain by Evan’s side?

‘…No, it’s no use thinking about this now.’

Evan glanced at Leo’s back, who was absorbed in grubbing the food.

‘Acknowledge yourself! Have a little confidence!’

It was pathetic to have an inferiority complex with a protagonist who had not yet even appeared. It was rude to react vaguely to Arisha’s favor for such reasons.

“It’s a very desirable gift. Thank you, Arisha.”

“Do you think so? I’m so glad to hear that.”

Arisha turned her head with a pleased smile, much like an arrogant aristocrat.

Her ears were evidently burning red, but Evan, a decent aristocratic gentleman, decided not to say anything.

* * *

“Uh…… I’m starving.”

It had been quite a while since the party started. Evan was able to take a break only after greeting all the guests who visited the party.

As he was nominated as the Dungeon Knights’ captain, the guilds of the dungeon city made an effort to meet him on every birthday. Of course, the number of guilds that could join the party was limited.

“What are you doing without eating, kid?”

“Can’t you see I’m getting a present?”

Evan answered the approaching Bernard with a Brotherhood skewer in his hand. Even after Arisha left, guests approached Evan one by one and handed him presents, leaving him no time to eat.

“Now I’m done with the gifts. I’m going to fill up. Oh, there’s a good thing.”

“Still, no booze yet, kid.”

“Why does everyone use their mind-reading skill whenever I try to drink?”

Evan tried to pick up a cocktail from a tray held by a nearby servant. However, he was sanctioned by Bernard and grumbled. Bernard snorted and drank the cocktail instead of Evan.

“You’re still four years early, you imbecile.”

“I can drink …”

“By the way, Evan, you got the gift from the little lady of the Pellati family earlier.”

“No, you can’t have it.”

“…”

Bernard glared reproachfully at Evan.

Once again, Arisha’s gifts were mostly treasures known to be good for men’s energy. It was a super-luxury selection as the best stamina tonic in the Yo-Ma Great War Series.

As Evan had checked it in the game, the effect should be great. Some even had permanent effects.

“Arisha gifted me from her heart, and I can’t give it to anyone else, no matter who it is, Grandpa.”

“I’d like a little bit, so please give me a slice.”

“I said no.”

“If you have a conscience, you shouldn’t do that. Lately, Iloin has been getting stronger due to the special training…”

“You’re doing special training, too.”

“As an archer, she is developing stamina faster than I am as an alchemist!”

That makes sense.

“And these days, she has the fancy of conceiving children. She wants me to take a long vacation…”

“Ay, Grandpa, you’ve probably gained a lot of stamina, but you can take a vacation for a few days or so.”

“Have you ever heard of an Indian rain ritual, kid……?”

Somehow Evan just heard something he shouldn’t have now.

For reference, the Indian rain ritual was the custom of Indians holding rain rites until it rained. Therefore, the success rate was 100 percent. They didn’t stop the ritual until the rain poured down.

“The Iloin is resolute. The end of the vacation hasn’t been decided yet. I won’t be able to escape her until it’s confirmed that she has a baby… Save me, lad.”

“Grandpa Bernard…”

“Don’t look at me with that eye, you bastard. I want the tonic, not your pity!”

Evan left the spot behind, praying for Bernard’s repose. Bernard’s earnest voice was heard from behind, but Evan decided to ignore it because he couldn’t find it in himself to share Arisha’s heart with others.

“Uh, isn’t that Evan? Why don’t you eat something? This is the most delicious.”

“I’ll eat.”

There was one conspicuous figure in the party who was making the loudest noise and emptying the most dishes: Leo Arpeta. Evan took a skewer from Leo and ate it. It might have gone cold, but its delectability was like a skewer cooked by a 5-star restaurant’s owner personally cooking it.

“Thank you for your gift, Grandpa Leo.”

“If you’re talking about Battle Step, I wasn’t sure whether you’d get it or not, so don’t thank me so much.”

“I still want to thank you.”

“Is that so?”

Leo nodded silently at Evan’s words and held a new skewer in his mouth. Evan stared at him and continued.

“And… thank you for everything else.”

“You shouldn’t thank me so much. It’s not worth it.”

“I don’t overdo things, Grandpa.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Evan ate the skewers so pleasantly, mimicking Leo’s eating style.

The time they spent together was not long, but it had sealed their friendship.

“Thank you very much so far, Grandpa.”

“How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Will you come back?”

“Well…”

Leo stopped moving. Evan stared at him and pressed for an answer.

In the end, Leo sighed and nodded.

“I’ll be back. Bernard and Iloin are here. All my disciples are here. You’re here, too.”

“Fortunately.”

“You’re always sly, but you only act like a child in such moments.”

“I am a child. I’m still 14 years old.”

“You’re a grown-up, you trickster. Fool someone else.”

Leo rubbed his hand on a nearby tablecloth, then raised his hand and stirred Evan’s hair violently. The same hair that the maids carefully groomed, became a mess.

It was dirty and wild handwork, but Evan decided to endure because Leo was an elder. He didn’t feel bad.

“Don’t cry, Evan. If anyone sees you, they’ll think I’m going to die.”

“I’m not crying.”

“I’m just going to do my overdue homework. Thanks to you, I realized a lot at this age and became strong. So now, I’m invincible. You don’t have to worry.”

“I’m not worried.”

“Huh, this guy…”

Leo was about to wipe Evan’s face with the tablecloth. Someone else then came into the garden. It was Horta. Both of his hands were holding something huge, wrapped up with a cloth.

“Master Evan, it’s done!”

“…What? He’s calling you.”

“Ah.”

Evan wiped his tears with a smile.

“He must have completed it in time.”

“What?”

“A present for you, Grandpa.”

“What, for me?”

“Yes.”

Evan waved to Horta, who immediately approached him with a smile. He then unwrapped the cloth and took the Great Sword before them. Horta then shouted in a voice of true pride.

“It has become an artifact, Master! It’s the best masterpiece of my life!”