Chapter 266

Evan D. Sherden, Reunion (4)

Evan headed straight to the Marquis, accompanied by only Shine and Belois. They asked Maybell for more details, but she seemed to know nothing more. There was only one thing she knew.

"It's a woman."

"Woman? Oh, I thought it was a successor that made it out alive."

Evan's face, which had a ray of expectation, darkened rapidly. When he heard that Merdin's survivor came, Evan imagined Luden Merdin, the lord of Merdin, who appeared in the Yo-Ma Great War 3.

"What's her description?"

"Well, her body is just about Belois' size... the chest is smaller than Belois'. It's smaller than mine as well. Oh, but I thought it was bigger than Arisha's."

"I'm sorry, but it really doesn't matter at all. Just pick out the characteristic elements and tell me."

Maybell complained, "The size of the chest is a characteristic factor," and I couldn't help but give out the information that came to mind.

"With reddish-brown hair... Oh yes, her eyes were black."

"Yeah, that's characteristic of the Merdin family. Is she a member of the family?"

Evan didn't know about reddish-brown hair, but black eyes were not that common. But that alone was not enough to assume that she belonged to the Merdin family.

"Oh, and... she was so pretty. She gives off a smooth but strong impression... Yeah, she looks just like a statue."

"A statue."

Evan paused when he heard it. Something came to mind with the word 'statue'.

Because the expression was a word that was never missed when talking about Merdin's successor, Luden Merdin.

"But a woman... Are you sure it really is a woman?"

"Of course, she was a perfect woman. Her chest is bigger than Arisha's! Oh, we've arrived."

Leaving Evan in a state of slight confusion, Maybell approached the attendant standing in front of the door of the drawing-room. When the attendant gave a light bow and announced Evan's visit inside, there was a voice calling for him to come in.

"I'm coming in."

"Evan, you're the only one coming in. We have a guest inside, so be polite."

"Yes."

Shine and Belois, who were trying to follow Evan, paused and frowned, but the Marquis' instructions were clear. Belois cast a protective spell on Evan, fearing that the person inside might harm him.

"Ah."

As soon as he entered, he could see the back of the visitor's head. She was sitting on the sofa, swirling her reddish-brown hair, as Maybell had said.

"You're here."

The visitor got up and turned around. As soon as she saw Evan, her body had gotten slightly stiff, but it was not unusual for anyone who saw Evan for the first time.

Evan himself looked at the visitor's face as she did. As Maybell said, she was a beautiful woman who gave a strong impression like a statue, but if he had to add something to the expression, there was a feeling of ferocity and beauty coexisting.

Is that it? Evan remembered seeing this face... in the game.

"Lu-Luden Merdin?"

"Hahaha... I heard we only met once when we were very young, but you remember me."

There was a note of gloom in the voice of a tired and passive woman. This left no doubt that she was a woman.

Evan wondered if she was using disguise magic or metamorphosis magic... No, he didn't think so. Evan asked in a quivering voice.

"Luden Merdin... right?"

"That's me. I was dressed as a man ever since I was young. In fact, everyone but my mother and father believed I was a man."

'Oh, my God, then what about the game? Was it true that, even at the time of the succession, the woman, Luden Merdin, was dressed as a man?'

"Luden, can I ask a favor?"

"Yes, sir. I beseech you, Master Evan, if you're not busy..."

"...Wheew."

Sensing that the story was going to be long, Evan gave the Marquis a nod and sat next to him. Luden laughed helplessly and began to talk.

"I was born as a child of the first wife. At that time, the maternal side of the second wife who gave birth to the heir, Silane, was in full swing..."

It was a familiar story. Marquis Merdin wanted to hand over the Marquis' position to Luden, the first wife's child, instead of Silane, the second wife's son, so she was forced to grow up dressed as a man from an early age.

"Master Evan will remember the Demon tribe. Sherden helped put the situation under control before it happened, but the problem was Silane's influence: he led the crackdown on our father, who was bedridden with a plague."

"...Ah."

Indeed. The Demon tribe incident did not happen in the Yo-Ma Great War 3 game. Even if it reversed Merdin's power structure, it was all convincing.

That was why Luden had grown up and was pushed out of the way to compete with Silane.

"The composition was solid, and I didn't have to dress up as a man, but I grew up as a man all my life, so I couldn't go back to being a woman anymore. I lost the purpose of my life and lived like a wreck. "

Three years ago, during the Invasion, there had also been a terrible confusion in Merdin. A terrifying torrent of water, the raiding of the Demon army.

They were aiming at the Merdin family's extermination, and they had all the information about the members of the family.

"But I guess they didn't know that I was actually a woman. Thanks to my mother's help, I managed to escape the siege, which had been loosened by dressing up as a woman and running around looking for a man named Luden."

"..."

"A myriad of Merdin knights had been killed to disrupt the enemy. After somehow getting out of Merdin without having time to look back at their sacrifice, the whole city..."

"...I see."

Although he wanted to hear more details about what happened to Merdin, Luden herself seemed to have no idea of the details because she had been busy taking care of her life.

It was very regrettable for Evan, who wanted to confirm at least who the group was, but what had already been done was inevitable.

"Since then, it has been a struggle to survive. I've never been in a dungeon, so I had to believe in a skill I learned while growing up..."

Luden's story continued a little further after that. It was mainly about the hardships that Luden suffered while wandering the world over the past three years.

When he heard that she had a hard time learning a woman's speech or gestures not to get caught, a bitter smile came out.

"Why didn't you want to let other nobles know your identity and ask for help?"

"It's because I'm a woman. I didn't know if they'd believe me or not, and if they did, there would have been more people trying to take advantage of me. Beifeka is that kind of place. It's not like Sherden."

"You must have already looked around the city."

"Yes, I knew it was like that in the first place."

At first, she had no choice but to run away from Merdin, but she decided to go to Sherden while wandering aimlessly. The reason was clear.

"It's because you were here."

"You mean me?"

"Yes."

Luden took a short deep breath in that part.

"Master Evan D. Sherden."

"Yes, go ahead."

"Please accept me... as a disciple!"

'Not another one!'

When Evan's face twisted strangely, Luden hurried on.

"I heard that Master Evan led the offense against the Demons three years ago. I know you have tremendous ability, and you have an outstanding ability to nurture and manage talent."

"Well...... that's true..."

'I can't be ashamed to hear it from other people.' As Evan was licking his lips again, Luden stood out in front of the table and said in a stronger tone.

"I want you to mentor me. Please make me a warrior. I have to be a strong person who will not be pushed back by any kind of Demon tribe! Someday, I must get Merdin back...!"

"..."

Evan was silent when he felt the anger and determination contained in her brief words. Now he could read the flames of hatred hidden in a voice that seemed to burn down.

Luden added urgently how he interpreted her silence.

"I'll give you everything I can. As long as you want this humble body, I-"

"Calm down. I haven't said no to your request."

The only thing that mattered to Luden now was to get her city back, or to destroy the Demons who ruined her life. Nothing else mattered.

"What do you think, father?"

There Evan asked for the Marquis' opinion. The Marquis replied as if he had been waiting.

"I agree. You were friends as children, we have to protect her, and if we want to protect her, there's no one else better than Evan. You're safe with him."

"That's not it."

"Please raise Luden. I ask you."

"...Okay."

Yes, as expected. He wouldn't have called Evan here if he didn't need to.

Evan turned his head again and faced Luden Merdin. She looked exactly the same as Luden in the game.

However, it was surprising that the appearance of women's clothes and long hair made so much of a difference. Well, it was often difficult to tell the difference between the genders of 2D characters; regardless, it was still a hard concept in actuality for Evan.

'No, I'm confused, damn it!'

It was a great pleasure to know that Luden Merdin, who had intense charisma and ability, was alive, but she was actually a woman, and moreover, she asked Evan to accept her as a student.

"I knew it... is it not possible? Then I don't..."

"No, no. Well, calm down."

He shook his head hurriedly at the sight of Luden, who looked like she would bite her tongue and die if Evan refused to do so.

'I know you've been in extreme situations for the past few years, but your mental state seems to be very unstable, which really requires careful care. It is surprising how the Marquis of the Iron Blood came to this extent.'

Just a while ago, a high elf came, and this time around, it was Luden Merdin. Evan wondered if the main character of Yo-Ma Great War 3 would appear in front of him all of a sudden.

Evan sighed and reached out one hand to Luden. Luden's darkening complexion instantly brightened.

"Are you accepting me?"

"Yes, let's say I'm thinking about what to do... Let's start with a Dungeon Knights' Apprenticeship."

"Oh...thank you! It's an honor, teacher!"

"No, don't use the term 'teacher'."

That was how Astray accepted a new member again. Somehow, all the second heirs of the three dungeon cities had gotten together.