Chapter 496
Evan’s Survival Ending (1)
On the day of Evan D. Sherden’s return, the city was filled with tremendous cheers.
“Master Evan is back!”
“Master Evan!”
“Master Evan has come back, and he’s alive and well!”
“Wait, he’s got more women now, hasn’t he? As expected of Master Evan!”
He didn’t mean to come back in a fuss, but because he made a ridiculous lie that he would leave on a special mission when he disappeared, he had to accept the welcoming ceremony to make up for it.
“Master! Look this way, this way, please!”
“Congratulations on your return, Master Evan!”
“Oh no, he’s gotten more handsome, hasn’t he?”
In terms of the size, the welcoming crowd had completely surpa.s.sed the Roman triumph ceremony!
[Oh, more people know you’re a G.o.d than I thought.]
“No, these people have nothing to do with that. Don’t talk about me being a G.o.d.”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!”
Evan answered Fayna’s words coolly. This made Serena, who was smiling and waving her hands around, suddenly let out a cry of enlightenment.
“I thought I’d seen her before! She was the person in the painting inside our palace!”
“Who?”
“This woman!”
Serena pointed to Fayna’s face. Evan scolded Serena not to point fingers at people and asked Fayna.
“Fayna, why is your face hanging on the Silk Line palace?”
[I don’t know…? I’ve been with you ever since I came down to earth.]
“Hmmmm, wait a minute.”
Serena agonized over her head to recall what she had heard when she was young. She succeeded in recalling what she had heard from the current king on the day she was caught and scolded by the knights.
“They said she was the first queen of our country! Her!”
“Huh?”
The first queen? Fayna? It was a moment of enlightenment for Evan. That’s why the Great Church was able to establish itself as a Silk Line diplomatic religion.
[Not at all!]
Fayna freaked out and denied it.
[Well, I don’t know any other man! Zero, no, Evan! Trust me!]
“But she’s the first queen.”
“Yes, she’s the first queen. They said if she shows up again, we should be polite to her.”
[I’ve never talked to another man! It’s rude of you to make me the first queen…!]
However, the eyes of the people around Fayna were all cold. It was like the war started from the moment they caught a new rival. But of all things, Serena had the greatest weapon to attack her! Evan, unaware of the intense timing game between women, tapped Fayna on the shoulder as if he understood her.
“If you were a married woman, that’s fine. We’re colleagues who’ve been through a crisis together. You don’t have to be so nervous because I won’t be looking at you with colored gla.s.ses.”
[No! I am telling you that I’m innocent. There’s no reason to hold such a heart to anyone other than you in the first place!]
Determined to not hear Fayna’s grand self-destructing remarks, Evan looked back at Serena, grinning.
“So Ray, is that true?”
“Yeah! The palace will probably go crazy if she goes in.”
“Then let’s go together.”
“…Now?”
“I think it will be better to get it done earlier than later on.”
“I hate you, Oppa.”
Indeed, it was the day that Evan returned after a few months. The girls didn’t want to leave Evan’s side, and it was natural for Serena’s eyes to become red when Evan, who knew how she feels, said that.
“I’m sorry, please.”
“I can’t help it if you ask me to…but you have to be nice to me when I come back.”
“Yes, not to burden my child.”
“Ugh.”
Serena dodged Evan’s gaze by touching her big belly. He must have felt sorry.
“And this is a gift.”
“Huh?”
Evan offered Serena something that looks like a red jewel…but they were eggs.
“A dragon egg again?”
“No, worm eggs.”
“Worm!?”
Serena snuggled it into her arms. Countless stars seemed to twinkle brilliantly in her pink eyes.
“You’re the best, Oppa!”
“Yes, I thought you’d like it, but it’s a little surprising that you like it that much.”
“Hehe, I thought I could tame a worm soon.”
“It’s a strong worm, so be careful when you handle it.”
“There’s nothing wrong with any monster. Then I’ll be right back! Gnar!”
[Cuuuuuue!]
Gnar, who had been inside her arms, howled loudly and became huge in the air. Serena grabbed Fayna, who was throwing a tantrum, and climbed together with them on Gnar’s back.
“Then I’ll be right back!”
“Yes, and if anything happens to Fayna in the palace, you can tell them that she’s under my protection now.”
“Protection?”
“You can tell them that she’s my wife.”
[Wife?]
Fayna’s drooping wings regained vitality and fluttered at the moment.
[Hmmm, I can’t help it. We’ll be back!]
“…”
[Let’s go, Dragon!]
[Cuuuuue!]
Gnar carried Serena and Fayna out to the Silk Line palace. The people of the city cheered the flying dragon, thinking it was part of the event.
“I’m glad everyone has simple thoughts.”
“There are fewer things to enjoy these days. Everyone believes that now that master’s back, they’ll be at peace.”
At Belois’ words, Evan had nothing but a wry smile.
“Peace, that’s an illusion.”
“Will it continue to be very difficult?”
“I suppose so…but we can clean up the system so that people don’t die meaninglessly.”
They soon arrived at the Sherden family home. At the entrance was the Marquis, his second wife Miriam, and Evan’s brother Eric.
“Evan…Redine!”
The Marquis ran right away to hold Redine in his arms. She also calmly entrusted herself to the Marquis without saying anything.
“I was surprised because you suddenly disappeared.”
“Did you find it? I’m sorry, I had something to do with Evan.”
“It’s okay now that you’re fine. There’s nothing wrong.”
“Thank you…let’s start making a third child.”
“Hmm, if you want…”
“Mother, father.”
Evan looked at the people with a serious face.
“Please do that when you guys are alone.”
“Evan, I’m so glad you’re back safe.”
“Of course, I believed in you from the beginning.”
The Marquis, who released Redine, hugged Evan tightly. After being released from his arms, it was Eric’s turn. This father-son relationship never changed over the years.
“I’d like to ask you where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing, but I won’t ask too many questions. You even brought Liz back safely…”
“Isn’t she bigger than when she got out of the dungeon, Father?”
Evan looked back after the Marquis and Eric, and as soon as she found Elizabeth standing behind Evan, Miriam, who ran out, hugged her tightly and sobbed.
“What the h.e.l.l did you feed Liz?”
“Part of the Devil and some dark magic.”
“What!?”
“Just kidding.”
Evan was so scared because it wasn’t a joke.
“Now you won’t have to leave again, son.”
“Yeah, maybe for the time being.”
“You’re saying that again.”
“But don’t worry too much, brother. I won’t be away for so long.”
The curse of the world created by the Devil and the body of the Devil had completely disappeared. Now the world didn’t reject Evan, so he could stay where he wanted.
“Liz, my beautiful daughter, are you hurt?”
“Nope, Evan protected me!”
“Yeah, Evan’s been protecting our daughter since she was born. That’s a relief, that’s a relief.”
“Hehe, so I’ll stay with him.”
“It’s…okay, Liz, do as you please.”
Liz managed to catch Miriam’s words in a distracting moment. On the surface, everyone’s heart warmed at the sight of a mother and daughter hugging, who didn’t seem to have a big age difference between them.
“Then take a rest. You must be tired of going all the way back.”
“Oh, that’s…actually, there’s one more thing I’d like to discuss right away.”
When Evan looked back, Arisha, who understood, arranged her hair once and approached gently to stand by Evan’s side.
“Me and Arisha’s wedding plan.”
“Shouldn’t you do it with the other kids?”
The Marquis asked a mischievous question. Evan nodded calmly.
“I’d like to do it every week. But first, it’s Arisha.”
“…My second son always blows my mind.”
He didn’t dare ask how many weddings he was going to have in the end. The Marquis prayed that there would be no more than two, and Arisha smiled as she added to Evan’s words.
“I’ve called my home, so we can meet whenever we want and arrange the schedule, Father.”
“Oh, I should talk to the Count right now.”
The Marquis hugged Redine in one arm and tried to hug Miriam in the other, and then he went inside first with a smile when he saw that she was still hugging her daughter. Evan turned to Eric, who was left alone.
“I’m sorry, brother. I’m getting married first.”
“No, I’m rather glad. Even if I don’t succeed, I can leave it up to you.”
“…Really?”
“Haha, I’m just kidding. Since you’re back, there’ll be some room in Sherden, so I’ll start looking for a wife.”
“That’s what I’ve been waiting for.”
The brothers hugged hard once again. As Eric went inside, Evan led the party and changed the direction of the procession. The destination was, of course…
“Let’s go to Astray headquarters!”
“Wow!”
“Tell the owner to come, it’s a party today!”
“It’s a party!”
There were cheers, bouquets, and blessings on every path the procession took. Evan was a more profound influence on people than he thought. The return of the Master of Sherden was news enough to bring not only ordinary citizens living in Sherden but also explorers trapped in dungeons to the grounds.
“Master Evan!”
“Please take me with you!”
“The leader of Astray has returned from his mission!”
Arriving at Astray’s headquarters in a terrible mess, there was already the owner of the Brotherhood Skewers as well as Horta and Ella waiting for them.
“What the h.e.l.l were you doing? You don’t have to say anything, just get the fish out.”
“As expected, I like the way the owner acts.”
“How many times do I have to say that I’m Bane.”
The owner didn’t even seem to worry about Evan from the start, although his eyes grew a little surprised when meat endlessly popped out of Evan’s inventory, including the dragon meat he had cooked once before.
“Well, if you’ve been away for so long, you should bring this much! You’d better be ready for your tummy to explode tonight.”
He carried them all into the kitchen with a truly credible declaration. Meanwhile, when Horta saw Evan, he sniffed, looking away as if there was something that made him cry.
“I’ve been worried that I can’t run away because I’ve signed an exclusive contract, Master.”
“I’m sorry, Horta. I brought my trusted colleagues with me, so take it easy.”
“Colleagues?”
“Wooooooow! What, what, a dwarf? Where did you get this many land fairies?”
Ella’s eyes glistened as the dwarves appeared among Evan’s followers. Horta, who belatedly noticed the advent of the dwarves, was a little nervous, but Ella came running and grabbed his thigh to pull at him.
“Horta…they’re my forefathers! Our Dwarf forefathers! There will be so much to learn!”
“Good to hear that I’m a forefather.”
“Of course! They were alive and breathing in ancient times.”
Evan grinned as he looked at Horta’s back, who had quickly begun to mingle with the pack of dwarves. Then someone approached him carefully. It proved to be Enoch.
“G.o.d.”
“You don’t have to call me that.”
“Then, Evan. I think it’s time to build a temple.”
“…My temple?”
“Let’s build a Big temple where all those followers can stay. I’m sure it will be worth seeing.”
Evan was moved by Enoch, who looked at himself with confidence. Their relationship began with Enoch’s promise to build a temple for the unamed G.o.d, but no one would have expected it to be his temple.
“A promise is a promise.”
“I thought you’d say that.”
Enoch smiled, and all the followers who came from ancient times, led by Save, shouted vigorously.
‘Oh, they’re scary.’
“Haaaaaaaaaa, Masteeeeeeeeeeer.”
And there was another one, running out of Astray headquarters. It was Diona, the former blackjack dealer with two rabbit ears overhead, who was currently dressed in a modest maid’s uniform.
“Masteeeeeeeeeer, huhu, I, huhuhu, missed, huhuhuhu.”
“Diona?”
“But I missed youuuuuu.”
He didn’t know what she was talking about, but he could see that she was welcoming him. But as he tried to placate her in moderation, he noticed someone had appeared since.
“…!”
“I’ve been waiting for you, Master.”
A middle-aged knight with no outstanding characteristics. Evan exclaimed, looking at the man with a faint impression that he would fly away in the wind.
“…Dain!”
“Master Evan!”
He could never forget that name, even if he died and came back to life.