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nEvan D. Sherden. Unwillingly Creating Relations (2)

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nNoticing that the King was leaving with the Marquis and Count Pellati, many of the nobles who had only come because of the King also chose to leave.

nSome nobles were given separate residences such as secluded gardens or mansions.

nThey chose to go there for rest, and the only people remaining were either young and savvy nobles, nobles interested in Evan, or the commoners.

nIn other words, those who had very high statuses were uninterested or were too tired to stay and left.

n“Now, we’ll adjust the stage for a while. It may be noisy, so please bear with us.”

nThe second half of the party was about to begin.

n“Then, let’s change to a more exciting song!”

n“Please make the lights a little brighter too!”

nFirst on the agenda – today’s invited musicians, Lute Girls, came upon the stage.

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nAfter seeing Evan somehow, these girls became too anxious and did their best to play more splendidly before him. They changed into the costumes they had prepared for the second part of the evening and started playing songs with a faster tempo.

n“I liked the slow song, but as expected, these songs are the specialty of the Lute Girls.”

n“It’s cool, it’s amazing!”

n“Dancing is a must with such a good song. Would you like to dance, My Lady?”

nThe atmosphere had changed in no time. Anyone who found a partner from those present came out onto the open stage and started dancing cheerfully. Brotherhood Pharmacy employees who couldn’t eat or drink properly before and could only watch the ceremony in a formal fashion had free reign now.

nAll in all, the atmosphere was lively.

n“Ra.. Raihan. If you’re okay with it, how about a dance?”

n“Uh, oh me? Are you talking about me? I’m very clumsy in dancing, but if you’re okay with that, I’d be happy to do so.”

nHanna was the first to take this opportunity. She, who had prepared in advance and changed into the party dress which Evan had prepared for her, was looking very beautiful. Different from his usual attitude, Raihan blushed slightly at her appearance and held her hand.

nThey went to the stage.

n“Ah, I’m late… Ah, ah!”

nImmediately after that, Serpina, who had just appeared after changing her clothes too, was despairing as she watched the two walking hand in hand. Evan said softly.

n“It’s not like they will be dancing forever. You can ask him up for the next song.”

n“No, but doesn’t that woman have any pride? How can a woman ask a man to dance first?”

n“Why does gender and pride matter? If you want to dance together with someone, you have to ask first. Thanks to that mindset, she was the first one to go up on the stage with him, right?”

nOf course, Serpina knew all of that. She was just crestfallen because she had missed the first opportunity. Evan laughed at Serpina, who was kicking the floor in her frustration and had started eating a cookie.

nBut then, a fine hand was placed on his shoulder. It was Serena.

n“Evan Oppa, I want to dance with you.”

n“Ah… ”

nIt was then that Evan realized that he had been digging his own grave. He looked up at Serpina, hoping that she would save her, but she was just smiling. All Evan could do was smile in return.

n“He received a dance request from the Princess and he is also Master Evan. That girl was so brave, he couldn’t say no to her right? Because a woman’s heart is delicate.”

n“I can’t say anything for sure about Evan. Because who knows, he may be possessing the heart of steel that would break the maiden’s glass heart.”

n“Don’t you think he would be really cowardly if he really denied her request!?”

n“Let’s go, Oppa!”

nEvan was stunned by the appearance of the Princess holding his hand without even considering his intentions, but of course, he didn’t want to reject her.

nWhy? Because he had already successfully declared that he was going to be the Commander of the Dungeon Knights!

n‘Unless the King is crazy, there is no way he will marry a Princess to me who will be bound to the dungeon in the future. Even if the Princess made the ridiculous demand of becoming a Dungeon Knight, he wouldn’t agree.

nEvan trembled, recalling the moment when Serena and Arisha had approached him at the same time, and both had spoken out their wish to join the Dungeon Knights.

nHe had warded them away and escaped from there after he presented the excuse that he was not receiving enough resources yet.

nSerena, who had once before told him of her motives already, was another matter, but why on Earth did Arisha want to become a member of the Dungeon Knights squad instead of joining the Pellati’s forces?

nHe looked back. Arisha was staring at him. He couldn’t really understand what she was thinking.

n‘That’s good but… She doesn’t really like me, right?’

nHe really hoped that she didn’t. Still, he could not shake the feeling that she might be interested in him. As Evan shuddered, Arisha tilted her head. If you really looked at her eyes from the same perspective as Evan’s, then you would notice that something was strange with her.

nHe turned away from her.

n“Evan is really popular. That is quite visible because I can see a lot of pretty and cool people next to him. What is that girl’s name?”

n“That’s Arisha von Pellati. She is the child of another family that governs a dungeon city. I’ve only met her once, and she hardly knows me.”

n“Alright then, let’s dance!”

nAs Evan and Serena made their way to the center of the stage, the couples who were already dancing there moved to the sides to give them moving space. It was natural because, after all, they knew who the protagonist of the day was.

n“Hey, they really… they really are holding hands.”

n“Yeah.”

n“By the way, Master Evan will be the new Dungeon Knights Commander right…? Huh, so why did she choose him?”

nWhispers could be heard here and there, but the Princess didn’t care about it at all and reached out towards Evan.

nEvan smiled bitterly, grasping her hand gently, and corrected his posture. Serena beamed.

n“Yes, we shall dance now!”

n“Huh.”

nThe courtesy appeared to be perfect as one child belonged to the Royal Family, and the other was the son of a noble.

nAmong the players, the couple dances in the world of the Yo-Ma Great War were more aristocratic and infamous than the dances of the real world.

nThe dance, which was called the waltz in modern times, was a brisk and buoyant dance in which someone moved in a circle with a partner on a three-quarter beat. It had become something of a necessity that every noble had to learn, especially the younger ones.

n“Master Evan and Princess Serena are dancing.”

n“The two look really cute together. They dance well too.”

n“Master Evan has been training and improving his body from a young age. His dancing moves appear to be enthusiastic. As he gets a little older, it will be even more refined.”

nEvan and Serena danced jovially across the stage.

nAlthough Evan didn’t like getting involved with Serena, it didn’t necessarily mean that he did not like her.

nWith big smiles on their faces, the two separated and then joined back up. Serena’s hair fluttered as she eagerly followed his lead in the dance.

n“It’s as fun as playing with an earthworm!”

nWow!

nIt was a little strange that the Slime Ruby did not fall off Serena’s shoulder and stuck to her during the turns. Evan decided not to think much about it.

nSoon after the song ended, cheers erupted around them as everyone appreciated their waltz skills. As Evan thought about it, he had felt excellent. Was it the result of learning numerous fighting skills?

n“Well then, let’s dance to one more song!”

n“It can’t be helped.”

nOr was it because he was in a good mood?

nEven Raihan, who had not changed his partner since the beginning, was dancing with joy, even though the dance seemed a little difficult for him. The atmosphere was festive.

n“One more song!”

n“… Again?”

n“But it’s even more fun than playing with an earthworm.”

n“More than an earthworm!? Then there is no way I can refuse… ”

n“Eh, I love you, Oppa!”

nIf it was more entertaining than playing with an earthworm for Serena, that how could Evan even dare to stop her? From then on, he had to dance to three more songs with the Princess.

nThey finally stopped because the skewers’ barbecue had been served at one side of the party venue.

n“Who is that?”

n“Uh, I think I have seen him somewhere… Oh, isn’t he the man who opened that famous skewers restaurant in the city?”

nThe first thing that came into view was a large furnace and iron plate.

nAfterwards, they saw a middle-aged man with a fierce expression, the skewers barbecue restaurant owner, appear. With the assistance of the maids, he settled in the corner of the venue and lit the furnace.

n“Is it really okay to grill skewers in a place like this?”

n“Yes! Everyone will enjoy these.” The maid answered with a brilliant smile. The owner was unable to hide his worries, but he still organized the table and utensils, spread the tablecloths, and hung a sign. Above, it was boldly written “Brotherhood Skewers”.

n“What…”

n“Brotherhood skewers?”

nAfter dancing to so many songs, the people were getting hungry. Of course, many dishes had been prepared at the party hall, but those were already beginning to cool down.

nIn such a situation, the trusted restaurant owner had appeared, spread the sauce on the large lump of meat, and started cooking it on the grills.

n“That’s monster meat… ?”

n“Have you tried monster meat? Unless you can cook food really well, you can’t even dare to put it on a steak.”

n“Really? But isn’t that poisonous… ”

n“Cooking and selling monster meat is prohibited by the Marquis. You can’t cook without his permission.”

nAs the skewers were being grilled and the fragrance began to spread, more and more pairs of eyes began turning towards the source. Of course, Serena had the same reaction. She spoke while swallowing.

n“Well, I was just trying to show Oppa my pretty side… Still, I’m sure that eating that also looks quite good, right?”

n“That’s usually the case… Ah, yes, that’s true.”

n“Yes, then let’s go eat!”

nIn fact, Evan also wanted to go over and be one of the first ones to taste the skewers. That way, other nobles would be able to join him and eat without hesitation.

nAs the two approached the owner, they could see the other nobles coming over as well.

n“Is this really safe to consume?”

n“Do you think the skewers are grilled well here?”

n“I can assure you of that.”

n“Then I’ll eat to my fullest!”

nHe chewed the elite oak meat and dark mantis meat that had been delivered specially for this day. It mingled so well with the sauce in his mouth!

n“This is exquisite!” Serena shouted while looking at Evan. Stars seemed to be twinkling in her pink eyes. Even while she ate, she looked pretty lovely.

n“This is really good.”

n“Is that right?”

n“Yes, it’s very delicious.”

nSerena dipped the skewers in the sauce and stuffed them in her mouth. She was very cute, but she wasn’t showing any etiquette at all.

nEvan pulled out a handkerchief and cleaned her mouth.

nAs he wiped it, he asked the owner to grill smaller skewers for her.

n“I love the taste when I eat them whole… ”

n“First of all, we need to consider the taste. We can’t guarantee that everyone has a personality like the Princess.”

n“Hmm, can I ask for one more?”

nSplendid flame, sizzling meat, spicy sauce, and the aroma of burning meat. It wasn’t really worth putting out for a formal occasion, but it was a perfect fit for this place, where vigor reigned!

n“Hey, it’s really delicious. So much so that I can’t really belittle the common people’s cuisine.”

n“The price is also quite reasonable so that the common people can also eat it. Specifically, it is a dish for those who enter the dungeon. Its taste is a blessing!”

nAs the skewers we delectable, they sold well. Seeing as to how the nobles didn’t express their ‘contempt’, it proved how positively they were thinking about skewers cooked from monsters’ meat.

nBy looking at them, Evan was able to predict the inevitable success of the Brotherhood Skewers.

n“We also want some!”

n“We can eat this for free today? You must thank the Marquis!”

n“Is this the meat we delivered to the Marquis? Actually, the Marquis was looking for monster meat for some reason, so I think this was the reason.”

nMeanwhile, the people of the battle guilds who had no objection to eating the monster meat came and picked up the skewers as if they had been waiting for them from the beginning.

nThat led to even more nobles coming over.

n“Hello, Master Evan.”

nOne of them, a young man, approached Evan.

nHe was someone Evan knew very well already. Not personally, but as a player of Yo-Ma Great War 3.

nIt was at this moment when a switch turned on in his mind.

n“You’re Jenien of the Thunderbirds Guild, right?”

n“Oh, it’s an honor that you know me, Master! Our Thunderbirds Guild is a small group, and we have a shortage of manpower, so not many people know about us… “

n“I won’t agree.”

n“But the fact that Young Master already knows us is… What?”

n“I won’t agree,” Evan repeated.

nSeeing Evan, who had refused his proposal even before he had worded it, the guild master of the Thunderbirds Guild Jenien blinked in surprise.

nEvan looked at Jenien, and then steadfastly declared, holding up the second skewer in his hand.

n“You’re here to recruit Raihan. I don’t want to give him over.”

nGuildmaster Jenien of the Thunderbirds Guild was one of the guys who recognized talents and searched for them as a ghost. In the early stages of Yo-Ma Great War 3, he could be ranked among the three major people (the other two were the second wife of the Sherden family and Arisha von Pellati) who could completely acknowledge the protagonist’s talent.

n“Oh, what did you say? How did you even know… ”

n“Again, my answer is no.”

nHe also invested in the protagonist’s talents the same as the other two, but when you chose him, a more terrible ending awaited the player than having chosen the second wife.

nArisha, the only one with a conscience among the three major profiteers, became the main heroine later in the game.

n“I won’t give away my people to anyone else. He is my brother. So, give up quietly and go back.”

n“… Then it feels like you have already made up your mind Master. Hehe, you are very greedy. I thought I could have had him…”

nJenien regained his sullen smile and scratched his head.

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nYes, that was the nature of the dungeon explorers. They never bent before the nobles just because they had power. It was only when they wanted something that they surrendered to other people’s wills. Because of this, it was good to be wary of them.

n‘Especially a guy like you who stuck to the Demon King’s side only because you were at a disadvantage… ‘

nThis person occupied a big position in the rule books that Evan had made for himself… these were people whom he had to be on the lookout for, and would not hesitate to take severe action against them if necessary.

n‘These are the traitors of the dungeon.’

nAlthough it was at a point in the future that had not come yet… he still had to pay attention to their every move in advance. There were definitely some people out there who wanted him in the dark. Thinking about this, he bit his skewer.

n“Aha, Young Master was able to reject Jenien with a single word!”

n“I knew he couldn’t hide his nature. Owner, please give us one more skewer too!”

n“Nice to meet you, Master Evan. We never met when we were in the ballroom. Then I finally got to see you here, and I must say that I am very pleased to meet you.”

nEvan sighed as he saw more people approaching him and talking in a friendly manner. There were crowds of people he had to watch out for, whether in a good or bad sense.

nThe Marquis had told him to enjoy his birthday, but it seemed that he would be quite busy throughout the night.

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