Evan D. Sherden, Becomes the Knight Commander. (1)

On a very sunny spring morning, Evan opened his eyes in his bedroom at the Dungeon Knights Headquarters. There stood Belois in a maid’s uniform.

She had neatly arranged black hair and large eyes like red rubies. She was very beautiful today.

“Are you awake, Master?”

“Lua… yes, good morning. Thanks for waking me up. But you can really take that off now.”

Evan, who yawned once and pulled himself up to take off the nightcap, said so with a bitter smile at the sight of her still wearing her maid’s uniform.

“Yes, I understand.”

Then Belois looked like she was about to undo the ribbons on her chest. Evan thought the ribbon would come off any minute.

“I humbly offer you my body, Master.”

“No, no, no. I’m not asking you to take off what you’re wearing.”

“Oh! That’s too bad …”

If Evan’s restraint had been any longer, it would have dizzied him.

This must be because of Maybell. It was evident that Belois was learning from her about ‘seducing the Master’. These days, Evan felt like their antics were growing by the day!

“Lua, you know what I meant. What’s wrong with you?”

“I could ask you the same, Master.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Don’t look at me like I did something wrong.”

She’d been accelerating these days, too. Belois didn’t feel like backing up.

“Evan, are you up?”

Then the door burst open, and Arisha came in wearing a dress that clung to her slim body. Evan was about to change his clothes and wear a suit. Belois was picking his coat from behind.

“You’re up.”

“I’m changing. Get out.”

“Do you know today’s food order?”

“I know, Lady Arisha.”

Despite Evan’s restraint, Arisha came in calmly and began to talk to Belois.

Evan, who had completed his outfit change with Belois’ help, gave Arisha a flick on the forehead, who wanted to stay in the room.

“Ouch!”

“Where did your manners go?”

“Excuse me… Oh, don’t get me wrong, Evan,” Arisha affirmed with a proud look.

“I pretended not to see you, but I was watching you change.”

“It seems they teach different manners in Pellati…”

“Come on, let’s hurry up and eat. It seems like the event is scheduled to start in the morning, so it will be difficult later if you don’t eat it well.”

Arisha approached Evan with the words and naturally locked her arm in his. Belois tsk-ed her tongue, yet did not restrain it.

“It’s finally today.”

“Thank you for waiting.”

“Hehe, there was no trouble at all, right? Moreover, from today, we will be able to make fun of Serena. Hehehehe.”

Arisha’s delightful expression was something she had never dreamed of when she first came to Sherden.

Evan shrugged and moved with her. Belois quietly followed her from behind and spoke.

“It will be a hectic day.”

“Yeah, actually, I don’t have to do it in a day.”

“Well, all I get is an hourly wage.”

“Yes, you should take care of yourself.”

Perhaps because he spent a long time chatting with the two women, the building’s hallway was filled with energy and activities.

Some toy arrows flew over the hall; maybe Lin and Lan were playing tricks on Jhin, who was sleeping again.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Foolish Jhin is shooting arrows again!”

“Foolish!? It’s your fault, Lin!”

“You spoiled brats! …Oh, sir. Good morning.”

Jhin, who was playing hide-and-seek with the twin sisters, suddenly stopped and bowed his head when he found Evan walking down the corridor.

No matter how many years went by, the deferential courtesy that Jhin showed Evan was always unsettling. Evan accepted his greeting with a bitter smile.

“They play with you because they like you. Please be nicer to them.”

“Yes… I see.”

Jhin bowed his head again with a look that said he didn’t understand at all, although he would nod his head once again for his Commander.

Evan grinned and reached out to straighten Jhin’s stubby hair.

“You’re the main characters today, so just eat and get help from the maids to dress up. I’ll tell you again at dinner.”

“It’s an honor! I’m going to let the kids know.”

The next moment, Jhin disappeared from Evan’s sight and went upstairs. Judging from the sound of the twin sisters squealing up there, they seemed to have been caught.

“He’s getting faster, too,” Arisha spoke with uneasiness. Evan grinned.

“You’re getting faster and faster as well. Shine or Jhin won’t be able to keep up with your Wind movements.”

“But I’m sure I’ll lose if I fight one-on-one at a distance. Did you know his ability to shoot has gotten scarier these days? He hit the monster’s head 5 kilometers away.”

“As far as Jhin’s ability to shoot…”

At this point, there were suspicions that he was stronger than when he appeared as a mid-level boss in Yo-Ma Great War 4, so there was nothing he could do.

However, Arisha was stronger than the original, and Evan didn’t think it was a discouraging thing to do because the field of combat was different. Arisha was the kind of person who tried desperately to grow more whenever she felt discouraged, so he decided not to say anything now.

“I’ll cheer for you. You can be stronger.”

“Evan… Hehe.”

“You’ve become such a fool, miss.”

He just stuck closer to her and supported her shoulders. That was enough to cheer Arisha up. Belois only had a ridiculous expression on her face.

“Did you wake up, young man?”

“Yes, did you sleep well?”

By the time he got to the restaurant, Shine had shown up. He wore an expectant face that wanted to deliver important news.

“It looks like the dungeon is about to open.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it’s clear that the priests have been told to do it themselves. However, because it was an unscheduled change, in the worst-case scenario, there is a possibility that the previous records of the highest level reached could not be preserved.”

“Oh… then we all have to climb back up from the first floor.”

“It’s going to take a long time to get to the previous level when the dungeon opens again… I’m afraid I can’t level up for a while.”

Since the siege’s day by the Demon tribe, both the Sherden and the Pellati Dungeons have been closed off to humans. It was like a lightning bolt out of the blue for dungeon explorers who lived on their income from the Dungeons.

Perhaps that was what Demon King had hoped for, but not everyone knew how it was possible.

Of course, Evan did not dare to imagine that the Dungeon’s shutdown would last for more than two years. Moreover, it was an unexpected disaster.

“Even if the dungeon is held, some even say that people should be limited from entering.”

“Wow, if that happens, we have to do everything we can to explore and manage the dungeons. As soon as the Knights are launched, they’re going to have fun.”

Evan, who entered the restaurant, sat down looking for his seat and made an insincere gesture of hurrah. However, it was never bad news that the dungeon actually took place.

Only when the dungeon was opened could the explorers explore the dungeon and be blessed by God, and only then could they destroy the monsters and acquire the goods from them.

Furthermore, if the dungeon’s monsters were not properly wiped out, they would all get influenced by the Devil and become his subordinates later.

“Oh, this egg is delicious. So, what about Serena?”

“Sleeping in.”

“Our princess has really been down these days.”

Evan took a mouthful of soft-boiled eggs and mumbled incoherently, then suddenly remembered.

“What about Pellati when the Sherden dungeon opens?”

“There has been an indication that it will open together, as the Master said.”

“As expected… What about Merdin?”

“About Merdin….”

Shine sighed as he pulled out the bell peppers from the stir-fried bell peppers.

“The whole city is still covered in opaque conditions. There’s no way to know what’s going on inside. There’s no room to go in.”

The blunt words took away the delectable taste of the food Evan was enjoying.

The very day of the invasions… In Merdin, something that had never happened in the history of the Yo-Ma Great War Series. The entire city was trapped in a fault line, and communication with the outside world was completely cut off.

Evan guessed that when Gefrel said “our purpose”, he probably meant Merdin, not Sherden or Pellati.

Of course, the attack on Sherden and Pellati was part of the purpose of shutting down the dungeon, but it was later learned that the biggest purpose was to prevent them from supporting Merdin.

‘I didn’t expect anything to happen that day when I vowed not to rely on the scenario…’

If Evan had learned about it before he had a mental awakening, he would have been quite shocked.

No, the truth was a lie. The awakening was still a big shock.

“If Aria showed up, we could get rid of such a defect right away.”

“I haven’t heard from her in years. I think it would be faster to solve the problem by focusing on Lin and Lan’s growth.”

“How the hell did the future of mankind end up on our little kids’ shoulders?”

“You’re responsible for everything, Master.”

Shine said so as if to tease Evan and picked up the meat with a fork. Belois, who was listening to Evan, saw the scene and lightly played a magic trick with her hands.

Specifically, she made Shine take up a handful of peppers with his own hands and forced it all in his mouth.

“Hey!”

“Shine’s health is not a matter of concern, but try not to be picky so that the children don’t see and learn.”

“You’re taking revenge on me for making fun of Master Evan!?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, come on!”

When Shine was forced to cry while chewing bell peppers, Belois snorted, and Evan smiled at Shine, who frowned in return.

Well, the situation was not so hopeless. In other words, Evan was confident that it would be worth trying to take the Dungeon Knights with him right now and face the corps led by the Demon King.

“Evan, eat quickly. We have to participate in the event soon.”

“Why so fast?”

“Of course, it’s an important event.”

Evan sighed, scraped together the dish, and poured it into his mouth. It was not suitable for the aristocracy’s culture, but there was no one here in the Dungeon Knights who cared about such manners.

“Then let’s go. To our engagement.”

“And your coming-of-age.”

At Evan’s words, Arisha supplemented with a small smile. As soon as they got up, the chair creaked and broke, and the debris flew toward Evan’s hand, but Arisha struck it sharply just before it touched Evan.

“I changed it, and it’s like this again. I think I’ll make and install artifacts out of magic metal.”

“That’s a good idea. Let’s go to Horta right away.”

“Calm down, Arisha.”

Evan left the restaurant with Arisha and Belois with a bitter smile. He was determined, but it was going to be an unimaginably hectic day.

That afternoon, after somehow successfully finishing the tumultuous engagement ceremony, a banquet was finally held to celebrate Evan’s birthday.

Maybell shed tears over not being Evan’s first. But she decided she will have her way someday. A grand, opulent party was held for Evan that evening.

“Congratulations on your 18th birthday, Evan!”

“To celebrate the engagement of Evan D. Sherden and Arisha Von Pellati!”

“His fiancé’s seat is taken by Miss Arisha.”

“I honestly thought Maybell was going to be…”

“Me, too…”

“Come on, toast, toast!”

“Congratulations!”

Arisha, who checked herself from giggling too much, was smiling all day long, clinging to Evan’s arms, and it was funny that all the other women who saw her looked upset.

However, there was one who stood out the most among them; it was Evan’s younger sister, Elizabeth.

“I really lost my brother… the world is so empty, I wish this world would disappear!”

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Who gave Liz a drink? I wasn’t allowed a sip at her age!”

“Ms. Elizabeth lifted the table and is making a scene! Stop her. Stop her!”

Evan could not enjoy the banquet with a glass of champagne in his hand, which he could drink confidently now. The ruckus took some time to deal with, but Elizabeth calmed down after some time.

“Master Evan is finally an adult.”

“Hehe, Arisha must be under a lot of pressure, since she is now Evan’s fiancé.”

“I looked up the data and found that Dungeon Commander is the highest honor among the country’s noblemen, and some of Sherden’s Dungeon Knights had 17 wives, including concubines.”

“Oh, he’s got a high level, so there must have been no problem.”

“Master Evan is, of course, the strongest of all knights…”

This kind of conversation was pouring out of every table with a young woman! However, unlike Evan, who was restless, Arisha, who was the target of envy, jealousy, and hatred of all women, looked quite relaxed.

“Are they under the illusion that they can seduce Evan? That’s unfortunate.”

“You don’t have to worry about it. I’ll take care of everything before they come.”

“…Thank you, but would you please not take care of it?”

Evan laughed and drank champagne in response to Belois’ reaction following Arisha. What a drink! Moreover, Evan could have never been able to afford such an expensive drink in his previous life.

His body was instinctively tense with the alcohol it received for the first time, and the sweet and dreamy scent and taste that flowed over the tongue drew a smile on Evan’s mouth. There was a slight flush on his cheeks.

At the moment when Evan, who admired the taste and aroma of alcohol, breathed a satisfying sigh, silence came around. Even Elizabeth, who fought with the servants, stopped moving.

Evan raised his head when he belatedly noticed the situation as if he had a group paralysis.

“What is it?”

“Finally, the moment of concern has come…”

Belois, who was the first to wake up, sighed and murmured. Arisha then sighed like Belois, firmly holding Evan’s arms.

“Can we really keep this man on our own?”

“Well, I might need a few more people, as I had initially planned…”

Evan still had no idea what was going on. In fact, people were just fascinated by Evan’s sudden amplification of color after drinking, but no one was embarrassed, to tell the truth!

“Evan.”

That was when someone came to Evan with fresh ice for the drink; it was Eric D. Sherden, the Marquis’ first son and Evan’s older brother.

“Brother!”

“I’m sorry about the party. Congratulations on your engagement.”

“Thank you, brother…”

“Thank you.”

Eric lost his wife in the Demon invasion. If there was a reason why Evan, who promised to marry Arisha, had delayed the ceremony so far, it was purely for that reason.

However, he felt so sorry for Arisha after having the ceremony delayed so many times and for so long. They eventually came of age and became engaged at the right opportunity.

Eric truly blessed them as much as he had told them to hurry up the engagement ceremony, and Evan was just both grateful and sad for it.

“You’ll get along well. I’m sure.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Of course.”

“It’s Evan’s turn to take the flag and shout.”

“Shout?”

“The names of the knights. You haven’t declared it yet, have you?”

Evan also grinned at Eric’s mischievous smile. He briefly walked out of the ceremony with Arisha’s arms crossed.

Then all the members of the Dungeon Knights were dressed up and lined up, including Shine.

“Sir.”

Shine came up and handed the flagpole to Evan. At the end of the flag fluttering, a pattern symbolized the Dungeon Knights, which was a powerful symbol of a meteor falling from the sky. No one had to ask the inspiration behind it.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but we’re all waiting. Shout out the name of the Dungeon Knights and give it back.”

“So let’s split the event into two days. I came out of the engagement party, and I didn’t know what it was.”

“They can’t wait any longer. It’s all because you’re too smart.”

Evan grinned as he lifted the flagpole from Shine. The faces of the members of the Dungeon Knights shined tearfully.

Some of the girls who were present—especially Serena—gawked at Arisha with bitterness.

“I, at this moment, declare!”

“Oh, oh, wow!”

Evan’s loud voice filled the square outside the hall. All the people in the party hall were rushing out and looking at him.

Arisha, his fiancé, with her arms folded, was gazing at his face like she would kiss him right away if someone did not stop her.

“From now on, the Dungeon Knights of Sherden… Astray, we will protect this city from all the threats from the Dungeon!”

“There is no lie in the oath now, and Evan D. Sherden, the Knight of Astray, speaks before the One who watches from heaven.”

“Wow!”

“Astray! Astray!”

“Long live Evan D. Sherden, Knight Commander.”

The public went wild. Everyone would call him the ‘main character’ after seeing him now, but Evan had already reached the point where he didn’t even care.

Now he was just a young man full of determination to survive no matter what the future held. If it was possible, deal with the Demon King and the rest of the Demons soon. No, facing them is the priority.

For reference, Astray, an English adjective, meant to be lost, out of the way, decadent… but fortunately, the meaning of the word was not known in this world, so it could be passed on without being discovered.